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Family Feels Johnson Will Recover Quickly
Portland, Ore. April 14, 2001 (AP by Landon Hall)--The family of injured skier Bill Johnson can imagine a time when the Olympic champion is home with them, recovering from the crash that nearly killed him.
And they say that time, when he leaves the hospital and gets back to being his ``ornery'' self, will come sooner than doctors think.
The 41-year-old Johnson has made enough advances in recovering from the March 22 accident in Montana that he is officially out of a coma, a doctor at Providence Medical Center said on Friday.
``He is waking up,'' said Dr. Molly Hoeflich, head of the hospital's rehabilitation unit, where Johnson will undergo intensive therapy until he is well enough to be moved to his mother's home in Gresham, east of Portland.
That's near Mount Hood, where Johnson trained for his 1984 downhill gold at the Sarajevo Olympics.
``Our home is away in the mountains, and in a nice setting, so I think it'll be a good, healthy place for him to be in,'' said his mother, DB Johnson.
``Ultimately, he's going to progress to a stage where he's going to make his own decisions _ where he wants to be, what he wants to do,'' said Johnson's stepfather, Jimmy Cooper. ``And in the meantime, Mom's looking out for him.''
Even though Johnson was able to respond to some outside stimuli when he was brought to the hospital Wednesday, he was technically considered to be in a coma. But Hoeflich said he is making slight movements on his own, and making stronger responses to people he recognizes.
A visit from Johnson's skiing trainer, John Creel, and Creel's wife on Friday morning seemed to lift his spirits, his family said.
``They were very upbeat and real positive, and he just responded really well,'' DB Johnson said. ``He was nodding his head, looking at them.''
Creel jokingly reminded Johnson of their last conversation before the crash: Johnson was supposed to meet Creel back at the team truck after the training run.
Creel said to Johnson, ``Where have you been? I've been waiting at the truck the last three weeks,'' Cooper said. ``And Billy kind of smiled.''
Johnson, born in Southern California but raised in the hills east of Portland, shed his bad-boy reputation by winning downhill gold at the Sarajevo Olympics. He was attempting a comeback when he crashed face-first on hard-packed ice during a warmup for the U.S. Alpine Championships in Whitefish, Mont.
DB Johnson said her son _ known for being fiercely independent, often to a fault _ won't want to waste time getting better.
``I think he'll be ornery enough inside that he wants to get out of there and get out and do things,'' she said. ``He's always been a very ambitious person, so for him to sit still, I believe that bothers him.''
Copyright © 2000 The Associated Press


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I spent last weekend up to my ears in public radio, and happily so. I was invited to moderate a panel on social media strategy at the Public Radio Directors Association (PRPD) conference in Denver.
While NPR is certainly an obvious first thought when you think of public radio, there are so many stations out there doing supremely cool stuff. This conference was full of people creating inventive and thoughtful programming to offer to public radio stations for their programming.
So full of cool stuff I had to cut this post into two parts to get it all in and not make it insanely long.
Today's post is about the panel itself, and tomorrow I'll share some of the very cool program directors I met and give you some links to explore.
The panel was about creating a social media strategy. The slides are on Slideshare as well as a the end of this post. The whole event was live-tweeted as well, and here's the stream for #PRPD. I presented with Hawk Mendenhall of KUT Austin, Tx and Steve Yasko of WTMD in Towson Maryland, both experienced veterans of the public radio biz and although they have very different social media strategies it's a big part of their online outreach.
Both stations are active on Facebook, which seemed to be much more popular than Twitter with most of the stations I talked to at PRPD. When I asked why, the universal answer was low barrier to entry and to keep up a presence. Most felt that their listeners were on Facebook more than other platforms.
KUT uses a lot of different social media tools. They've used Gowalla and HelpAttack! to track volunteers, they're working with Gowalla to map historical Austin and support the booming real-time social trivia game QRANK on the air with clues to Texas music and current events questions.
One of the innovative ideas from WTMD was the Baltimore Band Block Party. The station supplied pledge pages for bands entered and social media tools to connect with their fans. The band who sold the most tickets and raised the most money for the station won an amazing guitar and played at the block party. WTMD raised over $10,000 through this campaign and a good following of fans to boot.
As always, some of the most interesting conversations came from the Q&A session where we really got a chance to find out what people were there to learn and hear about what they were doing.
I had a long talk with the folks from Jefferson Public Radio in Ashland Oregon. They interact with users through Facebook, Twitter and an iPod app which has the distinction of a large number of downloads from Romania. It seems an intern had the JPR iPhone app on a trip to Romania and played the station for her friends. The next thing they knew they had a big fan base of loyal listeners from the other side of the world. You can listen live to the station in their web site too of course.
One of the ways they integrate social media into their programming is to offer quick ticket giveaways and special offers on their Facebook page. When a band comes in to play at the station they can offer tickets or personally autographed CD's in real-time and reward loyal Facebook fans. They also ask users to post questions for the band on Facebook and ask them on air.
Here are the slides from the panel for your reference:
and also the video "Shirtless Dancing Guy from my presentation, which I really do think demonstrates the goal of a good social media campaign. Empowering your following to invite their friends to participate and share will create a deeper engagement than dancing all by yourself…


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Note: Be sure you are collecting data in accordance with relevant laws/regulations in your jurisdiction. If in doubt, reference the privacy laws/regulations in your country or consult with your legal counsel before making public. Learn more about General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) here.
With custom properties, you can choose to collect additional user information that will be helpful in running your space.
- Click Settings in the left-hand menu
- Click User properties
- Click Add property in the top right of the screen
- Click New property
- Complete the 'Details' fields. User property 'groups' are a way to organize the various pieces of information your are collecting from your users. Information will be displayed in the user side panel in the groups that you have specified here.
- Under the 'Attributes' section, specify a 'Field type'. This determines what types of values you want to accept for a particular property (e.g. numerical, date, text etc.)
- In the 'Permission' field, choose if the property can be filled out by admins or by both admins and users
- For properties that are set to be editable by users, you can also enable the toggle to require the user to complete the field as part of the sign up process
- Use the 'Display on public user profiles' toggle to decide if you want this property to show on user profiles in the directory
- Click Save
What are some common uses of custom properties?
- Dedicated desk/private office assignments
- Tracking which members have been provided a physical key or access card
- Deposit management
- Emergency contact information
- Referral tracking
- Printer ID code and PIN number


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Good question. Let me explain a little about blood first. Your red blood cells (rbc's) are basically little bags of a substance called hemoglobin. In fact, rbc's are the only cells in your body without nuclei; they lose them when they mature so that more hemoglobin can be packed into the cell. Hemoglobin molecules are little oxygen carriers. Each molecule has four "seats" that can be filled with oxygen. They can pick up oxygen in your lungs and deliver it all over your body. Every cell needs a supply of oxygen.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is very dangerous because it sticks to your hemoglobin better than oxygen does. It "hogs the seats" so that oxygen can't get a ride. And those CO molecules keep riding around, never giving their seats up to the oxygen. This means there's no way to get oxygen to your brain, heart, or other cells and those cells start to die. The chemical reactions that stop happening when there's no oxygen are the ones that make ATP, the form of energy that all of our cells use.
You can't see, smell, or taste CO, so it's very dangerous. Things that burn fuel (furnaces, cars, barbeque grills, etc.) produce CO, and that's why they have to be ventilated to the outside.
Do you think people with CO poisoning get better by themselves?
How do you think people with CO poisoning are treated?
People who don't have enough hemoglobin have a form of anemia. What do you think some of the symptoms might be?
Would they be like symptoms of mild CO poisoning?
The problem with carbon monoxide (CO) is that it inhibits your ability to distribute O2 (oxygen). Hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells, binds oxygen in your lungs, and distributes oxygen throughout your body. Hemoglobin has a very high affinity for oxygen. However, it has a HIGHER affinity for CO. The usual function of hemoglobin is to bind oxygen (O2) and take it to a place in the body that needs oxygen, and then releases the oxygen. When hemoglobin binds CO, it binds so tightly that it will not let go. Therefore, the hemoglobin that binds CO becomes 'poisoned' and can no longer bind oxygen, destroying its function. Then, parts of your body do not receive the essential oxygen, and effectively suffocate.
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after carbon monoxide gas is inhaled. It causes headaches, fatigue, depression, dizziness and can lead to more serious complications if exposure is chronic (i.e. heart disease and death.) Carbon monoxide displaces oxygen from hemoglobin (oxygen carrying protein in the blood) and also effects myoglobin (primary oxygen carrying pigment of the muscle) and cytochrome oxidase (enzyme in the electron transport chain in mitochondria.) It removes oxygen in hemoglobin and myoglobin, depleting your oxygen source to your body. I'm not sure where carbon monoxide binds cytochrome oxidase but it probably knocks out its function for generating ATP. The electron transport chain makes oxidative phosphorylation possible and oxidative phosphorylation is a major source of ATP. Thus carbon monoxide would affect the ability of your cells to generate energy (ATP.) I don't know if there is a word for this chemical reaction in particular. However, I suppose displacement of oxygen binding by carbon monoxide could be considered a type of "inhibition." Unfortunately as I don't know where exactly carbon monoxide binds I can't tell you whether it is a competitive (where oxygen competes for the same binding site as carbon monoxide) or non-competitive (where carbon monoxide binds at a different site but changes the conformation of hemoglobin such that oxygen can't bind) inhibition. Hope this helps!
Normally, when you breathe, the oxygen is taken into your lungs where it enters your blood and is carried throughout your body by the protein hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein with an Iron-Heme center. This Fe-Heme binds oxygen very strongly. When you breathe in carbon monoxide, the CO also binds to hemoglobin. It binds so strongly that is keeps oxygen from binding as well. Over time, if you breathe enough carbon monoxide, it binds to all of the hemoglobin in your body, and you no longer have enough oxygen in your blood.
Carbon monoxide bonds to oxygen receptors in the human body more strongly than does oxygen itself. I believe the receptors in particular are in the brain, not the hemoglobin in the blood, but I am not sure. Because of the strength of the bond, the oxygen cannot then get into the tissues that need it, and said tissues asphyxiate.
CO bonds where normally oxygen does bonds in the hemoglobin molecule. So, CO saturates the molecular site that USUALLY accommodates the oxygen. CO prevents the oxygen from getting into the molecules, in a sense. Get in.
There really isn't much of a chemical reaction with carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide and oxygen molecules both have 2 atoms. Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in our red blood cells [erythrocytes is their scientific name]. With carbon monoxide bound to hemoglobin where oxygen is supposed to bind, our bodies don't get the oxygen they need. That's how carbon monoxide kills.
Hemoglobin is a protein with a special molecule called heme, with an iron atom at the center, where oxygen and carbon monoxide can bind.
The answer to your question involves hemoglobin, the protein that is responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells. The oxygen that we breath is not very soluble in liquids like blood. So to facilitate the transport of oxygen from our lungs to the cells in the rest of our body, red blood cells have high concentrations of the protein hemoglobin. Hemoglobin has a high affinity for oxygen, so when blood moves through the lungs, each molecule of hemoglobin binds to an oxygen molecule, allowing the blood to load up a much higher concentration of oxygen than it otherwise would. Then when those blood cells move to a different part of the body where the cells have relatively low concentrations of oxygen, the oxygen leaves the hemoglobin molecule and diffuses into the cells.The problem with carbon monoxide (CO) is that hemoglobin actually has a much higher affinity for CO than for oxygen. So when you breathe in CO, your hemoglobin molecules get loaded up with CO instead of oxygen, and no oxygen can be carried to the cells in your body. After a while, the cells start to die if they don't get enough oxygen, and this is what kills you. The only way to reverse this process is to breath in oxygen at a very high concentration - only then will the hemoglobin start to bind to oxygen instead of CO.
So the standard treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning is to breathe in 100% oxygen (remember that regular air is only about 20% oxygen). After a while, all of the hemoglobin molecules start to bind to oxygen again instead of CO, and you eventually exhale all of the CO that was breathed in.


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If you are like most first-time borrowers, you may have asked yourself, why California has so many hard money lenders? California lenders of hard money are so popular, if you will because they understand the vital role they play in making people's business and real estate dreams come true—plain and simple.
Once you embark on your general lender search, you may be surprised to find so many hard money lenders. California, in particular, has a wealth of hard money lenders. California being the place where dreams often come true, however, does not have a lot to do with the large quantity of lenders. The real reason you see so many lenders who offer hard money financing is because these lenders are in high-demand.
Hard money lenders are in high demand because traditional lending institutions in recent years have become more and more regulated, which means they have become more likely to turn borrowers away. Nonetheless, this does not mean traditional lending institutions are impermeable rather it means they are extremely selective in who they approve. Thus, many small business owners, startups, first-time flippers and so on have felt like they are fresh out of luck when it comes to financing their dreams.
Consequently, the hard money market saw a real opportunity to help countless people move forward with their ventures. Moreover, with so many niches and flexible options, these particular lenders have been able to hone in on their specific skills and strengths. Of course, at this point, you may be wondering. What exactly are those specific skills or roles that make lenders of hard money so vital? Well, let us go over the general role of these lenders as well as lenders in general.
Lenders Are There When You Need Them
Lenders often handle a variety of important component of the lending process. For instance, lenders are often the individuals who are creating your loan packages and ensuring that the right documentation is included. Moreover, lenders assist in the title ordering as well as other processes such as verifying payoff, appraisals, providing disclosures. Your lender should also take the time to help you find the best hard money financing program and walk you through all the details. In addition to all these roles, your lender can also help you with the underwriting process, finding investors, matching you with the right investor, finding the reputable loan servicers along with loan-doc creation and managing the closing. Thus, as you can see, your lender has his or her work cut out for them and it does not stop there. As briefly, suggested, your lender can also help you in specific areas that pertinent to your particular industry and venture or project.
The Real Deal
Ultimately, your lender should be the real deal. In other words, you should be able to expect these things, especially if you are working with a seasoned California lender who offers hard money financing. If you are not working with a California lender that does not mean you are at a disadvantage. Remember, at the end of the day, you need to find a lender that is right for you.
Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel: (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel: (512) 516-1177
email@example.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
About the Author: Dennis has been working in the real estate industry in some capacity for the last 40 years. He purchased his first property when he was just 18 years old. He quickly learned about the amazing investment opportunities provided by trust deed investing and hard money loans. His desire to help others make money in real estate investing led him to specialize in alternative funding for real estate investors who may have trouble getting a traditional bank loan. Dennis is passionate about alternative funding sources and sharing his knowledge with others to help make their dreams come true. Dennis has been married to his wonderful wife for 42 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.


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Springfield Heights
Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
| Springfield Heights
| Location Information
Springfield Heights is a wealthy district of Springfield. It is home to one of Springfield's secondary schools, a shopping promenade, a McDonald's, and the Springfield Heights Institute of Technology.
This area of Springfield was also the setting for a high school TV drama titled Springfield Heights 90210 starring 34-year-old "teen" heartthrob Kyle Darren.
Several of the towns wealthiest residents live here including:
|This article relating to a Simpsons location is a stub. You can help Wikisimpsons by embiggening it.


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Even a legend needs a little makeover once in a while. The board that became the standard for all other river surfing SUP's has been refreshed for 2018. With a single wing swallow tail, the River Surfer 2.0 maintains its volume to surf effectively in river waves, but a narrower tail allows it to turn harder and tighter. The 140 is based on the volume of the original River Surfer, for larger riders or smaller, slower waves. Smaller riders check out the River Surfer 104.
The River Surfer is built using a traditional epoxy surfboard layup. The same layup of the custom River Surfers we have built for our pro riders. This board is designed for performance...not durability. If durability is a priority please consider an inflatable board. There is no warranty on the River Surfer once it has been on the water.


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West Chicago Library Storytimes
Visitors Center
Thursday, August 20
The West Chicago Public Library and Cantigny Gardens have partnered up: stories + nature = fun for kids (of all ages). Join library staff this summer for a special storytime with hands-on activities as well as great stories. Recommended for children birth to age 6 (with a favorite adult). Attendees should meet library staff at the Visitors Center before the start of the program.
Prior to the storytime please pick up a parking pass at the West Chicago Public Library's Youth Services desk that entitles you to FREE admission for the day at Cantigny Park.


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- Description
Condition Detail:
A Grade Item, Open boxed returns/cancelled orders - these come complete and as new other than the manufacturer's seal may be broken.
Original packaging,
All Accessories included,
Full Manufacturers Warranty.
See Wider, Work Smarter: Ultra-wide 21:9 2560 x 1080 resolution AH-IPS Panoramic Monitor
- Ultra-wide 21:9 2560 x 1080 resolution LED display with a frameless, edge-to-edge design for pristine panoramic experience and enhanced productivity
- AH-IPS display with 178° wide-view angle for high-quality visual clarity and minimal color distortion
- DisplayPort, HDMI, and Dual-link DVI ports for multi-device connectivity plus built-in dual 3W speakers
- A comfortable viewing experience with swivel, tilt, pivot and height adjustments
Designed for Multitasking
- Ultrawide 21:9, 2560 x 1080 resolution LED display with a frameless, edge-to-edge design
Vivid Visuals Come Alive
- Enjoy lifelike images through an A-grade AH-IPS display with 178° wide-view angle and 80,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio
Enhanced Productivity with Robust Connectivity
- DisplayPort, HDMI, and Dual-link DVI ports plus built-in dual 3W speakers
Ergonomic 4-way Adjustable Design
- A comfortable viewing experience with swivel, tilt, pivot, and height adjustments
Experience panoramic productivity
The 29-inch ASUS PB298Q is like having two 5:4 aspect ratio, 17-inch displays side-by-side, but made even better without monitor bezels between them. It boasts a 2560 x 1080 resolution, that's 33% wider than standard Full HD, giving you more room for more windows and extra screen real estate to work on spreadsheets with up to 13 more standard-sized columns.
Vivid visuals come alive
The LED-backlit AH-IPS display delivers extremely accurate color reproduction, making the PB298Q ideal for both professional and personal use. 178-degree wide viewing angles also mean that images don't wash out when seen from either side, or above and below. Paired with a narrow 0.8mm bezel design, it helps create the illusion of a frameless monitor that delivers edge-to-edge visuals.
Exclusive ASUS features give you the most versatility
ASUS MultiFrame Utility
- ASUS MultiFrame is a utility that lets you easily divide and organize multiple windows to suit your needs.
Download today (support Windows 7, 8, Vista, and XP)
QuickFit Virtual Scale (Patent-pending)
- QuickFit Virtual Scale lets you preview photos and documents in popular format sizes directly on screen via a dedicated hotkey on the monitor. It also displays alignment grids for added precision when editing graphics or images.
SPLENDID Video Intelligence Technology
- ASUS Splendid is built upon a color engine that automatically analyzes and determines the nature and parameters of current visual tasks, adjusting display parameters to ensure optimal color accuracy and image fidelity.
Robust connectivity
The PB298Q display has an array of connectivity options for wide compatibility with a range of multimedia devices. Video inputs include DisplayPort, HDMI, and Dual-link DVI ports, while audio can be played through built-in 3W stereo speakers - all set for your favorite movies, hassle free.
Find the screen position you prefer
The PB298Q also features a sturdy stand with adjustable tilt, swivel, and height, while a pivot joint allows the display to be rotated through 90 degrees for portrait use
Specifications Display HD type Full HD Display LED Display technology IPS Display diagonal (metric) 73.03 cm Contrast ratio (dynamic) 80000000:1 Viewing angle, horizontal 178° Viewing angle, vertical 178° Display number of colours 16.77M Pixel pitch 0.2628 x 0.2628 mm Aspect ratio 21:09 Supported graphics resolutions 2560 x 1080 Display resolution 2560 x 1080 pixels Display brightness 300 cd/m² Response time 5 ms Display diagonal 73.66 cm (29") Ports & interfaces DVI port Yes HDMI ports quantity 1 DisplayPorts quantity 1 PC Audio in Yes Multimedia Built-in speaker(s) Yes Number of loudspeakers 2 RMS rated power 3W TV tuner integrated No Built-in camera No Design Colour of product Black Audio Built-in speaker(s) Yes Number of loudspeakers 2 RMS rated power 3W Performance Built-in speaker(s) Yes Number of loudspeakers 2 RMS rated power 3W Built-in camera No Management features Plug and Play Yes Ergonomics VESA mounting interfaces compatibility 100 x 100 mm Swivelling Yes Tilt adjustment Yes Swivel angle range 60 - 60° Tilt angle 20 - 5° Height adjustment 15 cm Pivot Yes Stand-by LED Yes Power LED Yes Plug and Play Yes Height adjustment Yes Power Energy efficiency class Unspecified Camera Built-in camera No TV tuner TV tuner integrated No Technical details Colour of product Black Indication Stand-by LED Yes Power LED Yes Weight & dimensions Width 70 cm Depth 21.8 cm Height 37.6 cm Weight 8.5 kg Packaging data Quick start guide Yes Cables included Audio (3.5mm), DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI Packaging content Quick start guide Yes Cables included Audio (3.5mm), DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI
- Specification
SKU PB298Q-AG Model PB298Q Colour Black Contrast Ratio 80000000:1 (dynamic) DisplayTechnology LED-backlit Response Time 5 ms (grey-to-grey) Aspect Ratio 21:9
- Delivery
Delivery information
To cater the needs of all customers, we offer two delivery options at checkout so you can choose one which best suits your requirements.
Free UK Delivery
In this option we will deliver your product free of charge but it will take 3 to 5 working days for the product to be delivered.
Next Working Day Delivery
If you want your desired product to be delivered next working day you will have to place your order before 3pm. The delivery charge is £6.95 at the time of placing order. This option does not include delivery on Saturday or Sunday.
- Reviews


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Sydney/Australia, 17th January 2016
HEAD's double Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has earned another career title with a dominating 6-0, 6-2 win over Puerto Rican neophyte Monica Puig to polish her Australian Open form to a glossy sheen thanks to victory at the Apia International.
The 30-year-old Kuznetsova, who endorses the HEAD Graphene XT Extreme, needed less than an hour to inflict her game upon the qualifier ranked 94th. Russian Kuznetsova now owns 16 career trophies including Grand Slam honors in Paris and New York over the course of her career.
The experienced WTA campaigner was pleased with her form all week, highlighted by an upset of second seed Simona Halep in a rain-interrupted semi-final; Sveta then finished off on a winning note a few hours later with her thrashing of Puig.
The on-form HEAD player has now won two of her last three events after also capturing her home Kremlin Cup in Moscow at the end of last season.
The Russian held all the advantages in her meeting with Puig from Puerto Rico who had emerged from the qualifying rounds with a strong run to the title match. Kuznetsova won the first nine games before her opponent got on the scoreboard, and kept up the pressure to claim victory in a stroll, with Puig double-faulting on match point.
While pleased with her win, Kuznetsova confessed that travelling the tennis circuit for almost half her life has been demanding: "Since age 14 I went away from home. That's what tires me, all the time on the road. This is my struggle, not to play tennis or to practice. I love that."


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Tragic death of ICCA delegate
We are saddened to share with ICCA colleagues the sudden death of Manisa Mohamed Nor, from Malaysian Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MYCEB), which occurred on her flight to Prague. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and colleagues at this tragic time.
Important Notice: Voting Procedures changed for the ICCA 56th General Assembly
The ICCA General Assembly voting has changed! Biggest change: voting has now started! Don't wait until Prague to vote. For more info, click here.
Why is the road to ICCA Congress in Prague accompanied by bridges?
The combination of words "Bridge to Prague" arose from the reference to the 660th anniversary of the Charles Bridge construction, as its foundation stone was laid in 1357. It is one of the most significant historical monuments and its construction is one of the most important milestones in the history of Prague. A milestone showing the way to something new, similarly to the Charles Bridge construction, is also the 56th International ICCA Congress, which Prague has the opportunity to welcome this year. And since we firmly believe that ICCA is as solid and compact as the Charles Bridge, we chose the Bridge as the main building block and pillar in promoting and organizing this year's Congress.
The Future Belongs to Us
ICCA is asking Millennials to compete in a friendly pitching battle at the ICCA Congress in Prague that will help shape ICCA's next education programme:
Brand new - Tech Pavilion
What to expect in the Tech Pavilion:
You are coming to the congress to meet great people and learn about new things. But how do you spark those meaningful conversations?
ICCA becomes a CAE Approved Provider
ICCA is a CAE Approved Provider, meaning ICCA's education sessions meet the requirements for fulfilling the professional development requirements to earn or maintain the Certified Association Executive credential.
Apply for an Incredible Impacts Grant to communicate the value of your association meetings
The Incredible Impacts Programme celebrates the "beyond tourism" value of international association meetings to create a powerful platform to advocate their positive societal impact. A panel of independent judges form the association world will determine which meetings have proven impact to award three grants of USD 7,500 on behalf of BestCities Global Alliance and ICCA.
Calling for Volunteers!
We really love to involve our members in the education programmes as afterall, we know that the majority of industry knowledge is locked within our very own membership!
Gift of Love (GOL) Project 2017
Every year, since 2013, participants to ICCA Congresses have offered moral support and brought smiles to the local communities. This year's ICCA Members Gift of Love (GOL) project is organised with the kind and ready support of the Prague Convention Bureau and LHC of ICCA Congress 2017, who has reached out to SOS Children's Villages.
The ICCA Congress: Not just for the C-Suite


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Nashville, TN -- World-renowned Bluegrass quintet Balsam Range makes magic with their newest EP, It's Christmas Time. The six-track outing spreads seasonal joy with a mix of contemporary and traditional tunes and features the beloved band in an unusual pairing with the Nashville Recording Orchestra. Radio can ensure that It's Christmas Time makes their holiday playlist by downloading from AirPlay Direct. Fans can listen to a live stream now or purchase as the perfect Christmas gift HERE.
Willis, VA -- Mountain Fever Records is pleased to announce the release of I Still Pray from Kristy Cox. "I Still Pray" is a track from Kristy's upcoming album due for release in 2018 and is the perfect sentiment for this special time of year.
Pigeon Forge, TN -- The annual Christmas in the Smokies Bluegrass Festival will be held December 7-10 at the Ramada Inn & Smoky Mountain Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Hosted by Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, the festival brings together many traditional bluegrass and gospel bands for an early Christmas celebration. This year, the festival will go on with no interruption to the musical program or accommodations due to the wildfires. However, the festival has also has been blessed with the opportunity to help local residents who have been impacted by the devastating fire that has ravaged the area.
Ron Block is pleased to announce for download this Thanksgiving Day, November 25th, his new ten-song collection of instrumental holiday favorites, Leiper's Fork Christmas. Ron comments, "I had a very busy Fall, but last year's Carter's Creek Christmas was so fun and did so well I just had to do another. We finished the mixes tonight and the cover as well, so here I am reeling past the finish line with an entire day to spare!"
Martinsburg, WV – Circa Blue kicks off the holiday season with a brand-new Christmas album as they ready for their Christmas Concert Tour. Bells of Home is now released and available for digital and physical purchase at DawnKenney.com.
Christmas is a special time for many people – that season of the year when folks come together with their families to share gifts given from the heart, make memories to cherish for years to come, and rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ. "Christmas Time in the Country", the brand new single from Carson Peters & Iron Mountain, celebrates the warmth and simplicity of this time of year, set to a cheerful, traditional melody.
Merry Christmas from everyone at the International Bluegrass Music Museum! As many of you know, I am the new guy and this year has been all about change and adjustment for me and my family. In addition to learning the ropes in a new job, my daughters are adjusting to life as college students, my wife is transitioning from her job of almost 12 years, we are selling our home in Nashville and settling in as new residents of Owensboro, Kentucky. Many of you have navigated similar waters at some point in your life. As one might imagine, this has resulted in a mixture of excitement and joy along with a touch of hand wringing about embracing so much change. Fortunately for me, joy and excitement about the future has far outpaced everything else as 2016 quickly approaches.
Shelly Mullins has put together a clever version of Twas the Night Before Christmas in a Ronnie Reno style. Featuring many of those who help promote bluegrass music throughout the year as well as some of our favorite artists, the lyrical ditty is a nice way for thanking us for the work that we do.
Nashville, TN -- Continuing their tireless commitment to charitable efforts both at home and across the country, multi-award winning band, Balsam Range, performed for a sold-out crowd at the supporting charitable recent 6th Annual Festival of Trees in Waynesville, NC. The benefit was held in support of KARE, an organization dedicated to ending child abuse.
The Luckett's Community Center will host the annual Luckett's Bluegrass Christmas Jamboree on Saturday December 19th. Santa Claus will be making a special appearance and many of Luckett's Popular performers will mix and match their talents to perform the Bluegrass favorites you know and love along with many Christmas favorites as well.
Saturday, December 19th, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a special Christmas program. In lieu of admission, please bring a donation of canned goods for the local food bank (suggested amount $10 per person). Those not bringing a canned goods donation are asked to make a donation of $10 for adults with all proceeds going to the Food Bank. Anyone under 12 will be admitted free of charge. Those attending are asked to bring finger foods, two-liter drinks, and cups, plates, or napkins. Christmas music will be performed as refreshments are served. Afterwards, we'll have music by Carolina Express. Musicians donate their time for this special Christmas show.
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By SAURABH SHUKLA
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2092841/China-plays-bully-Arunachal-Beijing-tells-Delhi-work-Eastern-sector-formula.html#ixzz1l2kt3Vow
There were speeches, smiles and the usual chants of Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai after the 15th round of Sino- Indian special representative talks in the Capital in mid-January.
What actually transpired amid this show of bonhomie was that the boundary dialogue ended in a deadlock after Beijing declared it would settle for nothing less than 'its share' of Arunachal Pradesh.
Highly placed sources privy to discussions between the two special interlocutors - National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and his Chinese counterpart, state councillor Dai Bingguoa - said things went off track following some hard bargaining by China.
All smiles? India's National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon (left) and his Chinese counterpart, state councillor Dai Bingguoa
Beijing had insisted during the meeting that India should first discuss the eastern boundary in Arunachal Pradesh.
The hosts were surprised when Dai, couching his query in diplomatic niceties, asked Menon how much territory New Delhi would part with.
The intransigent stand adopted by the Chinese was a response to India's proposals for a framework for boundary negotiations that the two countries shared during the border talks.
Superficial bonhomie: An Indian soldier poses with Chinese soldiers for a photograph at a border post
Menon, a former envoy to Beijing and an old China hand in India's national security set-up, argued that under article 3 of the guiding principles of the Sino-Indian boundary discussions, all sectors (eastern, western and middle) needed to be discussed and a package solution required to be thrashed out. India argued that the western sector in Jammu and Kashmir, which includes the Aksai Chin area, should be discussed along with the eastern portion of the boundary.
Under a previously agreed principle, the two sides had concurred in 2005 that settled population would not be disturbed. New Delhi articulated this, too, at the meeting.
But Beijing simply stuck to its guns and told India to first put on the table its proposal for the division of Arunachal Pradesh, specifying the proportion of territory swap.
'The meeting was held in a productive, fruitful and friendly manner,' Menon had said after the two-day session that began on January 16.
Speaking at a banquet subsequent to the talks, Dai also struck an optimistic note, saying Sino-Indian ties had made 'substantial progress' and they (the two countries) could 'work miracles' together.
The differences on the boundary question should not be allowed to
affect the overall development
of bilateral relations... Neither side shalluse or threaten to use force against the other by any means.
The two sides should, in accordance with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to theboundary question through consultations on an equal footing.
Both sides should, in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual understanding,make meaningful
and mutually acceptable adjustments to their respective positions on the boundary question, so as to arrive at a package settlement to the boundary question.
The two sides will give due
consideration to each other's strategic and reasonable interests, and theprinciple of mutual and
equal security.
The two sides will take into account, inter alia, historical evidence,
national sentiments, practical difficulties and reasonable concerns andsensitivities of both sides, and the actual state of
border areas.
The boundary should be along well-defined and easily identifiable naturalgeographical features to
be mutually agreed upon between the two sides.
Pending an ultimate settlement of the boundary question, the two sides should strictly respect and observe the line ofactual control and work together to maintain
peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
The special interlocutor added that he hoped the two nations would never go to war again.
'In the China-India boundary negotiations, although we have not yet arrived at the summit - that is, we have not reached full agreement on the framework of settlement of the border question - yet we have scaled substantial heights and made much progress,' he declared.
The Indian delegation also included foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai, the country's envoy to China, S. Jaishankar as well as the representatives of the ministries of external affairs and defence.
The only forward movement during the interaction was that Dai and Menon agreed to put in place a mechanism for border management to discuss intrusions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The mechanism was mooted by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during his visit to India in 2010.
The present arrangements under the peace and tranquillity agreement between the two countries include communication channels between local-level commanders along the LAC.
The joint border mechanism will focus specifically on how it will function on a routine basis, particularly for taking spot decisions. It would, however, not replace existing border interactions.
This mechanism may create a plan beyond just the maintenance of peace along the LAC that was enunciated by the 1993 and 1996 agreements.
In 1993, India and China signed an accord to reduce tension along their border and respect the LAC. The boundary settlement process was originally envisaged as a three-step process.
The first was to establish guiding principles, the second included evolving a consensus on a framework for the boundary and the last step comprised carrying out its delineation and demarcation.
The SR-level dialogue was initially scheduled for November 28-29 last year. It had to be postponed after India and China disagreed over the Dalai Lama's participation in the Global Buddhist Congregation in Delhi on those very dates.
This was the 15th round of boundary negotiations which commenced in 2003 and have remained inconclusive. It came just ahead of a report accessed by Headlines Today that said that over 500 Chinese intrusions had taken place in the last two years on all the three sectors of the boundary.
In fact, allegations of contravention by Chinese troops were common in 2009 and 2010.
In 2005, the two sides agreed on political parameters and guiding principles for a boundary settlement, which would form the basis of the final settlement. Insiders say the Chinese gameplan was to put pressure on India to reassert claims over territory.
At the centre of the Sino- Indian boundary dispute is the McMahon Line which the Chinese refuse to recognise. While China claims over 90,000 sq km of territory, the Indian claim extends over 3,68,846 sq km.


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It started as a mellow saunter, progressed to an up-tempo hike, then, on a modest downhill, evolved into a trot. It was one of my first hikes at the Triangle Land Conservancy's new Brumley Forest property near Hillsborough, and the absence of rocks and tree roots coupled with the gentle flow reminded me of my bygone days of being able to run a 10-minute mile on trail.
Tag Archives: Triangle Land Conservancy
This weekend: A Day to Get Out and Celebrate Mother Earth
It's little surprise that there's lots going on in the great outdoors this Earth Day weekend. Saturday alone (the actual Earth Day), the N.C. Office of Environmental Education lists more than 50 events on its calendar. Lots to choose from; here are some we especially like.
This weekend: Labor Day is past, let the festivities of fall begin
The passage of Labor Day means the crowds are starting to thin from the coast, making it safe to go back in the water. Meanwhile, while the calendar may say fall is officially a couple weeks off, Labor Day signals, to us, the start of the fall hiking season. We've got great options for the latter in both the Piedmont and mountains.
This weekend: NC Smorgasbord
This weekend, enjoy a feast of North Carolina adventure, with a guided paddle at the coast (in a salt marsh at Hammocks Beach State Park), a wildflower-themed hike in the Piedmont (at the Triangle Land Conservancy's Horton Grove Nature Preserve), or all things mountain at one of the first mountain festivals of the season (at Elks Knob State Park).
This weekend: Run, hike, ski (weather permitting)
It's supposed to be sunny and cool at the coast for a trail run, likewise in the Piedmont for a hike. And in the mountains, the ski areas have so much snow it probably doesn't matter what happens. (Unless it rains.)
Venture forth. And good luck.


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Nano update
After spending time talking on the phone this morning, I still managed to add an additional 4,571 words to my Nano novel!
I did get a few more words in yesterday so my ending total was 17,293.
So my total so far today (I say so far because I intend to write more) is 21,864.
I'm at an exciting scene and only stopped because I had to go get my kids from school. I really want to keep going, but the kids are begging for snacks and attention so I can't concentrate. I WILL get back to it once they settle down and start their "free time". Then while they are doing chores (I did mine as I talked on the phone this morning) I can finish making up the new chore chart we will be implementing next week. *sigh*
Tomorrow will be a massive house cleaning effort as it was last Saturday so I doubt I will get any writing done tomorrow.
Still, I'm moving right along. Okay, kids, I'm coming!!!
Write on.


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Juventus were forced to cut their summer short in order to participate in the Intertoto Cup, which kicked off on 18 July 1999.
Tacchinardi's goal helped the Bianconeri edge past Romanian side Ceahl?ul Piatra Neam? in the first round and they then coasted into the final with a resounding 9-1 aggregate success over Rostelmasch.
The tournament final was also contested over two legs, the first of which saw Ancelotti's men run out 2-0 winners in Cesena on 10 August. The trophy was then clinched soon after via a 2-2 stalemate during the second leg in Rennes.


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- Patrick Reed won the Masters on Sunday, but he did not do it wearing his signature colour.
- Reed usually wears red during the final round as a tribute to Tiger Woods, though the move has upset many golf fans.
- Nike apparently forced Reed to wear pink on Sunday as part of what he called a "storyline" – and it's a policy that seems unlikely to change anytime soon.
Patrick Reed won the Masters on Sunday, holding off challenges from some of golf's biggest names – but he did it without wearing his signature colour, and it appears he won't be allowed to wear it at a major anytime soon.
Reed typically wears a red shirt, black pants, and a black cap during the final round of a tournament, as he did recently at the Valspar Championship.
It's an intentional move to pay homage to his idol Tiger Woods, who has done that for his entire career.
"The best player ever to live when I was growing up wore black pants, a red shirt," Reed told The Augusta Chronicle. "I was growing up watching him. I always thought, you know, it would be cool to wear black and red on Sunday."
Despite Reed's good intentions, the move has angered a lot of golf fans who believe the style is Woods' signature and should be his alone on the PGA Tour.
Those fans got a reprieve on Sunday at the Masters when Reed wore pink instead of red during the final round.
According to Reed, it's a new policy Nike has for its golfers.
Nike is "doing a new thing where all the players stay in the same kind of storyline," Reed said last week. "All of us will be in the same colour tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday."
We saw this during the third round on Saturday when Nike's golfers were in a similar shade of blue.
Woods was apparently exempt from the pink dress code on Sunday. He wore his traditional red shirt, albeit muted with a black sweater vest.
It appears that for the foreseeable future, Reed will be required to wear whatever colour Nike picks for the final rounds of the major. It also seems unlikely that Nike would put all its golfers in red shirts on Sunday when that has long been Woods' signature look.
In other words, if Nike plans to stick to this "storyline" at all the majors – something it has been doing at tennis Grand Slams for a few years – it will be a long time before Reed is allowed to wear red on Sunday at a major.
In the minds of many golf fans, this should please the golf gods.
More Patrick Reed coverage:
- Golf's newest major champion has a complicated past that has already made him one of the sport's most controversial figures
- Meet Patrick Reed, the controversial Masters champion whose wife was his caddy and who hasn't talked to his family in 6 years
- Fans had a field day when Imagine Dragons got a surprising shoutout after Patrick Reed won the Masters
- Unlikely Masters winner Patrick Reed credits his success to listening to a specific song before play – and it holds an important lesson on peak performance
- Patrick Reed more than doubled his season money total by winning the Masters
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Another morning walk to Mendenhall Glacier. It is beautiful no matter what the weather. On this morning the fog was just clearing. I liked the warm reds on the peaks contrasted with the deep purple in the shadow from another mountain. And of course the little bits of left over fog are always interesting. This is a 5×7 oil on canvas…mostly meant to be a study of the light effects.
Category Archives: exercises
Mendenhall Loop Road II
This is the valley in Juneau where I live. It is the main road that goes to the glacier. In the summertime there is a constant stream of tour buses that run from the cruise ships downtown out to the Mendenhall Glacier. This is the road they take. On a clear day, when you get to this point it can be so beautiful that it makes your heart leap! Tourists must have their jaws drop as they approach. It is about 4 miles from this point but you cannot wait to get there to see it when you are given this glimpse beforehand. I have also painted this a couple times trying to get the values just right. The mountain is difficult to get just right. It seems darker than you have to paint it in order to put it into the distance. I'm learning ( =
Evening Color
This was really enjoyable to do. I've done a few sunsets now and struggled with them more. This one came together a bit easier. It's very simple but a sunset is always best, in my opinion, when kept on the simple side. I like how it reads a little differently depending on the light coming into the room.
Douglas Harbor
I have been wanting to do this for a while. I liked it because I tried something new and used a gray-blue toned canvas, to help with the gray mood of this day. Juneau is very rainy, so this mood is very typical. Something about that, as well as the conglomeration of buildings and objects made me want to paint this scene. I am definitely drawn more to a strong, sunny scene, but I would like to be able to capture different types of weather and light conditions.
One More Underpainting
This will be my final example for now of how useful a more detailed Underpainting can be. This is another wooded scene where my trees could easily have all gotten lost or run together as I went along. By having my Underpainting sort of map out my values, it was much easier to keep track of where my trees were separated. This also was helpful for me to see whrere it was important to perhaps place a darker tree next to a lighter one in order to distinguish it or make it more focal. It really is nice to be able to play around with your composition and value at this point before you have invested too much time. For me, it is invaluable when the painting has much detail.
Another Underpainting Example
I thought I would show another example of an Underpainting, because when I first started painting I couldn't get enough information about the different ways that people choose to paint. I enjoy seeing how other people paint…it gives me ideas and may lead to better things. It's good for us to know that there is not just one way to do things. Rather there are a vast number of ways to do the same thing! I think this is very helpful to know. Actually, I think this little painting is the very first time that I tried doing an Underpainting. You can see just how much detail I included in the early stages.
I'm sure this may be old news to many people, but I can remember how fascinated that I was with it early on. So I wanted to do a few posts to show any beginners how they might try it.
Back to Basics
I am actually quite taken with this little painting. There is something very pleasing about its simplicity. To try a painting using just one color is a great process for beginners. I even think that this practice is helpful for more advanced painters. This is useful In many ways… like helping one to recognize the values in the painting. After doing this you could more easily adjust your values to emphasize different areas of interest or intensity. This can also help one to see the unnecessary details of their subject. This is also good practice for how one might do an underpainting of their subject. Many artists will do a complete, thinned down, two tone painting like this before they add their color. That way they can concentrate on adding color without thinking about the value as well. This is often helpful when the subject matter has a lot of detail. But this is not a necessity, just a matter of preference. I have done some of these underpaintings and found them very helpful. But there are many times that I just want to be more spontaneous.
(as a side note, this post should have come before the last one) I would be interested to hear about anyone else's experience with this process as well.
Underpainting Example
This is one example of how I used the underpainting process. The detail in this particular picture probably didn't warrant the need but I was still experimenting with it at this point. But you can clearly see how helpful it is to see the value in a two toned painting. And I must say again, that at this stage, it is really easy to adjust something that may look a bit off. This layer of paint should be very loose and thinned down with turp or mineral spirits. You don't need to add white to your burnt sienna, you just thin it down a bit more. It is also very easy to wipe something off and redo it. If nothing else, I find this quite fun to play around with because you can move the paint so easily.
Gesso board with Pallet Knife
This is my second painting on gesso board. I also used a pallet knife. I deliberately kept this loose. These low tide scenes where you can see beach forever always appeal to me. So I just thought I would do something a bit different. You can probably see that I don't have one favorite subject yet. I am enjoying the learning process and trying all types of subjects as well as different light.
Gesso Board Trial Piece
This is a 6×6 painting, and it is the first painting that I have done on Gesso board. I have been wanting to try this since my first post. I read in Carol Marine's book that she uses it and likes it. There are several artists whose paintings have a smooth flowing brush stroke style and I have been unable to get that in my paintings. It seems like they must either use gesso board or a smoother canvas than I do. To save on cost, I have given into using an inexpensive canvas board most of the time for these small practice pieces. But it does not help to practice what doesn't work for you. I need to begin either using Gesso board or prepping my canvas in a different way to create a smoother finish. I have recently found another brand of canvas board that is not too expensive and does have a wonderful smooth coating. (the brand is Art Advantage) I cannot get it here in Juneau, and shipping is always expensive to Alaska so I have not used it on a regular basis. But I am beginning to think I should. I will have to get a bunch when I travel back to Maine next month.
Anyway, I did enjoy the Gesso board. It is a little tricky to learn a lighter touch with the brush so you don't pull paint off with a second stroke, but I especially like that the brush strokes remain visible. This is merely a preference, and many people do not like this look. I do look forward to playing around with it more.


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Can I Still Recover If I Am Partially at Fault for a Truck Accident?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates1 that there were 104,000 people injured in accidents involving large trucks during 2012. While in some cases it is clear who caused an accident, many accidents are complicated events that occurred for a number of reasons. Under general the principles of personal injury law, the party who is deemed legally at fault for an accident can be required to compensate the injured party or parties for their injuries and other associated losses. In some cases, however, there may be multiple parties who are at fault, making the issue of compensation significantly more complicated.
Many people who are involved in truck accidents may have been partially at fault for causing their accident. For example, a person may have been speeding when a truck changed unexpectedly changed lanes, or perhaps had a headlight out when a truck made a turn without paying attention. Fortunately for people who are injured in these types of accidents, Florida law may still allow them to recover. To determine whether you have a legal claim after a motor vehicle accident, please call one of the experienced Clearwater truck accident lawyers of the Dolman Law Group today at (727) 451-6900.
Florida Comparative Negligence and Truck Accident Cases
Until relatively recently, most states followed a legal doctrine known as "contributory negligence," which barred a negligent plaintiff from recovering if his or her negligence contributed in any way to his or her injury. This meant that if an injured party's negligence even slightly contributed to an accident that party could not recover any compensation for his or her losses. Florida started to move away from this legal doctrine in 19732 when the Florida Supreme Court decided Hoffman v. Jones, in which it adopted a doctrine known as "comparative negligence."
Comparative negligence allows negligent plaintiffs to recover for their losses but reduces their recovery in proportion to their degree of fault. For instance, an injured person who is deemed to be 10 percent at fault would have their total award reduced by 10 percent – so they would receive $90,000 of a $100,000 award.
This means that people who are partially at fault for a truck accident can often still recover for their losses. Importantly, these cases are often highly contested, and it apportioning fault among the various parties involved often requires a significant amount of legal negotiation or the presentation of evidence. As a result, anyone who is involved in a truck accident should retain an attorney with experience handling truck accident cases in which fault is contested. There are many types of evidence that may be relevant to establishing fault in a Clearwater truck accident case. Some of the most common include:
– Accident reconstruction expert testimony
– Vehicle computer data
– Vehicle maintenance records
– Eyewitness accounts
– Police reports
– Driver log book
Obtaining this type and presenting these kinds of evidence can be difficult, so it is highly advisable to retain an attorney to help you present your case in the best light possible.
Contact one of our Clearwater truck accident lawyers today to discuss your case
People who are involved in accidents with semi-trucks or other commercial vehicles are often legally entitled to significant compensation, even if they partially contributed to causing the accident. Trucking company insurers train their employees to minimize their level of legal liability, and adjusters may even use deceptive practices in order to induce an unrepresented party in unwittingly admitting fault. For this and several other reasons, anyone who has been involved in an accident with a commercial truck should retain qualified and experienced legal counsel as soon as possible. Since 2009, the Clearwater truck accident attorneys of the Dolman Law Group have been working to help people injured by the negligence of other recover for their losses and work tirelessly to help victims move on with their lives after a traumatic accident. To discuss your case with one of our attorneys at no cost or obligation to you, call our office today at 727-451-6900.
Dolman Law Group
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33756
1 http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811868.pdf
2 https://www.floridabar.org/divcom/jn/jnjournal01.nsf/


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Meet our Board of Directors, responsible for setting our strategic direction and monitoring performance and progress as Travel Consul grows in size and strength.
"This alliance brings your brand the power of travel marketing experts from around the world. Now that's powerful." – Craig Compagnone
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Dentures provide their wearers with increased self confidence. They allow denture wearers to physically look and feel better. Denture wearers will feel less self-conscious when they eat and when they talk. When you purchase dentures you are making an investment. You want to protect this important and expensive investment to the best of your ability. One of the best ways to maximize and to protect your investment is to follow proper denture care instructions and to use the correct denture cleaning paste.
Proper Denture Care Instructions
At first caring for your dentures may seem a bit confusing and overwhelming. However, as with anything else in life, the more you practice, the better you will get and the more routine it will seem. At night, or whenever you are not wearing your dentures, protect them by placing them in plain water, or in a denture cleansing solution. If dentures are allowed to dry out they can change shape and this will require you to purchase new ones.
After eating with your dentures, always remember to rinse with plain water or with mouthwash. This is a personal preference, but using mouthwash can help prevent bad breath, as well as leave your mouth feeling fresher. At the end of the day, remove your dentures carefully. If you are over a sink, you will want to fill the sink with water. If you are over a counter, you will want to place a clean dry towel on the counter. These actions will hopefully prevent your dentures from breaking if they are accidentally dropped, which does unfortunately happen often. After removal, brush all surfaces of your dentures. Use an approved denture cleaning paste for brushing. Using a regular toothpaste or another cleaner can be too abrasive and can ruin your delicate dentures. You will want to brush with either a specialty denture brush or a regular soft bristled toothbrush. Once brushing is complete, rinse your dentures thoroughly before placing them in their overnight soaking container.
At this point you will want to pay attention to your mouth. Even if you do not have any natural teeth, it is still important to provide dental care and cleaning to the mouth. Use a soft bristle brush and mild toothpaste to brush all surfaces of your mouth, such as gums, any remaining natural teeth, and tongue. This will not only clean the mouth and reduce bad breath, but it also increases circulation in the mouth for better overall oral health.
Maintaining a Good Fit
As your prosthodontist should discuss with you, your mouth anatomy may continuously change once natural teeth have been removed. This makes regular visits to your prosthodontist important. Due to these anatomy changes, from time to time your dentures may need to be refitted or even replaced. Making sure you maintain a good fit with your dentures will increase their ability to function and will also increase your comfort.
Following denture care instructions and using the correct denture products, such as denture cleaning paste, are vital steps to prolonging the life of your dentures and keeping your mouth comfortable. When you care for your dentures as directed, you protect the investment you have made. For the newest research and updates in denture care, check with your prosthodontist.


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- September 19-20
Add to calendar
Gelato Festival America brings frozen desserts and heated competition to New York City! Besides ALL THE GELATO YOU CAN EAT IN ONE DAY, guests enjoy Gelato Festival games and contests. For those who can't wait to devour the original & artisanal flavors, the Eating Contest is a great way to kickstart the day - and win a free gallon of your favorite gelato! Test your balance in Stack It High by PreGel, the contest to see who can stack the most scoops of gelato. Find out whether you have what it takes to serve gelato with the pros in the Speed Cup Race by ISA. Bring the whole family - there's always room for more on the Kids Jury, where the youngest gelato lovers score each gelato and choose a favorite.


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Foreign Currency Forwards
International trade is complicated when you don't have experienced professionals to guide you through the process and make sure you don't run into any problems trying to predict fluctuating exchange rates. For this reason we offer foreign currency forwards.
Our treasury team devote their time and energy to analysing foreign exchange rates and markets so that you can rest assured that your trades are taken care of while you concentrate on what you do best.
For a price agreed to on one day, we offer non-standardised contracts to buy or sell foreign currency for delivery at an agreed future date.
- One month, three month and up to six month forward contracts
- Choose from over 17 currency pairs
- Guaranteed rate of exchange
- You need to have a limit in place


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#C.A.R.E. #JustLegalizeIt2014 #HempCanSaveThePlanet
Are you under the delusion that marijuana is legal in California??? Check out this 2012 crime report. Over 21,000 Arrested in California on Marijuana Charges in 2012
#C.A.R.E. #JustLegalizeIt2014 #HempCanSaveThePlanet
By Paul Armentano
February 6, 2013, 1:54 p.m.
Former head of the Drug Enforcement Administration Robert Bonner wrote in his Feb. 1 Blowback article, "There is still no such scientific study establishing that marijuana is effective as a medicine."
Nonsense. Over the last several years, the state of California, via the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, has conducted several placebo-controlled, FDA-approved clinical trials affirming the safety and therapeutic efficacy of cannabis. Other institutions have as well. (Click here for an overview of more than 200 such trials.)
Summarizing the findings of many of these trials, Dr. Igor Grant of UC San Diego declared last year in the Open Neurology Journal: "The classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug as well as the continuing controversy as to whether or not cannabis is of medical value are obstacles to medical progress in this area. Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking."
Bonner's second claim, that "not a single scientifically valid study by a qualified researcher has ever been denied by the DEA or, for that matter, by the National Institute of Drug Abuse," is equally specious. In fact, in recent months the NIDA has stonewalled an FDA-approved clinical protocol by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine to assess the treatment of cannabis in subjects with post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Sue Sisley, who sought to conduct the study, told Wired.com: "At this point, I can't help but think they [the federal government] simply don't want to move forward. Maybe they figure if they stall long enough, we'll give up and go away."
Finally, Bonner's suggestion that advocates would be better served targeting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is a red herring. The FDA exists to determine whether patented products from private companies can be brought to market. Because the present law forbids any legal private manufacturers to exist, there remains no entity available to fund the sort of large-scale clinical research and development necessary to trigger an FDA review.
This is not to imply that cannabis could not meet the FDA's objective standards for safety and efficacy. According to a keyword search on PubMed, the U.S. government repository for peer-reviewed scientific research, there are more than 22,000 published studies or reviews in the scientific literature pertaining to marijuana and its biologically active components, making cannabis one of the most studied therapeutic agents on Earth. Further, the plant has been used as medicine for millenniums and is incapable of causing lethal overdose in humans. By objective standards, cannabis is arguably safer than most conventional therapeutics it could potentially replace.
The federal government's insistence that cannabis remain classified in the same schedule as heroinand in a more prohibitive schedule than cocaine is not based on either science or reason. As opined in a 1997 New England Journal of Medicine article, it is time for federal authorities to "rescind their prohibition of the medical use of marijuana for seriously ill patients and allow physicians to decide which patients to treat."
Paul Armentano is deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Lawsand coauthor of the book "Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?"
If you would like to write a full-length response to a recent Times article, editorial or Op-Ed and would like to participate in Blowback, here are our FAQs and submission policy.
Supreme Court Hears All Sides of Dispensary Case
Posted February 6th, 2013
by canorml_admin
February 5 - The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Riverside vs. Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center, a case determining whether or not Riverside may ban medical marijuana dispensaries within its borders.
The justices, appearing at a special session at the hundredth anniversary of the UCSF law school, were equally hard on attorneys on both sides of the case.
"The Legislature knows how to say, 'Thou shalt not ban dispensaries,' " Justice Ming W. Chin told IEPHWC's attorney J. David Nick. Answered Nick, "If you were to allow bans, city by city, county by county, that is the opposite of what the Legislature was trying to accomplish."
In questioning Riverside's attorney Jeffrey V. Dunn (pictured at podium), one of the justices pointed out that if all counties in California banned dispensaries, no one in California could visit a dispensary. Words like "consistent" and "establishment" weighed for their full meaning, and the letter as well as the stated purpose of the law was discussed.
Nick made it clear that locals have a great deal of authority over zoning of dispensaries, but that the Court has never ruled that locals may make illegal anything legal under state law (except perhaps in a single cited case). Much was made of the fact that state law merely offers limited immunity from state law only.
Dunn is a partner at Best, Best and Krieger, an Irvine-based law firm that has promulgated anti-dispensary ordinances throughout California and according to their website, has now been paid to defend those ordinances in 30 municipalities. Dunn assisted in the drafting of a bill last year giving cities more power to regulate dispensaries. A BB&K attorney recently gave a presentation at the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers meeting.
A ruling is expected within 90 days.
This year is also the 100th anniversary of marijuana prohibition in California.


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By laurawerth, 02.24.2015
Examination of Custom Writing Service for many University students
Looking out for respectable academic writer to compose college schoolwork from the ground up? Find out the in-depth analysis of well respected essay writing service in the market and choose for yourself. Read more
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By laurawerth, 02.12.2015
Publishing approaches for dissertations and essays by finest authors
A dissertation or research enterprise is nothing like any other piece of perform the job you will do at college or university. Read more
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Specialized in CGI Productions, Julian takes projects to a higher level, He is force of proposals, rigorous, pedagogue and perfectionist. Demanding with himself, he never disappointed me on the productions entrusted. He is aware of the stakes and deadlines. Very strong potential.
It was a great experience for me to work with Julian. He knows exactly how to transform an art direction feeling into CGI. He sees things that no one else see: details that brings emotion into machine works to create excellence in every exectution. I worked more than a year on Nissan Europe with him, and learned a lot on the way he works, the way he approaches automotive design.
Julian has given courses of great quality. They were well prepared, and Julian clearly mastered his subject. Moreover he has get along very well with the students. I hope to have the opportunity to work with him in the future.


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All our servers are currently overloaded. Please try again later or get our premium subscription.Get PremiumRefresh pageWe are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our servers. We hope to have this resolved soon. This issue doesn't affect premium users.Get PremiumWatch on MixDrop/MyStream
The InterventionTrailerA weekend getaway for four couples takes a sharp turn when three couples hatch a plan to tell two good friends that they should get a divorce. Everyone now is forced to confront the secrets and fears that seem to be holding them back from finding happiness with each other.Actors: Melanie Lynskey, Jason Ritter, Skylar Bernon, Kira Pozehl, David Bernon, Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Ben Schwartz, Alia Shawkat, Vincent Piazza, Cobie Smulders, ...»Director: Clea DuVallCountry: United StatesDuration: 90 minQuality: HDRelease: 2016IMDb: 6.00 CommentsSort By
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Critic Reviews of "The Intervention"New York TimesAugust 30, 2016
Despite her script's omissions - we learn little about where these affluent people come from, their occupations or how they know one another - Ms. DuVall juggles the emotional dynamics with fluid editing and light comic touches.Entertainment WeeklyAugust 26, 2016
The script wobbles between heavy-handed and touching, but the result is a pleasantly nostalgic throwback that's saved from its copy-cat tendencies by charismatic actors.RogerEbert.comAugust 26, 2016
If DuVall's purpose was to provide a snapshot of her generation, she should have sharpened her focus.Los Angeles TimesAugust 25, 2016
As an unfussy, dryly amusing and sincere look at men and women pondering emotional pivots in their lives, it's plenty likable.New York PostAugust 25, 2016
Wanders from scene to scene until arriving at some pretty implausible conflict resolution.TheWrapAugust 25, 2016
It's more engrossing to just hang out with the characters in all their damaged glory, before the plot marches through the room with its clunkiest boots on.Film InquiryJanuary 09, 2017
You may have to be at just the right stage in your life to appreciate it - but for those of us who are there, The Intervention is a great film.Seanax.comDecember 01, 2016
It's the directorial debut of Clea Duvall and it's very much an actors' showcase: eight characters with heavy baggage doing their best to ignore the weight.Cinemalogue.comSeptember 02, 2016
These are characters we've generally seen before and don't care to revisit.MetroAugust 30, 2016
DuVall doesn't just fall back on ad-libbing quip-flingers; her cinemascope frames are precise and assured, and she knows how to cut on a joke without making it seem over-determined.Under the RadarAugust 29, 2016
A competently-shot, well-acted -- especially from Lynskey -- slice of thirty-something ennui.NYC Movie GuruAugust 26, 2016
Engrossing, wise, funny and well-acted. How refreshing it is to watch an American film that's for adults, that can't be turned into a video game. and where no one gets eaten by zombies for a change!
Gallery of "The Intervention"


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S.A. Comunale Co., Inc.
Business Category: Major Employers
Barberton, OH 44203
S.A. Comunale has been a local industry leader for end-to-end mechanical, fire protection and HVAC services for nearly 100 years. S.A. Comunale offers clients significant financial strength, unmatched bonding capability, an award-winning safety program, and large-scale purchasing power. So whether you are seeking expertise in fire protection, HVAC and/or mechanical services, the professionals at S.A. Comunale provide the solutions you need.


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Lake Mead has notices for boaters | Sports & Recreation
With the hot weather returning, many people are expected to hit Lake Mead this weekend.
The National Park Service has important messages for boaters. Two low-water launch ramps have opened, one at Echo Bay and one at Callville Bay. The main launch ramps remain open.
The park service also says that the Black Ridge Shore Light #19 in the Overton Arm of the lake is now located at North 36 degrees 22 minutes 27 seconds West 114 degrees 22 minutes 23 seconds, because of low-lake levels the buoy had to be moved.


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The visual effects term holdout matte…is one slightly fancy way of talking…about a matte that applies to any part…of the frame and is used to separate…that part of the frame from the rest of the frame.…In this case, we're going to use a holdout matte…just for the hair so that we can focus…on that for one round of keying.…Make sure, by the way, when you're dragging out your handles…that you don't go the wrong way…so that they're twisted like that.…
So this could be my setting for the whole shot.…I'm going to be a little bit stingier, however.…And after he moves just move them in a little bit.…So we'll set a keyframe here;…I can do that with Option M.…And then another keyframe over here…to just bring it in a little bit.…And that should do it.…
So now I can adjust this matte just for the hair…and this can be a very gentle adjustment.…Tiny bit of clip white, tiny bit of clip black,…and we are in very good shape.…Now we just have to complete the rest of the shot…and combine the two together.…We'll do that next.…
AuthorMark Christiansen
Beginning with a brief explanation of the keying process, Mark takes you through the steps involved in creating a perfect green-screen key: generating a rough matte, eliminating color spill and matte lines, and refining problematic edges. He shows how to work with Keylight and Primatte—two indispensable keying tools in After Effects—and explains when to use one over the other. And for times when green screen won't work, he shows how to generate high-contrast mattes, or luma keys, based on the luminance data in your footage. Last, learn about compression and how to prep a shot for keying.
- What is color keying?
- Using garbage mattes
- Getting started with Keylight
- Understanding the Screen Color, Clip Black, and Clip White adjustments
- Eliminating spill with Advanced Spill Suppressor
- Using Key Cleaner to refine edges automatically
- Dividing a matte with holdout mattes
- Breaking down a complex color key
- Creating a luma key with Extract
- Setting up sky replacement
- Using Refine Soft Matte to improve edge detail
- Feathering edges with Channel Blur
- Knowing when to avoid green screen
- Prepping a shot for keying
Skill Level Intermediate
Q: How do I locate the exercise files for chapter 5, 6, and 7 of this course?
Related Courses
After Effects Apprentice: 12 Tracking and Keyingwith Chris Meyer3h 54m Intermediate
VFX Techniques: Crowd Replication with After Effectswith Lee Lanier2h 54m Intermediate
VFX Techniques: Tracking Objects onto a Facewith Lee Lanier2h 42m Intermediate
Welcome1m 46s
Using the exercise files2m 23s
1. Work with Keylight
2. Manage Edges and Spill
3. Divide a Matte for Best Results When Keying
Add a holdout matte1m 38s
4. Solve Problematic Edges
5. Complex Color Keys and Primatte
6. High-Contrast Mattes (When There Is No Green Screen)
7. Prep for Success When Color Keying
Prep a shot for keying3m 4s
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A host of McDonald's restaurants in central Ohio have something new to offer, and it's not a menu item.
Central Ohioans no longer will have to venture to a Golden Arches to get a Big Mac or an Egg McMuffin.
UberEats will now bring it to you.
McDonald's tested the delivery service in Florida and is now slowly rolling it out across the country. Columbus is one of the first four markets in which delivery will be offered. In fact, the service was quietly launched at 59 area restaurants last week.
Los Angeles, Chicago and Phoenix are the others.
"I look at it as something we need to do," said Rod Boester, owner of seven McDonald's, including stores in Delaware County and the restaurant on North High Street, across from Ohio State University.
"It is important for us to stay relevant with the consumer, and delivery is a big part of that."
The UberEats app on a smartphone will show whether McDonald's is an option. The app will take care of ordering, payment and will track your order.
"It makes it easy," Boester said.
An increasing number of restaurants now offer delivery through third-party vendors such as UberEats, DoorDash, Cafe Courier and Amazon Restaurants. Earlier this year, Wendy's announced a test of delivery here and in Dallas with DoorDash. It plans to roll it out nationwide.
The partnership with McDonald's is a big deal for UberEats. The delivery arm of ride service Uber also delivers items from Donatos, Graeter's and Jeni's scoop shops, and also serves many other small chains and independent restaurants.
Working with McDonald's is a different story.
"This would be the largest," said Paolo Lorenzoni, general manager for Ohio for UberEats. "We haven't approached anything of this scale."
UberEats and McDonald's have a few tricks for helping ensure that food is as fresh as possible when it arrives.
For example, when a driver is within three minutes of picking up an order, the restaurant gets a signal. Food prep begins and French fries — a difficult item to keep hot and fresh — are put in the fryer. The fries are also the last item to go in the bag.
Delivery is not easy, Boester said, but it has been proven to boost sales. In a market that isn't generating much additional traffic for fast-food stores like Wendy's and McDonald's, delivery helps. People using delivery also tend to spend more.
"Delivery can add incremental sales, and at a higher ticket, too," said John Gordon, principal at Pacific Management Consulting Group, a restaurant industry analyst. "Delivery has become the restaurant topic over the last year that every brand is talking about."
He acknowledged that delivery services take a cut of restaurants' profits, but also provide the drivers, cars and software, meaning restaurants don't have to incur those costs.
The service will expand to the Cleveland and Cincinnati regions later this year, and elsewhere, said Phil Saken, McDonald's spokesman.
Boester's campus restaurant has been taking orders through UberEats for about 10 days and has received more than 300 orders — and that's without Ohio State in session.
"I can't imagine this fall when the students come back," Boester said.


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The Lee Family. Once upon a time Noel and Rena got married and had 2 kids - Doris and Donald. Then one day, Doris got married to Jeremy and had her own 2 kids - Vince and Edda. We all live far apart, and keep moving around. It's hard to keep tabs on each other. Welcome to our blog.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Rally to restore sanity.
We did go to the rally to restore sanity yesterday. We left Edda behind at home and I felt a little bad about it because she comes along to 99% of our crazy outings and I thought she could manage this one, but in the end it turned out to be a good idea because the Metro was so packed, the three of us just managed to barely squeeze onto a train (there would have been no room for Edda's wheelchair) and by the time we got downtown we were all drenched in our own sweat from the heat generated from 10,000 people in one subway car.
We left the house at 11 am - the rally was suppose to start at 1 pm. We could not get into the rally site because it was already jam packed full of people and they were closing the entrances to prevent more people from trying to squish in.
We did not see the stage, but we heard the national anthem (held our hands over our hearts and cheered) and we heard the voice of Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, but we were left meandering the outskirts of the rally.
By Doris at October 31, 2010
2 comments:
That is so cool you guys at least tried to attend and that it was so well attended. Josh wanted to go soooo bad. But he is sick in bed and couldn't even make the local one held here.
- October 31, 2010 9:16 PM
- Doris said...
Aww, poor Josh! I hope he feels better soon :)
- November 01, 2010 5:18 PM
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EU Recognizes Importance of Ergonomics and Safety
Recently I was on the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work website and there was a post titled European Week aims at cutting workplace accidents and diseases, and it made me think of the differences between the approach of the EU to ergonomics and safety versus the US approach. What drew me to this article was the statement from the Director of EU-OSHA:
"Every three-and-a-half minutes somebody in the EU dies from work-related causes and every four-and-a-half seconds an EU worker is involved in an accident that forces them to stay at home for at least three working days. This is unacceptable! We need a change, and this change starts with assessing workplace risks. We have to make employers, workers, safety representatives and policy makers aware that proper risk assessment is the key to good workplace safety and health management."
Last year, I spent 20 weeks in Europe rolling out a corporate ergonomics process and it allowed me to see first hand cultural differences between sites. The attitude of a lot of the companies I've worked with in Europe is "let's plan early and do it right the first time". If they say that Ergonomics and Safety are their number one priority, it is. In the US, I see a lot of advertisements at facilities boasting the importance of safety and ergonomics and how it is the number one priority, but in practice, it is only number one until something more important comes along. In the blog post Leverage Internal Resources for Safety & Ergonomics Communication, Cindy touches on advertising within a facility. This is very important, but national advertising can also be very effective and gives support to companies. Such was the goal with European Week for Safety and Health at Work.
We recently posted A Prescription for Carpal Tunnel Vision: Thoughts on an Ergonomic Standard which was a response to the recent news of an ergonomics regulation potentially coming into effect with the change in the US Presidency. Although labor unions tend to support ergonomics regulations to reduce workplace injuries, businesses in the US often feel that supporting ergonomics will be too costly. They do not want to invest the time or energy into something that may not show an immediate return on investment. They do not understand the long term value of ergonomics. This is in part due to the approach that companies take with their ergonomics process. As many companies do with their Lean Manufacturing initiatives, ergonomic principles are applied in a non-systemic way. By not seeing the whole picture and understanding all of the aspects that need to be considered, they end up unsuccessful. Successful companies understand that if you invest resources, time, and money early, it will save much more in the long run in terms of injuries, rework, and productivity. Being proactive and systematic in your approach is the key.
The European Union recognizes that being proactive means looking at risk and not injuries. Risk reduction starts with assessments. In order to fix a problem or reduce risk, you first need to understand it. Only after you have identified risk can you move towards implementing countermeasures to reduce that risk. All of this data needs to be tracked so that you can ensure that your countermeasures are making a significant difference. When done well, this is a process that will yield a startling ROI in both the short-term and long-term.


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Eco ArtPrize: "Shredded Materialism"
Shredding Light onto Junk Mail ("Shredded Materialism," by Alison DeRooy)
For ArtPrize artist Alison DeRooy the saying "reduce, reuse, recycle" is taking on a whole new meaning. Instead of buying materials to create her work of art, she decided to collect all of the advertisements sent to her apartment over a one month span and use them as her medium. She carefully shred each advertisement one by one and put them on a canvas, creating a wonderful piece entitled "Shredded Materialism". On top of this, she also decided not to use any extra paper creating business cards for her piece, instead she simply asked that people take a picture or write down the information pertaining to her piece. Each year ArtPrize awards a Sustainability Award to those works of art that best represent the importance of sustainability.
Alison's take-home message on her piece was that "shredding advertisements shows the futileness of materialism that draws in consumers". I love this piece because I too get wads of advertisements shoved into my mailbox, some coupons I clip, but the majority of it goes to the recycling. It has inspired me to take a second look at what goes into the recycle bin, perhaps I could create something myself! You too can be inspired and visit Alison's ArtPrize entry at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
written by Alex Bostelaar.
"Shredded Materialism" is currently located at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. You can find out more about the artist at her website- www.alisonderooy.com.


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Back in 1986, President Ronald Reagan teamed up with House Speaker Tip O'Neil and they did something amazing together: They simplified the tax code. But they didn't just simplify it. Fewer and lower brackets is nice and all, but the really important thing they accomplished was to de-corrupt the tax code. Loopholes, shelters, perverse incentives, stupid deductions — mostly gone. It was a wonderful, beautiful thing. Government was (mostly) out of the business of corrupting the economy, business, and people through the tax code.
Then rates went up under Bush. They went up again under Clinton. Then down under the next Bush. But forget the bouncy rates. All these guys went to Congress to reintroduce loopholes, shelters, perverse incentives, stupid deductions — and as a result, we once again have an amazingly corrupt tax code.
But Brett Arends spent some time — nearly a whole morning! — cleaning it back up. Here's what he came up with:
I figure a good tax code should be simple, efficient and fair. So I wondered if we could just combine a national sales tax, which is simple and efficient, with a drastically simplified but progressive income tax, which would be fair.
Scrap the regressive payroll tax. Scrap the regressive corporation tax, too: Instead tax the business owners, and treat all investment income and capital gains as income. No loopholes. No breaks. Easy.
The IRS says 2011 taxes total about $2.3 trillion. A 10% national sales tax would bring in about $1.1 trillion, or nearly half of what we need. That would ensure everybody pays something, and it would be relatively easy to collect.
What about income taxes? I played with three tax rates: 0%, 25%, and 40%. (Notice I have shunned the cowardly "39.6%," as well).
Single filers would pay zero percent up to about $50,000 in income, then 25% up to $200,000, and 40% on everything over that. For joint filers, I just doubled the limits: zero percent up to $100,000, then 25% up to $400,000, and 40% above that.
Based on the IRS numbers for 2009, the most recent available, this would have raised just over $1 trillion that year compared to the $915 billion that income taxes actually brought in. In 2011, when the economy was stronger, you have to figure it would be well over $1.1 trillion.
Which means, of course, that we are at our goal: $2.3 trillion.
I remain wary of any plan that taxes income and spending. I'd rather go with the Fair Tax. But Arends has given us an great election year starting point. And most importantly, he's come up with a way to de-corrupt the tax code.


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School Tours Toolkit
Conveying the urgency and demonstrating the need for restoring resources to classrooms is central to our message: Colorado Must Invest in Our Classrooms So Every Student Can Graduate Ready for the World.
Some things to consider when planning your tour (download a PDF here):
1. Who from your community might be interested in working on a school tour?
2. What message(s) do you want to convey?
☐ need for facility repairs
☐ addressing impact of larger classes
☐ lost programs (music, art, PE)
☐ need for technology upgrades
☐ students need additional supports counseling, etc.
☐ what we would accomplish with additional funding
☐ challenges in implementing recent reforms
☐ meeting needs of student populations (ELL, GT)
☐ unsustainable programs due to lack of funds
☐ need for interventions
☐ show effective programs/supports in place
☐ ___________________________
☐ ___________________________
3. What school(s) in your district might be most effective in conveying your message? Would the principal be amenable to hosting a tour or experience? Which teachers could effectively explain the challenges & opportunities to support students with additional resources?
4. Which state legislative districts overlap with your school district's boundaries?
House District____________Representative:____________________________
Senate District ___________Senator: __________________________________
5. Find out if your legislators have committed to visiting at least two schools before the end of the 2014-15 school year.
6. Who from the business community or other municipalities (city council, county commissioners, etc.) should be included on the tour?
7. When would be an optimal time to conduct your tour?


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Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate. (CCC, 1536)
Those interested in a religious vocation should talk to a priest. Fr. Sean Suckiel is the vocations director of the Brooklyn Diocese. The office website can be found at http://www.brooklynpriests.org/.


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Young love
On Valentine's morning, when I went into little mr j's room to say good morning, he hopped out of bed and started looking for something on his little nightstand, behind his picture frame and in front of the little CD player.
He told me he had something special for me that he had been saving to give me for Valentine's Day.
Then he found it and gave it to me.
The bobbie pin.
The very precious bobbie pin.
Later, after he made made a cute little crown out of the leftover red paper valentine scraps, he brought me another surprise.
He had found it in our junk drawer while trying to find tape.
I had put it there long ago, hoping its owner would show up.
I am the new owner.
Then, he surprised me by bringing me a very special sculpture,
that he, "was very glad he had such strong muscles so he could make it for me-he was going to make an M for mom, but that would have been to easy."
I like my L.
Young love is the best.