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Southern California Edison customers should soon get a break in their electric bill following a massive out of court settlement with a British Columbia-owned hydroelectric utility. Canada's Powerex has agreed to a $750 million refund as part of a settlement for overcharging California ratepayers during the state's energy crisis more than a decade ago, Attorney General Kamala Harris and the Public Utilities Commission announced Friday.
Harris and the PUC say the deal with Powerex is the largest out-of-court settlement with electricity sellers to date. State officials accused the utility of market gaming by purchasing electricity from California, shipping it to Canada, and then selling it back to California at exorbitant prices between 2000 and 2001.
Speaking with KPCC's Bianca Ramirez, Frank Lindh of the California Public Utilities Commission explained how settlement money will go back to ratepayers.
"It just comes through to the customer as a reduction in their current bill. We have to wait for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve the settlement, but we expect that refunds will flow in about 90 days."
State officials say including the pending settlement with Powerex, California will have collected about $4 billion in refunds from electricity sellers during and after the energy crisis.
"Californians suffered through huge rate hikes and blackouts during the energy crisis," Harris said in a statement. "This settlement brings long-awaited compensation to California ratepayers for Powerex's conduct."
About 47 electricity sellers have since settled separately with the state of California,Powerex said in a statement released Friday. California state officials say other claims with other sellers are pending.
"I hope the remaining sellers who have not yet agreed to settle our refund claims will wake up and take notice of this major settlement by Powerex," CPUC Commissioner Mike Florio said in a statement Friday. "I encourage them to follow suit and reach their own settlements with us."
Powerex said it has sold more than $3.5 billion worth of electricity to California since 2003. The company said the settlement comes before a scheduled Aug. 27 hearing as well as avoids a potential $3.2 billion legal liability.
"This was a tough but necessary decision to protect taxpayers. We have learned that the U.S. court system can be unpredictable," Bill Bennett, British Columbia's energy and mines minister, said in a statement. "We determined it was in the best interest of taxpayers to settle and put this long standing dispute behind us."
The company said following the power crisis, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2003 concluded the California market was dysfunctional and ordered refunds from all sellers who sold electricity during the crisis.
Powerex said it admits no wrongdoing by reaching a settlement, citing a 2003 review by the FERC that concluded that the company did not engage in any illegal practices. The company said it will incur a net loss of about $101 million as a result of its settlement with California, which still must be approved by the FERC.
The PUC says most of Powerex's refund will be distributed among customers from California's three largest utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison.


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Michele Brennan
Property Manager
Michele's expertise and experience in residential, commercial, retail and property management over the last 22 years are second to none in the Highlands.
Michele was trained under Peter Shaw who was an affiliate member and trainer with the Real Estate Institute of NSW. This gave Michele an advantage to directly develop skills from one of the most credited Property Managers in NSW and work under the large franchise banner of First National.
Some years later Michele joined LJ Hooker and spent the next 10 years developing new skills under this large and well known franchise group.
In 2010 Michele was given the opportunity to establish a new rent roll business under the well known local banner of Campbell Jones Property. Being a share owner of the business, she is more than committed to her clients and, with her professional approach, provides the highest level of service to landlords and tenants alike. Six years later and Campbell Jones Management is a highly regarded property management business which manages some of the Highlands most exclusive properties and commercial businesses. In force with Campbell Jones Property they support a growing number of local organisations and charities.
Michele is also an accredited Property Manager with the Real Estate Institute of NSW, a Licensed Real Estate Agent and a Justice of the Peace.

subset: commoncrawl


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I went to Plano Aethetics to get the "O" shot and received the best customer service I've ever received. I flew from Virginia to get the shot. Dr. Caruth, Samantha and Rachel were extremely polite and exemplified suberp and professional customer service. From start to finish, they explained the details of the procedure to me and asked if i had any questions. I will admit, at first i was nervous. Howeve, that feeIing dissapeared once they comforted me. Samantha even went our her way to let my cousin use her iPhone charger. I would definitely recommend anyone looking for a friendly surgeon and great customer service to visit Dr. Caruth, Samantha and Rachel. Kristi Barnett More
I can't express how happy I am with the results of my Breast Augmentation. My previous implants seemed to have a slow leak, and Dr. Caruth's staff was able to schedule my surgery in less than one week. His "awake" procedure is simply brilliant. I was able to see an idea of what my results would be like in two different sizes, which was very impressive. I decided to get Juviderm as well at my follow-up appointment, and LOVE his conservative results. No one would ever guess that I had surgery or fillers, as the results look natural and beautiful. You won't meet a nicer staff anywhere. One of his assistants even held my hand during the surgery when I seemed nervous. I just can't say enough how lucky I feel to have had such a positive experience! More
I was referred to Dr. Caruth by a friend who was very pleased with their results. I'm usually very uncomfortable discussing the details of any medical procedure, but Dr. Caruth and his team were great and made me feel at ease. My Smart Lipo procedure was great and the results were better than I anticipated. I was so happy and comfortable with Dr Caruth and the experience I'd had that when I was ready to look into breast augmentation, he was my first choice. He spent as much time as I needed discussing the various options and the benefits/disadvantages of each implant type and provided a recommendation based on my lifestyle and desired results. 3+ months after that procedure and I'm so happy with the results, again! I'm definately a loyal Dr. Caruth patient! More
I went to Plano Aesthetics to get back to my pre-babies weight. They had a supportive staff that was encouraging through the months long process. I have lost 15% of my body weight and within 10 lbs of my goal. I feel healthier and can do more to enjoy my two little ones. They were there with me all the way and get me to the finish line. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. You are treated as an individual where you are the focus. I would recommend this place fro anyone needing to drop the dreaded baby weight. More
* * * * * UPDATE * * * * * So about a week ago I had the PrecisionTX treatment on my underarms, which essentially is a treatment that ablates your sweat glands. Did it hurt? UHM, yes, but it wasn't unbearable. (But c'mon, "ablating" anything prrrrobably isn't going to be a party!) The procedure took about an hour but things went numb after a few minutes post incision. Annie and the other nurse (I can't remember her name) are SO sweet and I remember one of them holding my hand the whole time. Dr. Caruth asked me how I was doing throughout the procedure and even called personally a few days later to check in on me. I can't tell you how much I adore Annie, Samantha, Dr. Caruth and the other nurse...I hate that I don't remember her name too! Anyway, the first few days I was really really sore but now a week later I'm starting to feel a lot more normal. MOST incredibly, I haven't worn deodorant since and I have had absolutely NO perspiration! Beforehand I wouldn't say I sweated excessively like some people, but enough to annoy me. Now that I am feeling better, I would say that it was worth it! I'm sure I'll especially love it come summertime in Texas! If you're a heavy sweater I would DEFINITELY recommend this treatment! It's ONE time,and you're good to go forever! More
I have known Dr. Caruth for over 15 years and would definetly recommend him for any aesthetic proceedures, he is the best! His staff is friendly and very supportive. I had the smart lipo and neck lipo/laser proeceedures done and couldn't be happier with the results. More
I first went to Dr. Caruth back in the Fall for lipo in the chin/neck area. I did some research of my own prior to my consultation about the different types of lipo (traditional, Smart, and Aqua). When I met with Dr. Cartuh he re-enforced a lot of what I had read and gave me even more detail about the benefits of each type. I really enjoyed his candid dialogue and went with the Smart Lipo given his recommendation and experience with that procedure. And I am glad I did! The whole experience went smooth and delightful as possible. They have a tremendous office staff and his nurse is exceptional. He mentioned that it would probably take up to six months to see the full result, but I was so thrilled by my results so far, that on my 3-month post-op I scheduled a second procedure! So in February, I had my second round of Smart Lipo to my mid-section. The second procedure went just as perfect as the first. He paid close attention to sculpting me well, and his nurse was extremely sensitive and attentive during the procedure to make sure that I wasn't experiencing too much discomfort and that I was doing as best as possible. If I had anywhere else left to lipo, I know exactly where I would go back to. More


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Electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic interference engineering are well-developed fields, and many of the concepts and techniques used by professionals in this discipline are brought forward. This will allow audio system designers to begin to understand why many of the techniques used in audio engineering exist and will put them in a better position to make further use of these techniques in difficult situations and new designs.
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What it is…..
Ivy CARES (Caring Assistance Resource for Every Student) is a grass-roots initiative that was started by a caring faculty member who identified a substantial need among her students. It quickly became apparent that the need is much greater and has become a major initiative for the Richmond campus to provide support to all eligible students.
The goal of Ivy CARES is to work with the student to ensure that they have regular attendance and can successfully complete their classes. Ultimately, Ivy CARES helps students achieve their educational objectives.
It is a struggle for students who are facing poverty to afford housing, food, clothes and other basic necessities. Many students are one flat tire away from dropping out. Many may be unable to even afford enough gas to drive to and from campus for a week, let alone their many other basic necessities.
When a student chooses to enroll at Ivy Tech, they have taken a step toward improving their skills for the betterment of themselves, their families and communities. There are many financial barriers students face while attending Ivy Tech. An example:
A student may struggle to pay for child care for a week or two so they stay at home to care for their children rather than attend class. The student then falls too far behind in class so they stop attending or withdraw.
Ivy CARES is designed to provide assistance to students, helping them overcome obstacles along their paths to academic and personal success. This involves identifying challenges, strategizing solutions, referring students to needed resources, and following up with students to further support and motivate them. In most cases, resources are needed immediately to ensure students' continued success in their coursework and educational goals.
How it works…..
Students are referred to the Ivy CARES office and staff confirm financial need. Once confirmed, staff determine how best to assist students whether it be through referrals or providing immediate emergency assistance. The support is not designed for assistance with recurring expenses and does not support tuition, fees or books.
In most cases, the expectation for receiving emergency assistance is that students must be:
How Ivy CARES is funded…..
Emergency assistance through financial support is fully funded by donations made to the Ivy Tech Foundation. Providing financial support that minimize barriers for students to achieve their educational objective is only one component of Ivy CARES. The campus is staffing the Ivy CARES office with Ivy Tech student interns from the Human Services program and we are pleased to be learning that a number of students are more comfortable speaking to other students about the issues they are challenged with.
Showing impact…..
The campus is already seeing immediate impact since tracking began the start of fall semester 2017. For those receiving some form of assistance through Ivy CARES, a 90 percent retention rate has resulted.
The needs are many. We have learned that all gifts are important; when we combine our giving (at whatever level), we change lives.
Students often find that they cannot come to class because they do not have enough funds for fuel for their vehicle or pay for child care. They may also come to class hungry. There are a number of barriers a student might face that would force them to put a hold on their dream of a better future for themselves and their family. $25 can help make a dream come true.
Assist students in minimizing out-of-pocket costs to ensure their continued success in their coursework and educational goals. It is a struggle for students who are facing poverty to afford housing, food, clothes....basic necessities.
Students may be one flat tire away from dropping out. Unexpected emergencies happen all the time that causes students to stop attending or drop out of college.
"Changing Lives" is more than a motto.....your gift will truly change the life of a student.


text: James Cotton (born July 1, 1935, Tunica, Mississippi), is an American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter who is the bandleader for the James Cotton Blues Band. He also writes songs alone, and his solo career continues to this day. His work includes the following genres: blues, delta blues, harmonica blues, and electric harmonica b… Leer Más


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In a previous post, we walked through setting up Lighthouse in a CI/CD pipeline to prevent performance and accessibility regressions from getting merged in the first place. That setup was somewhat tailored to the assumption of a project where testing a few pages, or maybe tens of pages, is sufficient.
But what if you need to test performance and accessibility across hundreds or thousands of pages, minimizing both time-to-completion and cost?
Functions-as-a-service such as AWS Lambda or Google Cloud Functions, with their inherent rapid scalability and pay-per-actual-usage pricing, seem like a naturally good fit for this use case. But driving thousands of headless web browsers in a resource-constrained and opaque environment over which we have limited control, with the goal of taking measurements that involve a great deal of nondeterminism and variance, also seems like it could be a recipe for a bonafide tire fire.
The purpose of this post is to step through my decision to address this use case with a serverless architecture on AWS, show how it works, and share the results around timing, cost, and lighthouse performance scores.
You can also skip straight to the Github repo to check out the code and deploy this in your own AWS account.
Our goal is to test 5,000 pages in under a minute, to satisfy the use case of running lighthouse as a post-deployment test against a large site, keeping a tight feedback loop. We'll assume that it takes 10 seconds on average to test each page.
Survey of options
Run lighthouse N times sequentially
The simplest possible thing might be running
lighthouse a bunch of times in a script, one after the other, inside a single VM/container/local machine. But even with "just" 1,000 pages, this is going to take almost three hours. Next!
Multiple lighthouse instances per VM or container
The next thing to consider is splitting up the work to achieve concurrency. We could do that within a single highly memory-optimized VM or container, running a bunch of lighthouse instances at the same time as separate processes. Or across several somewhat-memory-optimized VMs or containers. For each of those routes, we could have each instance of lighthouse map 1:1 with a browser instance, or it could be many lighthouse instances to each browser instance.
There are two reasons I'm not going to do this.
The first is that web browsers are complex and resource-hungry pieces of software. I can't overstate my aversion to the prospect of driving a large number of web browser instances concurrently in one VM or container, or trying to share browser instances and do multiple lighthouse runs for each browser instance. The lack of isolation feels like it is going to lead to misery (but I'd be happy to be wrong).
The second is that we either need to have the memory-optimized VM(s) always running for this to be fast, and that is going to be expensive, or we need to spin them up at the moment that we want to run tests, and that is going to instantly blow our budget of one minute. (Is it even possible to start a VM in less than ~ a minute?)
Example: on EC2, an
x1.16xlarge instance has 976GB memory and costs $6.669/hr on demand. I'm guessing that this is what'd be minimally required to run 1,000 tests concurrently (and maybe significantly more), which at ten seconds a test, assuming the happiest of happy paths, could do 5,000 in under a minute. Even running during business hours only, that's over $1,000/month!
Yeah but what about autoscaling? Can't we run a VM/container instance that manages a capped number of lighthouse processes, and let the cloud provider handle the scaling so it's usually a much lower cost (e.g. 1 instance) but then scales up when we want to run the tests (e.g. 20 instances)?
Autoscaling is great in theory but nuanced in practice. It takes time to scale, it's prone to over- and under- scaling, and the default metrics being used to decide whether to scale (e.g. CPU utilization, response latencies) might not make sense for your situation. And, you might not be able to change them. And, you might still have to always have one instance running.
For this project, this approach involves a set of problems that I honestly just don't want to think of as my problems.
One lighthouse instance per container
I like this idea because it seems like packaging the task in a container, and mapping one container to one lighthouse instance could sidestep a bunch of the potential landmines discussed in the previous section, because each run is more isolated. And, we could run it someplace that lets us specify the precise resource requirements for a single lighthouse run (ECS, kubernetes, etc), which seems simpler than figuring out the resource requirements for doing multiple runs.
But I still couldn't see a good way that this approach was going to be fast and cheap compared to functions-as-a-service: we'd still need to have either the underlying VM capacity always-running, which would cost more, or spin it up on demand, which would be slower.
I'd been avoiding reaching for AWS Lambda (or similar) for a bunch of reasons. Even though the inherent rapid scalability and pay-per-actual-usage pricing were attractive, and the buzzwords would be great, there would a bunch of downsides:
- Constrained to a teeny set of specific operating systems and runtimes, for example nodejs 8.10 on Amazon Linux
- Packaging the application/task in a zip file rather than a container. I see this as a major workflow regression.
- The tooling around logging, monitoring, etc, is not as mature
- Hard resource limits like 512Mb of disk space, and you can only write to
- Vendor-specific bullshit to deal with
- Max memory of 3Gb (this seems fine)
- No GPU access (this seems maybe fine?)
- No sudo access (this seems fine)
- Conceptually somewhat of a black box compared to a container (e.g. how does the CPU allocation even work?)
- This is still somewhat of a wild west situation, and the AWS docs will almost certainly tell me things that are not true, so I will probably need to read every website on the internet and the number of open tabs may cause my aging laptop to explode
The thought of driving thousands of web browsers concurrently under these conditions made me...uncomfortable. Even if it were to work, I was concerned that it could be easy, in such an environment, to accidentally think we are measuring the performance of our site and really we are mostly measuring the performance of AWS Lambda on a Tuesday.
But you might only live once, so what the heck. Despite the drawbacks it seemed like the most likely way to build something fast, cheap, and with a low operational burden (why take on the scaling part when we can get it for free?). I went forward with a serverless architecture on AWS to test it out and collect more information.
I used terraform to define and deploy a prototype, with the Lambda functions written in node.js. You can snag the terraform in this project's repo and deploy the exact same thing in your AWS account in a few minutes.
We're using a fan-out/fan-in pattern which you can read more about in the context of AWS Lambda in this excellent post by Yan Cui. Here's a high level diagram of how it works:
Example usage
The primary way we interact with this service is through a command-line interface:
Triggering a set of runs
Using a CLI provided in the project, we invoke the initializer lambda function, passing in a set of pages to run against, the number of times to test each page, and configuration flags to feed lighthouse. We pass those things into the initializer function so that we can change them without needing to re-deploy anything.
First Lambda function: initializer
The first lambda function publishes to an SNS topic one message for each desired lighthouse run (desired runs count = count of urls times runs per url). It creates a job item in dynamodb; this is where we track the overall progress of this collection of runs. The function returns the job's id to the caller, which the caller (such as our CLI) can use to poll the job's status. This function and the SNS topic are the fan-out mechanism.
Second Lambda function: lighthouse worker
The second lambda function subscribes to the SNS topic for test runs. For each message published to the SNS topic, SNS will invoke the second lambda function once (but we must code against the possibility that it happens more than once). The only thing limiting the number of concurrent invocations of the second function is the AWS Lambda concurrency limit, which defaults to 1,000 Lambda invocations account-wide. For this project, I asked them to bump mine to 5,000 and they were like "sure."
Upon invocation, the second Lambda function runs lighthouse against a specific url. If it completes successfully, it uploads both the human- and machine- friendly lighthouse reports to S3. Upon successful completion, the function stores in dynamodb the fact that the run corresponding to a particular SNS message has been processed successfully, and it increments an atomic counter in the job's metadata that represents completed runs. Before running lighthouse, and before updating the job metadata, the function ensures idempotency by doing a consistent read against dynamodb for this particular run to check if it's already been completed, in which case the function simply bails.
If an exception is thrown while executing the function, or if it fails for any number of other reasons at a lower level than our code, or if it's throttled by the max concurrent invocations number, Lambda will automatically retry it a couple times (with delay). If it continues to fail, the message will be re-routed to a separate SNS topic that serves as a dead letter queue. Maybe it is more accurate to call it a poison queue because those messages are reprocessed by the second Lambda function, which updates the job status to reflect the fact of the error.
Third Lambda function: post-processor
The third Lambda function subscribes to a dynamodb stream; it is effectively watching the job metadata table so that it can hook into the moment of a job having just finished (total desired runs == total complete runs + total error runs) and execute some code. Right now it's not doing anything but this is the place where you could, say, hook in and do some analysis against the scores and send out alerts if the scores are bad.
An aside on SNS vs SQS
AWS Lambda recently added support for SQS as an event source. That seemed like a maybe-pretty-good fit here (rather than SNS) so I started with it, but eventually ran into this gem: "Amazon Simple Queue Service supports an initial burst of 5 concurrent function invocations and increases concurrency by 60 concurrent invocations per minute." This was much slower, as you can imagine. And processing retries was way slower. And, the situation really wanted the lambda function to process messages in batches of at least ten. I decided that I didn't really need the benefits of SQS here, which might be nice if we wanted to limit concurrency and/or if it was really important to have more reliable reprocessing of busted messages. SNS ended up fitting the use case much better.
The numbers
Time to completion
I ran a bunch of jobs with 1,000 runs each, and recorded the times to completion of each job.
|Worker mem (MB)
|999 finished in 16s; one retry
|999 finished in 21s; one retry
|999 finished in 15s; one retry
|999 finished in 18s; one retry
|999 finished in 14s; one retry
|999 finished in 14s; one retry
This is looking pretty good! It seems like we get failures around once every couple thousand runs, but they're all retried after a delay and completed successfully. On average, for each job, 99.9% of the runs are complete in 16 seconds.
Through Cloudwatch's built in metrics we can see that the average and p99 durations for each individual run for the worker function:
And we also see exactly six errors, which aligns with (and is the cause of) our observation of six retries:
I also ran a few tests with 5,000 runs:
|Worker mem (MB)
|4996 finished in 40s; four retries
Wahoo! We reached the goal (sometimes)!!! With the maximum Lambda memory setting of 3GB, on the happy path we are testing 5,000 pages in about 20 seconds.
Overall conclusions: if we are really focused on maximizing speed we should probably do something about those retries that seem to be sometimes necessary every several-thousand runs, and that are slowing down completion: perhaps do our own retry (rather than relying on Lambda's delayed retry), or after we've reached 99.9% of completions, time the job out if it doesn't complete in another $N seconds.
But I'm happy with the timing. It is really fast! We are running thousands of browsers at the same time and we're still alive!
Performance scores
One of the killer features of lighthouse is that it gives back a single high level performance score for your site that combines several weighted metrics like time to first contentful paint, time to first meaningful paint, time to interactive, and speed index. It also performs simulated and/or emulated throttling to try and give back a score that is maximally representative of your users' actual experience. The prrroblem is that these performance scores involve an overwhelming amount of variability and non-determinism.
At first I was very confused because 1024MB seemed like plenty of memory to execute the tests quickly, yet at that level of memory, and even at 1536MB, I was seeing quite a lot of variability in performance scores. I tried a bunch of things including different methods of throttling and trying out different amounts of memory.
After tweaking various knobs and visualizing the results, I came to the conclusion that the most important factors impacting the variability of performance scores I was collecting were the Lambda function's allocated memory (and possibly more like allocated CPU time, which can't be directly controlled and but goes up with memory increases) and the lighthouse setting for CPU throttling (lighthouse simulates network and CPU throttling by default).
The box plot below shows the distribution of scores for groups of 1,000 runs with different configuration settings in terms of Lambda memory and lighthouse CPU throttling.
C=1 denotes that the
cpuSlowdownMultiplier has been set to 1, that is, CPU throttling is off. All runs were performed against a single page, https://kubernetesfordogs.com, which is a static site served from an S3 bucket with a CDN (Cloudfront) in front of it.
My general conclusion is that reasonably stable performance scores can be achieved with this setup with around 2GB memory and no lighthouse CPU throttling. Though maybe that's the point at which scores become stable but inflated – maybe around 2GB memory with the throttling is the point at which scores stabilize and are more representative of what users would see. I'm not sure how to figure out how you decide when exactly it's appropriate to apply the lighthouse CPU throttling – if you have any bright ideas let me know!
Even though there don't appear to be real gains increasing the memory beyond 2GB, I feel like it's probably not a bad idea to use 3GB to have a safety margin.
So if we wanted to run this system once per day against 5,000 pages similar to https://kubernetesfordogs.com, with the largest memory allocation (3008MB), which caused the average function duration to go down to 5 seconds, a ballpark estimate of the cost:
Lighthouse worker Lambda function cost: 5 seconds * 5000 pages * 30 days - 136,170 free tier seconds* $.000048975 per second = $30.06 per month
The other two Lambda functions' cost is pretty much a rounding error.
Dynamodb, at the level we're using it, will maybe cost us a dollar or two a month, the SNS usage will fall within the free tier, and I'm not going to touch on the S3 buckets because right now we're storing way more than we probably need to out of laziness (we'd be generating ~90GB of html and json reports per month as-is, those reports have a lot in them!) and we could fix that by storing only the specific data we care about in S3 or a database or creating an object lifecycle policy to ship the full reports to an infrequent-access storage tier or whatever.
Overall, my conclusion is that AWS Lambda seems as fine a place as any to run this kind of task, and setting it up wasn't too painful. However: I learned that packet-level throttling, which is the most accurate way to simulate network conditions, is impossible inside a Lambda function because it requires sudo access, so if that's important Lambda is basically off the table as a viable option.
I'm skeptical of using these performance scores to make important decisions, because there are so many variables involved. I'm confused by things like the fact that WebPageTest, which I understand to be a kind of gold standard in performance testing, gives back a 64 lighthouse performance score against my site, while my system is now basically never giving back such a low score.
As discussed in the lighthouse docs, it's a good idea to perform multiple runs against each page and extract a median. I've also become convinced that it's a good idea to thoroughly test your own setup and get an idea of the expected variability. And I think it could even be useful to have some kind of a control page that is never changed, has similar characteristics to pages on your site, and which you test over time to ensure that scores aren't drifting independently of the intentional changes to your site.
A huge caveat around both the timing and performance scores is that these tests were run against a single page, and I can't say how well the conclusions will generalize to other sites. I felt that using a single page was a good starting point to reduce the number of variables and better understand the environment itself. Also, I didn't want to go around hammering other peoples' sites! The test results are also limited in that they were collected during a single brief window of time. If you deploy this and use it to test your site and come up with anything interesting in the numbers, I'd like to hear about it.
At this point, we've got a functioning basic prototype and a reasonable amount of confidence that it works, by some definition. But we also are left with a pile of reports and no useful way to visualize the data over time. Next steps on this project could include building out the infrastructure to run tests on a regular schedule or post-deployment and visualize the results, setting performance budgets and sending out alerts when they're blown, and putting metrics we want to track over time in a more easily queryable place.
If you have thoughts, questions, or comments on this topic, or if there's anything important I've missed here, let me know!
The Github repo is here.


text:
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know about the power of multisensory marketing to engage and win new customers. Promotions that entice with touch and smell, combined with visual appeal, are proven attention grabbers that move a customer to look, touch and interact with a product or a promotion. It's a dramatic edge over promotions that rely solely on what you can see.
Here's what we've seen over and over again: results. The ROI of multisensory print spending? It's black, no matter what colors you use – and we've got them all, from colors that sparkle, to colors that glow in the dark and colors that change right before your eyes.Continue Reading >>


text:
Who Uses Electronic Cigarettes and why do people use them?
The majorities of electronic cigarette users are, or were, tobacco smokers. Because the e cigarette delivers nicotine to the body and produces vapor which can be inhaled, it provides similar tactile and physical sensations to those commonly associated with smoking. This is why the e cigarette is often used as an alternative to smoking by those who enjoy smoking.


text:
Project Description
Eleuthera 60
Length: 18.30 mt. – Builder: Fountaine Pajot – Built: 2006/14 – Crew: 3 – Base: Italy – Palermo
Accommodations: she can sleep up to 8 guests in 4 cabins.
Amenities & Entertainment: Air conditioning, WiFi.
Tenders & Toys: Tender with outboard engine 10 Hp, 2 SUPS/paddle boards, anti jellyfish protection, snorkeling and fishing equipment.
Summer Season: Italy – Sicily – Sardinia – Corsica
Winter Season: Italy – Sicily – Sardinia – Corsica
From € 14.900 per Week
Yacht Life:
Eleuthera 60 Luxury Crewed Catamaran Charter Palermo. She is a comfortable catamaran for charter available in West Mediterranean Sea. She is a luxury sailing yacht of 19 meters, built in 2006 and totally refitted in 2014 by Fountaine Pajot.
This elegant Catamaran regroups comfort and sailing performance. A spacious and comfortable saloon is well equipped for your relax. She offers at the same Eme the comfort of a big duplex and the pleasure of a fast and safe vessel. Very huge deck is equipped with cushions and a table for 8 people.
Accommodations: she can sleep up to 8 guests in 4 double comfortable cabins, with en-suite bathroom and all modern comforts inside.


text: liveTOwin 0 Posted June 15, 2017 We make it now really clear for Codemasters. Over 7K views in the main discussion and a lot of feedback.Many players want to have the official HUD in the game. But now we are going to represent a clear result to Codemasters.Topic: Official TV HUD for F1 2018Do you want to have the official F1-style-HUD in the game? YES or NO Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: Contact Thank you for your interest in The Cypress Companies. For more information, please complete and submit the form below. Or contact us directly at: The Cypress Companies, Inc. 670 West Market Street Akron, Ohio 44303 USA Phone: 330-849-6500 Fax: 330-849-6517 *First Name: *Last Name: Company Name: *Email: Phone: Address: City: State: Select a State/Province Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachussetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virgina Wisconsin Wyoming ----------- Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Zip: *Reason for contacting The Cypress Companies: *Required Fields Driving Directions & Map Please click here for driving directions. Parking Please park in the lot on the west side of the building and enter using the door facing that same lot (i.e., not the door facing West Market Street). Our door is covered with a tan awning and marked with a nameplate. Please ring bell.


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Join a local NRM / Landcare group
Can't find a group in your area? Why not start one yourself?
Birdlife MidwestBirdlife Midwest Contact: Sally Vigilante
BirdLife Australia is the result of the merger of Birds Australia and Bird Observation & Conservation Australia (BOCA). BirdLife Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation with the aim of creating a bright future for Australia's birds through the conservation of their habitats.
Work over decades has shown that BirdLife Australia's conservation efforts are most effective when we focus our activities at a regional scale, to particular species or by concentrating on specific sites of interest. Much of their work is done by a network of Local Branches and Special Interest Groups through Reserves and Observatories.
BirdLife Midwest is the country branch of BirdLife Australia in the Northern Agricultural Region.
Carnamah LandcareCarnamah Landcare
The activities of Carnamah Landcare are mostly focused on community education and small projects regarding responsible land management. Some recent activities have been a soils forum and tree planting. The group's objectives are to encourage farmers and community in responsible farming practices and land management.
(Adapted from the National Landcare Directory website)
Cervantes Ratepayers & Progress AssociationCervantes Ratepayers & Progress Association
Chapman River FirendsChapman River Firends
Chapman River Friends (CRF) is a group of volunteers who help in the rehabilitation of Chapman River Regional Park. Geraldton – WA
Visit their Facebook page to find out more.
Drummond Cove Progress AssociationDrummond Cove Progress Association
Drummond Cove is a small community north of Geraldton's central business district. It is home to around 1300 people and is part of the City of Greater Geraldton. The Drummond Cove Progress Association (DCPA) has been in operation since the 1930′s, building community spirit and advocating and taking action to improve facilities and services and to protect the natural environment.
(Adapted from the Social Dimensions website)
Friends of Lancelin Coast Inc.Friends of Lancelin Coast Inc. Contact: John Hatch
The main objective of the Friends of Lancelin Coast is to 'Protect and restore the natural environments of the Lancelin coast for a sustainable future'.
Friends of Moore River Estuary IncFriends of Moore River Estuary Inc
The Friends of Moore River Estuary Inc (FOMRE) is an incorporated body that focuses on the protection of the Moore River Estuary natural landscapes and environment and the promotion of responsible development.
Gingin Water Group Inc.Gingin Water Group Inc. Contact: David Rickson
The Gingin Water Group has been formed to lobby for the sustainable use of water, on behalf of the community, in the greater Gingin area. The Group identifies local issues and attempts to attract funding for local communities to address these issues in a changing climate.
You can become a member of the Gingin Water Group Inc by completing the form on the website.
Green Head Coastcare GroupGreen Head Coastcare Group Contact: Jenny Griffiths
Green Head Coastcare Group originated as the Grean Head Townscape Committee, with the vision of developing the town site in an environmentally friendly way, whilst maintaining the culture and freedom of the area. Over time the group's focus has increasingly shifted towards the protection and rehabilitation of the fragile coastal environment.
(Adapted from the National Landcare Directory website)
Guilderton Community AssociationGuilderton Community Association
The Guilderton Community Association is made up of residents and regular visitors to Guilderton who are interested in maintaining and sustainably improving the town now and for the future. The main aims of the association are to:
- promote the interests of the Guilderton community;
- assist in the improvement of the town in a manner which protects the natural environment of the Guilderton/Moore River area;
- conserve the natural environment of the Guilderton/Moore River area; and
- liaise with the Gingin Shire Council on behalf of the Guilderton community.
Sub-groups of the Association are responsible for providing many services within the town, such as the Visitor's Centre, the Library and the Arts Group which is responsible for much of the public art in the town.
For people interested in joining the Guilderton Community Association, membership is open for any person over the age of 18 who is:
- a permanent resident of Guilderton;
- an occasional resident of Guilderton;
- a ratepayer at Guilderton; or
- supports the objects of the Association.
For those interested in joining the Community Association or simply after more information, please contact us at [email protected].
GunduwaGunduwa Contact: Jude Cusworth
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Designed by Louis Minott. Winner of a VGC competition in 1965 and released as Davida Bold. Possibly inspired by Victorian-era designs such as Hogarth (Central, ca. 1887). Mecanorma had it as Silva. Formatt's alias was Darling.
The original phototype font offered various alternates (for 'AEF' and 1–9) that digital versions lack, but Bitstream's digitization uses different forms than the others.


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|1 People (per pax)
|2-3 People (per pax)
|4+ People (per pax)
|Pay $40 Now & 160 on arrival
Kakani day tour is in Nuwakot district in Nepal. The Kakani tour is located at 29 km North West of Kathmandu. It will take just a one-hour drive from Kathmandu. It is 1982 miters high from Sea level. The tour route is start from center bus station in Kathmandu. Here will be wonderful surroundings with Himalayan views of Nepal and many different places for Day tour in Kakani. Here will be outstanding views of Langtang Himalayan range, Shisa pangma Himalayan range, Annapurna Himalayan range, Gaurishankar himal and Manaslu. Of course, there will be many centuries old local villages around the Kakani. You will have great option to look around and loran with their culture and custom. Most of peoples were farmer around here. They are planting rice, corn, millet Of course they produces many different types of Vegetable and fruits during the seasonable. After your Day tour at Kakani return back same way to Kathmandu by private car. Here will be unforgettable memory of local people, their culture and custom and their living standards. You will realise about their respect for everyone
|Trip Lenght
|Group Size
|1-15 People
|Best Month
|Jan | Feb | Mar - Sep | Oct | Nov
|Car | Bus | Jeep
|Hiking | Tour | Short Trek | Adventure
|Max Elevation
|Trip Routes
|Kathmandu to Kakani to Kathmandu


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This article describes in a practical and non-technical way how lifestyle factors affect risk and early detection of cancer. There are many factors that contribute to the formation of cancer. More simplistic diseases rely on perhaps one or two factors such as an infectious agent and a susceptible host. Cancer is an extremely diverse disease and comes about when a number of factors come together.
Some of the conditions that must happen for a cancer to develop are
1) defective or absent DNA repair mechanism,
2) some blockade of the immune system or natural killer cells to prevent cancer cell destruction,
3) loss of cell growth regulation, and often
4) damage to one or two key genes in a cell that do not have a redundant "back-up" helper.
Our body's cells undergo some form of damage all the time and repair mechanisms and surveillance systems help to regulate cancer formation and either prevent or destroy it. This is why cancers are much more frequent in people with weak or absent immune system functions such as someone with AIDS complex or medication induced immunosuppression from transplantation-assisting medications.
Damage to cells that might lead to cancer can occur spontaneously or via some type of injury. Substances that cause injury to cells that might lead to cancer are called carcinogens. Some carcinogens require much exposure to and others cause damage with relatively low doses of exposure. The most common carcinogen in our society is the chemicals contained in cigarette smoke. Sunlight is a carcinogen but can be taken in modest levels and is also a part of health by assisting vitamin D function and our overall mood. Some risk factors are modifiable and others non-modifiable. Having several relatives with breast cancer increases your risk for breast cancer and is a non-modifiable risk factor. Smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day is a modifiable risk factor. Having several relatives with lung cancer and smoking heavily is an example of having both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.
Examples of how the commonest cancers are affected by various lifestyle habits.
The commonest cancers in the United States are breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, endometrial cancer and bladder cancer. The commonest causes of death from cancer include lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Colon cancer: Modifiable lifestyle factors associated with the risk of colon cancer include a low fiber diet, diet lacking or very low in fruits and vegetables, heavy alcohol or smoking abuse, obesity and an inactive lifestyle (i.e. lack of exercise). The reasons why these are risk factors are complex. Some of these risk factors are just associations and some are likely a direct cause and effect. The mutations that must happen to cause colon cancer occur along a cascade of genes and are a part of the "adenoma-carcinoma" sequence. Losing some weight or getting close to the ideal body weight is a helpful step. Avoiding tobacco use all together and minimizing alcohol intake will help decrease risk. The diet is probably the biggest contributor. A diet that is low in fiber and high in fat causes a long transit time for stool in the colon. This is theorized to provide more contact time with potentially harmful breakdown products of digestion.
Breast Cancer: Modifiable lifestyle risk factors for breast cancer include later age at first birth, not breastfeeding, never giving birth, obesity, extended use of hormone replacement therapy, and not getting regular exercise. The major lifestyle risk factors for breast cancer all have the common factor extended exposure to higher levels of estrogen in the blood. The family planning factors which really should be done according to your goals and life-planning are known risk factors but not meant to be something that is done in order to decrease breast cancer risk. The major modifiable risks that are practical to alter include minimizing or avoiding estrogen hormone supplements, exercise and achieving a healthy body weight.
Lung Cancer: Despite being well known and the number one cancer killer, cigarette smoking remains the most common modifiable lifestyle risk factor. In order to effectively decrease this risk factor, more aggressive policy at a national level may be needed. The morbidity, mortality and cost to society from cigarette smoking is enormous. Even if someone has smoked for many years, they will still get immediate benefit in terms of less decrease in lung function and lowering cancer risk by stopping smoking.
Prostate Cancer: There are no specific lifestyle alternations that are known to definitely alter the risk of prostate cancer. General recommendations such as not smoking and achieving a healthy weight are practical.
Pancreas Cancer: Several risk factors for pancreas cancer have been identified. The most conclusive risk factor with the best evidence is cigarette smoking. Having many episodes of pancreatitis may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. A major factor in most pancreatitis is alcohol abuse. Certainly to maintain a healthy pancreas avoiding alcohol abuse is important. Whether or not this will prevent pancreas cancer is unknown but it is an important part of overall long-term pancreas health. A diet low in fruits and vegetables may contribute as well.
Hopefully a pattern is noticeable as many of the measures that help prevent one cancer will help prevent others as well. As an additional benefit, avoiding smoking and achieving a healthy body weight contributes to a healthy heart.
- Carey WD. (2010) Cleveland Clinic: Current Clinical Medicine, 2nd ed. Section 14. Cleveland, OH: Saunders.
- Abeloff, M.D. (2008). Abeloff: Abeloff'sClinical Oncology, 4th ed. Chapter 26. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone – Elsevier
- www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
- www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
- www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
- This article was originally published on September 3, 2012 and last revision and update was 9/4/2015.


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The terrorist attacks in Tripoli this week and in Beirut last week have killed dozens of people and wounded several hundred more. "Norway condemns the terrorist attacks that have taken place in Lebanon over the past weeks. Our thoughts go to those who have been affected and their families," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.
The civil war in Syria has placed great strain on Lebanon and other countries in the region, in the form of large numbers of refugees, rising sectarian tensions and an increased risk of violent conflict.
"I am deeply concerned by the increase in violence in Lebanon. It will be a tragedy if the conflict in Syria takes hold in Lebanon too. Lebanon has a recent history of sectarian violence. It is now crucial that all parties refrain from acts that could heighten tensions in Lebanese society," Mr Eide said.


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Matraea Perineal Soak
Our perineal healing soak helps reduce swelling of the perineum after childbirth and encourages healing.
Ingredients: Comfrey leaf, Comfrey Root, Chickweed, Yarrow, Plantain, Calendula blossoms and Lavender blossoms.
Benefits: These healing herbs combine in a powerful way by reducing itching, inflammation and the chance of infection. They also encourage the growth of healthy tissue, helping in the recovery after childbirth.
Certified organic and made in Canada.


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Project Manager
At FIUGE we work for one single goal: We revolutionize transportation by making it easy, cheap and green. We are a Finnish based startup company. Agile, innovative, insightful and optimistic. We have been in the market for a short time and already now got some of the best clients we could ever dream of. How is it possible? Simply because our solution, crowd sourcing and platform services, is the answer to the challenges that transportation is facing today.
We have a great plan, innovative service and best clients. Now we are hiring a project manager to make our goal come true. Are you interested?
Great, because as our new project manager you are the key person to do the trick. Your first mission is to launch the FIUGE mobile and web apps in the Finnish market. You will also be responsible for managing an international project team to develop the apps.
We'd love you to have:
- a solid background in project management
- experience in software development and quality assurance
- willingness to work in an international team
- understanding of crowd sourcing and platform services
Most importantly however, we believe in excellent communication skills, passion to solve challenges and work for the common goal.
With us you'll have:
- a position where you can make a real impact
- a possibility to work in one of the most promising start up companies in the crowd delivery scene
- a competitive salary
- a passionate and experienced team of 16 specialist from different domains and countries working on your side. Currently we have 8 people in Finland and another 8 in England and India
- flexible working hours and locations. Full time, part time, cottage, home, office, under the palm tree. However, you like it the best.
Want to find out more? Call Jukka Tarkiainen, +358 40 7796799 or drop a mail, firstname.lastname@example.com. Or send your CV to Jukka. Be quick, the position will be filled once we find the right person.Find out more


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Connect, share and start a conversation with us on our facebook page
As a worldwide leading developer and manufacturer of automotive technology, Bosch represents maximum quality and reliability. It is for this reason that Bosch products often go above and beyond any minimum legal specifications. You can therefore benefit from durability.
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General information
- Great Britain (The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the UK) is a West-European state consisting of four parts – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London. The national currency is pound sterling (GBP). The country is a member of the UN, WTO, IMF, EU, OECD, FATF and other international organizations.
- Great Britain has several Crown dependencies – Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey) and Isle of Man, and the British overseas territories that still have some political affiliation to the UK (Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands and others).
- A number of sovereign states constitute the Commonwealth of Nations, among which are Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, India, Canada, Cyprus, Mauritius, Malta, New Zealand, Samoa, Seychelles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, South Africa and others.
- The UK has a long-standing system of common law. At the same time, the volume of direct legislative regulation is currently increasing, particularly in corporate and financial law. The judicial system of the United Kingdom enjoys a high authority in the world.
- In 2014 the United Kingdom held the 14th place (of 178) in the ranking of the most economically free countries.
- Registration of companies in England is widely used in international trade and for the purposes of tax planning.
- Although some British overseas territories are offshore jurisdictions, the UK itself cannot be considered an offshore jurisdiction both de jure and de facto. However, the national legislation provides the convenient tools for corporate and tax planning, so company registration in Great Britain may help your business to become more tax efficient.
UK company formation
A company in Great Britain may be registered in one of the following legal forms:
- Private company limited by shares, LTD
- English limited liability partnership, LLP
- English limited partnership, LP
- Scottish limited partnership, LP
- Public limited company
- Private company limited by guarantee
- Private unlimited company
- Branch of a foreign company
- Self-employed individual
Basic features of the tax system
In contrast to offshore territories, England has an ordinary (medium or high) income tax rate for companies and individuals. Therefore, before you register a company in the UK, it is important to take into account the following facts:
- Corporate tax rate is 19% (as from 1 April 2017, formerly – 20%).
- Standard VAT rate is 20%.
- Maximum personal income tax rate is 45%.
- A company is considered resident of the UK if it is incorporated in the UK or its place of central management and control is in the UK.
- The worldwide income of the UK resident companies (i.e. income received both within and outside the UK) is subject to corporation tax (foreign tax credit is available).
- Non-resident companies are subject to tax only in respect of the UK-source income.
- EU Parent-Subsidiary Directive (2011/96/EU) and Interest and Royalty Directive (2003/49/ЕС) are applicable.
- The UK has controlled foreign companies (CFC) rules, thin capitalization and transfer pricing rules and a number of special anti-avoidance rules.
Corporate tax
Incorporation of a company in England entails its tax liability prescribed by the law.
The taxable income of resident companies include trading income, some income from non-commercial activities and capital gains. Ordinary expenses related to business activities may be deducted from taxable income.
Most of dividends received by British companies are exempt from tax.
Dividends received by British companies (except for small companies) from other companies (British or foreign) are exempt from corporation tax in the UK, without requirements of minimal period and/or percentage of share ownership.
This exemption can also be applied to small companies receiving dividends from the UK companies or foreign companies, which are residents of jurisdictions that have a double tax treaty with the UK containing non-discrimination provisions. A "small company" means a micro- or small enterprise as defined by the EU.
Capital gains received as a result of disposal of a significant share (more than 10%) in the company's capital, subject to certain conditions, are not subject to corporate tax.
Withholding tax
Dividends paid by UK companies are usually exempt from withholding tax in the UK.
Interest paid by a British company to a non-resident is subject to a 20% withholding tax, unless the rate is reduced under a double taxation treaty or there is an exemption under the EU Interest and Royalty Directive. The reduced rates under double taxation treaties are not applied automatically and require prior authorization from the tax authority.
Royalties paid by a British company to a non-resident is subject to a 20% withholding tax, unless the rate is reduced under a double taxation treaty or there is an exemption under the EU Interest and Royalty Directive. Prior authorization is not required to apply the reduced rates under double taxation treaties.
Value added tax (VAT)
The UK VAT is charged in accordance with the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and EU Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 "On the common system of value added tax".
VAT applies to most transactions such as sale of goods, provision of services and imports. The standard VAT rate is 20%. Certain groups of goods and services are taxed at a rate of 5% or 0% or are exempt from VAT.
Use of VAT demands a special VAT registration in HMRC.
VAT registration is compulsory in case if:
- company's VAT taxable transactions turnover exceeded 82 000 GBP in the 12-months period;
- company receives goods in the UK from the EU countries for the value exceeding 82 000 GBP; or
- it is expected that the turnover threshold of 82 000 GBP will be exceeded in the nearest 30 days.
If the mentioned threshold does not exceed 82 000 GBP, a company may register for VAT voluntarily.
Since the date of VAT registration a company is obliged to pay any VAT due.
Double taxation treaties
Great Britain signed agreements on avoidance of double taxation with 127 countries including Russia.
However, application of tax treaties is possible only when a British company is not nominal, e.g. it is not an agent of a principal offshore company (where the latter owns the major part of the profit). Therefore, registration of the UK company solely for the purpose of application of double taxation agreements makes no sense.
The sufficient presence (substance) of a company in the UK is also required. It includes a real office, management from the UK, etc. A company may apply double taxation treaties only in case if its income is recognized as an income of a British company. A company, which submits the so-called "dormant accounts", may not apply double taxation treaties.
The Convention between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Russian Federation for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital gains signed on 15 February 1994 is in force.
Tax information exchange agreements
The UK has around 25 bilateral tax information exchange agreements (TIEA) with various (primarily offshore) countries and territories.
Besides this the UK is a member of the multilateral Convention on mutual administrative assistance in tax matters 1988 and the Protocol 2010 amending the Convention.
Reporting requirements
Registration of a UK company entails its obligation to keep the accounting records, submit the financial statements and tax returns, as well as the annual return (since 2016 – the annual confirmation statement) to the Companies House. The companies that are VAT taxpayers also submit special VAT returns.
- The annual return contains information about registered address, structure and management bodies of the company. Beginning with 2016 this type of return will be substituted by the confirmation statement confirming the completeness and accuracy of the information that the company provided to the Company Register in accordance with the legal requirements.
- The annual accounts contain information about company's financial activities. The first account must be filed within 10 months from the date of expiry of the accounting period. Late submission of the accounts entails charging of significant penalties. Some companies, which do not exercise any activity, file the so-called "dormant accounts" (based on the beneficiary's special declaration).
- The tax return. As a general rule tax returns must be filed within 12 months after the end of a tax period.
Companies may also be responsible for charging and paying taxes by themselves (self-assessment regime). For example, when using such regime, the latest tax period is a period from 6 April 2016 to 5 April 2017. Paper self-assessment tax returns must be filed before 31 October 2017, and online tax returns must be filed before 31 January 2018. The tax must be paid before 31 January 2018.
Audit of financial statements is not required for most small private companies (except in cases where a company established such a requirement in its Articles).
A company is exempt from audit if it satisfies at least two of the following three criteria:
• company's annual turnover does not exceed 6.5 million GBP,
• book value of company's assets does not exceed 3.26 million GBP,
• the average number of employees is 50 people or less.
Information disclosure
Having registered a company in the UK you must timely perform the information disclosure obligations to the registration authority. The Companies Act 2006 (as amended by The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015) requires companies to notify the Company Register about all important events of company's life, in particular about:
- changes of registered office address;
- changes of directors and their data which is to be entered into register of directors;
- company's decision to keep the information about people with "significant control" (PSC) in the central register;
- change of the main type of company's activity;
- amount of company's capital (statement of capital);
- company's shareholders (included into register of members), a number of shares owned by them, share transfers and dates thereof;
- people who exercise "significant control" over the company (PSC), unless a company decided to keep this information in the central register. This information from the company's PSC register is to be filed to the Company Register annually together with the company's confirmation statement.
Since 2016 British companies must keep a special register of people exercising significant control over this company ("PSC register"), provide information about such people to Companies House and provide access to it upon request of any person.


text: We are totally thrilled that Matthew Byrne will be stopping in at the farm again on his latest trip down from Newfoundland . He's been called "Possibly the finest interpreter of traditional songs in the country," and we agree. Maybe in two countries. His album Hearts & Heroes won "Traditional Album of the Year" at the 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards. And guess what? You can bring yourself home a signed copy from the show at the farm. Make sure to RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com so we can save you a seat. Pay at the door. $15. Showtime 7 p.m.


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SUNNYVALE, CA. and YOKNEAM, ISRAEL – February 18, 2016 – Mellanox® Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MLNX), a leading supplier of end-to-end interconnect solutions for servers and storage systems, today announced that it will present at the following conferences during the first quarter of 2016:
- JMP Securities Technology Conference in San Francisco, CA on Monday, February 29th at 9am PST.
- 28th Annual Roth Conference in Dana Point, CA on Monday, March 14th at 8:30am PST.
When available, a webcast of the live event as well as a replay will be available on the company's investor relations website at http://ir.mellanox.com.
About Mellanox
Mellanox Technologies is a leading supplier of end-to-end InfiniBand and Ethernet interconnect solutions and services for servers and storage. Mellanox interconnect solutions increase data center efficiency by providing the highest throughput and lowest latency, delivering data faster to applications and unlocking system performance capability. Mellanox offers a choice of fast interconnect products: adapters, switches, software, cables and silicon that accelerate application runtime and maximize business results for a wide range of markets including high-performance computing, enterprise data centers, Web 2.0, cloud, storage and financial services. More information is available at www.mellanox.com.
Mellanox is a registered trademark of Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.


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|Standard View
National Trumpet Competition Held
There was plenty to celebrate as the National Trumpet Competition observed its tenth anniversary from March 14-17 at George Mason University (GMU). Approximately 155 soloists and ensembles from throughout the United States and Canada were selected by audition tape to compete in seven Classical and Jazz Divisions.
A distinguished roster of Artist Faculty and renowned trumpet players from the worlds of classical and jazz music participated. John Hagstrom of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and renowned classical/jazz soloist Vince DiMartino were the guest soloists on Saturday, March 16, at 3:00 PM in GMUs Center for the Performing Arts. Hagstrom presented a Master Class afterwards.
On Sunday, March 17, at 2:00 PM, in the Center for the Performing Arts, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, led by Jon Faddis, presented a concert immediately after the NTC Awards Ceremony. Faddis also led a jam session with NTC competitors on Saturday evening from 8:00 to 9:30 in GMUs Harris Theater.
The National Trumpet Competition (NTC) is the largest competitive event for young trumpet players in the world. The NTC was founded in 1992 by Dr. Dennis Edelbrock, adjunct professor of music at George Mason University and a veteran member of the U.S. Army Band. Edelbrock realized that his students especially those preparing for performance careers did not have opportunities to compete before their peers or be heard by professionals in a national setting. Yet these activities were commonplace for piano and string students.
Professional trumpet players from leading symphony orchestras and the worlds of jazz and film also saw the need for a national performance forum and readily signed on as guest artists.
They have included the Boston Brass, The Canadian Brass, Vince DiMartino, Steve Hendrickson (National Symphony Orchestra), Tim Morrison (formerly with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, now a Hollywood film soloist), Phil Smith (New York Philharmonic), James Thompson (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), and jazz greats such as Arturo Sandoval, Maynard Ferguson, Jeff Jarvis, Ryan Kisor, Byron Stripling, and Marvin Stamm. Ensembles representing all the branches of the U.S. Armed Services Bands have performed with these artists. College/conservatory professors serve on the Artist Faculty as teachers, adjudicators, and performers. This years Artist Faculty roster represents 39 colleges, universities, and conservatories in the United States and Canada. In response to the support from the professional community, students applied to all division levels. Four original competitive divisions (junior high, senior high, college undergraduate solo and college jazz solo) have grown to seven and now include the Masters Division for graduate students (solo performance), a Trumpet Ensemble Division for ages 11-18, and an advanced Trumpet Ensemble Division for ages 18-28. All seven divisions are intensely competitive; even High School Division students travel thousands of miles to play at the NTC.
The four-day series of events at GMU includes several workshops and master classes. All participants can sign up for a free lesson with a member of the artist faculty even students who auditioned but were not accepted to compete in the 2002 NTC are welcome to sign up for a lesson. At the Exhibitors Hall, representatives of all the major brass instrument and brass equipment manufacturers displayed their instrument lines and the latest technology available to brass players.
Tue Mar 26 2002 (4:47:29 PM)


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I headed out to St. Rose of Lima in De Soto for 11 am Mass. When I walked in, I noticed it was nearly decorated for Christmas. Father later mentioned that the Church was featured on a Christmas house tour and that's why most of the decorations were up.
Music was accompanied by an organ in the choir loft.
Mass Setting: Mass of Creation
Opening: O Come O Come Emmanuel
Offertory: organ music
Communion: Bread, Blessed and Broken
Closing: The Coming of Our God
Interestingly, the servers were wearing purple cappa things. They looked like the brown over habits? you see on Dominicans.
Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells at the Consecration.
The homily was rather interesting. Ever since God created the human race we have had free will. We have the ability to ignore God because of it. This gift brings on guilt at times as we have done wrong. The guilt is because we have done wrong. Throughout the Old Testament and history we see what happens when people choose wrong. In the First Reading, the people know they have messed up and need Divine assistance to save them. This season is to prepare us for the coming of Christ. Salvation is for all of us. We benefit from in our lives. Advent used to be a time of penance to prepare for the great feast of Christmas. It's why we still use purple. Now it is a time of happy anticipation, a time of looking forward towards the birth of Christ. Self-denial is profitable and good at any time but it is especially good at Advent. We recognize our infidelity to God. We are all in this together. Advent is a good time for a good Confession. We should celebrate Christmas very well in all ways, including Confession. It's a shame Christmas has gotten so commercial. Giving gifts is not out of order when we do it charitably and unselfishly. It is though if we do it with the expectation of getting something in return. Because God gave us the greatest gift of all. Free will and we can turn against God. But He still sent His Son to save us. God gave us the Sacraments especially Reconciliation which we can use again and again to make peace with God.
St. Rose of Lima
Mary and the Child Jesus
Mary and Child Jesus
Why yes, she is holding the church...
View from the Back Pew
St. Francis de Sales and St. Marcella
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sacred Heart
St. Joachim and St. Anne
St. John and St. Luke
St. Mark and St. Matthew
Pope John Paul II and St. Michael
St. Peter and St. Paul
St. Rose of Lima and St. Theresa
Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist and Penance
Sacraments: Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick
Station VIII
Website of St. Rose of Lima
Photos from Rome of the West (notice the difference!!!)


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|Warner Bros. | Release Date: October 5, 2018
Critic Reviews
One of the many wonderful surprises in A Star is Born is how director/co-writer/leading man Cooper strikes the perfect balance between a showbiz fable with emotional histrionics and performance numbers and a finely honed, intimate story with universal truths and experiences hardly unique to the entertainment world. Read full review
Simultaneously an immersive concert film, enchanting romance and tear-jerking rock fantasy, A Star Is Born is a dynamic multifaceted showcase for Gaga and Cooper, who makes his directing debut a thing of melodic, masterful beauty. Together, they form an electrifying duo in one of the best movies of 2018 and the finest musical since 2002's "Chicago." Read full review
The lightning in a bottle you have to catch to make an epic love story work is chemistry between the leads. With one actor a relative novice, and the other trying to stretch himself and direct his first feature, the deck was stacked against them. But wow did they pull it off. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper are terrific together. Read full review
It rejoices in a classic structure in which one upward trajectory and one downward meet for a shining moment in the middle. Under Cooper's direction – and thanks to his chemistry with his co-star – the movie throbs with the excitement of that meeting, while the downfall of his alcoholic rocker achieves an almost tragic catharsis. Read full review
The GuardianAug 31, 2018
The songs, written by Gaga, Cooper, Lukas Nelson, Jason Aldean and Mark Ronson, are all terrific and will make a helluva soundtrack album, and Lady Gaga's performances are electrifying. Combine that with the genuine-feeling romance between the co-stars and the heartbreak of its dissolution, and you have one soaring and searing piece of movie entertainment. Read full review
This latest and fourth version is a gorgeous heartbreaker (bring tissues). Like its finest antecedents, it wrings tears from its romance and thrills from a steadfast belief in old-fashioned, big-feeling cinema. That it's also a perverse fantasy about men, women, love and sacrifice makes it all the better. Read full review
Gorgeously shot, lighted and scored, and acted by both leads with an incandescence that feels fully lived in, Cooper's movie seduces you almost immediately. It doesn't promise the shock of the new, but from the first frame it casts a spell, the kind that lets you know immediately that you're in good hands. Read full review
The latest update, directed by Cooper and built on the sturdy bones of William Wellman's and Robert Carson's 1937 script, has heart, soul, and sinew. Above all, it has Lady Gaga, both before and after her character's transformation from an outer-borough duckling into a superstar swan. Read full review
A well-seasoned, handsomely cured slab of showbiz schmaltz that hits all the right pleasure centers. With equal parts glitz and grit, Cooper has successfully navigated the most perilous shoals of making a classic narrative his own, managing to create one of its best iterations to date. Read full review
The Film StageAug 31, 2018
Cooper directs with a sure hand, never overextending himself, and Lady Gaga proves to be a natural performer (she's more believable in the role than Barbra Streisand was 42 years ago). She and Cooper exhibit a strong, primal chemistry. The movie works because we believe in them and have a rooting interest in their star-crossed, doomed love affair. Read full review
You see that Cooper has taken the frayed ends of American culture and knitted them together — male and female, urban and rural, folksy and hip, rich and poor, finding common ground through music. You see songs move through different musical idioms, and you see the power that can have, as long as people are willing to listen. Read full review
Cooper is very much a real director, with a genuine facility with filming musical numbers. We believe in the characters' talents, and spend time soaking them up without a lot of nervous, overcompensating editing. Between songs, he and Gaga make even the bluntest cliches about love and career and misery minty-fresh, all over again. Read full review
Cooper keeps both the camera and his dramatic focus tightly locked on the characters, and on Lady Gaga's face, expressing the full ecstasy and agony of what this timeless tale throws at her. Like Jackson, he can recognize a natural, brilliant talent when he sees one. And he knows, too, when to get out of the way and cede the spotlight. Read full review
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Graphic Patterns for Staging?
I've had my head so deeply in interest rates, lately…time for something light: Yes, graphic patters make rooms pop, but…too many graphic patterns turn them into a gut-turning kaleidoscope. I say keep staging simple, with a touch of flair, so that Buyers can focus on the home…unless the home shouldn't be focused on. In that case…sell the vision!http://agbeat.com/design/graphic-patterns-hot-interior-design-trend/
Posted on July 12, 2013 at 4:09 pm Michael Doyle Category: Uncategorized Tagged design, stage, staging


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Earlier this week LG announced its much awaited smartphone with a curved display, called LG G Flex. Prior to the announcement, the device had been seen in a number of leaks. LG announced this smartphone a few days after Samsung came out with its very own curved device, the Galaxy Round. It appears that LG intends to launch its device with much fanfare, local reports coming in from Korean media claim that a launch event has been scheduled on November 5th and that invites have already been sent out.
LG is yet to reveal the release plans for G Flex, as per reports, the smartphone will first go on sale in the local market by mid-November. Hopefully, at the event, LG will detail in how many markets it intends to release the G Flex and for what price. Samsung's Galaxy Round is rumored to be a prototype of sorts, it is believed that the Round will be released in extremely limited quantity even in South Korea, but Samsung hasn't confirmed this as yet. The LG G Flex has a 6 inch 720p curved display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quadcore processor with 2GB RAM, 32GB onboard storage, 13MP rear camera, LTE-A, 3,500mAh battery and Android 4.2.2. It also has "self-healing powers," basically a special film at the back that will be able to heal scratches within minutes.


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"We're so excited to be partnering with Mary Engelbreit," said Looney Labs CEO Kristin Looney. "The upbeat whimsy in her artwork fits well with Looney Labs' hippie style, and her focus on empowering women is something we care deeply about. Though Mary Engelbreit is not well known among gamers, her broad appeal fits well with our goal to broaden our market, particularly to include more women, families, and casual gamers. "
Engelbreit is a graphic artist that began her career by designing greeting cards, which eventually made her famous. Her "eclectic traditional" art style now adorns thousands of products: books, calendars, fabric crafts, dinnerware, kitchen accessories, and other home decor.
Looney Labs will release a new version of Fluxx this spring, along with another game (see "'Anatomy Fluxx' and ' Get the MacGuffin'").


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We try out Samung's new LightScribe-enabled BD-ROM/DVD Writer. This easy-to-install drive from Sammy is versatile and low-priced, but is it right for you?
Cyberlink Media Suite 8 Released
Cyberlink today released the latest version of their all-in-one software suite for enjoying photos, HD videos, music and movies, and burning data on the PC, Media Suite 8.


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Best Practices in Applying Analytics to Population Health Management Programs
The primary goal of any population health management program is to improve health outcomes. These improvements in health outcomes should be measurable and analytics are front and center in the process to achieve this measurability. Prior to jumping into best practices in applying analytics, let's first look at a brief overview of what needs to be measured. A recently published PHA/HERO's publication aptly captures these measures as follows:
- Financial Outcomes: Claims Savings, Reduced Hospitalizations
- Health Impact: Physical, Mental/Emotional, Health Behaviors, Health Status, and Risk
- Participation: Identified/Targeted, Reached/Contacted, Participated/Engaged, Impacted
- Satisfaction: Participant Satisfaction, Client Satisfaction
- Organizational Support
- Productivity & Performance
- ROI (Return On Investment)
Five Best Practices in Applying Analytics to Population Health Management Programs
Needless to say, the answers to the above said questions lie in the data; hence the accurate data collection from disparate sources and ensuring the ease of its usability constitutes the first of the best practices. Be it from the patient (such as coach captured or patient provided in an engagement platform), or the care provider (EHR/EMR), or payer (claims), or the social media, the standardization of data collection and its normalization ensures the quality and ease of use.
In any population health management program, right time of intervention is key to produce cost savings through better health outcomes. Identifying and stratifying the risk (care gaps, disease progression, financial risk, and propensity to change) through predictive analytics is the second of the best practices to get the time of intervention right.
While effective engagement/coaching is a function delivered by the care team, coaches, or campaigns, analytics combined with sound clinical intuition should be the engine driving the personalization for such engagement as the third of the best practices.
An unbiased, academically rigorous evaluation for cost effectiveness should be non-negotiable as the fourth of the best practices to show the certainty of result.
Finally the practice of quality assurance at each step of intervention is indispensable to believe in the outcomes via a set of leading indicators (such as engagement, goal-setting, and behavioral impacts) at appropriate level to effect change in the ultimate evaluation to reflect the speed-to-value.
Health Dialog embodies these analytic best practices in supporting efforts to drive total population health by achieving the personalized health goals for each member, (one person at time) with our best-in-class engagement platform called InteractTM. Developed with a Care Pathways based patient engagement strategy, Interact connects individuals to the health and wellness content, tools, and resources they need most.


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Victoria Griswold
Second Violin
Victoria Griswold joined the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in April 1993 after
membership in the Boston Pops Esplanade and Boston Ballet orchestras. She was
also a frequent extra musician with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops.
Born in Huntington, New York, she grew up in Milwaukee and earned a B.M. degree
from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Ms. Griswold is a member of the Quattra
String Quartet and since 2015 she has written the programs for the ISO's Teddy Bear
series. The programs, designed for children ages 3-6, consist of original stories, live
musical selections, and movements for audience participation. The lively programs
introduce the instruments of the symphony orchestra to young children.
Ms. Griswold has received The Alice Akins Award for Excellence in Music Education and
she is a 2017 Creative Renewal Fellowship Grant winner. She is married to a computer
consultant, and they are the parents of one son.
Make a Gift
We can't do what we love — making music — without you.
Contact Us
Plan Your
Rent the Hilbert Circle Theatre
Host your event at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, one of Indy's most beloved historical sites on Monument Circle.


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It's fall here in Boulder, Colorado and the trees are glorious. The brilliant red of the maples and blinding gold of the aspens look like dancing butterflies in the breeze. I know this happens every year, but this year there was a massive flood in our town, which makes me more aware of just how amazing nature is and the sheer power of water – to both create such beauty and destroy homes in no time.
One of the first questions I am almost always asked when I sit down to work with a new client interested in changing her relationship with food is, "how long will this process take?" I smile, because the question makes so much sense.
Culturally, there is so much emphasis on overnight success stories and quick transformations. We've all heard them: "How I dropped 2 sizes in just 2 weeks!" or "How I built a 6-figure business in 5 months!" And even though we might know they are sensational headlines, it's still kind of appealing.
Beyond the cultural preference for "fast," sometimes the question of "how long will this take" is another way to say "I have been struggling and in pain around my body for so long." The decision to get support and help is a big one. Of course we want out of the pain and into a new experience.
We know that changing a pattern that has been going on for years, sometimes decades, doesn't shift in two months. But – when?
I get it – once a decision to change has happened, clients want to see progress and can quickly feel impatient with the process. For those who are brave enough to begin shifting away from the number on the scale as a measurement of change, there can be even more impatience to see change in a concrete way.
As human beings, we like results. We like quick results. We like visible results.
As I'm driving home, both sides of my street are lined with rows of English Oak trees. I pay attention to the patterns of these trees, because they are different from all the others. While the other trees are turning colors, these trees seem to stay green…..until you get up close and investigate. If you pull back the limbs, you see that the leaves are turning red from the inside of the tree first. You can't see the change right away – the transformation is happening inside and that change only becomes visible when it's almost complete.
You see where I'm going with this.
The other thing about these English Oaks is that in the winter when the leaves die, they stay on the tree. All of the other trees are bare, but with these trees, the leaves don't fall until the new growth is ready to come in.
I know the same is true for people. If we are looking only at the outward signs, looking at the leaves, we might not see any evidence that change is happening. Like the trees, the real change is happening close to the core — deeply inside — and only later in the process will it become visible. I also know that sometimes things don't fall away until something else is ready to replace it. And that process is often slow and steady and takes place behind the scenes.
What change are you looking for in your own life? How would it feel differently if you believed that the change was already happening?


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Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis of the Davis Bozeman Law firm marched into the Fulton County Justice Center carrying boxes of new evidence he says his team uncovered in the case involving Jamarion Robinson's killing by U.S. Marshals that he says even the Georgia Bureau of Investigation failed to find.
When Davis and Robinson's surviving family members marched out about an hour later after meeting with Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, they had even more information to share with the assembled media.
First, Davis says Robinson, 26, who was already shot 18 times by federal agents in East Point., Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, was shot again – fatally – at close range by police.
"When a man has been shot upwards of 18 times you don't have the right to come stand over him and then fire into his body these final shots," Davis said.
Secondly, Robinson's legal team asset that Robinson was killed under an extreme fusillade of bullets, telling the press that police fired at him 95 times. The Marshal's office went to Robinson's East Point apartment to serve a felony arrest warrant for criminal attempt to commit arson and aggravated assault on a police officer.
The GBI concluded Robinson traded gunfire with police before he was shot to death.
Thirdly, longtime district attorney Howard, who met with the family of Robinson, pledged to appropriate additional time and resources into bringing the case to a final conclusion.
When asked why the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not conduct an investigation into the shooting since the U.S. Marshals is a federal agency, Davis said the U.S. Department of Justice deferred to the GBI to make its inquiry.
Lastly, Robinson's family and their legal representation reiterated the fact that authorities knew that he suffered from severe mental illness (schizophrenia) and was not always on his medication.
The GBI counters claims by the family that authorities shot Robinson at close range. Davis, however, is convinced that he was shot up close and the Robinson family wants the District Attorney to further investigate.
"We were encouraged by some of the things that Mr. Howard's office explained to the family. One of them being that they intend on hiring experts that will look at the blood spatter," Davis said.
While the district attorney takes the handoff from the GBI, Robinson's mother is left to try to fill the vast void in her soul.
"It's like my heart is aching. I've been waking up the last couple of days and I've been looking for him because when I come home from work he's usually sitting on the porch outside," Jamarion's mother Monteria Robinson said.


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Black Style Dan .2
Author: adipose
License: Freeware
Added: 2.9.2009
Downloaded: 1305×
Modified "Black Style" Themes for Modern Contact List, TabSRMM, and IEView. Contains original "Black Style" themes but has alternate "Black Style Dan" files in each folder. I basically added this because I preferred a simpler skin with fewer icons and more compact chat window.


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Strathmore Hall
WolfBrown consultants conducted a feasibility study for a 2,000-seat concert hall and community performing arts education facility on the grounds of the beautifully restored historic Strathmore Hall mansion. They conducted market research to determine the audience demand for the facility and interviewed a wide range of potential users from Baltimore to Washington DC. Their research confirmed support for the concept, including use of the concert hall as a second home for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The consultants provided a detailed event program plan, building program for the RFP to architects, and pro forma budgets, as well as a site review, building specifications, capital cost estimates, and operating budgets. Within a week of the final report's submission, Maryland's Governor called a press conference announcing his financial support of the project.
A subsequent project allowed WolfBrown consultants to develop the full-scale business plan for the enlarged facility, as well as user pro formas and the guidelines for a joint capital campaign. William Rawn Architects, selected through a national competition, designed the facility and it opened in February, 2005 to rave reviews in the media.
Go to www.strathmore.org


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Like Mozart in music,
Shakespeare in drama and Michelangelo with his wide-ranging talent, Albert
Einstein is recognized as the leader of the pack of many brilliant physicists in
the 20th century. Einstein died 50 years ago on April 18, 1955, but
the most important date in his chronology is his miracle year in 1905. While
working as a "patent office slave" 40 hours a week, raising a family and writing
his PhD thesis he wrote 4 papers in isolation that changed the world of physics
forever. One of these papers on his Theory of Relativity which spawned our most
famous equation E=mc² was his PhD thesis.
In the 50 years after 1905 as
his ideas of space, time, and gravity were tested and verified he became the
most famous scientist of the 20th century. Newton 250 years before
Einstein's miracle year had a miracle year of his own that established the world
view of space until Einstein changed all that in 1905.
This year, the 100th
year of his discoveries at age 26 Einstein is being recognized in the World Year
of Physics with many books, celebrations and remembrances. Last week CBC radio
had a panel of physicists on their science program Quirks and Quarks honoring
him. There is also an interesting blog website (Quantum Diaries) where 29
physicists will keep on line diaries of their life in 2005. The site has
already shown that many of the scientists are very ordinary people outside their
labs and classrooms. The most interesting site is that of Dave Waller working
underground in the Sudbury Neutrino Laboratory.
Albert Einstein was an
average, independent and sometimes uncooperative student who when he got his
masters degree could not get work except as a patent agent. In spite of a heavy
workload, a family and his PhD thesis, he wrote four brilliant papers in a few
months in 1905 in his spare time that changed the world of science and our world
today in many ways.
There was some positive
reaction but some jealousy and resistance by other leaders in the field.
Einstein waited and improved his theory in his own unique way. He was born in
Germany but did not like the rigid lifestyle and moved to Switzerland and became
a citizen and went to school, worked and raised his family there. He eventually
was able to leave the patent office and ended in a prestigious research position
in Germany. His greatness became worldwide when his theory that light was
affected by gravity was proven correct during an eclipse of the sun in 1919.
He eventually came to America
where he became a researcher at Princeton University. He won the Nobel Prize in
1921. He fought the development of the Quantum approach to science and some of
the panelist on the CBC programme mentioned above believe that he may still be
right. Einstein worked on refining his theories, developed others, and worked
with the finest minds in the field. The mystery surrounding his theories which
were incomprehensible to most, along with his absent mindedness, set him up as
the shaggy haired professor with the German accent in many cartoons and movies.
He used his celebrity status to fuel the humanist side of his personality all
his life.
He fought courageously on the
side of people resisting the atomic bomb even though some of his discoveries led
others to the discovery of the power of the atom. He was a civil rights
crusader long before the active 1960s and 70s and fought lynching, the McCarthy
hearings and supported many other causes.
As a Jew by birth he was not
an adherent of the faith but after the Holocaust he supported a Jewish homeland
and on one occasion was offered the Presidency of Israel. During the Nazi era
his theories were criticized, his books burned and his life theatrical.
Space and my lack of
understanding of his science prevent details of his theories here but there is
much online under his name. On a personal note I did get some help from 2 of my
grandchildren who are studying physics at McGill and the U of T. One was
recently offered a full scholarship for a Phd in theoretical physics, so some
other time I may get some help and say more about his many scientific
achievements. In the meantime I will take the advice of s friend who reminded
me that I don't have to be a genius like "Alfred Eisenstein" to do what I do.
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