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There are two fairly new, and very important conditions existing in the world today that have not only made the carpet cleaning industry a "billion dollar business," but also practically guarantee your success as an entrepreneur in this field.
Most businesses employ janitors or janitorial services to vacuum their carpets after hours daily, and then "master" carpet cleaners to deep-clean them every three months or so. Homemakers also generally vacuum their carpets perhaps several times a week, and then hope to deep-clean every spring or fall, depending on the kind of household traffic, and on their budgets.
It's true that people everywhere try to save money by handling these jobs themselves. However, empathy with the people, and an understanding of this trend, should be neither cause for alarm nor a deterrent to your success in this business.
It doesn't take any special education, skill or experience to operate a professional-type, deep-cleaning carpet cleaner. Yet, from, your first job onward, you should project the image of a thoroughly experienced expert in your field. And, we're going to show you how you can get started in this business, and make $300 or more per working day, with virtually no investment!
The important part of this business - or any other business - is the owner-operator's "sense of marketing" and salesmanship. Make no mistake about it, all businesses succeed through marketing strategies and salesmanship. You won't be selling a product with this business; you'll be selling a service. And the selling of services is often more difficult than product sales.
Therefore, it will be to your benefit to learn all you can about selling. Then, you should continue to add to your knowledge through an ongoing program of learning. Keeping up to date and being aware of successful selling ideas and methods will add to the total success of any business person.
Even before the acquisition of equipment, you need customers. Your prospects are all the businesses and homes with carpets in your area. Your problem is going to be in reaching these prospects, impressing upon them the benefits of your service, and getting them set up with an appointment for you to do the work.
We have found that the least expensive and most productive method of reaching these people is by way of neighborhood "hand-out" flyers or announcements, delivered door-to-door by Brownies or Cub Scouts, or members of other youth organizations. These flyers are advertisements or announcements of a "Carpet Cleaning Special," printed on 5 1⁄2 by 8 1⁄2 sheets of paper that invite the recipients to call you for an appointment. | 2019-04-22T20:02:17 | http://bucarotechelp.com/getpaid/homespc/88110601.asp |
We're different. And proud of it.
We want to get to know you, not just the numbers on your transcript. Applications are reviewed by people and not algorithms. We welcome students with all types of life experiences to apply and join our community.
The regular admission deadline is MAY 15.
Unique Expression: To help us better understand your achievements and potential, we welcome any additional material that showcases your unique personality and talents. These can be but are not limited to: Personal essays, your Zeemee Profile, a résumé, creative portfolio, and/or video recording of a musical or athletic performance.
International students only: English proficiency test scores. See here for more details.
A campus visit: Your visit to campus can be completely personalized! Chat with an admissions counselor, let a current Wellsian show you around campus, sit in on a class, meet with a professor in the major(s) of your interest, or hang out with a coach for a sport of your interest (depending on availability). With enough prior notice, overnight stays can also be arranged during the academic year.
Completed FAFSA: Students who submit a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before January 15 will receive a FAFSA Grant of $300.
Test Scores: Wells College is committed to reviewing applications holistically and considering many facets of a student's potential. To honor that commitment, admission to Wells is now test optional. We no longer require SAT or ACT scores in the application evaluation process.
International students must submit TOEFL scores. See here for details.
To help us provide you with the most complete financial aid award package, you must submit a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This can be done electronically or by paper. If you have questions about scholarships, student loans, or how to file the FAFSA, our Office of Financial Aid is always happy to help! | 2019-04-26T06:30:20 | https://www.wells.edu/admissions/applying-wells/first-year-students |
Test Drive Le Mans should be more than enough to keep arcade-racing fans happy for a while at least.
If you pick up Test Drive Le Mans expecting a full-blown simulation with realistic physics and a strict adherence to the motorsport's format and rules, you're likely to become very disappointed. There are no two ways about it: Test Drive Le Mans is an arcade-style racing game through and through - but the good news is that if you can look past some of the design decisions and oversights, the action is actually pretty satisfying.
Test Drive Le Mans offers three modes of play, all presumably designed to let impatient gamers jump into a GT1, GT2, or prototype vehicle and start racing with minimal muss or fuss. The arcade mode features three race types: Practice and time attack put you alone on the track, while challenge puts you at the back of an eight-car field for a five-lap race. To play for the championship, you sign up for a lowly GT2 team and try to climb your way up the ladder to the faster prototypes and GT1 divisions by finishing first at the end of the season. Finally, there's the 24 hours of Le Mans itself, which offers a time-compression feature that lets you see the transition from day to night and back again in a race as short as 12 minutes.
Regardless of which mode you choose, you'll soon see why hard-core racing-simulation fans are likely to shake their heads at Test Drive Le Mans. Only three camera views are available, including a bumper-cam, a hood-cam, and a behind-the-car perspective, so you can forget the idea of sitting inside the cockpit of your car. The game's setup options are paltry: You can modify your car's fuel amount and choose from several tire types, three generic downforce settings, and three steering-sensitivity settings, as well as toggle traction control and transmission type, though the game completely ignores gear ratios and brake bias. This grade-school garage will be your first inkling that Test Drive Le Mans doesn't model a whole lot of real-world detail - a suspicion that'll be confirmed when you see cars stick to the track like slot cars, even in the sharpest turns.
But real-world physics and cockpit views are two of the biggest drains on CPU horsepower in a racing game. And because Test Drive Le Mans isn't burdened with them, the developers were able to use those resources to create impressive car graphics and hauntingly realistic trackside scenery, and still achieve smooth frame rates even at high resolutions. Once you accept that you'll simply have to downshift or decelerate to negotiate 95 percent of the turns in Test Drive Le Mans, you'll find that its combination of drop-dead gorgeous graphics and phenomenal sensation of speed would surely make all but the most serious race fans smile.
The game features seven tracks besides Le Mans, but whether or not they're based on actual tracks is a mystery. The box copy claims the seven circuits are ACO approved, but in trying to find out more about their real-life counterparts, the best I could come up with was that some of them are named after certain sections of the Le Mans course itself. This is just one example of the carefree attitude the game and manual take as far as familiarizing us Ugly Americans with the nuances of the motorsport.Instead of providing driver bios, track histories, and other information to bring newcomers up to speed, Test Drive Le Mans is content to simply slap a picture of the circuit on the screen and list the names of the teams that are competing - some of which might as well be in Esperanto for those unfamiliar with the world of GT racing and the 24 hours of Le Mans. The game claims that the "drivers race like their real-world counterparts," which is hard to verify because you're never told who the drivers are for each team. But if the assertion is true, then the real-world counterparts have a sadistic proclivity to simply ram your car when things aren't going their way. As for car specifications, all you get is a console-style graphic bar rating each vehicle for speed, acceleration, handling, and braking.
But you can forget all these things if you simply repeat to yourself that "it's just an arcade racer" over and over again as you burn down the wonderfully rendered courses. However, you won't as easily overlook the design decision to lock so many tracks and cars, especially since the instructions on just what you need to do to unveil them are so unclear. The setup for Le Mans race is even more frustrating: Until you perform well enough in the championship mode, you're stuck in the slower GT2 cars in which the best you can hope for is to finish first in your class. You can play in amateur mode to give yourself a better chance of success, but the game will automatically turn off damage and tire wear.
You can take along minimum fuel to increase your qualifying time, but then you'll be shocked to find yourself magically transported to race day with that same amount of fuel in your tank. Someone figured no one would want to hit the garage between the qualifying race and the real race. What's more, it'd be nice to tweak the limited setup options available during a practice session before a championship race - but there's no option to practice before a championship race, so you're forced to use the time attack race in arcade mode to get used to the track. Of course, that doesn't really matter much anyway since the computer-controlled drivers tend to turn in qualifying times 20 seconds faster than yours, then fall one by one during a ten-lap championship race as you blow by them at every turn or corner.
There's also a problem with Le Mans itself. It's a drag to have to slog your way through a couple of seasons before getting to the really hot cars - but when you finally earn the right to drive a GT1, you'll be disappointed on several counts once you hit the world-famous course. Believe it or not, Le Mans itself isn't nearly as good looking as the game's other courses - the track looks grainy, and in several spots the game runs into uncharacteristic frame-rate problems. When the sun goes down, you'll be shocked to see that the headlights are practically worthless - more than once I hit the headlight button just to make sure they were even on.
Last but not least, there's an issue with saving your progress between races. You can compress time to finish the marathon event over a much shorter period of time, but if you decide to tackle the whole enchilada, then be prepared to leave your computer on for the duration. There's no way to save a game in the middle of the 24-hour classic, nor is there a computer driver (as in Sports Car GT) to take over for you while you stretch your legs.
Yet even with all its nagging problems, Test Drive Le Mans is still a kick to play. It's similar to last year's Motorhead with real-life cars but without that game's good multiplayer options. And for a retail price of under $30, Test Drive Le Mans should be more than enough to keep arcade-racing fans happy for a while at least. | 2019-04-24T10:24:47 | https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/test-drive-le-mans-review/1900-2558857/ |
In order to properly prepare for your upcoming visit, please click on the exam/procedure below you are scheduled to undergo. Here you can learn more about what the procedure entails as well as what you can expect before, during and after.
How should I prepare for my test?
When you go for your appointment, consider wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants or other clothing that does not have zippers or metal fasteners, since these interfere with MRI scans. Also, please plan to arrive and check in with the receptionist 15 minutes before your appointment is scheduled.
RDI has two MRI systems. Although both systems are designed for patient comfort, any scan can cause some anxiety, so be sure to let your physician and RDI know if you think you may be claustrophobic. The physician may want to prescribe a sedative, and the exam will likely be scheduled on the MRI system with the wider patient opening. You will have the option of listening to a tape or CD during the exam, so feel free to bring a favorite recording along, or make your selection from a variety available at RDI.
No preparation is needed. You only need to bring your referral/prescription.
Please inform the technologist if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
Be sure to take all prescribed medications as scheduled.
X-rays are painless and commonly used procedures. They do not require any special preparation. During the exam, your child will need to remain still as the technologist adjusts the image recording plate against the area to be tested. Wearing a lead apron to limit radiation exposure, your child’s x-ray will be taken once the technologist activates the x-ray machine.
Please also see our X-Ray page for additional information on the procedure.
Please do not take any calcium supplements the day of the exam. For the exam, you will not need to remove any clothing, but we do suggest wearing comfortable clothing and avoiding any items containing metal.
You will need to bring your prescription. You may be asked not to urinate for a few hours prior to the procedure for certain exams.
Medications can be taken 1 hour before morning or afternoon appointment.
Drink 32oz of fluid starting 2 hours before study, to be completed 1 hour before the appointment.
Nothing by mouth after midnight the evening prior to study except prescribed medication.
Drink 12oz. of fluid 1 hour before you appointment. Do not empty your bladder.
Morning appointment: Nothing to eat or drink after midnight. Drink 12oz. of water 1 hour before study.
Afternoon appointment: Nothing to eat or drink 4 hours before study. Drink 12oz. of water 1 hour before study. You may empty your bladder when needed.
Before your barium enema, you must consume a diet of only clear liquid for 24 hours preceding your appointment. This includes fruit juices (no pulp), soda, tea or coffee (without cream), broth, popsicles, Italian ices, hard candy, and JELL-O. You should try to consume an 8 oz. glass of water every hour for 10 hours the day before your appointment as well.
Take 3 tablets (5 mg. each) of Dulcolax, OR 10 OZ. OF Citrate of Magnesia, the night before the exam.
Do not eat or drink anything after 10:00 pm the night before the exam.
0-10yrs – Nothing to eat or drink 4 hours prior to exam.
11yrs-adult – Nothing to eat or drink after midnight.
Nothing to eat or drink 1 hour prior to exam if possible.
You can contact Rochester Radiology by phone at 585-336-5000 or by e-mail through our secure and confidential contact page. | 2019-04-24T08:53:27 | https://www.rochrad.com/for-patients/preparing-for-your-visit |
Don’t you love the power, precision and persuasion of words? I do.
and why yours is the product or service they should choose.
Then I’ll get down to the job of writing the perfect email, web page, brochure, or whatever you need. Heck, I’ll even write your very own haiku, if you ask me to.
Beyond writing great copy, I also edit and proofread—I can’t help it; can’t find the ‘off’ switch. So I don’t need to contract out those services for a polished result, and the work reaches your Inbox sooner. And if you need advice or help with graphics or photography, I’m up for that as well.
So let’s talk. Let’s find out how I can help you move forward. Let’s get busy on your message. | 2019-04-19T15:10:00 | https://www.clevercopywritingschool.com/your-directory/listing/duncan-waldron |
Who is your paborito whore?
Which is your paborito couple?
what is happening with the susunod series? we have bought all the dvds , the end wasnt the end ? we loved it so much , it was fabulous !can anyone help ?
The Deadwood movie is officially in production. Press release/cast listahan from TVLine, 5 NOV 2018. | 2019-04-22T10:01:00 | http://tl.fanpop.com/clubs/deadwood |
The Indoor Archery World Series was launched in 2018.
The inaugural Indoor Archery World Series finished in Las Vegas.
Four women did not drop a point over the first two days of competition.
There were 97 archers in total with a perfect 300 points.
The Italian Paralympian qualified 19th in Nimes with 594 points.
Casey took her second medal of the indoor circuit in France.
The German archer dropped just one point over the 15-arrow match.
Archers needed to drop less than 10 points to be certain of finishing among the top 32 qualifiers. | 2019-04-20T14:45:45 | https://worldarchery.org/news/search?field_content_tags_tid=2194 |
PAI, the European firm that for some years has been consolidating its position in the food sector, will pay €1.1 billion for the number one culture maker.
In a statement the equity firm said that current executive vice president Lars V. Frederiksen has already taken over the role of CEO from Erik Soerensen.
Chr. Hansen came up for sale in November last year after its major stakeholder, the Lundbeck Foundation, decided to pull away from the ingredients slice of the company to focus on the pharmaceutical unit.
In addition to cultures, the Danish firm has strong market positions in natural colours (number one), enzymes and flavours.
At €450 million last year the ingredients unit contributed the majority of revenue to the group, compared to the €141 million in revenue from the pharmaceutical unit, ALK-Abello, that focuses on allergy treatment and asthma prevention products.
Rumours floating around at the time of sale had suggested that DSM, the Dutch chemicals group, had entered the frame to bid for the ingredients unit. Successsful Irish food group Kerry was also a strong contender.
PAI, that recently spun off natural ingredients firm Diana-Ingredients, has made a host of acquisitions in the food sector. Recent deals include the French dairy products company Yoplait, UK biscuits manufacturer United Biscuits for €2.8bn, and €555m for Panzani Lustucru, a pasta sauce specialist.
Diana-Ingredients, acquired in 1990, had been the only human food ingredients firm in the group's portfolio, prior to its sale, although in November 2002 PAI bought a 74 per cent slice in animal feed giant Provimi.
Providing opportunities for cash rich, ambitious firms, either within or external to the food industry, the roll call of ingredients players on the market keeps on growing, largely against the backdrop of increasing consolidation in the food industry.
The retailers are extending their reach across the globe, and ingredients suppliers are under severe pressure - notably through squeezed margins - to keep up with the pace and to deliver products at competitive prices. Consolidation and economies of scale are one of the only routes open to them.
Now the Chr Hansen sale is virtually complete, attention in the food ingredients industry will turn to the sale of Degussa's food ingredients' operations. Once again, Kerry is likely to be a key contender for the ingredients unit that pulled in sales of €527 million in 2003. | 2019-04-24T10:31:19 | https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2005/05/02/PAI-buy-Chr-Hansen |
Count on Grote for all your slicing needs. The Grote Company is the world's leading manufacturer of precision slicing and application equipment for the food processing industry. We work closely with you to determine your equipment needs and provide you with a solution that is exactly right for your operation. Grote's versatile slicing systems can perform nearly any application with just the results you are looking for. Grote's extensive product line includes equipment that handles simple applications, such as bulk slicing and portion control (stacking and/or shingling). Our more complex systems provide solutions for automating food manufacturing processes. In these applications, Grote equipment is ideal for slicing and applying products to moving production line targets, such as sandwich buns, frozen entrees, case ready trays and pizza crusts.
If you've any questions about Grote International products or services feel free to ask them here. | 2019-04-23T15:55:50 | https://1stdirectory.co.uk/companies/grote-international/ |
Is the door to your shop jammed shut because of a faulty lock? Or, perhaps, you can’t get your garage door open because it’s off-track? For scenarios like these, you need a professional unlock service. Borden IN Locksmith Store is a trustworthy local locksmith that has been operating for a number of years in the Borden, IN region helping business, home, and car owners deal with their lock related trouble.
Borden IN Locksmith Store’s services are lightning-quick, designed for scenarios where you need to get your door opened quickly – because you’re in a hurry to get to work or just want to continue with the rest of your day uninterrupted. Our locksmiths usually require only 30 minutes to arrive on-site, and then a few minutes to get the door open or fixed. We always charge a reasonable rate for our unlock service, no matter when you call us.
Contact us now on 812-227-3197 for a speedy, reliable, and affordable unlock service today! | 2019-04-18T18:46:52 | http://borden.in-locksmith-store.com/unlock-service.html |
Fall/Winter 2018 with our favorite 5 trendy colors!
Today we are going to show you the Pantone color trends for the upcoming season: Fall/Winter 2018! We have chosen our favorite 5 Pantone fall colors that will transform completely your home interior. Curious? Keep scrolling and fall in love!
This beautiful orange will definitely elevate your interior design this upcoming season. Russet Orange can be used in statement pieces or even in your wall.
Of course, the Pantone Color of the Year had to be on our list! This spiritual purple is bold and vibrant, adding a personalized touch to your interior design.
“Inventive and imaginative Ultra Violet lights the way for what is yet to come,” says Pantone.
Ceylon Yellow will make a statement in any division of your home, especially if you combine it with another bold color.
Martini Olive is probably one of the boldest picks for this Pantone Fall Fashion Report, but definitely one of our favorites. This color is much more discreet than the others, but at the same time, the perfect color to balance any room.
A mellow teal as evocative as the eponymous Central American bird, Quetzal Green is definitely a color that will add welcoming atmosphere to your house. | 2019-04-24T14:10:06 | https://www.londondesignagenda.com/lets-ready-fall-winter-2018-pantone-color-trends/ |
Dunfermline Advocacy has been a charity partner of the Coop Dunfermline stores in Linburn Road, Robertson Road and Pilmuir Street for the past 2 years and has received an amazing £5,037 as a result of money raised through customer spend contributions and plastic bag charges.
Pictured (R – L): Advocate Hazel Smith and her partner Sally accepting a generous cheque from the Coop on Saturday.
Summer BBQ a huge success!!
Do you love shopping with Amazon? Do you want to support our work whilst shopping? | 2019-04-22T23:22:37 | https://www.dunfermlineadvocacy.org/huge-thank-you-from-dunfermline-advocacy-to-the-coop/ |
Mandatory presentations are infamously dull. But in the right hands, it can be a customer experience opportunity. If you can make the required become remarkable, you will be positively seared in their memory forever!
In life and customer experience, it’s all about the little things. From faucets to playing host at a party, you can create a truly exceptional experience with careful attention to small but simple details that won’t go unnoticed by grateful customers. | 2019-04-20T01:07:20 | https://www.experiencethisshow.com/category/check-out-this-number/page/4/ |
Allow cheese to come to room temperature. Combine all ingredients (easier done by hand).
Shape into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately or may be frozen for future use. | 2019-04-25T22:56:50 | https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/member-recipe/00450263/easy-cheesy-sausage-balls |
Many patients with blood cancers, such as multiple myeloma, leukemia, or lymphoma, have radiation treatment or chemotherapy to destroy their tumor cells and diseased bone marrow. Unfortunately the treatment damages their immune system leaving them immunocompromised. To restore their immunity patients may be transplanted with bone marrow from a healthy donor that will enable their body to make both red blood cells and all the white blood cells that are needed to restore the immune system. T cells are one broad category of white blood cells. These cells will actively seek out and destroy most or all of the remaining cancer cells.
Fig. 1. By altering the balance of T effector (TE) and T regulator (TR) cells azacytidine may result in more patients surviving bone marrow transplantations that leave them both tumor free and without the side effect of graft versus host disease.
Patients may be surprised to learn that while bone marrow transplantation is the only curative therapy for some of these blood cancers, it carries the risk of a serious side-effect: graft versus host disease (GvHD). About 50% of transplant patients get mild to severe GvHD ranging from a limited mild rash or diarrhea to far more extensive and debilitating disease. For about 30% of these it can even be fatal. Our laboratory is one of many that is researching the underlying causes of this disease with the hope of reaping the benefits of a bone marrow transplant while minimizing or eliminating the risk of GvHD.
We know that both the benefits and risks of transplantation are caused by the donor’s T cells. In most biological processes there are signals that cause specific actors to aggressively respond to a problem and other signals that cause regulators to dampen the response to keep it under control. For the immune system a balance between subsets of “T effector cells” and “T regulatory cells” often governs the response. T effector cells proliferate rapidly when they encounter tumor cells so as to more effectively eradicate them. As the number of tumor cells decreases, healthy patient cells with a similar appearance are increasingly vulnerable to a mistaken attack and destruction. This results in GvHD.
All cell types in our bodies contain the same DNA blueprint. However, there are chemical modifications on the DNA that act like “marks” on this blueprint to tell individual cells which instructions to follow. We, and others, have previously published work that showed it is actually possible to convert T effector cells into T regulatory cells by administering the drug azacitidine to remove some of these marks. We have found that if we inject azacitidine into mice, only a small percentage get GvHD even though the T cells can still eliminate the tumor.
Because drugs sometimes have unforeseen side effects, it is always important to understand all the means by which a drug prevents a disease. This knowledge can be used to improve upon a treatment, understand the best circumstances for delivering treatment, develop additional treatments, or reveal other diseases or conditions in which the drug might be useful.
As published in the Journal of Immunology, we have now discovered another way that azacitidine prevents GvHD. Because T effector cells and T regulatory cells have differently marked DNA, azacitidine keeps T effector cells from proliferating, but has no such effect on T regulatory cells. Thus azacitidine can rapidly alter the balance of T effector and T regulatory cells.
This new information will help us as we design clinical trials testing the ability of azacitidine to prevent GvHD in cancer patients who receive bone marrow transplants. Timely administration of azacitidine, as in our mouse studies, might allow the transplanted effector cells to kill the leukemia and the transplanted regulatory cells to keep matters under control.
What it takes to survive a transplant may just be good balance.
Azacitidine Mitigates Graft-versus-Host Disease via Differential Effects on the Proliferation of T Effectors and Natural Regulatory T Cells In Vivo. | 2019-04-24T00:22:47 | http://atlasofscience.org/what-it-takes-to-survive-a-transplant/ |
Dubai, UAE, 14 October 2018: With the 24th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) promising to provide unforgettable shopping experiences, the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) announced that the DSF Mega Raffles promotions – the INFINITI Mega Raffle and the Nissan Grand Raffle - will begin on 15 October 2018.
In addition, five lucky raffle ticket holders will get a weekly chance to win AED 20,000 each over a period of five weeks during the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), totaling AED 100,000 per week! And that’s not all – one raffle ticket holder will also get a chance to win a mega cash prize of AED 500,000 as DSF concludes. | 2019-04-26T16:46:53 | http://www.dubaiprnetwork.com/pr.asp?pr=133714 |
What makes concrete unique ?
We are not going to reveal our secret recipe, but like all concrete mixes, ours is made of water, sand and cement. It is the balance between these three ingredients, which we have been working for over 5 years, which makes our concrete unique. To this we add fiberglass to make our concrete lighter and stronger. Some of our concrete furniture is reinforced with iron and / or a metal grid.
The unique finish of our concrete furniture.
When you buy concrete furniture at Lyon Concrete, you can be sure to buy real concrete.
Not a resin resembling concrete or worse, wood with a concrete imitation paint. We are convinced that concrete should not be flat and smooth. That’s why you will always find microbubbles on our concrete furniture and accessories. That’s how we love him. But we have tips to make it soft and warm to the touch while keeping its raw appearance. The first step is to choose the right material to make the mold depending on the end result you want to achieve. Here again we have our little secrets that we will not reveal. And of course our craftsmen carefully clean the molds before each use.
When the concrete is dry (and we are, it’s a crucial step in the concrete manufacturing process), it’s time to work on the finishes. We proceed to a very fine sanding of the surface. This is what gives this unique and very soft connection to our concrete furniture.
Finally, all our furniture is protected with a water and oil repellent solution to protect them from the tasks (… we have children …). This treatment is not eternal. If you wish to preserve it, we advise you to clean your concrete furniture with a soft cloth without acids or solvents. If you really want to permanently protect your furniture tasks you will need to renew this protection from time to time. We recommend using specific products for the maintenance of natural stone. This Lithofin Concrete Furniture Care and Cleaning Kit offers a complete protection solution for your concrete furniture. But some of our customers like to see their furniture age and skate over time and therefore not protect them at all. So to you to see. | 2019-04-19T20:22:19 | https://www.lyon-beton.com/care/ |
The Pine Tree State in New England has a partner in VA Loans Center, willing to take you through the application and appraisal stages of your military mortgage into a trouble-free repayment phase. Indeed, among all home purchase products in the state, there is none that comes with more ease than VA loan Maine.
You do not pay any buck worth of down payment, and you can even let the lender carry on the whole process without visiting the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) except for your Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
How Can I Get Appraisal?
Now that you qualify for your dream home, there comes the next critical stage, which is that of appraisal. There are two tacks you can take in this early part of your VA loan ME procedure.
Seek traditional appraisal from VA.
As any of our mortgage specialists will tell you, both stages attract the legal involvement of the lending party. However, the direct appraisal in which the Department of Veterans Affairs delegates a valuation expert and finally analyses the report is slower than the second option.
The latter is the ‘Lender Appraisal Processing Program (LAPP) in the VA loan Maine program. Here are the three key stages of LAPP that can attach value to your dream home in less than 24 hours.
Lender contacts the military mortgage department for an appraiser.
The appraiser, in company with the veteran and the lender, visits the home.
The LAPP process files a pre-endorsed report that is almost in itself an assumption of affirmation. It lets the lending party take over the valuation stage and make it faster.
After getting your VA loan Maine as a first time buyer, or second-time buyer, what remains is to show your repayment muscle. You need to select your preferred maturity period and perhaps opt for a refinance later.
We recommend a 30-year permanent rate scheme for veterans with stable pension over the years and are keen to calibrate the income advantage over the years. However, if you are keen to utilize equity and change the rate, you may opt for the 15-year Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) offer. The latter option attracts a streamline package as you will discover next.
VA Loans Center associates with lenders in the Pine Tree State who offer competitive rates for your VA loan ME or refinance. You can seek the Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) scheme or Cash-out option to reduce interest and tap equity on an existing FHA or Department of Veterans Affairs’ loan.
NB: Refinancing an existing mortgage with a new one attracts a Funding Fee of 0.5%, although you can roll it into the rest of the mortgage.
If you need to buy a new house, land a mobile home or refinance your current VA loan ME, you definitely need to contact us now for that much desirable professional assistance. | 2019-04-23T15:05:00 | https://www.valoanscenter.com/va-loan-maine/ |
The company’s team GOODYEAR held within the Fund charity program «Factory of Miracles» 2014/15 for children orphanage in the city of Novgorod-Volyn (Zhytomyr region). New Year’s performance with Father Frost and Snow Maiden, each child was presented to an individual gift, cake and juice Barney . Also for the needs of the children were transferred to oranges, bananas, apples, tangerines, diapers and 7 comfortable beds that were so necessary for children orphanage.
Thanks to GOODYEAR and its employees for the financial support of children and congratulations on New Year holidays! | 2019-04-26T16:50:25 | http://charitymay.com/en/archives/21764 |
Violence has become the focal point of contemporary America. Between institutional racism to mass shootings and police brutality, violence in the United States is the daily topic of conversation. Join us as we search for solutions: This film screening and discussion will include commentaries on collective struggles and other responses to violence. You do not want this miss this important conversation! Classes are encouraged to attend!
Fruitvale Station is the story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008 (Internet Movie Database). To view the film visit the Swank Motion Pictures Collection and search by title. | 2019-04-22T01:09:00 | https://pgcc.libguides.com/events/fruitvalestation |
I'd like to have a satchel bag. Thanks to imperfectlei blog giveaway for the chance to have it.
I'm joining and hope to win. Please join me, you can enter and win too. Just head on to http://www.imperfectlei.org/2012/01/vday-giveaway/ for complete mechanics. Until February 10, 2012. Open to Philippine residents only and must have Philippine address. Goodluck guys! | 2019-04-25T05:52:45 | https://www.queenandprincesscollections.com/2012/01/vday-giveaway-cambridge-inspired.html |
Read in-depth about the guidelines to treatment and prevention, new and improved drugs approved to treat HIV, clinical test and trials, and preventive and therapeutic vaccines. This site also provides health topics for providers, researchers, patients, and the public.
Explore a variety of different issues related to allergies, asthma, and immunizations with aaaai.org. With an A-Z search engine, discover if your symptoms correlate with those allergy symptoms and conditions, educate yourself with a new research topic of the month, and discover new medicines with an in-depth online medication guide.
This site has it all. It includes an in-depth look at the various types of diabetes (1 & 2), pre-diabetic signs and symptoms, advancements in scientific research and the future of medicine, to prevention practices with risk test analysis by actual doctors. Healthy recipes are offered as is information related to local and national community groups. It even includes a section for young adults, children, and teens.
Whether it’s bronchitis, asthma, or even lung cancer, lungusa.org has all the information you need to learn more about your diagnosis, your lungs, and how they work. It also includes research about advanced treatments, opportunities with new medications, programs and events, and even an A-Z search engine for all lung-related complications.
Learn more about your own blood pressure, what’s considered a normal/healthy rate, how to take the right reading, and a variety of new ways for you to monitor your blood pressure in the comfort and convenience of your own home.
With online chat rooms and an open forum for in-depth discussions, this is a great site for parents that have children of all ages with diabetes. You can ask more personalized questions about insulin reactions, pump rates, and local clinics. You can also find out what other problems parents are dealing with during their everyday activities.
This is a comprehensive site for women’s healthcare issues. Topics include pregnancy tips, diet, nutrition and exercise information, and health concerns associated with varying age groups.
This is a site dedicated to helping professional clinicians and physicians. It includes an extensive database of diseases and illnesses, drug tables and medications. Also available are online financial and medical calculators that help you determine an appropriate retirement age, pay off loans, invest and allow you to figure out your dosing ratio’s, oxygen content, fluid volumes, drip rates, blood alcohol levels and more.
This site offers all around health advice for both men and women. Find information about diseases and their conditions, specialized drugs and supplements, how to make the right treatment decisions for you or your loved one, living a healthy lifestyle, and tips about parenting and child programs. You can also search your topic by name, ask an online specialist, sign up for an appointment or routine check-up, and read about recent health developments.
This site offers the latest news about significant men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, free screenings, and health fairs. It also includes informational links to journal articles and online forum discussions.
This site provides relevant news and events related to kidney research. It also provides a thorough explanation about your kidneys and how they work. Filter through the A-Z health guide and pan through their diet and nutrition guide to living a healthy life and eating right for your kidney’s sake.
Search a comprehensive database of topics to include a child’s mental health development, anxiety and stress management techniques, and community support programs. You can also review national health topics and detailed discussions with many other helpful online links and publications.
Sign up for an online account for healthy habit emails or just visit frequently to learn more about playing it safe with exercise and activity, preparing quick, easy and healthy meals, new recipes and more. This site helps you discover which weight watcher summer plan works best for you. | 2019-04-20T16:56:48 | https://pharmacyculpeper.com/health-information/ |
At Leslie Dark & Co we can help businesses in the Bristol area with cash flow management and cash flow projections. Here are some of the things to consider.
If you are in the Bristol area and would like help with cash flow management and cash flow projections, contact Leslie Dark & Co. | 2019-04-19T04:50:09 | https://www.lesliedark.co.uk/resources/your-business/starting-a-business/managing-money/cash-flow-management |
Obama must be defeated, whatever it takes | can i just finish my waffle?
Obama must be defeated. This is and will be my mantra.
The lesson of the recent sound of the Trump-et is not that we need Donald Trump, it’s that we need to distinguish more clearly between the Office of the President and the President.
And we need someone who is not afraid to tell it like it is about the most arrogant, demeaning and dismissive President of my adult life.
Amen, a thousand times Amen.
Obama must be defeated in 2012. I would walk on nails to see that happen. Whatever it takes to get Barack Hussein Obama out of the white house, is what I’m for. Does it take a technicality? Use it. Does it take exposure? Expose him. Shout it out. Confront him. Take him on. Get in his face. If he brings a knife, bring a gun. It must be done.
I don’t know who his opponent will be yet, but whoever it is must win. That’s the bottom line. | 2019-04-19T04:28:15 | https://mywaffle.blog/2011/04/16/obama-must-be-defeated-whatever-it-takes/ |
This restaurant Profile Page is brought to you courtesy of the DiningGuide.com service. Denny's is located in Franklin Park.
DiningGuide, DiningGuide.Network, DiningGuide.Community and DiningGuide Franklin Park are service marks of MetroGuide.com, Inc. | 2019-04-22T04:53:04 | http://chicago.diningguide.com/data/d107021.htm |
I made peach danish last weekend… and had some pastry cream and peach halves left over. Not wanting more peach danish, I decided to make cake!
While I already have a “perfect” vanilla cake recipe, decided to try a different recipe. Guess where I found it?
My friends know that I collect recipes and cookbooks. I like new, off the bookstore shelf books, as well as ebooks. But i also keep a lookout for nice pre-owned ones… this particular recipe for “vanilla cake” is a recipe written on paper that was stuck in between pages of a second-hand cookbook that I bought in a bazaar!
and then I discovered that I DID NOT have buttermilk! I thought of making the substitute of milk and vinegar, but realized that I had used up all my milk to make the pastry cream!!!!!! I was contemplating using plain water when my eyes chanced upon the syrup that was drained from the canned peaches! So I thought of using it (and maybe infusing the cake with a bit of peach flavor???) and reducing the sugar a bit (because the syrup is very sweet already).
Preheat oven to 325F. Line and butter a 5×3-inch round pan.
Mix the dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients and mix well, until just combined.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, rotate midway. Cool completely.
After the cake cooled completely, spread the pastry cream all over the top. | 2019-04-23T20:26:18 | https://chopsueyathalohalo.wordpress.com/2019/01/ |
One ugly duckling of a cartoon. Running time: 75 minutes. Rated G. At the Empire, the Kips Bay, the 64th and 2nd, others.
FODDER for only the most undemanding rugrats, “The Trumpet of the Swan” is a brightly colored but terminally dull cartoon adaptation of E.B. White’s classic 1970 book.
Director Richard Rich, an ex-Disney hack who dumbed down “The King and I” into a animated musical a couple of years back, has been somewhat more respectful of White’s story.
But lacking any real heart or engaging action, it emerges as even more charmless filler destined for a quick trip to the video shelf.
It’s a shame, because there’s a great lesson for kids in the story of a mute trumpeter swan’s triumph over adversity.
Louis (voice of Dee Baker), the swan, is frustrated because he can’t speak and communicate with his peers, particularly the beautiful Serena (Reese Witherspoon).
A sympathetic younger swan named Sam (Sam Gifaldi) takes Louis to school, where his teacher (Carol Burnett) teaches Louis to write on the tiny chalkboard he carries around his neck.
Unfortunately, the other swans can’t read.
But Louis’ blustering father (Jason Alexander, whose annoying vocals wear out their welcome after about 30 seconds) has broken into a music store in Montana and stolen a trumpet for his mute son.
Louis flies off to Boston to earn money to pay for the trumpet, but gets victimized by a crooked agent (Joe Mantegna) until he’s rescued through the efforts of a hipster chipmunk (Gary Anthony Williams).
Mary Steenburgen gives voice to Louis’ mother and Seth Green is his romantic rival for Serena.
But their characters as animated are so one-note the vocals might as well have been provided by anonymous performers.
The animation, executed mostly in Korea, is as flat and lackluster as the half-dozen forgettable songs. | 2019-04-23T13:38:56 | https://nypost.com/2001/05/11/swan-nothing-but-ugly-duckling/ |
Edwina Spencer, “Around the Galleries,” Creative Art 12 (April 1933), p. 315 ill.
James W. Lane and Leo Katz, The Work of Georgia O’Keeffe: A Portfolio of 12 Paintings (New York, 1939), pl. 3.
Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 1961, p. 346. (corrected in 1971 Supplement to Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago).
“Panorama,” Chicago Daily News, Saturday/Sunday, January 9/10, 1971, p. 5 ill.
Barbara Buhler Lynes, "Georgia O'Keeffe: Catalogue Raisonné," (National Gallery of Art/Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation/Yale University Press, 1999) no. 818 (vol. 1).
New York, An American Place, Georgia O’Keeffe Paintings, New and Some Old, Jan 7–Feb 22, 1933 (extended to Mar 27), no. 11.
Art Institute of Chicago, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jan 21–Feb 22, 1943, no. 44, cat. by Daniel Catton Rich, (ill. p. 33).
Philadelphia Museum of Art, History of an American: Alfred Stieglitz, 291 and After, Jul 1–Nov 1, 1944, p. 35.
Fort Worth, TX, Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, Georgia O’Keeffe: An Exhibition of the Work of the Artist from 1915 to 1966, p. 29; traveled to Houston, Museum of Fine Arts, May 26–Jul 3, 1966.
Canada, Ottawa, Art in Embassies Program, Jan 13, 2010–Oct 31, 2012.
Given by the artist to the Art Institute of Chicago through the Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1956. | 2019-04-20T08:52:47 | https://www.artic.edu/artworks/2895/green-mountains-canada?filters=tag_string%3Atechnique+tag_string%3Ainspiration&artist_ids=Georgia+O%27Keeffe |
Volkswagen’s stupendously wicked, self-inflicted mortal wound reveals an overlooked fact. Hackers delivered this global harm; hackers who likely worked for Volkswagen; hackers who cranked out this nasty code based on the absurd rationale that they thought they were clever and imagined they had impunity. More people at Volkswagen likely knew about this crime, and they in turn covered it up. That’s what every company in the world should be terrified about. Today, hackers and corrupt software have the power to erase billions from your company in an instant.
Hackers are not like other people. I wrote two popular books about hackers, The Fugitive Game and The Watchman, during the hacker heyday of the 1990’s. I spent years interviewing and talking to criminal and quasi-criminal hackers. Kevin Mitnick, whose mug shot twice graced the front page of the New York Times, called me dozens of times while on the run from the FBI. Kevin Poulsen, another legendary hacker, had me on speed dial from his federal penitentiary. At one point, Mitnick had swiped the source code of nearly all the leading cell phone makers. Poulsen, meanwhile, could wiretap at will, and uncovered secret FBI and national security taps. Child prodigies, they couldn’t resist the thrills and temptations of the expanding digital world. They hacked to explore. Crazy as it sounds, Mitnick thought he could modify his cell phone to make him uncatchable; Poulsen believed his god-like wiretapping powers would enable him to be one step ahead of the feds and cops on his trail. Money or crime wasn’t the objective. They were recklessly curious, caught up in the boyish game of hacking.
The Volkswagen hackers are a new scourge. Their hack wasn’t about exploration. This was a cold, calculated cheat. They gamed the onboard diagnostic software to pass emissions tests, and then go full throttle on the road, giving VW a steroid-like performance boost over other diesel carmakers. Imagine their boyish excitement: They figured out a secret way to spew millions of tons of pollutants into the world’s atmosphere. The idiots had the gall to call it a “defeat device.” They just may have ruined Volkswagen, one of the world’s most iconic carmakers, whose other top brands include Audi, Lamborghini, and Porsche.
Mitnick and Poulsen, meanwhile, saw themselves in a different light. Both hacked – and won – radio contest giveaways at will. Poulsen won two Porsches and fancied himself a Robin Hood; he shared some of his trips to Hawaii and cash prizes with cute young women he met at nightclubs. Motivation has always been something of a mystery with hackers. The notorious Wall Street trader Ivan Boesky wanted to know why Mitnick did it, and asked him point blank while they were both doing time in Lompoc.
In 2015, that seems a quaint, dated sentiment. The VW hackers did it for corporate greed. There are plenty more just like them in hundreds of other companies. Ethics is missing from their code.
Software gives us the power to scale – and destroy. To destroy the environment. To topple your CEO. To obliterate your company’s reputation, or your own.
Plausible deniability won’t pass muster anymore. Software is the good and bad of your company. The incendiary device ticking in your company code. | 2019-04-21T20:26:27 | https://smartup.life/dirty-diesel-vw-unclear-hack/ |
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This cookie is set by a third-party web application firewall from Dyn to help maintain the security and performance of our website. Some traffic may receive a challenge to check if it is genuine and if it is, a cookie is set so the user isn’t challenged again. | 2019-04-24T14:17:19 | https://ico.org.uk/Global/cookies.aspx |
Guesty, a property management software that helps simplify short-term rental management, has announced raising $35M in Series C funding. The round, which more than doubles the startup’s previous funding, was led by Viola Growth alongside Vertex Ventures, Journey Ventures, Kingfisher Investment Advisors, La Maison Compagnie d’Investissement and existing investors, TLV Partners and Magma Ventures.
For property managers, Guesty is a comprehensive technology solution to aid them in accomplishing numerous tasks on a daily basis. Put simply, Guesty helps knock out what is usually an overwhelming “to-do” list managers of short-term properties are faced with. For those unfamiliar, Guesty helps property managers with things like pre-screening Airbnb guests, helping with airport transfers, scheduling key drops, hiring of housekeeping, aiding in contracting a range of vendors to solve maintenance and other problems, and more.
Guesty will use the investment to open new offices in key growth markets, enhance product capabilities, introduce AI and machine learning into the platform, and increase its footprint in verticals adjacent to urban properties, including the vacation rental space. The company also plans to build out its already robust Integrations Marketplace by continuing to forge partnerships and successful integrations with third-parties that share the same goal of facilitating seamless, short-term rental management and ultimately, positive guest experiences.
Since graduating from Y Combinator in 2014, the Guesty has grown to provide customers worldwide with a holistic, one-stop-shop where they can manage their properties across a variety of online travel platforms. The platform is utilized by property managers and management companies from more than 70 countries today. Earlier this month, Guesty and enterprise property automation leader PointCentral announced the integration of their smart home technologies, giving property managers even more powerful solutions.
Guesty’s property management platform provides property managers and management companies with an end-to-end solution to simplify the complex operational needs of short-term rentals. With Guesty, users can manage listings from multiple online travel agencies including Airbnb, Booking.com, Agoda and TripAdvisor, and utilize the company’s guest-centric tools including: Unified Inbox, Automation Tools, 24/7 Guest Communication Services, Payment Processing and more. For more information, visit www.guesty.com.
Founded in 2008, Viola Growth invests in Israeli-related global technology companies at their expansion stage. With the largest team of 7 partners in Israel, as well as a US presence, all with vast operational and financial experience, Viola Growth have raised over $430M AUM and invested in 23 companies. Viola Growth is a member of Viola, Israel’s largest technology-focused investment group with over $3B under management. For more information visit: www.viola-group.com. | 2019-04-25T06:20:08 | https://realtybiznews.com/proptech-star-guesty-raises-35m-in-series-c-funding/98753576/ |
Jarvis Cocker celebrates Roxy Music and reflects on their legacy.
The Immaculate Fools in concert in London in 1984, plus Zero 7 and Blessed Ethel.
Je Ne Parle Pas Fran�ais - ridicule!
Did Jessie Ware make it?
We clear up pop-star toilet trouble!
Louis Berry plays in session for Jo Whiley.
Will Joseph Cook brings the Hottest Record, plus MistaJam catches up with Lana Del Rey. | 2019-04-24T16:36:46 | http://www.britify.com/?search&1=Zero%207 |
Elizabeth Savage (Upper), Ad Stijnman. Printing Colour 1400-1700: Histories, Techniques, Functions and Receptions. Leiden: Brill, 2015.
Elizabeth Savage (Upper), Ad Stijnman. "‘Material Colours’: The Heritage of Colour Knowledge in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Printshops." In Colour Histories, edited by Friedrich Steinle. Berlin/New York: De Gruyter, 2015.
Elizabeth Savage (Upper). "A Printer’s Art: The Development and Influence of Colour Printmaking in the German Lands, c.1476–c.1600." In Printing Colour 1400-1700. Leiden: Brill, 2015.
Elizabeth Savage (Upper). "Proto-à la poupée Printing in Relief: An Initial “D” in the Rylands Mainz Psalter, 1457." In Der gegenwärtige Stand der materiellen Aspekte in der Inkunabelforschung, edited by Christoph Reske and Wolfgang Schmitz. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2015.
Elizabeth Savage (Upper). "New Evidence of Erhard Ratdolt’s Working Practices: The After-Life of Two Red Frisket-Sheets from the Missale speciale Constantiense (1505)." Journal of the Printing Historical Society (2015).
Elizabeth Savage (Upper), Ad Stijnman. "Color Prints before Erhard Ratdolt: Engraved Paper Instruments in Lazarus Beham’s Buch von der Astronomie (Cologne: Nicolaus Götz, c. 1476)." Gutenberg-Jahrbuch 89 (2014): 86-105.
Elizabeth Savage (Upper). "Red Frisket Sheets, c. 1490-1700: The Earliest Artefacts of Colour Printing in the West." Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 108, no. 4 (December 2014): 477-522 .
Elizabeth Savage (Upper). "Flying Colours." Apollo Magazine (July 2014): 44-49.
Elizabeth Savage (Upper). Printing Colour in Tudor England. Cambridge University Library: Cambridge, United Kingdom. | 2019-04-21T10:06:21 | https://printscholars.org/member-directory/elizabethsavage/ |
Compare free quotes from the best JAX-FBO airport limo services.
Welcome to the most respected source for affordable ground transportation to and from Jacksonville Fbo / Exec Terminal Airport. A few clicks and you'll receive instant price quotes for the best limo services for Jacksonville Fbo / Exec Terminal Airport. | 2019-04-24T02:18:42 | https://www.limos.com/airports/United-States/JAX-FBO |
A University of Texas poll released earlier this week reports that 23% of Texans are convinced that Barack Obama is a Muslim. These numbers are unusual because most national polls show that just 5% to 10% of American voters still believe Obama is a Muslim-- less than half the number of Texans who buy into the debunked theory. The poll also shows McCain with a comfortable +10% lead in the state. | 2019-04-25T02:07:53 | http://www.polltrack.com/presidential/tag/muslim |
From Goodman Games, DragonMech is a medieval fantasy campaign setting unlike any other. It is a world destroyed by relentless lunar meteor storms called the lunar rain. To survive, the surface races have used magical and mechanical means to build thousand-foot-tall city-mechs, which now house most of civilization. Kingdoms have been replaced by mobile mechdoms, and the mounted knight is anachronistic in the face of steam-powered combat mechs. While lunar creatures launch invasions from the skies, fleets of smoke-belching steam-mechs battle for scarce supplies of wood, steel, and coal. | 2019-04-22T12:00:03 | https://www.rpg-resource.org.uk/index.php?article=4114&visual=9 |
Wedding Cinematography France. French Wedding Cinematography.
“We were a little unsure about a videographer for our wedding in France, however once we saw Matthias’ work we thought he would be the perfect person to capture our wedding. We were so impressed with Matthias’ work over the three events from our wedding weekend. Matthias blended into the background capturing every precious moment from expressions from our parents during speeches to the crazy dancing at the end of the night and the kind words from our guests the day after. He really encapsulated what a truly magical weekend it was. The editing of the highlights video and the main video were incredible. They were even better than we could have imagined! | 2019-04-18T18:43:41 | https://www.matthiasguerin.com/wedding-cinematography-france-chateau-de-saint-martory/ |
'What if that happens to me?' After 17 are killed in a high school in Parkland, Florida, North Jersey teens answer the call to agitate for action.
"What if that happens to me?" After 17 are killed in a high school in Parkland, Florida, teens agitate for action.
The generation that has come of age in the 19 years since a dozen students and a teacher were gunned down at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 — the massacre that set the tragic template for the dozens of school shootings that have followed — are taking a stand and saying "never again."
Terrified that their school could be next, and alarmed that active-shooter drills have become a routine part of their academic lives, students in New Jersey are adding their voices to the national movement against gun violence that has been gathering momentum since since 17 students and faculty members were fatally shot at a high school in Parkland, Florida, last week. They are organizing rallies and walkouts and forming clubs and committees in their schools to demand change.
“When I heard there was another school shooting, it made me realize: What if that happens in my school? What if that happens to me?" said Crystal Perez, 16, a student at Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne. "It’s a really big school. What if my sister gets shot in school? What if my brother gets shot in school? It is hard to think about."
In interviews with The Record, students shared their fears and concerns about gun violence in the wake of the Florida shooting. Some were tearful and afraid while others were angry, but none wanted to stay silent. They called for their government to do more to curb gun violence and to keep them safe.
Crystal Perez: "Sometimes you want to be positive, but other times I think about these things myself. Maybe not my classmates, but I do think about it. Am I safe in school? Are we supposed to be learning about this more? Are we supposed to be doing drills like this every day?"
Greta Dobson: "You’re sitting here and you've received thousands, even millions of dollars from the NRA, and you're saying 'thoughts and prayers' and you're watching children getting killed. I can’t handle people like that. It makes me so unbelievably angry.
"It’s a parallel you can draw to yourself, and nobody wants to think about that. It’s a terrible thing, and to think about these 15-year-olds standing up and talking about how they watched their friends lose their lives and now they have to go on with theirs. I don’t even want to consider it."
Conor Dobson: "The first thing that goes through my head is, 'Oh, man, this again.' I know what’s going to happen next. The politicians are going to say something about thoughts and prayers. There’s going to be a hashtag on Twitter. And it’s going to be the same sort of cycle over and over again until the next mass shooting happens.
"These kids [in Florida] are really making a stand on social media to do something. These kids are staying, 'Stop, this is what we can do to help, here’s how you can help. We’re not going to stand for this anymore.' I think that's what is setting this school shooting apart from all the others, because something is really being done. Now, how much of that is going to actually help and be put in place, that remains to be seen."
“I could never imagine a world where, you know, my best friend wouldn’t be there the next day and I could never talk to them again. It would be absolutely heartbreaking.
“Lockdowns make everyone really nervous, because at first we don’t know if it’s real or not. My sister goes to the middle school, and I definitely get nervous when I hear that they’re in lockdown. | 2019-04-24T16:31:59 | https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2018/02/21/after-florida-school-shooting-north-jersey-students-say-never-again/346722002/ |
Enjoy LOW MAINTENANCE, LUXURY VILLA living by Fischer and Frichtel in Brightleaf Orchard, an outstanding community in Wildwood! This carefree lifestyle offers HOA maintained grounds and is just minutes from the area’s most popular attractions.This impressive home has excellent curb appeal with a brick façade, James Hardie siding, shake detail in the gable, architectural shingles, carriage style garage doors, an upgraded front door, full yard sod, irrigation system, professional landscaping and backs to common ground. The inside will wow you with 9 foot ceilings, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a Den/Study, Deluxe Kitchen, large Kitchen island, Quartz countertops, built-in stainless steel appliances, 42 inch cabinets, gas cooktop, chimney hood, roll out trays, tile backsplash, custom marble shower in the Master Bath with a seat and a frameless shower door, two walk in closets in the Master Bedroom, hardwood flooring throughout the main living areas, Low E windows and a 14 x 10 covered, screened deck with composite decking. The finished walkout lower level offers a Family/Recreation Room, bedroom and full bath. There is approximately 2,454 square feet of finished living space. Babler State Park and the Rockwoods Reservation are just minutes away. Enjoy miles of walking and biking trails to parks, including Wildwoods new community park and dog park. Walk across the pedestrian bridge to the restaurants, boutiques, grocery store, movie theater and fitness center at Wildwood Town Center. So much to love! This home is under construction and scheduled for a May completion.
17051 Fire Glow Drive (MLS #19011209) is a 1 story condo/villa located in Wildwood, MO. This condo/villa is 1,492 sqft and on a lot of 4,792 sqft (or 0.11 acres) with 2 bedrooms and 3 baths. This property was listed on 02/28/2019 and has been priced for sale at $480,015.
Listing Last updated 03/28/2019 2:15 PM CDT . Some properties which appear for sale on this web site may subsequently have sold or may no longer be available. Walk Score provided by Walk Score. Mapping data provided by Google and Bing. | 2019-04-20T09:14:30 | https://theolaughlinteam.com/mo-real-estate/wildwood/17051-fire-glow-drive-mls-19011209 |
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Why are I agree to be a CAPTCHA? using the CAPTCHA goes you do a s and is you illegal culture to the portion reputation. What can I understand to Enjoy this in the number? If you are on a second swelling, like at pet, you can pain an myth page on your scan to utilize sad it is Download done with fold. If you are at an material or several chemical, you can cover the request soul to have a desc across the Check including for misconfigured or shared Police. om women of length and high left times of particle and short respect. Download with GoogleDownload with Facebookor d with low women of auto and almond requirements of access and human network. | 2019-04-21T04:32:44 | http://dietbooksmakemehungry.com/wp-includes/SimplePie/Decode/pdf.php?q=download-Organizational-Dynamics-of-Technology-Based-Innovation%3A-Diversifying-the-Research-Agenda%3A-IFIP-TC8-WG-8.6-International-Working-Conference%2C-June-14-16%2C-...-Federation-for-Information-Processing%29-2007.html |
Mini food is in—small plates, small portions, miniature single-serve dishes. Check out our growing collection of mini cookware, including both miniature cast iron cookware and miniature non-stick cookware. Our mini collection provides a fun way to downsize when you want to prepare small portion sizes, and has the same dependability, craftsmanship and durability as our full-size cookware. Currently, we offer an assortment of 100% cast iron pieces as well as a selection of aluminum fry pans featuring our Hydrolon® non-stick coating. | 2019-04-23T18:26:21 | https://www.ecolutionhome.com/category/non-toxic-cookware/non-stick-pots-pans/mini-pots-pans/?product_orderby=price |
Diwali is one of the biggest and major Indian festivals which usually falls in October or November. Diwali is the Hindu festival of light and is the most popular of all the festivals from South Asia. It is also the occasion for celebrations by Jains and Sikhs as well as Hindus. Celebrated with lots of enthusiasm and happiness, Diwali or otherwise known as 'Festival of Lights' involves people lighting oil lamps called diyas, and candles all around their house, shops and public places. Fireworks are always associated with this festival and play a big part in the celebration. Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening to seek divine blessing of the goddess of wealth. Diwali gifts are then exchanged among all near and dear ones. Make your diwali celebration a memorable one, treat your family and loved ones by hiring a limousine and celebrate in style.
Limotek.co.uk are here to help make things easy and also extra special. Most of our limousines come packed with laser light shows, disco lights, tube lighting, under chassis lights, fluorescent lights and mirrored ceilings and is a very unique way to celebrate light. We have access to a vast amount of different limousines such as standard Lincoln Millennium limousines, H3 Hummer limousines, Porsche Cayenne limos, Lincoln Navigator limos, BMW X5 limousine hire, Jeep Expedition limousine hire, Fire Engines and even the new Audi Q7 limo hire.
Diwali limousine hire can be enjoyed with our stretched limousines as we have access to over 300 vehicles all over the United Kingdom. Our limousines also come in vast array of colours such as pink, black, silver, white, gold, red and even orange; so the choice is entirely up to you.
Please be aware that limousine hire for Diwali can be very expensive, as all limousines are hired on a first come first serve basis. This means you should contact us as soon as you are ready to book your limo as we are more likely to get you a cheaper price. | 2019-04-18T15:21:33 | http://www.limotek.co.uk/limousine_events/limo_hire_diwali.php |
Abstract: The state-owned media system in China has evolved considerably since 1994 when the first independent TV production company was officially registered. Today, there are thousands of independent TV production companies looking for market opportunities in China. Independent production companies have facilitated the circulation of program trade and investment, and in the process have encouraged innovation and professionalization. This paper focuses on the evolution of independents and the changing face of the television market. It discusses the ecology of independent television companies in China and how government regulations are impacting on the TV production market. It argues that independent TV is providing a new strength for Chinas TV market, one often suspected of being imitative, propagandistic and lacking colour. | 2019-04-20T02:45:50 | http://citation.allacademic.com/one/www/research/index.php?cmd=www_search&offset=0&limit=5&multi_search_search_mode=publication&multi_search_publication_fulltext_mod=fulltext&textfield_submit=true&search_module=multi_search&search=Search&search_field=title_idx&fulltext_search=%3Cb%3ENew+Strength+of+Competition+and+Innovation%3A+China%C2%92s+Independent+Television+Production%3C%2Fb%3E |
Viewing Topic: So is no one falling on the sword for 2018?
Viewing Topic: Is this bullpen Rick Hahn's fault?
Viewing Topic: Would You Ban this Poster? | 2019-04-21T04:20:54 | http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?/online/&page=8 |
Size: Black color like iphone 7 7s Plus(Larger size: 6.5 inch). But can't open, just a shocking toy.
Size: Black color like iphone 7 7s Plus(Larger size: 6.5 inch). But can’t open, just a shocking toy.
Whiskey Stones Gift Set. Best Performing Granite Drink Rocks. Great Chilling Quality Sipping Stone. Keep Your Beverage Cool For Longer With No Dilution. Perfect Gift For Any Occasion. | 2019-04-25T00:53:33 | https://goofygifts.co.uk/cooplay-fake-shocking-phone-black-plus-novelty-mobile-joke-party-funny-toy-gadget-electric-prank-gag-veigar-tricky-brains-fools-day-gift-halloween/ |
Listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:GLH) and with 30 years experience, Global Health is one of Australia’s longest established and most experienced developers of software applications for the health care industry. Global Health has recently acquired the medical software and associated assets of Abaki Pty Ltd. The newly-acquired products complement the existing range. | 2019-04-26T14:31:27 | https://www.tyro.com/pms-pos-partners/abaki-pty-ltd-practice-2000/ |
Bumper bar modifications and why?
Although many modifications have been made to bumper bars on vehicles over the years they still serve the same purpose. The bumper bar is there to minimise the damage to the other panels of our vehicles therefore keeping costs down. While still serving the same purpose it’s just a little smarter, optimising the positives by using different materials. Cosmetically changing from metal to plastic altered the appearance of vehicles greatly and started an entirely new look in the automotive industry. Although many car enthusiasts still choose to restore the golden oldies, otherwise knows as classics there are many that enter car shows with the newer more modern vehicles.
Changing from a metal bumper to plastic was a smart choice. Plastic bumper bars offer far more flexibility, not only protecting your vehicle but also the other vehicle involved. Repairs to plastic bumper bars are far more affordable and can be fixed for a fraction of the cost making it easy to maintain the appearance of your vehicle. Back in the day once the metal bumper bar was damaged it would be near impossible to get it back to original.
It has also been considered in relation to pedestrians and bike riders etc. The chance of a pedestrian being injured is far greater with a metal bumper bar compared to a plastic.
Repairs to plastic bumper bars can we quick, affordable and convenient with the option of our mobile service. Whether there is a crack, dent or just a scrape these can usually be repaired within 2.5 hours or even less. Providing photos for us to quote can speed up the process and get your bumper bar repaired. It’s safe to say the good far out ways the bad.
Sounds like a win win situation to me………………….
This entry was posted in Bumper Bar and tagged bumper bar. Bookmark the permalink. | 2019-04-25T04:13:25 | https://www.smartpaintworx.com.au/bumper-bar/ |
3 Delicious Vitamin A Recipes: Detoxifying Carrot Bisque, Pickled Carrots & Carrot Juice!
Ever wanted to see Chef Rich in action? Watch him whip up his juicy, crunchy Winter Greens Salad on CBS in Charlotte, NC!
For many of us, the beginning of the year is the healthiest time of the year. We feel motivated to detox and try out new cleansing recipes to recharge our bodies (and maybe lose a bit of weight, too). A bowl of soup is perfect for your detox endevaours—it’s super filling, low in calories and easy to incorporate pure, healing ingredients. In fact, the Hallelujah Diet® 7-Day Detox Program centers around soups for the most appetizing, energizing detox. Sign up today for your FREE soup and juice recipes!
Even those of us in sunny cities are feeling the ongoing chill, so a comforting bowl of soup is still a welcome part of our entrée rotation. This week, Chef Rich has created for us a delicious soup that also accommodates to many of our resolutions to cleanse our bodies. This soup is just 180 calories per serving!
The heart of this soup is the mighty carrot. Did you know that its name comes from the Greek word karoton, which describes the beta-carotene so abundant in carrots? Beta-carotene is what makes your fruits and vegetables red, yellow and orange, and they provide almost half of the Vitamin A you need through food. Vitamin A does virtually everything for our bodies, including helping the liver flush out toxins, improving vision, helping to prevent disease and stimulating the renewal of skin cells.
Q: How is this Carrot Ginger soup different from others?
I love this soup because it has great balance and many layers of flavor. The sweetness of the carrots blends perfectly with the slightly tart orange juice and the creamy coconut milk. Try roasting your carrots for a delicious additional layer of flavor!
Q: For those of us who are a bit afraid of spice, what can we do to temper it?
I don’t think the ginger will add much heat to the soup, but if you’re very sensitive to the flavor of ginger, you can always reduce the amount you add to the soup. Also, leave out the cayenne if you don’t want any heat. I like just a dash of cayenne in the soup to wake up my taste buds.
Q: Do you have any tricks that will make this easier for those who aren’t the best soup makers?
I think this soup is quite easy to make, but having an immersion or “stick” blender will definitely make it a breeze. It’s such an amazing gadget that I use all the time, and they’re not too expensive.
If you’ve ever been to a traditional Mexican restaurant, you may’ve noticed a simple side of carrots that accompanied the main entrée. If you ate them, you were probably surprised by their tangy deliciousness. Chef Rich has made a Hallelujah Diet-friendly version that are serious treats for your mouth (and far from the temptations of a burrito). At only 10 calories per serving, these scrumptious carrots are the perfect guilt-free accoutrements for dishes that may need some extra flair.
Whether or not you’re in the thick of a New Year’s cleanse, this 4-ingredient health juice is perfect for any time you want to drink to heal. A special note on beets: They’re not only detoxifying but they’re also anti-inflammatory, which is a root cause of many issues including weight gain and disease. The ginger adds a bit of heat and further enhances the cleansing benefits of the drink. Make this as a snack, to accompany a meal or even breakfast. It’s just 220 calories per serving. Your body will love the unexpected downpour of nutrients!
Just what I’ve been looking for… recipes with none of the inflammation producing foods I’m not allowed to eat right now. I’ve been diagnosed as TOXIC and am hyper-sensitive to wheat, soy, eggs, and nightshade vegetables. So this will be a good diversion from beans and lentils.
I don’t know of anyone addressing this issue, so I’ve been using anti-inflammation recipe books for meals. I’ve been on a version of the Hallelujah diet (inclusive of organic eggs and fish) for nearly twenty years since I had breast and ovarian cancers in ’94 and ’97.
Recently I had reduced my Barley Max to one a day, so I’m adding the second drink back again. In recent years, I began substituting man made alternative foods (like soy cheese, milk and tempeh). Even using Bragg’s liquid aminos now causes me to become inflamed. I’ve really overdone it, I’m eating the old fashioned way with slow cooking and lots of beans, legumes and rice. Any input would be appreciated. At least warmer weather makes having salads more appetizing to me again. | 2019-04-20T02:39:15 | https://www.myhdiet.com/Fall-In-Love-With-Food-Again/healthy/3-delicious-vitamin-a-recipes-detoxifying-carrot-bisque-pickled-carrots-carrot-juice/ |
Today, Jamezelle and I ripped apart the leaked system dump from the yet-to-be-released Verizon Samsung Fascinate and patched together six live wallpapers that are not present on other Galaxy S devices.
Like the previous Galaxy S live wallpapers, these must be flashed from a custom recovery, which also means you need to be rooted.
Download the zip below and flash it through your recovery menu like any other flashable zip. Depending on your device, the flashing process may take a minute, so just sit back, relax, and let your phone do its thing.
Do NOT try to unpack the zip and install the .apks manually - they rely on a special library packaged within the update.
For more information on root, head over here. This tutorial will show you how to install ROM Manager, which will enable you to flash a custom recovery, in order to use these live wallpapers.
Update: If you are looking for regular static wallpapers (.jpg) from the Fascinate, you can find them over at this AndroidCentral post.
Colored circles represents WI-FI networks floating in space and its status.
Ambient drapes of light dancing in harmony.
Tree branches in forest swaying and emitting light particles.
Layered light emitting stripes in movement.
An illumination of light behind a web of matrix.
Trails of light flow on moving curves. Dazzling spark is generated when the lights cross.
You can also discuss these wallpapers over at DroidForums.net. | 2019-04-19T09:01:01 | https://www.androidpolice.com/2010/09/05/exclusive-samsung-fascinate-live-wallpapers-leaked-available-for-download/ |
RebelWell continues to highlight Oxford businesses that make health and wellness a priority in the workplace. January’s spotlight is placed on The Division of Outreach and Continuing Education at the University of Mississippi.
UM Outreach, perhaps not always perceived as a traditional local business, offers some of the most exciting opportunities around for both locals and out of towners. The creators of Communiversity classes, summer camps for all ages and a full-service conference center are just a few of the programs that make UM Outreach a key ingredient in the Oxford business scene. UM Outreach is able to utilize unique campus resources and create a variety of opportunities for Oxford and the surrounding communities.
UM Outreach’s exceptional and continued wellness efforts make it clear their departmental leadership believes in the importance of wellness for employees.
The Division of Outreach and Continuing Education is led by Dr. Tony Ammeter. Dr. Ammeter is pictured with RebelWell Wellness Champions Sandra Sulton and Vanessa Cook and many others staff members who participate in monthly wellness at work activities.
Some of Outreach’s wellness efforts include Fresh Food Fridays, a thematic nutrition day each month and Salad Days. Once a month, on a Friday following payday, the department will host a Fresh Food Friday where staffers are encouraged to bring healthy fresh foods to share and nibble on throughout the day. Salad Days includes staffers bringing in one salad item and together, the department creates a healthy salad bar to share. They also have a themed food day once a month where employees will bring in different recipes around the monthly theme to share with others. Themes have included smoothies, oatmeal, parfaits, kabobs, and pizza.
Other wellness activities include Buddy Walks where wellness champions encourage staffers to grab a buddy and take a short walk sometime during the day. Walking meetings for brainstorming sessions and discussions are also encouraged.
Stretch Reminders are in the planning phases and will include a group text, sent a couple of times a day, to encourage employees to get up from their desk and stretch throughout the day. The opt-in text reminder will also include a photo showing how to do different stretches at the desk. The first Friday of the month will be Fitness Friday. Fitness instructors will come in and lead a short workout for those wishing to participate. The sample workouts will coincide with existing offerings around campus such as group fitness offerings at Turner Center or RebelWell pop ups such as Yoga in the Gallery. Fitness Friday will kick off February 3.
To reach beyond just the immediate staff, Outreach is planning a family activity day for later this spring. Outreach also donates children’s bicycles to the Books and Bears drive to encourage healthy habits for local kids.
UM Outreach will display the RebelWell Golden Sneaker trophy in the lobby of their building on the Oxford campus for the upcoming weeks and permanently display the HealthyOxford|Business window decal signifying they are doing outstanding things in the wellness space.
Funded by a generous grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, the university developed the RebelWell program that provides a range of opportunities for university employees, school age children, public school educators, university students and the greater LOU community. RebelWell encourages healthy lifestyles through group fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, nutrition counseling and an array of programs and partnerships focusing on increasing physical activity and nutrition education.
The Division of Outreach and Continuing Education values integrity, quality, and efficiency in the creation and implementation of innovative educational strategies to engage minds, to transform lives, and to serve others. UM Outreach inspires change and growth by building relationships and working collaboratively with University students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners from the region, state, nation, and beyond.
The mission of the Division of is to serve the University and the community by facilitating and providing high-quality learning experiences. Visit UM Outreach online at www.outreach.olemiss.edu/. | 2019-04-23T14:55:16 | https://rebelwell.olemiss.edu/healthyoxfordbusjan2017/ |
Simple Birthday Cake Drawing Inspirational Print Out A Picture Of Your Child S Drawing Laminate It Place On is free HD wallpaper. This wallpaper was upload at March 13, 2018 upload by gnssgeo in .
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Unused postcard featuring a colour painting by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite. The postcard is captioned "The Witch.". "FOR USE AS A PICTURE ONLY" is stamped in purple on the back of the postcard. | 2019-04-26T00:22:38 | http://collectionsearch.nma.gov.au/object/33804?solrsort=random%20asc |
The Shop, Hop & Top includes 96 hrs of double decker sightseeing, attractions, and shopping! The tours include the Downtown Tour, Uptown & Harlem Tour, Bronx Tour, Night Tour and Brooklyn Tour. Attractions include free admission to the Museum of the City of New York, an 'Eat and Play' card, a cruise around the city's harbor on CitySightseeing Cruises, entrance to an observation deck at the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock*, and roundtrip bus ride to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.* You will be able to choose between the Top of the Rock observation deck or the Empire State Building observation deck at the CitySights NY visitor center when exchanging voucher for tickets.
Hop on Hop off double-decker tickets valid for 24 hours from the time you arrive in NYC and exchange your confirmation voucher for a boarding ticket.
Share what you think about CitySights NY, and your favorite ways to save there! | 2019-04-20T14:53:34 | http://www.couponcraze.com/coupons/citysights-ny-coupons |
Artists Mattijs Bredewold (born in the Netherlands in 1982) and Ulrik Holme Kristensen (Denmark, 1976) form the duo Bredewold and Kristensen. They have recognised in each other an interest in the creation of art, particularly sculpture, for the public space. Together, they make over-life-sized wooden sculptures painted in jaunty colours, destined for public areas. These sculptures are often groups of figures, which the artists are inspired to produce by figures and situations that occur in daily life in public spaces, such as hooligans, beachgoers or prostitutes. Thanks to the childlike imagery applied to these sculptures, which can be described as a fusion of quasi-robotic figures with the universally-known Lego models, their works of art strike us first and foremost as a playful, innocent representation of reality. Yet the end result is a confrontation, with a nod to reality, due to the dash of sarcastic humour they inject. | 2019-04-19T04:16:01 | https://www.artfoundation.akzonobel.com/en/artists/105 |
Make your printing process easier and faster with the 550-sheet lockable paper tray from Dell. With its ability to handle a large number of sheets of varied sizes, it provides an increase in your uptime and simultaneously reduces the frequency of paper refills. This product has been tested and validated on Dell systems. | 2019-04-23T12:52:29 | https://www.wholess.com/product/dell-media-drawer-and-tray-550-sheets-in-1-tray-s-for-laser-printer-b2360-b3460-multifunction-mono-laser-printer-b3465-jm0dd.html |
This time for product of the week Fli is featuring the 2019 KTM Macina Kapoho 2974. This unique Ebike comes equipped with 160mm travel, 1x 11 Shimano XT, a Bosch Performance CX motor and the infamous Dimmix wheel combination KTM have released for selected bikes.
We have decided to feature this bike in particular because of its reasonable price point and current high stock. Also, we just like it. As we dig deeper into the specs of the bike you'll understand why and as soon as you have a ride on one, you'll want one! The new 2019 Macina Kapoho is a real electric all-mountainbike with the agility of a trail bike. The world of uphill and downhill riding is redefined with a perfectly balanced wheelset combination.
Not only technically but also visually the Macina Kapoho is a new development! Due to the Bosch PowerTube, the E-Mountain looks like real eye candy and is a visual statement thanks to its full integration! In addition, the Gravity Casting technology allows the motor to be integrated into the frame in a particularly shapely way. The Bosch CX motor is one of the most powerful on the market and considered as the current benchmark. It generates enormous power to master steep climbs. Thanks to the superior combination of Bosch motor and KTM DiMMiX handling, KTM’s Macina Kapoho is perfect to master the #Uphillflow!
You can find the full geometry for the Kapoho here.
Another huge feature for the 2019 Kapoho range is Dimmix. This is KTM's answer to the ultimate handling Ebike.
This technology has successfully been used in motocross bikes for many years, and KTM are bringing it to eBikes for 2019. DiMMiX wheels (Dimensions Mix) technology is what we at KTM headquarters call it and combines the advantages of riding a precise, stable 29" front wheel with a traction-rich manoeuvrable 27.5" PLUS wheel at the back -> the perfect mix of both worlds. The external diameter of the 2 wheels is the same so cornering feel is not effected.
The Macina Kapoho 2974 is available for £3799 which includes high standard suspension, motor and features throughout the bike. It is equipped with a Bosch performace CX drive motor making sure it will take you where you want to go- and fast. The powertube helps pack a 500watt battery that will last from sun up to sun down even in turbo. The rear shock is a 160mm Rock Shock Monarch paired with a set of Suntour Aion 35's up front. The groupset is full 11 speed Shimano Deore XT and to help stop all this power is a pair of Tekro HD-M745 4 piston hydraulic brakes. To dig deeper into the spec check out the bike on the Fli site.
From my own personal experience I can say these bikes are a tonne of fun! From doing lap after lap of the local trails to doing day long epics, this bike goes further than anything I've ever ridden and if it wasn't for garage space- I'd already have one.
Still not convinced!? Check out this video that was made a couple of years ago from some of KTM's older models. | 2019-04-24T21:52:03 | http://www.flidistribution.co.uk/blog/product-of-the-week---2019-ktm-macina-kapoho-2974 |
A few links you should consider checking out today.
Should you be trying to release your psoas?
This blog was new to me and I believe I found it via the Facespace. Anyway it's a great discussion about the merits of attempting to release the psoas. I've personally used this practice myself and it's not fun at all. Adam puts forth some compelling reasoning to perhaps forego the practice, which I wouldn't be too upset about personally.
Tony's blog. It's all good.
I've had to recreate this post because for some reason the orginal was lost or deleted. I do know that I referenced Tony Gentilcore's blog, but I can't exactly remember the post. It doesn't matter though as I usually like just about everything Tony ever posts. Go check out his blog.
Breathing during the overhead press might be what's holding you back from bigger presses or extra volume overhead. This is an old article I wrote about setting up your breathing for the overhead press. I'm working on adding some new thoughts on this in a newer post but in the meantime the original still hammers home a point about breathing to maximize the press. | 2019-04-26T04:27:23 | https://strongmadesimple.com/blog/2014/3/interesting-things-to-read-032814 |
Brisbane Blacks: The Story of Mop and the Dropouts.....a video by Ben Carr.
Brisbane 1982: The Commonwealth Games were on. A land eights movement was taking place, and a little known band from Cherbourg was about to make history.
Despite what Dennis 'Mop' Conlon knew when writing the song Brisbane Blacks, he could not have anticipated it would go on to become an anthem and define a period in time. Looking back on the history of the band, but also the political and social climate of Brisbane in the 1970's and 80's, the film delves into why Aboriginal people needed a voice to stand up against a conservative and racist government. As Dennis Conlon says, "We're not into politics, we play music." However, being in a band at the time and being Aboriginal, Mop and the Dropouts couldn't help but be political. | 2019-04-23T22:23:10 | http://radicaltimes.info/HTML/popup507c.html |
I feel the need to rant about referenda today.
So what the hell is Taiwan’s energy policy supposed to be now?
Last Saturday, voters passed the referendum #16, commonly labeled as “go nuclear to go green” (my clumsy translation), which deleted a clause in one of the laws setting the phase-out date for nuclear power. (At least I think that’s what it did. I’m actually not sure, which, eventually, is the point.) They also voted overwhelmingly against the Shen-ao coal-fired power plant project (which the government had already cancelled). And Taichung voters elected KMT candidate Lu Hsiu-yen in a landslide, partially because she campaigned on the poor air quality caused by the huge coal power plant. She further promised to stop sending electricity generated in Taichung to northern Taiwan.
But while those are the most recent results, we also have to think about previous lessons from public opinion. Five years ago, the government wanted to have a referendum on whether to open the fourth nuclear power plant, but it was so unpopular that KMT legislators weren’t even willing to vote to propose the referendum. Also, after the KMT lost the 2016 presidential election, Eric Chu singled out increases in electricity (and propane gas) prices as one of the major reasons that the public rebelled against the Ma government. Finally, let’s remember how much outrage there was last summer when an accident at one power plant caused one day of blackouts over much of the island.
To summarize, the voters don’t want clearly coal. They definitely don’t want nuclear, or maybe they do. They don’t want any power plants in their neighborhood, and they definitely don’t want electricity generated in their neighborhood to be sent elsewhere. They want low prices, and they absolutely demand a stable supply of electricity.
It should be easy to satisfy all those demands simultaneously. I’m glad we used referenda to clear up this entire matter.
I have three big objections to this attempt to use referenda to decide energy policy. First, voters are not forced to consider trade-offs. None of the proposals suggested that cutting coal power might be possible if an increase in electricity prices spurred less electricity consumption. Voters in central Taiwan were not asked if they supported refusing to send electricity generated in central Taiwan northward even if it resulted in companies in the Hsinchu Science Party (read: Taiwan Semiconductors) being forced to cut production. Trade-offs are exactly what governments do. The Tsai government restarted nuclear reactors that had previously been offline over the protesting screams of its anti-nuclear wing because it was much more afraid of blackouts. Taiwan could cut pollution by using higher prices to suppress demand, but that would be unpopular. It could also cut pollution by retrofitting some of its older coal plants, but that is extremely expensive and it would take a few years. None of the options are ideal. You can’t have everything you want; you have to make trade-offs. Referenda almost never present the question this way.
Second, energy policy takes years to implement. Five years ago, the Ma government bowed to public pressure and shuttered the fourth nuclear power plant. Unfortunately, this left Taiwan’s energy reserves precariously low. The Tsai government has invested heavily in wind power, which is starting to come online now, and it is planning a natural gas facility in northern Taiwan. However, in the meantime, the choice was essentially getting more electricity out of the existing coal plants or the existing nuclear plants. In fact, the government had to do both. It’s a reasonable stopgap measure, given the long-term strategy. Unfortunately, Taiwan’s referendum law has a short-term orientation. Under the December 2017 revision, the thresholds for proposal and passage are ludicrously low. A successful referendum doesn’t necessarily reflect a deeply held consensus in society. It can just as easily reflect a short-term blip in public opinion. A few years ago, nuclear was extremely unpopular. Now, that has faded somewhat, so maybe this year coal is the villain. What if we do this next year and find that public opinion has shifted again? Are we supposed to fundamentally shift energy policy every two years just because 29.8% of eligible voters said yes to some unintelligible question on the ballot?
And that brings me to the third and most basic problem: information. Referenda place extremely high demands on voters to become educated, and there is very little evidence that voters are up to the task. I’ve been reading Democracy for Realists by Chris Achen and Larry Bartels, and they make this point forcefully. Voters simply do not have the time, capacity, or desire to become fully informed on any given question. We all have better things to do. At any rate, division of labor is a hallmark of modern society. Why should we think that society is better off if everyone neglects their other responsibilities (that is, the things that they are good at) and spends months learning about energy policy? That’s crazy. Instead, people find shortcuts. There are usually plenty of people who are happy to advise them how to vote, but that isn’t necessarily good advice. The people with the strongest incentive to give advice are the people who will directly benefit from the outcome. Not surprisingly, referenda tend to favor the wealthy. The promise of referenda is that voters can bypass the disgusting politicians and go directly to the people. Unfortunately, the people have to rely on an even more disgusting set of people (who are actually also politicians in a different guise) for advice.
Achen and Bartels cite a couple of stories vividly illustrate these problems. In one, many counties in Illinois adopted a requirement that any increase in taxes to fund fire departments had to be approved by referendum. In other counties, the local administrators and councils made this decision. Predictably, voters refused to pay higher taxes, and the quality of fire departments in the referendum counties declined noticeably. Training was neglected, equipment became outdated, staffing was thinner, and response times were longer. Wait, maybe that’s what voters wanted. Maybe they were willing to accept worse fire protection for lower taxes. It seems unlikely; most people also want better services, especially when those services involve life and death. However, they did not save money. They paid lower taxes, but they paid higher fire insurance rates. The county administrators understood this, but voters did not. Poorly informed voters made self-harming choices, and this problem, unlike national energy policy, was fairly easy to understand. Voters are ALWAYS underinformed.
But what if some voters could be fully informed? Would other voters defer to them? In Canada, the province of British Columbia tried to find out. There was a movement to reform the electoral system by putting in some form of proportional representation. The provincial government took a large group of citizens and basically gave them a college class for a few months. Various experts came in and taught this group all the pros and cons of the various proposals. Eventually, the group formed an overwhelming consensus for a specific proposal which was put on the ballot. The voters rejected it by a decisive margin. The voters apparently weren’t impressed by all the study that the select group had done. Average voters made their decisions based on their own limited knowledge rather than assuming they, like the people in the select group, would see things differently if they were more fully informed.
Remember at the beginning when I stated that I wasn’t exactly sure what referendum #16 did? Of course I don’t! I’m underinformed. I’ll bet you are too. I want experts who have spent their careers thinking about the details and tradeoffs involved to sit down with politicians who have spent their careers thinking about how to balance the aggregated demands of society and figure the damn thing out. If I try to set energy policy, I’m probably going to overlook something very basic and end up with expensive, dirty, and unreliable electricity. I might even end up burning my own house down.
Referenda are a terrible way to make public choices.
The Central Election Commission has announced the date – December 16 – for the vote to recall New Power Party legislator Huang Kuo-chang 黃國昌, which gives me a convenient opportunity to rant about how stupid the new law is.
Let’s focus on those last two rows, since they are the most important. Previously, 50% turnout was required to pass a recall. This made it nearly impossible to pass a recall. The legislator could simply advise supporters to ignore the vote and stay at home. That meant that the opposition had to supply 50% of all eligible voters. In normal conditions and in normal districts, this was nearly impossible.
Huang’s district, New Taipei 12, had 251,191 eligible voters in 2016. (It’s probably a few thousand more now since Xizhi is a fast-growing area, but for the sake of simplicity I will ignore that.) This means that to recall Huang under the old law, opponents would have had to mobilize 125,596 votes. In winning the seat, Huang had only gotten 80,508 votes. That was in a general election concurrent with a presidential election, featuring campaign that dominated news in Taiwan for several months. The recall would have to mobilize 50% more votes without the benefit of a general election atmosphere. Not gonna happen.
As I’ve stated before, I think that is exactly how it should be. It should be nearly impossible to overturn an election result. One of the main ideas behind fixed terms is that we don’t need to continually re-litigate elections. We have a general election period, and then the winners get some time to focus on governing. The next election comes along in only a few years, so the wait is not oppressive. There is no need to overturn an election result except in the most exceptionally egregious cases. As a general principle, recalls should be doomed to fail unless most of the people who originally voted for the winner turn against him or her. In most such cases, the legislator will resign unilaterally, and there will be no need for a recall. However, if the legislator has really lost the confidence of his or her original supporters and refuses to step down, a recall may be necessary. In this case, that high threshold might be manageable.
The new law makes recall far too easy. Instead of 125,596 yes votes, recall supporters only need half that number, 62,798. How low is that number? In the 2016, Huang’s main opponent Lee Ching-hwa 李慶華 got 68,318 votes. That was nowhere near enough votes to win the seat, but if every one of those voters supports the recall, they can remove Huang from his seat. Take note, in this scenario, not a single person who originally supported Huang has changed his or her mind. It is now easier to recall Huang than it was to elect him in the first place.
Of course, the previous paragraph is ignoring the difficulties of mobilizing 62,798 yes votes without the atmosphere of a general election. This threshold is still probably unreachable. However, it is low enough that I have some doubts. 63,000 is difficult, but by no means impossible.
This puts Huang Kuo-chang in a difficult position. He now has to decide whether to try to mobilize his supporters to defend his seat. Even if they can pass the 62,798 threshold, he could still keep his seat if he can mobilize his original 80,508 supporters to come out to the polls and vote no. However, mobilization is expensive and difficult. The burden should be on the side trying to recall the legislator, not on the incumbent legislator. They are the ones trying to overturn a previous election result.
In a vacuum, I’d simply advise Huang to ignore the anti-gay marriage groups behind the recall effort. It’s highly unlikely that they have enough penetration in society to mobilize 10,000 votes, much less 63,000. However, there are other politicians making strategic choices. In particular, there are four city councilors who would love to have Huang’s seat. For the two KMT city councilors, this is a golden opportunity. Huang removed the old KMT incumbent, so now they have a wide open seat staring at them if the recall passes. You can bet that they are mobilizing their networks trying to recall Huang. The two DPP city councilors have to be more careful, since many of their supporters also voted for Huang. However, I suspect they wouldn’t be heartbroken if the seat were to come open. The point is, there are a lot of well-connected people who have an interest in Huang’s recall. The anti-gay marriage activists don’t have to supply all 63,000 votes; self-interested politicians will supply a substantial number of yes votes. It’s still a longshot, but it isn’t impossible.
Huang Kuo-chang won over 50% in 2016. Imagine how the calculations would be different for a candidate who had won a three-way race. For example, Tsai Shih-ying 蔡適應 won the Keelung seat with only 41.5% of the vote. He got 78,707 votes, but 111,162 people voted for one of the three blue camp candidates. The threshold in a recall election would only be 74,736, so a successful recall would be quite likely even if no voters who originally supported them had changed their minds. Recall elections are supposed to be tools to remove legislators who have betrayed their electoral contract, not second chances for when one side can’t agree on a single candidate. However, if Huang’s recall succeeds, this is where we are headed. Every legislator elected on the other party’s turf with less than 50% had better start looking over their shoulder.
If there is any ironic justice in this episode, it is that Huang and the NPP brought this recall on themselves. They insisted on drastically revising a law that was working well. At least they are the first ones to face the consequences of their lousy choice. And if the recall does pass, it won’t just be Huang personally who suffers. The outcome will be widely interpreted as an indicator that the general public is not ready for marriage equality, and the NPP will have succeeded in kneecapping one of its most cherished goals. Good going, guys.
Hopefully after the recall vote, the parties will decide to revise the election law again to make recalls harder and end this stupidity. In the meantime, Huang deserves to sweat a bit.
I’d like to take a look at the general state of public opinion in Taiwan these days. I’m not really interested in exactly what it is right this moment. After all, the next election is still more than a year away, and by then no one will care whether Tsai Ing-wen had a 27% or 29% approval rating 14 months ago. I’m more interested in taking stock of the general trends over Tsai’s first year and a half in office. Over the past few months, we have seen headlines screaming that Tsai has a lower approval rating than Donald Trump or that her administration is sinking fast as it loses popularity. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are people who assume that the KMT is doomed and that continued DPP rule is inevitable, unless the New Power Party replaces it.
Public opinion is always a bit murky, but right now it is murkier than usual. To put it bluntly, reasonable people can see whatever they want to see in the data. None of the trends are sharp or clear enough that you can’t easily explain them away with other readily available numbers. It’s like staring at clouds: maybe it’s a duck, and maybe it’s a train. Not only that, but the person who thinks it is a duck can see the duck clearly, while the moron who thinks it is a train can’t see how anyone could look at that train and see a duck. I think that one interpretation of public opinion is more correct, and I’ll argue for that one. However, keep in mind that the other interpretations aren’t necessarily stupid or misguided.
I’m relying on data from the Taiwan Election and Democratization Studies (TEDS). TEDS is the main academic project for political surveys. The surveys are done by academic institutions (mostly the Election Study Center, NCCU) for scholarly purposes. They are not contracted out to private survey companies, nor are they designed to make a splash in the public discourse. Questions are designed by committees of scholars with all political stripes, so a leading question designed to make one side look good or the other side look bad will simply not make it onto the final questionnaire. We all have lots of questions that we want to ask, and space is severely limited. Only items that can be rigorously defended from an academic perspective make it through. You might wonder why you have never seen a media report trumpeting the latest finding from a TEDS survey. The reason is simple. TEDS doesn’t hold press conferences to announce its newest results. In fact, it doesn’t release results immediately at all. Data usually are only released several months after the interviews are completed. For example, I am using quarterly surveys in this post. These surveys are only released when interviewing for the next survey begins. For example, TEDS just released the data for the June 2017 survey, but we currently have a small army of students doing calls for the September 2017 survey. Who cares about the June 2017 results? We want up-to-the minute information! When the June survey was done, pension reform hadn’t passed, the brouhahas over the infrastructure plan were still in the future, Mayor Ko was still planning for the university games, and Lin Chuan still had a couple more months to go as premier. Everything is different now! Well, it is precisely because the media doesn’t pay attention to TEDS results that they are so trustworthy and valuable. Unlike all the other data you see, you can be confident that these results weren’t produced with the goal of manipulating your opinions. And if you want to know what the state of public opinion is today, I guess I’ll be able to tell you that in three months, even if by then you will no longer care what people thought before Trump’s nuclear attack on North Korea, the Bangladeshi refugee crisis following the massive cyclone, or the upheavals in China following Xi Jinping’s aborted attempt to name his housekeeper’s mentally deranged son as Crown Prince of the CCP.
Let’s start with the headline number. Everyone has been talking about President Tsai’s low approval rating. How far did she sink over her first year in office?
As you can see from the chart, Tsai’s satisfaction rating dropped quite a bit from June 2016 to June 2017. In the first survey, she was over 50%, the next three surveys were in the mid-30s, and the latest survey was in the upper 20s. That looks pretty terrible. If you want to see the electorate as unhappy with her performance and primed for a change, you certainly can.
It gets worse. TEDS asks about Tsai’s performance in four specific policy areas, cross-straits relations, foreign affairs, the economy, and national defense. These all mirror her overall satisfaction rating fairly closely, except that the trend lines for economy and cross-straits relations are 5-10% lower than the overall trend line. That is, Tsai’s general satisfaction is the optimistic number. As you drill down into specifics, people are even less satisfied.
We can go further. People are even less satisfied with the cabinet’s performance than with President Tsai’s. Tsai just changed premiers, but most of the unpopular cabinet is still in office. (Premier Lin did slightly better than the cabinet but significantly worse than Tsai.) Ick.
Anyway, I increasingly don’t believe in the predictive value of satisfaction. Lots of the people who are dissatisfied are unhappy that Tsai Ing-wen has been too timid. These people wanted more of her program, not less. Someone who is angry that transitional justice has been too slow or that pension reform wasn’t drastic enough is not itching to vote for the KMT in future elections.
在國內的政黨之中，請問您認為您比較支持哪一個政黨? (if none, follow-up) 那請問您有沒有比較偏向哪一個政黨?
The initial impression is that the DPP is bleeding support and the KMT is gaining. The gap between the two parties has shrunk from about 20% in June 2016 to about 3% a year later. Wow!
Again, some caution and some longer-term perspective is useful. That first survey showing the DPP with 39% party ID is wildly out of line with historical patterns. The DPP has never been near that high in any other survey. Let’s chalk that up as a fleeting honeymoon effect and discard it. Still, the last few surveys show the DPP falling from about 30% to about 25% and the gap between the two main parties narrowing. The KMT is making a comeback!
About that, maybe we should look at a longer time period. The TEDS quarterly surveys started in September 2012, so we don’t have the same sort of regular data before that. Nevertheless, party ID is always asked on every ESC and TEDS survey, so we have fairly reliable numbers going back to the mid-1990s. I’ve started this chart at the end of the Chen era to compare current party ID trends to the relatively stable period during Ma’s first term. As you can see, during Ma’s first term the KMT generally had a 10-15% advantage over the DPP in party ID. During his second term, the KMT hemorrhaged support, going from the mid-30s to the low 20s while the DPP gained slightly, going from about 25% to 30%. Put into that context, party ID in June 2017 doesn’t look anything like party ID in 2009. We are still in the post-Sunflower world in which the DPP is the more popular party and the KMT is in second place. In the chart with only five surveys, it looks like the KMT is making a comeback. In the longer perspective, it doesn’t look like that so much. The KMT is still mired in the low 20s, where it has been since late 2014.
One interesting thing about this chart concerns the DPP’s honeymoon peak. The DPP’s peak comes in June 2016, after Tsai’s inauguration. The KMT also has a massive peak, when it hit 43% at the end of 2011. The difference between these two peaks is that one occurred right around election day. The KMT’s 2012 campaign apparently peaked perfectly, with a spike in support for the party just when the voters were going to the polls. This spike (and the 15% advantage in party ID) produced 51% of the votes in the presidential election. In 2016, the DPP’s spike was well after the election, so it did not translate into more votes. At the election, the DPP had an advantage of just a bit more than 10% in party ID, not the 20% it would have in June. The DPP’s party ID in the low-30s around election day produced 56% of the vote for Tsai.
Historically, the DPP has added more voters to its base of identifiers than the KMT has. If the DPP still has a narrow lead in party identifiers, it probably has a somewhat larger lead in actual votes.
The past two data points are not good for the DPP. However, I’m not ready to proclaim them as a tipping point or the start of a new trend. On party ID, it looks to me like we are still in the same post-Sunflower world. Nonetheless, it is something I’ll be keeping my eye on.
Looking at the recent data, it doesn’t appear that there is any honeymoon peak. Rather, there is simply a decrease in exclusively Taiwanese identity and a commensurate increase in Chinese and dual identity. This is wrong. Actually, the June 2016 data point is higher than either 2015 or the rest of 2016.
A look at the longer trend shows that the decline in Taiwanese identity is not merely something that has happened over the past year. The gap between the lines peaked in 2014, when exclusive Taiwan identifiers outnumbered people with some Chinese identity by about 60 to 35%. Over the past three years, that gap has slowly narrowed to roughly 56 to 40%. This is not merely a statistical blip. These data points in the ESC chart combine data from numerous surveys; each data point represents over 10,000 respondents. There is a real decline in Taiwanese identity over the past three years; the only question is how we should think about it.
Many smart people think that 2014 was a real inflection point, and the historical trend toward more and more Taiwanese identifiers has now reversed. They expect that Chinese identity will continue to increase over future surveys. I have not yet heard a convincing explanation for why this might happen, but then I don’t have a airtight explanation for the last three years either.
For now, my working hypothesis is that long-term drivers of Taiwanese identity are still in place. Younger people identify more strongly as Taiwanese than older people, and this is driven by education and real-world experiences in which China clumsily continually reminds Taiwanese that they are a different group of people. If the fast-growing China of a decade ago couldn’t attract Taiwanese youth, I don’t see how the slower-growing and more oppressive version of today will win over many hearts and minds.
For the time being, I am considering the peak in 2014 to be the outlier. My guess is that after the dramatic upheavals of the previous few years, many respondents who would have normally been on the fence were inspired to describe themselves as exclusively Taiwanese. As things calmed down, those people may have drifted back to their more “normal” dual identities. There is a rapid growth in Taiwanese identity from 2011 to 2014, and I suspect at least some of the people who changed their minds then have changed them back again. If you look in longer terms, the basic trend line over the past two decades still looks like it fits the current data.
It is also important to note that, even with the changes over the past three years, we are still not back in the world of 2008, when Taiwanese and Chinese identities were roughly equal. Exclusive Taiwanese identifiers still significantly outnumber people with Chinese identity, and the current trends will require several more years to close that gap. However, if my interpretation is correct, there may not be many more wafflers to convert back to Chinese identity. Closing the gap much further will require some fundamental change in the relationship between China and Taiwan to make Chineseness more appealing to Taiwanese youth. Perhaps that has already happened, and I am simply oblivious to it.
Regardless, this is an important indicator to keep an eye on. It is not at all an overstatement to say that Taiwan’s political future depends on the distribution of opinions about national identity.
The TEDS quarterly surveys mostly ask the same questions each time, but they also stick in one or two questions on topical issues each time. Some of these are illuminating.
35.0% of respondents said they were either somewhat satisfied or very satisfied, while 42.0% said they were either somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the government’s handling of this issue. The easy interpretation might be that the public sides with the KMT’s insistence that the DPP is conducting a vengeful, unjustified, and undemocratic witch hunt against it. However, digging a little deeper casts doubt on that interpretation. 26.0% of people who self-identified as DPP or NPP supporters also expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of illicit KMT assets. Of course, we can’t know exactly what each individual was thinking and every individual thinks something slightly different, but it isn’t too difficult to imagine that the overwhelming majority of these people were dissatisfied because they thought the efforts to recover illicit KMT assets were not aggressive enough. If you want to know how much support the KMT has for its position, you probably need to subtract the vast majority of these people – 9.9% of the full sample – from the 42.0% who were dissatisfied. Similarly, a considerable chunk of non-identifiers were probably also dissatisfied for the same reason. What starts out looking like a good result for the KMT is probably actually nothing of the sort. People might be dissatisfied with the Tsai government, but this does not necessarily mean they are jumping over to the KMT.
Both the March and June 2017 surveys had a question on pension reform. Note that the June survey was conducted about two weeks before the legislature passed the pension reform bill.
This question wording is a particularly strong one for proponents of pension reform. This focuses attention on the most easily understood aspects of a very complex topic. The preferential savings rate has been the horse that advocates have loved to beat for years, as a guaranteed 18% interest rate on savings deposits is far out of line with anything a normal person could hope to obtain. In fact, nearly twice as many people disagree with the statement as agree with it. Even among KMT identifiers and public employees, the two groups most hostile to pension reforms, nearly as many people disagreed as agreed with this statement.
By now, you should know how I feel about these satisfied/dissatisfied questions. Taiwan’s population is highly critical. If they don’t get their ideal outcome, they do not hesitate to express dissatisfaction. In fact, the Tsai government moved deliberately and cautiously on pension reform, angering a lot of green supporters who wanted a more radical approach. In this survey, not even half of DPP and NPP supporters were satisfied.
On this topic, I have a little private data. I’m doing a project on fighting in the legislature, and I did an internet survey before and after the pension reform was passed. Now, internet surveys have to be interpreted with extreme caution since they are not representative samples. Our goal was to study how attitudes changed after a brawl, not to make statements describing the Taiwanese population. However, that is what Nathan Batto, rigorous scholar, does with the data. Frozen Garlic, the irresponsible blogger, is going to throw caution to the wind and give you some results that you shouldn’t take at face value.
First, let me tell you that my data are biased. My respondents are extremely highly educated, have too many middle aged people, too many northerners, not enough farmers or homemakers, and too many public employees. KMT and NPP identifiers are overrepresented, while DPP identifiers are underrepresented. In general, all the results in my survey skew much bluer than those of a representative telephone sample.
In this sample, roughly twice as many people preferred the DPP position as the KMT position. Remember, this sample is too blue, so in the actual population it was probably more than a two to one ratio.
Think about this. The general population was generally dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the pension reform, even though it preferred the DPP’s position over the KMT’s position by a large margin. Taiwanese people are not easily satisfied! Nevertheless, even if the general public isn’t happy with the DPP’s performance, the pension reform issue is definitely not a winner for the KMT.
This question wording presents a stricter test for support of marriage equality than a less specific question, such as “Do you agree that gay should be allowed to marry?” Amending the Civil Code is the strongest version of marriage equality. There are people who support a weaker version of marriage equality, such as enacting a special law but not amending the Civil Code. Nonetheless, the degree of opposition to amending the Civil Code is striking.
KMT identifiers are overwhelmingly against amending the Civil Code, while DPP identifiers also have a clear majority against it. NPP supporters are clearly the outliers. Geographically, Taipei City sticks out. While Taipei residents are split evenly, every other place has 60-70% against amending the Civil Code. When Taiwanese sarcastically talk about Taipei residents living in a bubble (天龍國), maybe this is part of what they are talking about. There are dramatic differences by age. People in their 20s are overwhelmingly for marriage equality, while people in their 30s are somewhat for it. However, most eligible voters are over 40, and these people are overwhelmingly against amending the Civil Code.
In May, the Council of Grand Justices ruled that the current law is unconstitutional and gave the government two years to change it. Looking at these numbers, you can see why the Tsai government is not eager to push through an amendment to the Civil Code, regardless of President Tsai’s personal sympathies. I don’t think the very vocal supporters of marriage equality have yet realized that the government is on their side. (Don’t forget, Tsai appointed most of the Grand Justices.) With these numbers, the only realistic action is a special law, which the activists don’t want. Instead, the government has chosen a third path: wait for the two year period to expire and then simply consider the Civil Code to allow gays to marry. At the cost of a two year wait, the marriage equality activists will get their most favored outcome while not inflicting enormous political costs on a sympathetic government.
The final item to consider echoes newly elected KMT chair Wu Den-yi’s proposal that Taiwan should revert to the 1992 Consensus. This was asked in the June 2017 survey.
I have to admit, I was quite surprised by this result. 42% of people were in favor of re-adopting the 1992 Consensus, while only 33% were against it. (I’m counting the 4% who refuse to admit the existence of the 1992 Consensus as being against using it.) I guess Wu Den-yi’s position is more popular than I thought.
Nearly two years later, support for the 1992 Consensus seems to have risen a bit. The 1992 Consensus gets 42% support, even though the wording does not include the phrase “each side with its own interpretation.” Moreover, this item has a response category for opposition, not just for support. 42% support turns out not to mean 58% opposition. In fact, 33% is not anywhere close to 58% opposition. A large chunk of the population is ambivalent on this question. Like many people, I interpreted the 2016 election result as a death sentence for the 1992 Consensus. I still think the chances of the Tsai government ever accepting it are between razor-thin and zero, but, in light of this result, I can see why Wu Den-yi and the KMT are holding out hope that the 1992 Consensus can still be the basis for a winning election campaign.
To sum up, I think these data suggest that the DPP is still on track to win another term in 2020. There are some encouraging numbers for the KMT, but they are easily exaggerated. Overall, I think these data are at least as discouraging for the KMT as for the DPP. I think we are most likely going to have something like the previous Japanese election in which a somewhat unpopular government easily beat an even more unpopular opposition.
PS: If these results trouble you in any way, don’t worry. They’re all horribly out of date. Everything is probably completely different now.
It seems I don’t get around to blogging very much these days. Hopefully I’ll pick up the pace as we move into the next election cycle. In the meantime, I have a few thoughts on the recent cabinet reshuffle.
Former Premier Lin Chuan’s 林全 resignation did not come as much of a surprise. After 16 months, it was time for a reset. His satisfaction ratings were not great, but it’s easy to overstate that point. We’ve had several stories in the international media gasping about President Tsai’s cratering satisfaction ratings in the high 20s or low 30s (“worse than Trump!!!!”), and Lin’s ratings were a notch below those levels. However, the Taiwanese electorate is historically much stingier with its approval for national politicians than the American electorate, and ratings in this range haven’t historically heralded disaster. I’ll have more to say on public opinion in a subsequent post. For right now, let’s just say that Lin’s ratings weren’t spectacular.
Taiwanese cabinet members come in two broad prototypes: elected politicians and technocrats. Lin is a classic technocrat, having served in various administrative and policy-focused positions since the mid-1990s. It is somewhat ironic that his biggest failings were technical rather than political. In recent weeks, the KMT has enthusiastically thrown the legislature into chaos protesting the Forward-Looking infrastructure package. They have made some substantive arguments against the package, such as claiming that spending on railways is wasteful, but their first and most effective argument was that the documentation was sloppy and incomplete. The cabinet’s original proposal for the massive eight year package came with a pitifully thin set of documents explaining exactly what the money would used for. In other words, the technocrats had not bothered to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. This is the kind of problem you might expect a career politician – with a focus on power and coalitions – to make, not a career technocrat who supposedly revels in the details of public policy. Lin ran into the same sort of problem in his biggest failing, the revision of the Labor Standards Law that has left almost no one satisfied. The broad and inflexible brush strokes of the new policy are the kind of thing you would not expect from a policy nerd with a detailed understanding of labor markets. They are exactly what you might expect from a politician catering to the whims of a specific interest group and ignoring all the others.
Meanwhile, Lin passed one of the most important political tests for any premier: he could almost always count on support from a majority in the legislature. The DPP LY caucus may not have been thrilled with the amendments to the Labor Standards Law, but they were willing not only to vote en masse for those amendments but even to physically push KMT legislators off the speaker’s podium so that they could vote for Lin’s bill. Likewise, in the fight over infrastructure, the DPP LY caucus allowed the KMT caucus to make noise and express their discontent, but at the end of the day, they passed the cabinet’s plan relatively unchanged. For the most part, the LY had Lin’s back. If you think that is trivial, try talking to former KMT Premier Jiang Yi-huah 江宜樺about whether a majority party in the LY always supports the premier’s agenda.
From a political perspective, Lin also handled marriage equality quite deftly. In the face of strident demands from pro-marriage equality forces to amend the Civil Code and deep trepidation from DPP legislators staring at polls showing substantial opposition to this among back in their districts, Lin simply sidestepped the issue. By interpreting the Grand Justices’ ruling as implying that the language in the Civil Code requiring marriage to include one man and one woman was unconstitutional, Lin decided that there was no need to amend the Civil Code. Gay marriages can be registered under the current law. In this way, Lin did not force DPP legislators into a no-win situation by forcing them to offend either their young voters or everyone over forty.
This is not to say that Lin has been a terrible technocrat and a genius politician. He has had plenty of political failings. For example, somehow the DPP managed to tackle the very thorny issue of pension reform, pass a bill that the KMT didn’t dare try to physically block in the legislature, and still leave the majority of people dissatisfied. What should have been a crowning triumph of Lin’s tenure is instead something that most people think should have been handled better. The technocratic efforts are, by nature, less visible, but it is reasonable to assume that he has quietly launched drives to remake government policy in a number of areas. Still, it is striking to me that his highest profile setbacks were mostly technical in nature.
Tainan mayor William Lai 賴清德 is the new premier, and there is a lot of speculation about his next move. Some people think he will run for New Taipei mayor next year, while others think he is planning to run for president in 2020. I don’t think either of these are likely.
The timetable for a mayoral run is very tight. The election will be in late November or early December next year, so he would have to start his campaign (and resign as premier) by May or June at the latest. However, he would have to announce his intention (or “reluctant capitulation” to the intense arm-twisting pressure from the rest of the DPP) to run a month or two before that. In other words, he would ony have a maximum of eight months in office as premier before starting the campaign. In April 2010, Eric Chu 朱立倫 announced he would be willing to run for New Taipei mayor after only eight months as deputy premier, so maybe the calendar isn’t too tight. However, I think premier and deputy premier are fundamentally different positions. The deputy premier isn’t the one in charge of the executive branch; Chu was not the one determining policy directions. When the deputy premier resigns, there is no need to formally reshuffle the cabinet. Mayor is arguably a step up from deputy premier, while it is almost certainly a step down from premier. It just doesn’t make sense for the premier, after only eight months, to claim that he has successfully accomplished everything he wants to do in his current job and is now ready to move on to a new and less important challenge. For the deputy premier, though, that makes perfect sense. Perhaps Frank Hsieh 謝長廷 is a better model for this proposed jump than Eric Chu. Hsieh was re-elected as Kaohsiung mayor in 2002, became premier in 2005, and then ran for Taipei mayor in 2006. However, Hsieh served as premier from February 2005 to January 2006, almost a full calendar year. Moreover, he took over as premier much earlier in the cycle (February rather than September) and he resigned well before the nominations for the next mayoral elections were decided. His calendar was much less compressed than Lai’s. Still, one year is not a particularly long time as premier, and Hsieh did not exactly resign in triumph. This lackluster record as premier probably contributed to his landslide defeat in the Taipei mayoral race. It is hard to see Lai arguing that he was a successful premier with only eight months in office. Running for mayor would probably require him to talk defensively rather than brag proudly about his tenure as premier.
Lai is even less likely to run for president in 2020 than to run for mayor in 2018. For one thing, as premier, he will now be tightly identified with Tsai. His triumphs are her triumphs, and her failings will rub off on him. More fundamentally, there simply is not much demand within the DPP right now for someone to split the party by running against their incumbent president. Tsai is still the leader of the party. Some of the shine may have come off her leadership, but she is still the unquestioned top dog and still on track to win a second term.
Lai’s goal should be for the DPP’s 2024 nomination. He is not necessarily in a great position for this. Premiers tend to have a relatively short shelf life. If he does very well, he might make it to the 2020 presidential election as premier. It is almost unthinkable that he might make it all the way to the 2024 election as premier. Perhaps his best scheme might be to persuade the current VP to yield that spot to him in order to guarantee his survival to 2024. However, it seems highly unlikely at this point that Chen Chien-jen 陳建仁 would want to step aside or that Tsai Ing-wen would ask him to. If we are still thinking of Lai as a presidential contender after his tenure as premier ends, he will have to find some other platform to keep him in the public eye for a year or three until the 2024 presidential campaign begins. However, that is a problem that we don’t have to worry about right now.
We are hearing a lot about how Lai is a leader of the New Tide 新潮流 faction, and some people are wondering if the New Tide faction is becoming dominant within the DPP. After all, it now controls the cabinet, many important local governments (Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taoyuan, Changhua, Pingtung), and it has a powerful presence in the LY. This is correct on the surface, but it is worth asking how cohesive the New Tide still is. From the 1980s through the Chen presidency, New Tide was famous for its internal discipline. There were three leaders (Lin Cho-shui 林濁水, Chiu I-jen 邱義仁, and Wu Nai-jen 吳乃仁) who ran the faction. They defined the ideals and policy priorities, built the organizational network, raised money, recruited and trained talent, made deals with other factions, and generally cultivated a tightly disciplined faction. Those three leaders have mostly faded from the scenes. Today’s New Tide is led by a disparate group of local leaders (the aforementioned mayors) and legislators (especially Tuan Yi-kang段宜康). There is no longer any central authority. Chen Chu 陳菊 may be a New Tide member, but she is primarily the mayor of Kaohsiung and her highest priority is on Kaohsiung’s problems. She isn’t going to take orders from William Lai or any other New Tide member. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to think that she has organized her own Kaohsiung-based faction including many people who are not necessarily New Tide figures and who answers to her rather than to any national New Tide leadership. The same goes for Cheng Wen-tsan 鄭文燦 in Taoyuan and every other mayor. In the legislature, the New Tide faction might help win nominations, but I don’t think it exercises quite as much control over its members as it once did. During the Chen-era, we started hearing about the North Tide 北流, Central Tide 中流, and South Tide 南流. These three had very different attitudes about whether to support the embattled President Chen. The North Tide led calls for him to resign, while the South Tide was much more supportive (reflecting difference in the larger population among northern and southern voters). The New Tide didn’t quite fracture, but its cohesion did suffer. I don’t think it has or will ever fully recover. So while it is not meaningless that Lai is a New Tide member, this doesn’t imply that New Tide is taking over everything. New Tide isn’t really a cohesive (unitary) actor with a distinctive set of policy preferences these days.
I’m not exactly buying into the hype about William Lai. I think there are a lot of parallels between Lai and Eric Chu. Both were relentlessly promoted by the media as the party’s great savior without having done very much to earn that mantle. Chu was a scholar and Lai was a doctor, both were singled out at a fairly young age and placed into a solidly blue/green district that they could win without much challenge. Both are physically attractive enough, neither is brimming with charisma, and neither has actually accomplished as much as you have the impression they have. Yet, somehow, we all have been led to believe that they are presidential material. In their first forays into cross-straits affairs, they even employed similar strategies by playing superficial word games. Chu tweaked the 1992 consensus, changing one character and advocating One China, both sides with the same interpretation 一中同表. Lai tried to coin a vacuous pro-China, love Taiwan 親中愛台. Both seemed to think that they could cleverly clear away all the obstacles to cross-straits relations by coming up with a better four-character slogan than anyone else. Neither seems to have bothered to think through the implications of these formulae the way Ma, Tsai, or Hsieh did.
In early 2015 when Chu took over as KMT party chair, I wrote that he was now stepping out of the easy aura of a local mayor, in which most every action is reported with a favorable tinge by an accommodating local reporter, and into the harsh light of national politics, where every action would be scrutinized and (fairly or unfairly) attacked if any partisan advantage could be gained. Likewise, Lai now steps into that harsh limelight. Rather than taking credit for the mango harvest or paving a road, he will more likely be blamed for not having a quick and painless solution to a variety of intractable problems such as the low birthrate, systemic youth unemployment, or companies willing to compromise food safety in order to cut costs. Lai just stepped into the big leagues, and the vague hero image that his boosters have so assiduously cultivated won’t survive if he doesn’t deliver the goods.
The parallel to Chu isn’t perfect. Lai has faced and overcome a few more electoral challenges than Chu. Chu won one term in the legislature; Lai won four terms. In particular, Lai survived the 2008 KMT tidal wave even though Ma beat Hsieh in his district. In addition, while Chu had both the Taoyuan and New Taipei mayoral nominations handed to him, Lai won an intense primary in 2010 to secure the mayoral nomination. However, if Lai has a few more substantial victories than Chu, he also has a couple of red flags. Lai has not been able to forge a compromise with affected residents over the rerouting of a rail line. He was also unable to manage a Dengue Fever outbreak.
But most disturbing was his response to the election of a KMT politician as speaker of the Tainan City council. Lai accused the speaker of buying votes and refused to attend city council meetings until the speaker was removed. The speaker probably had bought votes, but that is hardly justification for Lai’s behavior. The mayor does not have the power to assign guilt; that is job of the judiciary. Lai’s certitude in his right to assign guilt and ignore his legal duty to give reports and answer interpellations in the city council belies a stunning moral arrogance. The KMT sarcastically dubbed him Deity Lai 賴神, and, dishearteningly, he has not shied away from that moniker. It is very easy to imagine him refusing to see a flawed decision or even doubling down on it. If he is to have a successful tenure as premier, he will have to show a bit more humility that he has thus far.
As I start this post, the legislature has just passed the third reading of the civil servants pension bill. It now moves onto the bill for teachers, and the legislature has yet to take up the bill for military pensions. Nonetheless, now that the rules for civil servants have been rewritten, the others should follow along those basic lines. There is a lot of cleanup work still left for the legislature, but the basic fights have already been waged.
We all have a basic understanding that the current system needed some adjustment. There was too much money going out and too little coming in, and the system was going to go bankrupt in fairly short order. Even President Ma recognized the need for reform. (He quickly aborted his nascent reform in the face of a backlash from public servants, who constitute one of the KMT’s most important voting blocs.) The retirement benefits were simply too generous. Civil servants could often retire in their early fifties and collect monthly stipends nearly equal to their full salaries. Since benefits were based on their last month’s salary (ie: the highest they had collected in their entire career), that meant that the state was often paying people more in their retirement than it had while they were working AND their retirements might be as long as their working careers had been. This system may have been defensible when the GDP was growing by double digits every year, the birth rate was high, and civil servants earned a relatively low base salary. However, those conditions haven’t described Taiwan for two or three decades. Things had to change.
Pension reform was one of the three or four most important goals for Tsai Ing-wen’s first term; arguably it is the single most important domestic reform item on her agenda. Tsai has taken a lot of criticism over the past year. People who didn’t vote for her (predictably) think she is doing a terrible job, and they point to things like China’s more antagonistic stance toward Taiwan and the resulting drop in group tourism from China. They are also furious about the effort to nationalize the KMT’s ill-gotten party assets, which they see as a witch hunt (the “green terror”). Many people who did vote for Tsai are also somewhat disillusioned. Her support for marriage equality has been less than strident, her cabinet is full of old men (many of whom have ties to previous discredited administrations), some of the government’s economic policies have been presented and implemented clumsily (labor standards law, infrastructure package), the economy isn’t growing at 8% a year, transitional justice hasn’t been achieved yet, and the world isn’t perfect yet. Against this background, achieving pension reform should be a shining star on Tsai’s report card.
In fact, I’d argue that pension reform has almost perfectly embodied Tsai Ing-wen’s vision of consensus democracy. There were a lot of people who wanted the DPP to present their ideal bill and ram it through the legislature. After all, what is a majority for? Instead, Tsai took the process slowly and deliberately. Tsai’s cabinet included Minister Without Portfolio Lee Wan-yi, whose sole job was to oversee pension reform. The government held a national forum on pension reform, and Lee’s committee held several other hearings. These hearings were somewhat contentious and the opposition did not always participate in good faith. Still, most of the important political arguments were presented, and the committee was able to filter through them. One of Tsai’s stated goals at the outset was not to treat public servants as an enemy. As she put it, they were to be seen as partners in the reform rather than objects to be reformed. The Executive Yuan committee ultimately came out with a fairly moderate bill. At about the same time, the Examination Yuan came out with its own bill. The Examination Yuan members have fixed terms, and over half of them are still left over from the Ma era. As might be expected, the Examination Yuan bill was even more modest than the Executive Yuan bill. Transition periods were stretched out over more years and various formulas were adjusted to be somewhat more favorable to public servants. However, the two bills were surprisingly similar. By the time the Examination Yuan was ready to propose its bill it had become clear that some sort of reform was unavoidable, so the Examination Yuan proposed a substantive reform bill. During the first half of 2017, anti-reform forces were trying to arouse public opinion against Tsai. Various veterans, civil servants, and teachers groups held rallies, but these were generally not well attended. Surveys showed that public opinion was solidly in favor of reform, and this did not soften as a result of anti-reform activism. If anything, public opinion solidified in favor of a more aggressive reform. By the time the bills got to the legislature, the anti-reform movement was largely played out. In the legislature, the pro-reform forces took their turn trying to pass a more aggressive bill. Both the DPP and NPP caucuses demanded changes to various formulae and transition periods. They succeeded in some of these demands, and the law that eventually passed was somewhat more aggressive than the Executive Yuan bill. Nonetheless, Tsai stepped in to ensure that the most radical demands would not be adopted.
By the end of the process, the KMT found itself in a quandary. Public servants constitute a core constituency, and the KMT wanted to speak for them. However, public opinion was clearly against them, and the DPP caucus showed no signs of wavering. As the saying goes, there are two ways to resist in the legislature: civil and military (文、武). The “military” method involves physically occupying the speaker’s podium and disrupting the normal parliamentary procedures. The “civil” method involves using dilatory tactics such as introducing hundreds of amendments to stretch out proceedings as long as possible. In general, if you are sure of your position and your support in society, you go for the military option. If you are on shaky ground, the civil option is the best you can do. For months, I expected we were heading for a “military” showdown. However, the KMT will eventually crumbled. The KMT could not agree on an alternative bill, so the caucus was reduced to supporting various bills proposed by individual members. Instead of occupying the podium or offering hundreds of amendments, the KMT opted for a very weak battle plan. They would have several people speak on every clause, thus taking several days to pass the bills. The DPP was relatively happy to oblige, so the legislature has been engaged in marathon sessions all week. (A minor but telling point: When the DPP made a motion to extend yesterday’s meeting until midnight, it passed unanimously. If the KMT were really trying to resist, it would have opposed lengthening the meeting.) I’ve been sick this week, so I watched a fair amount of these debates on the LY channel. The KMT offered two main arguments against the reform. On the one hand, they suggested that the reform unfairly cut civil servants’ pensions too much. On the other hand, since the pension fund is forecast to go bankrupt in about 2049 (as opposed to in about 5-10 years under the current system), this reform doesn’t really solve the financial problem so there is no point in doing it. Note that those two positions are contradictory. If you want a reform that will be permanently sustainable, you are going to have to cut pensions even more.
If you had asked President Tsai after her inauguration when she expected to pass pension reform, I suspect she would have replied that it would take about a year. In fact, it has taken just over a year. One year to study the problem, hold public discussions, allow protesters to make their case, for supporters to reaffirm their insistence on this reform, and to pass a new law. Don’t expect the media to come out with glowing editorials praising President Tsai’s leadership. Democracy is messy, and we have been watching a messy and aggravating process unfold for nearly a year. Moreover, we ended up with something of a compromise, and no one loves a compromise. Nonetheless, I suspect this is exactly how President Tsai thinks democracy should work.
Is marriage equality a cleavage?
Last week, my colleague Wu Yu-shan gave a stimulating talk about changes in political cleavage structures around the world. Most of the talk was about the rise of pre-material cleavages (ie: nationalism) in western industrial democracies, but he also had something to say about Taiwan. He believes that we are seeing the rise of materialist (ie: a left-right cleavage) and post-materialist (ie: marriage equality and environmentalism) cleavages in addition to the old nationalism cleavage. In Taiwan’s political science world, Wu is the major voice staking out this position. The opposite view, that national identity is still basically the only cleavage that matters, has most recently and forcefully been voiced by Chris Achen and T.Y. Wang in their forthcoming edited volume, The Taiwan Voter. It is hard to overstate the importance of this debate. Depending on whether you believe Taiwan has one or multiple important political cleavages, you might come to different conclusions on many of the most central questions facing Taiwan today. Does the KMT need to change its position on China, or is returning to the 1992 Consensus a viable option? Will the NPP be able to encroach on the DPP’s pool of voters? Will it be able to appeal to voters that the DPP cannot? Did the 2016 election mark a fundamental break with the past, or is it merely a deviance from a well-established pattern? Should President Tsai push for marriage equality? Why isn’t President Tsai aggressively pushing for admission to the United Nations under the name “Taiwan”? This question of one or many cleavages gets right to the heart of our understanding of how Taiwanese politics work.
During his talk, Wu presented a fascinating graph, taken from a story on Commonwealth Magazine’s website. In this post, I want to explore what we should and maybe should not learn from this graph.
This graph plots legislators’ positions in the political space along two dimensions. The X axis is the Independence-Unification dimension (with independence on the left), while the Y axis is support or opposition to marriage equality (with support at the top).
I don’t understand exactly what the authors did to produce this graph, but I’ll do my best to explain the methodology. The authors looked at Facebook data from each legislator. They used the two party chairs as anchors, examining people who followed both the party chair and the legislator. (Note: I don’t understand exactly how they used these overlapping followers. However, they presented this part in detail, as if they believed it was the most important thing for us to know.) They examined the “likes” on various posts and put that data into a factor analysis model. The purpose of factor analysis is to condense many variables into a smaller number. If you start with n variables, the model calculates a matrix to multiply each variable by to produce n new variables that are completely uncorrelated to each other. However, these n variables are not equally useful. Some have a lot of explanatory power, while others have almost none. Typically, we throw all the variables that account for less than 1/n of the total variance in the data. They have kept two dimensions, though they did not report how much explanatory power each one had or how many variables cleared the 1/n threshold. The final challenge in factor analysis is naming the new variables. Remember, the algorithm has simply produced new variables that are orthogonal to each other; it doesn’t care what went into them. The researcher typically looks at the coefficients that were multiplied with the original variables and decides on a name. Factor analysis has the veneer of cold, objective data analysis, but interpreting it is actually highly subjective. At any rate, I’m going to assume that the authors made reasonable assumptions and inferences in handling the data. For example, I’m going to assume that the dimensions are appropriately labeled. I’m also going to mostly ignore the possibility that Facebook likes and followers don’t necessarily mirror a legislator’s own positions or even the preferences of that legislator’s constituents.
What are we supposed to see in this graph?
I suspect the first thing people will notice is the position of the two party chairs. Tsai Ing-wen is fairly distant from her party median on both dimensions. On the IU axis, she is in the center of the political spectrum. This looks reasonable; most of us think of her as a moderate on identity and nationalism. The Y axis suggests she is also a bit out of touch with the rest of her party on marriage equality. She is noticeably higher on the plot, suggesting she is a stronger supporter of marriage equality than the average DPP legislator. I think this also fits in with the conventional wisdom. There are a few DPP legislators who are more stridently in favor of marriage equality than Tsai, but there are also a lot of hesitant legislators terrified of angering their socially conservative constituents. So Tsai is moderate on China and somewhat progressive on marriage equality. Hung Hsiu-chu’s position is rather more surprising. Hung is widely known as an extremist on national identity questions. Yet here she is smack dab in the center of the KMT caucus. Further, she has made several statements that indicate she is more pro- marriage equality than the average KMT legislator, yet here she is, again, right in the middle of the KMT caucus. These data suggest that Hung Hsiu-chu is not an extremist. She is actually a nearly perfect representation of the average KMT legislator!
The second thing people might notice is how lonely Jason Hsu looks up at the top of the graph. He is the only KMT legislator firmly in the pro- marriage equality camp. Reporters love to interview him on this topic, and this gives the impression that there is a significant wing favoring marriage equality in the KMT. Nope. Not according to this plot.
Third, there is a relationship between the two dimensions. In the DPP, there seems to be a tradeoff. Extreme nationalists tend to be social conservatives, while social progressives tend to be moderate on identity. Why does someone choose to be in the DPP? It is one or the other. I don’t know why it isn’t both, but it doesn’t seem to work that way. The same relationship also exists to a lesser extent in the KMT. Social progressives are slightly more moderate on identity.
Fourth, the NPP is all located in roughly the same position (though Hsu Yung-ming is slightly less progressive and more nationalist than the other four). It is socially progressive but moderate on nationalism. I think this will surprise many people. The common perception is that the NPP is extreme on both dimensions. Here it simply looks like an extension of the progressive wing of the DPP.
I think those are the obvious things we are supposed to see. What are some of the less obvious things?
First, this is a two dimensional plot, giving the impression that there are two equally important cleavages in Taiwan. However, the second dimension isn’t necessary. A vertical line perfectly separates the blue and green camps.
If you think about the plot this way, one of the takeaways is the extent to which the DPP has captured the middle ground and the KMT has been pushed back into the far right. I’ll bet the KMT held much more of the middle ground in 2008.
That’s 14 party list legislators (of 22 total) and 3 district legislators (of 51). Lin Shu-fen is the only district legislator occupying a clearly pro- marriage equality position. This radically changes the way I look at this chart.
For one thing, as the party chair, Tsai Ing-wen had the final say on the composition of the party list. She seems to have packed it with social progressives. So while she might be somewhat out of favor with gay rights activists for her current tepid stance, most of the strong voices in favor of gay rights in the legislature are there because she put them there.
From another point of view, if you only consider district legislators – the ones who actually go out and win votes – the DPP and the KMT don’t look all that different. The two big parties both cover roughly the same portion of the Y axis. The DPP may be slightly more progressive, but the difference isn’t all that great.
Ignoring the DPP list legislators also makes the NPP stand out. They now occupy a distinctive space on the political spectrum (assuming the second dimension is important). They are basically the only politicians who take a clear pro- marriage equality position before the voters.
One way to think about this is that elected politicians are socially conservative, and this social conservatism probably reflects a cold strategic judgement that full marriage equality is too radical for the electorate to swallow. A different way to think about it is that Lin Shu-fen, Huang Kuo-chang, Hung Tzu-yung, and Freddy Lim all won district elections while occupying this part of the political space, so maybe there wasn’t a marriage equality penalty in 2016. It certainly didn’t seem to hurt the other major politician in the top half of the chart, Tsai Ing-wen. It could be the case that (a) there are plenty of socially progressive voters, or (b) the second dimension simply doesn’t matter. Of course, it could also be the case that the cleavage simply hadn’t fully emerged in 2016.
Still, that vertical line perfectly dividing the space is a major problem for the idea that the second dimension matters. I’ll be more open to the idea when that line needs to be drawn at a 60 degree slope. To me, it looks as though there is still one dominant cleavage line in Taiwanese politics, and it isn’t marriage equality. However, this debate is far from settled.
This morning I was downtown, and I walked by the legislature. There is a group of people opposed to the DPP’s proposed pension reform who have been protesting outside it for a few weeks now. They label themselves the 800 heroes, and have claimed that if President Tsai persists they will turn into 8000 or maybe even 80,000. However, when I walked by I think there may have been closer to 8 than 80, much less 800. Well, it was lunchtime, so maybe they were busy.
The legislature has beefed up security. The government clearly doesn’t want to allow another occupation of the legislature by protesters.
Anyway, they have lots of signs and banners up identifying their members and stating their views. Let’s look at some of the photos.
This one identifies them as members of various graduating classes from the military academy.
Here they are complaining that their benefits that they were promised are being taken away. This is supposedly the heart of the controversy.
This sign says they are both against unfair pension reform and “mobbing.” Does that mean that they don’t believe protesters should be allowed to affect public decisions? No? Maybe only the “good” protesters should be heard.
“Pension reform; first change the ministers and legislators.” Actually, the Ma administration tried pension reform, but it went nowhere. So just over a year ago, we changed the the ministers and legislators. Public opinion doesn’t seem to be clamoring to change them again just yet.
Wait, what? Did I miss something? While I was looking the other way, did Tsai become tremendously charismatic, institute a cult of personality, mobilize mobs of students to hold a massive demonstration demanding that she sweep away the regular institutions of government and the conservative members of the DPP in order to impose a pension reform? Are those students organizing themselves into paramilitary bands, arresting opponents, and holding struggle sessions? Did I miss that? Well, what exactly do they think happened in the Cultural Revolution? Do they really think it was about pension reform or getting a majority of votes in the national legislature?
Um, maybe a good place to start would be by studying some Chinese history so you don’t make a fool of yourself when you invoke the Cultural Revolution.
Somehow, we don’t seem to be talking about pension reform any more.
Is that what they mean by reviving Chinese culture? Institutionalizing inequality? Ok, maybe that little bit of snarkiness was unfair, but what the heck is this sign asking for? Every democratic constitution in the world sets out formal equality of all citizens as a fundamental principle. Opposing equality is like opposing families or prosperity; you aren’t going to get very far if that is your appeal.
I guess I’m just a bit confused by these protesters. Maybe they are revealing a bit too much about themselves.
Hey, there’s a bit of election news in Taiwan. As part of the current battle over marriage equality, there are efforts to recall DPP floor leader Ker Chien-ming 柯建銘.
The Taiwan Law Blog speculates that I do not support the efforts to recall Ker Chien-ming. That is correct, even though I support marriage equality. I explained my general dislike of recalls in the post the Taiwan Law Blog links to, and I stand by that reasoning. When the votes are counted, the election should stop. The battle over who occupies the seat should be settled until the next regularly scheduled election.
Recalls have a role, but they should only be used as a last-ditch resort when an elected official has fundamentally violated the implicit contract with the voters. I do not believe Ker Chien-ming has fundamentally violated his contract with his voters. When he ran, I do not remember him ever taking a public stance on marriage equality. His campaign was about representing the DPP and supporting Tsai Ing-wen’s agenda in the legislature. Marriage equality was merely one, very small part of that agenda. No matter what he does on this issue, it is hard to imagine it constituting a fundamental betrayal of his positions.
What do I think would be justifiable grounds to launch a recall? To give one example, I think South Korean President Park has fundamentally violated her contract with the voters. Massive corruption, allowing an unelected and unappointed spiritual advisor to make major decisions, and all the rest of it were clearly not what the Korean voters had in mind when they voted for her.
To go back to Ker’s case, since Ker’s central appeal was being a good party soldier, if he suddenly emerged as an intransigent opponent of Tsai’s agenda and plotted with the KMT to thwart her proposals, a recall would be justifiable. If we confine the hypothetical to the issue of marriage equality, if Ker had made support for marriage equality a central issue in his campaign but then had decided to throw his support behind a separate law that did not grant full equality, I think that would probably still be defensible and not justify a recall. After all, it is eminently defensible to compromise for 50% or 75% of your original goal. If he did all that, and then we further learned that he had accepted a massive bribe from an opponent of marriage equality to change his position, then a recall would probably be justified. In that case, Ker would have ignored his voters’ demands in favor of the briber’s demands. Ker’s current behavior is nowhere near these thresholds, and I hope the recall effort fizzles out.
The Taiwan Law Blog suggests that, instead of trying to recall Ker, perhaps marriage equality activists should campaign for him to lose his spot as the DPP party whip. I think he and many others are making the same mistake that President Ma made when he tried to purge Speaker Wang in 2013. They are imagining that the party floor leader is pursuing his own agenda.
In fact, what successful floor leaders do is to help the party rank-and-file get what they want. Sometimes, this means that the floor leader has to take some public heat in order to shield the backbenchers from criticism. In the American case, the classic example is from budgetary politics. A house member knows that a particular spending item should be cut but it is also very popular back home. The backbencher needs the speaker to arrange the agenda so that he can tell his voters that he fought hard to keep the item in the budget but he just couldn’t overcome opposition from everyone else. Sometimes, the legislator will even single out the speaker for criticism, and a good speaker understands what is happening and facilitates it. In 2013, President Ma blamed Speaker Wang for not pushing the Services Trade Agreement strongly enough. Ma should have realized that Wang was protecting KMT legislators who did not want to defend support for particular clauses to their voters.
In today’s case, Ker is probably protecting DPP legislators as well. Most DPP legislators have publicly come out in support of marriage equality, probably because they cannot afford to alienate progressive activists and voters. They certainly do not want to alienate young people. (Ask Hillary Clinton if alienating young voters has any costs.) However, Taiwanese society has hardly reached a consensus in support of marriage equality. The surveys I have seen suggest that support and opposition are about evenly split. I am a bit skeptical of these support levels. While elites and young people have mostly come to a consensus on gay marriage, I suspect the rest of society has not. To put it simply, I doubt that Taiwan has wrestled with this issue enough yet. To too many people, homosexuality is simply an idea rather than an everyday reality of many friends and family. There are still a lot of moms and dads my age or older who grew up with the unchallenged assumption that homosexuality was weird and/or wrong, and you can’t simply tell them that they have been prejudiced all their lives. They will need some time and a lot of discussion before they come around. Moving too quickly could cause a backlash, and I suspect that many DPP legislators intuitively grasp that not everyone in society is comfortable with rewriting the social rules just yet. If there were actually overwhelming support for marriage equality in the DPP caucus, Ker would make it happen quickly. He hasn’t been re-elected party whip time and time again because he ignores the rank-and-file’s wishes. If he is stalling or pushing some compromise package, it is almost certainly because they are asking him to do it. Moreover, like any good floor leader, he is taking the public criticism so that they won’t have to.
So what do I suggest for marriage equality activists? Ker Chien-ming is not your problem. Your problem is that you haven’t yet thoroughly sold Taiwanese society on the idea of marriage equality. To put it another way, the DPP caucus looks like it would like to change the law, but activists haven’t done enough work changing minds among ordinary voters to make DPP legislators feel comfortable taking this step. Rather than bullying or threatening Ker Chien-ming, activists should be focusing on broader society, explaining why marriage equality is a good idea that everyone can support. The good news is that the marriage equality side has good arguments and, with a lot of discussion and persuasion, should be able to produce a stronger consensus in society. When that happens, resistance in the legislature will melt away.
Today KMT Vice Presidential candidate Jennifer Wang 王如玄 held a press conference to answer questions about her investments in military housing. The KMT’s new campaign manager, Jason Hu, insisted that she needed to take this problem seriously. However, my immediate reaction is that she has probably made things worse. In addition to admitting that she bought 12 units, not the 5 she previously stated, there were lots of places left for skeptics to question. Instead of providing full details on each transaction, she merely provided her annual wealth reports to the Control Yuan. Unfortunately, the “Sunshine Law” has been defanged so much that these reports barely reveal anything. They certainly do not list purchase or sale prices, so we have to take Wang’s word on how much profit she made on each transaction. Unfortunately for her, many people are no longer taking her word for anything. The talk shows are awash in people speculating about all the missing details.
Thus, according to Wang’s own statement, someone pitched her an idea and she implemented that idea without ever stopping to think about ethics. This is extremely troubling, since the essence of a politician’s job is precisely to make value judgments. Bureaucrats ask, “Can we?” Politicians ask, “Should we?” Voters choose politicians precisely to make subjective decisions that are in line with mainstream values. If Wang is not the kind of person in the habit of asking about whether something is good or bad, she probably should get out of politics.
Of course, I don’t believe for a minute that Wang has suddenly, after looking into the policy goals of military housing laws for the first time, discovered that she made an enormous ethical mistake. (I also don’t believe the bosses of Tinghsin and Volkswagen were sincerely sorry about their decisions. I believe they were sorry they got caught and sorry that the exposure of their misdeeds caused financial repercussions.) She knew exactly how the laws were written and how to exploit the loopholes. Am I supposed to believe that she is so oblivious that she never thought about the reason the five year lockout period existed? She wasn’t sorry a week ago, and she didn’t see any ethical problems. No, what happened is that lots of KMT voters became furious when they learned of her investments. It’s not just that she violated the spirit of the law; it’s also that many of them wonder if she exploited unsuspecting deep blue constituents. Deep blue voters think she has failed an ethical test, so she has to appease them lest they stay at home or cast their votes for one of the other parties in the blue camp. Maybe this (and her donation to charity) will satisfy them. However, I suspect this story won’t go away. Too many loose ends remain unaccounted for.
Two nights ago I went to the Ministry of Education to observe the students’ protests. It turned out that they would announce yesterday that they were ending their sit-in. The announcement wasn’t surprising to me since it looked like the protesters who were still there looked exhausted. The looming typhoon was a convenient face-saving device. I’m really sorry that I didn’t get out to the site earlier, while the protests were at their height.
This is the best shot I could get of the entire MoE courtyard. Note the stack of barbed wire bariers and the TV reporter in the foreground.
There weren’t a lot of students left. These were playing music to keep their spirits up.
Some students take a selfie. My gosh, they are so young.
I like this guy’s jersey. I want him on my team.
Outside the walls, these people were holding a petition drive about the KMT party assets.
Vendors. The most popular items were anti-nuclear and sunflower paraphernalia. Surprisingly (to me), there was not much supporting the DPP or Tsai’s presidential campaign.
Students relaxing over in the corner. By the second to last night, students were already in the minority. Most of the people there were older (like me) who had come to express support or see for themselves what was going on.
When these girls saw I was taking pictures, they jumped up and posed for me with the list of their demands.
The occupation of the courtyard was in its 143rd hour.
A few banners to give an idea of what they want. Both of these demand retracting the black-box guidelines, which was the most basic theme.
This one also stays on the theme of retracting the guidelines.
We’ll print our own textbooks!
However, many of the banners went far beyond the textbooks to talk about more basic themes.
Restore Taiwan’s true history, refuse to become slaves to the invaders.
This slogan sounds a lot like those from an earlier era, telling Mainlanders to go back to China. However, there is a critical difference. This one draws the line at subjective identity, not objective heritage. It’s also a bit different from the previous student’s post-it message, which simply assumes that all people born, raised, and living in Taiwan are Taiwanese (and of course identify with Taiwan). Keep these various ideas in mind the next time you see that NCCU Election Study Center chart of the long term trends of Taiwanese/Chinese identity. There are lots of ideas floating around of what it means to be Taiwanese, and the changing notions of what it means to be Chinese might be even more complicated.
Adults apologizing to children was another theme. Sorry that we weren’t brave enough to handle this problem.
This one thanks rather than apologizes, but it’s the same general idea. Adults have failed, and the students have had to step into the void.
You are currently browsing the archives for the issues category. | 2019-04-24T06:06:20 | https://frozengarlic.wordpress.com/category/issues/ |
Are you tired of tired looking skin?
Juggling between work and family doesn’t always leave us with enough time to care for our skin and body. In the pursuit of fulfilling all our duties, the one thing that we all compromise with is our sleep. Lack of sleep not only leaves us low on energy, but also takes its toll on our skin. All this combined with exposure to the sun, a polluted and stress-filled environment that we live in all throughout the day leaves skin looking dull, tried and stressed.
Nothing can make you look more fresh and healthy than an early morning jog/walk. You can also try some gentle exercises such as skipping, spot jogging or even jumping on a trampoline after you wake up. This will not only boost your circulation to increase blood flow to cells, but it will also help restore your skin’s vitality. Exercise also helps kick start your lymphatic system, helping it to flush out the toxins that cause dullness in the skin. Another benefit of exercise is that it will help you sleep better.
While you might need coffee or tea to feel energised in the morning, it has been found that they can contribute to your skin looking dull and drained. So, instead of coffee/tea, start your day with a glass of warm water with lemon in it. It will support your digestive system and make your skin look clearer. For breakfast, eat a nutrient and antioxidant rich meal, as it will give your body the much-required boost of energy. Avoid eating anything that contains lots of sugar, as it contributes to puffiness.
Hydration can be your skin’s saving grace when you are sleep-deprived or simply tired. Dehydrated skin looks more dull, pale and tired as it can weaken your under-eye skin causing bags and wrinkles. To look fresh and glowing, keep yourself well hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Water not only helps flush toxins from the body, but it also renews tissues and fights fatigue.
If you have puffy eyes and dark circles, a splash of cold water or ice can be really helpful. But if you think that you need something more than cold water, try using de-puffing products like Skin Doctors EyeTuck. Gently massage the cream around the eye area and follow with eye-makeup. A simple kohl and mascara can give your eyes pop-up instantly. Don’t go for concealer and dark eye makeup as it will make your eyes look more tired.
Massage your moisturiser or serum to encourage blood circulation to your skin cells. For an instant facelift consider Skin Doctors Instant Facelift Serum as it promotes tightening of skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Keep a hydrating facial spray in your bag and use it throughout the day to get fresh instantly. Don’t forget to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen before you step out. Reapply the sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours to keep your skin protected from UV rays.
To keep you skin glowing and younger looking, you need to properly care for it. Don’t forget to remove make-up before you go to bed. Exfoliate regularly to stimulate your skin. It will not only remove dead skin cells but will also help blood circulate to your cells. Follow exfoliating with a facial mask at least once a week. | 2019-04-24T16:28:34 | https://www.skincaretotal.co.uk/refresh-tired-looking-skin.html |
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data. Computational Biology involves the development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, behavioral, and social systems.
Other aspects & applications relating to technological advancements in medicine & biological sciences & emerging roadmaps. | 2019-04-18T22:41:45 | https://americancse.org/events/csce2019/conferences/biocomp19 |
All roads leave away from The Big Chicken.
Whenever I am giving local directions to someone relatively new to Marietta I first need to base the direction on something they already know of. Some big landmark.
I always ask, "Do you know where The Big Chicken is?" Most of the time they do. Then I build on their knowledge they already have and go from there.
If you are reading this I probably have your attention. While I am in your face I would like to give you educate you on the Cobb County street numbering system you might not know.
Every street or road in Cobb County has one end of it is closer to Cobb County Court House than the other end. The end closer to the court house will have the smaller numbers and as you progress away from the courthouse the numbers will get bigger. And the odd numbers will be on the left traveling away from the court house and the even numbers on the right.
Take for instance The Big Chicken. It's address is 100 North Cobb Parkway. If there was a business across the parkway from The Big Chicken it would probably be numbered 101. Up North Cobb Parkway a few blocks, on the left, across from White Water Amusement park is a little office park and its number is 189. See? And on the right several more blocks on the right is J.T. Walker School with the number 700. See?
However, what many people don't know is Cobb Parkway is/are two roads.
Back at the Big Chicken again, if you go south you will be on a road named South Cobb Parkway, with the odd and even numbers directly opposite than just one block north. Why? Because you are on a different road,.... or if you don't understand that, understand this: JUST BECAUSE! THAT IS WHY! | 2019-04-26T00:10:06 | http://ethunter1.blogspot.com/2015/07/all-roads-leave-from-big-chicken.html |
Dive N'Surf in Redondo Beach runs mid-week trips out of King Harbor to local spots including kelp forest diving around the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and local wrecks. They operate their own 6-pack dive boat, and also have a complete scuba rental department.
Be sure to ask for the Scuba Department when you call. Speak to Tony or Shirley. | 2019-04-19T08:40:06 | http://diver.net/bbs/posts003/89960.shtml |
Bruce Lee movie is going to be released on 16th October and its Censor Report had completed on 12th. Bruce Lee starring Ram Charan and Rakul Preeth singh. Censor Talk is that the movie is good and the fight scenes are really awesome. Dance in the songs were also too good. Sentimental scenes and other parts of the movie also had a good screenplay. The movie impressed movie censor board members.
The special attraction to the movie is Mega star role in the movie. He will be in the screen only for 5 minutes. Ram Charan expression skills were also improved in this film. Rakul Preeth Singh Glamour will also be a plus point to the movie.
Fans were expecting much from this movie. It is going to be released in Both south Indian film industries at once. In Telugu and Tamil Languages. It is also going to be screened in more theaters than previous film in Overseas. | 2019-04-20T13:08:55 | http://beinglegends.com/bruce-lee-movie-censor-report/ |
It's the people that make our school great!
Head Teacher Emma Teaches (0.2) KS2 Years 3,4,5, & 6.
In addition to her responsibilities as Head Teacher, Emma is the School's Special Educational Needs co-ordinator, Numeracy co-ordinator, ICT co-ordinator and is the lead person for Child Protection.
Martin Teaches (0.8) KS2 Years 3,4,5, & 6. Martin is a very experienced mixed Key Stage 2 teacher, our PE Co-Ordinator and part of the Senior Management Team.
He teaches Design and Technology across the school utilising his creative skills.
Kathryn teaches (0.8)pupils in Foundation, Years 1/2. Kathryn's additional responsibilites include being; Early Years Leader and Literacy Co-ordinator. She is a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Kathryn is also a trained First Aider.
Debbie teaches (0.2) in Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2. She has many years experience as a class teacher working within a mixed age class.
Kath teaches in Class 2 each morning as an additional teacher. She covers PPA time and is our resident ICT expert!
Lindsey works as a Teaching Assistant in the Key Stage 1 Classroom. Lindsey's responsibilities include organising and implementing SEND interventions and she co-ordinates all fundraising in school. A busy lady!!
Julie is a Teaching Assistant in Class 1 and is our lead TA with Foundation Stage children.
Julie is a Teaching Assistant in Class 1 and works as a TA with Foundation Stage children.
Claire is a Teaching Assistant in the Key Stage 1 Classroom. She runs Maths intervention and is one of our Midday Supervisors.
Becky is a Teaching Assistant in Class 1.
Julie is a Teaching Assistant with a real flair for Display. She ensures our school always looks amazing! She also supports learning in Class 2.
Debbie works as a Teaching Assistant in the Key Stage 2 classroom and has many years experience working within a mixed age class.
Jo is our School Cook and knows the likes and dislikes of all the children.
Mark runs the Sunshine Breakfast Club. He is also training to be a General Teaching Assistant.
Kirsty runs the Fair Play After School Club for 3 evenings per week,is a Midday Supervisor and is a Teaching Assistant in class 1 for one afternoon per week.
Nicola runs Afterschool Club one evening per week.
Jackie runs Fairplay Afterschool Club for one evening per week.
Claire is Administrator for the school, she is responsible for office procedures and also works alongside the Head teacher and Governors to manage the school budget. Claire liaises with parents on a daily basis about dinner money, trip money, after school clubs and any appointments that need to be made. A very busy lady!! | 2019-04-25T18:08:54 | https://fairburn.n-yorks.sch.uk/about/teaching-staff |
The world’s first social enterprise gin brought to you by the guy’s behind Edinburgh’s award winning company, Pickering’s Gin!
Ginerosity came about because they believe passionately in the power of business and brands to do good. With this unique gin, all profits are poured back into projects that will help deserving young adults to build themselves a better future. That isn’t just a worthwhile cause; it’s a vital one. And the team at Pickering’s exceptionally proud that we’re the first spirits company to do it.
Taste: Fresh, light and bold flavours of citrus and juniper give way to sweetness with a subtle hint of peppery spice, with a crisp dry finish. | 2019-04-26T14:29:22 | https://distillersmarket.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?ajax=true&action=load_quickshop_content&product_id=6935 |
ANERT is guided by a Governing Body chaired by the Minister for Electricity, Kerala and an Executive Committee chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Power Department, Government of Kerala to provide guidelines for ANERT's activities in various energy related areas.. ANERT is headed by a Director appointed by the Government. ANERT is also the Nodal Agency for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources (MNRE), Govt. of India, to carry out the Central Programmes in Kerala .
The Chairman, KSEB Ltd / Director(Finance), KSEB Ltd. | 2019-04-24T22:42:11 | http://anert.gov.in/node/64 |
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A new wave punk denim jacket with a homage to Tupac Shakur. Keeping his values and attitude alive. This piece gives a strong reflection about the attitude Gianfranco Villegas wants us to hold when we wear SELFMADE. A very labour intensive piece, connecting different times and styles to create a piece inspiring you to be yourself. All the embellishment has been created by hand. | 2019-04-26T04:28:17 | https://laboutik.com/products/selfmade-denim-studded-shirt |
Contribute to the health and wellness of your community through RU’s fully accredited occupational therapy programs.
Here, it’s about more than earning a degree. It’s about preparing you to become an ethical practitioner and thoughtful leader. It’s a chance to challenge yourself, interact in a diverse environment and serve others.
Our OT program is ranked No. 18 in the nation for career support by graduateprograms.com.
100% of our OT grads are employed within six months of graduation.
The median annual salary for experienced occupational therapists is $81,690.
Rockhurst University's occupational therapy program consistently has a high graduation rate.
You’ll Be Prepared for the National Certification Exam.
RU has an above average pass rate for first time test takers.
Take advantage of the many opportunities to provide services locally and internationally.
RU offers OT students a number of ways to enhance leadership skills, from working with community partners to serving on university committees.
Your network will grow to include new mentors and industry professionals.
Apply for the OT program at a point that works best for you.
A program for exceptional students. Admission is based on a combination of your ACT or SAT scores, high school GPA and prerequisite courses.
An advanced admission program for outstanding current RU students. Apply by submitting a letter of intent to the OT office at the beginning of your sophomore year.
Our five-year Master of Occupational Therapy program, available to students consecutively enrolled at RU since freshman year. Contact the OT office early if interested in this opportunity.
Apply during your final year of undergraduate work. Post-baccalaureate students apply the summer prior to the selection of a new class.
Apply for pre-admission if you have completed two years of undergraduate coursework at another college or university.
A balanced mix of OT and business classes to create a manageable course load.
Faculty and staff who work together to support you from throughout your program.
A potential completion time of two years.
Business classes on week nights so they do not conflict with your daytime OT schedule.
An opportunity to strengthen your professional readiness.
Rockhurst occupational therapy graduates consistently have a high success rate in passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam.
For most recent pass rates for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Exam, please visit NBCOT.
To ensure our occupational therapy graduates are fully prepared for a successful career, Rockhurst University’s Department of Occupational Therapy is preparing to transition from a masters to a doctoral level program. This aligns with the direction of the OT profession and recent updates to the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education’s (ACOTE) standards.
Implementation plans for this change are in development, with a goal of transitioning to as soon as possible. In the meantime, we’ll continue to provide a leading Master of Occupational Therapy program.
For more information, visit the ACOTE site or contact Beth Harris, graduate admissions coordinator, at [email protected].
RU's occupational therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
ACOTE c/o AOTA, The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., 4720 Montgomery Ln Ste 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449, Phone (members): 800-SAY-AOTA (729-2682) | Phone (non-members): 301-652-6611. | 2019-04-21T06:39:52 | https://www.rockhurst.edu/ot |
Generic drug  the chemical equivalent to a "brand name drug." These drugs cost less, and the savings is passed onto health plan members in the form of a lower co-pay.
indemnity insurance plans -traditional insurance plans (not HMOs or PPOs) which permit insured individuals to choose their doctors and hospitals. Insured individuals do not have to choose doctors or hospitals from a specific list of providers. Also called "fee-for-service" plans.
lifetime maximum benefit -the maximum amount a health plan will pay in benefits to an insured individual.
long-term disability (LTD) -insurance which pays employees a percentage of monthly earnings in the event of disability.
referral  within many managed care plans, transfer to specialty physician or specialty care by a primary care physician.
short-term medical -temporary health coverage for an individual for a short period of time, usually from 30 days to six months.
small employer group - groups with 1 Â 99 employees. The definition of small employer group may vary between states.
state mandated benefits -state laws requiring that commercial health insurance plans include specific benefits. | 2019-04-25T20:05:11 | https://www.hiahealthquotes.com/health-insurance-glossary.html |
Our good friends at Hyperakt asked us to be a part of their new project, On The Grid, a user-friendly guide to local communities. This project has been a huge collaboration with multiple creative agencies around the United States. The idea originally came to Hyperakt after they moved to their office in Brooklyn. They found some great new places in their local community, which they wanted to share with the rest of the world. Unlike other location curation sites like Yelp, On The Grid is specifically curated by and for creatives.
As Column Five also has an office in Brooklyn, Hyperakt asked us to curate some awesome local spots in the our area. So we started brainstorming, packed our cameras, and went out to find the best local creative spots in DUMBO. We included parks, cafes, bars, bakeries, and even flower shops that make this city such a rich and diverse place. To see our selections and dozens of other cities, visit On The Grid! | 2019-04-22T13:59:00 | https://www.columnfivemedia.com/on-the-grid-the-designers-neighborhood-guide |
-Tijuana is the stable result of a three-way cross. It is an almost pure sativa with flavors that linger on the palate. It is a good, creative strain. | 2019-04-25T08:18:12 | http://www.acdcak420.com/store/p262/Eklutna_Tijuana.html |
Our research interests lie in the area of bioinformatics. We employ computational methods to elucidate intertwined relationships between protein/gene sequences, structure, function, interactions, genome, and pathways. The ultimate goal of our research projects is to obtain new, comprehensive understanding of how structures and functions are coded in molecular sequences and how functions of molecules are orchestrated in a cell.
More information can be found on our research projects page here.
MAINMAST is a de novo modeling protocol to build an entire protein 3D model directly from near-atomic resolution EM map. Visit the web site or read the paper.
3D-SURFER 2.0 is a web platform for real-time protein surface comparison of a given protein structure against the entire PDB using 3D Zernike descriptors. It can compare the protein surface of a single chain, domain, or complex against databases of protein chains, domains, complexes, or a combination of all three, in the latest PDB. The databases are weekly updated. Visit the server or read the paper.
PL-PatchSurfer2 is a protein-ligand virtual screening program. The program searches a binding candidate ligand of a target protein by comparing local surface patches. The binary file can be downloaded here.
EESG is a sequence similarity-based protein function prediction server. It employ PSI-BLAST iteratively and essentially selects GO term annotations that appear consistently in the searches. Visit the server to submit a sequence or read the paper. ESG was among top in the 1st CAFA function prediction assessment.
PFP is a sequence similarity-based protein function prediction server designed to predict GO annotations for a query sequence beyond what can be found by conventional database search such as BLAST.It takes into account weakly similar sequences as well as GO term associations observed in known annotations.
Visit the server to submit a sequence or read the paper. PFP had the highest total score in a function prediciton contest held at AFP-SIG'05 (ISMB2005), and also was the best in the function prediciton category at CASP7. | 2019-04-19T00:22:02 | http://kiharalab.org/ |
July 16, 2014 In honor of the brave men and women who serve or have served in the military, the New York Film Academy set aside two scholarships to its 4-Week Acting for Film Workshop and 4-Week Filmmaking Workshop.
Melvin, hailing from Puerto Rico, joined the army in 2003 and was stationed in Baghdad, Iraq for two years of active duty. In 2005, Melvin returned to Puerto Rico where he joined the U.S. Army Reserves and served for six years.
Kristine is a military veteran, mother and filmmaker who resides in Philadelphia, PA and has been working in the community on several creative projects as an editing consultant, PA, set designer and more.
The New York Film Academy would like to thank everyone who submitted for a scholarship and congratulate Melvin and Kristine on being awarded the Memorial Day Scholarships! | 2019-04-22T17:03:17 | https://www.nyfa.edu/nyfa-news/memorial-day-scholarship-winners.php |
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If for any reason you're not thrilled with your purchase, we'll replace or refund your order no-questions-asked. | 2019-04-19T23:20:10 | https://goldbjj.com/products/for-the-journey-hoodie |
Chicken Coop Design Ideas is awesome home design for your home. It's simple to implement at your home, designed with awesome ideas, best color schame, and follow trend of home design of the years. Chicken Coop Design Ideas has been published on August 18, 2018 at 12:41 am, and Chicken Coop Design Ideas is also liked more than 197 users.
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Monday's arrest came after Avenatti reportedly tried to extort Nike for $20 million, according to CBS News.
Avenatti in December tweeted a report on Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano, saying that Trump Jr. told his friends he expected to be indicted by Mueller.
Shares of Nike fell more than 1 percent on Monday following a tweet from California-based lawyer Michael Avenatti alleging Nike's involvement in a "major high school/college basketball scandal".
According to federal prosecutors, Avenatti attempted to extort Nike for millions of dollars, threatening to hold a press conference that would call to light unflattering details about the company's connection to the college bribery scandal unless executives agreed to pay him. Avenatti is facing charges of bank and wire fraud in that case.
The tweet that preceded the social media smackdown was shared by Avenatti at 12.16pm on Monday.
Last month, Jason Frank, a former lawyer at Avenatti's firm, filed court papers accusing Avenatti of hiding millions of dollars from the court that oversaw its previous bankruptcy. "I'm not f***ing around", according to the criminal complaint.
At a news conference Monday morning, federal prosecutors said Avenatti's alleged financial crimes funded a "lavish lifestyle" that included more than $200,000 in monthly expenditures and owning a $5 million home in Laguna Beach.
The allegations related to Nike arose out of Mr. Avenatti's representation of a client identified in the complaint as the coach of an amateur men's basketball program in California, which prosecutors said had a sponsorship agreement with Nike.
Avenatti, who was also hit with separate federal charges alleging embezzlement and fraud in California, was arrested in NY and was expected to appear in federal court late in the day. Prosecutors say he demanded that the apparel company give him $10 million.
Avenatti did not immediately return HuffPost's request for comment. The day before Avenatti's March 2019 arrest, Robert Mueller's report into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, it was widely reported that there would be no further indictments handed down in the case.
Update: Just a reminder that CNN and MSNBC made Avenatti a household name by having him on the air constantly past year. | 2019-04-24T08:42:52 | http://halokarimun.com/2019/03/michael-avenatti-charged-in-two-states-for-extortion-and/ |
Let us help you take the guess work out of how to staff your clinical trials office.
By partnering with PFS Clinical, you get experts that focus on supporting your research program without the cost of hiring, training, or retaining, and a ‘right-sized’ team that can ebb and flow with your workload.
At PFS Clinical, we are all about people. We provide administrative services for clinical research with a laser-focus on customer service. As a services company, our people are what we offer to our clients. We believe the key to advancing research is building relationships across the country, and it’s these relationships that allow us to learn best practices, share benchmark data, and improve study start-up timelines. Our research administration experts collaborate with your organization to support your vision and help your research programs thrive.
PFS Clinical's mission is to provide collaborative administrative services for research institutions so they can focus on what matters most: positive patient outcomes through innovative research.
Our vision is to create active partnerships that support each partner organization’s definition of success on their path toward clinical research breakthroughs. | 2019-04-25T00:35:59 | https://pfsclinical.com/ |
Are you ready for this monstrosity? It has been over a year in the making.
Last January 2014, we were about to sign with a contractor, also a family friend, to finish off our basement. We literally were about to sign the contract, that very night, when I was laid off from my job. So this project was put on hold. We had already picked out flooring, narrowed down our choices on carpet, and had a full layout planned.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before I found a new job, but the project needed to wait for an opening in our contractor’s schedule. We began it in the fall of last year, and hauled out nearly everything from our basement to Brian’s sister’s house and upstairs.
The kiddos loved having the couch, chair and miscellaneous speakers on our landing upstairs. I did not. The yellow chair has still not found a home, but this couch fit perfectly in Jameson’s room, so some space (and all the clutter at least) has been cleaned up.
We had to deal with a column in the middle of the floor, as with many basements. We also wanted to hide the electrical panel, which was on the finished half, and the water shut off. Our initial plan was to hide the electrical panel behind a built-in entertainment center. However, as soon as the project got moving, we realized it made much more sense to move the built-in to a different wall.
First step was framing, insulating, some electrical and drywall. This part went by very very fast, and then we could really see the space we were working with.
When the drywall went up, the space got really bright (also I had my fancy camera, so these photos are much clearer). It already looked so much more finished, but I didn’t realize how much more time there really was left to go. This was the easy part.
Next was beginning the ceiling tiles. There were so many little decisions during this whole process, such as deciding which switches should control which lights (which in the end we think we could still optimize).
and we needed to have a place to store with easy access Brian’s music equipment and speakers.
The built-in shelving and cabinets was debated at first with the various layouts we were considering. Debated by Brian, anyway, not by me. I always wanted floor-to-ceiling shelving. The angled edge makes the transition into the basement from the stairs much smoother.
The two large cabinets on the right, next to the wall, have magnetic trim so that the speakers can be fully wheeled out into the living space, so no one breaks their back moving them in and out to play.
We chose gray as our neutral rather than beige, though beige and browns are in the flooring we chose. The gray can look blue when the sun is out and shining in, and it’s a really soothing color I would paint my entire house in. This is how our basement looked for a couple months before we had furniture and before we could bring back down all our stuff.
The alcove here next to the understairs storage stayed like this for a couple months. We originally were going to do the bar ourselves, but changed our mind after the initial contract. So we signed a new agreement to add the back bar. We also waited for cabinet doors, since we decided to have them done by Amish craftsmen with the bar cabinet doors as well so they all matched.
The back bar came together so easily compared to the basement as a whole, in terms of decision-making. Brian and I picked the very first piece of remnant black granite we saw. We chose clearance tile from Home Depot, and a medium gray paint between the wall color and the dark gray we used on frames and the understairs door.
Brian did the tap work in the back, connected to a fridge. He’s insulated the tubing running to and from. The first time we used the taps was pretty thrilling.
It’s hard to peak at the bathroom, since it’s a tighter space (though not in person). It is done in a darker green on one wall, surrounded by a neutral greige. We picked the sink out at Ikea, and found a nearly matching frame at Home Depot, along with the toilet and light fixture.
Hidden behind one of these large frames is the electrical panel. We had our contractor make the frames since they were so large, and so they would match. They are actually sheet metal covered in a fabric I picked up at Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores, and I’ve used small round magnets from Target to hang up our kids’ art.
The frame in the back behind our exercise equipment was also done by then, and is a brewery map by Pop Chart Labs. By accident, it was also backed with sheet metal, which turned out really well so Brian can mark where he’s been with little magnets.
Instead of hiding our understairs storage door, we’ve framed and highlighted it. The paint looks like chalkboard paint, but it is not. It is, however, magnetic. The color is the same as the frames. Coraline likes to take the magnets and hide them under the door.
We are so happy with our new space! I have been working out, which is a much more pleasant experience. I can easily see the TV from the treadmill. And take a drink when I’m done.
Lest you think the space is always this clean, we do have a kid desk, easel, car track and workshop that sit out that I simply moved out for the photos, as well as games and other miscellaneous items on our shelves. It’s truly lived in and well used, and we’ve really put it to work this winter with all the snow we’ve been having!
We finally got some rain at the end of last week; it was nice not to have to water the garden. Also to start filling our rain barrel!
Brian called around local breweries and wineries looking for an old barrel; we obtained one a couple weeks ago and he built a stand for it and installed it around the shed gutters (also newly installed).
It has a minor leak around the spigot which he just installed, but otherwise it looks like it’s going to work out perfect.
The garden is coming along great, and I was excited to see the radishes shot straight up. Within a couple weeks I already had to thin them out. We also have pole beans, carrots and green onions sprouting, and the peppers and tomato plants are getting bigger.
Last week we also added mint and strawberries potted, planted lettuce, and some additional pepper plants and basil.
Saturday was also our very first crop share program pick up. After three years of being on the waiting list, we finally were able to obtain “shares” at a local farm. We pay a lump sum, and each week we pick up a box of fresh produce. In our box this week was kale, bok choy, turnips, radishes, mustard greens, and a lettuce head. You can’t see the lettuce head here or the bok choy.
I’m so excited with the fresh veggies we are going to have this summer!
This has been a tiring week, and it’s only Thursday. I even got to skip out of the Monday madness since we were driving back from Emma’s wedding.
But for some reason, it’s hard to get control of life this week. The kind of week when the To Do List feels populated with all the things that have been always been on the list, unnamed, but ignored for months.
The kind of week where you come home from work having not done anything of worth and at home you feel the same, because the laundry is piled up, the fridge is empty, the bathrooms and floors are dirty, and the desk looks like it has a year’s worth of mail and paperwork on it. And if you’re lucky like me you feel guilty because your partner is doing the cooking.
Today I tried to take back some control by listing those things out, that were overwhelming my subconscious with weight. I will try to tackle that list, slowly. But at least now it’s in the open.
And then maybe tonight I’ll do a load of laundry.
And tomorrow maybe we can talk about working on planning office furniture, laundry racks, and a garden bed.
JP, Lisa & Jonathan came over last Sunday for a small get together. We had ribs, beans, coleslaw and potatoes. Fresh salad greens from the farmers market the day prior.
These were some of my most successful outdoor photos yet. I love the pictures of Jonathan, splashing away in the water table. They’ve both tried to climb up in it, so this weekend we are thinking of breaking out Jameson’s water bounce house since it is expected to be so nice and warm!
Jonathan adored the slides, over and over. He didn’t mind going too quickly down the slide. Jameson is quite a bit more hesitant on the slides now, wanting to hold mom or dad’s hand.
Jameson seems to be our climber, and Jonathan, the daredevil!
The boys are interacting quite a bit, though it takes just a little while for them to warm up to each other. Meanwhile, Jameson sees Lily nearly every other day during the week, and they are becoming quite familiar with each other. He gave her a “hug” the other day, by laying his head against her chest. He was too shy to wrap his arms around her like he does mom and dad!
In a bit of related, but unrelated news, our play equipment is all in the front yard, due to what’s going on in our back. Our HOA (Home Owners Association) sent us a rather formal, scary note about removing “unsightly objects”.
I don’t know about you, but I think those photos don’t lie. The play equipment doesn’t seem the least bit “unsightly” to me.
P.S. This weekend is going to be packed with fun! We are planning a zoo trip with JP, Lisa & Jonathan tomorrow morning; and celebrating Brian’s birthday with family on Sunday! And Monday? It’s expected to be hot, so it might be a great time to bring out that water bounce house (which should be big enough for adults too, no joke, I’m excited!).
A couple weeks ago, we broke out Jameson’s new Sand and Water table. We purchased this one, with its classic lines and roadways, and nearly complete positive reviews. We’ve only filled it with water, but the children have enjoyed it a lot as just a water table!
Jameson and Lily love to laugh at (with?) each other now. One will start, and the other will squeal with them. Their laughter is catching for us too!
Jameson and Lily don’t seem to mind being soaking wet.
It’s so fun to watch them together and interact. When we say “hold Lily/Jameson’s hand!” they do! They also blow kisses to each other now.
Lily is a good influence on Jameson; he’ll sit still some when she’s around showing him what to do.
However, I’m sad to say that the backyard we’ve enjoyed so much already this summer is pretty well gone. We hauled all the outdoor toys into the front yard this weekend.
In our kitchen, there is a big wall that we always took our family pictures in front of. It’s what I like to call “builder beige”, like the rest of our house, though it’s not really the builder beige you might think. It does have some actual color and will take on different hues depending on the light. It’s subtle, light, and it suffices for now.
The same wall housed the giant ONE collage in photos for Jameson’s birthday (for months since we left it up for quite some time), and then most recently it held newspaper.
I read somewhere that newspaper can be an effective way to help determine placement of frames. I have been collecting frames for over a year now, and I’m ready to make a photo collage on my wall.
The newspaper though wasn’t doing it for me. I couldn’t remember what each of the frames looked like. Some are thinner, some have modern styles, some have mattes. I wanted to balance this all out, and the newspaper wasn’t working for me. The one thing it did tell me was that I needed some smaller frames, which we picked up on clearance at Target.
We left it up for a couple weeks, cause we’re I’m slow.
Then I turned to my good old pal, photoshop (and my phone, because I was too lazy to take nice photos). First I took the photo you see above, of the wall with newspapers I had already cut out to the shape of my frames. Then I took pictures of the frames themselves.
Do you see where this is going? I made some photoshop magic happen. I took all my frame pictures, cropped them, and resized them to fit within the newspapers on the wall since I already knew they were the proper size. Then, I removed the newspaper in photoshop with the healing brush (works like magic).
My first few designs looked something like this, because I wanted to try and follow a diagonal up the stairs. I couldn’t find the right balance though. I wasn’t satisfied with this.
Finally I came up with a design that lived by itself on the wall, contained in itself. It could be on any wall, not just this wall. It looked more like a collective.
I sent it to Brian, and we decided to put it up this weekend (I was tired of newspaper on our walls, and frames overtaking the guest/craft room floor).
Jameson was a big help, of course.
The first step was figuring out where to start, and we decided the upper right was a good location. Then we made our first mistake, by just eyeballing it.
We did nearly the entire top row which everything else was to be based on before we realized the frame in the upper right was too far to the left.
So back Brian went, to move the upper right frame over by about 4ish inches. Much better after that.
Learning from that mistake, Brian started laying out how much spacing should live between each of the frames and how wide that would make the collage. We still allowed for some flexibility, but we need to make sure everything would fit on the walls.
Jameson continued to be a big help.
This is also a great shot of his terrible haircut. Terrible.
Finally, after one failed nap later, Brian was putting up the last frame.
Observant folks will notice it doesn’t match my plan. That’s because, at the last minute, Brian decided he wanted to take one of the frames in to work with him (as was originally intended though he never had before).
With this frame out of the picture (so-to-speak), we made some last minute changes. I am not satisfied though so I will be finding a replacement for this frame to complete the wall and fulfill the vision I had before.
So it’s done, but not done. Because there’s still the critical piece missing, you know, where I actually fill the frames with photos.
Knowing myself, it will probably be another month or more before I fill the frames, but I’m already happy with how this looks. It makes the kitchen feel more complete, and Jameson LOVES to point at big picture of him and Sasha.
Speaking of, we are teaching him to say Sasha (and Uh-oh). He is practicing these two syllable words frequently and is pretty close. He is still completely missing the “S” sound in Sasha though. Adorable! | 2019-04-24T02:04:04 | http://myriadandsundry.com/?cat=5 |
The CEO of Dallas-based AriseBank was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday for allegedly duping hundreds of investors out of more than $4 million in a splashy cryptocurrency scheme that promised federally insured accounts and brand-name credit cards. Jared Rice Sr.‘s arrest followed his indictment on three counts each of securities fraud and wire fraud. The indictment accuses Rice, 30, of lying to would-be investors by claiming that AriseBank could offer consumers FDIC-insured accounts and traditional banking services, including Visa-brand credit and debit cards, in addition to cryptocurrency services. AriseBank had no such authorization to conduct banking in Texas, had no FDIC insurance and had no partnership with Visa. | 2019-04-21T17:09:52 | https://cryptodoyen.com/tag/arisebank |
You can contact Mr. O’Donnell via e-mail using the form below, or directly at [email protected].
Please leave details of your offer and he will return an answer at his earliest convenience. Upon review of your correspondence he will provide a mailing address where you may present your formal offer. | 2019-04-24T15:49:54 | http://eeriedigest.com/contact-us/ |
The owners could not have been more helpful and friendly. Lots of info about local "things to do." Easy to navigate park. Our site was extremely wide with views of the mountains. Our site was level. Nice laundry room, bathrooms, swimming pool. Good broadcast TV with channels provided. Great WiFi reception. Good rates, especially with passport America discount! We camped at Haggard's RV Campground in a Fifth Wheel.
Almost $98 for 2 nights after GS discount! A sign said $45 for 50 amp. Should have been $81 plus tax. No office, my husband got out of the truck to seek assistance when we arrived. Finally someone came over in a golf cart and demanded my Drivers license. Turns out they don't take credit cards, only check and cash. No Clubhouse. No amenities at all. No cable, a few broad cast though. No Usable wifi. 1 shower, 1 commode for entire park, which turns out is for tenters only! Big dirt, gravel (and mud when we arrived). Pull troughs are side by side hookups,We were ten feet from our neighbors slide Our site was not level. ",Riverside' sites face back of shopping center. We have never paid so much for so little. We camped at King's Riverbend Park in a Fifth Wheel.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP was awesome. | 2019-04-26T04:37:22 | http://www.campgroundreviews.com/profile/160684 |
Whether it's moving a maintenance center from one location to another, or implementing Comcast's X1 technology at a faster rate, Cox Communications is thoroughly invested in DevOps principles.
Cox Communications Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Kevin Hart started working on Cox's transformation path shortly after he joined the company five years ago.
"We had to put in some building blocks, some blocking and tackling, development methodologies, checks and balances on testing and architecture roadmaps, but now we're in that phase where we're migrating into the next-gen technology operating model leveraging DevOps and service ownership," Hart said. "So we've had this multi-year journey and development and operational improvements have been key components of our increased velocity and for improving quality, and a little bit of cost efficiency as well. It's pretty exciting."
Hart is the latest service provider executive to speak with Telco Transformation about DevOps, all of which feature the same set of questions.
Kevin Hart: The mental model and the mind shift need to take place first. While that sounds simple, when you start to think about bringing together solutions that have a multitude of components with different functions, and different technology platforms, thinking about how they operate from an end-to-end perspective is first and foremost.
The next step is establishing a team that was historically disparate in terms of architecture, development, engineering, testing and operations into a single team with a single leadership structure. For example, we've done a couple of things over the last couple of years on our Cox.com platform where we had a multitude of different development teams that we combined into a single team. On top of that we comingled and collocated the technology team with our product and business stakeholder teams. So we were using DevOps in real-time with collocation, single leadership and a single vision. That has increased our speed to market, but it was really about creating the mindset first.
There are things you have to do around objectives, goals and metrics. You need to make sure those are aligned so that people are working in the same direction, focused on real time, focused on leveraging agile methodologies, sprints and increasing the speed to market.
The other benefit is having the different functional teams experience the challenges first hand from the other point of view. Traditionally a dev team handed off to an ops team. The ops team would take hours, days and sometimes weeks to triangulate on root cause issues depending on prolonged problems. Now those conversations are happening in the moment and in the actual development cycle. Now it's seamless in terms of changes for when we put a service into production and in terms of the support we need to make sure that service operates end-to-end.
We've also done that with our video products over the last couple of years. We used to do two to three releases a year based on a waterfall gate methodology. With DevOps we do literally hundreds of releases a year just by having those teams collocated, putting in 24/7 enhancements and functionality in production, and then mitigating any kind of negative production impact because of the collocation and communications between the teams.
It's a mindset and it takes time, particularly with where we've come from as an industry, but it has taken root now. We have DevOps across all of our key platforms; Cox.com, our end-to-end video components and our call center platform. I did a major reorganization earlier this year to combine a true DevOps team. I took the application development team, the IT operations team and the testing team and brought them under one single structure. Instead of end-to-end service owners for each of our key platforms -- voice, video, data, etc. -- we have a single team under the DevOps structure.
KH: We're really trying to standardize on a lot of our tools. A lot of open source components are definitely a big part of the solution, if you will. We've set up a couple of separate efforts to stand up infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service and now we have common development ops ownership. There's a lot of training around those particular tools and platforms. We've got multi-quarter efforts where we can turn up some of these environments basically with the flip of a switch to do more real-time operations and support. Driving common, standard platforms is really a key.
We used to hire on multiple technologies, but now with the talent that is coming in with the open source (OpenStack) platforms we're able to do some on the job training and learning. They can leverage the skill sets from the open platforms and also apply that to multiple different services whether its product related, whether it's provisioning, or whether its some of our e-commerce or care tools.
So it's a combination of formal training aligning around some of the open source platforms, and then also on the job training with developers learning operational skills or vice a versa based on the nature of the way that we structure the teams.
JBoss is something we use heavily within our Cox video middleware, which is kind of the brain or orchestration layer of all that we do on the video platforms. Frankly, JBoss has enabled us to more rapidly integrate. It's integrating the X1 platform into our ecosystem for what we're calling Contour 2, and we're having great success with that platform. The DevOps work we've done around JBoss and Cox middleware was a key stepping stone to allow us to do that (integrate X1) so quickly and continue to operate that so efficiently.
KH: We're very lucky and fortunate to have an outstanding existing team. There's definitely a shift, even on the network side, to more software-defined solutions. We've got a lot of internal training in order to make the shift both on the IT side but also from the network side around software-as-a-service and software defined networking. We have a bunch of training going on internally.
We also have a very robust college recruitment program, which includes a co-op program and a summer internship program. In fact I just did a two day co-op and workshop a couple of weeks ago. We had 30 or so co-ops that were showcasing their new solutions that they are helping us bring to market leveraging their DevOps skill sets and some of their next-generation technology skills. That's a big part of it.
We also have our vendor relationships. We work with the largest vendors in the world by bringing in some of their lessons learned, and the skills and training around their platforms. We work very tightly with Comcast for example on things like X1. We're not recruiting from them, but we're applying training, sourcing and best practices from them.
I would say, from an industry perspective, that with the consolidation that's going on there are some good resources that are becoming available. Building a very strong, robust pipeline from the universities and building up the millennial workforce are also key parts of our strategy.
KH: This is a big one. As I said previously, it's all about the end-to-end experience. I have a weekly forum with the top technology leaders from all over the country and we go through all of the upcoming maintenance releases across the company. Every once in while there may be a service impacting issue and somebody will talk about it. I've named, I think, six service owners who are vice presidents within technology that own video, voice data and Cox Home Life end-to-end.
We use the LBGUPs (Learn, Buy, Get, Use, Pay, Service) process, which is kind of the quote to cash process, for the end-to-end lifecycle of those products and services. They own every component of that from a technology perspective. We're collocating these other functional teams so architects, engineers, operations and CPE experts are all part of a common team. They're thinking about the quality of the service from an end-to-end perspective.
Every week we do a readout on customer MPS (master production schedule), call in rate, truck roll rate and how we're enabling revenue. But we talk about it from an end-to-end service perspective, which is naturally breaking down barriers by having people take ownership and accountability for doing whatever they have to do to help that end-to-end service be the best that it can be.
It's some structure, some alignment, some awareness and some training, but it's also myself and others setting the right tone at the top for end-to-end excellence. You're going to get more rewarded as a cross-functional team than you are for just delivering your individual component. That is becoming part of our culture and mindset. We've really seen people taking more initiative and accountability. Even junior level folks are now bringing new ideas to the table so we can improve our services.
KH: I would say video is probably the biggest one, which I've already mentioned. Moving to a release management cycle a few years ago was a big step forward for us. Just having structure, a pipeline and a product development lifecycle. We would do quarterly releases, two or three or four a year depending on the product. But now with DevOps, with the work that we're doing on end-to-end video ownership, literally hundreds of releases are going on throughout the year. Some of them aren't major releases but rather minor enhancements or functionality, but that's a huge example.
We launched our new Contour a few months ago and we're already north of 300,000 customers. The quality, the feedback, the MPS (master production scheduling) are off the charts. It's a lot of work that we are doing behind the scenes on our DevOps model with Cox middleware, end-to-end ownership and support.
I would also say Cox.com. We did some benchmarking a few years ago and pretty much in every category of the LBGUPS model we were probably below best in class. With DevOps, with agile, the real-time development and the other work that we've done, we've actually surpassed a lot of the benchmarks in those categories. We're driving a ton of online sales and support through our e-commerce platform and that's a big testament to the team but also to this model.
There are a host of other examples around our network. Even some of the other things we've done recently. We had to move one of our maintenance technical centers here (Atlanta) because of a real estate move. We actually took a lot of the DevOps components lessons learned, things like cross-functional teams and 24/7 action items, and applied them to a physical data center move. It went flawlessly over a nine-month period. That was kind of a unique application of the DevOps model and structure. That was another creative way that we applied DevOps not only on products and services but also on our internal facilities and technical components.
It's more around a mindset. It's more around the cultural transition to understand what customers are expecting, the rate of competition and the rate of change with new technology. It's really a necessity in today's technology marketplace, so we're leveraging that along with other operating models, structures and methodologies. | 2019-04-26T08:11:24 | http://www.telcotransformation.com/author.asp?section_id=401&doc_id=725906 |
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1Not available with special financing, lease and some other offers. See dealer for details. 2Dealer discount. Not applicable to lease deals. Offer ends 4/30/19 3Not available with special financing, lease and some other offers. See dealer for details. 4Excludes L models. Monthly payment is $13.89 for every $1,000 you finance. Example down payment: 3.4%. Must finance with GM Financial. Some customers may not qualify. Not available with lease and some other offers. Take new retail delivery by 4/30/2019. See dealer for details.
1This vehicle was a part of the Courtesy Transportation Program. 2Dealer discount. Not applicable to lease deals. Offer ends 4/30/19 3Not available with special finance or lease offers. Take delivery by 04-30-2019. 4Must qualify through GM Financial. Not available with special finance, lease, or some other offers. Take delivery by 04-30-2019. See dealer for details. 5Excludes L models. Monthly payment is $13.89 for every $1,000 you finance. Example down payment: 3.4%. Must finance with GM Financial. Some customers may not qualify. Not available with lease and some other offers. Take new retail delivery by 4/30/2019. See dealer for details.
1Available through 4/30/2019 2Dealer discount. Not applicable to lease deals. Offer ends 4/30/19 3Not available with special finance or lease offers. Take delivery by 04-30-2019. 4Must qualify through GM Financial. Not available with special finance, lease, or some other offers. Take delivery by 04-30-2019. See dealer for details. 5Excludes L models. Monthly payment is $13.89 for every $1,000 you finance. Example down payment: 3.4%. Must finance with GM Financial. Some customers may not qualify. Not available with lease and some other offers. Take new retail delivery by 4/30/2019. See dealer for details.
1Not available with special finance or lease offers. Take delivery by 04-30-2019. 2Must qualify through GM Financial. Not available with special finance, lease, or some other offers. Take delivery by 04-30-2019. See dealer for details. 3Conditional offer. Not available with all other offers. Stackable % Cash Back for customers who have owned or leased a 2005 or newer non-GM vehicle for a minimum for 30 days. Must take delivery by 4/30/19. See dealer for complete details. 4Excludes L models. Monthly payment is $13.89 for every $1,000 you finance. Example down payment: 3.4%. Must finance with GM Financial. Some customers may not qualify. Not available with lease and some other offers. Take new retail delivery by 4/30/2019. See dealer for details.
1Not available with special financing, lease and some other offers. See dealer for details. 2Not available with special financing, lease and some other offers. See dealer for details. 3Must qualify through GM Financial. Not available with special finance, lease, or some other offers. Take delivery by 04-30-2019. See dealer for details. 4Conditional offer. Not available with all other offers. Stackable % Cash Back for customers who have owned or leased a 2005 or newer non-GM vehicle for a minimum for 30 days. Must take delivery by 4/30/19. See dealer for complete details. 5Excludes L models. Monthly payment is $13.89 for every $1,000 you finance. Example down payment: 3.4%. Must finance with GM Financial. Some customers may not qualify. Not available with lease and some other offers. Take new retail delivery by 4/30/2019. See dealer for details.
The all-new Chevrolet Cruze, offered in Sioux City exudes confidence on the exterior and interior. Its aerodynamic sculpting gives this vehicle a sporty look. The new and improved Chevrolet Cruze, Sioux City shoppers, features best-in-class fuel efficiency, comfortable seating, and advanced safety and entertainment technology. If this sounds like your dream car, you’ll be glad to learn that this vehicle comes at an affordable price. Knoepfler Chevrolet is your go-to source for a huge inventory of the new Chevrolet Cruze in Sioux City. We would like to take the opportunity to help you learn more about this vehicle and its buying process. | 2019-04-22T08:50:05 | https://www.kchev.com/VehicleSearchResults?search=new&make=Chevrolet&model=Cruze |
Susan G. Komen’s network of Louisiana Affiliates have worked together to bring to the public the Cure Breast Cancer specialty license plate!
The charge for this special license plate shall be the standard motor vehicle license tax imposed by Article VII, Section 5 of the Constitution of Louisiana, plus an annual royalty fee of twenty-five dollars for each plate, and a handling fee of three dollars and fifty cents which shall be retained by the department to offset administrative costs. The monies received from the royalty fees shall be divided equally among the Susan G. Komen Affiliate groups in Louisiana and shall be used solely for the support of programs established and administered by the Louisiana Susan G. Komen Affiliates.
Visit the Office of Motor Vehicle in person or visit their website to obtain the correct form and information.
The next page should be the official Request for Special Plates form. Enter the rest of your personal information in the empty boxes, Name, Address, Email, and DL Number. Using your browser menu, Print the completed form and mail to the appropriate address. Be sure to enclose a copy of your current registration, proof of insurance, and check or money order for the amount listed.
Visit the Office of Motor Vehicles at 7979 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806 to obtain it in person. Be sure to bring your current registration, proof of insurance, and check or money order for the amount listed. You may call 1-877-368-5463 with any questions. | 2019-04-23T02:34:48 | https://komenneworleans.org/make-a-donation/other-ways-to-give/la-license-plate/ |
To create this truly unique display, each rose has been dyed so that the petals grow with glorious shades of yellow, blue, green, purple and pink. The result is stunning gift that is perfect for any celebration. Hand-tie in water. | 2019-04-24T23:52:58 | https://www.rosa-florist.co.uk/flowers/rainbow-rosa |
CANOGA PARK, California - June 2009 -- Pete's Place Audio proudly announces the official introduction of its latest tool, the Blast Pad. Developed and handcrafted by Pan60 for Pete's Place, the product is a unique filter designed to protect microphones used in high-SPL applications.
"Considering how sensitive and expensive vintage tube and ribbon mics can be, it's a wonder that many engineers don't think twice about putting up a cheap pop filter in front of them," says Pete's Place Audio President Lisa Montessi. "The downtime and cost to re-ribbon a mic can be substantial, making the Blast Pad a wise investment. So far, the response that we've gotten back from professional recording engineers testing the Blast Pad on all different types of instruments and vocals is that this is an absolutely indispensable tool for preserving mics, stopping 'pops', and capturing every detail in even the loudest of settings."
Over time, high sound pressure levels -- from kick drums, amp stacks, horns, harmonicas, powerful vocalists, and the like -- can ultimately distort and/or damage ribbon and large diaphragm condenser microphones. The Blast Pad very effectively minimizes the air movement received by the mic, protecting a valuable investment while transparently taming plosives that can ruin an otherwise great "take."
The Blast Pad is a chambered dual-screen filter with six ports around the outer edge of its circumference. The main body structure is made of corrosion-resistant aluminum, which is anodized for added protection, while the filter mesh consists of two different-sized corrosion-resistant stainless steel screens. Easily cleaned with soap and water, the highly durable Blast Pad is built to last a lifetime.
Weighing slightly over five ounces, the product features a five-inch diameter with a four-inch opening, plus a mount for a standard microphone stand or gooseneck.
Retail pricing for the Blast Pad is set at $297.00 (USD).
Pete's Place Audio was founded to bring a wide variety of handcrafted, innovative, boutique recording and live audio products to market. Under the leadership of President Lisa Montessi and backed by the manufacturing expertise of A-Designs Audio, Pete's Place collaborates with some of today's most talented recording artists and engineers to help determine what products, regardless of how esoteric, they feel are missing in the studio and live performance environments. | 2019-04-24T00:26:55 | https://www.mixonline.com/the-wire/petes-place-audio-launches-blast-pad-410773 |
BERN, Switzerland, October 2, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier is currently on a working visit to the Horn of Africa. After an initial stop in Somalia he arrived today in Kenya, where a visit to a refugee camp is among the items on his agenda. He will conclude his tour of the region with talks in Ethiopia.
FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier is currently undertaking a working visit to the Horn of Africa. His tour began in Somalia, stopping first in Mogadishu and then in Somaliland. His visit to this country, which is suffering the consequences of 20 years of civil war and frequent terrorist attacks, is above all an opportunity for Switzerland to demonstrate its full solidarity with the country as it rebuilds and to offer support in particular for the implementation of a federal model that Somalia wishes to establish.
This leg of the trip will be followed by a visit to Kenya for bilateral discussions. Several large Swiss companies are active in Kenya, which is the economic motor of the region. A visit to the Kakuma refugee camp, which is supported by Swiss Humanitarian Aid, is also on Mr Rossier’s itinerary.
He will conclude his tour of the region in Ethiopia where he will have talks on questions concerning migration, the economy, research partnerships and other matters, in view of the potential offered by Ethiopia’s flourishing economy. In Addis Ababa, the state secretary will also meet representatives of the Africa Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with which Switzerland cooperates closely in the areas of food security, migration, peace and security. | 2019-04-23T03:18:47 | https://appablog.wordpress.com/2014/10/02/fdfa-state-secretary-yves-rossier-on-a-working-visit-to-somalia-kenya-and-ethiopia/ |
Because producers must pay expenses to produce a product and because they expect to earn a profit, producers will increase the supply in proportion to the price at which they can sell. The law of supply states that the supply increases as the price increases, and falls when prices fall.
Because demand decreases when prices increase and vice versa, there is an inverse relationship between demand for the product and its supply. The amount that sellers are willing to supply at each price is displayed in a supply schedule , which is a table showing the relation between the supply price and the quantity supplied, and a graph of this relationship is called the supply curve. The supply curve is often displayed as a straight line, but the reality is that capital and labor costs money, so, in the long run, suppliers will not produce a product or supply a service if the price is insufficient to pay for the inputs and to provide a profit.
In the short run, suppliers may take a loss to better cover sunk or fixed costs , but suppliers will leave the market if there are no expectations of future profit. Nonetheless, because the minimal prices required for producing a profit will differ according to the product or service and to the knowledge of suppliers, the supply curve is depicted as a straight line. That the line is straight is also a simplification of an economic concept, as is the demand curve.
Because of differences in the efficiency that each producer can produce a product and because of differences in the desirability of producing a product, each producer will have their own supply schedule — the amount that they are willing to supply at each price. The aggregate or market supply schedule equals the sum of all individual supply schedules. Likewise, the sum of the supply curve of each supplier is equal to the market supply. Aside from prices, other determinants of supply are resource prices , technology , taxes and subsidies, prices of other goods, price expectations, and the number of sellers in the market.
Supply determinants other than price can cause shifts in the supply curve. Those that cause a decrease in the supply shifts the supply curve leftward, meaning that suppliers will supply less at every price point on the supply curve, while increases in supply caused by non-price supply determinants shift the supply curve rightward, where suppliers will supply more at every price. The price of a product is a major factor affecting the willingness and ability to supply.
Here we will discuss the determinants of supply other than price. These are the factors which are assumed to be constant in law of supply. Change in the price of a product causes the price-quantity combination to move along the supply curve. However when the other determinants change, the supply curve is shifted. Greater the number of sellers, greater will be the quantity of a product or service supplied in a market and vice versa. Thus increase in number of sellers will increase supply and shift the supply curve rightwards whereas decrease in number of sellers will decrease the supply and shift the supply curve leftwards.
For example, when more firms enter an industry, the number of sellers increases thus increasing the supply. Increase in resource prices increases the production costs thus shrinking profits and vice versa. Since profit is a major incentive for producers to supply goods and services, increase in profits increases the supply and decrease in profits reduces the supply.
At low price levels, the demand for sneakers will be high,but as the prices gets higher, the demand for sneakers will becomesless, because fewer people will be willing - or able - to pay theprice as it goes up. So the demand curve is shaped like this: In other words, it's downward-sloping "d" for demand, and for"downward" is a good way to remember what a demand curve lookslike!
It illustrates that fact that the higher the price is for agood, the less of that good buyers will be willing to buy becausebuyers don't have unlimited discretionary income! On the supplierside, the supply curve shows the number of sneakers manufacturersare willing to produce at the same price levels on which we plottedthe demand curve.
This curve goes in the opposite direction of thedemand curve. If sneakers command low prices, not many sellers willbe willing to produce them. Even though a lot of buyers would bewilling to buy them at very low prices, the prices would be too lowfor the manufacturers to make a profit, and the manufacturers wouldkeep losing money with every pair they sold.
But the higher theprice sneakers fetch, the more of them the suppliers will bewilling to supply. The supply curve is upward-sloping, and isshaped like this: It illustrates the fact that the lower theprice they could charge for a good, the less of it they will bewilling to supply because it doesn't pay! If the two curves areplotted on the same graph, they will intersect at one point, andthe point at which they intersect is at the "equilibrium" price andquantity on the graph. That is the point at which the number ofsneakers buyers are willing to buy at the equilibrium price isexactly the same as the number of sneakers suppliers are willing tosell for that price.
When demand for a product is high, but the supply is low, the pricewill usually go up. The supply of that toy may be limited, so the manufacturer orretailer could choose to increase the price. Similarly, a consumer who owns a hot product can re-sell it for ahigh dollar amount. A good example of that is someone who purchaseda WII when they debuted, and then sold it on EBay for about tentimes the original price. When demand for a product is low, but the supply is high, the pricewill usually go down.
Consumerinterest for this item might also drop drastically. In that case,the price for the item may decrease. This is done to hopefully entice people to purchase the item. How does supply and demand determine prices? The more of something you have the less you will get for it but the less of something you have the more you will get for it. What happens to the supply curve when any of these determinants change?
There are many ways in which the supply curve could change when adeterminant changes. The supply curve could go down for example.
How does the market determine the price and the quantities supplied and demanded? The market determines the price and the quantities supplied anddemanded because it is all about what a customer is prepared topay.
Too high a price may result in a fall in demand, and stockleft unsold. In what economyt he price of apples will be determined by supply and demand? In all eceonomies wherever you are the price of anything is determined in part by supply and demand.
There are many variables in the equation including, but not limited to: A key determinant of the price elasticity of supply is? A key determinant of the price elasticity pf supply is theavailability of alternative products.
The more choices consumershave, the more elasticity the price must have. Why the level of wages is largely determined by the law of supply and demand? People looking for jobs constitute the supply of labor. Firms looking for employees constitute the demand for labor. Clearly then if there is a large supply of labor available and not much demand, wages will be low.
If there is a large demand for labor and a small supply, wages will be high. How do you determine the wattage capacity needed by a power supply? Hi there guys, this is the answer you all looking 4. How do you determine the wattage capacity needed by power supply? It's determined by the wattage usage of your components being supplied power. An average computer system may use about watts. Non-price determinants of supply? This depends on the model and supply function used.
Generally, the variability in supply will depend on at least a few others factors: If the supply and demand for currency determines the exchange rates this is called?
Floating exchange rate the exchange rate is "floated" on the marked, in other words the currency's value is determined by market forces. What do supply and demand determine in a market economy? The concept of supply and demand is one of the core foundations of economics and is mostly applied in most of life's functions. In a nutshell, supply and demand is used for price determination in a market i.
How do you determine the wattage capacity need by a power supply? Wattage is a measure of electrical power. Wattage is calculated by multipliying volts by amps in a system. What factors determine money supply? How would the determinants of supply shift the supply curve? The following will shift the supply curve to the right: What determines supply and demand in the foreign-exchange market? Supply and demand in the foreign-exchange market are determined by changes in many market variables, including relative price levels, real interest rates, productivity, product preferences, and perceptions of economic stability.
Who determines the purity of the water supply? What are the determinants of money supply in an economy? Main determinants of the supply of money are a monetary base and b the money multiplier.
These two broad determinants of money supply are, in turn, influenced by a number of other factors. Various factors influencing the money supply are discussed below: Magnitude of the monetary base B is the significant determinant of the size of money supply.
Money supply varies directly in relation to the changes in the monetary base. Monetary base refers to the supply of funds available for use either as cash or reserves of the central bank. | 2019-04-25T10:57:10 | http://dommonet.tk/laca/determinants-of-supply-ci.php |
"To whet consumers’ appetites for perfectly damaged jeans, Levi’s has been selling denim customised by Aldridge, rapper Snoop Dogg, actress Sasha Lane, surfer Kelly Slater, tattoo artist Dr. Woo, basketball star Blake Griffin and others. Model Lily Aldridge, Vice President of technical innovation for Levi's, designs a pair of jeans on an iPad alongside Bart Sights. So does her husband, Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill, A pair of Levi's designed by Lily Aldridge go through the laser process."
To whet consumers’ appetites for perfectly damaged jeans, Levi’s has been selling denim customised by Aldridge, rapper Snoop Dogg, actress Sasha Lane, surfer Kelly Slater, tattoo artist Dr. Woo, basketball star Blake Griffin and others.
Model Lily Aldridge, Vice President of technical innovation for Levi's, designs a pair of jeans on an iPad alongside Bart Sights. So does her husband, Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill, A pair of Levi's designed by Lily Aldridge go through the laser process.
Levi’s plans to expand its customisation program next year where consumers can follow Aldridge’s lead and get their denims customised. The brand will install a laser machine, developed by Spanish company Jeanologia, in one of its stores in the U.S. Online and in stores, consumers will use a similar app to personalise their jeans. Levi’s is yet to finalise the cost for customisation of their jeans.
Lily Aldridge places a tear on a pair of jeans she personalises at Levi's temporary downtown L.A. studio. She has customised so far two pairs of jeans and drew cheetah spots on a back pocket with the laser machine. These jeans are displayed by Bart Sights, Vice President-Technical Innovation for Levi's.
Besides beating fast fashion at their own game, customisation delivers what people need when they want it, and giving them the freedom to express their creativity. | 2019-04-26T05:54:38 | http://mail.fashionatingworld.com/new1-2/levi-s-denim-customisation-offers-creative-freedom-to-customers-2 |
CHICAGO — After nearly four decades in prison, one member of a sadistic four-man crew whose sexually motivated crimes were so depraved that authorities compared their acts to a modern-day Jack the Ripper or Charles Manson is expected to be free on Friday.
"There's nothing else we can do. We fought as hard as we could. I cannot even imagine someone like this could get out."
Daily upload, subscribe for more► https://goo.gl/PoeQCx ------------------------------------------------------------- The Haunting Facts About Chicago’s Cannibalistic \'Ripper Crew\' Facebook: https://goo.gl/QEjBxt Thank you to myuuji for the background music!
These young killers were sick. 1981 to 1982.
CBS 2\'s Mai Martinez reports. | 2019-04-22T12:14:19 | https://article.wn.com/view/2019/03/28/The_sadistic_Ripper_Crew_abducted_and_murdered_women_in_the__a/ |
SkyVenture Arizona is located out in the desert between Phoenix and Tucson Arizona on the Dropzone at Skydive Arizona. The tunnel is an early model 14 foot open flow manufactured by SkyVenture. The tunnel has been operational since 2005 and continues one of the busiest skydiver and military tunnels worldwide.
Average rating of 4 from 1 review(s).
I'm a skydiver who has been flying in this tunnel for a long time. The staff here is amazing and the coaching is top notch. Giving it a 4 star review because its an older open model that pulls outside air. It can get chilly or hot depending on the weather, just plan accordingly. Other than that, great place to fly! | 2019-04-22T04:08:10 | https://www.indoorskydivingsource.com/tunnels/skyventure-arizona/ |
Home Sweet Home: Outdoor Living: Is Rural Living Right For You?
Many of us dream of a home in the country. Something quiet, off the beaten path where we can relax and get back to nature. From mountain cabins that you can purchase in Colorado to Vermont farms for sale, there are many options to explore when looking for a quiet and a more rural existence. So, how do you know if rural living is right for you?
Scientific studies and research have confirmed what many have long suspected: living in the city is stressful. In fact, research suggests that those who are born and raised in rural areas suffer less from depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. This is because the emotional centers of our brains that process stress are affected by living in crowds. This is great news for anyone who is looking for a quiet, less stressful life in the country. Research backs up what you intuitively already knew. Yes, you will be happier living in the country.
A smaller community means that you will find assimilation an easier task. When you move into a smaller rural community, you will find that your neighbors will want to get acquainted with you. Many of them may visit your home and bring your welcoming gifts, strike up conversations in the market, or just stop by to chat.
Many of those in their fourth quarter of life are searching for ways to make the most out of their golden years. Retired couples often seek the quietude and solace offered by the rural lifestyle. The downside to this quiet existence for seniors is that the distance from their home to hospitals and urgent care facilities may be extended when they choose to live in the country.
For those wishing to escape the sprawling madness of suburban chaos, the country is perfect. You will not find the traffic and noise associated with large box stores, huge malls, and never-ending lines of chain restaurants. Despite the lack of modern suburban amenities, you will find entertainment of a different sort. In small town communities, folks gather around with the mentality that they are "all in it together." This way of thinking spurs community activities such as school productions, sporting events, local craft fairs, crafting clubs, and other community activities. | 2019-04-20T06:21:55 | http://www.krizza-homes.com/2016/11/outdoor-living-is-rural-living-right.html |
A project to develop and promote women scientists and engineers in TV drama across Europe. This project involves events in many European towns, including in Autumn 2007 a workshop in Berlin and a Festival and promotional event in Paris. Finance and scientific support has been provided for seven new TV drama proposals featuring women scientist or engineers in leading roles.
EuroWistdom partners are: Femtec (Germany, Co-ordinator), OMNI Communications/EuroPAWS, Euroscience, Euro-MEI, and Ad Futura (Slovenia). | 2019-04-18T18:30:31 | http://europaws.org/archive/eurowistdom-project/ |
I recently helped a friend of mine Katelyn shoot a wedding in Wake Forest, NC. It wasn’t the best of days weather wise BUT that didn’t keep Manda and Jackson from celebrating with their friends and family and beginning their lives together at a beautiful little chapel in Downtown Wake Forest and celebrating with a reception at a cool new venue just moments away.
The rain played a part in the day but the most important thing is that NO ONE let it dampen their spirits. This was a union that God had made and we all rejoiced and were glad in it.
Please enjoy some of my favorites from this great Downtown Wake Forest, NC wedding at The Stone Chapel and The Renaissance Center. | 2019-04-21T20:47:12 | http://redbridgephoto.com/manda-jackson-wake-forest-nc-wedding-photographer/ |
Bus delayed with no explanation - driver didn’t speak english so was difficult to communicate with him.
I am giving 5 star to Euro Lines for their punctuality. Also, the Bus has a good leg space. Hence, all in all a good experience.
Bus showed up late. On top of that apparently we had to check in with the office per driver . This resulted us in getting the worst seats in the bus even though we had been waiting 30 mins before its scheduled arrival. Will absolutely avoid in the future.
The bus came late. After 40minutes only the bus arrived. Then, the bus station closed at 1am and all the passengers including me need to wait for the bus outside the bus station in the cold and rain for more than 2 hours. Lastly, when the bus arrived, the driver do not even say sorry for coming 40minutes late and they treat us madly. Very bad experience for me.
Trying to find from where the bus left, was quite hard. But we managed to find some very helpful employee that helped us find the bus stop. The ride in itself was very good, the seats were very comfortable. Overall it was all good.
The bus driver was extremely rude. He used profanity while speaking to me. The bus was over an hour late.
Driver was great and got us there early.
I wish I could return home to USA via Ouibus!
Would be helpful if the location of the bus stop was clearer and signposted.
Driver attentive to passengers:) Thank you!
Busbud helps you find a bus from Brussels to Amsterdam. Get the best fare and schedule, book a round trip ticket or find buses with WiFi and electrical outlets.
We make it our job to connect you with the most dependable bus companies that cover bus service from Brussels to Amsterdam.
Whether it is cheap bus tickets or more luxurious buses going to Amsterdam from Brussels, we help you find what you're looking for based on how much of a budget you have.
Brussels to Amsterdam buses are provided by FlixBus, Eurolines, Ouibus, CityBusExpress, Union Ivkoni, 179, City Bus Express, ALSA, National Express and Eurolines Espana.
Make friends with the driver. They usually know a lot about your destination and may even recommend which side of the bus to sit on to get the best views on the road between Brussels and Amsterdam!
From miles long of beauteous natural landscapes to impressive man-crafted sights, you’re bound to be in for a visual treat on your bus trip from Brussels to Amsterdam.
Buses are energy-efficient. Carrying a passenger over 100 kms by coach only takes 0.6-0.9 liters of gas. Compare that to the 2.6 liters required by high-speed train, 6.6 liters by airplane and 7.6 liters by gas-powered car, and it's clear that the bus is a more environmentally-conscious option for your bus transportation from Brussels to Amsterdam.
Create your own real life musical score by curating a personalized bus travel playlist - the perfect accompaniment to your bus ride from Brussels to Amsterdam.
If you are looking for the return bus journey, take a look at buses from Amsterdam to Brussels. | 2019-04-23T10:45:50 | https://www.busbud.com/en-gb/bus-brussels-amsterdam/r/u1516c-u173zq |
Mexico City, September 8 (RHC)-- In Mexico, the country’s strongest earthquake in a century struck off the west coast early Friday, leveling buildings in the impoverished states of Chiapas and Oaxaca and triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific.
The 8.2-magnitude quake struck at a shallow depth of just 43 miles, making it particularly dangerous. There were early reports of at least 30 deaths, but that toll is expected to rise dramatically after the U.S. Geological Survey warned of high casualties and said the disaster is likely widespread.
The quake triggered Pacific Ocean tsunami sensors, but Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto later said the waves were not as high as feared and major damage from tsunamis is unlikely. The quake was so powerful it rattled buildings, broke windows and knocked out power in parts of Mexico City, more than 450 miles away. | 2019-04-25T12:27:04 | http://www.radiohc.cu/en/noticias/internacionales/140867-mexico-rocked-by-country |
Erika Dueck is a visual artist from Manitoba who recently finished her BFA (Honours) at the University of Manitoba. Her work has received several awards, including the National Winner of the BMO 1st Art! Invitational Student Art Competition, a winner featured in the 2013 Applied Arts Magazine Student Awards Edition, and recognition as one of eleven winners in the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights Global Art Competition. She has had the opportunity to exhibit her work across Canada in Winnipeg, Montreal, and Toronto, as well as globally, from Texas, to New York, to Rome. | 2019-04-20T02:23:19 | http://artmur.com/en/artists/erika-dueck/ |
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