text:
Autumn is in the air in Japan. Typhoon season has been pretty wet this year, I heard, but cool temperatures and clear skies are starting to make their appearance. The first foliage reports from japan-guide are out and Hokkaido has started off the season with brilliant colors. Last year, looking to vary things a bit... Continue Reading →
Top 5 Photos of 2015
It's the end of 2015 and in a few hours, the year will wrap up and roll over into another one. Such is the way of time, and there's no stopping it. (Much as I want to. Can we roll back to autumn? 🙂 ) This year has ZOOMED, more so for the fact that... Continue Reading →
Spotlight: Beppu Jigoku
Beppu is one steamy city. Seriously. Poke a hole almost anywhere in the ground in this seaside city and you'll release a massive amount of hot air. Oita is considered the onsen capital of Japan and Beppu is arguably the place with the highest proliferation of hot springs per square kilometer. But the most famous... Continue Reading →
Friday Photo: April 2015
The countdown until our move date to Tokyo is starting to feel real. With only a few months left in Kyushu (and with a trip back to the US for a family wedding thrown in the mix for part of that), I am now in that stage of an impending change where I want to... Continue Reading →
Spotlight: Snow Monkeys at Jigokudani Onsen
Winter might be coming to an end down here in Kyushu, but further north - especially in the Nagano region - things are still snowy and white. But truthfully, that's the perfect time to visit the monkeys of Jigokudani Onsen. Chances are you've seen the pictures. The Japanese macaques (or "snow monkeys" as they are... Continue Reading →
Manhole Monday: Takeo Onsen
Last week, I was lucky enough to be hosted by the Saga Prefectural Government for a three-day tour of the prefecture just northwest of Kumamoto. Charged to write an advertorial for them for The Japan Times, I was chauffered around to at least two dozen locations in Saga. And let me just say - I... Continue Reading →
Manhole Monday: Hongu
Ohhhhh, winter. I am really looking forward to the snow you've been dumping on the surrounding prefectures but at the moment, your frigid temperatures are unwelcome. At least it will make this girl from the northeastern US feel right at home come Christmas morning. I've never been one to do the Christmas holiday in hot... Continue Reading →
5 Faves: Onsen Towns
Winter is the perfect season to enjoy Japan's warm waters. (And man, has it ever turned into winter practically overnight here.) I personally love hot springs and like nothing better than to plan an evening's escape to a small onsen town in the middle of nowhere. While Japan also boasts big tour-focused towns where tons... Continue Reading →
Experience: Sand Baths in Ibusuki
Alright, a show of hands. Who out there doesn't mind being buried alive? Now that I have your attention, let's talk about sand bathing. No, not sunbathing. And not bathing in an onsen, my preferred type of bathing here in Japan. Nope, sand bathing is pretty much what it sounds like - being covered from... Continue Reading →
Family Fun: Visiting an Onsen
I was going to write this post on the Kagoshima Aquarium, bit frankly, it wasn't all that awesome of a site and I've already written up far better aquariums in Japan. So after a trip to the local sento (public bathhouse) this past weekend with a VERY enthusiastic three-year-old, I thought I'd write a bit about... Continue Reading →


text:
38 CFR § 21.92 - Preparation of the plan.
§ 21.92 Preparation of the plan.
(a) General. The plan will be jointly developed by Department of Veterans Affairs staff and the veteran.
(b) Approval of the plan. The terms and conditions of the plan must be approved and agreed to by the Counseling Psychologist (CP) or Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC), the vocational rehabilitation specialist, and the veteran.
(c) Implementation of the plan. The vocational rehabilitation specialist or CP or VRC designated as case manager has the primary role in carrying out Department of Veterans Affairs responsibility for implementation of the plan.
(d) Responsible staff. The CP or VRC has the primary responsibility for the preparation of plans.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3107(a))
[49 FR 40814, Oct. 18, 1984, as amended at 81 FR 26131, May 2, 2016]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
'Even Akram wanted a go!' - Sumareh on pre-penalty haggling
BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter
Malaysia forward Shahrel Fikri Fauzi netted a hat-trick in their 5-1 second leg World Cup/Asian Cup play-off win over Timor-Leste on Tuesday, despite him missing from the spot midway through the second half.
After Akhyar Rashid was brought down in the Timor-Leste box in the 58th minute, referee Araki Yusuke pointed to the spot, and Mohamadou Sumareh and Shahrel both stepped up to have a go. After a brief discussion, Sumareh relented and Shahrel, who at the point has scored two goals already in the match, was allowed to convert the chance.
Unfortunately, the Perak striker's attempt was guessed correctly by custodian Fernando Da Costa, and the chance went begging. Luckily for Shahrel, he would eventually go on to score his third goal, a well-worked solo strike that he produced after dispossessing a defender from near the halfway line.
When met after the match, Sumareh briefly described the discussion that took place between him and Shahrel in the run-up to the penalty.
"I was like, 'I've scored one goal, let me take this one'. Then Akram (midfielder Akram Mahinan) came and he went 'I've never scored for the national team, let me take it'. But Eky (Shahrel) came and said he was on two goals, so I let him have it.
"He couldn't score in the end, so maybe he should have given it to me! That way everyone's happy. But it's okay, these things happen," said the Pahang winger in response to a question by Goal.
On a more serious note, the Gambian-born naturalised player was buoyed by the attacking options now available to Malaysia, especially now that they are through to the group stages of the qualifiers.
"We rotated players in the second game but those who came in still did well. From the defence to the attackers, we can rotate and the coach is doing a good job.
"Everyone's doing well playing the ball on the ground, and we have many attacking players. Akhyar is there, Safawi [Rasid] is there, and our attacking is brilliant. Everyone's hungry and eager to play, we're heading in the right direction.
"We're getting to know each other better the longer we play together. So if the same set of players are maintained, I have confidence that we can go far [in the qualifiers]," explained Sumareh.
Follow Goal Malaysia 's Instagram account!
Sumareh menjelaskan situasi sebelum sepakan penalti. . What went on before the penalty? Sumareh explains. . #GoalMalaysia #ACQ2023 #WCQ2022 #Malaysia #TLSvMAS #Sumareh
A post shared by Goal Malaysia (@goal_malaysia) on Jun 11, 2019 at 9:30pm PDT
Editors' Picks
- Player of the Tournament Power Rankings: Mbappe, Richarlison and Gakpo among the early frontrunners
- Break the bank for Bellingham! Which club needs to sign England's wonderkid the most?
- Neymar's last chance to win the World Cup - and restore his reputation
- Gavi, Messi, Pele and the youngest goalscorers in World Cup history


text:
Primarily seeking companionship, hopefully developing into romance. Likes: redheads, outdoor women, capable speaking in complete sentences w/o a lot of profanity in any one sentence, country music fan. Dislikes: preachers, serial murderers, moochers, vegetarians, nose pickers. About me: 5'8, 150, blond, brown, love to cook, liberal Democrat, home owner, married for 20 years, divorced for 18 years, well educated, political organizer, fund raiser, player, card player, grandfather. Ready people to fuck.
i cater to business travelers and upscale, professional gentlemen in bucharest and in europe who desire the best of all worlds. Brains and beauty, as well as a girl who is skilled in the arts of sensual . Whether it is for professional or for private occasions, you will be accompanied by an intelligent, charming, educated, interesting, positive young woman, who is eloquent and extremely well-mannered!. All in your privacy, hotel, or luncheon, where a whirlpool, a sauna that will surely please and make our moments more enjoyable.. i live in California like fishing being outdoors go to church weekly. like going to the beach i am fun to be with.i am a family oriented. i am God fearing i am real easy going to talk to and a good listener.i am an ooen minded pperson. am looking for a serious relationship. it would be nice to find the right woman to share lifes journey toghter.. Busty and chubby french woman masturbating I want to to try with a guy whose cock more than 21 centimeters.
Horny lady ready easy flirt horny girls horny couple
Sexual Fantasies:
✅Sex vaginal
✅Female Ejaculation
✅Striptease amateur
✅Massage erotic
✅French Kissing
Note: You must be logged in to post a review.


text:
Startech MDPVGDVHD4K miniDisplayPort to HDMI, DVI or D-Sub VGA Audio / Video Adapter, Aluminum
Product Info
Aluminum Travel 3-in-1 4K UHD Audio / Video Adapter
This compact mini DisplayPort converter connects your Laptop on the Road
This 3-in-1 travel adapter offers a portable solution for connecting your Mini DisplayPort computer to a VGA, DVI or HDMI® display.
This audio and video adapter is VESA certified, to ensure compatibility with your mini DisplayPort computer running Windows® or macOS.
Connectivity for Windows® Laptops, MacBook Pros & MacBook Air
Photograph of the adapter connected to a MacBook Pro
This travel adapter has been constructed with a sturdy aluminum housing and features a pure white Mini DisplayPort cable built in. While the adapter looks great and works well with any mDP device, it's designed to seamlessly match your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.
- Supports up from 4K UHD Monitors
- HDMI: 3840 x 2160, 2560 x 1600, 1920 x 1200, 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720
- DVI or VGA port: 1920 x 1200, 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720
- For Windows® and Apple Computer Laptops and Computers with a mini DisplayPort port
- Compatible with mDP Intel® Thunderbolt™ devices that are capable of outputting a DisplayPort signal
- Keep the adapter with you while traveling, to connect to virtually any display you come across
- Connect your BYOD MacBook Pro or MacBook Air to a provided VGA, DVI, or HDMI display at work
- Connect a VGA, DVI, or HDMI display to your Mini DisplayPort laptop, to use as a secondary monitor
All In One Video Connectivity, With Travel in Mind
Instead of filling your laptop bag with different converters for different displays, this 3-in-1 adapter gives you all the video outputs you'll need. With VGA, DVI and HDMI outputs, this adapter lets you connect from your laptop's Mini DisplayPort port to any boardroom or classroom display, without the inconvenience of carrying a separate adapter for each display type.
With support for multiple video outputs and a lightweight, small-footprint design, this adapter is the ideal plug-and-play solution for travel or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) applications around the office.
Innovative, Built-in Cable Manager
The adapter features a built-in magnetic fastener, for cable management. The magnet helps guide the breakout cable into place for quick and secure storage while traveling, ensuring the adapter is neatly stored in your travel bag.
Astonishing picture quality with support for Ultra HD 4K
The HDMI output on this adapter supports Ultra HD 4K resolutions, providing four times the picture quality of high-definition 1080p. The HDMI output is also backward compatible with lower resolutions, such as 1080p and 720p, so the adapter is also perfect for your legacy video equipment. The VGA and DVI outputs also support a high-definition maximum resolution up to 1920 x 1200, so you can still enjoy excellent video quality.
The travel adapter is compatible with mDP Intel® Thunderbolt™ devices that are capable of outputting a DisplayPort signal.
2 Year StarTech Limited Warranty w/ Lifetime Technical Support
The MDPVGDVHD4K travel audio / video adapter is backed by StarTech.com's famous 2 Year Limited Warranty and Free Lifetime Technical Support.
1x Mini DisplayPort v1.2, Male
|Video Resolutions
|HDMI output:
3840 x 2160, 2560 x 1600, 1920 x 1200, 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720
DVI and VGA output:
|Operating: 0 ~ 70° C (32 ~ 158° F)
Storage: -10 ~ 80° C (14 ~ 176° F)
|Bus Powered, no external power required
|Dimensions (LxWxH)
|103 x 55 x 15mm


text:
For all the glamour our mainstream society has around the art of writing, it's mostly a lot of work. As others have said, writing is the art of applying butt to seat and fingers to keyboard – and staying off Facebook while you do it. I like to get started by taking an idea with me on a long walk, but even if that goes well, each blog post represents multiple hours staring at the screen and trying to make the right words come out.
But sometimes the Awen flows and all I have to do is sit there and type. Other times, blog posts aren't inspired so much at they're dictated: "you – Druid – write this!" And so I write.
This is one of those dictated posts. It's completely out of the context of what's been going on in my life and what I've been thinking about writing, but it came together almost as a finished product. So I assume there's someone – or many someones – who need to hear this.
Initiation and Ordeals
Initiation does not begin with the start of a ceremony. Initiation begins with the request for initiation or with the declaration of intent to work toward initiation. Start searching the internet for articles on initiation, start asking questions of those with the authority to initiate, stand up and say "I want in" and you will be heard.
Now, you may not be heard by who you want to hear you. If you want a Gardnerian Wiccan initiation, the only way to get it is to find a Gardnerian coven, train with them to their satisfaction, then participate in their initiation ritual. You're not just being initiated, you're being initiated into a specific tradition and lineage. Those performing the initiation have an obligation to make sure you will represent and continue that tradition and lineage well.
But some people aren't looking for initiation into a specific tradition. Instead, they're looking for an transformative initiation experience – and that's something that can happen in many different ways.
The more initiations I participate in – from both sides – the more I'm convinced of the wisdom of Tarot artist Robin Wood's statement "the Gods initiate – we just officiate." While a well-crafted and well-presented initiation ceremony can be deeply effective, at the end of the day it comes down to two things: is the candidate prepared and are the Gods and spirits willing? I say this because the effectiveness of an initiation often comes down to something most initiators are reluctant to create: truly transformative ordeals.
Ordeals challenge and test a candidate, but their primary purpose is transformation. An ordeal breaks down barriers, tears away masks, and strips away illusions. It breaks the candidate open so Gods and spirits can pour in and real change can occur. It shows you something so real and so personal you can never go back to being who and what you were before. You see the world in a new way and the idea of going back to mainstream materialism and shallow spirituality becomes unthinkable.
I've never created an exceptionally challenging ordeal for an initiation. I like the people I've helped initiate and I don't want to hurt them, even if I know the suffering is ultimately a good thing. I'm concerned about something going badly wrong and someone getting seriously injured. And I'm concerned about what happens if the candidate fails the ordeal. I've heard stories of initiations that left a candidate a broken mess who never really recovered. I don't want to take those risks.
The Gods have no such reservations.
Initiation begins with the request for initiation. Now, if you're insincere or completely unprepared, the Gods are likely to ignore you… though certain spirits may decide you'd be fun to play with. Be careful what you ask for. But assuming you have a clue what you're doing, once you say "I want in" the ordeal begins.
It may take weeks to start. Depending on your situation, it may take months. And it may never look and feel anything like your expectations – or your desires. It can take so many different forms I'm reluctant to list examples. An ordeal isn't just something bad that happens to you. An illness, a death in the family, a car wreck – these things can be ordeals, but most of the time they're just random bad things happening randomly. If it doesn't push you to re-evaluate your foundational assumptions about life, death, and the nature of the universe, it's not an ordeal.
There are three ways you can fail a Gods-sent ordeal.
You fail to recognize what's presented to you. An opportunity presents itself, but you reject it without considering its deeper prospects. The magic works, but you rationalize it away. An Otherworldly being appears in front of you, but you never look up from your phone. You were given an opportunity to break open your worldview and you rejected it without ever realizing you had made a choice.
The problem here is that you don't know what you don't know. If it's been more than a few months since you declared your desire for initiation and it feels like nothing has happened, it's likely you need to learn to see. Or perhaps you weren't ready to begin with and you haven't noticed a transformative ordeal because one hasn't been sent your way. If this is the case, you almost certainly need some face-to-face instruction. Find a teacher or a group. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want, but don't be afraid to accept help from unexpected sources either.
You give up too soon. Ceremonial ordeals can be very powerful – I experienced one at age 19 that certainly was. But ceremonial ordeals are limited by the amount of time the officiants and the candidate can spend in ceremony. We expect them to last a few hours, or at most until dawn. There are traditions that send candidates out into the wilderness by themselves for a few days – most of us see these as extreme cases.
A Gods-sent ordeal may go on for months or even years. At times, it's unclear where the ordeal ends and the work of doing what you're called to do begins.
Christianity – which still dominates our mainstream culture – presents the Damascus Road conversion of Saul as the model for spiritual transformation. Sometimes it really is that quick and that permanent, regardless of the religious context. More often, transformation is slow and gradual. It's two steps forward and one step back. It's being skeptical, doing the work anyway, seeing the results, and being a little less skeptical next time. It's learning to crawl, then to walk, then to run… and then training to run a marathon.
Along way, you will be tempted to quit. I do not believe in some grand dualistic battle between Good and Evil, but old habits die hard. The (mostly temporal) powers that rule the mainstream world have a vested interest in keeping you asleep and compliant. And sometimes the harsh realities of life get in the way.
But if magic, mysticism, and deep spiritual relationships are what you really want, keep working. These ordeals can take far longer than you'd imagine. Don't give up before you reach your goal.
You reject the offer. You declare for initiation and the ordeal begins. The curtain is pulled back and you see wonders… and terrors. And you close the curtain as tightly as you can.
Accepting that the world is far more magical and spiritual than you've always been taught is hard. Accepting that it's not all love and light is scary. If the Gods are real then They can affect our lives in ways we might wish they wouldn't. If the Good Neighbors are real then they may decide to interact with us in ways far more troublesome than hiding our glasses in a hard-to-find spot. If we can curse our enemies then they can curse us.
It's no failure to decide that's not something you want to deal with. It's no failure to recognize that you'd be better off following Jesus or the Buddha instead of pouring offerings to the Many Gods. This path isn't for everyone, and if it's not for you then the sooner you accept that and move on the better off you'll be.
But it is a failure to reject the wonders and terrors of the Gods and spirits and try to force them into your own sanitized version of what you think they should be. It is a failure to reject the wholeness of the Gods and try to reduce Them to functions and functionaries that can be compelled by human will. It is a failure to reject the agency of the Gods and try to turn Them into aspects of your own psyche.
If you failed an ordeal. There is no shame in failure. There is plenty of shame in repeated, obstinate failure. The first step in dealing with any failure is to acknowledge it.
If you failed to recognize what was presented to you, ask for help so you can learn what you need to learn. If you gave up too soon, start again and remember that persistence is a virtue.
If you rejected the offer, think long and hard about what you did and why you did it. If you continue to ask for initiation, expect the ordeals to keep coming but do not expect them to be any more to your liking than the ones you failed. If you are unwilling or unable to deal with the wonders and the terrors, if you are unwilling or unable to do the work the Gods ask you to do, then do yourself a favor and find another path before you put yourself in an even more difficult situation.
But also think long and hard about why you asked for initiation in the first place. Is there still a dissatisfaction with mundane society that calls for a magical response? Does something deep inside you still whisper that there's more to life than the ordinary world? Is there a part of your soul that will never be satisfied until you can experience it for yourself?
Courage is not having no fear. Courage is being legitimately concerned about real risks, and then doing what needs to be done anyway.
What do you need to do? Find another path? Or ask again for initiation?


text:
The history of Avast traces the history of personal technology innovations, the rise of the internet, and the integration of technology into nearly every aspect of people's increasingly digital lives.
Over its 30-year history, Avast has maintained its roots in the Czech Republic, fueled by a sense of fierce independence, a passion for protecting people's right to security and privacy, and a strong engineering talent pool.
NortonLifeLock completes merger with Avast
"We believe that everyone deserves the freedom to live their digital lives to the fullest," said Vincent Pilette, CEO of NortonLifeLock and the Combined Company. "Half a billion users trust us to protect and empower their digital lives, and now that NortonLifeLock and Avast have come together, we plan to redefine and reimagine Cyber Safety for consumers and small businesses around the world."
Avast steps up to protect digital freedom for all
Avast unveils a brand new look that reflects its wider purpose. On the same day, Avast One is released — an all-in-one flagship product combining robust threat detection with advanced privacy and performance features.
In 2020, Avast entered the FTSE 100 index, which tracks the stocks of the largest firms traded on the London Stock Exchange.
Leading a new phase of growth
Ondrej Vlcek is appointed CEO.
Going public on the London Stock Exchange
In May 2018, Avast is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Serving 435 million active users
All versions of Avast antivirus protect against WannaCry, BadRabbit and NotPetya ransomware as well as Emotet crypto-mining attacks, without requiring a single product update. Avast reaches $811M in adjusted billings. Avast acquires Piriform, bringing our total active users to over 435 million.
Joining forces, better together
Avast acquires fellow Czech-based cybersecurity giant AVG, doubling our total number of users and bringing in new talent and technologies. The acquisition gives Avast the largest and most advanced threat detection network, based on our massive user base, and further diversifies our product portfolio, geographic base, and revenue streams.
Celebrating our brand new headquarters in Prague
Avast opens its new Prague headquarters, bringing Silicon Valley style to the Czech Republic.
Rising up with the mobile boom
CVC Capital Partners becomes a strategic investor. Our mobile products reach the 100 million download milestone faster than any other mobile security tools in Google Play history.
Gaining momentum with mobile carriers
Avast's mobile family apps hits the 1,000,000 subscriber milestone through mobile carrier partnerships.
Bringing the best to mobile
Avast Free Mobile Security becomes the best-rated security app on Google Play. Avast Free Antivirus is the most downloaded software on Download.com
Getting down to business
Avast expands into business security, focusing on the SMB market.
Becoming Avast
Summit Partners comes on board as an investor. Alwil is rebranded as Avast to match the name of our iconic software.
Welcoming new leadership
Vincent Steckler is appointed CEO of Avast.
20 million users strong
The number of people using Avast continues to grow exponentially, doubling twice in one year, reaching 20 million.
Surpassing one million users
Within 30 months of going free, Avast is used by over 1 million people around the world.
Free security for all
Avast makes the defining decision to change the traditional antivirus business model and offers a fully featured, free antivirus to all.
Avast goes global
After refusing an offer to be acquired, Alwil instead licenses its Avast antivirus to McAfee, and watches its global distribution grow rapidly.
Joining Avast — Ondrej Vlcek
Ondrej Vlcek, now the CEO, joins Alwil as a software developer.
Founding a company — ALWIL Software is launched
Following the fall of Communism after the Velvet Revolution of 1989, Pavel and Eduard break off from the rest of the cooperative, establishing ALWIL as a company.
Destroying a virus — the start of something big
Pavel Baudis defeats the Vienna virus, and he and Eduard Kucera establish the ALWIL cooperative to distribute and sell their newly created software.


text:
Map of Pasadena Hills Florida FL
Pasadena Hills Florida FL Map professionally designed by GreatCitees.com. Feel free to remix and share.
Non-commercial works only please.
We also have maps for nearby towns:
Pasadena Shores, FL
Lake Pasadena Heights, FL
Fort King Acres, FL
St.Leo, FL
San Antonio, FL
Clinton Heights, FL
South Clinton Heights, FL
Zephyrhills West, FL
Zephyrhills, FL
Zephyrhills North, FL
Dade City, FL
Zephyrhills South, FL
Wesley Chapel South, FL
Wesley Chapel, FL
Lumberton, FL
Dade City North, FL
Pasco, FL
Blanton, FL
Crystal Springs, FL
Port Lonesome, FL
Pasadena Hills, Florida FL Souvenir Shirt
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License
| © 2008-2022 TownMapsUSA.com


text:
It is crucial to note according to the Gartner's release that the security concern is not just limited to the devices alone but attention must be given to information security, information technology security, operational technology security and physical security. As such today's executives are faced with a decision regarding the future of security in their company.
With this security risk in mind many companies who are IoT security providers are working on developing products and offerings that can mitigate the risk and protect connected devices. One such company is Symantec who has recently announced that it is protecting more than one billion Internet of Things devices ranging from cars to televisions, smart meters to infrastructure.
"As IoT innovation and adoption continues to grow, so has the opportunity for new cyber security risks. This is the next frontier. In the automotive industry, hackers can literally steer the car and 'hit the brakes' from their keyboards," said Shankar Somasundaram, Senior Director of Internet of Things Security, Symantec. "Symantec is partnering with manufacturers in the automotive, industrial control, and semiconductor industries, in addition to our work in healthcare and retail markets."
In order to keep hackers from steering your car into a building or a lake, Symantec has developed an approach that is comprehensive and covers authentication, device security, analytics and management to help devices and not just cars from becoming hacked, tracked and electronically hijacked.
So how is being done? This leading IoT security provider has approached this from three different areas:
- Device Security: which protects IoT devices by locking down the software embedded in the device to protect against zero-day attacks and prevent compromise
- IoT Roots of Trust and Device Certificates: by working with some of the world's largest chip providers and cryptographic library partners, to embed security at the hardware level to create new "Roots of Trust," so devices can safely encrypt and authenticate information
- Code Signing Certificates and Secure App Services: by ensuring that code running on IoT devices is authorized through code signing certificates and a cloud based signing-as-a-service for a number of code formats relevant to IoT
Symantec and the other IoT security providers have invested heavily in solutions to protect consumers from hacks and attacks but with the prediction of reaching 25 billion connected devices by 2020, will this be enough? Undoubtedly, Internet of Things will continue to be a huge target while security will remain at the top of the agenda. The only way to come out on top always is to stay at least one step above the hackers.
Marcello Sukhdeo
Related posts
Travel safe with IBM Analytics
Stay connected
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is a beautifully crafted smartphone with nearly no bezel, curvaceous in design and reflects a…
How to: Connect to Exchange Online Using Multi-Factor Authentication
Using PowerShell to manage your Microsoft cloud services like Exchange Online and using multi-factor authentication (MFA) separately is awesome. Using…


text:
New Orleans Pelicans sign Jeff Withey
Jeff Withey signed with the Pelicans today. Withey, who was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in second round of the 2013 NBA Draft was later traded to the Pelicans.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that they have signed center Jeff Withey. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not released.
Withey, a product of the University of Kansas, played on the New Orleans Pelicans Summer League team, leading the club with 1.50 blocks per game.
The four year player at Kansas ended his career as the KU and Big 12 all-time career blocked shots leader with a total of 312 blocked shots. The seven foot, 235 pound California native earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in his junior and senior seasons at Kansas (2012 and 2013). Withey was selected 39th overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2013 NBA Draft and was acquired July 10th from Portland along with Tyreke Evans from Sacramento in a three team trade in exchange for Greivis Vasquez and Robin Lopez.


text:
What do girls boxing in Kabul have to do with a woman dating a plastic surgeon in Halifax? Cinema Politica St. John's and the National Film Board of Canada are co-presenting two films that highlight different experiences of scrutiny: The Boxing Girls of Kabul (2011) and Flawed (2010). Both films are produced by Newfoundland's Annette Clarke.
Whether a woman chooses to wear a hijab or yoga pants, whether a girl enters the boxing ring or parties on George Street, it can be argued that women are under the microscope, examined by media, community, family, and themselves.
The Boxing Girls of Kabul is a film that makes you want to fight. This documentary follows a small group of girls who train in a dilapidated Kabul stadium haunted by Taliban atrocities. By putting on their gloves they are challenging a status quo where opportunities for women to study, travel, and participate in sport are limited – where the intrinsic worth of girls is a question, not a fact. We see the girls' triumphs and tribulations in their first overseas matches, and the impacts when they return home, from the pride of a progressive father, to the warnings of a conservative brother, to the threats of a stranger. Through the ropes, we glimpse the oppression that is these girls' reality.
Flawed is a short animated film about a woman insecure about her nose who, in a twist of fate, dates a plastic surgeon. Filmmaker Andrea Dorfman uses a paint brush, not boxing gloves, to explore the nature of self-acceptance in a world saturated by narrowly construed notions of beauty.
The Boxing Girls of Kabul and Flawed screen on Tuesday Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. in Memorial University's Arts and Administration Building, room 1046. Producer Annette Clarke will be ringside to answer questions. Admission is free and donations will be accepted.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 before the end of the year to solidify our plans for 2023. We need your support to keep producing this progressive, explanatory, and unique local journalism.
Want more of The Independent?
You can make it happen.


text:
ALEXANDER ABRAMOV, ALEXANDER FROLOV, ALEXANDER VAGIN, Bakken, Canada, Cyprus, DAPL, DAPL pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners, Erich Poemz, ETP, Evraz, GENNADY KOZOVOY, militarization of police, North Dakota State Patrol, North Dakota State Police, Putin, ROMAN ABRAMOVICH, Russia, Stock market, UK, water protectors, Wilbur Ross, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin State Police
On February 22, 2017, at 930 am ET, Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) stock was worth $38.83 per share on the New York Stock Exchange. By noon on February 23rd, it had fallen to $37.53 – a 3.5% drop. As of Friday, it closed at $37.71.
Owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners appears to have shot themselves in the foot, so to speak. The violent police attacks upon water protectors opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline appear to have negatively impacted their stock value. People find these abuses repulsive, and apparently increasingly don't want to invest in this. Dakota Access may be misleading people regarding how far along they are. If true, this is probably in an attempt to boost their stock value.
Furthermore, according to Mary Schimke at Bakken dot com, Feb.24, 2017, the pipeline is not for US use, but for export: "Shale production will be used for export…" So, America's water supply and freedom of speech is to be destroyed to provide energy for the exploding populations of foreign countries. How's that making America great again? Worse, as discussed further below, the piping may be made, at least in part, by a company controlled by Russian oligarchs who have been tied to Putin, and probably still are. However, since they make rails for trains they would seemingly benefit either way from the Bakken oil.
Even the BBC (James Cook @BBCJamesCook ) noted the police aggression and tweeted it out: "You broke my hip" screams Eric Poemz as he is arrested while live streaming at #StandingRock protest. Circa 2hr 57′ https://t.co/gdUnqCONuP " https://twitter.com/i/web/status/834548582719975424
Are these claims a hoax by Energy Transfer Partners in order to boost ETP stock value? "Dakota Access estimates and targets that the pipeline will be complete and ready to flow oil anywhere between the week of March 6, 2017, and April 1, 2017," company attorney William Scherman said in the documents filed in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday," as cited in "Dakota Access pipeline could be operating within weeks Protesters cleared from main camp blocking last section of pipeline", Feb 24, 2017 2:25 PM ET, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/standing-rock-pipeline-project-1.3997990 Although the filings should be public domain in the US, in the age of Trump we apparently have to depend on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to find this information.
Journalist Eric Poemz, currently using an old style granny walker to get around after being tackled to the ground by police, informed people on Saturday that the ETP (Energy Transfer Partner's) Dakota Access Pipeline is Not Done Drilling under the river. Not surprisingly, they have encountered problems, he says. While he credits prayer, at the bottom of our post there is a small extract of text from the USGS of some things which can go wrong. Rainfall and flooding has probably exacerbated problems, though some are crediting prayer for the rain. The military vehicles even got stuck in the mud and the police slipped and fell on their faces in it the day after Eric was attacked. Eric's information is based on investigation of the site, he says in this video which is both inspiring and informative: http://youtu.be/ABpnAvEB4W4. He also explains that they stayed and stood in the road to help protect the elders who were still in camp, and that he's still going to pray for the culprits and love them (this is what Jesus said BTW – love your enemies, pray for them that persecute you; ML King said an eye for an eye makes everyone blind).
Although they don't say how they got the information, it should come as no surprise that between knowing the lay of the land – for some from the encampments; for others from a lifetime of living there – along with zoom lens, binoculars, etc., that they would be able to obtain information. The video obtained by Unicorn Riot from a distance and his ability to zoom in to small details was amazing.
Steve Horn of DeSmog Blog pointed out last week that the pipes appear to be made, at least in part, by Evraz: "Much of Dakota Access Pipeline Steel Made by Russian Company Tied to Putin" Sunday, February 19, 2017. Steve Horn discusses Roman Abramovich. RT news in a 15 Oct. 2013 article entitled "Still struggling in America: Russia's largest steelmaker plans to close US plant" says that Abramovich heads Evraz. Abramovich, believed to Putin's kingmaker, is not the only Russian oligarch involved with Evraz, however. Evraz is majority owned by Cyprus registered Lanebrook Ltd., which is owned by ROMAN ABRAMOVICH 31.03%, former Putin advisor ALEXANDER ABRAMOV 21.38% – meaning that together they control Lanebrook, which then controls Evraz. There is also ALEXANDER FROLOV (10.68%) who appears to be Czech – homeland to Ivanka's mother – Trump's first wife. Then there are Russian coal barons GENNADY KOZOVOY (5.90%) and ALEXANDER VAGIN (5.84%) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspadskaya_coal_mine, along with Russian-American EUGENE SHVIDLER (3.09%) with ties to Abramovich and the Russian oil industry. Wilbur Ross, Trump Commerce Secretary Nominee, is vice-chair of the Bank of Cyprus, as well as having had involvement in steel and coal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Ross 51% control of one company, which in turn controls 51% of another, is an intelligent trick which the Russian government often uses to maintain control of their state owned companies. In an earlier DeSmog Blog article by Steve Horn and Itai Vardi ("How a Russian Steel Oligarch and Putin Ally Is Profiting from the Keystone XL Pipeline", February 13, 2017) the ties between Abramovich and Ivanka Trump have been rooted out, as found in a tweet: "DASHA ZHUKOVA, wife of Russian industrialist billionaire ROMAN ABRAMOVICH, is here for inauguration. Guest of IVANKA, per source." https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/822182850132840449. Zhukova's father is Russian oil magnate Alexander Zhukov, according to Steve Horn.
About the outrageous, unjustified, police violence
Some things which can go wrong from the EA
Note that the EA (Environmental Assessment) is not as complete as the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement), which should have been done in this instance. While Obama finally agreed to the EIS, Trump told them to move forward without it. This EA may have been written by the pipeline company (if we recall correctly).
"Horizontal directional drilling is a technically advanced process. The detection of drilling fluid seepage prior to it occurring is highly dependent upon the skills and experience of the drilling crew. Each drilling situation is unique in that the behavior of the subsurface material is highly variable and can be difficult to predict. There is no in‐hole monitoring equipment that can detect drilling fluid seepage; therefore, a combination of factors such as those listed below must be properly interpreted to assess conditions that may have the potential of causing drilling fluid seepage.
A seep occurs when there is a failure to maintain pressure in the hole. The most obvious signs of a drilling fluid seepage are surface seepage or loss of circulation of the drilling fluid. One of the functions of the drilling fluid is to seal the hole to maintain the down hole pressure. The loss of returning drilling fluid is a sign that pressure is not being maintained in the drill hole and seepage is possibly occurring. If there is a reduction in the quantity of drilling fluid returning to the drill site (loss of circulation), this could be a warning sign. However, some loss of drilling fluid is also normal in the drilling process. During the drilling process, a loose sand or gravel layer may be encountered which would require additional drilling fluids to fill in the voids in the substrate. Consequently, drilling fluid loss itself is not an indication of a potential seepage condition. It is the loss of drilling fluid in combination with other factors that may indicate a potential seepage condition. For example, if there is a loss of drilling fluid and the return cuttings do not show a large quantity of gravel, then this could indicate a loss of containment pressure within the borehole. Once surface seepage of drilling fluid is detected, the drilling crew will take immediate corrective action. The primary factor causing the surface seepage to occur is pressure from the drilling fluid pumps. Therefore, the most direct corrective action is to stop the rig pumps. By stopping the pumps, the pressure in the hole will quickly bleed off. With no pressure in the hole, the surface seepage will stop. Stopping the pumps will be done as soon as surface seepage is detected or if such seepage is suspected.
There is a greater potential for drilling fluid seepage at the entry and exit locations of the crossing, due to shallow profile depth and loose near-surface soils. In the contingency planning for the pipeline crossing, drilling fluid seepage at the entry and exit locations has been considered, and preventative actions have been developed. The entry and exit locations have dry land segments where drilling fluid seepage can be easily detected and contained. To isolate and contain potential drilling fluid seepage at the drill site, a berm can be constructed around the drilling site to isolate it from the Project. Straw bales or silt fence can also be part of the berm on the waterside of the drilling area. To contain and control drilling fluid seepage on land, there will be earth moving equipment, portable pumps, sandbags, and straw bales available on site. Any drilling fluid seepage will first be contained and isolated using dirt berms; straw bales, or silt fencing. The area will then be immediately cleaned up using vacuum trucks, and the drilling fluid will be hauled to the closest drilling site. In the event of seepage on land, it may only be necessary to reduce the down hole pressure to ensure containment of the fluid. Upon containment and establishment of controls to contain further seepage, down hole pressure may be increased to original levels at the discretion of Precision and the drill crew. The location of the seepage will be monitored for any significant condition changes.
After the drilling fluid seepage has been contained, Precision will make every effort to determine why the seepage occurred. Once Precision and the drill crew have determined the cause of the seepage, measures will be developed to control the factors causing the seepage and to minimize the chance of recurrence. Developing the corrective measure will be a joint effort of the drilling crew and will be site and problem specific.
In some cases, the corrective measure may involve a determination that the existing borehole encountered a void that could be bypassed with a slight change in the profile. In other cases, it may be determined that the existing hole encountered a zone of unsatisfactory soil material and the hole would then have to be abandoned. If the hole is abandoned, it can be filled with drilling slurry (bentonite).""Environmental Assessment – Dakota Access Pipeline Project, Illinois -August 2016"


text:
Did You Know Eggplant Can Help You Lose Weight, Cure Anemia?
Eggplant or brinjal or aubergine- known by various names, this purple, tear-drop structured vegetable is loaded with nature's goodness. Frequenting our meals, this flavourful vegetable which is technically a fruit, scores high on nutritional value. It has innumerable health benefits. Even the leaves and roots of this plant are beneficial for treating infections and wounds.
Let's take a look at eggplant's health benefits:
Natural laxative
Eggplants are brimming with fibre besides water, antioxidants which help reduce gut inflammation, relieve constipation by acting as a laxative; and improve the overall digestive health.
Promotes cardiac health
Anthocyanins, a pigment present in eggplants, aids in strengthening the functions of the heart. It is known to reduce the 'bad' LDL cholesterol and promote the 'good' HDL cholesterol.
Aids in weight loss
Eggplants being low on carbohydrate and calorie, feature high on weight loss diet plan. Also, the saponin in the eggplant obstructs fat accumulation and absorption in the body, thereby making it a great addition to your diet.
Elevates haemoglobin levels
Have eggplants to treat anemia. Eggplants are loaded with iron in addition to a series of nutrients such as thiamine, niacin, copper, fiber, folic acid, vitamin C, K, B6, and potassium, manganese. This nutrient-rich vegetable will keep you energized and healthy.
Boosts bone health
Eggplant have phenolic compounds which are amazing to combat osteoporosis, strengthen bones, and enhance bone mineral density. Also, the presence of iron and calcium in it is great for bone health.
Better Brain health
Eggplants boosts cognitive health. The phytonutrients and potassium in eggplants ensure oxygen supply to the brain. They obstruct the free radicals, and function as vasodilators aiding in broadening blood vessels. Also, they stimulate the neural pathways which boosts memory as a result.
Prevents cancer
Being rich in antioxidants, anthocyanins, eggplants reduce the risks of cancer. They prevent the growth of cancer cells, and have healing properties. Even the solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides, an extract found in eggplant peel is known to eradicate cancer cells.


text:
Research companies specialised in Desk Research
List of data, research and insights companies and services specialised in Desk Research.
Click to view detailed company profiles, get contact information and more.
Add filters:
Acuity Knowledge Partners
10016 New York, United States (USA)
Acuity Knowledge Partners is a global research & analytics firm. Market Research unit offers full service MR services incl. B2B & B2C Online Surveys, Survey Programming, Data Processing, Dashboards, Charting, Coding, Email Campaign, Survey Hosting & Panel Management, Report writing & Data AnalyticsRequest a proposal
ADK Insights
2132 JC Hoofddorp, Netherlands
ADK Insights champion the consumers' voice and inspire brands to shape ideas, products and communications in ways that connect with today and anticipate tomorrow. We analyze and navigate all the many opportunities that could be, and help clients become fully future literate.Request a proposal
34394 Istanbul, Turkey
Binom Research is a Fieldwork Agency, that works since more than ten years. In this lapse of time we've grown and now we're one of the leading players in marketing research in Turkey.Request a proposal
Blackbox Research Pte Ltd
138565 Singapore, Singapore
Blackbox Research Pte Ltd is a Singapore based company offering Asia-wide know how and expertise in market research.
With ten years' experience conducting projects across the entire region,…
Brain - Brand Investigation S.A. de C.V.
11560 Mexico City, Mexico
Market Intelligence full service company in LATAM with more than 20 years of experience, known for our innovation, thinking abilities, and solution.Request a proposal
BRIF Research Group
050004 Almaty, Kazakhstan
Founded in 1991, BRIF RESEACH GROUP is one of the first private research organization in Kazakhstan. BRIF is an entirely local company. Starting its research activities in Kazakhstan, BRIF extended…Request a proposal
Citation Japan Co. Ltd.
104-0061 Chuo-ku, Japan
CITATION JAPAN is a full service market research and consulting provider. Since 1985 we have conducted many projects in many different Japanese and international business categories. We also have strength in medical categories.Request a proposal
Cymar Market Research Ltd.
2045 Nicosia, Cyprus
Full service market research agency, providing quantitative (CAPI/ CATI/ CAWI/ Mystery shoppers) and qualitative (focus groups/ IDIs) research services. The company does not subcontract any of its operations.Request a proposal
Format Research Srl
00162 Rome, Italy
Format Research conduces business to business and consumer researches, opinion polls and socio-economical studies. Together with Format Business Intelligence, affiliated company located in Pordenone (Italy), we deal with advanced data analysis and statistical computing.Request a proposal
LOGO Market Research & Consulting Ltd.
1527 Sofia, Bulgaria
LOGO Market Research & Consulting is an independent full-service marketing research and consulting company based in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Our services: Primary and Secondary research, Outsourcing Services (quest programming, data processing, data collection and reporting), National Monthly Omnibus.
Lux Research Japan
151-0063 Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Lux Research Japan is an independent research company which combines local market knowledge with Western style research practices.
- We conduct qualitative, quantitative and desk research. Our…
720010 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
M-VECTOR is a worldwide full-service research company. We provide full range of services since 1997 in 20+ countries: Quantitative Data Collection, Qualitative Fieldwork, Analytical Study, Strategy Research, Consulting in Central Asia, Far & Middle East, CIS, Eastern Europe and Canada.Request a proposal
MAGRAM Market Research
129090 Moscow, Russian Federation
MAGRAM MARKET RESEARCH is one of Russia's largest independent full-service research companies, specializing in custom-made research. Operating in the market since 1997, it became the first agency in…Request a proposal
Mango Research and Consulting
04104 Seoul, Korea, Republic of
Mango R&C is a full-service research and consulting firm providing global research services to our clients. We are research professionals with over 10 years of experience in healthcare, B2B, consumer and IT.Request a proposal
Mareco Index Bosnia
71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
MARECO INDEX BOSNIA (MIB) is one of the first and leading full service public opinion, media and market research companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and conducts market, consumer, media and public…Request a proposal
Market Research Centre INDICATOR
00-236 Warsaw, Poland
Market Research Centre INDICATOR conducts full cycle market research projects, based on both qualitative and quantitative methods including among others: - computer assisted personal interviewing…Request a proposal
MarketMatters Inc.
1109 Quezon, Philippines
MarketMatters, Inc. offers market research services and consultancy. We have an established network in Asia enabling us to manage multi-country market research.Request a proposal
10250 Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
Myriad is a local full-service marketing research organization focused on agricultural, education, healthcare/public health, pharmaceutical, manufacture, services, and social researches. Established since 2011 and has joined ESOMAR since July 2013. We doing research in local market only, Indonesia.Request a proposal
OGM Gesellschaft für Marketing GmbH
1010 Vienna, Austria
OGM stands for Austria Society for Marketing Corporation.
Founded in 1976.
OGM is one of the most renowned institutes for data analysis, market research and public opinion polling in Austria.
ORIS - Objektif Research & Information Services
34394 Sisli / Istanbul, Turkey
Objektif Research & Information Services, founded in 2001, is an independent full service market research agency. Objective Research, a boutique market research company, provides in-depth service to her limited number of clients in the areas of Pharmaceuticals, Automotive, FMCG, Durables and IT.Request a proposal


text:
The SEAT Arosa model is a small city car which was presented for the first time by the Spanish automobile company SEAT (Volkswagen Group subsidiary) in 1997. The car was called in honor of the Spanish municipality "Vilagarcia de Arousa". Till 1998 this model was issued at Volkswagen plant in the German city of Wolfsburg. In May, 1998 all production was postponed for SEAT plant in the city of Martorell, Spain. The car was constructed on the basis of the Volkswagen Group company A00 platform. The truncated version of this platform – A03 was used in such models, as Volkswagen Polo and SEAT Ibiza. The SEAT Arosa car was issued in a 3-door body a hatchback. The wheel Arosa base made 2 323 mm, car length – 3 551 mm, width – 1 639 mm, and height – 1 460 mm.
For the SEAT Arosa car the producer offered the whole five options of engines among which were both petrol, and diesel power units. Offered petrol motors treat: four-cylinder 8-valvate OHC engines volumes 1.0 and 1.4 50 h.p. and 60 h.p. liters, and also the four-cylinder 16-valvate power DOHC unit of 1.4 liters, which capacity I made 100 hp. Into the list of diesel engines enter: the four-cylinder 8-valvate power SDI unit of 1.7 liters with a power of 60 h.p. and the three-cylinder 6-valvate turbirovanny TDI engine of 1.4 liters, which capacity makes 75 hp. In a standard complete set for all engines the 5-step mechanical transmission was offered, however as an option cars in a complete set with the 60 h.p. 8-valvate petrol engine could be equipped with 4-step automatic transmission. Dispersal from a place to 100 km/h takes nearly 18 seconds from SEAT Arosa.
The new stylish model Ford Mustang 2015 w
Only yesterday the HP and torque numbers
Hyundai Azera's fate hangs in balan
The 2015 Toyota Sienna was unveiled by th
The Opel Corsa E is the latest and was of


text:
Sinusitis is the swelling and pain caused by sinus inflammation. The sinus is the one responsible for filtering oxygen when we inhale. This removes unwanted germs and dirt. When congested, the sinus builds up on mucus and becomes infected.
Causes of Chronic Sinus Infections:
• Environmental allergies
• Eating too much Dairy products
• Food Allergies
• Fungal Infection in the sinus cavity
• Nicotine or tobacco irritation
• Dental Infection
• Systemic Candida Albicans
Treating Sinus Infection with Medication:
It can be treated with prescription antibiotics, surgery, and anti-inflammatories. It is common for people to take five different medications at the same time to treat sinus infections.
Natural Remedies for Sinusitis:
Neti pot
Use a Neti pot to remove mucus. Puts 2 cups of warm water and a teaspoon of sea salt in the pot and insert the tip of the spout in one nostril. Tilt your head until the water from the Neti pot comes out the other nostril. Avoid tilting your head too much, this will cause the water to go down your throat. Repeat on other nostril.
Avoid mucus forming ingredients such as dairy, eggs, processed food and sugar. Drink plenty of water to lessen congestion.
Herbs can help lessen or even eliminate mucus build-up. Use herbs such as
• Garlic
• Onion
• Horseradish
• Lemon juice
• Wasabi.
Add these ingredients to your cooking. Add it in soups or make them into teas.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Grapefruit contains natural antibiotics, that stop bacteria, parasites and viruses. It also stops the yeast Candida that could cause the sinusitis. You can purchase Grapefruit seed extract nasal spray in local markets.
Apple cider vinegar:
An easy recipe to remove congestion is a combination or 2 teaspoons of unfiltered apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of raw honey and 6 ounces of water. Drink this mixture 3 times a day for 5 days to remove mucus build-up.
Chronic sinusitis can be debilitating for some people and can cause a great deal of irritation. Taking care of your body and health is important. So try out some of this all natural tips and remedies to cure your sinus infection.


text:
Don's Story
Don's journey with cancer began on January 29, 2016 when he was first diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's (Follicular) Lymphoma. The diagnosis came after several weeks of Don being too stubborn to get checked out by a doctor while trying to pass off his discolored skin tone, lack of energy and swelled legs and feet as a sinus infection (yeah right). The doctors initially though his conditions to be heart related. Our family was absolutely devastated after learning that Don had cancer and didn't know what to expect or how long he would live at this point. All we could do was pray and rally around the most important man in our lives.
Don endured 6 months of intense Chemotherapy treatments until he was told that he was in partial remission in July, 2016. Our family was elated and couldn't wait for life to gradually get back to normal. The caveat was that Follicular Lymphoma would eventually return and it was only a matter of time until it came back again.
Over the next year and a half, Don worked hard every day to gain back his strength and grow back his hair! He gradually gained back his appetite, stamina and his routine of spending time with grandchildren, watching them play sports and going to church.
However, in January, 2018, we learned that his lymphoma had returned during a routine check-up. While this was expected at some point, you can never prepare yourself to learn about a loved one having cancer. We were once again very concerned but confident that he would beat it again!
The second round of treatment was not as smooth as the first round. The oncologists tried 10 different chemotherapy drugs over the next 6 months. Don's treatment was eventually moved to the University of MN cancer team to be treated by the best care team in the world at treating his particular form of cancer. This team of oncologists includes a team of specialists at the U of M who collaborate on a weekly basis about different options for each case. Every time a treatment failed, our confidence level began to fade. We were all starting to wonder about what the future would look like. Would our loving husband, father and grandfather be around much longer? We couldn't imagine life without him.
Then, in July, 2018 a brand new clinical trial called an Natural Killer (NK) Cell Transplant became available and Don was one of just a few candidates nationally who would participate in this trial. Cheryl was a close donor match and gladly donated the cells needed to treat her dad.
Over the next 30 days, the family had to baby-sit Don at his house and take him to Oncology appointments to make sure his blood counts were getting back to normal. Each of us grew a stronger individual bond with Don during this time. It became a special time that each one of us cherished. The end result of the NK Cell transplant was partial remission, but still some cancer still remained in his lymph nodes. At this point, Don was feeling pretty healthy. While progress was made, it was still a set-back knowing that he was not yet in full remission.
We had a decision to make! The first option was to do a bone marrow transplant which is the one and only option to potentially cure (not remission) this form of cancer. A bone marrow transfer comes which has a 25%+ chance of a fatal complication. Or, the second option was to do more chemotherapy to try putting the cancer into remission. We elected to go the more aggressive route and trust that God would take care of Don by getting a bone marrow transplant. Eventually, he would need the bone marrow transplant anyway. Once again, Cheryl came to the rescue as his bone marrow donor.
In September, 2018, Don had a successful, uneventful bone marrow Transplant. During the transplant itself, we ordered food, laughed and reflected on many fond memories our family had experienced over the years. However, a few days later is when the real challenges began. Don became too sick to eat, experienced several medical complications and received all kinds of different treatments that made him absolutely miserable for over a month. During that time, Don wasn't himself, he seemed broken and we did everything we could to lift his spirits.
Eventually, things started to get better and he was able to go home to get "babysat" again by his family for the next three months. After a week, Don was rushed to the hospital by ambulance for a couple more weeks with complications called Grafts versus Host disease (which has varying degrees of severity). We thought we were becoming permanent residents of the U of M hospital. He eventually got to go home again. His blood counts would climb and drop, balanced by different medication and infusions over the next several months.
In January, 2019, we got the Great News that Don was once again CANCER FREE!!! The family celebrated, cried, laughed and thanked the lord!! Don worked back into a life of normalcy, one step at a time while still doing regular blood work at the U of M and dealing with different medical complications as they came up. The family did a Lymphoma walk together, where we wore shirts bearing the term "Lymphomaniac" and were able to raise over $1,000 for cancer research.
In June, 2019, the cancer came back a 3rd time. This time was less dramatic as the Oncologist took Don off the anti-rejection drugs that had been suppressing his immune system to prevent further complications. Within a few months, Don was cancer free once again without any treatment as his immune system knocked out the cancer on its own!!
Next, a whole new type of trouble set in. In September, 2019, Don lost his job of over 13 years. He loved his job and it was part of the motivation that he needed to keep him going during his cancer treatment, knowing his job was waiting for him. Not only did he lose the financial benefits but he lost his daily routine and the social aspect of so many co-workers that he considered to be friends. Don has been searching for a new job ever since. The unemployment rate was but the right job was hard to find.
While on the job search, he spent two weeks over Christmas and New Year's in the hospital due to influenza, pneumonia and other issues. He recovered and moved forward, once again. Don's unemployment benefits were ending in mid-March but he had two serious leads after having a couple of job interviews that looked promising.
Last week, Don's routine oncologist appointment showed strong blood counts and good overall health. But, he was told that he had a cancerous tumor at the base of his tongue, a lymph node on his neck and possibly in his lungs (still awaiting results for the lungs). The oncologists assured us that it was curable and they weren't overly concerned. However, he will need 6 months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, eight hours per day / five days per week.
That day (last week), Don received a call with the job offer he had been waiting for. However, he was forced to turn it down due to the demands of his upcoming treatment, not to mention the risk of being considered "high risk" with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Don has so many reasons to continue fighting to beat cancer once and for all and we are all behind him in doing so!!


text:
A China national used a web of overseas front companies and U.S. financial institutions to sell nuclear-weapons-related items to Iran in violation of trade sanctions, the DOJ said Tuesday.
"As alleged, Li Fangwei has used subterfuge and deceit to continue to evade U.S. sanctions that had been imposed because of his illicit trade in prohibited materials with Iran," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said.
Li, who's also known as "Karl Lee," is currently at large.
The DOJ said he has been "a principal contributor to Iran's ballistic missile program."
The U.S. State Department referred to him a "weapons proliferator." It is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
An indictment filed in Manhattan federal court said Li controlled a network of industrial companies based in eastern China. The companies allegedly did more than $8.5 million of business with Iran, including selling items that could be used to produce or deliver weapons of mass destruction.
The U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) prohibits using U.S. financial institutions to transact business with Iran-controlled entities in violation of economic sanctions. The IEEPA also makes it a crime to willfully violate U.S. sanctions as applied to designated countries like Iran.
The DOJ has seized about $6.8 million attributable to Li's front companies.
He faces up to 30 years in jail for conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, and up to 20 years for violating and conspiring to violate the IEPPA and money laundering conspiracy.
The DOJ's April 29 release is here.
Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
Julie DiMauro is the executive editor of FCPA Blog and can be reached here.


text:
Tales of injustice masterfully blend with a dash of magic.
Parents say
Based on 2 reviews
Kids say
Based on 14 reviews
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Pam Muñoz Ryan's 2016 Newbery Honor book Echo is a historical novel with a fantasy element. It includes information about the beginning of the Holocaust, the Great Depression, and what life was like in America after Pearl Harbor, including how Japanese people were sent to internment camps. Readers also will learn that in some California school districts in the 1940s, kids with Mexican ancestry were sent to separate and inferior schools. The three main protagonists -- Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy -- all face injustice: Nazi soldiers call Friedrich "the ugly son of a Jew-lover" after taking his father to a labor camp; Mike and Frank are at the mercy of a cruel and calculating orphanage director and later get thrown out of a store, suspected of being thieves; Ivy must go to a school for Mexican students. They learn about other injustices, too (for example, the family that owns the farm Ivy lives on is sent to a Japanese internment camp). There's some violence, from fistfights to war injuries, and one soldier dies. But the protagonists speak up in their own way for what's right and continue to think of ways to help others who also are suffering. They eventually learn "to hope for the best and that no matter how much sadness there is in life, there are equal amounts of maybe-things'll-get-better-someday-soon."
Community Reviews
Report this review
Report this review
What's the Story?
In ECHO, author Pam Muñoz Ryan strings together three very different stories of young people facing injustices, all of which are tied together by a fantastic prophecy and a magical harmonica. In Germany in the 1930s, Friedrich's father is arrested by the Nazis and sent to a labor camp after having a Jewish friend over to play music with him. Friedrich, also a talented musician, fears he will have to be sterilized, and perhaps even euthanized, because of a birthmark on his face. In Pennsylvania during the Great Depression, Mike and his younger brother are living in an unloving orphanage where they're hired out to work and must wear raggedy clothing. They're adopted by a strange rich woman, but when they learn she might be sending them back, Mike must make plans for them to stay together. Then, in the 1940s, Ivy moves with her farmworker family to Southern California, but once there she learns she must attend the inferior school for Mexicans. She also learns about the injustices suffered by Japanese families, such as the farm's owners, who are sent to live in internment camps. All the main characters have musical ability, and when they're playing a magical harmonica they feel better about themselves and inspire others with the beauty of their music. Eventually readers learn more about how their interwoven stories connect.
Is It Any Good?
This is a long book, but it's so rich and beautiful readers may be surprised to finish it in a few days, or even one day. There's history to learn and important messages about the pain of injustice and the importance of hope -- and music -- even in the darkest times. But readers may find what moves them most are the small, tender moments, such as when Friedrich and his older sister Elisabeth can't sleep, and their father opens their bedroom doors, brings out his cello, and "tells them to say farewell to their troubles because they were about to fly away on the wings of music."
Readers will fall for each of these protagonists -- as well as the boy from the fairy-tale-like framing story who sets it all in motion. And while they'll be more than satisfied by the clever ending, they'll be sad to leave these kindhearted characters behind.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about history. What did you learn about the 1930s and '40s in this book? Did anything surprise you?
What do you think of the magical ideas in Echo, which contrast with the historical details? Does it bother you that the author mixed fantasy and fact, or do you appreciate her style?
Ivy's orchestra teacher believes that "everyone needs the beauty and light of music, especially during the worst of times." Do you agree or disagree with this idea?
Book Details
- Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Press
- Publication date: February 24, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Number of pages: 592
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Newbery Medal and Honors
- Last updated: October 26, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
Before We Were Free
Moving historical fiction about life under a dictatorship.
Esperanza Rising
Historical fiction at its best in story of '30s farmworkers.
The Book Thief
For kids who love history and historical fiction
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.See how we rate