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Ghost Essay
Larry was the son of a famous composer and musician and came to teach music at the college.
His father wanted Larry to be a musician like himself; however Larry was not as skilled. Larry became popular with the college students who would come to his grocery store where he would sing songs for the pretty girls. In the late asses, his father died, and Larry was quite sad. The following Christmas, Larry took his flute and went to the cemetery at Mount Saint Mar's College to play one of his fathers most famous pieces, he Glory Lit the Midnight Air", The town folk thought he finally mastered the ability to play the flute to honor his father.So the town folk went up to the gravesite by the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes on the campus. The event became a tradition, and Larry would lead the people up to the gravesite each Christmas to play the flute. In the asses Larry died.
Older residents say that if you listen very carefully on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning you can still hear the ghostly strains of beautiful flute music coming from the cemetery. A little while eater, the music is gone, not to be heard again for another year. Another story the storyteller told me is that about Father Brute.
One of the earliest presidents Of the school was Reverend Simon Brute. He died in the mid asses. Brute still glides about the campus wearing long black robes. People Who have seen his ghost describe the same sunken cheeks and Other particular features. He usually smiles and nods and moves on.
In Brute Hall is the room that Brute once lived in. Room 252 is supposedly still haunted by his ghost. Several priests have lived in the room and have said strange things occur, such s the lights and television flashing off and on at random times.Even in the last ten years, the room has appeared to be haunted. Several students who lived in the room said that the television changed from channel to channel one night by itself, The storyteller also told me of another ghost, There was a slave who worked for the college in the mid sass's and lived on the first floor tot MacAfee Hall. He was accused of stealing and as punishment his left hand was cut off and buried in the quadrangle. Residents of the hall claim to have seen a severed hand, or heard angers scratching on dorm windows.
It is believed that the ghostly hand might be looking for reconciliation with the rest of the man's body, which is buried in the cemetery. After comparing these stories With information on the internet, I determined that the storyteller accurately recounted local lore. I even was able to find another ghost Story on Mount Saint Marry College. One Of the college's most famous ghosts is a Civil War soldier who promised his lover that he would think Of her While in battle. The two lovers looked to the heavens and agreed to gaze upon the same star every night.When the soldier
was killed at Gettysburg, he was buried face down in an old well.
Now his spirit roams Mount Saint Mar's, tapping folks on their shoulders and asking them to "turn me over," probably in order to see the star. Found it interesting that the school was founded in an interesting way. In 1805, there was a preacher who was riding on a path between Frederick and Immunities. It was dark and he saw a light in the distance that he thought was a farmhouse, When he couldn't find the house, he lay down and went to sleep,When he woke, he discovered a spectacular view of rolling hills and fields. He decided to stay there and build a church and a school, The school, founded on a "ghostly' light, was Mount Saint Mar's College (immunities. Net).
There are a few social implications from these stories. First, is that the town of Immunities has come to embrace these stories and make them a tradition The stories are a part of the town's history. It is unique, and the people embrace it. People do not let these stories scare them.
In terms Of the way the storyteller presented the stories, she did a good job.The tone was appropriate for telling a story. She emphasized certain words and talked at length about the stories. It was convincing to hear them and it helped that she knew the facts. She was able to tell me a "story" when she told me.
I asked her afterwards how she knew so much detail and she said everybody in her town does. They hear it in school, from friends and family. It is who they are as a town. Think that if somebody had just told me something along the lines of "well there was a priest who lived here and room 252 is haunted," it would not have been as effective.


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In addition to Bellator and Victory FC events, Friday's slate of combat sports included the latest offering from the Lion Fight muay Thai promotion.
Check out the highlights above.
Lion Fight 27, which aired on AXS TV from Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif., featured a few competitors with MMA ties.
Former UFC and WSOF fighter Jared Papazian, who earned a "Fight of Night" bonus in his 2012 loss to Tim Elliott, made his pro muay Thai debut but struggled against fellow lightweight (132 pounds) Travis Clay.
Additionally, accomplished striker Tiffany Van Soest, who's hinted at a possible return to MMA, continued her muay Thai success and picked up a second belt by defeating Ashley Nichols in a super bantamweight (120 pounds) title fight.
Check out all the highlights above.
And for more on AXS TV's upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

subset: commoncrawl


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Day 35: Envy by Gregg Olsen
Day 35
Summary From Goodreads:
Crime lives–and dies–in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka "Empty Coffin"), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen–and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic "twin-sense" to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits.
Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out–and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.
Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, Envy will take you to the edge–and push you right over.
Envy is a mixed bag. On one hand I enjoyed the story and was unable to put the book down until I had finished it. On the other, some of the writing drove me a bit crazy, as well as the point of views.
Envy uses multiple (and by that I mean somewhere around 10) points of view in order to share information with the reader. It is effective but it just feels a bit busy, too many thoughts from too many different people. Also, because we see the point of view of so many different characters the amount of info dumps to flesh them out is somewhat ridiculous. That type of information sharing goes on throughout the entire book, not just in the beginning like with most books that focus on one, or maybe two/three, point(s) of view.
As for the writing, it was little things, and more so in the beginning. For the first few chapters there was some variation of "something big is about to happen/everything is going to change" stated over and over again. I don't really understand why, the reader can pretty much infer that important things are going to occur, it is the beginning of the book we are talking about. There were creepy lines that didn't fit such as on page 39 "However, the girls felt no mercy for those who perpetrated evil intentionally. Their souls were dark and always would be." Pretty serious stuff for teenagers and a bit over the top. Also, there were random words used that don't make sense given that the audience is YA, such as with "scintilla" which essentially means a very small amount.
The "twin-sense", especially the way it was written, kept making me think "wonder twin powers activate!" which I can't imagine is a good thing when reading a book about figuring out why someone died.
However, like I said in the beginning part of the review, I did enjoy the story. There were clues for the reader to find along the way just as the sisters were and seeing if you can figure out "who done it" before the characters do is always fun. The plot twists were convincing and didn't feel contrived. As for the main characters, though they did suffer from being very similar by default since they are twins, I enjoyed reading about them. They felt realistic (sans superpowers/twin telepathy) and were likable enough. Beth, the best friend of the twins, was done very well. She was a character that the reader was supposed to detest and by page 59 I officially wanted to dropkick her so mission accomplished!
Overall I thought Envy was a solid book. The story was there to work with and though the execution at times felt a bit off to me the experience was a good one. I already have Betrayal so I look forward to reading that sometime soon-ish and seeing how the story continues. If the positive elements of Envy are carried through and developed I think that book could be stellar. Thanks as always for reading and come back tomorrow for Day 36!
Mount TBR Challenge #29/150+; 2013 TBR Pile #29/50; Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge #35/365; Seriously Series Reading Challenge #15/44


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70 female
- Seasonal Hero
70 female
1 female
- Seasonal Hero
This feature lists your most prevalent gear bonuses. You may select a bonus to see which items provide that bonus.
Cost: 50 Spirit
Pull up to 16 enemies within 24 yards towards you, followed by a furious blast of energy that deals 261% weapon damage as Holy.
Unlocked at level 14
Enemies are Frozen for 1.5 seconds after being pulled in.
Cyclone Strike's damage turns into Cold.
Unlocked at level 41
Cost: 30 Spirit
Charge directly through your enemies, dealing 390% weapon damage while running.
Unlocked at level 5
Enemies within 20 yards take an additional 135% weapon damage as Lightning every second.
Tempest Rush's damage turns into Lightning.
Unlocked at level 45
Cost: 1 Charge
Quickly dash up to 50 yards, striking enemies along the way for 370% weapon damage as Physical.
You gain a charge every 8 seconds and can have up to 2 charges stored at a time.
Unlocked at level 9
Gain 20% increased movement speed for 4 seconds after using Dashing Strike.
Dashing Strike's damage turns into Holy.
Unlocked at level 15
Cost: 75 Spirit
Surround yourself in a vortex that continuously deals 105% weapon damage to all enemies within 10 yards. The vortex lasts 6 seconds and is refreshed each time you strike an enemy with a melee attack. Landing a Critical Hit has a chance to increase the vortex effect up to 3 stacks for a total of 315% weapon damage.
Unlocked at level 21
While your vortex is at 3 or more stacks, Critical Hits have a chance to spawn a lightning tornado that periodically electrocutes nearby enemies for 95% weapon damage as Lightning. Each spawned lightning tornado lasts 3 seconds.
Sweeping Wind's damage turns into Lightning.
Unlocked at level 56
Active: You and nearby allies gain an additional 20% increased resistance to all elements for 3 seconds.
Passive: You and your allies within 60 yards gain 20% increased resistance to all elements.
Only one Mantra may be active at a time.
Unlocked at level 19
Passive: Mantra of Salvation also increases Dodge Chance by 35%.
Unlocked at level 58
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Have an Epiphany, increasing your Spirit Regeneration per Second by 20 and enabling your melee attacks to instantly dash to your target for 15 seconds.
Unlocked at level 61
Infuse yourself with sand, reducing damage taken by 50%.
Unlocked at level 62
Cooldown: 4 seconds
The Enchantress casts a guided orb that deals 150% weapon damage as Arcane to enemies within 15 yards and slows them by 80% for 3.00 seconds based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
Increases your static elemental damage bonuses by 5.00% based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
Unlocked at level 20
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Conjures a pool of energy that deals 330% weapon damage as Arcane over 5.00 seconds based on the Enchantress's Intelligence. Affected enemies will also take 10% increased damage.
Unlocked at level 25
Cooldown: 120 seconds
When you take fatal damage, the Enchantress empowers you to move through time, slowing enemies' movement, attack speed, and projectiles by 80% for 3.00 seconds to avoid death based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
Unlocked at level 30
Last updated on 04 Sep 2022 07:18 BST


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© 2022 MJH Life Sciences™ and Chromatography Online. All rights reserved.
LCGC North America
Optimizing peak shape in capillary gas chromatography (GC) is essential for the consistent, accurate analysis of residual solvents in pharmaceutical compounds.
Optimizing peak shape in capillary gas chromatography (GC) is essential for the consistent, accurate analysis of residual solvents (that is, trace levels of organic volatile chemicals present from manufacturing) in pharmaceutical compounds. Band broadening can result in peaks that can exhibit increased tailing and greater variability in peak area (1,2). This, in turn, can affect analysis accuracy by loss of resolution between compounds and failing data acceptance criteria (for example, replicate percent relative standard deviation [%RSD]).
Various factors related to the instrument's set up have the potential to affect chromatography and peak area reproducibility. Slow detector responses can distort peak shapes (3,4). Peak shapes and peak maxima can be affected adversely by larger detector time constants, particularly for peaks with half-widths of 0.5 s or less. Also, low data sampling rates can reduce the reproducibility of the peak start, apex, and peak end, as well as the accuracy of a peak's shape (3).
Stationary phase partitioning, longitudinal diffusion, and resistance to mass transfer in the mobile phase are the classic processes that affect peak broadening inside the column. The effects of these processes are expressed in the Golay equation, which can be employed to optimize performance based upon the type of column and carrier gas linear velocity (5,6). The Golay equation is defined as H = B/u mean + C × u mean, where B is the longitudinal diffusion in the mobile phase, C is the resistance to mass transfer in the mobile and stationary phases, and u mean is the average carrier gas velocity. Stationary phase partitioning is of negligible contribution for columns with film thicknesses of 0.25 μm or less; however, above 0.5 μm, the partitioning effect can be significant enough to cause peak asymmetry (7). For any column, reversible solute adsorption to the stationary phase will be manifested as peak tailing (4). Also, analytes spread out to some extent as they diffuse through the mobile phase; however, all peaks should be affected equally by this gas-phase peak broadening (7,8).
Proper column installation is also important to reduce problems with reproducibility and peak tailing. Excessive dead volume at the column fittings and leaking connections in the carrier gas lines, instrument bulkhead, and the column ends are contributors to band broadening and lack of reproducible peak areas (4,9,10). In addition, peak tailing can be particularly pronounced due to the vaporization of certain solvents in the injector port, especially when using a packed injector port, as opposed to a capillary injector port, for capillary column applications (2,10).
If peak area reproducibility or peak tailing are still problematic after these factors have been eliminated or minimized, another factor to examine is the autosampler syringe. Unless all of the sample matrices being analyzed are very clean, nonvolatile residue and particulates eventually will build up within the barrel of the syringe, causing problems with injection reproducibility by degrading the fit of the plunger within the barrel (11). For this reason, most autosamplers are programmed to rinse the syringe with sample solvent between injections. However, more volatile solvents (for example, methanol and acetone) and certain sample matrices can increase the speed of residue accumulation even with rinsing between injections. The end result of slower or inconsistent injections is problematic reproducibility and issues with poor peak shape. Replacing or cleaning a syringe will solve the problem; however, replacing or cleaning a syringe several times during the course of sample analyses requires significant analyst time and effort.
Method redevelopment might be required for implementing alternative sample solvents to reduce residue accumulation in the syringe plunger, or for changing the instrument configuration (for example, changing from packed to capillary injection port, changing the type of column used, and so forth). Given the time and cost associated with method redevelopment, an alternative means of improving syringe performance is desirable.
In the case of the autosampler syringe, a simple way to address the issues of band broadening and reproducibility is to identify a material that can improve syringe lubrication, eliminating the need to replace syringes throughout a sample set. The ideal substance would be compatible with the analytical method in question; a liquid at room temperature; and sufficiently volatile to elute during the temperature program prescribed in the analytical method. For GC–FID residual solvents methods, one substance that is a viable candidate is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (Figure 1).
Figure 1
N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone has been used in various environmental, petroleum, and pharmaceutical applications as a polar solvent for aromatic and C5+ aliphatic hydrocarbons, residual solvents, and parenteral pharmaceutical products (12–15). It is more viscous than water (1.65 cP) and has a dielectric constant of 32.2 at 25 °C (16). N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone is well suited for residual solvents analysis with GC–FID because it is miscible with water and organic solvents, it can solubilize various pharmaceuticals, and it has a boiling point high enough (202 °C) to be eluted after most common residual solvents (14,15,17).
To explore the use of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a viable syringe lubricant to improve result reproducibility and peak shape, three GC–FID residual solvent methods that had exhibited repeated issues with poor standard %RSD and peak tailing were examined.
Instrumentation: Agilent 6850 and Agilent 6890 gas chromatographs (Santa Clara, California) with flame ionization detectors were used throughout these experiments. A packed or capillary injection port and an Agilent 10-μL autosampler syringe were used according to the individual analytical method. Syringe wash vials were set up for sample solvent in the wash 1 position and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone in the wash 2 position. Data were collected using Waters GlobalChrom Data System (GCDS) and Empower software (Milford, Massachusetts). The GC conditions and temperature program for each method are listed in Table I.
Table I: GC conditions and temperature programs for the methods used in the study
Chemicals: N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (99.5% anhydrous) was purchased from Acros (Morris Plains, New Jersey). Purified water (Millipore, Billerica, Massachusetts, or equivalent), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–GC grade acetone purchased from Burdick & Jackson (Muskegon, Michigan), and HPLC–GC grade methanol purchased from EMD (Gibbstown, New Jersey) were used as sample solvents. Acetone (99.9+% Chromasolv), methanol (99.8% anhydrous), 2-propanol (99.5% anhydrous), isoamyl acetate (98% reagent grade), N-amyl acetate (99%), isoamyl alcohol (99+%), and dimethyl sulfoxide (99.9+% ACS reagent grade) were all purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, Missouri). N-Amyl alcohol (99.2%) was also purchased from Acros. Reference standards of Lilly compounds pertaining to each method were obtained from Lilly Reference Standards Lab (Eli Lilly and Co., Indianapolis, Indiana).
GC Columns and Conditions
Columns and conditions used are listed in Table I.
Sample Preparation
All analyses used 1-μL injections.
Method 1: Samples were prepared in purified water at the following test concentrations: acetone, methanol, and 2-propanol each at 0.005 mg/mL; acetone, methanol, and 2-propanol each at 0.0005 mg/mL; and Lilly Compound A at 5 mg/mL.
Method 2: Samples were prepared in HPLC-grade acetone at the following test concentrations: isoamyl acetate, N-amyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, and N-amyl alcohol each at 0.25 mg/mL; isoamyl acetate, N-amyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, and N-amyl alcohol each at 0.00375 mg/mL; and Lilly Compound B at 35 mg/mL.
Method 3: Samples were prepared in HPLC-grade methanol at the following test concentrations: dimethyl sulfoxide at 0.025 mg/mL; and Lilly Compound C at 25 mg/mL.
Results and Discussion
The three GC–FID residual solvents methods examined often exhibited poor peak tailing and standard peak area (SPA)%RSD during normal execution. In practice, each of the methods required the use of a new syringe every time a new sample set (for example, system suitability solutions, standards, samples) was analyzed because the syringe plunger regularly seized after a few injections. Analysts spent considerable time and effort to ensure the methods performed appropriately; additionally, poor peak tailing and SPA %RSD often required repeat testing. Peak tailing for these methods is defined as w/2f, where w is the peak width at 10% height, and f is the time from peak start to peak maximum as measured at 10% peak height.
The experiments for each analytical method using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone in a second syringe wash vial were compared with historical data that used only sample solvent as a syringe wash to assess method performance. Sample solvent blanks and quantitation limit samples were analyzed to obtain the elution profile for N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and examine any potential interference from this compound. In the case of Method 3, the dimethyl sulfoxide standard was used in lieu of a reporting limit sample because its response is near the limit of quantitation. Standard solutions were analyzed to obtain values for peak tailing and SPA %RSD. Method 2 does not use peak tailing for a system suitability criterion; therefore, only SPA %RSD values were evaluated.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Method 1: The peak shape for methanol and 2-propanol are critical for accurate quantitation due to the close elution of the two peaks. Injection of the sample solvent blank and quantitation limit sample showed no interference of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone with the peaks of interest (Figure 2). Peak shape for each analyte was improved (Figure 3), resulting in baseline separation of methanol and 2-propanol. Improved reproducibility for peak tailing and SPA %RSD were obtained when N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone was used as a syringe wash (Table II). Of note is the marked improvement in methanol SPA %RSD, which failed the acceptance criterion frequently before the use of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a syringe wash.
Table II: Method 1 peak tailing and standard %RSD results
Method 2: Injection of the sample solvent blank and quantitation limit sample showed no interference of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone with the peaks of interest (Figure 4). Improved results for SPA %RSD were obtained when N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone was used as a syringe wash (Table III). Although historically, the method performed adequately in terms of reproducibility, SPA %RSD was improved approximately twofold by using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a syringe wash.
Figure 4
Table III: Method 2 standard %RSD results
Figure 5
Method 3: Injection of the sample solvent blank and quantitation limit sample showed no interference of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone with the peak of interest (Figure 5). Improved reproducibility for peak tailing and SPA %RSD were obtained by using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a syringe wash (Table IV). As with Method 2, historically, this method performed adequately in terms of peak area reproducibility; however, SPA %RSD was improved significantly by using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a syringe wash.
After implementing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a syringe wash for these three analytical methods, repeat testing as a result of peak tailing or peak area reproducibility tied to poor syringe performance has been reduced significantly, annually saving over 100 man-hours. In addition, the analyst time required to confirm injections and replace autosampler syringes throughout the analysis of sample sets has been reduced annually by over 80 man-hours.
Table IV: Method 3 Peak tailing and standard %RSD results
Using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as an additional syringe wash can improve the consistency of GC syringe injections by improving peak symmetry and reproducibility. This, in turn, can lead to a reduction in repeated testing due to failed method acceptance criteria, and a reduction in time needed to confirm consistent injections and replace autosampler syringes during sample analyses.
The author wishes to thank the following at Eli Lilly Tippecanoe Labs: Dr. Amy Clough, for her review of and valuable comments on this manuscript; and Jeremy Oelslager, for providing technical support for the experiments and obtaining the chromatograms used in this manuscript.
Bryan E. Bell
Eli Lilly & Company, Tippecanoe Labs, Lafayette, Indiana
Please direct correspondence to Bryan Bell at firstname.lastname@example.com
(1) D.A. Skoog and D.M. West, Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry, 4th ed. (CBS College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1982), pp. 652, 684.
(2) G.D. Christian and J.E. O'Reilly, Instrumental Analysis, 2nd ed. (Allyn & Bacon, Inc., Boston, 1986), pp. 745, 753–754.
(3) J.V. Hinshaw, LCGC 19(11), 1136–1140 (2001).
(4) J.V. Hinshaw, LCGC 22(3), 252–260 (2004).
(5) L.S. Ettre and J.V. Hinshaw, Basic Relationships of Gas Chromatography (Advanstar Communications, Cleveland, 1993), pp. 3, 115.
(6) J.V. Hinshaw, LCGC, Supplement to: "The Retention Gap Effect," Online Supplement, www.chromatographyonline.com (2004).
(7) J.V. Hinshaw, LCGC 19(10), 1056–1064 (2001).
(8) J.V. Hinshaw, LCGC 22(7), 624–631 (2004).
(9) J.V. Hinshaw, LCGC 24(7), 670–678 (2006).
(10) J.V. Hinshaw, LCGC 19(6), 596–603 (2001).
(11) J.V. Hinshaw, LCGC 24(3), 278–284 (2006).
(12)R. Russell, Pharm. Tech. 28(4), 38–50 (2004).
(13) S.P. Apte and S.O. Ugwu, Pharm. Tech. 27(3), 46–60 (2003).
(14) D.C. Wood, J.M. Miller, and I. Christ, LCGC 22(6), 516–522 (2004).
(15) G.W. Meindersma, Extraction of Aromatics from Naphtha with Ionic Liquids, Thesis, University of Twente, the Netherlands (Febodruk, Enschede, 2005), pp. 2, 75.
(16) M.J. O'Neil (Ed.), The Merck Index, 14th ed. (Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, 2006), p. 1054.
(17) D.R. Lide (Ed.), CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 85th ed. (CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton, 2004), pp. 3-408, 3-409.


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Waltham Dentist Ordered to Stop False Advertising
Yesterday, on Monday, November 23, 2020, Waltham dentist Dr. Jeffrey S. Cummings, doing business at 520 Main Street in Waltham, was ordered to stop falsely advertising he is currently affiliated with and a member of a national organization, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (the "AACD"). It is unknown when the false advertising began, but Dr. Cummings had a large sign outside his building for years, shown here in a photo of his office building address from the Apartments.com site, advertising he does "Cosmetic" and "Implant" Dentistry.
AACD was contacted by a former patient of Dr. Cummings, who in turn immediately contacted Dr. Cummings. The former patient had checked the AACD online directory at https://aacd.com/profiles to find out if Dr. Cummings is actually listed at AACD as an AACD member, since he advertises such an affiliation on his website bio page and on his stationary. But he was not listed as a member on the AACD website.
By yesterday evening, the false advertising on his website bio page was removed, following the demand from AACD to Dr. Cummings to remove it.
On the AACD website, this national organization describes itself as follows:
"The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry® (AACD) is dedicated to advancing excellence in the art and science of comprehensive cosmetic dentistry and encouraging the highest standards of ethical conduct and responsible patient care."
AACD has different levels of membership for dentists, some of which require a substantial amount of work for a dentist to claim an affiliation. As to their policy on dentists advertising an affiliation when no such affiliation exists with AACD, their membership director, Dana J. Murn, had this to say in an email:
"…we contact those who are using our logo and claiming to be a member."
According to Ms. Murn, a complaint of a dentist falsely advertising an affiliation with AACD goes "to our Ethics department."
It is unclear whether Dr. Cummings had malpractice insurance during the time he was falsely advertising an affiliation with AACD.
According to the MA Board of Dentistry, Massachusetts is a state that does NOT require evidence of malpractice insurance for a dentist. When contacted about this, Barbara A. Young, RDH, Executive Director, Mass. Board of Registration in Dentistry, stated in an email:
"The Board does not require a dentist to carry malpractice insurance …. Since this policy is not required by the Board, we do not track whether a dentist does or does not carry malpractice coverage."
The name of the former patient of Dr. Cummings who contacted AACD and the MA Board of Dentistry is not being disclosed in this article because the patient has a right to privacy of records.
False advertising is illegal in Massachusetts and is recognized as a deceptive business practice. Dentists are supposed to be truthful in their communications as required by the American Dental Association Code of Ethics, which is part of the licensing test for dentists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
It is not known at this time if the MA Board of Dentistry will take any action against Dr. Jeffrey S. Cummings for his false advertising on his website (which changed yesterday evening), his outdoor advertising signage pictured here (which has been changed), and on his printed business stationary (in use by Dr. Jeffrey C. Cummings as of November 2020, falsely listing him having a current affiliation with AACD, as shown in the photo below).


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Swapnil Kendhe is founder, SEBI registered investment adviser (RIA) and a fee-only financial planner at vivektaru.com. He charges a fixed annual fee for financial planning and investment advice directly from his clients.
Defensive investing is ideal for most investors
Most investors believe that to do well as an investor, they must invest in stocks, use different categories of mutual funds, search for the best performing funds or PMS schemes, regularly review and change the portfolio based on changing economic and market conditions, and generate a high return as they can. Some investors try to do this on their own, while others want their advisers to do this job for them. Unfortunately, this is a wrong notion of how investing must be done.
There are two approaches to investing. One is the enterprising or active approach and other the defensive or passive approach. Benjamin Graham talks about these two approaches in his book 'The Intelligent Investor'. What most investors believe how good investing is done is enterprising investing.
Successful enterprising investing requires high-quality knowledge of investing. We are talking about the fund manager level of knowledge here. Most investors lack the interest, aptitude and the drive required to reach such a level of knowledge. Knowledge alone is also not enough to do the enterprising investing; you need loads of time as well, to do the research. Retail investors with their full-time jobs and superficial understanding of investing should stay away from this approach with or without an adviser.
Why should retail investors avoid enterprising investing even with an adviser? Because it is difficult to find an adviser competent enough to help investors do enterprising investing successfully. Even if investors find one, the time and effort the adviser must put to help them do the enterprising investing are huge. If the adviser charges a fee for the hours of his effort, he would become unaffordable for the size of most retail investor portfolios. Even after paying the higher fee, there is no guarantee that the return would be higher than what can be generated by following the simple approach of defensive or passive investing.
What is the defensive or passive approach to investing?
In the defensive or passive approach, the investor places his chief emphasis on avoidance of serious mistakes and losses. His second aim is to be free from effort, annoyance and the need for making frequent decisions. He creates a portfolio that can run on autopilot and doesn't require frequent monitoring and changes.
A simple low-cost index fund is good enough for equity allocation in a defensive investor's portfolio. It helps him beat the equity return of most professional investors.
A defensive investor uses the debt side of the portfolio to provide stability to the portfolio, not to generate a higher return. He keeps credit risk and interest rate risk as low as possible. He makes optimum use of government products like Employee Provident Fund, Public Provident Fund and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. To maintain the liquidity in the portfolio he uses bank fixed deposits of government banks or bigger and well run private sector banks and liquid funds.
A defensive investor doesn't believe that he can dynamically manage asset allocation of his portfolio based on changing economic and market conditions. He decides the target asset allocation and rebalances the portfolio once in a year. He doesn't over concentrate the portfolio in any one asset class.
Defensive investing is simple, boring and generates little excitement; but it works. And it works better than most smart-sounding approaches of investing. It takes little time and effort on part of the investor; all that is required is discipline.
Investing at the retail investor level is more about avoiding mistakes than generating higher returns. Retail investors can avoid most investing mistakes if they appreciate that they can never have the time and knowledge required for the enterprising investing. Defensive investing is ideal for most of them.
** Opinions expressed are the authors and should not be construed as investment advice.
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Lubin storage baskets are made to be seen. They have a sporty and rural character and they are also handy to use. This is because the baskets are particularly lightweight and easily folded for when you are not using them. Lubin storage baskets are made from 100% cotton and are finished off with leather handles.
Dimensions: 32x20x15cm
Material: 50% Cotton 50% Terylene
Care: Wipe clean only


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Markings For Soviet Wagons, Set 2.
Z&Z Exclusive Models, D8707. New 1/87 Scale Decals.
Various decal markings. These are water slide transfer images. Z&Z Exclusive Modell decals, suitable for 1/87 scale.
Some markings are in white and hard to see on the light background. The second (darker) picture shows them better.
Do not forget to get your Testors or Micro-Scale setting solutions, decal surface prep solutions and finishing solutions to complete your decal work.
Choose a currency below to display product prices in the selected currency.


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By Joe LaGuardia In the last few decades, churches have been scrambling to attract young adults. Reaching this age group is a momentous task that requires changes in worship, leadership, preaching, and outreach. Much of this change has been for the better — an ever fluid and reforming church is usually one with an eye towardsContinue reading "3 Reasons people over 60 leave church"
Tag Archives: congregational leadership
Five qualities of a church with Vision
This article is curated from EthicsDaily.com. By Matt Sapp I attended a few weeks ago Willow Creek's Global Leadership Summit at Wieuca Road Baptist Church, a satellite host site for the summit in Atlanta. The unofficial motto of the summit is Bill Hybel's repeated reminder that "everyone wins when a leader gets better." That's theContinue reading "Five qualities of a church with Vision"


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The justices consider class-action awards that pay plaintiffs nothing
Frank v Gaos concerns an $8.5m settlement in an internet-privacy complaint against Google
By S.M. | NEW YORK
CLASS-action lawsuits—once disparaged as "trial by formula" by the late Justice Antonin Scalia—have been trimmed back several times over the past decade by the Supreme Court. Most recently, in the Epic Systems v Lewis ruling in May, the conservative wing of the court made it harder for groups of workers to sue their bosses. On October 31st, justices on the right also seemed sceptical of another type of class-action lawsuit: so-called "cy-pres-only" settlements where plaintiffs win but receive no payout. If the Supreme Court curtails these awards in Frank v Gaos, the contours of class-action suits involving large numbers of plaintiffs may be up for significant change.
Frank dates back to a 2010 complaint against Google that its search engine violated the Stored Communications Act by sharing users' search histories with third-party companies without consent. Through mediation, Google agreed to pay a total of $8.5m to settle the dispute. Of that sum, $3.2m was set aside for lawyers, payments for the three named plaintiffs and other costs. Not a dime of the remaining $5.3m would go to the estimated 129m Google users whose privacy was breached. In lieu of delivering pennies to each member of the class, cy-pres payments (short for the "cy pres comme possible" of Old French, "as close as possible") would flow to six organisations whose work indirectly benefits the class. Research centres at four universities, as well as the World Privacy Forum and AARP (known until 1999 as the American Association of Retired Persons), took a share of the settlement money with the understanding that they would spend it on programmes to promote Internet privacy.
This windfall for the organisations did not sit well with Ted Frank, the petitioner. It is wrong for the class to see no direct benefit from the resolution of the complaint, he argued. And it is rather suspect, he said, that Google had established ties with some of the institutions, while others happened to be the places where the counsel handling the case went to law school. Neither the district court nor the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was persuaded by Mr Frank's arguments. The Ninth Circuit found that the settlement reflected a genuine connection between interests of the Google users and the missions of the cy-pres recipients, though one dissenting judge thought otherwise. The fact that "47% of the settlement fund is being donated to the alma maters of class counsel", Judge Clifford Wallace wrote, deserves more attention.
At the Supreme Court hearing on October 30th, several justices seemed to share this worry. Isn't it "just a little bit fishy", Chief Justice John Roberts asked Jeffrey Lamken, attorney for one of the respondents, "that the money goes to a charity or a 501(c)(3) organisation that Google had contributed to in the past?" Mr Lamken noted in response that high-tech is still an "emerging area" and there are "only so many organisations that are going to have track records" working on internet privacy. Unsatisfied, Chief Justice Roberts said he would "bet there are other organisations active in the area that Google had not contributed to in the past".
Justice Samuel Alito was more taken by the big-picture question. While the "attorneys get money, and a lot of it", he said to Mr Lamken, the Google users whose trust was betrayed "get no money whatsoever". Instead, the millions are sent to organisations the plaintiffs "may or may not like and that may or may not ever do anything that is of even indirect benefit to them". Alluding to the legal rule that class-action settlements must be "fair, reasonable and adequate", Justice Alito asked how this arrangement might be "regarded as a sensible system". Mr Lamken replied that the settlement was not "simply tak[ing] money and giv[ing] it to charity". There is a "very close nexus", he argued, between Google users' interests and the "specific proposals" the organisations would undertake to improve privacy on the web.
Arguing his own case, Mr Frank fielded queries from liberal justices who seemed to side with the lower courts' position that the cy-pres award was reasonable. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg expressed doubt that distributing funds to the organisations was, in Mr Frank's words, an "abuse". Practically speaking, she said, "the class members would get nothing, nothing at all; and here, at least they get an indirect benefit". In an exchange with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Mr Frank rejected the notion that the only two options are pennies or zilch. "In reality, settlements settle all the time for well under a dollar per class member and then successfully distribute that money to the class because most class members are just simply indifferent to the opportunity for these small sums". Fewer than 1% of people who qualify for a payment typically send in the form seeking the funds, he noted. In another case where the money was distributed pro-rata, for example, those who took the trouble to mail in the claim found themselves with cheques not for pennies but for $15.
The heart of the conflict—whether it is feasible to distribute funds across so many millions of individuals—may not find a resolution in Frank v Gaos. Several justices—led by the ideologically incompatible but increasingly chummy Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch—wondered whether the plaintiffs have requisite standing to sue. What, Justice Kagan asked, is the "particularised and concrete harm" that would enable a Google user to complain? "Is there any evidence", Justice Gorsuch asked, that the personal information "wasn't already available through the white pages and otherwise published so that there is no injury in fact?" Mr Frank pushed back, but Justice Stephen Breyer piled on: "I don't quite see how this is some kind of secret or private information" that truly compromises anyone's online data.
It seems likely that a majority of the justices frowns on class-action awards that bring bupkis to millions. But with the technical escape hatch of standing in Frank, these settlements may live to see another day.
More from Democracy in America
The fifth Democratic primary debate showed that a cull is overdue
Thinning out the field of Democrats could focus minds on the way to Iowa's caucuses
The election for Kentucky's governor will be a referendum on Donald Trump
Matt Bevin, the unpopular incumbent, hopes to survive a formidable challenge by aligning himself with the president
A state court blocks North Carolina's Republican-friendly map
The gerrymandering fix could help Democrats keep the House in 2020


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HOUSTON – Houston police are searching for the driver of a car that they said struck a man in Houston on Friday during a Critical Mass gathering.
Critical Mass is a gathering of more than 1,000 bicyclists. They ride around the city on the last Friday of every month.
What is Critical Mass?
Those who take part in the ride say its purpose is to spread rider awareness and have a good time.
What happened?
Dustin Wiget said he was riding his electric skateboard with the Critical Mass group when an officer who was directing traffic told the group to go through the intersection.
He said that a woman who was driving a car cursed at him, flipped him off and then deliberately turned her car into him while he was riding on Washington Avenue near Shepherd Drive.
She nearly struck another skateboarder before hitting Wiget.
Wiget says he is still recovering from his injuries.
He's expected to be OK.
Message to drivers
Wiget said he wants the woman to come forward and own up to what he says she did.
"Just come forward and apologize and there will be no hard feelings from this point on," Wiget said. "I know people can get frustrated, but we can't stay home and do nothing. If they don't like it, just turn around and go the other way. Just come forward, apologize, pay for the battery parts. It's not much. Just come forward."
The video Wiget recorded of the incident didn't catch the car's license plate number.
Anyone with information on the identity of the driver is asked to contact Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).


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Everywhere you look, it seems that someone is either spying on their users or failing to protect their data. Protecting yourself might seem like a hopeless task, but these top privacy apps can really make a difference.
Boot any computer from the Icloak Stik and you've got your own isolated leave-no-trace operating system, with the Tor Browser and some useful tools built in.


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Aspiring dancers practice their moves under the watchful eye of qualified instructors
Groupon Customer Reviews
About This Deal
- Studio specializes in belly dance as well in Tarraxinha or kizomba
- During the classes, patrons can work on technique, particular steps, or learn a full choreography
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Don't worry about how you look, worry about how you feel! This dance style is all about self expression and going with the flow of the music.
What was the inspiration to start or run this business?
Connecting movement with beautiful music is a magical way to connect with your inner self and release your soul.
What do you love most about your job?
We make people happy. It doesn't matter what happens during your day, but once you start to dance, you suddenly forget all your problems and become immersed into a completely wonderful world.


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If anyone has a stop in Atlanta, time should definitely be spent at the Martin Luther King Memorial site. Sit for awhile in the little Ebenezer Baptist Church. Take your kids through the museum to see scenes that should be remembered by all; the terrible and the awesome.
And when this happens, When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"


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The popular opinion about Africa is the most irrelevant imagination about this part of the land. Don't ever believe them! One of the biggest mistakes about Africa is when it comes to money, and the repeated questions like: How wealthy is Africa? Or What is the wealthiest country in Africa? The answer is mostly wrong and misleading. We reviewed several reports and statistics; the numbers are according to authentic resources, and the result is a shortlist of the richest countries in Africa. We will use one of the most famous metrics to compare these countries.
What is The Richest country in Africa in terms of GDP?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is one of the best metrics for measuring a country's market value. Statistics and analysis benefit from the final value of all goods and services produced by a specific country during a year, and it shows their gross domestic product per capita. For determining the richest country in the world, we need an authentic metric to put the numbers together, and GDP is the one that is used in this article. Of course, GDP does not include living costs and inflation rate.
The Richest Countries In Africa
The latest figure released by the African Development Bank (AFDB) reflected Africa's richest countries based on their GDP. The ranking below is according to the Ecofin Agency list. In this list, you will see these countries' names with a few of their financial details.
10. Tanzania
Tanzania is the last name on the list. The list is all about African countries. Being the tenth richest country in Africa is the result of previous economic triumphs of Tanzania and a blessing for the people hoping to reach better points. Tanzania is famous for its unique wildlife and its potential in the tourism industry. According to statistics, gross domestic product (GDP) in Tanzania is USD 63.177 B by 2019. Tourism and the diamond industry have played a vital role in this number. Also, annual GDP growth in Tanzania reached 5.791 percent in 2019.
9. Ghana
Sudan is a country located in West Africa. Despite all the problems people in Ghana face in everyday life, we can still see this country's name on the list of rich countries in Africa. With annual GDP growth of -6.478 percent in 2019, Ghana is the ninth country out of ten and has a GDP of 66.984 billion USD until 2019. The most important thing about this country's economy is about great opportunities and tough challenges that need efficient management. Ghana is naturally rich! Natural resources such as oil, gold, silver, etc., helped Ghana through years of struggling with economic problems and massive poverty.
8. Angola
Angola deserves to be in a higher rank in the list of the richest countries in Africa. This country is known for its reserves of raw materials. Unfortunately, mismanagement and specific policies in every field ended up with various problems for people living there. Thanks to oil and gas resources in Angola, this country's GDP is over USD 88.816 billion in 2019. This number is after a sharp fall after 2017, and its annual growth is -0.625 percent. Still, we can have Angola on the list of the richest countries in Africa.
7. Kenya
Kenya is a country in eastern Africa. The spectacular sceneries and natural landscapes of Kenya are the most amazing things to remember about this country. The fabulous wildlife deep inside the country has made this part of the land an excellent destination for those seeking a nice place to see the wildlife from the closest distance. Among sub-Saharan African countries, Kenya has growing GDP by 5.366 percent in 2019 based on The World Bank Data. The industrial sector contributes almost 50 percent of the GDP in Kenya, and about 35 percent is for agriculture. A part of this growth is related to the tourism and technology industry. This recent growth caused Kenya to be one of Africa's richest countries, with USD 95.503 billion in 2019.
6. Ethiopia
Ethiopia attracts attention to the horn of Africa, where you can find the finest honey and coffee bean. This country is an ancient land with many stories dating back to the birthday of coffee. It is said that the first coffee bean originated there in Ethiopia. Ethiopia's GDP growth averaged 8.364 percent in 2019, which caused the GDP of USD 95.913 billion. This number includes agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism industries, and one of the most important sectors is agriculture, which provides up to 80 percent of employment in this country. Coffee, leather products, and oilseeds are the most exported goods from Ethiopia.
5. Morocco
Morocco is a beautiful country in North Africa. After many years of struggling during the 1990s, the beginning of the current century brought a little bit of stability to the GDP rate growth in Morocco. The last number for GDP growth in Morocco is 2.482 percent annually, which is for 2019, and the GDP is USD 119.7 billion. This country is the third biggest producer of phosphorus globally and is an active country in exporting various goods and services. Inorganic chemicals, crude minerals, petroleum products, and electric components are the primary exports from Morocco, and statistics and figures demonstrate their prominent role in this country's GDP.
4. Algeria
Algeria is one of the most famous countries in Africa and is the biggest country on the continent. Being in fourth place on the list of the richest countries in Africa is the consequence of economic growth. Algeria has been boasting and supporting every aspect of the country's economy. Based on the latest figures reported by The World Bank Data, Algeria has a GDP of 171.091 billion USD until 2019 and annual GDP growth of 0.8 percent. This big African country is globally ranked as the 53rd country in the list of the rich. Naturally, the latest problems with the unstable oil price caused Algeria to face many new challenges.
3. Egypt
Egyptians have done their best to improve their country's economy. Wholesale, retail trade, and tourism are significant resources for Egypt to make money. Also, gas extraction is another robust industry in Egypt, and it has influenced Egypt's GDP, and its effect has been positive. By the year 2019, Egypt has reached a GDP of 303.092 billion USD. Its annual GDP growth is 5.558 percent. One of the significant reasons for previous declines in the situation of Egypt's economy is the Covid-19 Pandemic. However, emerging markets in Egypt are on their road to development in every field.
2. South Africa
In terms of GDP metrics, South Africa is holding second place on our list of Africa's richest countries. South Africa exports raw materials, including platinum metal, gold, and iron ore. South Africa will encounter new challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the future, but still, we have it as the second country. Until 2019, the GDP growth of South Africa was 0.153 Percent annually, and the overall GDP was 351.432 billion USD.
1. Nigeria
With 448.12 billion USD GDP and annual GDP growth of 2.208 percent, Nigeria takes the lead among the rich countries in Africa. Being the largest crude oil exporter has made Nigeria the richest country in Africa. Exporting oil is the main reason for that high level of GDP. Nigeria is also famous for its natural gas, limestone, and niobium. Unfortunately, neither Nigeria nor other African countries could overcome the massive decline in the international market after the spread of Covid-19. Also, the controversial relationship between Russia, the USA, and Saudi Arabia has a significant impact on South Africa's GDP. It seems that good management can keep the country atop the list.
|Annual GDP Growth (percent)
|South Africa
Final note
When you compare countries and determine the wealthiest one among a group, you should be aware of misunderstandings that can happen easily. You may have heard many stories about those countries, or a friend of yours may have told you some details about how people live in those countries, but the point is what you see is not the same as what numbers say. The way people make money, prices of goods and services, the average income, and the rate of inflation can not simply show the wealth of a country. No wonder if you are surprised by the list of the richest countries in Africa or seeing Nigeria as the first one on the list. What you see is different.


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Every day, Ron Hall walks three and a half miles. He's a heavy smoker, has been for 42 years, and he figures that the exercise cancels out the tobacco.
Ron started drawing when he was 10.
Now, his strolls have an added purpose: They give him the opportunity to pass by his mural.
With support from the community, he painted Astoria: We Are All Family on the 8th-Street side of the deli on Astoria Boulevard where Two Coves Community Garden meets the Astoria Houses projects.
Ron's We Are All Family mural on 8th Street at Astoria Boulevard.
"Unity is my message," he says. "People of all different nationalities and all ages live in Astoria."
Ron, a powerfully small man, runs his hand across the bricks of the 40-foot-long work that superimposes a sea of faces on the Stars and Stripes.
A Mexican, a Muslim, an Irish, a Hispanic, an Arab, a Puerto Rican, a Native American, an African American, a Chinese, a Hasidic Jew, a silver-haired senior citizen and a baby are among those who smile back at him.
Trading smiles.
He pauses at the painting of the little girl wearing a cheerleader's uniform.
There's a huge tear rolling down her face and a sign in her hand that pleads, "Stop the Violence Let Me Grow Up!"
"The placement of the mural is ideal," Ron says, smiling. "Four bus lines go right by it."
It took him two weeks to do the painting.
Although this is not Ron's only mural, he typically creates smaller works.
His shoebox studio, in the living room of his two-bedroom unit at Astoria Houses, is illuminated by a dim ceiling fixture supplemented by a trio of 100-watt bulbs shining from a vintage pole lamp.
The mural shows the faces of the community.
The air conditioner is in the back bedroom, so Ron keeps the window open.
Ron's four easels are filled with 16-inch by 20-inch canvases. He bought dozens of them because they were on sale.
His portraits, which feature applied rhinestones and glitter, include stenciled designs and airbrushed areas.
Double portrait: African American and Native American.
He keeps the compressor in the front closet to muffle the noise so it doesn't bother his neighbors.
Although Ron has tried out a couple of careers, it was inevitable that art would be the one that he stuck with.
Growing up in Brooklyn as an only child, Ron began drawing at 10, and other than a couple of classes in grade school and high school, he's had no formal art training.
Ron touched up the Martin Luther King mural at Astoria Houses.
"I draw what I see," he says. "I was inspired by my aunt, who was a seamstress. I watched her put together the pattern pieces. And by my collection of comic books."
Ron, who was in the school system's gifted program, started tutoring his peers when he was in 9th grade. To this day, he's proud that it was a paid position.
"I persuaded my mother to buy me the World Book Encyclopedia," he says. "I don't know how she scraped the $200 together. I read them every day, and when I came across words I didn't know, I looked them up in the dictionary, memorized them and made a habit to use them in sentences."
Ron spent 20 years in North Carolina.
Ron's father died shortly before his high school graduation. He did a 2-1/2–year stint in the Air Force, training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas then serving in Duluth, Minnesota.
When he got out, he sampled a job or two before settling in as a high school security officer.
Things were swell until he started smoking pot and was introduced to cocaine.
He overcame a problem with drugs.
"I was curious about drugs," he says. "I was never an addict; I was only a recreational user. I always did my work and paid my bills first."
It was an injured Achilles tendon that led to Ron's downfall, which in retrospect turned out to be a good thing.
"I was at rock bottom," he says. "I lost my job and my second wife – I've been married three times and have five children – and I was afraid the coke would make me crazy."
A detail from Ron's Prince portrait.
Instead of going to rehab, he moved to Statesville, North Carolina, his mother's hometown, to get a fresh start.
Over the course of 20 years, he got clean and got serious about art, setting up a business.
"I kept coming back and forth because my mother was ill," he says. "I finally moved back to New York in 2008."
Ron's living room is his art studio.
He uses a variety of techniques, notably airbrushing and stenciling, to create his comics-centric portraits, many of them of famous people.
"I got the idea for airbrushing when I saw the World War II girlie art on the noses of B-52 bombers," he says.
A portrait of a princess behind barbed wire.
He picks through a pile of paintings, producing ones of Muhammed Ali, Aaliyah, Prince, Michael Jackson, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
"I start from photos I find in books and magazines," he says. "I draw what I see then embellish."
Ron generally paints during the day, working to the blasting beat of R&B.
Keeping an eye on the studio.
"I like songs about love," he says. "I like to keep the vibe positive."
As for the mural, Ron says that unlike the ones in nearby Welling Court, which are painted over once and sometimes twice a year, his is made to be a permanent part of the community.
At the moment, a homeless woman sits cross-legged against it, adding her face to Ron's family.
Nancy A. Ruhling may be reached at email@example.com; @nancyruhling on Twitter; nruhling on Instagram; nancyruhling.com; astoriacharacters.com.
Copyright 2016 by Nancy A. Ruhling


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The full name of this mosque is Jami' Sayyid al-Shuhada'. It was built at Uhud where Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle, and the rest of Uhud martyrs had been buried.
The mosque, in fact, carries Hamzah's epithet, sayyid al-shuhada' (the Master of martyrs). It was completed and officiated in 2017.
Since Uhud is the site of the second major battle between the earliest followers of truth and the followers of falsehood, containing the graves of about 70 martyrs, and since the place is on the list of sites recommended by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to be visited in Madinah, the mosque was built to cater to the needs of flocking pilgrims and visitors. It was also built, albeit not as much and as directly, for the sake of satisfying the needs of the neighboring local populace.
The mosque's impressive form and striking conceptual as well as physical presence and operation also serve as an antidote to any even remotest idea, initiative or plan by anybody to architecturally commemorate and glorify to any extent the reputations of the martyrs and their graves.
In truth, the mosque and how its adjacent historical areas are currently managed, denote the successful embodiment of ample lessons pertaining to the menace of funerary architecture or "the architecture of death", which have been accrued throughout history.
The mosque is a hypostyle hall without an open courtyard. There are five rows of columns parallel to the qiblah wall: three in men's prayer area and two in women's. There are six columns in each row. That means that there are four arcades in men's prayer area and three in women's.
Each arcade can accommodate six lines (sufuf) of worshipers, with each line having more than a hundred persons. That translates itself into 42 lines: 24 for men and 18 for women, which means that the total capacity of the mosque can easily near the figure of 5,000 worshipers.
Read the full article here:


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Blog by Steve Laug
The next pipe I have chosen is one that neither Jeff nor I remember picking up. It could have come to us through a trade for work on a pipe or it could have come from one of an earlier pipe hunts that either Jeff or I did. Either way, the long and short of it is that this is another pipe that we have no idea how it came into our hands. It is an attractive no name billiard with a tortoise shell stem with a fancy trio of acrylic and wood decoration on the shank end of the stem. It had a smooth finish on the bowl and a inwardly beveled rim top. Under grime on the finish it appears that pipe may have had a light brown or tan stain to highlight the grain around the bowl. There were a few small sand pit fills around the bowl on the left back and the top and right side of the shank. The pipe had no stamping on the shank or underside. There was also no identifying stamp on the stem. It was in decent condition when I brought it to the table. The finish was dirty with grime ground into the briar sides and rim. There was a light cake in the bowl and light lava on the rim top and some damage on rear inner edge of the bowl. The stem was dirty but otherwise in good condition. There were light tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside on and near the button. I took photos of the pipe before my cleanup work. They tell the story and give a glimpse of the promise that we see in this pipe. I took a photo of the rim top to show the interior the bowl and the rim top and inner edge. It is moderately caked with some damage to the rim top and edges and some lava coat on the right and back top of the rim. The Tortoise Shell stem is in decent condition with light tooth marks on the top and underside near the button. The two black acrylic bands were slightly smaller in diameter than the stem and the wooden insert so it gave those areas a slight bulge. I would need to smooth out the transition on both sides of the black acrylic on the stem.I took photos of the sides of the shank to show the lack of stamping. There was no stamping on the shank so it was a bit of a mystery pipe. I took the stem off the bowl and took a picture of the parts of the pipe to give a sense of the parts of the pipe.I decided to begin my work on the pipe by addressing the damage to the rim top and edges. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to clean off the rim top and the inner edge of bowl. It took some time but I was able to bring it back to a pretty clean condition. There is a large fill on the rim top on the back right side.The pipe had been reamed recently so all I had to do with it was clean out the shank and airway in the shank and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol. I was surprised that I also was removing some brown stain from the end of the shank. The diameter of the shank and the diameter of the black Lucite bands on the stem did not match. I decided to sand down the shank and stem to try and smooth out the transition between them. I sanded the shank as well as the bowl and rim top with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. After each pad I wiped the briar down with a damp cloth. This served a dual purpose of both removing the sanding debris and the dust that had accumulated in the rustication patterns around the bowl and shank. Once I was finished the flow between the stem and shank was much smoother. I touched up the light areas on the sanded shank and the rim top with a Maple stain pen that matched the finish on the rest of the bowl very well. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The photos show the bowl at this point in the restoration process. It looks quite nice at this point. With that done the bowl was finished other than the final buffing. I set it aside and turned my attention to the stem. I had sanded the stem earlier to deal with the flow of the bands on the stem end. I also sanded it with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I used the pads to remove the tooth marks on the stem on both sides near the button. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I am excited to finish this No Name Tortoise Shell Stem Billiard. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I hand buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with the grain popping through on the bowls sides and rim top. Added to that the polished Tortoise Shell acrylic stem was beautiful. This smooth finished Billiard turned out to be a nice looking pipe that feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 6 inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 49grams/1.73oz. It is a beautiful pipe and one that will be on the rebornpipes store in the Metal and Pipes from Various Makers section soon. If you are interested in adding it to your collection let me know. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over this pipe. Thanks to each of you who are reading this blog. Remember we are not pipe owners; we are pipemen and women who hold our pipes in trust until they pass on into the trust of the next pipeman or woman.


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Page Hogan Director, Pre-College Programs School of International Service
- Degrees
- Master in International Service: School of International Service, American University; BA, International Relations: Tulane University
- Bio
- Page Hogan is director of pre-college programs at American University's School of International Service (SIS). She oversees high school programs at SIS as well as the AU High School Summer Scholars program and pre-college courses offered through the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC). Page manages all aspects of Community of Scholars, an SIS summer program for high school students interested in international relations. She is responsible for marketing and recruitment, admissions, programming, and administration for Community of Scholars, NSLC, AU Summer Scholars and other AU pre-college activities. Page advises participating and prospective high school students as well as engages in outreach to local D.C.-area public schools. Page helps manage the U.S. Summer Sisters Exchange Program, a State Department-funded program which places high school girls from Pakistan in pre-college university programs in the United States. She previously held journalism positions at the American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels, Belgium, and the Wall Street Journal. She studied at L'Institute d'Études Politiques and La Sorbonne in Paris, France.


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MTSub218MKII A
MTsub218 MKII is a powerful state-of-the-art subwoofer designed for a wide range of sound reinforcement applications from outdoor events and concert halls to theatres where high-end sound quality and return on investment are crucial.
The design of this subwoofer is absolutely unique and has been made by our R&D department to ensure an exceptional sensitivity.
Thank to this specific principle, MTSub218 MKII has a more powerful throw than competitors.
The passive version can be managed with Lake, XTA, Matrix Media or Q-Sys but we recommend Powersoft amplifiers with custom presets especially prepared for Audiofocus Mtsub218 MKII.
Plug & Play version offers to the user a full secured and easy to setup subwoofer. The perfect matching between Powersoft module and transducers gives high damping, punch and deep reproduction of the sound. The internal DSP treatment is managed with 4 clever preset including cardio mode.
For more customised needs a Fine tuning version is equipped with an RS485 interface module working with Armonia software for remote control and monitoring Powersoft amplifiers.
Armonia constitutes series of new and unique tools for system designers and sound engineers who want to significantly boost sonic performance and system reliability.
Key Features
- Cardioid/end fire setups
- Truck size dimensions
- 2000 Wrms power handling
- Touring state of the art 2×18"
- Pole mount socket
- Active/Passive versions
Tech Specs
|Vented T-ligned – Passive/Active
|2 x 18″" woofer & 3″" Voice coil
|Power handling RMS / Peak
|Passive: 1400 W RMS / 2500 W Peak
Active: 2000 W RMS / 4000 W Peak
|Frequency range @-3dBspl
|Passive: 45 Hz – 110 Hz Active: 40 Hz – 110 Hz
|Sensitivity spl 2πsr
|106 dB
|SPL@ Peak power
|Passive: 141 dB
Active: 142 dB
|Nominal Impedance (Passive)
|Directivity path
|Passive: Omni
Active: Cardioid preset
|Line Connectors (Active)
|1 x IN, 1 x OUT Neutrik© XLR
|HP Connectors (Passive)
|2x Neutrik© Speakon linked
|Birch marine Plywood 15 & 24 mm
|High resistant Polyurea coating
|Dimensions (WxHxD)
|1200 x 605 x 800 mm
|Passive: 90 kg
Active: 91 kg
|Mounting accessoiries
|M20 screw & 35 mm standard flange


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Following the qualification round, ACEBEAR and BabyPhD from Vietnam, together with eight strong teams from the USA, Russia, the Republic of Korea, India and Germany, will vie for the top prize in the eight-hour finals, set to be held online at the competition's website https://grandprix.whitehatvn.com/ on December 27.
Hosted by Vietnam under the theme of Vietnam Today, WhiteHat Grand Prix 06 has a format consisting of Jeopardy, Attack/Defence and WhiteHat Bug Bounty programmes, finding vulnerabilities on important information systems and popular software in Vietnam.
In the final round, after passing the Jeopardy challenge, 10 teams will enter the Attack/Defence phase in a simulated environment.
The organisers have built a Security Management System that uses real hardware devices for teams to fight in real life situations. The mission of the teams, on the one hand, is to attack and exploit the other team's vulnerabilities in order to disable their security camera system and detect motion and surveillance lights, while at the same time protecting their own systems. Successful completion of the exam requires teams with practical skills as well as a deep understanding of infrastructure security, application security, encryption and web security.
The top 3 finishers in the finals will be rewarded with VND230 million (US$10,000), VND45 million (US$2,000) and VND23 million (US$1,000), respectively. In addition, teams have the chance to get bounties for each bug they find in the WhiteHat Bug Bounty.
Nguyen Thanh Phuc, Director of Authority of Information Security under the Ministry of Information and Communications, said: "In the work of ensuring network safety and security, experts play a key role. Contests like the WhiteHat Grand Prix help promote the development of human resources in cybersecurity in Vietnam, while affirming the country's reputation in the international cybersecurity community."
The WhiteHat Grand Prix was held for the first time at national level in 2014 and began to expand globally in 2015. Vietnam Today is the message that WhiteHat Grand Prix 06 wants to convey to the international community on a developing Vietnam with its positive cultural, economic, scientific and technical achievements.
The qualifying round attracted a record number of participants with 739 teams from 84 countries and territories around the world, including teams from the top 10 in the CTFTime rankings – the leading assessment and ranking platform in information security.
The contest, sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Communications, is being co-organised by the Bkav Corporation and the Authority of Information Security.


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I love when Amazon comes to visit :)
Courtesy of my brother, I recently took advantage of a nice Amazon.com gift certificate. First up, the long-awaited but trepidation-filled animated Dragonlance movie.
Longtime viewers may remember the "Inn of the Last Home" is a fictional inn from this fantasy book series based on the Dungeons & Dragons series. This has long been a favorite series of mine, and in my opinion much richer, more fun and less pretentious than Lord of the Rings ever thought about being. I'd highly recommend any fantasy fans to give them a try. Meanwhile, the animated adaptation of the first book, "Dragons of Autumn Twilight" awaits.
The other half of Amazon's delivery was the latest Jimmy Buffett album, a live 2-disk CD of his March, 2007 beach-side concert in the Caribbean island of Anguilla:
While any new Buffett is heaven to me, what makes this compilation special isn't just the music but the accompanying DVD showing Jimmy live in concert - both at the Dunes concert venue, but also some acoustic tunes sitting around on the beach with the band. A great DVD.
I'm a happy parrothead :)


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In this guide, we've rated & reviewed six of the best tablets for gaming currently available across a range of price points.
While Nintendo's Switch has become a popular handheld gaming console, gaming-specific tablets haven't fared quite as well. Yet, there are users out there that are looking for tablet options that they can also use for casual mobile gaming. So, while a gaming-specific tablet might not be something most people want (or need), a tablet that can double as a light-gaming device does seem to have some demand.
So, in this guide, we're going to take a look at six tablet options across a few different price points (and operating systems) that will work great for traditional purposes and also serve well as mobile gaming tablets, too.
Table of Contents
1. Quick-Look: Top Gaming Tablets
2. Top Pick: Microsoft Surface Pro
4. Android Pick: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
A Quick Look at the Best Gaming Tablets
For a quick break-down of our top picks for the best tablets for gaming, the table below shows our top overall pick, our picks for the best iOS and Android gaming tablets, as well as our pick for the best cheap gaming tablet.
Surface Pro
iOS PICK
Apple iPad Pro
Samsung Galaxy S3
Fire HD 10
*To read our overviews on the gaming tablets featured above, click "Read Review »" to jump to our overview on that specific tablet. You can also scroll down this page to read our two Honorable Mention picks.
Best Overall Gaming Tablet:
Microsoft Surface Pro 12.3″
- 2736 x 1824 Resolution
- Intel Core i7 Processor
- 128G Storage
The Microsoft Surface Pro was kind of a tough pick as being our selection for the Best Overall Gaming Tablet. However, it's hard to deny the fact that, of the tablets that are out there, the Surface Pro offers the most versatility for gamers.
For starters, since it is a Windows-based tablet, you can install Steam on it. And, while it doesn't have the hardware to run more demanding games, the sheer number of games that are available on Steam gives the Surface Pro access to more games than any other option on this list. Not to mention, there are plenty of apps and solutions out there that will allow you to run Android on a Windows system, which gives you access to even more games as well.
Obviously, not everyone is going to want to have to switch back and forth between Android and Windows to use their tablet, but for more tech-savvy individuals, it is definitely an option.
For specs, the Surface Pro comes in an array of options, but the option we've chosen comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a large 12.3″ screen that sports a 2736 x 1824 resolution.
Ultimately, if you are looking for a table to run mobile-only games and you won't utilize the other features that a Windows-based system offers, you'd probably be better off going with one of the options below. However, if you want the ability to play less-demanding Steam games and get the versatility that the Surface Pro offers, it would serve you well as a gaming tablet. Of course, though, if gaming is your main concern, you could always build a $600 gaming PC and get significantly more performance.
Best iOS Tablet for Gaming:
Apple iPad Pro 12.9″
- 2732 x 2048 Resolution
- Apple A10X Fusion CPU
- 64GB+ Storage
While I'm more of a PC and Android fanboi myself, the reality is that, for mobile gaming, mobile game developers tend to release games for iOS first and then Android second (if ever). So, just the number of games that are available on an iOS helps it stand out above the other options on this list.
Of course, Apple's iPad Pro is no slouch in other areas as well. This Apple iPad Pro comes with a 12.9″ screen that sports a 2732 x 2048 resolution display. You can also get the iPad Pro with a smaller 10.5″ display to save some money, too.
This iPad also comes with an Apple A10X Fusion CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a minimum of 64GB of storage (with the potential to get up to 512GB of storage.)
Ultimately, if you're an Apple fan who is used to (and prefers) iOS and you're looking for a nice tablet that you can use for gaming (among other things) the Apple iPad Pro is definitely a tablet you'll want to consider. You could also look into the iPad Mini 4 listed below for a more affordable option.
Best Android Tablet for Gaming:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7″
- 2048 x 1536 Resolution
- Qualcomm Processor
- 32GB+ Storage
For Android fans, in our opinion, your best choice is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. It's a 9.7″ tablet that comes with a 2048 x 1536 Super AMOLED display. It has 4GB of RAM, comes with 32GB of storage space (that is exampled to up to 400GB with an SD card), has quad speakers, and comes with a Samsung S Pen, too.
The tablet is rated for use of up to 12 hours on a single charge and it also comes with quad speakers, as well. The quad speakers are nice for gaming because typically the sound quality on tablets is too low for playing games (unless you use headphones.)
While its display is smaller and has a lower resolution than the iPad Pro's display, the Tab S3 comes in at quite a bit lower of a price. So, if you're working with more of a budget and you can sacrifice having access to a bigger library of games (on iOS), then the Tab S3 would work well for you.
Cheap Gaming Tablet:
Amazon Fire HD 10.1″
- 1920 x 1080 Resolution
- MediaTek Processor
- 32GB+ Storage
If you're looking for a really cheap tablet option that will still allow you to game a little bit, then Amazon's Fire HD 10 tablet might be the choice for you. It's biggest positive is its price. It costs just under $150—and typically you can find it on sale for quite a bit less than that during the major sales days.
The Fire HD 10 comes with a 1080P 10.1″ screen, a MediaTek quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and the option for either 32GB or 64GB of storage. It also offers up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Ultimately, Amazon's FireOS isn't the greatest mobile operating system in the world and you won't have as big of a game library to choose from with the Fire HD 10, but for the price this tablet comes in at, it may be the only viable option for some users.
Honorable Mention #1:
Apple iPad Mini 4 7.9″
- 2048 x 1536 Resolution
- A8 Processor
- 32GB+ Storage
Again, if you're an Apple fan who prefers iOS over Android, either the iPad Pro or this iPad Mini 4 is probably going to be your bet if you're looking for a gaming tablet. And, as I mentioned above, the other thing that iOS has going for it, is that, in the sheer number of games available on mobile devices, iOS has a bigger library of mobile games to choose between.
So, while Apple's desktop solutions aren't great for gaming because game producers don't develop their games for Macs, the opposite is true in the mobile arena… more developers focus on iOS than any other mobile operating system.
As for specs, the iPad Mini 4 comes with a 7.9″ screen that boasts a 2048 x 1536 resolution display. It comes with an A8 processor, 2GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of storage (the one listed above comes with 32GB.)
So, ultimately, if Apple products and iOS is your thing, but you don't want to pay quite as much for the iPad Pro, then the Mini 4 is your best bet.
Honorable Mention #2:
ASUS ZenPad 3S 9.7″
- 2048 x 1536 Resolution
- ARM Cortex Processor
- 64GB+ Storage
One Android alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is ASUS' ZenPad 3S. The ZenPad 3S is probably the nicest-looking Android tablet ever built. In terms of specs, it comes with a 9.7″ screen that offers a 2048 x 1536 resolution display.
The tablet comes with an ARM Cortex Processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage capacity. While it isn't quite as powerful of an option as the Galaxy Tab S3, it does also come in at quite a bit less expensive. (The S3 comes in at just under $450 for the 32GB version, whereas this 64GB ZenPad 3S comes in at under $300.)
In the end, the ZenPad 3S makes sense for those of you Android fans who don't want to pay top dollar for the Galaxy Tab S3, but who have a little more to spend and who are looking for a little more power than Amazon's Fire HD 10 has to offer.
Is A Gaming Tablet Right for You?
Other than NVIDIA ad EVGA's attempt at a true gaming tablet (neither are still available), the reality is that no tablet currently on the market is designed specifically for gaming purposes. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't any options available that will work well for gaming.
The six options we listed above are our choices for the best tablets for gaming. So, if you're looking for a tablet to use for gaming (as well as other purposes), one of the options above should fit your needs.
If you're looking for a more powerful gaming-specific solution, for the price of some of the tablets listed above, you can build your own gaming computer. Check our Cheap Gaming PC Builds guide for more information.


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MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — April 21, 2020 — Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of composite materials, has announced the installation of a high-volume composite slitting and spooling line at its Omega Systèmes plant in Nantes, France. The new production line adds capacity to serve growing demand for both thermoset and thermoplastic slit tape composites from aerospace fabricators across the European market.
The 48-head line is the first of many that Web Industries expects to install at Omega Systèmes, which was acquired by Web in January 2019. The line's custom slitting and spooling capabilities mirror those of Web's North American precision converting operations, enabling the company to offer identical formatting services and quality standards to customers on both sides of the Atlantic. The new line can take master rolls of composite materials, precision slit them into narrower widths and then traverse wind the slit material onto spools. Customers can then easily load these spools of slit tape onto their robotic automated tape laying machinery or other fabrication equipment.
"We are entering an era in which competition will intensify, and production optimization will be an increasingly important factor in productivity gains," said Web Industries Vice President of Corporate Development Kevin Young "The new machinery we have developed and implemented can format both thermoset and thermoplastic composite materials to supply the entire European market."
With this capacity investment, Web Industries is deploying resources to help customers meet composite material requirements for next-generation aircraft programs. These programs are expected to drive a surge in manufacturing of single-aisle airplanes with significant composite content. "We are focused on this challenge and are working with material suppliers, automation developers and fabricators to find new approaches that deliver improved yields, increased throughput and lower cost," said Michael Quarry, vice president of aerospace operations, Web Industries.
COVID-19 Mask Production Update
Web Industries is equipped to develop nonwoven and material converting solutions that support the manufacture of disposable medical products, including masks and gowns, for the COVID-19 crisis throughout North America and Europe.
Web Industries' Omega Systèmes business is currently filling an order for 7,800,000 personal facemasks, up from 900,000 one week ago. The masks are approved by the French General Directorate of Armament to the Ministère des Armées for distribution to food manufacturers, supermarkets and nursing homes conducting business in France.
Posted April 21, 2020
Source: Web Industries Inc.


text: Beishu Gallery is a minimal gallery space located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by Sasaki Architecture. Beishu Gallery is located in the Taito area of Tokyo, where traditional craftsmanship still remains vibrant on every corner of the streets. Beishu is an esteemed high-brand of traditional hina dolls (girls' court dolls from the classical era). The reputation of the brand was established by late Hara Beishu, dollmaker, who eventually received the first and the only national cultural property title in the industry.


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New Jersey bettors can start serious baseball handicapping.
First, major sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel released projected win totals for the novel 60-game season beginning July 23.
And on Wednesday night, DraftKings posted individual props for hitters to reach 20 home runs or pitchers to strike out 100 batters.
Watch the props list grow as we close in on opening day.
Baseball futures betting is a tricky, creative challenge this year. There are unusual factors, such as regional scheduling and the absence of a home-field edge because of no spectators.
There is a further loss of players who won't compete because of coronavirus health concerns. Their absence may impact some teams' win totals.
Nonetheless, we have a place to start. So let's dive in.
MLB total wins odds at DraftKings, FanDuel
Both NJ online sportsbooks have the Los Angeles Dodgers at 37.5 victories, essentially the equivalent of a 101-win campaign. They have the same number for the New York Yankees.
Betting angle: Neither team can afford a slump or slow start for over bettors.
The Houston Astros come in at 35.5. The defending champion Washington Nationals are 33.5.
Betting angle: The Nationals have lost some key players.
The New York Mets, at 32.5 victories, and the Philadelphia Phillies, at 31.5, are expected to exceed .500.
Betting angle: Both teams will be playing the Yankees, Boston Red Sox and perhaps the Tampa Bay Rays fairly often.
It's interesting that DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook have the same win totals. There are usually different spreads that give bettors the option to tailor wagers to where they find the best odds.
That's likely because oddsmakers won't move them to coax certain bets until they review all the implications of a compressed 60-game schedule.
Phillies have a chance to improve
For gamblers, this is a nice time to review who's actually on all these teams now. The offseason changed rosters.
And it's been a long offseason.
Here are some considerations to bridge the 2019 season, the offseason and the beginning of the 2020 campaign.
The Phillies were a disappointing 81–81 last year. They are targeted for a slight improvement.
Phillies fans should consider the team's aggressive offseason moves in the neighborhood of $133 million.
Those moves included nabbing:
- Zack Wheeler, RHP
- Didi Gregorius, SS
- Tommy Hunter, RHP
Now add in a great manager. Joe Girardi, a no-nonsense, hard-nosed leader, has to be worth a couple of games of improvement by himself.
He has long been considered one of the best in the game and managed the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title.
These moves complement the 2019 acquisition of Bryce Harper for a multiyear commitment.
Speaking of the shortened season, the Phillies were 33–22 at one point last year, even while the bullpen cost them perhaps five games with blown leads.
The first half should have been much better, and the second half was just bad. Girardi can and probably will light a fire under this team.
NY Mets look good again
The New York Mets featured slugging newcomer Pete Alonso and won an impressive 86 games last year. Their total wins projection for the 2020 season is a slight downward trend.
The Mets added depth starters Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello. This helps the bottom of the rotation and would make them formidable if Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz stay healthy.
It's been a big "if" in recent years.
New York also acquired former Yankee All-Star Dellin Betances, who often appeared unhittable as an eighth-inning reliever. He did not handle ninth-inning stress well, however, as the closer and has been recovering from an injury.
Bet the over with the Yankees
The Yankees won a whopping 103 games in 2019, and their total is slightly lower proportionately this year.
They picked up pitching star Gerrit Cole in the offseason. That was a great move but will only matter for about 37% of a regular season.
Nonetheless, the Cole move makes the Yankees' over number more attainable.
The Yankees obtained a pitcher with 326 strikeouts and a 2.64 earned-run average last year. He was the prize catch of the offseason and joins Luis Severino, James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka to create a formidable staff.
New York fans already planned a postseason World Series parade, but not so fast. Both Severino and Tanaka are fighting back from injuries.
Seasonal-win props have a fun and useful second betting purpose.
Many teams come within a few games of their projected victory totals. That helps single-game wagers, as bettors can determine which teams are trending way ahead or behind their trajectories and bet accordingly.
Can Alonso 'Re-Pete?': Mets slugger highlights prop board
A New York Met and New York Yankee now own the National League and American League rookie home-run records.
Alonso slugged 53 for the Mets last year, surpassing Yankee Aaron Judge's 52 as the most in history for rookies.
Alonso headlines the new DraftKings prop regarding the 20-homer plateau in this shortened season. He is at +250 to reach the mark, which equates to a 53-homer full season.
in 60 games, can any of these guys get over 20 home runs? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/y5KbZ1UqAQ
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) July 2, 2020
Mike Trout is +300, Giancarlo Stanton is +300, Cody Bellinger is +400 and Joey Gallo is +145.
Star pitchers seek triple figures in 60 games
The 100-strikeout pitching prop equals about 264 over a full season.
Cole is -121, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are +115, and deGrom is +145.
This bet depends entirely on how you believe the pitchers will be used.
Will they be allowed to go deeper into games because the season is shorter? Or will they be eased into the season with strict pitch-count limits because they have not been pitching since the fall?
To enhance the betting spirit, both New Jersey sportsbooks put up one more recent line.
The Yankees are -136 against the Nationals (+112) on Opening Day. FanDuel has the Yankees at -128 and the Nationals at +110.
And it's Cole vs Scherzer.
Let's play ball!