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Essentials of XR (VR AR) Product Design and Development
Product Design and Development with VR and AR
Oct 17 2020
66 mins
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Build a More Tangible Digital Brand with 3D and AR
Oct 28 2020
54 mins
Verizon, VNTANA, Fendi,
With the majority of retail closed for the foreseeable future, every brand to reevaluate and invest in their digital channels. How do you stand in the never ending sea of digital content? 3D and AR are not futuristic, expensive technologies, they are here now to help you create a more tangible digital experience your customers will love. Join experts from leading brands, technology companies and more to learn actionable steps to create a cohesive 3D strategy that is proven to increase online sales and reduce returns.
Hosted by: Natascha French, LA Chapter - President, VRARA
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Essentials of XR (VR AR) Product Design and Development
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ThoughtWorks, VR/AR Association, VRARA India
Product Design and Development with VR and AR
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We will discuss the opportunity and impact that XR - specifically Augmented and Mixed Reality - can have on the product lifecycle and its digital twin in heavy-duty industrial enterprise. Organizations can use AR and MR to achieve game-changing competitive advantage, reduce expenses, improve safety during COVID, and improve profit. This presentation will discuss the key factors in XR success – and pitfalls to avoid. Learn about Microsoft, Unity, and AVATAR's roadmaps and latest technology tools for XR. This presentation will highlight use cases from large enterprise and multiple industries.
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REIKI - THE POWER TO HEAL - Level Two Weekend Certification Class
REIKI LEVEL 2 Weekend Class in Vancouver, BC
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I have spent the last 20 years learning and teaching many forms of Energy Medicine and preventative health modalities. In addition to teaching Reiki, Dowsing and Reflexology classes, I practice nutritional microscopy / live blood analysis and offer ozone / oxygen therapies.
I was introduced to Reiki, Reflexology and Dowsing in the late 1990's. After exploring many methods of self-awareness, learning and training, taking a plethora of energy work, body/mind, alternative healing classes, I knew I had finally found, amongst these varied and often awesomely inspiring and wondrous modalities, the key elements that were integral to healing the way I wanted to integrate and present them.
Reiki, Reflexology and Dowsing were also the tools I could use to take responsibility for my own health. I saw learning Reiki, Reflexology and Dowsing as giving me tangible tools, effective on all levels ~ environmentally, physically, emotionally and even spiritually. When the various forms of Reiki, Reflexology and Dowsing that I had studied and used had became as comfortable as an old sock, I wanted to pass them on to others to use and so I began teaching.


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Colleges That Offer Medical Illustrator Classes
In "Sketchbook for the Artist," author Sarah Simblet points out that during the Renaissance, artists knew far more about the workings of the human anatomy than most doctors did. These early artists laid the groundwork for the profession of medical illustration, encouraging future artists who love science and loved art equally to combine both passions. In the 21st century, medical illustrators attend colleges and universities that teach them the art and the science of this particular brand of illustration and visual communication.
Georgia Health Sciences University
Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta, Georgia, receives applicants from many walks of life. As one would expect, art students apply to the program, but so do medical doctors, ecologists and surgeons. Potential applicants must possess a bachelors degree, although it does not have to be in art. They must also demonstrate proficiency in life drawing and use of color as well as a knowledge of computer graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Macromedia Freehand. In depth coursework in the sciences is also required.
University of Illinois
The medical illustration program at the University of Illinois in Chicago offers three concentrations from which applicants can choose. These are computer visualization, prosthetics/3-D model design, and illustration and design. Master students immerse themselves in classes pertaining to anatomy, design, 3D modeling, biomedical visual research and illustration techniques. Incoming students must possess a bachelors degree with a 3.0 grade point average. They must also meet the prerequisites, which include art classes, such as drawing, and science classes, such as molecular biology.
John's Hopkins University School of Medicine
John's Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, has had a medical illustration program since the early 1900s, and the graduate students in the program must adhere to the same rigors that the medical students do, including working side-by-side with them in lab classes. Building on the strong foundation in art that these students come into the program with, the medical illustration students gain the background and terminology necessary to converse with medical professionals in order to communicate a medical concept visually. Only seven students get accepted into the program each year.
Despite the growing demand for programs that train medical illustrators and communicators, there exists only a few programs in America to train these professionals. One program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has been recommended for closure and no longer takes applications. Would-be medical illustrators have one more option on the North American continent, the program at the University of Toronto; however, this represents the extent of the accredited programs in America and Canada.
According to the Association of Medical Illustrators, most artists working in this field today hold master's degrees. Acceptance into these programs proves difficult; fewer than 20 people make it into a medical illustration program at the masters level. Competition for placement is fierce. Would-be medical illustrators can give themselves an advantage over the competition by honing their art and science skills from high school onward.
- Sketchbook for the Artist; Sarah Simblet
- Association of Medical Illustrators: Education
- Association of Medical Illustrators: Graduate Programs
- Association of Medical Illustrators: Careers
- Explore Health Careers: Medical Illustrator
- Georgia Health Sciences University: Department of Medical Illustration -- Admissions
- University of Illinois: MS in Biomedical Visualization
- John's Hopkins University School of Medicine: Art as Applied to Medicine
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Photo Credits
- Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images


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To prepare for something big, start with small things
Q. I feel like God is going to call me to do something big, but I don't know what. How can I make sure that I don't miss what he will call me to do? And what can I do in the meantime?
A. Fantastic question! Before I try to offer an answer, I think it could be helpful to clarify one or two things. First, any call that comes from God is "something big." Regardless of whether or not what you are called to do is noticed by others, if God is calling, then the call is important.
Sometimes, we can fall into the trap of thinking like the world, and we can begin to believe that significance means fame. It certainly does not. The great call is the call to be a saint, and there have been an incredible number of unknown saints.
Second, while it may very well be that God will call you to something in the future, he is calling you in this very moment as well. I know many people who have embraced the thinking that God will call them "someday" when he reveals their vocation to them, and then neglected to pay attention to what he is calling them to do today. Remember, your primary call is to be a saint. You do not have to wait to begin traveling that road. In fact, you must not. God is calling you now.
At this point, usually people will say something like, "Oh, of course! I know that I'm supposed to be a saint, but I am talking about my 'real' vocation!"
I understand, but the call to be a saint is your real vocation. If you miss that, you miss everything. If you and I fail to become a saint (a known saint or an anonymous one), then we will have missed out on the entire point of our lives.
The other rebuttal some folks have is that they don't know what they are supposed to do to become a saint. The equation is remarkably simple: Do God's will.
Being a saint is not dependent on making all-night prayer vigils or fasting for 40 days on end. Being a saint is not the result of performing miracles or of transforming society or founding a new religious order. Being a saint means one thing: I have become a person who wants — and chooses — what God wants. Being a saint means that my will and God's will are in agreement. And the great news is, you know what God first desires of you.
You may not know what God will call you to do in the future, but you know what he is asking of you right now. Much like the rich young man who came before Jesus and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus tells us, "You know the commandments . . . ." God has revealed his will for our lives in the commandments and the teachings of the Church. While we cannot follow these perfectly, with God's grace, we can live joyful and holy lives.
Choose to act on what God has revealed to you. If you do this — if you make a practice out of saying yes to God in daily things — then you will be poised and ready when he asks larger things of you.
I have mentioned before in this column that a person will never miss their vocation if they consistently ask the following three questions:
1. Am I in a state of grace? (If not, go to confession.)
2. Am I doing my daily duties? (If not, look at your calendar, and do them.)
3. Did I pray today? (If not, spend time with God in prayer.)
Those are three things that you can do right now. And while it is essential to be attentive to the first and the third questions (which are reflections of our lived relationship with God), I want to give some attention to that middle question: your daily duties.
When it comes to the actions and behaviors that fill up your day, I invite you to ask the question: Is what I am doing leading to a life that honors God?
I think of young David in 1 Samuel. He is going to be called to something great; he will be the king of Israel. But what does he do in the meantime? He trains. He prepares. He does the tasks his father has given him to do. He does not waste hours of his life playing video games or on Netflix or Twitter. David keeps guard over his father's sheep. He does this mundane and super boring task so attentively that, when the moment comes for him to step up and fight for his people against Goliath, he is ready and able.
Young David heard the challenge of Goliath and was not only willing to do something, but he also was able. In response to the objection that he was too young and inexperienced, David replies, "'Your servant used to tend his father's sheep, and whenever a lion or bear came to carry off a sheep from the flock, I would chase after it, attack it and snatch the prey from its mouth. If it attacked me, I would seize it by the throat, strike it and kill it. Your servant has killed both a lion and a bear.' David continued: 'The same Lord who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine'" (1 Sm 18: 34-37). This kid has trained and is prepared!
If you want to know your vocation, it is to be a saint. If you want to be prepared to say "yes" to your vocation, train by saying "yes" to God in your daily tasks.
Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Category: Ask Father Mike


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Basic Training: Unwritten Agreements--Are They Valid?
Grow Your Business, Not Your Inbox
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min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.Are verbal agreements valid? Does it make a difference if they come up in an employment situation?
Q: What are the laws regarding verbal agreements concerning workers' compensation cases?
A: Generally, most states provide that verbal agreements are enforceable, just like written agreements (except for certain defined exceptions in the law, such as real estate brokerage contracts). The problem with verbal agreements is that, to quote Louis B. Mayer, "They are not worth the paper they're printed on." Any number of issues can arise in the course of an employment agreement--such as expectations concerning working hours, duties, pay structure, entitlement to bonuses, availability of benefits, opportunities for promotion or profit-sharing, etc. With only a verbal agreement, you are reduced to a "he said/she said" situation that can often be difficult to prove.
That said, by law, employers need to have workers' compensation insurance to cover any injuries to their employees. This is usually a state-mandated requirement, so any verbal agreement that your employer gave that there would (or would not) be workers' compensation benefits available to you has no bearing. In fact, in many states, there can be serious penalties levied against an employer for failing to have workers' compensation insurance for covered employees. If you are injured on the job in the proper performance of your duties, you should have a right to avail yourself of workers' compensation benefits. As your next step, I'd recommend that you speak to an employee-side employment attorney who has some familiarity with the workers' compensation laws of your state. This should enable you to get more clarity on your situation and your options.


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- Who is HPS, LLC?
- How much does it cost to be an HPS member?
- Do I buy directly from HPS?
- Who will be sending me invoices, etc?
- If I want to participate in one of the HPS programs, do I have to use them all?
- Why can't I just give the HPS pricing to my current suppliers and ask them to match the low prices obtained through HPS?
- HPS has provided me with better pricing than my current supplier. However, my staff has a good relationship with the existing sales rep and is reluctant to change vendors. As a result, the existing vendor is now willing to "price match" HPS. What should I do?
- I notice that HPS has selected one primary vendor for each area while other GPOs sometimes offer multiple choices. Why is that?
- What do I do if I have a problem with an HPS supplier?
- How has HPS been able to get such low pricing for its members?
- What is the relationship between HPS and its members?
- What do I do if I already have an account with an HPS vendor?
- Do I have to sign anything to join HPS?
- How do I know how much HPS can save my business?
Who is HPS?
HPS, LLC is a specialized Group Purchasing Organization ("GPO") whose primary focus is to negotiate savings for its members. By combining the collective buying power of its members, HPS has the leverage to negotiate with suppliers to provide its members with deeply discounted prices and service-level enhancements that are typically reserved for very large corporate customers.
How much does it cost to be an HPS member?
Absolutely nothing. Unlike many other GPOs, there are no membership dues or fees of any kind paid by HPS members.
Do I buy directly from HPS?
No. You buy directly from the HPS suppliers and, as an HPS member you will automatically receive the special pricing negotiated by HPS.
Who will be sending me invoices, etc?
In each of the HPS programs, transactional activities - like order placement, billing, and payment - are handled directly between the supplier and the HPS member.
If I want to participate in one of the HPS programs, do I have to use them all?
No. Participation in each of the HPS programs is completely voluntary and is independent of the others. You utilize as many, or as few, of the HPS programs as you choose.
Why can't I just give the HPS pricing to my current suppliers and ask them to match the low prices obtained through HPS?
There's nothing to stop you, however, why would you continue to buy from a supplier that has been overcharging you until you press them for better prices? Furthermore, the effort we put into our negotiations are for now and the future. We make sure that we obtain the best possible prices and continually monitor those prices to make sure they continue to be the best available. Using our work as leverage with your vendor may have a short term benefit but, in the long run, everyone loses.
HPS has provided me with better pricing than my current supplier. However, my staff has a good relationship with the existing sales rep and is reluctant to change vendors. As a result, the existing vendor is now willing to "price match" HPS. What should I do?
Giving your current vendor the opportunity to "price match" can be especially tempting in situations where a close relationship exists between the existing sales rep and staff members who have responsibility for ordering supplies.
It is not uncommon for practices to have blind loyalty to existing suppliers and sales reps - even after the practice discovers that their "old friend" has been overcharging them for years.
If your existing supplier believes that you are seriously considering moving your business to the HPS program, he/she will often offer to match the HPS pricing if you will keep your business with that supplier.
However, even when the existing supplier does match the pricing proposed by the HPS supplier, it is highly likely that the price reductions will be limited to only the items listed on the price comparison from HPS. In most cases, prices for other items will not be reduced. In fact, it is not unusual for suppliers to actually increase their prices on non-list items in order to make up for the lost profits on the HPS comparison items. In addition, we find that all of the prices tend to increase over time because no one is continually scrutinizing them to make sure that any increases are challenged.
I notice that HPS has selected one primary vendor for each area while other GPOs sometimes offer multiple choices. Why is that?
By consolidating all of our purchasing power with a single supplier for each product category, HPS is able to maximize our leverage to obtain the best deals for our members. Just compare our prices.
What do I do if I have a problem with an HPS supplier?
At HPS, we expect our preferred suppliers to be fully responsive to the needs of our members and to promptly resolve problems if and when they occur. While we find that our suppliers are motivated to solve HPS member issues, in the event of recurring problems, a major issue, or an unacceptable response from the supplier, we will intervene on your behalf to ensure that you are satisfied.
With HPS you are no longer just a single practice, but part of a much larger organization whose consolidated volume exerts significant influence with our suppliers.
Although we hope that you never have a problem with one of our suppliers, when you allow HPS to help you resolve your problem, it presents us with a real opportunity to demonstrate what makes us different from most other groups.
Whenever possible, we do ask that you notify HPS of problems you are having before you become so frustrated it is too late to resolve the issue favorably.
How has HPS been able to get such low pricing for its members?
Our suppliers recognize that our experience in group purchasing makes us uniquely qualified to create programs that our member businesses need and will use. Our ability to deliver highly interested and sophisticated members to these programs benefits the suppliers in many ways including increased sales through buyer retention and reduced costs by dealing with educated buyers.
Unlike most GPOs, HPS chooses a single supplier for each product/service with whom to form a strategic alliance - this allows HPS to maximize the leverage necessary to negotiate with suppliers. Another benefit of utilizing a single supplier is that we are better able to manage supplier performance and establish clear accountability.
In exchange for giving HPS and its members a great deal, suppliers in the HPS programs have the expectation that, if they provide HPS members with a better deal than they currently have, HPS members will: (a) support the HPS programs by participating in them, and (b) switch from their current supplier(s) in order to take advantage of the superior value of the HPS program(s).
What is the relationship between HPS and its members?
Unlike some GPOs, HPS has no ownership interest in its members and has no authority to tell its members what to do. Since participation in HPS programs is voluntary, the primary reason for members to participate is that HPS provides them with better values than they can obtain elsewhere. In other words, in order to attract and retain members, HPS must have the best products, prices, services and suppliers on an ongoing basis.
HPS is not a vendor. HPS is a consultative resource and an advocate for our members. We do not sell supplies - instead, we negotiate on behalf of our members to get better deals from the companies who do sell them.
Our decisions are generally guided by two questions that we ask ourselves every day:
- What is in the best interest of the practice/member?
- What is the right thing to do?
We have found that by following these simple guiding principles, HPS has become the kind of partner that both our members and our suppliers want to work with.
What do I do if I already have an account with an HPS vendor?
In most cases, as soon as you become an HPS member, your account is moved under our master account and you begin to receive HPS pricing. If you have participated with the vendor in another GPO, all you have to do is provide us with a letter stating your desire to be listed as an HPS member and we'll take care of the rest.
Do I have to sign anything to join HPS?
Group purchasing organizations are highly regulated. In order to satisfy the regulatory requirements governing GPOs, it is necessary for HPS to obtain a signed Member Disclosure Agreement from each of our members. Signing the HPS Member Disclosure does not obligate you in any way to HPS and/or our suppliers. The Disclosure simply acknowledges that you have chosen to be a member of HPS and have been informed about how HPS and its programs operate.
How do I know how much HPS can save my business?
HPS is happy to provide you with a no cost, no obligation price comparison. In fact, we encourage such price comparisons because we know that the HPS programs will compare favorably when objectively analyzed. Whether you are already participating in another group purchasing program or are convinced that you already have the best prices possible, we invite you to take a look at HPS and our leveraged purchasing programs. You might be surprised by what you find.


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Total Clean gives back
We are lucky enough to be in a position to support several charities and great causes, both locally and nationally, and are very proud that together, we're helping to make a difference.
In Sue's Name
"In Sue's Name" is a registered charity based locally to Total Clean's North London office. It was set up by the father of a woman who died in 2011 aged 42, after a short battle with brain cancer.
Brain cancer kills more people under 45 than any other form of cancer, yet attracts a disproportionately low 1% of the funds raised by Cancer Research. In Sue's Name aims to raise funds to help further research into the causes of brain cancer, and solutions to help sufferers and their families.
Total Clean supports In Sue's Name as one of the sponsors of their annual Golf Day, specifically the trophies. This year, the Golf Day raised over £10,000. In total the charity has raised over £100,000 since its launch. We are delighted to be associated with the cause and send our best wishes for all their fundraising efforts.
Children with Cancer UK
Children with Cancer is the leading national children's charity dedicated to the fight against all childhood cancers.
Funds raised by the charity go towards funding life-saving research into the causes, prevention and treatment of childhood cancers, funding innovative welfare projects to provide better care for young cancer patients and their families, campaigning to raise awareness of childhood cancers to protect more children and improving the lives of young cancer patients, today and for future generations.
Total Clean was involved with Children with Cancer for over 5 years, supporting them with a commercial arrangement that generated over £2,000 per year in charitable donations.
"Total Clean provided cleaning services to Children with Cancer for over 5 years, says Amy Phelps of the charity. "Carlos understood that we needed a cost-effective solution for our office. To reflect this, Total Clean generously provided a number of days of contract cleaning services at no cost annually, allowing us to enjoy a hygienic environment and put maximum funds towards our charitable work."
Visit their website here >>
If you wish to make a donation, please click here >>
World Child Cancer
World Child Cancer is a London-based charity whose aim is to help some of the poorest children around the world access cancer diagnosis and care. These children and their families struggle to find appropriate treatment and subsequently to shoulder the huge financial burden that a cancer diagnosis brings. World Child Cancer create twinning partnerships between hospitals in the developing world and childhood cancer hospitals in the developed world. Through these partnerships, valuable expertise is shared to help build and develop the capacity and knowledge of local doctors and nurses.
World Child Cancer also fund awareness programmes, support treatment costs, ward equipment and essential staff posts, and advocate with policy makers. They also help to build the resilience of families during an extremely difficult time. Total Clean provided a number of days' cleaning per year at no cost to World Child Cancer. Finance Director Rebecca Ross says "We worked with Total Clean for over 3 years and were very pleased with the level of cleaning provided. The cleaners were efficient and we wouldn't hesitate in recommending Total Clean to others."
Visit their website here >>
If you wish to make a donation, please click here >>
Centre Stage School of Performing Arts
Established in 1999, Centre Stage School of Performing Arts provides training in Drama, Dance and Singing to students aged 4 to 19 in North London. The ethos of the school is to provide high quality performing arts training with a warm and compassionate environment. As well as enhancing students' understanding of the arts, Centre Stage aims to increase their self-confidence through personal development, with community spirit and mutual respect at the heart of the school.
Total Clean supports Centre Stage with sponsorship of events throughout their annual calendar, including sponsorship of some of the awards at their annual "Oscars" night.
Acorn Theatre Company
Acorn Theatre Company is an amateur dramatic society based in North London. Established in 1989, their aims are to put on pantomimes and musical shows, whilst raising money for local charities. Since their inception, they have raised over £73,000 for charities including the North London Hospice, Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, the Enfield branch of the National Autistic Society, the Friends of Cheviots Children's Centre, DAZU (for young carers) and many more.
Total Clean supports Acorn by advertising in the programmes for their productions.
Hope for Gabriel
We're dedicated to supporting our chosen charities and will continue to donate to those who make a real difference.
Our sectors
What our clients say
"We have worked with Total Clean since November 2011. They are reliable, hardworking and they can always step in at short notice to accommodate anything extra we might need. The management team is very friendly and helpful to work with."
– Nicole Hart, Dornan Engineering Services
"I would just like to thank you and your colleagues for the very professional service you've supplied us during your time with us so far. From first contact, through quotation, providing professional resources and the implementation of a first class service, your staff have been extremely professional and friendly. Your company and staff have very good communication skills which is key to ensuring a good service is delivered."
– Anthony Bedasee, Rosenblatt Solicitors
"We are so grateful that you were able to assist us with an urgent deep clean over the weekend, without which we would have been unable to see any patients. The clean was fantastic and has really brought our old carpets back to life. Your cleaner is always going above and beyond for us, he ensures any request we give him is actioned immediately and the communication between us is great. Total Clean have always provided us with a great professional service and our clinic is always sparkling clean and smells fresh every day. I would 100% recommend Total Clean to anyone looking for an excellent cleaning service."
– Lucy Myers, Blossoms Healthcare
"I write to express my satisfaction with the service you provide. Your supervisor is always very friendly and is much liked by the entire office. He ensures the safety of our team by regularly returning after hours to check that the premises have been left secure. We are very happy with the results achieved."
– Hannah Wallden, PSL Group Europe
"Total Clean's great strength is that they are so good they are completely unobtrusive. Everything is clean every day. Everything is tidy every day. Nothing is lost. And you hardly know they are there. It's as if it's all done by magic!"
– Wally Olins, CBE (1935-2014), Total Clean's first client, whose company remained with us for over 25 years.
"We have been using Total Clean for the last few years and have always been impressed with the dedication to meeting the high clinical standards we require. We have always found them friendly, trustworthy and would recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable team."
– Vanessa Inglefield, London Bridge Plastic Surgery


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Started this discussion. Last reply by Paul Bock Dec 1, 2012. 4 Replies 0 Likes
.....here goes, anyway.I'm just starting out with a minstrel-style banjo (a Terry Bell "Boucher") that arrived a week ago. Using information from Briggs I have been working on the basic stroke…Continue
Paul Bock has not received any gifts yet
Hi Paul. Welcome to the group!
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Catherine Grant's retweeted an intriguing find from Alternative Takes, the January/February 1980 issue of Radical America (PDF). From the "Introduction": "Lynn Garafola's article, 'Hollywood and the Myth of the Working Class,' discusses such box office successes as Rocky, The Deer Hunter, Saturday Night Fever and Norma Rae, as well as some commercial productions that didn't do so well, such as Blue Collar and F.I.S.T. John Demeter's article, on the other hand, looks at two examples of a new class of technically advanced non-Hollywood left-wing movies: The Wobblies and Northern Lights. In a curious way, the Hollywood films that Garafola writes about are more political than the left-wing films."
For Bookforum, John Domini reviews Paolo Sorrentino's first novel, Everybody's Right, and finds that "this filmmaker's energetic wallow in prose does seem best appreciated as a cry for the beloved country, resonating off touchstones from The Divine Comedy to 'Bunga Bunga.'"
"Scorsese's late period would appear to be firmly in session." Tom Shone elaborates. Related: In GQ, Natasha Vargas-Cooper argues that "Casino is a more substantial, artful, and engrossing movie than GoodFellas."
Time Out London presents an annotated list of "32 films to look out for in 2012 and beyond…"
DVDs. In the New York Times, Dave Kehr reviews the Jean Arthur Comedy Collection, an anthology offering "some beautifully transferred also-rans from Arthur's period as a contract player at Columbia Pictures, unlikely to be familiar to viewers beyond hard-core fans: Erle C Kenton's Public Menace (1935), Edward Ludwig's Adventure in Manhattan (1936), Alfred E Green's More Than a Secretary (1936) and Irving Cummings's Impatient Years (1944)."
"Remember that bomb of an Atlas Shrugged movie that came out last year?" asks the Stranger's Paul Constant. "I forgive you if you don't; it was a real piece of shit, and nobody went to see it. (Except for me…)" So now the thing is out on DVD — and all copies are being recalled because the packaging reads, "Ayn Rand's timeless novel of courage and self-sacrifice comes to life…" As even the COO of Atlas Productions admits, "The irony is inescapable." So the company's "offering anyone who may have bought a copy of the DVD a new cover that reads, 'Ayn Rand's timeless novel of rational self-interest comes to life…'"
Criterion posts a photo gallery in remembrance of producer Richard Gordon, "an important presence in the worlds of classic horror and sci-fi movies and foreign film distribution. He was also a warm and lovely person, and we were lucky enough to work with him on five films in the collection: The Haunted Strangler, Corridors of Blood, The Atomic Submarine, First Man into Space, and the creepy cult classic Fiend Without a Face."
For news and tips throughout the day every day, follow @thedailyMUBI on Twitter and/or the RSS feed.


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Right Place, Right Time
Following our conference in the Algarve last week, there ensued a little bidding war among some attendees.
In fact, Luis da Silva of Algarve Senior Living got more than he bargained for when he took a bunch of attendees out on a property tour after our Live and Invest in Portugal Conference ended.
First, Luis needed to book a bigger van than he'd originally arranged… and then a second van… to accommodate all our Portugal enthusiasts who wanted to partake in the property tour. Since Luis had already run a tour for some attendees in the days before our event kicked off, he was surprised at getting so much more interest. But that was just the beginning…
Things really started to heat up when one particular development on the beach drew the attention of not one… but four… attendees.
Luis describes it as "an amazingly prime property right on the sand in Praia da Luz, one of the nicest beaches in the whole of the Algarve."
Thing is, there was only one unit here on offer. So, all four attendees put a bid on it.Continue reading


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A week in the life of Josie Maran
See Gallery
Entrepreneur and guest editor Josie Maran is a busy woman. From running her incredibly successful cosmetic line to being a mom, actress and model, needless to say, a week in the life of Josie Maran is unpredictable.
Whether she's spending time with her daughters or working on her cosmetic line (sans makeup), we loved seeing how busy yet passionate she is about her life. Check out the gallery above to see a snapshot of Josie's week.


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Halloween Night Haunted Decatur Tour with Troy Taylor
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GOP focus for Congress: Cut deficit, don't stumble
FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2014 file photo, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. The first Republican-controlled Congress to confront President Barack Obama takes charge on Tuesday, and GOP leaders are planning an agenda that focuses on cutting the budget and bolstering the economy _ and oh yes, avoiding self-inflicted calamities that make voters wonder if the party is capable of governing. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)


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Blogosphere Buzz
March 19, 2009
Here's some of the buzz from the blogosphere today.
- "Are these stem cells? No! they're my kids," Rebecca Taylor, Mary Meets Dolly
- "Svetlana Rudneva on abortion in Russia," J. Wesley Bush, jwesleybush.com
- "Planned Parenthood gets caught covering up statutory rape... again," Cassy Fiano, cassyfiano.com
- "Barack Obama: the Trillion Dollar (a Month) Man," Tom McClusky, The Cloakroom
- "Who Knew There Are People Who Actually Respect Our Veterans?," Tom McClusky, The Cloakroom


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Friday, September 21, 2018
Keep choosing well
You've come this far by making some good choices. Going forward, keep choosing well.
No, of course you're not perfect. No one is.
Yet experience has taught you what works for you and what doesn't. You can use that experience to vastly improve your world.
No one has to remind you about the mistakes and poor choices you've made along the way. It would be great, however, for you to remind yourself of all you've done right.
Think of the good choices you've made and the positive results those choices have brought you. Let it inspire you to make many more positive choices that will bring even better results.
Every day is filled with choices and every choice is an opportunity for you. Keep choosing well, and keep bringing new goodness and value to life.
Ralph MarstonChoose persistence Don't overthink it
Copyright ©2018 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.


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Children of a certain age were banned from watching the iconic animated Fox sitcom The Simpsons. Head Ned, leader of the world's first and only Ned Flanders-themed band Okilly Dokilly, had a radically different upbringing than the members of his generation.
"My childhood was quite opposite to that Rod and Todd [Flanders] style of being raised," the vocalist describes over e-mail. "I was allowed to watch plenty of the show, along with cartoons like Ren and Stimpy, Beavis and Butthead, KaBlam!, and a bunch of Celebrity Deathmatch from a very young age. There might be an insight there into the twisted psychology of the band, but I wouldn't know. I'm no Dr. Foster."
In case you missed it, Okilly Dokilly went viral last year by releasing on Bandcamp four demos based in the genre of Nedal, their name for hardcore Simpsons-themed metal. The Phoenix-based quintet started off as a joke, but the group took off like Bart Simpson on a skateboard. Show writer Al Jean even tweeted with his approval.
"We were in quite a tizzy," says Head Ned. "We're still very honored and glad that so many neighborinos enjoyed what we were doing. Last year, we hit the stage quite a bit to develop our live show and then spent a lot of time getting ready for the studio."
Not ones to trim their mustaches, pray to Jesus, and call it a day, Okilly Dokilly are releasing their first full-length album, Howdilly Doodilly. The record, which the band claims consists of 75 percent of direct quotes from Homer Simpson's optimistic green sweater-clad Christian nemesis, was recorded at Mesa's Audioconfusion in May. Howdilly Doodilly will be independently released this Friday, November 11, with an album release show at Crescent Ballroom.
"We put the pedal to the Nedal, but made sure to have fun with it," says Head Ned, "We recorded in costume and drank white wine spritzers in the studio, to really capture the meaning of Nedal."
Speaking of mixed drinks, Howdilly Doodilly's first single, "White Wine Spritzer," is hardcore at its finest. It features Head Ned howling about the animated Flanders' titular alcoholic beverage over powerful headbanging guitars and explosive percussion.
The accompanying video, which ends with a reference to the couch gags that start every Simpsons episode, documents the Okilly Dokilly's decline into murderous fiends after guzzling cocktails with abandon. Imagine Rob Zombie directing a live-action episode of the popular animated sitcom, and you have the idea. The band, who include Red Ned on keytar, bassist Thread Ned, guitarist Stead Ned, and Bled Ned on drums, brainstormed with Phoenix-based creative team Plastic Monsters to bring the insanity to life. The video has already started trending, which will help Okilly Dokilly when they tour with Mac Sabbath and Metalachi early next year. Fans can expect "doodlies and diddlies galore," according to Head Ned, including a big doughnut and a purple TV.
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There are those folks who criticize the band in the style of Jeff the Comic Book Guy; Okilly Dokilly remain undeterred. For those unconverted to Nedal, Head Ned's response to the negativity epitomizes the positive attitude of the character they are parodying:
"A group of Flanders wouldn't be a group of Flanders at all without a group of Homers to criticize them."
Full disclosure: When not hungover on white wine spritzers, Head Ned works in the accounting department at New Times.


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Risk Factors
A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of getting a disease, such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. For example, exposing skin to strong sunlight is a risk factor for skin cancer. Smoking is a risk factor for cancers of the lung, mouth, larynx, bladder, kidney, and several other organs.
But having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. Some women who have one or more breast cancer risk factors never develop the disease, while most women with breast cancer have no apparent risk factors. Even when a woman with breast cancer has a risk factor, there is no way to prove that it actually caused her cancer.
There are different kinds of risk factors. Some factors, like a person's age or race, can't be changed. Others are linked to cancer-causing factors in the environment. Still others are related to personal choices such as smoking, drinking, and diet. Some factors influence risk more than others, and your risk for breast cancer can change over time. Getting older, a new breast biopsy result, or a new diagnosis of breast cancer in your family could change your risk.
Risk Factors That Cannot be Changed
Gender: Simply being a woman is the main risk factor for developing breast cancer. Because women have many more breast cells than men do and perhaps because their breast cells are constantly exposed to the growth-promoting effects of female hormones, breast cancer is much more common in women. Men can develop breast cancer, but this disease is about 100 times more common among women than men.
Aging: Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. About 18% of breast cancer diagnoses are among women in their 40's, while about 77% of women with breast cancer are older than 50 when they are diagnosed.
Genetic risk factors: Recent studies have shown that about 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary as a result of gene changes (mutations). The most common gene changes are those of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Normally, these genes help to prevent cancer by making proteins that keep cells from growing abnormally. However, if you have inherited a changed gene from either parent, your chances of developing breast cancer increase.
See the section Do We Know What Causes Breast Cancer? for more information about genes and DNA. Women with an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a 50% to 85% chance of developing breast cancer during their lifetime. Women with these inherited mutations also have an increased risk for developing ovarian cancer.
Other genes have been discovered that might also lead to inherited breast cancers. One of these is the ATM gene. ATM stands for ataxia-telangiectasia mutation. The gene is responsible for repairing damaged DNA. Certain families with a high rate of breast cancer have been found to have mutations of this gene. Another gene, the CHEK-2 gene, also increases breast cancer risk when it is mutated. Very recently, scientists have also found increased breast cancer risk associated with changes in genes linked to the BRCA genes. This may affect their ability to function.
Inherited mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene can also increase your risk of developing breast cancer, as well as leukemia, brain tumors, and/or sarcomas (cancer of bones or connective tissue). The Li-Fraumeni syndrome, named after the 2 researchers who described this inherited cancer syndrome, is a rare cause of breast cancer.
If you are considering genetic testing, we strongly recommend that first you talk to a genetic counselor, nurse, or doctor qualified to interpret and explain these test, before being tested. It is very important to understand and carefully weigh the benefits and risks of genetic testing before these tests are done. Testing is expensive and is not covered by some health plans. There is concern that people with abnormal genetic test results will not be able to get life insurance or that coverage may only be available at a much higher cost. For more information, see our position statement on genetic testing.
Family history of breast cancer: Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have this disease. Blood relatives can be from either the mother's or father's side of the family. Having 1 first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with breast cancer approximately doubles your risk, and having 2 first-degree relatives increases your risk 5-fold. Although the exact risk is not known, women with a family history of breast cancer in a father or brother also have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Personal history of breast cancer: A woman with cancer in one breast has a 3- to 4-fold increased risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast. This is different from a recurrence (return) of the first cancer.
Race: White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than are African-American women. But African-American women are more likely to die of this cancer because their cancers are often diagnosed later and at an advanced stage when they are harder to treat and cure. There is also some question about whether African-American women have more aggressive tumors. Asian, Hispanic, and Native American women have a lower risk of developing breast cancer.
Previous breast biopsy: Women whose earlier breast biopsies detected proliferative breast disease without atypia or usual hyperplasia have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer (1.5 to 2 times greater than other women). Having a previous biopsy result of atypical hyperplasia increases a woman's breast cancer risk by 4 to 5 times. Having a biopsy specimen diagnosed as fibrocystic changes without proliferative breast disease does not affect breast cancer risk.
Previous breast irradiation: Women who as children or young adults have had radiation therapy to the chest area as treatment for another cancer (such as Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) have a significantly increased risk for breast cancer.
Menstrual periods: Women who started menstruating at an early age (before age 12) or who went through menopause at a late age (after age 50) have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer.


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Product 299/330
Sport Car Style Wireless Mouse 3 Colors: Blue, Red, Gold Cool sport car mouse style mouse, eyecatching ergonomic design. Unique headlight design, works well in the dark at night. Mini Receiver can be contained into the mouse and easy to carry.Light weight enough to take it everywhere, a good choice for home use and on the go. This brand new car mouse uses the 2.4Ghz wireless optical technology, transmission up to 10 metres operating distance, plug in and play, no need any code or drive, works on most surfaces smoothly,16 wireless working channels, automatic frequency jumping, 1600 DPI is good for daily use and playing game. Support most operating system, Windows 98 / ME / NT / 2000 / XP / Vista / Win 7 / Linux or Mac OS. Specifications: - Tracking method: Optical - Interface: USB 2.0 - Resolution: 1600 DPI - Button: 2 Buttons + 1 Scroll Wheel - Switch Life: 5 million cycles - Automatically Power-Saving sleeping function - Dimensions (approx.): 112mm x 53mm x 36mm - Power Supply: 2 x AAA Battery (not included) - Weight: about 100g - Effective: 2.4GHz wireless transmission up to10 metres operating distance - System Compatibility: Windows 98 / ME / NT / 2000 / XP / Vista / Win 7 / Linux or Mac OS Package contents - 1 x TDRTECH sport car style wireless optical mouse - 1 x 2.4GHz USB receiver Please Note 1. The Battery isn't included. 2. The Mini USB Receiver was stored in the bottom of mouse, you need to turn it over, you will find it.
Wireless Car Mouse TDRTECH 2.4GHz Optical Gaming Mouse Cool Sport Car Wireless Mouse DPI 1600 3D - Gold - B01N3OFH8N


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During a lethal-force encounter inside your home with home defense weapons, you don't want to hit a family member or other innocent people. It's important to learn which objects in your home make safe backstops and which will not stop a round that's been fired.
Personal Defense Network's Rob Pincus fires a pistol, carbine and shotgun at a stack of books to help evaluate their effectiveness as backstops. Great video to get you thinking about what to do in your home to protect your family's safety while neutralizing a potential active threat.
Tags: Bearing ArmsConcealed Carrydefensefirearms traininggun senseGuns Saving LivesHome DefenseHome SecurityJenn Jacquespersonal protectionRob PincusSelf DefenseUSSANews Stolen Content
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SkyGroup Communications is pleased to announce the local availability of the Yealink Meeting Server, an all-in-one meeting management system solution that satisfies the multiple video conferencing demands of medium-sized and large enterprises.
A distributed cloud-based video conferencing infrastructure that supports HD video conferencing collaboration, the Yealink Meeting Server will help customers better manage multiple video conferences, while at the same time ensure the quality of delivery. From a single management platform customers can take advantage of rich meeting functions, wide flexibility, security and reliability, for all of their meeting requirements.
"Video conferencing is really growing in South Africa, particularly as companies are electing to move towards remote working as well as a result of the increase in business disruption we have experienced on a socio-economic front," says Marius van Wyk, operations and technical director at SkyGroup Communications. "But video conferencing can be expensive unless you use the right solutions specified for your business and manage your usage effectively – which is why meeting management systems are so important."
The Yealink Meeting Server combines an MCU, registrar server, traversal server, directory server, meeting and device management server, all in a single all-in-one device. As it is packaged in a single unit customers can cut costs by negating the need for multiple and disparate solutions while at the same time improve efficiency. With Yealink Meeting Server you can manage and control multiple devices such as room systems, video phones, mobile apps and PC software.
The solution can be deployed locally (on premise) or via the public cloud and it boasts meeting functionality such as video conferencing collaboration and different conference modes, be it a P2P conference or a scheduled meeting. Furthermore, the Yealink Meeting Server allows anyone to enjoy video conferencing collaboration from anywhere with any device. It also supports remote device management, which in turn greatly improves administrators' working efficiency and reduces enterprise maintenance costs.
According to van Wyk, a key differentiator of the Yealink Meeting Server solution is that is supports security standards such as TLS, SRTP, HTTPS and dynamic passwords.
"The Yealink Meeting Server is the perfect cloud-based video collaboration infrastructure for the modern business that understands that remote working, geographic collaboration and cross-border business networking can all be achieved through video conferencing," van Wyk says.
SkyGroup Communications is pleased to announce the local availability of the Yealink Meeting Server, an all-in-one meeting management system solution that satisfies the multiple video conferencing demands of medium-sized and large enterprises.


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Starbucks will set up the first Italian food-featured cafe in China, highlighting Italian dishes and drinks, the company said Friday [15 February 2019]. The move came as part of the U.S. coffeehouse chain company's efforts to carry out a "purpose-driven growth agenda to play the long game in China," according to the company's statement…Full Article: Xinhua Feb 2019
Key Point
- Starbucks new Italian food and beverage café will open in Shanghai and will serve products from Princi bakery (originally established in 1986 in Milan, Italy). At the time, Starbucks had a total of 3,700 stores in China located across 158 cities.
ChinaAg Comments
- In December 2018, Starbucks China announced that it would be working with Alibaba (i.e. Taobao, Tmall, and Alipay) to launch an online virtual store.
- In October 2018, Starbucks China plans to expand its delivery service to various Hema (aka Freshippo) supermarkets (Alibaba owned) in Shanghai and Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
- In September 2018, Starbucks China began delivery service (via Alibaba's Eleme) in Beijing and Shanghai. Orders will be delivered with tamper-proof seals that, if disturbed, can be rejected by the customers.
- In August 2018, Starbucks China announced it would form a partnership with Alibaba's Eleme delivery service. The partnership, called "Starbucks Delivers", was slated to be launched in Beijing and Shanghai the following month.
- In July 2018, Starbucks reported that its China store sales decreased by -2% during its Q3 (third-quarter) fiscal year (ending in July 1, 2018). In November 2018, Starbucks reported that its Chinese store sales increased by 1% during its Q4 fiscal year (ending in September 30, 2018).
- In 2017, according to Euromonitor, Starbucks had an 80.7% share of the coffee shop chain market in China. The next largest specialized coffee chains were McCafé (8.4%) and Costa Coffee (5.2%).
- In December 2017, the Starbucks Roastery and Tasting Room (~30,000 sq. feet) was opened in Shanghai. The high-end store featured a Teavana (tea) bar, a Princi bakery, and an Alibaba-backed digital smartphone tour of the roastery. During the same month, Starbucks assumed 100% control of approximately 1,300 Starbucks outlets in the eastern Chinese provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai (~600 outlets). The deal was initially announced in July 2017. As a result of its completion, Starbucks had more than 3,200 wholly-owned stores in China employing 40,000 people across 139 cities.
- In July 2016, Starbucks announced that Princi food products, a boutique bakery, will be used to stock Starbucks' new international roaster and reserve tasting room in Shanghai (opening in 2017).
Hong Kong Trends


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Welcome to Assisted Living of Draper
Assisted Living of Draper brings a new concept to the assisted living industry! We understand assisted living, and believe it is more than just nursing care.
Who is Assisted Living of Draper
We are more than a team, we are a family.
The staff at Assisted Living of Utah is dedicated to the well-being and happiness of our residents. We don't just care for them, we live with them. Sharing meals, stories, activities and life.
We promise to treat your loved one as if they were one of our own family, offering quality care and premium amenities.
Why Choose Us
Quality Care 100
Premium Standards 100
Master Chef & Gourmet Meals 100
Family Mentality 100
Schedule A Tour Today
Come See For Yourself
The best way to experience Assisted Living of Draper is with a tour! We will be happy to schedule it at your convenience!Schedule A Tour Today


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Be The Brand!
Curiosity got the better of me and I googled Tamara Jacobs, a woman I haven't thought about in I don't know how many years. Lo and behold, there she was, president of Tamara Jacobs Communications. If you are in crisis, or just need some media training, I would suggest clicking here. She gets my highest recommendation.
Those were some fun times.
Update moments after publishing: Look! Click on the "Clients" tab. She's got a blurb from some guy from the ADA talking about the very event! What fun is this!
How many exclamation marks is that?I suppose, in the interest of inclusion, I should mention that we were both working for a company called Van Vechten and Associates. Prettiest office I ever had. Beautiful brownstone. 12 foot ceilings. Fireplace. I looked out across East 64th Street right at the Plaza Athenee. The tenant above was Carolina Herrera, the fashion designer. She was quite pleasant, by the way. But her husband was an ass.
I know. But I got excited. I apologize.
And it's laughable to think anybody reading this blog needs crisis management.
Yes it is. I apologize for that too.
Or if they did, that they'd use this blog as a resource for obtaining consulting services.
Okay, enough already. I apologized.
I can just imagine the conversation: "Hello, you don't know me but my company is being investigated by Rolling Stone Magazine and I need to train my spokesperson for the worst case scenario. I read about your company in The Year of Magical Painting and was hoping you would help."
The mind reels, doesn't it?
Yes it does.
Those were some fun times.


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A five-storey, 600,000 cubic feet industrial space is transformed for this walkthrough exhibit.
Need a vacation before spring turns to summer? These four last-chance getaway ideas make the most of the shoulder season to optimize your holiday enjoyment.
Caribbean calm in Cuba
With relations thawing between the United States and Cuba, it's only a matter of time before more and more tourists arrive on Cuba's shores, prompting increased demand and development. Book now, before the onslaught, and explore the white-sand beaches of Cayo Coco and Varadero, the historic buildings and vibrant culture of Havana, or the diverse flora and fauna around Cayo Santa Maria, part of the more than 300,000-hectare Buenavista Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO for its natural and cultural heritage.
Sugar shack odyssey in Quebec
For the maple sap to flow, temperatures need to be above freezing during the day and below freezing at night (ideally from 5 to -5°C). In Quebec, which produces roughly 90 per cent of Canada's syrup, the season tends to peak in mid-March, but some 400 cabanes à sucre stay open through late April and offer such things as horse-drawn wagon rides and hearty traditional foods like pea soup, baked beans and tire d'érable—hot maple taffy cooled on snow and rolled onto a stick.
Sun worshipping in Mexico
If warm weather and great package deals are part of your vacation-planning mantra, then Mexico in spring (before hurricane season starts in mid May) might be right up your alley. April marks the end of the dry season in Mexico's Riviera Maya and often boasts warmer temperatures than earlier in the year—with more deals to be had. Divers should check out the Ultimate Dive Experience from the Allegro Cozumel Resort, which includes an in-room wetsuit-drying rack, one daily one-tank boat dive and equipment storage. Theme park fans will love the Occidental Grand Xcaret's Ultimate Xcaret Xperience, with unlimited access to the nature, adventure and cultural activities of Xcaret Park.
Spring skiing in Banff National Park
Powder hounds in search of one last ski trip should head to Sunshine Village in Banff National Park, which boasts the longest non-glacial ski season in the country, with the slopes open until May 18. Just 90 minutes from Calgary and 15 minutes from the town of Banff, Sunshine gets up to nine metres of snow a year, and its 12 lifts service 107 named runs across more than 3,300 acres of terrain. Broaden your experience with a snowshoe and fondue tour or a weekend yoga and ski retreat, running April 10 to 12 and May 8 to 10.
Related Posts
Snapshots of Central Cuba: Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Santa Clara
Explore Central Cuba's historic towns, where time stands still. Drink in a rustic, open-air courtyard bar with locals in Trinidad, dine in a 1900s mansion-turned-restaurant in Cienfuegos and visit the Che Guevara Mausoleum in Santa Clara.


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As you all know, we can never have too many dresses in their closets, especially when you can think of various perfect style combos from office to casual wear. This time I want to show you awesome ways how to wear shirt dress this year. What do I like about this style? Basically, it's an elongated version of a button-down that looks like a shirt but is worn like a dress. Next question would be- how to wear this elongated button-down?
The thing is, the design of such frock is quite simple, that's why you need something that will make your overall look eye-catchy. You can set the tone of the outfit thanks to accessories and shoes. You can update the basic look by adding a nice belt. It can be either a skinny one that will make you look modern, or you can go for a thick, wide one to look more vintage inspired.
Dark denim style looks awesome with a skinny belt, black shoulder bag and flat ballet pumps.
Go for a long sky blue colored version styled with stiletto strappy heeled sandals.
Go for a simple version worn with cool black leather booties.
Keep it grunge inspired. Try on a sleeveless chambray design with cool rounded sunglasses, combat boots and vintage inspired leather bags.
The pinstripe design looks awesome with suede booties. Looks like an oversized men's shirt. ;)
If you want something eye-catching, then go for a safari style look. In love with aviator sunglasses and those golden chunky accessories.
Minimal grunge style is seen in this grey black piece styled with black pumps.
That's a nice work appropriate style, consisting of black blazer worn atop white shirtdress and cool cuffed sandals.
Love the 1990's touch of this look: sleeveless dark blue dress is worn with a plaid shirt tied around the waist.
Now, the shoes. If you want something casual and French chic, then you can try on ballet pumps. For a glamorous night out you can try on sexy stiletto sandals that will make an effortless and balanced silhouette look. The brogues are ideal for a tomboy or androgynous touch. I love to see girls wearing leather cover-ups styled with cool shirtdress and 1970's inspired chunky heels. If you are a boho chic girl, then try on ankle boots for a casual office look. If you need a more formal office look, then you can try on classic pumps with your favorite white shirtdress, black blazer and a pair of plastic eyeglasses for a more professional style. If you wanna make it look modern, then roll up your sleeves, wear layered necklaces and statement bracelets.


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In an effort to provide patients with more holistic primary care, the Primary Care Networks (PCNs) scheme enables patients to be cared for under a multidisciplinary team and have access to ancillary and support services. Under the scheme, General Practitioners (GPs) from private clinics can form virtual networks to share resources and provide teambased chronic disease management in the community.
Participating GPs are now provided resources through MOH and Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to enable more seamless care for their patients with chronic disease. Leveraging on inter-disciplinary expertise through a chronic disease registry administered by each PCN, participating GPs on PCNs are now better supported administratively to closely monitor and manage their patients' chronic conditions.
Dr Jacqueline Yam, Medical Director of AcuMed Medical Group, and PCN Leader for Assurance PCN, has the following to say about the PCN initiative:
"By grouping together and forming a PCN, resources such as Diabetic Retinal Photography, Foot Screening and Nurse Counselling can be shared. The provision of Nurse Counselling services and the close tracking of patients on the Disease Registry will achieve better patient compliance and improvement in patients' medical issues. The funding from MOH and AIC also help manage the direct costs of these services for our patients."
Read more about it below (click for PDF):


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Effects of a combined supercritical extraction/thermal cycle on binder removal cycle time, yield, residual carbon, and defect formation in multilayer ceramic capacitors
Metadata[+] Show full item record
In this work, a combined cycle consisting of a supercritical extraction cycle (SCE) followed by a thermal cycle (TC), was used to remove binder from green multilayer ceramic capacitors. The dielectric was barium titanate and the binder consisted of poly(vinyl butyral) plasticized with phthalates. Supercritical extraction of approximately one-third of the binder leads to an increase in the porosity and gas permeability of samples and to a decrease in the adhesion strength between layers. The partial removal of the binder also resulted in a decrease in cycle time and defects following the combined SCE/TC. Samples subjected to the combined SCE/TC also had 25-30% less residual carbon as compared to samples subjected to a thermal cycle alone. This work also presents the binder removal efficiencies from tape cast films fabricated with titanate-based dielectrics. The organic systems evaluated were plasticized acrylic, poly(propylene carbonate), and poly(vinyl butyral) binders. The effect of temperature on binder removal and defect formation are assessed.
Thesis Department
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.


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In North Carolina, people recall being sprayed with liquid manure when giant hog farms move in next door. In Arizona, residents struggle to breathe outside their homes because of fumes emitted from massive barns housing 4 million laying hens. In Wisconsin, where large dairy operations abound, wells are contaminated with rotovirus and salmonella.
These are some of the communities that appear in Right to Harm, a new documentary about the people living beside concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and the battles they're waging to protect their health and quality of life.
It's the latest project from Matt Wechsler and Annie Speicher, the filmmakers behind Sustainable, a film that shines a light on people producing food outside of the industrial system. In the process of making the first film, the team say they were tipped off to how communities living near factory farms were paying some of the invisible costs of "cheap" meat and dairy production.
"We wanted [Sustainable] to be about land and how these farmers were stewards of that land," Wechsler said. "We knew we couldn't include some of the stuff we were learning … so, we started the process of making this second film the day before we finished the first."
Right to Harm introduces the audience to multiple communities that are either working to prevent additional factory farms from moving in, trying to get government agencies to regulate air and water pollution, or suing companies for making them sick and destroying their property values. Many of the groups are also connected by the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP), a national organization that has often flown under the radar as it has worked to help build community power in the face of CAFOs.
All of the efforts in the film are hampered by states' "right to farm" laws (hence the title). These laws—which are on the books in all 50 states—were meant to prevent nuisance lawsuits by neighbors, and are often used by agribusinesses to skirt regulation and legal action. In recent years, the industry has been pushing states to tighten the laws even further in the wake of successful lawsuits like those taken up in North Carolina against Smithfield.
Right to Harm is an official selection at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, and food journalist Mark Bittman is among its executive producers. Wechsler spoke with Civil Eats recently about making the film and the goals that extend beyond the theater.
What made you decide that it wasn't enough to just show people what good farming practices looked like?
I come from a very conventional eating background…my parents can share stories of how I wouldn't eat vegetables. I fell in love with cooking when I finally lived on my own, and started to love the idea of whole-food cooking, and then I watched Food, Inc. and realized I should be sourcing more organic, but I still wasn't into farmers' market experiences. I felt like if someone like me can convert to shopping at a farmers' market and buying food from more sustainable outlets, then perhaps anybody can do that.
What I came to realize … is that there are political factors that [keep] cheap food cheap. And how can we show that this cheap food system is inherently wrong and disproportionately affects some members of our society and is un-American in how it exists?
How did you find the communities and individuals all over the country that are profiled?
I was lucky to meet Kendra Kimbirauskas [also an executive producer of the film] at an event in New York; she was working with SRAP, [which is] a resource for all of these local communities to have legal help fighting factory farms. It was clear that, through Kendra, we could find some amazing stories. We wanted to show [factory farming] affecting all kinds of people with different economic backgrounds, political views, and racial backgrounds—all over the country. It's a large cross-section across America, but it's a population whose voices are lost in the wind.
What surprised you the most while filming?
Honestly, I couldn't believe how bad the smells were. I had just come off this whole film about ag where I had been on these amazing [sustainable] farms. Then I did the exact opposite. I grew up horseback riding a lot, and being out on a prairie on a horse and smelling manure was a pleasant, sweet smell that reminded me of nature. It's the polar opposite with these confinement operations, [which emit] the most putrid, disgusting smells. It immediately gives you a headache, messes with your sinuses. Annie and I both experienced it. It puts you on edge, mentally. I can't imagine dealing with it on a daily basis. Your spirit is just worn down, and it seems like that's the goal of the industry, to get these people to move out.
How have audiences been reacting to the film so far?
There are two reactions that I see: There are people who are already fairly knowledgeable about this and they are just happy to see it getting out there. And the ones who don't really know much about it … they are just speechless. They don't even know whether or not to believe it. They almost don't know what they're watching, and whether to think that it's some sort of propaganda.
People don't want to believe the food they eat is harming people like this.
Your website says a "comprehensive social action campaign" is coming. What will that look like?
We're hoping to launch pretty soon, hopefully by July 1. We'll help people find local spots where they can source pasture-raised meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy and connect people to local community groups fighting these issues. We'll be putting together a list of various campaigns from organizations to raise awareness or fight [for] regulation. And we'll have solutions for anyone living next to a CAFO—a way for them to connect with large organizations that can help them in their battles.
Festival and public screenings, which will be posted on the film's website, will ramp up in May and continue through the summer. Wechsler says the team is particularly focused on hosting screenings near the communities featured and in other rural areas "where there aren't many opportunities to see films like this."
RIGHT TO HARM (2019) – Official Trailer from Hourglass Films on Vimeo.
Top photo: Maria Payan recalls her struggles living next to a massive broiler chicken operation. (All photos courtesy of Hourglass Films.)
This article was updated to reflect the fact that wells were contaminated with rotavirus, not norovirus.
View Comments (10) Close Comments
- Thursday, May 2nd, 2019Thank you, I have a autoimmune disease and now have to watch the air quality alerts which we have now in Iowa from CAFOs. I live in town and we are all effected now.
- Thursday, May 2nd, 2019We have a lawsuit in Lancaster Co NE. Against Costco and A chicken CAFO. We
could use all of the support we can get.
- Friday, May 3rd, 2019We have a cafo in a residential neighborhood, also near a hospital,nursing home and elementary school. We had a lawsuit and nothing came from it. It seems like a losing battle. Now they've passed a secure area ruling for our township. We've had a large community outpouring and yet feels like we aren't being heard. I understand they need to make a living but not at our expense. Who is here to protect us?!
- Friday, May 3rd, 2019I am one of Maria Payan's neighbors that she is helping in Sussex County Delaware. Delmarva has a high concentration of chicken CAFOs and processing plants. Hopefully we will show it in our church this summer.
- Friday, May 3rd, 2019Cafos are the most despicable thing to people animals and the environment. They get away with the worst atrocities known to man. These people stuck living near them have had their lives stolen. And nobody cares. Thank you so much for what you are doing. Cheap meat is also very dangerous to the public...read many books on what is found in this.
I just know that for the almighty dollar these monsters are profiting from ruining people's lives, animals and our drinking water and clean air. I do a lot of studying on this and have watched undercover videos from Mercy for Animals and this is an Animal Holocaust. The Jewish people agree...such a mirror image. My wish for this country is to shut every one of these torture chambers down. There would be no need for this crazy green new deal. It starts with these Cafos. Protein can be obtained from so many other sources and it is over rated...we don't need an enormous amount of protein to live. Looking forward to see your documentary and many thanks for shining a light on this grotesque subject.
Mary E Steers
- Sunday, May 5th, 2019Great documentary. Important issue for everyone. Watch Cowspiracy, streaming on Netflix. Go vegan to help save the planet and reclaim our humanity.
- Wednesday, May 8th, 2019Where can I view Right to Harm in Wisconsin?
- Wednesday, May 15th, 2019You can sign up for local screenings via the Right to Harm website. It will be coming to Wisconsin soon.
- Saturday, May 11th, 2019Keep up the good work. You are our inspiration.
We are creating an organic agriculture exclusive zone along the border of Malaysia - Thailand.
In Phase 1 the area will be about 350,000 sq km. In the next phase, it would cover most , if not all the farming areas in the 5 southern provinces of Thailand - Satun, Songkhla, Yala., Pattani and Narathiwat, ans 4 northern states of Malaysia - Perlis, Kedah, Perak, and Kelantan
The Government of Malaysia had provided 'mild' support for the project. We called the project Regenerative Agriculture and Organic farming region of Thailand and Malaysia (RAOTHAM). Incidentally RAOTHAM means We Do (together) in the Thai language.
We are waiting for the new government to be formed in Thailand (after their national election) a month ago.
We hope to to invite you to do documentary on RAOTHAM in 2020, so that its 'good story' can be told to all concerned citizens of the planet
Thank you very much
Zait Isa
Founder of RAOTHAM