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Difference between revisions of "Backporting"
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future versions of software in order to help out. It would be helpful if a PR for a fix noted whether the fix applies to
future versions of software in order to help out. It would be helpful if a PR for a fix noted whether the fix applies to
future versions.
future versions.
Revision as of 11:34, 1 March 2021
This page is a work in progress
Maintained Versions
Primary development happens on the main branch (called "master"). This branch changes quickly. Core developers understand that incompatible changes may happen at any time, requiring changes to work in progress.
Users and packagers are usually more interested in stable branches, where compatibility can be assumed. GNU Radio will maintain the last two stable API-level branches. At the time of writing:
- 3.9 is the most recent stable branch, at v220.127.116.11 (TBD: 3.9 may be an interim branch, with 3.10 being the next stable branch)
- 3.8 is the previous stable branch, at v184.108.40.206
Only one release train will be supported for each branch. For example:
- v126.96.36.199 is released, fully compatible with v18.104.22.168.
- v126.96.36.199 is released, potentially requiring a rebuild. Support for v3.8.2.X is dropped.
In exceptional cases, such as frequent crashes in critical functionality, an effort will be made to update unsupported branches.
Changes made to the main branch may be applied to stable branches if they fix a problem or add an important feature, do not affect intended compatibility, and developer time (project or external) is available. Examples of things that make good backports:
- Bug fixes for non-working or incorrect functionality
- Memory management fixes that will have a noticeable effect (crashes, leaks)
- Security fixes (not typically applicable to GR)
Some things that do not make good backports:
- Style changes, comment fixes (other than to correct documentation errors)
- API changes
- Optimizations, unless there is a large performance effect
- Dependency or build environment changes
- More correct use of C++, moving from boost to std
If in doubt, ask before doing significant work against a stable version. There are bound to be exceptions we haven't thought of.
Trivial Backports
If a change is applicable to the main branch, and is small, it is preferable to have a single PR submitted against "master". The PR can be tagged with "Backport-A.B" to indicate that project maintainers should attempt to make a corresponding change to the stable branches. If that process turns out to be not so trivial, the PR author may be asked to help with the backport, or the backport may be shelved.
Complex Backports
There are areas of the code where only a few people have the experience to make changes, or where a large effort will be needed. In this case, the PR submitter will submit backports as needed/desired for each supported branch.
Forward Porting of Bug Fixes
We would like to encourage bug fix contributions for stable branches, and do not want to require contributors to work with future versions of software in order to help out. It would be helpful if a PR for a fix noted whether the fix applies to future versions.
Maintainer Notes
PR commits should be rebased and squashed before they are merged to the main branch. This keeps commits:PRs 1:1, allowing for better traceability.
Back/forward ports should contain a single, self-contained change. Cherry picks should use -x to keep traceability to the original commit. The PR for this port should reference the PR for the original commit. TBD: maintainer signature in different cases?


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Back to the Vavoom Forum Archives
Version 1.7 BETA 5
Sun, 22 Apr 2001 03:00:00
Janis Legzdinsh
5-th, and hopefully last beta is out. Menus, intermissions and finales are moved to progs (in other words mod authors can customize them). As usual - bug fixes and optimizations. For final version I will focus on rendering optimization.
BTW A high recomendation for all programmers - "Michael Abrash's Graphics programming black book" (with foreword by John Carmack), a REALY good book.
Back to the Vavoom Forum Archives

subset: commoncrawl


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Have you ever felt like this election has gone to the dogs? Not only that, but we could add on the viciousness of coyote behavior, too!
On my block, most of my friendly neighborhood acquaintances happen to be dog owners like myself. We often run into each other while walking our dogs. It's a bit strange that during our chats, none of us have brought up anything about the current political circus going on. Actually, I'm glad about this. Once the election is over, I don't even want to know who voted for whom. It will allow me to escape any rip-roaring "debates" about it in the future.
I'm able to walk along with those neighbors who have dogs that are friendly towards mine. I lament that a wonderful neighbor of mine unfortunately owns a larger dog that my little Dachshund-Pekinese viciously barks at whenever they come down the street. I'm guessing that he might think the dog is a coyote? The dog does resemble the look of a coyote. In our neighborhood, we all do need to be careful to watch our dogs any time we let them out into the yard – especially at night. A neighbor that lives behind our back yard had her dog viciously attacked by a coyote! She had to bat the coyote away in order to rescue her little dog from the jaws of the animal. Several years ago, the same thing happened to a neighbor's dog up the street. She pulled her dog out of the mouth of the coyote. The poor thing needed many stitches at the animal hospital.
The coyotes often travel in packs. I can often hear them in the distance because they make a lot of noise when they have captured and killed their next meal. Occasionally I have spotted a lone coyote in our front yard, so I yell at my dogs to get in the house immediately!
I was thinking today that this current election season is similar to the friendly vs. vicious dog encounters, as well as the bloody, almost deadly coyote encounters.
It can be difficult to ever have a friendly conversation between voters. It is even more difficult to keep the peace between a friendly person voting for one side, vs. a rabid supporter for the other side.
When a #Never Hillary voter is confronted by a #Never Trump voter, the media shows the vicious (and sometimes bloody) results.
In this horrible political climate, it is often quite necessary to proceed with caution when discussing this election, as well as politics in general. So many people that I talk with just want it to be over!!
Yes. I have stated on this blog that I am a Never Hillary voter. There are multitudes of reasons for this and they have been presented and discussed here at this blog. However, I have also written that it is difficult for me to vote for Trump. So…what is a voter like me to do?
My friend L and I know that our votes here in California won't even count due to the liberal leftist tsunami of voters who will automatically vote for Hillary. We discussed writing in Mike Pence's name for president! After all, he is a Christian, conservative, and successful governor for the state of Indiana and I personally think that he has a bright political future ahead of him! I may not live long enough to see it, but I would be proud to tell my adult children and my granddaughter that he is a man that I could support in the 2016 election.
There are Christians who write reasons for being willing to waste their vote. There are Christians (and huge Christian organizations) that share information that can lead us and encourage us to vote for the Republican platform and candidate Trump.
Today, I received an email from a Christian conservative woman who is active in politics here in my town. Each election season, she sends out her picks citing that based on biblical principles and conservative values, these are the "best" choices.
This is what she wrote regarding the 2016 presidential choices:
Donald Trump – Do I have reservations? Yes. But we only have two options, and Trump has chosen an excellent running mate in Gov. Pence. We must consider the Supreme Court and the hundreds of other judicial and federal appointments that will impact the future of this nation for decades to come. Read this article by Dr. Jim Garlow entitled: "If You're On the Fence About Your Vote, This Pastor Clarifies How the Very Future of America Is At Stake" for more reasons to support Trump.
She certainly makes a good point!
In the end, each individual Christian needs to pray about it and will have to make that decision for themselves.
This morning, I saw a video over at The Last Refuge blog (very pro-Trump site) entitled Second Message From Citizens of Brussels to American Voters… and I must say that it brought me to tears!
It is very true that:
The eyes of many nations are watching this election.
Hat tips to all links.
Tags: Election 2016


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Your guide to the traders seeing us through festival season
What's festival season for, if not revisiting familiar old favourites and eating frozen treats? Fittingly, June & July's line-up for Trinity Kitchen features some of the most popular, frequent, and familiar faces from its almost four-year history (where's the time gone, eh?) plus ice cream as you've never seen it before...
What the Truck
Sticking around after their April & May stint and filling in for burger legends Original Fry-up Material, who unfortunately couldn't make it, What The Truck will have put an in unprecedented, world-record sixteen consecutive weeks in the Kitchen by the time the crane plops them back out onto the street - in which time they'll have heard that Professor Green song from the Trinity Playlist an estimated 30,000 times.
Sandwiches are what these guys do, from all over the globe - Philly Cheesesteaks to Morrocan Lamb and Japanese Chicken Katsu. In the absence of any Summer sports, why not try a different one each week and do your own Sarnie World Cup?
We brought you the news last week of the Monkbridge viaduct being vamped up and the arches turned into bars and restaurants - fingers crossed that'll mean more places like BangWok, the lunchtime saviours whose thai cafe occupies a railway arch just off Neville Street.
They're back in Trinity Kitchen for (we think) the fifth time - keeping it simple by banging out reliable fried rice dishes, as well as a curry of the day. Get their panaeng, but don't be surprised when the deceptive creaminess gives way to some cheeky heat.
Thai Khrim
Liquid turned to ice cream in two minutes flat, conjured in front of you on a reverse-griddle that chills things rather than heating them up, then rolled into sort-of-rose-shapes and presented to you as a bouquet. Ben, Jerry, and Mr Whippy are gonna have a lonely couple of months while Thai Khrim's in town.
Chaat Cart
Born out of owner Aarti's frustration at not being able to find the South Indian dishes of his childhood anywhere in the UK, Chaat Cart started up in Manchester four years ago. Since then they've travelled the country serving up kati rolls and chaat - recipe courtesy of aunts back in India, who had to be begged to divulge secret ingredients - and have recently opened their first permanent restaurant in Manchester.
Their signature dish is the kati roll - with 24-hour marinated chicken thighs and fresh, lip-smacking heat from rainbow slaw and chilli and garlic chutneys.
Jenny's Jerk Chicken
If our guide to this Summer's festivals has got you in the mood for Caribbean food and you can't wait until Carnival, Jenny's got it covered. As well as chicken marinated in her own jerk blend and served as wraps or with rice and peas, there's curry goat and stew - we recommend jerk wings as they are, with plenty of wet wipes on the side.


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Download the Facts Here
Holiday Gift Guide for a Child Battling Cancer
It's the season of giving! This time of year, you're likely shopping for all the special people in your life. One of those people might be a child battling cancer. It can be hard to know what would be the most helpful to them, something that will help them when they aren't feeling well or are stuck in the hospital. If you're looking to brighten the day of a child battling cancer, here are a few gift ideas to get you started.
Games or activities
Board games, memory games, puzzles, Play-doh and other activities are a great gift for any child who spends a lot of time in the hospital. These items help to pass the time whether they're by themselves or with visitors.
Coloring books and colored pencils
Coloring books are another great way to pass the time. During a child's chemotherapy and radiation treatment, there will come a time where they will need to be kept in isolation due to their compromised immune systems. Having coloring books on hand are a nice way to help them get through that period of their treatment.
Gift cards
This may seem like a boring option at first, but you're providing a great distraction. The child will then have the chance to do some online shopping and pick out whatever they want. Make sure to pick a retailer that has a lot of options to choose from such as Amazon or Target.
Chemo port pillows
A port is often used during chemotherapy treatments because it's easier than inserting an IV each time. It provides greater comfort for the child and has a lower risk of infection since it's completely below the skin. Unfortunately, this can also cause discomfort for the child, especially from the seat belt when riding in the car. That's where a port pillow comes in handy! This gift can be purchased, or for some added fun, you can even make it a DIY project!
Socks or Slippers
Cute, funny, or brightly colored socks and slippers are always a great choice. They not only keep the child's feet warm while they're walking around the hospital, they're also a great conversation starter with nurses, doctors, and other visitors!
Pajamas and other cozy clothes
When a child is spending most of their time in a hospital bed, they're likely wearing the most comfortable clothes possible. Comfortable pajamas, cozy sweatshirts, or warm sweatpants are always appreciated so they can add it to their wardrobe options.
Even if you don't know a child battling cancer, you can still donate these items to places like Children's Wisconsin or UW Carbone Cancer Center to be distributed among the kids throughout the year. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays from the MACC Fund team!


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Cephalophyllum loreum is a dwarf perennial, a leaf succulent that grows branches with prostrate, creeping habit. The internodes between leaf-pairs are distinctly elongated, green or reddish.
Tufted leaves grow crowded over the centre on the main stem, opposite on the spreading branches, the leaves on one plant often of several lengths. The leaves are erect, between terete (cylindrical) and three-angled with convex sides, the surfaces covered in tiny dots. Leaves become up to 8 cm long.
The generic name, Cephalophyllum, is derived from the characteristic crowded leaf clusters like heads or balls; the Greek words that form the basis are kephale meaning the head and phullon meaning a leaf.
The species is distributed in the west of the Western Cape. It grows in part of the semi-arid winter rainfall region. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Smith, et al, 1998; Herre, 1971; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).


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Precisely designed Reducing Flange is properly manufactured, supply and exported by our organization to meet the necessities of our valued clients. It has been designed to be used when there is any change in the size of pipe and match the accurate size of the same. Depending on its reliable attributes, this is used because of various advantages like reliability, efficient performance, durability and close tolerance. Our range of Reducing Flange is prepared by selecting high class raw material along with modern tooling system and pioneering technology.
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Developed and Managed by Infocom Network Private Limited.


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May 9, 2010
John Lewis sees election night boost at Waitrose
May 9, 2010
LONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - British department stores retailer John Lewis [JLP.UL] posted another week of stellar sales as shoppers kept spending despite a general election campaign focused on the prospect of tax rises and public sector cuts.
The employee-owned firm's upmarket grocery chain Waitrose also reported a surge in demand for entertainment foods for "swingometer soirees" as shoppers prepared for their general election viewing on May 6.
John Lewis, seen as a bellwether of the UK retail sector but which has been outperforming rivals over the last six months, said sales at its 28 department stores and one "at home" store increased 15.9 percent to 53.7 million pounds ($83.06 million).
"Of our branches, 25 beat 2009 figures, while 13 were ahead of sales achieved in 2008," the firm said.
John Lewis said its performance was driven by a 24.5 percent increase in fashion sales and an 18.1 percent rise in homewares. Sales in the electricals and home technology category were up 2.1 percent.
Britain's retailers are emerging from a deep recession but are divided whether the recovery will continue, with many wary that steps to cut government debt following Thursday 6 May's general election will damage consumer confidence. [nUKVOTES]
Tesco (TSCO.L), the country's biggest retailer, said last month the recovery had taken hold, while floor coverings chain Carpetright (CATVU.L) warned of a dip back into recession.
At the 228-store Waitrose chain, week to May 1 sales increased 11.2 percent to 96.3 million pounds, underscoring its status as one of the UK's fastest growing grocers. (Reporting by James Davey, editing by Mark Potter)
© Thomson Reuters 2022 All rights reserved.


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Part 3 of the TED Radio Hour episode Playing With Perceptions.
About Hetain Patel's TED Talk
Artist Hetain Patel toys with race, identity, language and accent — and challenges us to think beyond surface appearances.
About Hetain Patel
As a child, Hetain Patel wanted to be like Spider-Man or Bruce Lee. Later, he aimed to be like his father, who embodied a different kind of bravery.
As a conceptual artist, Patel has used photography, sculpture, installation and performance to challenge cultural identity and ask the question: What determines our identities?
For his work, he has grown a mustache exactly like the one his father wore when he emigrated from India to the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and remixed the practice of henna tattooing to incorporate English words and comic books.
OK, picture this scene - there's a guy on the TED stage. He looks like he's from India or Pakistan, brown skin, slim probably about 30. And he's on a chair wearing a traditional Indian Kurta pajama. But he's not sitting, he's squatting like a yogi. And in another chair next to him is a woman who looks Chinese. Her name is Yuyu Rau. And the Indian looking guy, he's the performance artist Hetain Patel. And Yuyu is his translator.
HETAIN PATEL: (Foreign language spoken).
RAZ: So if you're confused, that's the point. Here's Hetain Patel.
PATEL: (Foreign language spoken).
YUYU RAU: Hi, I'm Hetain. I'm an artist. And this is Yuyu. I have asked her to translate for me.
PATEL: (Foreign language spoken).
RAU: I was born and raised near Manchester in England, but I'm not going to say it in English to you because I'm trying to avoid any assumptions that might be made from my northern accent.
PATEL: (Foreign language spoken).
RAU: The only problem with masking it with Chinese Mandarin is I can only speak this paragraph, which I have learned by heart when I was visiting in China.
RAU: So all I can do is keep repeating it in different tones and hope you won't notice.
PATEL: (Foreign language spoken).
RAZ: You do not speak Chinese?
PATEL: No, I don't.
RAZ: You actually speaking English with a Manchester accent.
PATEL: Yeah, yeah. I guess it was, you know, I like this idea that when we meet somebody, I think it's natural that we want to place them somewhere.
RAZ: Yeah.
PATEL: You know, in a part of the world, in a community, in an environment. And so I wanted to take that away a bit because the reality is that our lives and our personalities and whatnot are made up of so much more than your kind of localized area. You know, your localized area can be the world now.
RAZ: Hetain Patel was born in a town called Bolton, it's just outside Manchester. His parents immigrated to the UK from India back in the 1960s. And as a kid, he just wanted to be British.
PATEL: You know, I went to a school where I was the only nonwhite kid there. And so, you know, from a very young age, you kind of go into the whole process of trying to lose your Indian accent, trying to walk and talk like the natives and trying to fit in as you do as a kid.
RAZ: What were those stereotypes that people had of you and your culture that just drive you crazy?
PATEL: That we - (laughter) - it's funny when I think of these 'cause some of them are true - that we eat curry every day, that we eat Indian food every day, which we did. That we stink of curry.
RAZ: You just call that food.
PATEL: Exactly. Exactly. You know, it's the school dinners where you have egg, chips and beans that's exotic for us. And all the kind of stereotyped relationship to discipline, you know, the idea that we should work all the time and study and things like that. All that was true. But I think it was - I think the annoying thing that I think would drive me crazy in a way was that when you're young, you're made to feel that that's not a good thing.
RAZ: Yeah.
PATEL: You're made to feel that that's a bad thing. You know, when I was a kid, when I started primary school when I was 5 years - 6 years old, I was ashamed of the fact that I spoke Gujarati. I was ashamed of my Indian accent. I was ashamed that I ate curry at home. I was ashamed of the colors and the Hindu things at home. And that for, you know, a young kid, you know, is not good. So I think it's that that you're kind of made to feel that the difference is wrong or it's inferior or something that should exclude you.
RAZ: Yeah. I mean, there's such a fine line between stereotyping and identity and - because on the one hand, when you're a kid, it's normal to want to just be like the other kids. But on the other hand, some - you know, there are elements of your identity that also get sort of pushed aside.
PATEL: Yeah, absolutely. That's a very good point. Sometimes I talk about my practice, my art practice, as kind of a continuous struggle to try to be free, freedom in a lot of ways. Whether it's to do stereotyping or what kind of jobs we're in or what kind of clothes we wear or what we allow - is self-permission, you know, it's what we allow ourselves to believe that we can do or to be or to act.
RAZ: I mean, that's really, I think, the core of it, like, it's about breaking free from that. Because having limitations put on you, whether you do it to yourself or others do it to you, it's like a trap, it's like a prison.
PATEL: Yeah, absolutely. It's not just about freeing yourself from boxes other people put you in or that you put yourself in, but it's also trying to free yourself from perceptions that you have about other people. You know, it has to be both of those way - not just about yourself, but how you see the outside world.
RAZ: Which is exactly why Hetain and his so-called translator Yuyu play with perceptions in their performances.
PATEL: (Foreign language spoken).
RAU: So my artwork is about challenging common assumptions based on what we look like or where we come from. What makes us who we are anyway?
PATEL: (Foreign language spoken).
RAU: I used to read Spiderman comics, watch kung fu movies, take philosophy lessons from Bruce Lee. He would say things like.
PATEL: (Imitating Bruce Lee) Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. Now, you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. Put in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Be water, my friend.
RAU: This year, I'm 32 years old. The same age Bruce Lee was when he died. I have been wondering recently, if he were alive today, what advice he would give me.
PATEL: (Imitating Bruce Lee) Don't imitate my voice. It offends me.
RAU: Good advice. But I still think that we learn who we are by copying others. Who here hasn't imitated their childhood hero in the playground? - Or mom or father? I have.
PATEL: OK. So contrary to what we might usually assume, imitating somebody can reveal something unique. Every time I fail to become more like my father, I become more like myself. Every time I fail to become Bruce Lee, I become more authentically me. This is my art. I strive for authenticity, even if it comes in a shape that we might not usually expect. Thank you.
RAZ: Performance artist Hetain Patel. You have to watch his whole talk, it is so cool. It's at ted.npr.org. Our show today, ideas about stereotypes, prejudice and assumptions. Stay with us. I'm Guy Raz. And you're listening to the TED Radio Hour from NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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Har-ki-Doon Trek
|by Indrajit Bandyopadhyay
In the October of 2006, during the Puja vacation, my younger brother Ujjal, my colleague Kamal and I went to Har - Ki - Doon trek. The region interests me very much, because I read that it is one of the few places in India where Duryodhana and Karna are worshipped as God. Har-Ki-Doon falls within the Govind Pashu vihar sanctuary. Haridwar to Sankri (6500 ft) is 240 KM. Our trek starts from Sankri. We spend the night at the bungalow of Garhwal Mandal Vikash Nigam. We hire a guide-cum-porter. He is Vikram, a nice looking lad of nineteen. He reads in college and does this job part-time. The present rate of a guide is Rs. 250 per day. Sankri to Taluka is 12 Km Trek. As we near Taluka, these children greet us with 'namaste' and ask 'meethai.' We oblige them with sweets, and they oblige us with sweet smiles!
These two fairies welcome us as we approach. Another spell of sweet-sweet exchange. We are refreshed. We stay at the Forest Rest house. We do not have any advance booking. The ever-smiling chowkider manages it all.
This view of the Har-ki-doon Ganga is from the lawn of the Forest Rest house. At night we have 'Khichdi' and omelet at the local dhaba with local people.
Early morning we start our trek from Taluka. Todays' destination is Seema at a distance of 14 KM.
We meet these shepherds, the last specimen of our pastoral ancestors. As we mix with them, we find their life is not as idyllic as romantic poets would have us believe.
The Shepherd-Chacha introduces us to the huge dark loyal thing, squirming now in a siesta. Our chatters wake it up. Soon we find the difference between appearance and reality. It is very friendly to us. It wags its tail violently.
The trek from Talukar to Osla is through dense forests of chestnuts, walnuts, willows and chinars. We reach Seema village (9500 ft) after a trek of 6 hrs. Actually it is a halt, not much of a village. The Forest Rest house, GMVN Bungalow and a few 'Chhotis' and 'dhabas' are all that are there. Seema's twin sister is Osla on the other side of Har-ki-doon Ganga. It is a village of about 120 families.
This is the famous Duryodhana temple of Osla village. It is a 2 KM trek from Seema. As we approach Osla, our guide, a resident of this village frustrates us. He says it is not Duryodhana but Someshwarji's temple. We are confused. Vikrama tells us once upon a time it was mistakenly thought to be Duryodhana, but actually it is Someshwar. He also tells us people will feel offended if we insist on calling it Duryodhana, because Duryodhana was a 'Rakshasa.' Our interest grows. We decide to speak to some elderly people of Osla to get the actual information. What we gather is indeed unique and merits serious anthropological studies. In 1974 the elderly people of all the 22 villages in this region decided to change the name of their local deity from Duryodhana to Someshwar. A born looser Duryodhana! No doubt. His last kingdom is finally gone.
Duryodhana or Someshwar, here are the real Gods. The children do not care that their elders have relinquished their own culture. Once, the people of this region boasted of carrying Duryodhana's blood in their veins. As they mixed with plain-land people they became uncomfortable with their past.
Leaving behind Seema, we start our final trek of 12 KM to Har-Ki Doon. The hanging bridge and the Forest Rest house and GMVN Bungalow can be seen down there. There is a steep ascent at the beginning. Then life passes through ups and downs.
As we trek, the mighty Kalanaga peak (6387 m) stands before us. No words. Only some rapt moments! And then only sounds of clicks.
Our guide and some shepherds take rest, have chat and offer prayers to Someshwar. Our tired rucksack takes a nap. We utilise the time gossiping with locals. We get very interesting information. Duryodhana to Someshwar transformation took place in 1974, the year the old temple was renovated. The golden crown of erstwhile Duryodhana was also changed. At present the deity stays at Osla from mid-August to mid-October. The Deity's tour schedule through the villages in 'Doli' is as follows – Osla – Vitari – Kashla – Leowari – Jakul – Paon – Kotgaon – Shankri – Datmer – Gangar – Osla – Dara – Shaonri – Sharturi – Sunkundi – Sirgaon – Jakul – Osla. This has been going on since ages.
A flock of sheep, like an endless stream, flows past us leaping and bouncing along the slopes. The shepherds make peculiar sounds to keep them together, as the watchful shepherd dogs are very busy in their vigilance. They scold the straying sheep. No mischief, be serious!
As our trail turns left, we lose sight of Kalanag peak, only to be compensated with new splendors. So long we have been trekking through terraced mountain fields and lush green grassy land. Farming of Rice and Rajma are most common. Now we enter conifer forests.
This is Ata Peak. We trek along mountain slopes of ridges. The trees are so green and the sky is so blue! We have to pass now through a dense forest.
Finally we reach Har-ki-doon valley after a trek of 6 hrs. The Har-ki-doon Ganga flows on level surface. We are surrounded by peaks. We sit by the river and refresh. No hurry. The Forest Rest house can be seen over there. Just another lazy walk of half a Kilometre.
A view of the northern side (Left Image) of the Har-ki-doon valley. Another shot of the valley and the Ganga (Middle Image) from Forest Rest house. That is the south-west side, (Right Image) through which we have entered the valley.
This is the north view of the place. The Ata Peak is clouded. The red-roofed one at the right is the Forest Rest house, and the sky-blue roof at the mid-left is the GMVN.
We stroll relaxed along the Har-ki-doon Gad. Parts of the Swargarohini range are visible through the trees. The play of cloud and sun with the mighty peaks.
The Yamadwar Glacier or Jaundhar Glacier is over there at a distance of 6 KMs from the valley.
This is Ata Peak with the green-roofed GMVN Bungalow perched on its lap.
This is a view of the Swargarohini Peak and Yamadwar Glacier at its feet.
This is another view of the Yamadwar Glacier and the Yamadwar Gad (river) as viewed from the Rest house lawn.
Today we go to Morinda Tal, a trek of 3 KM. It is a lake from where Morinda Gad originates. At the beginning of our trek, the Ata peak salutes us in its morning splendor.
The trek to Morinda Tal is across rocky terrain. There is no tree around. We are now above tree-line. The Morinda Gad is our constant companion.
We reach the Morinda Tal after one and a half hours trek. Unfortunately for us, there is not much water at this time of the year. Nevertheless, we sit for hours enjoying the celestial sight around. The snow-clad peak far out there calls us for another trek. The trek to Barasu pass is that way.
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It Could Be Your Lucky Lotto Day
12 Oct 2006
A life changing Lotto ticket could be languishing somewhere in Herts.
A £669,219 jackpot is waiting to be claimed from lottery operators Camelot on a ticket bought either in Welwyn Hatfield or St Albans.
The winner matched all six Lotto numbers 19, 21, 22, 38, 44 and 49 on Wednesday, August 30, but has not come forward to claim the prize.
The ticket-holder must claim the prize money by 5.30pm on February 26, 2007, or it will go to good causes.
If you're the winner call the National Lottery Line on 0845 910 5000.


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Cheap imports of silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) panels from China, sharp cuts in subsidies, and the ongoing euro zone debt crisis is taking a heavy toll on Germany's once world-beating solar energy industry.
"The golden era of the German solar energy sector is over," according to a June 16 Deutsche Welle (DW) article. "At its peak, Germany had a 20-percent share of the global solar energy market, but now the figure stands at just 6 percent. After a rapid decline in recent months, more job cuts are expected to hit the industry.
Oh, the Bitter Irony… of Solar FiTs… Combined with State-Run Economies
Solar PV supply has grown faster even than fast-growing demand. Chinese silicon solar PV manufacturers have been exporting some 95% of the silicon solar panels they produce. They've now captured more than 50% of the global market for silicon solar cells and panels.
Ironically, Germany and other European governments' pioneering solar energy Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) created the demand and market growth that led the Chinese government to launch a massive solar PV manufacturing subsidy program geared specifically at ramping up exports.
While that's been the primary driver in bringing about a dramatic drop in the price of solar panels worldwide, it's also come with substantial downside for domestic manufacturers, essentially putting the foundation of the entire industry value and supply chain in Chinese hands.
German and other European Union countries with FiTs — which stimulate demand regardless of product origin — have made the EU the primary destination for Chinese exports. Their low cost and easy availability have led German and other EU solar PV project developers and installers to buy them as opposed to solar panels made in Germany or other countries. Essentially, a significant portion of EU solar subsidies have been flowing through to Chinese silicon solar PV manufacturers.
Realizing the Ramifications; Better Late than Never?
The cutthroat price competition brought about in large part by China's manufacturing subsidies has led German and solar PV manufacturers in other countries, including the US, to skimp on R&D, particularly when it comes to investing in improving manufacturing processes.
"We realized on numerous occasions that, in comparison to traditional, long-established industries like automotive engineering, a lot less was being invested," Hummel told DW. "Many companies preferred to import good-quality solar panels from Asia than to carry out research," DW relates. "And when innovation did occur, little attention was given to developing a mass-production process."
Driven by government's industrial policy, the Chinese juggernaut isn't expected to slow down much, either. In fact, it's growing. China's latest Five-Year Plan includes as much as $1.5 trillion in subsidies, along with production and cost reduction targets, for seven strategic emerging industry sectors. Among them is thin-film solar PV, which doesn't bode well for thin-film manufacturers outside China.
Chinese manufacturers' rapid rise to market dominance has benefited other solar PV industry segments besides project developers and installers, but the returns have been diminishing. Manufacturers of silicon solar ingots, wafers and cells, and solar PV production equipment — a market in which German manufacturers have figured prominently — have benefited from surging Chinese demand.
"German machinery and facility builders were able to export up to 90 percent of their products to Asia," German Center for Solar Market Research's Wolfgang Hummel told DW. "There, complete factories for the production of solar modules and solar cells were constructed with German and Swiss assistance."
The Chinese have been going to school on imports of European and US imports in order to build up their own capabilities. They've progressed to the point where Chinese producers of raw, solar-grade silicon, as well as silicon solar wafers and PV cells, have quickly gained market share and are now among the world's leading producers.
Chinese Imports, FiT Subsidy Cuts, Rising Trade Tensions
Ironically, the flood of cheap Chinese imports, along with the persisting hangover of bad debts accumulated by banks and government during the credit boom that lasted for most of the first decade of the 21st century, has led to significant cuts in German and EU solar FiT subsidy rates.
"The funding rates have been halved in the last three years," Carsten Körnig, who leads the German Solar Industry Association told DW. "No other technological sector has had to reduce its costs as much to keep up as the solar power sector."
The pressure on German solar PV industry players has only been increasing, evident in a growing list of insolvency filings. That's led to increasingly strident assertions that Chinese solar PV companies are dumping product in Germany and other EU markets. SolarWorld AG's US subsidy has successfully led the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing's (CASM) WTO dumping and unfair subsidies cases in the US, where the Commerce Dept. and ITC have issued preliminary penalties on imports of Chinese silicon solar PV cells and panels.
"The Chinese offer their customers a price that's below cost," DW quoted SolarWorld AG manager Frank Asbeck as saying. "By doing this, the Chinese government forces the good, technologically advanced companies into a dire financial straights [sic.] so they can ultimately monopolize the market."
The likelihood of German solar PV companies filing similar petitions is growing. That would escalate trade tensions and the possibility of retaliatory actions at a time when the global economic recovery remains fragile.
Avoiding a Trade War That's Been Going On for a Decade
Seeking to avoid an all-out trade war, the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE), the Global Solar Council (a recently formed industry group of silicon and solar PV production equipment manufacturers), and the US Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) have been urging the Commerce Dept., the International Trade Commission (ITC), and the Obama Administration to take a more diplomatic, conciliatory approach to resolving the issue.
Perhaps they haven't noticed — or cared to notice — but the trade war they seek to avoid has been going on for about a decade now, and China's stolen a march on everyone else. A level international playing field with enforceable rules needs to be established quickly if any form of open, competitive "free market" for solar PV cells and panels is to survive. Clearly, China's not going to alter course without external pressure.
One hugely and mutually beneficial step the Chinese government could take is to redirect its supply-side manufacturing and export subsidies by reallocating them to more aggressively stimulate demand for solar solar energy installations inside China, particularly at the residential and commercial levels.
This would soak up excess supply, while at the same time boosting GDP and green job creation, not to mention the the tremendous benefit it would yield in terms of reducing CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and the increasingly costly effects of a warming climate. It wouldn't generate the international trade surpluses and foreign exchange reserves that China's primarily relied on in becoming the world's second-largest economy, however.
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General Discussion / Western Land Ownership does not display correctly on Mapsource or Basecamp« on: July 23, 2014, 01:14:20 PM »
I am new at this. Have a Garmin 62S. I have downloaded and installed, uninstalled, reinstalled the Western Land Ownership map at least 3 times and each time I see it as an available map on the map applications (Mapsource and Basecamp) but all it displays when selected is a pinkish window with a few black dots on it, no matter what the scale. When you cursor over the dots they say Unknown or Map Created by.... That's all I get. Using Mapsource 6.16.3 which should be compatible. Any ideas? Other maps (like Yosemite Topo and California Topo display fine).
GPSr Units / Garmin 62S no topo lines on topo and no streets on routable street map« on: January 13, 2013, 11:04:11 AM »
This is all new to me.... new 62S, new to creating and downloading maps, new to the forum. I figured out where to find free topo and routable street maps. I downloaded a topo map from GPSFileDepot and got it onto the 62S. I can select it and see it, but there are no topo lines on it (the garmin topo shading option is set to OFF or DO NOT SHOW). I was able to create and download a routable street map from garmin.openstreetmap. I sent it to the device. I can see it and select it, but there are no streets or roads displayed no matter what the zoom level. I can go to openstreetmap where I created it and zoom to street level there, but cannot on the device once the map is loaded. Feeling pretty ignorant. I can't find any detail option on the 62S menus that might apply. What is it that I don't know? I am using MAPSOURCE in both cases. Have not tried using BASECAMP.
GPSr Units / Re: Cannot see topo map on 62s« on: January 13, 2013, 10:54:07 AM »
I had a similar issue the first time I created and sent a map to my new (pre-owned) Garmin 62S when everything was a "first" and cunfusing (still is). I found that I had to disable maps that were enabled by the previous owner, then enable only my map. The new map then showed up.
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Detecting Pile Length of Sign Structures and High Mast Poles
Principal Investigator(s):Bojan Guzina, Professor, Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering
- Joseph Labuz, Professor & Department Head, Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering
Project summary:Several hundred high mast light towers (HMLTs) throughout Minnesota have foundation systems, which are typically concrete-filled steel pipe piles or steel H-piles with no construction documentation (e.g. pile lengths) or soil stratigraphy information. Reviews of designs within current standards suggest that many of these foundations could have insufficient uplift capacity in the event of peak wind loads. Without knowledge of the pile length, an expensive retrofit or replacement program would need to be conducted. Thus, providing a screening tool to determine pile length as compared to a bulk retrofit of all towers with unknown foundations would be cost effective. The objective of this project is to establish a field method, including a data analysis algorithm, for determining in-place pile lengths. A unique feature of the proposed work is the use of computational modeling to explore the effects of soil type and ground conditions on the sensitivity of the method. The length of each pile supporting an HMTL is identified through a systematic sensing approach that includes: 1) collection and classification of the pertinent foundation designs and soil conditions; 2) three-dimensional (3D) simulation of dynamic soil-foundation interaction; 3) parametric studies of the 3D pile vibration problem; 4) field testing; and 5) analysis-driven data interpretation.
Project details:
- Project number: 2019003
- Start date: 07/2018
- Project status: Completed
- Research area: Infrastructure
- Topics: Concrete, Research implementation


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No foul play suspected after body found along 402: Sarnia police
Published Thursday, January 7, 2021 1:31PM EST
LONDON, ONT -- Sarnia police are still attempting to determine a cause of death but say that no foul play is suspected after a body was found along Highway 402 earlier this week.
The body was found near an off ramp of the highway early Tuesday afternoon.
A post mortem was conducted at London Health Sciences Centre, however the cause of death is still considered undetermined pending further results from the Center of Forensic Sciences.
Police have not released the identity of the deceased individual as they are still attempting to notify next of kin.


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By Chris Lang
This week's REDD notes. Follow @reddmonitor on Twitter for more links to news about forests, the climate crisis, natural climate solutions, the oil industry, greenwash, carbon offsetting, etc.
Jeff Bezos pours money into natural climate solutions
In February 2020, Jeff Bezos announced the US$10 billion Bezos Earth Fund. Last week, he put out a list of 16 organisations that will receive a total of US$791 million. Five will get US$100 million each: Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund.
All five mention natural climate solutions in their press releases about receiving money from Bezos.
EDF will use some of the money "to build confidence in carbon credits by improving scientific understanding of the storage and removal of carbon using nature-based processes in forests, agricultural soils, and oceans".
NDRC aims to "protect and restore ecosystems that store carbon (like forests and wetlands), and accelerate sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices".
TNC's CEO, Jennifer Morris said, "With this generous gift from the Bezos Earth Fund, The Nature Conservancy and our partners around the globe will be able to expand our pioneering work developing and implementing natural climate solutions."
WRI will use part of the grant "to develop a satellite-based monitoring system to advance natural climate solutions around the world. The system will monitor carbon emissions and capture potentially harmful changes to the world's forests, grasslands, wetlands, farms, and other critical areas".
And WWF will use the money "to accelerate the most promising solutions that harness the power of nature to provide for communities and stabilize our climate".
(Forbes gives a full list of Bezos Earth Fund recipients.)
Meanwhile, Amazon's enormous carbon footprint continues to grow. Amazon's workers continue to face appalling working conditions with high risks of COVID-19, and low wages. And Bezos gets richer and richer.
Megaprojects risk forest tipping point
The Guardian has an article about a report that concludes that infrastructure megaprojects risk pushing the world's forest past a "dangerous tipping point".
The report is the 2020 New York Declaration on Forests Progress Assessment. A key finding of the report is that,
The pace of large-scale infrastructure development and natural resource extraction is increasing across many tropical forest regions, posing a rising threat to intact forest landscapes. Demand for mined metals and minerals and fossil fuels is still growing, putting increased pressure on highly biodiverse forests that play host to significant levels of deposits of these valuable commodities.
The New York Declaration was signed in 2014 and aimed to cut deforestation by 50% by 2020. "But the 2020 goal has been missed and deforestation is rising," the Guardian points out.
Five Amazon countries plan to invest a total of US$27 billion in the next five years to build or upgrade 12,000 kilometres of roads. The 4,000 kilometre-long Trans-Papua highway will cut through the Lorentz National Park. A railway in Kalimantan would open areas for coal mining and oil palm plantations. Development corridors in sub-Saharan Africa to export minerals and energy would cut across 400 protected areas and degrade an additional 1,800.
2.2 million hectares of forest in Brazil's Amazon burned this year
Mongabay reports that more than 2,500 major fires burned in Brazil's Amazon between late May and early November, according the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project. Many were on recently deforested land.
41% of the fires were in standing forests. Almost 2.2 million hectares of standing forest in Brazil's Amazon burned. 13% of the fires were in protected areas and Indigenous territories.
Brazil's nationally determined contribution commits the country to reducing deforestation by 80% from 1996-2005 levels, and eliminating illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. Climate Tracker notes that "Both of these are set to be missed."
CIFOR: "Little progress" on REDD in the Democratic Republic of Congo
An article on CIFOR's Forests News looks at a new CIFOR report about progress on REDD in the Democratic Republic of Congo: The context of REDD+ in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
REDD started in DRC a decade ago. CIFOR states that,
However, the country's rate of emissions from forest loss continues to be among the highest in the Congo Basin due to unsustainable logging, fuelwood collection, agricultural expansion and mining.
The report states that,
Our first DRC country profile, published in 2013, concluded that the DRC's main REDD+ shortcomings were poor governance, an absence of state authority in many areas of the country, and a lack of domestic capacity, including financial and human resources. This second edition highlights that, between 2013 and 2019, little progress has been made on REDD+ in the DRC, as a result of conflicting interests among actors both at national and decentralized levels; information asymmetry; elite capture and corruption; and the pre- and post-election situation.
State of climate (in)action
A new report by the World Resources Institute and ClimateWorks Foundation looks at the State of Climate Action and concludes that, "To keep the window open to limit global warming to 1.5°C, countries need to accelerate transformation towards a net-zero emissions future across all sectors at a far faster pace than recent trends".
The report looks at six sectors: energy, building, industry, transport, forests, and agriculture. There is insignificant progress in all sectors and two (forests and agriculture) are going in the wrong direction.
Deforestation has increased since 2001. Irreplaceable primary forests continue to be lost. "While commitments to reduce supply chain deforestation have been increasing, they have not yet seen much success," WRI notes.
The Green Gigaton Nightmare
Bloomberg reports on the "Green Gigaton Challenge". The challenge was set up by UN-REDD together with a Delaware-registered company called Emergent Forest Finance Accelerators Inc to "guarantee enough credits to offset a billion tons of CO2 each year from 2025 to 2030.
Other founding partners in the Green Gigaton Challenge are Environmental Defense Fund, Forest Trends, and the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions. And (surprise, surprise) Norway is funding Emergent.
Bloomberg points out that companies including Microsoft, Walt Disney, and Shell are buying carbon offsets. The aviation industry's CORSIA offsetting scheme will drive up demand for cheap offsets further.
But for the climate, offsetting emissions from burning fossil fuels is a nightmare. The forests that UN-REDD pretends to care about are increasingly likely to go up in smoke.


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By Hooshang Amirahamdi, American Iranian Council (AIC)
This is a question that is on many minds these days. In Tehran, Washington and London, where I have spent time in the last three months, this question tops any other issues of concern in the US-Iran spiral conflict. After talking to many senators, representatives, Lords, MPs, and Iranian deputies, as well as officials in the three capitals, I have concluded that while it is almost impossible to provide a definitive answer, complacency is also unacceptable.
In an interview with Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), on May 19, he told me in many words that the Bush Administration has a "plan to attack Iran" and that the President "does not need months but days" to implement the plan if he wanted or found the right opportunity to do such. When the Congressman was asked about the source of his information, he referred to the "public reports" published in various media and discussions he has held with colleagues and others (Read the Interview in the next Update).
One such report of a possible military attack was published in the Jerusalem Post on May 20. The report claimed that in a "closed-door meeting" in Israel, an unidentified "senior official" of the Bush Administration disclosed that the President plans to attack Iran in the coming months and that Vice President Cheney was also on board with the idea. The original story was aired by Israeli Army Radio and the Jerusalem Post withdrew the article after the White House issued a denial.
The official, who was accompanying President Bush in Israel during his visit there to participate in its 60th birthday anniversary, also said that the only remaining problem is that Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, and Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice disagree with the plan. Gates and Rice are known for advocating a diplomatic settlement and increased informal exchanges with Iran. It is not known if the US intelligence agencies support the plan.
The White House, as expected, immediately denied the report that the President intended to attack Iran: "An article in today's Jerusalem Post about the president's position on Iran that quotes unnamed sources is not worth the paper it's written on," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. Yet, the Press Secretary reiterated the Administration's position that such an attack remains an option.
The press secretary also said that, for the time being, the US and its European allies will continue to stay with diplomacy: "Our preference and our actions for dealing with this matter remain through peaceful diplomatic means. Nothing has changed in that regard." By "this matter," Perino was referring to the Iranian nuclear uranium enrichment issue at the UN Security Council. The Council is asking Iran to suspend the activity prior to any negotiation.
While the US and its European allies are prepared to wait for a diplomatic resolution to the matter, Israel is adamantly making time of the essence, arguing that in the next six months to a year, Iran will reach the "point of no return." Israelis have been offering the same assessment in the last few years! In a speech this last April at Yale University, Shaul Mofaz, Israel's Deputy Prime Minster, reiterated the position. Mr. Mofaz has served as defense minister and chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces.
Mofaz, who was in the US to discuss Iran with leaders in Washington, told me in a private discussion that Israel considers Iran's nuclear enrichment an "existential threat," and that he has advised Washington that "its intelligence on Iran's nuclear programs is defective." While he did not say that Israel is asking the US to attack Iran or that otherwise Israel will do the job, he did in many words imply that no other alternatives were credible. According to Mofaz, "the current diplomatic approach is only giving Iran more time to build its bombs."
I told the Iran-born Israeli official that it was
not wise for Israel and Iran to become more inimical than they are. I reminded
him that 1400 years ago an Arab man called Yazid killed a Shi'a Imam called
Hussein and that after fourteen centuries still Muslim Iranians are looking for
the killer and morn the Imam's death every year in full force! He concurred but
blamed Iran for the spiral conflict. Tehran of course holds Israel responsible.
The blaming game has now reached a dangerous level.
While these exchanges were taking place, Iran released a "comprehensive initiative" to deal with "regional and global" problems impacting its relations with the international community. Specifically, Iran offered to join the 5+1 Group to comprehensively negotiate problems of regional security and peace including the idea of a "consortium" to enrich uranium in Iran and beyond. While Iran does not offer to temporarily halt its enrichment activities, it does open a small window toward that possibility if it were not made a condition for negotiation.
Significantly, The Iranian initiative is a call for negotiation with the US on mutually respectful basis and without any precondition to reach a global settlement of the disputes. The initiative even opens door for a settlement of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, implicitly accepting a two-state solution and the Jewish state's right to exist. A lot can be built on the Iranian initiative. The US and Israel must carefully consider this grand bargain offer from Tehran. Missing this opportunity could spell disaster for all parties involved (Read the Initiative in this Update).
The idea of Iran joining the 5+1 group was
initially proposed in an
article by this author in 2006: "Nuclear Crisis Calls for US-Iran Dialogue
within a Collective 6+1 Framework." It called for adopting an innovative
diplomacy based on an "out of court settlement" mechanism that ensures good
intentions and partnership as opposed to an approach that is set to verify
intentions or punish a suspected one.". The grand bargain idea was also
previously initiated by the
American Iranian Council.
Will then the US attack Iran or accept to comprehensively negotiate its disputes with it? The fact is that both war and peace with Iran have their friends and foes. A reasoned mind will sure choose peace given the overall situation in the US and in the region. I cannot believe that the Bush Administration will make war with Iran its official policy in the comings few months. It will not be also advisable for the Israelis to insist on a war game. The American public is too war weary to accept such a policy.
Yet, the war with Iran could happen and we cannot remain complacent. Those who wish to make the US attack Iran know well that it cannot happen as a matter of policy. Thus, they will take an alternative two-prong approach in the days and weeks ahead. In the one hand they will create conditions for some sort of an "incident" to happen against the American interests in the region and then argue that the incident was caused by Iran and therefore a quick military response is called for.
Iran is particularly fearful that a planned incident could happen in the coming months. As I write these lines, Iranian defense and intelligence forces are in full alert to detect and prevent any movement directed against American interests, and respond to a possible attack on Iran if it were to ever occur. My discussions with many diplomats, legislators and experts also make me conclude that the remaining months of the Bush Administration will not be months of policy but months of incidents in US-Iran relations.
The one theater where such an incident could occur is Iraq and the vicinity. While Iran's nuclear programs remain a source of serious concern in the US and Israel, it could not provide the pretext that the war mongers need to attack Iran. The situation in Iraq and its vicinity is, however, more fluid and less controllable by Iran or the forces for diplomacy and peace. It is no wonder that the war mongers are increasingly linking Iran to problems in Iraq, where American kids are being killed and American tax dollars lost.
The danger of a pretext for an attack on Iran emanating from Iraq is real. Unfortunately, US-Iran negotiations about the Iraqi security have not produced results. In recent discussions with officials on both sides, I have head Americans accusing Iran "not being serious" about the negotiations, and likewise, the Iranians I heard accusing the US "not being serious." Meanwhile, many of the anti-US and anti-Iran resistance and terrorist groups are plotting more violent acts, and some could be directed by the war mongers to commit murderous pretext for an American attack on Iran.
It is time that pro-diplomacy forces and peace lovers becoming increasingly more active during the remaining months of the Bush Administration. These are not going to be the months of policy but months of incidents in US-Iran relations. As such, those who do not want to see the US attack Iran in the coming months, must not pay a lot of attention to US policy toward Iran but to the war-causing incidents that could be created by the war mongers. Iraq is the most important theater to watch in this regard.
The Iranian initiative is a call for negotiation with the US on mutually respectful basis and without any precondition to reach a global settlement of the disputes. The initiative even opens door for a settlement of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, implicitly accepting a two-state solution and the Jewish state's right to exist. A lot can be built on the Iranian initiative. The US and Israel must carefully consider this grand bargain offer from Tehran. Missing this opportunity could spell disaster for all parties involved.


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Life's most awesome and cool people – HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS =) We headed to sea breeze to have an outrageous swimming courtesy/treat – as a promise for us- of one of my friends.
Had a blast with them. I could never elucidate how happy I am, since this is something terrific and unforgettable for the following reasons. One, it's our very first time to have an outing with numerous foods, so gazillion thanks to our well-blessed friends Bianca and Clarence. =) Second, it's our first outing as "graduates" of Pasay Science 😐
Perhaps this photo can reveal how happy I am. Mcdo Shot XD
Priceless moments!
Anyhow, I'm both happy and sad for this event. Happy, since we find time despite conflicts of schedule and sad, since it's still unknown if will get to see each other again and set an event like this.
Hanggang sa muli nating pagkikita! walang iwanan!


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The Town of Kingston planning board crossed several thresholds at its long-anticipated July 15 continuation of a recessed public hearing on Thomas Auringer's proposal to build a half-million square foot manufacturing facility off Route 28 on property surrounded by the Bluestone Wild Forest and associated conservation lands recently purchased by the Open Space Institute.
Town and local fire department officials directed parking outside and used a metal directing wand to check all entering the Kingston town building July 15. But following a public hearing on a new solar array farm proposed for the town, a recently hired legal consultant for Kingston stood and announced that the public hearing that had drawn the crowd would be postponed indefinitely. The reason? Mandatory visitor sign-ups had indicated the crowd inside town hall had exceeded a 150-person capacity and according to the state's Open Meetings Law, the hearing would need to be cancelled.
As Kingston town planning board chairman John Konior put it, in regards to both the cancellation and security precautions — which included he and the board sitting behind judge's benches instead of on the same level as the audience, as is usual — "The town board didn't want a repeat of the last time we met about this, which they called a 'riot.'"
That public hearing, on June 17, saw a more crowded room than that this week, when the cancellation occurred. It involved a number of representatives of OSI and the Woodstock Land Conservancy, including scientific and environmental consultants as well as the general public, decrying the installation of a what they were afraid would be a loud manufacturing entity, after a long construction phase, in the midst of a popular park-like getaway that's best known for its Onteora Lake area and surrounding trails. Countering were local residents, and people from neighboring towns, speaking about the need for jobs, the constraints environmentalists were placing on the local landscape, and objections to statements from anyone who's not a local resident or taxpayer.
That meeting, in turn, was the continuation of a May public hearing where OSI and the Land Conservancy came out to note they'd only just heard of Auringer's 850 Route 28 LLC proposal to start manufacturing cement bridge flooring at the site, where he's currently storing heavy construction equipment, including cranes (town officials allowed that use, not allowed in neighboring Ulster, when they said a previous property owner had similar permission). OSI and WLC reps said that they'd never been informed of Auringer's proposal in the many months since it was first brought forth last summer, even though they'd purchased contiguous lands this past winter, and the state wildforest and Onteora Lake were established entities.
Konior added this week that the town had hired Richard Golden of Goshen-based Burke, Miele, Golden & Naughton, LLP, who described himself as "an attorney who works with municipalities" who's had past dealings with OSI in the towns of Woodsbury and Tuxedo, after the planning board "realized we needed support for what we wanted to do."
Golden said that he closed the meeting based on his reading of municipal law, as well as the state's Open Meeting legislation. He would work with the town to find a suitable location that could accommodate all who would want to attend, even if that couldn't be in the town's boundaries. "Even if we need to be in Dietz stadium," quipped Konior.
"There's a lot that has to be done," Golden added. "We'll announce when and where our next meeting takes place in the town's legal newspaper (the Daily Freeman), as well as on the planning board's website."
Konior added that the planning board's next scheduled meeting was for August 29.
Talking, but no budging
850 Route 28 LLC consultant Dan LaFever, when asked whether the meeting's cancellation had been expected, or wanted, replied by noting all the paperwork he and his consultants had assembled. "It costs a lot of money every month to be sitting on a property that's not making any money," he added.
Raleigh Green, a communications specialist working with the Auringer team, went on to note that he had reached out to the Open Space Institute, but added that both institutions weren't budging on their positions that the entire 850 Route 28 LLC application process had been flawed.
Calls and emails to OSI about Green's claim were not answered as we went to press.
"Last night's turnout demonstrated again just how much local residents care about protecting Onteora Lake, Pickerel Pond and the Bluestone Wild Forest from adjacent inappropriate development," noted WLC Executive Director Maxanne Resnick in a separate statement. "Citizen engagement is already positively and constructively impacting the project and process at an important juncture. WLC and our partners are inspired by their engagement."
Asked about the Monday crowd's grumbling as they left the Kingston town hall on July 15, planning board chairman Konior widened his eyes a moment.
"I am not responsible for the way people feel," he commented. "You realize that probably half of these people are not from our municipality…" ++


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Most County offices are open for business; but a few are providing limited public services or services by appointment only. In addition, many public counters are open including our Libraries, which are now fully open.
To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we continue to ask that you complete transactions over the phone and online whenever possible. If these approaches will not work for specific problems you are encountering, please call the department providing the service and make an appointment before coming to County facilities. This will help alleviate your frustration. Please note that anyone who arrives at County facilities exhibiting clear signs of illness may be asked to leave the premises. We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding at this time.
For more information on the COVID-19 pandemic, and the County's response, visit https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19
As of June 1, 2020 the Administration office is open to the public. If you have any questions please contact us via our website or by telephone at (805) 781-5011.
The Airport Terminal remains open and operational for both inbound and outbound flights. For specific flight information, please contact your airline directly.
To schedule and appointment, please call (805)781-4400.
Behavioral Health clinics are open. Face masks are required at all times when indoors. View Hotline Numbers Here.
As of June 1, 2020 the Board of Supervisors office is open to the public. If you have any questions please call (805) 781-5450.
If you have questions regarding the Vet's Hall, please click here.
If you have general questions regarding COVID-19 or any updates related to the imapact on our community, please refer to www.slopublichealth.org/COVID19.
The Child Support Services lobby continues to be open for contactless services. To get assistance from home, contact a child support specialist by calling (866) 901-3212, emailing [email protected], or visiting www.childsupport.ca.gov.
The Health Agency is actively responding to COVID-19 and continuing to provide other essential services. Please see updates from Animal Services, Behavioral Health, Public Guardian and Public Health.
Beginning Tuesday, June 22, the County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries will offer services at all 14 locations.
More Info
The Department of Planning and Building Permit Center is open by appointment only. A walk-in option is available for customers with questions on Mondays and Fridays from 8:30 AM to 11:45 AM. Walk-ins are limited to 15 minutes each in order to accommodate as many people as possible. If you'd like to submit an application in person, please schedule an appointment by calling (805) 781-5600.
To submit electronic Building Permit or Land Use Permit Applications, please visit the Permitting page.
BY MAIL – Make Checks or Money Orders payable to:
County of San Luis Obispo Probation Department
1730 Bishop Street
San Luis Obispo CA 93401
The Public Health Department is actively responding to COVID-19. At the same time, we continue to provide essential services in the safest way possible, including telephone or remote appointments (through your mobile phone or computer) and in-person visits when needed.
Public Works is open for business. Our hours are 8 – 5, with closure from 12 – 1:30. Bus passes can be purchased at the Kiosk on the corner of Osos and Palm or by phone via slorta.org. Follow us on Twitter @SLOCountyPWD for the latest updates.
In response to the order for shelter in place, our department will be adjusting schedules of civilian staff which will impact daily functions. Please view the Updated Hours section for more information.
The UCCE facility is closed to the public until further notice.
We continue to provide essential services and are available remotely.
Please contact the Department via phone or email for additional information or to obtain services.
Phone: (805) 781-5940
Website for more contact info: cesanluisobispo.ucanr.edu
Our office is currently open for In-Person and Phone appointments only. No walk-ins. Call 805-781-5766 or Click to make an appointment online.
Contact Us Page


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Effect of multivitamins on plasma homocysteine in patients with the 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T homozygous state
- Authors:
Affiliations: Unit of Cytogenetic and Molecular Genetics, Madonna delle Grazie Hospital, Matera, Italy, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, V. Fazzi Hospital, Lecce, Italy, S'Andrea Hosptital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Santa Maria Hospital, Bari, Italy, Center of Reproduction and Andrology (CREA), Taranto, Italy, Department of Ophthalmology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy, Unit of Ophthalmology, Madonna delle Grazie Hospital, Matera, Italy, Laboratory of Hygiene, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Sciences, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Umberto I Hospital, Altamura (BA), Italy, Unit of Clinical Chemistry, Madonna delle Grazie Hospital, Matera, Italy
- Published online on: June 28, 2013 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2013.1563
- Pages: 609-612
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
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The role of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) as a cardiovascular risk factor remains a matter of debate, while it correlates with folates, it demonstrates inverse correlation with plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels and vitamin B12 levels and reduces plasma Hcy levels following supplementation with multivitamins. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that administering multivitamins at specific doses for 90 days restores normal plasma Hcy levels in women who are homozygous for the thermolabile variant of 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T). We enrolled 106 healthy females aged between 30 and 42 years, who were non-smokers, non-vegetarian, normotensive and who had no history of food abuse in the previous months. Only females were enrolled in order to rule out any bias due to the variation in Hcy plasma concentrations between males and females. Patient blood sampling was performed in order to determine plasma Hcy, serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels. Furthermore, molecular characterization of the C677T polymorphism present in the MTHFR gene, was also performed. The results of this study demonstrated that supplementation with specific multivitamins restores normal plasma Hcy levels, regardless of the MTHFR genotype. Furthermore, it is unnecessary to adminster high doses of folate to reduce plasma Hcy levels, and administering high doses of folate may cause pro-inflammatory and pro-proliferative effects.


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Thanks to Spotify and curators like AJ Ramos allowing independent artists to have the opportunity to be selected for playlists and be discovered in general, Shepherd's newest single "Gametime" has broke through the Top 50 United States Viral Chart on Spotify.
The song is on track to hit 1 million streams and currently sits at the #44 spot in between "Faucet Failure" by Ski Mask The Slump God and YMW Melly's collab with Kanye West, "Mixed Personalities."
Let's get it even higher up the chart! Stream Gametime on Spotify below:
Also check out the single out on Beast Mode and follow the playlist:


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For the whole of the duration of Expo (1 May – 31 October) there will be numerous activities in the Italian Pavilion which will contribute to illustrate the philosophy behind our participation in the exhibition.
The agenda of events which will take place, not only in our pavilion but also in other areas inside the Exhibition Park and generally in the city of Shanghai, will be published in 2010.
艺术展览 - Commissariato Italiano Esposizione Universale di Shanghai 2010
9月4 - 25日 "城市绿地"展览,该展览由马里奥·奥奇托建筑师事务所主办,持续至9月25日,地点为意大利馆 2 楼。该展览展示意大利古典和当代园艺景观设计。后面


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The Washington Post reported on Monday that "the number of migrant families crossing the border illegally has been falling in recent weeks, according to preliminary figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection." Despite this positive development, U.S. officials say it is too soon to get "a full picture of the impact on migration trends" resulting from President Trump's deal with Mexico to avoid tariffs in exchange for greater efforts to curb the flow of migrants through their country into the United States.
U.S. authorities detained more than 85,000 "family unit" members at the border in May, an average of nearly 2,800 per day. That number has declined about 13 percent since the beginning of June, a period during which Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico and the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador agreed to an immigration crackdown to avoid the penalty.
Overall, U.S. officials say they are expecting a 15 percent to 20 percent decline in border arrests from May, when authorities detained more than 144,000 and migration levels reached their highest point since 2006. The portion of migrants arriving as part of a family group has reached unprecedented levels in recent months, overwhelming U.S. border authorities who say they are ill-equipped to care for so many parents with children.
Mexico has deployed thousands of national guard forces since making the agreement with the Trump administration. One U.S. official told The Washington Post, "We are seeing initial actions and we are seeing some signs they're having an impact."
During the negotiations to avert tariffs, White House officials told Mexico that Trump wanted to see border crossings back at the historic lows tallied during 2017.
The Mexican government did not commit to a specific, numerical enforcement goal during the negotiations, a senior Mexican official said Monday. But Mexico has assured the United States that their enforcement efforts will deliver the major reductions in migration levels Trump is demanding.
President Trump has also promised to start deporting "millions" of illegal immigrants next week.
Matt Margolis is the author of the bestselling book The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. His new book, Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us From Barack Obama's Legacy, will be published on July 30, 2019. You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattMargolis


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Browseable Doc for Pharo and Squeak
These HelpTopics can be nested (book structure) and displayed in a HelpBrowser. Since help text is extracted/stored in classes and methods you can use the usual tools to maintain and package help contents together with your code.
There's a new Pharocast showing you how it works.
Technorati Tags: documentation, pharo


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Who says Bernie Sanders—or someone who works on his campaign, at least—doesn't have a sense of humor?
Earlier today, the Hollywood Reporter published an interview with billionaire Democratic megadonor Haim Saban, in which Saban (who is the chairman of Univision, Splinter's former owner), was asked about his opinion of the Democratic presidential field. He used this opportunity to slam the sword-owning socialist senator and presidential candidate:
"We love all 23 candidates," Haim says, then pauses. "No, minus one. I profoundly dislike Bernie Sanders, and you can write it. I don't give a hoot. He's a communist under the cover of being a socialist. He thinks that every billionaire is a crook. He calls us 'the billionaire class.' And he attacks us indiscriminately. 'It's the billionaire class, the bad guys.' This is how communists think. So, 22 are great. One is a disaster zone."
Hard to spot the lie in "every billionaire is a crook," but thanks anyway, Haim.
Anyway, Sanders used this opportunity to really lean into his Franklin Delano Roosevelt comparisons and "welcome their hatred," with an entire page on his website dedicated to "anti-endorsements" like the one from Saban:
"We can propose all the ideas and plans we want, but nothing will fundamentally change until we have the guts to take on the most powerful corporate interests in America," the page says. "That is why I am proud to announce the modern-day oligarchs who oppose our movement."
Joining Saban on the page are some of our favorites, like Home Depot CEO and Capitalism Defender Kenneth Langone, former CKE Restaurants CEO and Trump Labor secretary nominee/alleged domestic abuser Andy Puzder, and JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon:
Also included in the list is the president of the centrist think tank Third Way, the official clearinghouse of the Democratic Party's right wing:
Bernie's got some good owns—not unlike how the public should own the means of production! Thanks.


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It started as a simple tart. And quickly grew. It became a weekly neighborhood gathering of family and friends.
A snapshot of an unhurried afternoon. Kids on scooters and skateboards waiting for an apple pie to come out of the oven. A porch gathering, a sharing of stories. A row of heads, laughing in between bites of warm pie and slowly melting vanilla ice-cream. Simple moments of laughter, friendship, and fun. A slice of life.
Join us here for our favorite pie and tart recipes, along with anything and everything that moves at that blissful, simple, old-fashioned pace.


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Caracas (AFP) – Thousands of supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido took to the streets of Caracas on Saturday, demanding the departure of embattled President Nicolas Maduro, but the turnout was far less than expected.
Guaido had hoped to capitalize on the situation in Bolivia, where leftist leader Evo Morales resigned in the face of accusations of election fraud, to deal a death blow to his own political nemesis.
Opposition demonstrators did answer the call — about 5,000 of them marched, according to AFP's crowd estimate. They carried national flags and banners with slogans such as "Maduro out" and "Follow Bolivia's example."
"We are not going to falter," Guaido, who is recognized as Venezuela's acting president by about 50 countries, told crowds of supporters gathered in front of Bolivia's embassy.
"Bolivia took 18 days, we have been at it for years. I ask all of Venezuela to keep protesting," he said. "The struggle is until the takeover ends, until free elections are achieved."
Guaido, 36, the head of the opposition-dominated National Assembly, has thus far failed to capitalize on early momentum built after he declared himself the crisis-wracked country's acting president in January.
His camp believes that the 2018 elections, which returned Maduro to office, were undermined by fraud. The opposition chief has urged the leftist leader, the political heir of late president Hugo Chavez, to call new elections.
"We have come today with very high expectations, we don't want this to be just another march," said Omar Kienzler, a 19-year-old law student.
– Failed uprising –
The numbers of protesters on Saturday was a far cry from the tens of thousands Guaido once rallied, but it was the opposition's biggest rally since May, after a failed uprising.
"Evo is gone, Maduro is going — Venezuela shouts, we want freedom!" chanted 65-year-old Rafael Castillo.
Protests in Caracas and elsewhere unfolded without incident.
A poll by the Datanalisis firm on October 18-25 showed that 32 percent of respondents were inclined to protest in support of Guaido.
Venezuela is in the midst of its worst economic and social crisis in recent history. Inflation is expected to hit an eye-popping 200,000 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Outside major cities, power outages are frequent and medicines, petrol and cash are scarce.
The oil-rich country is subject to crippling US sanctions, including an embargo on crude.
The opposition blames the situation on official "corruption" but Guaido has been unable to galvanize enough support to move the political needle.
"If nothing major happens, Guaido's leadership will end up on ice," political analyst Jesus Castillo-Molleda told AFP.
A recent poll by the Delphos firm showed that 38 percent of Maduro opponents want a new leader to replace Guaido.
– Pro-Maduro rally –
In downtown Caracas, thousands of Chavistas dressed in red mobilized in support of Maduro and Morales.
"We've had yet another victory, a victory of peace," Maduro told supporters by telephone, his message amplified by loudspeakers.
Maduro has warned that he will not tolerate any effort to replicate what he calls the "coup d'etat" that ended with Morales' departure into exile in Mexico.
He accused the opposition of plotting violence with the backing of the United States and Colombia in a bid to destabilize his government.
On Friday, armed men stormed Guaido's party headquarters in the eastern part of Caracas, taking security cameras and computers, money and ID documents.
In La Paz on Saturday, interim Bolivian leader Jeanine Anez called on Guaido to "liberate" Venezuela.
"It's unfair that you have suffered through so much violence and repression," she said in a video message broadcast on national television.
Source: AFP


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Working for you seems so great. The workplace atmosphere is awesome. Salaries are competitive. You invest heavily in team building. However, your employees are constantly leaving you. Now, you probably
When it comes to the issue of outsourcing, most people automatically think of areas like IT, HR or customer service. Nonetheless, the field of digital marketing is not that far
Guest Post by Jug Babic There is definitely no shortage of debates, opinions, advice and content in general on the phenomenon of Agile. The Agile approach has taken a life
Technology has, in many ways, reshaped modern businesses. Not only are businesses today more efficient, but they're also able to do much more work at a lower cost. As a
You've always dreamed of starting your own baking business based on your grandma's secret recipes, or perhaps you're a freelancing programmer who wishes to go professional in order to attract
A few decades ago, Liza Minnelli taught us that money makes the world go round. And, in the world of startups, nothing could be truer. Namely, your financial health is
When starting a business, everyone dreams big. You want your company to be the next Apple, Google, or Starbucks. And, to become an internationally recognized and trusted brand, you need
There are a lot of reasons for an employer or a company to withhold information. For instance, some piece of data might be so delicate, that the very prospect of
One of the golden rules of running a successful business, big or small, is always making the right financial decisions that aren't just beneficial for your endeavors right now, but
Businesses today highly depend on their online visibility. Without visibility, it's almost as if a business doesn't exist at all. No matter how good your offers are or how well-designed


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More that 1,500 individuals have used Skills for Logistics' skills calculator since it was launched in March.
The Skills Calculator is a free-to-use web tool that provides insights into the financial benefits of investing in workplace skills and career development across the UK Logistics industries.
Individuals can use the tool to discover what annual salary they could earn, in any one of the 150+ logistics job roles, featured across all logistics industries and career levels when fully skilled.
Steven Edson, managing director of ITS Training said: "The Skills Calculator is a practical tool that is quick and easy to use."
Sophie Williams, supply chain and management specialist at Distance Learning College, said: "During the initial stages of communication with a potential student we can direct them to the Skills Calculator to demonstrate the true value of studying a distance learning qualification and the potential earnings available to them upon completion."


text: For the third straight day Topps is at it again with more presidential election cards. Today Topps launched Garbage Pail Kids Disg-Race to the White House cards #113-#116. Today's cards continue with three GPK cards and one Wacky Packages card. Kanye West and Trump's newest nominees highlight today's offerings. Each card can be purchased for $9.99 or in lots of 5 for $29.99, 10 for $49.99, or 20 for $79.99. A four card bundle featuring one of each card can be purchased for $29.99. Free shipping is being offered via the SmartPost option. The card will be for sale for 24 hours via topps.com. Topps will reveal the print run at the end of the sale. Here are pictures of today's new cards.


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How to successfully migrate a tracking study to a new software platform
Researchers know that consistency is a critical ingredient for a successful tracking survey. If the sample provider changes, a new screener requirement is added, or a survey question is reworded — changes like these can compromise comparisons to historical data. As such, the prospect of migrating a tracking study to a new survey software platform would understandably raise concerns for any researcher. However, Forsta has helped to successfully transition many existing tracking studies to its platform. Each successful transition required planning, preparation, and buy-in from stakeholders.
The reasons for transferring data across platforms vary, but are usually tied to the benefits of the new platform. For example:
- Cost reduction
- Technological advancements
- Mobile compatible features
- Data collection enhancements
- Improved reporting capabilities
- Productivity improvements
- Field /admin management tools
- Software UI ease of use
- More programming flexibility
These benefits may apply not only to a specific tracking study, but also to the researcher's ongoing survey efforts, and research process as a whole.
Programming the new tracker
Programming a tracking study in the new platform is perhaps the most resource intensive part of the transition. The programmer should ensure that the data structure and layout of the new tracker is set up to replicate the legacy tracker. Questionnaire labels need to match. Data labels, values, and positions must also line up, so that there can be 1-to-1 correspondence between the datamap and the data set. This will ensure a smooth transition as data from the old platform migrates to the new one. And, any reporting or data outputs tied to the original tracking setup can remain in place when transitioning to the new platform.
If any custom survey features need to be applied, ensure that the new platform can handle the details you require. This includes the incorporation of multimedia elements, custom styling elements, and third-party integrations.
A word about survey style
Some clients request that the tracker on the new platform replicate the survey look and feel of the legacy tracker. This can be done on Forsta, however, very specific styling requirements such as spacing between characters and lines require a custom development or UX team to support. This can be time consuming and expensive. More often than not, minimal style changes will be sufficient. In such cases, things like logos, font sizes, and background colors can be modified as needed, with little programming effort. Our experience has shown that cosmetic modifications to a survey do not have a significant impact on data outcome. What can have an impact are changes to the basic survey structure. This may include adding/removing answer options or changing question types (from a radio button to a slider). These types of modifications change the fundamental nature of the question and will create data differences.
Run the old and new trackers in parallel
We recommend that the tracker on the old platform and new platform run in parallel, for at least a few months (or waves). This allows sufficient time for the researcher to compare trends or deviations between the two. At first, the old platform should still field the majority of sample (e.g. 75%), and any differences in data or survey participation can be noted and investigated as needed. During this period, the researcher can also report on progress, impact, and benefits of the transition. This is crucial so that stakeholders can see the data themselves, and feel comfortable before completely moving over to the new platform
Moving a tracking study to a new platform can be a tricky process, but by following well planned out steps, researchers can achieve a successful transition.
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