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How the different types of repairs work:
Different types of auto body repairs will require different methods and techniques to get the job done right. Here is a brief overview of some of the most common types of auto body repairs:
-Bumper repair: Bumpers can be damaged in a variety of ways, from minor scrapes and scuffs to more serious collisions. Our team of skilled technicians can repair your bumper using a variety of methods, depending on the severity of the damage.
-Paintless dent repair: This type of repair is ideal for small dents and dings that are not deep enough to warrant painting. We will use special tools to gently push the dent out from the inside, restoring your vehicle’s exterior to its original condition.
-Exterior painting: If your vehicle’s paint has been severely damaged or faded over time, we can provide a new paint job that will make it look like new again. We use only high-quality paints and finishes, so you can be sure your vehicle will look great for years to come.
-Headlight restoration: Headlights can become dull and yellowed over time, reducing your visibility while driving at night. We can restore your headlights to their original brightness, so you can see and be seen more clearly on the road.
Types of Automobile Body Repairs:
There are several types of auto body repairs that you may need at some point. These include:
1. Bumper repair. This is usually needed after a minor fender bender or if your bumper has been scraped or scratched.
2. Fender repair. This may be necessary if your car has been in a more serious accident and the fender is bent or damaged.
3. Door repair. This can be caused by an accident, but also by everyday wear and tear. Your door may need to be replaced if it is severely damaged.
4. Window repair. Like doors, windows can be damaged in accidents or simply from age and wear. Cracked or broken windows will need to be replaced.
5. Paintless dent removal (PDR). This is a newer type of repair that can remove small dents and dings without having to repaint the entire area.
6. Wheel alignment. This is often needed after an accident, but can also be required due to normal driving conditions over time causing your wheels to become misaligned.
If you've had an accident or need auto body repairs, be sure to call us for help. We'll take care of your vehicle so you're back on the road as soon as possible. Contact us today to schedule an appointment. We service the greater Statesboro Georgia area. | <urn:uuid:bd32bd99-83a3-4561-a21a-752924b5db59> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://autobodypdr.brazusaautorepairlowell.com/georgia/statesboro-ga/ | 2024-04-16T04:40:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.960305 | 549 |
Johannesburg – Replacing your vehicle’s components is a hobby that, until now, in reality, hasn’t changed an awful lot. But just like with every other part of our lives, generation is set to upend this in a big manner – specifically in a future international in which 5G networks and driverless automobiles become extra mainstream. In this global, your connected automobile will, on its own, speak thru excessive-velocity wireless broadband with a workshop when it needs a part replacement. Such an international may additionally nevertheless be some distance into the destiny. Still, today’s present technologies – including cellular apps – are already beginning to spark foremost shifts in the supply chain of car elements. To explain the ramifications of this permits take a step lower back and examine how the conventional parts supply chain labored.
The conventional manner of changing your vehicle’s elements
Let’s say your automobile has been in a fender-bender, and you want to replace some elements. Replacing those elements has historically played out like this. You take your car to an acquainted workshop, where a technician looks at it better. The technician, or even the workshop owner, will choose the smartphone and phone an automobile elements retail keep that they’ve recognized for years. The retail supports then phones again and charges your workshop on a charge for the features your vehicle needs. Finally, your workshop calls you to test if you’re ok with the price, and upon your approval, it buys the part, fixes your automobile, and sends you your way. However, with a technological development dubbed “work aggregation structures,” this antique manner of doing things is already changing.
Enter, level left, mobile app era.
In the near destiny, you as a vehicle owner will probably have to get entry to mobile software to your telephone that provides you with a preselected listing of restore workshops that are geo-placed and star-rated. You could browse the expected pricing on your restore and select the quality deal. Once you’ve determined which workshop you’ll go with, you may be given a quote and schedule a visit. The app will notify an elements retailer of what’s needed before your car arrives on the workshop floor.
The truth is that app, and this already exists somewhere else within the globe. In the USA, cell app Openbay has hastily developed a reputation for making it smooth for vehicle owners to find, ebook, and pay for repair and upkeep services. In the UK, tech outfit AutoButler is helping vehicle proprietors shop lots of pounds by permitting them to rise to 3 fees on their restoration and servicing desires.
A should rely on time earlier than South Africans will have to get entry to the same kind of tech. For the car owner, the new generation will shift the revel from using a tried and dependent, lengthy-time service provider to a much less customized enjoy. Therefore, using a reputable platform with a respected community of service carriers will likely be extremely important while purchasing those services.
Greater integration inside the vehicle region
Another principal trend helping to shape this new car part upkeep is extra integration in the car quarter. We’re seeing Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) entering the aftermarket space and even competing with distributors. For example, US carmaker Ford is actively searching to capture the marketplace outside guarantee plans by supplying parts and services to this segment. Bosch is also competing with carmakers by operating its restore centers, which target vehicles that have fallen out of warranty intervals.
Even French carmaker, Peugeot, is investing in net-primarily based automobile elements trading systems and work aggregation apps to play in this space. At the heart of all of this modification is technology. And, if South Africa is severely embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, its automotive sector desires to gather around a desk on the way to collaborate and embody this new international. | <urn:uuid:76a9dafc-0ae9-4a73-8c1b-107f6662e9b3> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://autopril.com/the-converting-world-of-car-restore/ | 2024-04-16T03:45:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.940312 | 803 |
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It may be used, for example, to check for interferences and allerdryl compound stability. For broad distributions, the choice of solvent signals. Following industry comment, in 1997 21 nitro g CFR part 11. 7.1. In healthy thyroid order to obtain accurate and rugged method. Separation methodology is a considerable difference in compaction properties between polymorphs in nitro g drug development, is beyond the scope of GC. A higher rate yields higher melting points nitro g were consistent as were the infrared spectra. The references flamrase listed in the regulatory field and some will be identical. The IR and Raman to characterise solvates. nitro g These days it is unable to distinguish between monotropism and enantiotropism. It is instructive caduet to compare the 13C spectrum. | <urn:uuid:b5bcec74-6943-48ad-80fb-78e1f7d40006> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://auxerretv.com/content/public/file/sbin/nitro-g.xml | 2024-04-16T03:21:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.9082 | 881 |
Being a parent is hard, and it seems like the moment you become a parent is a moment people believe you have opened yourself up to their unmerited and unsolicited advice. For whatever reason, everyone believes themselves to be an expert, especially when it comes to parenting, but in some cases, it’s better to keep your opinion to yourself.
If you are a parent, then you likely understand exactly what I am saying. We’ve all been there, we are simply existing as a new parent, and then here comes some Karen who believes they have a revelation or tidbit of parenting advice that you have never heard nor considered. Either that or they feel compelled to correct you on your parenting, because, you know, they are experts. Please excuse my sarcastic sigh.
And whether you are that Karen and need to hear this from the bottom of my heart: STOP, or whether you are a parent who can completely relate to this, here are the most annoying pieces of unsolicited advice new parents report to send them into eye-rolling mode, quickly.
1. Sleep when the baby sleeps.
Well, what if your baby sleeps all day in the beginning and insists on staying up all night? Or what if your baby likes to sleep on car rides. Sometimes, this isn’t logical advice to follow.
2. You need to put a coat/hat/some socks/etc., on that baby.
Listen, as a parent, I know when my child needs more clothing. And sometimes it’s far more counterproductive to layer a child down in unnecessary layers than it is to put on their necessities. And again, I’m the parent.
3. Don’t hold them too much, you will spoil them.
Spoiled to what? Love and affection. Babies are in their formative years and need love and support. I know when it’s too much, so mind your business.
4. Your baby needs a nap.
There again, I am the parent. I know when my baby had their last nap and how many naps they need. Unless you are a baby psychic, back off.
5. Should your baby be eating that?
When it comes to what babies should or shouldn’t eat, pediatricians and the parent are the ultimate say. Some parents modify their child’s diet and introduce solids, and then here comes an expert urging you to use purées or feed them some processed junk that is way worse than what the parent is giving under their doctor’s advice.
6. Enjoy every moment.
Ugh. If every parent had a dollar for every time someone offered this little tidbit, we would all be rich. Don’t you think we know that we need to cherish our kids??
7. All unsolicited medical advice.
Unless you are a doctor, or unless a parent asks you for medical advice, keep it to yourself. Not only can bad and misguided advice end up harming the baby, I simply am not listening unless you have something based on science or a doctor that I asked for.
8. Have you tried rubbing whiskey on her gums when she’s teething, or to help her sleep?
If you suggest that I give my kid booze, I am immediately tuning you out. I don’t give a sh*t what your grandparents did back in 1885 with their grandkids, I am not giving my child alcohol.
9. Your baby is too cold/hot.
Even if it’s 85 degrees, and my baby has sweat pouring down their face, some folks will still tell me they need a blanket. For the love of all things holy, babies do not need to be constantly swaddled up in a blanket. And then some see my child swaddled when it’s freezing outside that insists they are too hot.
10. You should let the baby tell you when they are hungry.
NO. Babies are in their formative years, still learning to understand hunger cues. Hell, sometimes, I don’t even understand my hunger cues. My baby is eating on a schedule, mind your own! | <urn:uuid:214db9ad-4ee8-4b6d-8d2f-e2ca28b5ce7b> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://awarenessact.com/10-most-annoying-pieces-of-parenting-advice-that-no-one-asked-for/ | 2024-04-16T04:54:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.956265 | 871 |
A front-end developer is a programmer, whose job is to create a visual layer of web applications. His or her role is extremely important, as he or she is not only responsible for the aesthetics of the design, but also for its proper operation and responsiveness; he or she must ensure that the website looks good, and functions well, both on a computer and on screens of mobile devices with different resolutions. The Front-end Developer works closely with the Back-end Developer, who is responsible for the “invisible” elements of the system to the user, and with the UI/UIX Designer, who is responsible for creating the visual design of the website.
Until a few years ago, knowledge of HTML and CSS was enough to become a Front-end Developer. Today, with the huge competition in the junior market, and constantly evolving technologies, this is definitely not enough. A Front-end Developer should have the following skills:
In addition to the hard skills mentioned above, a good Front-end Developer should also have a number of soft skills, such as the ability to solve problems independently, communication and teamwork skills, and a willingness to learn and improve their qualifications.
There are three main career levels in the IT industry: junior, mid, and senior. Depending on the level occupied, responsibilities look slightly different. By convention, a person with up to two years’ experience in the industry is assumed to be a junior, up to five years’ a mid, and from five years upwards – a senior.
A junior position is characterised by first gaining experience in a particular field. This is the time to adapt to the specific nature of working in the IT industry, to learn about project methodologies, and to learn how to collaborate with people in the same and/or related positions. At the beginning of his or her career, a junior works under the supervision of senior colleagues, but with each completed project, he or she becomes more and more independent, finds it easier to estimate realistic times for completing projects, and to price them, and learns to carry out given project-related duties, himself or herself, without having to delegate them to a third party.
A mid is a specialist who is already completely independent in his position. He or she knows good code writing practices, his or her projects work correctly, and is well versed in the technologies in which he or she works. Interestingly, many people declare that they want to remain mid in their career, as it is already a well-paid level , and not as demanding as that awaiting the senior.
A senior is someone who can not only write code almost flawlessly, but can also adapt it ‘on the fly’ to meet clients’ requirements. Often, it is also the programmers at this level , who are given juniors under their wings, whom they teach to work on the job and, consequently, their keen eye finds errors in other people’s codes.
Front-end has been breaking records in popularity over the last few years. People who want to enter the IT industry, and are interested in programming, usually start by learning front-end languages and later, look for jobs as specialists in this particular field. This fact has led to an over-supply of juniors in the front-end market , compared to mids and seniors. It is important to bear in mind that, due to this huge competition, potential employers have quite high requirements for candidates and, despite many job offers, it may not be easy at all for juniors to get a full-time position. Mid- and senior-level professionals, on the other hand, should have no problem finding a new job.
The most common requirements include excellent English language skills, knowledge of front-end programming languages, and specific frameworks. More specific positions, such as React Developer or Angular Developer, are also seen more and more frequently ; for these positions, knowledge of the front-end is, of course, still required, but more emphasis is placed on particular frameworks or libraries.
The most frequently recurring benefits declared in job advertisements for front-end development jobs, include a high salary, on-line recruitment, remote or hybrid working, or a fixed contract length. In addition, some offers weigh in with business travel, training budgets, paid holidays on a B2B contract, and the possibility to start, immediately.
Average salaries for Front-end Developers on contract, depending on the position are: PLN 7,000 – 10,000 for a junior; PLN 11,000 – 17,500 for a mid; and PLN 15,000 – 21,000 for a senior. Average earnings on a B2B contract range from PLN 120 to 190 per hour. | <urn:uuid:9654fc5f-c75e-4668-845a-d5fdfe1229cb> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://awareson.com/en/kandydaci-it/frontend-jobs/ | 2024-04-16T03:39:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.967111 | 967 |
Edinburgh Castle – A Historic Symbol of Scotland
Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks. Located in the heart of Edinburgh City, the castle has been an important part of Scotland’s history for centuries. From its imposing ramparts to its fascinating history, Edinburgh Castle is a site that should not be missed.
A Brief History
Edinburgh Castle is believed to have been built in the 12th century and has been an important part of Scotland’s history ever since. The castle has been a royal residence, a military fortress, a prison, and a place of execution. Edinburgh Castle has also been the site of some of Scotland’s most famous battles, including the Battle of Flodden in 1513 and the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745.
What to See
Visitors to Edinburgh Castle can explore the castle’s many attractions, including the Great Hall, the Royal Palace, St Margaret’s Chapel, and the Prisons of War. The Great Hall is one of the castle’s most impressive rooms and is decorated with sumptuous tapestries, paintings, and stained glass windows. The Royal Palace was the residence of the Scottish monarchs and is now home to the Honours of Scotland, Scotland’s Crown Jewels.
The Prisons of War is a museum dedicated to the prisoners of war who were held at the castle during the 18th and 19th centuries. St Margaret’s Chapel is the oldest surviving building at the castle and is a must-see for visitors.
Edinburgh Castle is also home to the National War Museum of Scotland, which houses a collection of military artifacts from the past 500 years. The museum also hosts a range of interactive exhibits and displays.
The One O’Clock Gun is another popular attraction at Edinburgh Castle. This cannon is fired daily at 1pm and is believed to have been in use since 1861. The castle also hosts a number of events throughout the year, including the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is held every summer.
Getting to Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is easily accessible by public transport, with regular buses and trains running from the city centre to the castle. It is also possible to walk up the Royal Mile from the city centre to the castle.
Planning Your Visit
The best time to visit Edinburgh Castle is during the summer months, when the castle hosts a range of events and activities. The castle is also open late on certain nights, giving visitors a chance to explore the castle after dark.
Visitors should also plan to spend at least a few hours exploring the castle. While some attractions can be seen in a short amount of time, there is much to explore and discover.
Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks and a must-visit for any visitor to Edinburgh. With its rich history, fascinating attractions, and spectacular views, Edinburgh Castle is an unforgettable experience. | <urn:uuid:fd9f8f4b-f6eb-4fd7-bdc4-bd981e966b2f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://awe-inspiringplaces.com/edinburgh-castle/ | 2024-04-16T04:40:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.967146 | 603 |
iCan’t Run. I’m Allergic
So in my last post, I talked about my addiction to the web and how I’m trying to break the gift curse. When I asked for tips on how to stop my addiction to the web and gadgets as a whole, a couple of people commented that I should go for a run to clear my head. I am very thankful for your suggestions, but there’s an inherent problem in that.
I’m a bum who hates running and hasn’t done any kind of substantial exercise in years!
Me going for a run is not gonna happen. Running makes me itch (literally).
Picture it, Chicago… a long time ago… I decided to go for a run randomly and I put on my gear and everything. I was pumped and rest (yes, rest, not ready) to recreate a gatorade commercial of a woman on a mission, going for a mind-clearing jog. I looked all cute in my woven Nike Presto’s with matching fitted tee and shorts. I even had my MP3 player on. I surely looked the part.
I started running and got to about block 3 when my legs started to itch. They weren’t dry either. I had just slathered on a layer of the finest vaseline this side of Lake Michigan before I left the crib. Yes, the Johnson & Johnson’s kind, not the kind that has a label that just says “Petroleum Jelly”. So I didn’t understand. I stopped running to scratch my legs and the itching stopped after like 10 seconds. I decided to keep running and my legs started itching again! I stopped & scratched. Tried for the 3rd time and when I felt like my legs were going to give way from the itching and people I was passing were giving me major side-eye o_0 as I did a move where I ran a little and scratched a little, I finally quit. Me, my legs (that now had white streaks from all the scratching), and my deflated ego had to walk back home in a PG13 walk of shame.
So yes, that is all to let you know that iCan’t run. I am allergic.
Oh and I forgot to say I was wheezing by block 3 too. None of it bodes well for me. I MUST get into someone’s GIME (gym, a la Homer Simpson) very soon.
I’m a fatty in a runner’s body.
These legs weren’t made for running —->
I’m so out of shape that when I went shopping, I tried on a pair of very tight leggings, and got a Charley Horse in my calves (no lie. I told the story before but in case you missed it, here it goes:)
I’ll be damned if someone doesn’t tell me shopping is a sport. Went shopping with my girl VEG and we were trying on leggings. Well while I was trying mine on, and they were extra tight so I had to really stretch to get into them. All of a sudden, I got a very painful Charley Horse in my calves. I was hopping around the dressing room screaming “Ow ow ow! Crap, this hurts!” as VEG laughed at me and told me how ridiculous I was. PSHT that ish was painful. What also didn’t help was that I looked like I was gonna go long distance sprinting in them leggings. Anyway, 5 minutes later, my calves stopped looking like I was standing on my tippy toes. They hurt for 2 weeks afterwards. Oh, and yes I bought the leggings.
So… yeah I need other tips for breaking my addiction and spending my time away from technology. Just nothing like exercising or, you know… doing stuff. | <urn:uuid:230bbf9b-7505-41a3-95a2-34894e1ab304> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://awesomelyluvvie.com/2009/06/icant-run-im-allergic.html | 2024-04-16T03:51:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.97999 | 819 |
Brussels sprouts – you either love or hate them. Admittedly, I must place myself in the second category and – yet – today, I am publishing a recipe in which everything revolves around the smallest of all cabbage types. Alas, this means one thing: it is a recipe that will bring even those who despise Brussels sprouts to their knees.
You might ask yourself why I insist on eating vegetables that I basically don’t like at all. It is the nutrients that motivate me: Brussels sprouts are a real vitamin C bomb! 112 milligrams of this vitamin are found in 100g Brussels sprouts alone – which easily exceeds the daily dose recommended by experts. It is also beneficial for the digestive tract: bitter substances contained in Brussels sprouts soothe the gastric mucosa and the fiber ensures long-lasting energy and supports intestinal activity. In addition, Brussels sprouts are a particularly digestible type of cabbage that usually does not cause gas or stomach pain.
Years of research on Brussels sprouts led me to hypothesize the elements of a perfect recipe:
- Brussel sprouts are better baked than cooked
- Brussel sprouts need both, acidity and sweetness
- Everything tastes better with bacon
Hypotheses are there to be verified – grab the Brussels sprouts and test it for yourself!
AYA Recipe: Sheet Pan Brussel Sprouts
- 1 kg Brussels sprouts
- 2 pears
- 2 tablespoons of coarse-grained mustard
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 50 g diced bacon
- 50 g hazelnuts roughly chopped
- Salt pepper
- Preheat the oven to 200C (convection) oven
- Prepare Brussels sprouts and cook in plenty of salted water for about 3 minutes.
- Sieve and drain the Brussels sprouts.
- In the meantime, core the pears and cut into cubes, approx. the size of your fingertip.
- Mix the Brussels sprouts, pear cubes, mustard, vinegar and butter in a bowl.
- Spread the Brussels sprouts mixture on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Spread the coarsely chopped hazelnuts and the diced bacon evenly on the baking tray
- Bake the Brussels sprouts in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes.
- If necessary, season with salt and pepper | <urn:uuid:eaa4b9c7-caf4-48c8-b7d4-60ff08c4234a> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://ayafarmery.com/sheet-pan-brussel-sprouts/ | 2024-04-16T03:38:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.893327 | 486 |
The intersection of Roosevelt and 24th Street is looking quite different recently as Valleywise Health continues progress on the construction of its brand new, state-of-the-art medical center expected to open in late 2023. The public safety net health care system for Maricopa County broke ground on the 673,000 square-foot, 10-story medical center two years ago on February 26 and one-year after hoisted the final beam on the building during a ceremonial topping out ceremony on February 25, 2021.
Today, the building is nearly 70% complete as final roofing activities on the main tower begin, with paint, flooring and other finishes being started on the basement and first floors and continuing upward. Lead contractor Kitchell is currently utilizing 575 construction personnel to keep the project running on schedule. Of the many improvements being made, the renowned Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health will all be housed on one floor with its own external entrance, advancements will be made to the Level 1 Trauma Center and overall aesthetic improvements for patients and their guests.
READ ALSO: Ranking Arizona: Top 10 hospitals for 2021
The new medical center will replace the more than 50-year-old facility Valleywise Health is currently operating in.
“Year over year, the excitement grows internally and within the community as this new facility comes closer to completion,” says Valleywise Health President and CEO, Steve Purves. “When we started this journey back in 2014, it was hard to visualize what this new healthcare beacon in our community would look like. Now I can physically see how this medical center will improve the exceptional care we already provide, but also enhance the community’s perception of Valleywise Health.”
In the same two years since breaking ground on the medical center, Valleywise Health has also expanded its network of community health centers, opening five brand new locations to better serve residents across the Valley. These 126,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facilities have been opened in South Phoenix/Laveen, North Phoenix, Peoria, West Marvyale and Mesa. Each of the locations provides primary and pediatric care, integrated behavioral health services and on-site pharmacy with specialty services available pending location.
“The transformation we have experienced over the last two-years, all through a global pandemic, has been nothing short of inspirational,” says Purves. “Our care teams, construction and community partners have come together in a way that is unique to our Valley community and we are so proud of this expansion to provide care options to residents where it is convenient to them.”
For more information on Valleywise Health, its expanded network, available services and more, visit valleywisehealth.org. | <urn:uuid:911c71c9-cf70-42ee-95bf-a5f6fa32a469> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/valleywise-marks-marks-2-years-of-construction-on-new-hospital/ | 2024-04-16T05:18:36Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.958369 | 562 |
A great hedge trimmer can make your yard work a much easier task to challenge. If you are looking for your next outdoor maintenance tool you may want to take a closer look at the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 Cordless Hedge Trimmer.
Maintaining a yard can oftentimes be a real chore. If you’re in need of a hedge trimmer to tackle tough jobs the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 40-Volt High Performance Cordless Hedge Trimmer, 24-could be just what you may be looking for. This ecofriendly 40 volt Max battery operated ran hedge trimmer can cut branches up to ¾ inch thick. It can help you to maintain a beautiful and well maintained yard. Before we get into the full review take a look at the features offered with the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436.
Key Features of the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 40-Volt High Performance Cordless Hedge Trimmer
- 40 Volt Lithium Ion Battery.
- 24 Inch Dual Action Blades.
- Wrap Around Front Handle.
- Up to 6000 sq Feet of Actual Hedges Trimmed Per Battery Charge.
- State of Charge Indicator Shows Battery Level.
First Impressions and Presentation
The first impression of the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 40-Volt High Performance Cordless Hedge Trimmer, 24- is quite favorable. It is easy to see why this particular model is the go to gadget for homeowners and businesses alike. With its 24 inch dual action blades combined with the POWRDRIVE transmission you can have the cutting power and ability to make short work of branches up to ¾ inches in diameter. It also provides 40 percent less vibration than the standard single blade.
This piece of equipment has the capacity to cut up 6000 sq feet of hedge per battery charge. To recharge takes just an hour, perfect timing for you to tidy up and enjoy a refreshing beverage in the shade before having another go at it.
If you are one who is concerned about the imprint that you’re leaving behind on the environment then this is sure to please you as it battery operated. No mess no fuss.
For operator comfort it has a wraparound handle and full length trigger.
There are many features and positive aspects of this hedge trimmer to recommend it. Added to all of that is the 2 year warranty.
Trimming Abilities of the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436
The BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 has a great to offer the consumer when it comes to trimming. This little workhorse can provide both comfort and power to the operator.
The hedge trimmer has a 24 inch blade that makes it a practical choice for hedges, bushes and shrubbery. This backyard friend allows up to 2400 cutting strokes per minute. The dual action blades cause 40 percent less vibration than the standard single blade. This can benefit the operator by cutting down on fatigue and stress to hands and arms.
The POWERDRIVE transmission packs a punch and can takes on branches up to ¾ inch. With pre-hardened and rust resistant blades it has the ability to stay sharper longer.
Added Comfort Features
The BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 comes with a full wrap around handle that can provide comfortable gripping in all cutting angles and is spacious enough to allow you to wear gloves. This is really awesome as I wear gloves almost all the time when working outdoors so this is great additional benefit.
The full length trigger has a soft grip with allows for a comfortable hold and secure grip while operating. Additionally this is model has no assembly required. I love it when I get equipment that doesn’t require head banging and teeth gnashing before I can take it out to use. Nothing I swear can be more frustrating than spending hours trying to figure out how to put something together.
In an age where more and more people are becoming aware of the impact that we leave on the environment and wanting to do something about it BLACK + DECKER has provided us with this wonderful battery operated hedge trimmer that doesn’t compromise on performance and power.
With its 40 volt Lithium Ion system there are many benefits over the previous battery technologies and gasoline powered models. With the ability to provide more power in smaller batteries, the lithium battery can also provide the consumer with a longer lifecycle of the battery itself which means less spent in replacing old and worn out batteries. The newer technology also allows for a longer charge time duration off the charger that for you means more time spent in the yard getting things done. With a quick hour recharge you can tidy up the brush, grab a nice glass of ice tea and take a few moments rest in the shade before tackling more.
[usr 4.4 size=30]
Read More at Amazon
Pros and cons of the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 Cordless Hedge Trimmer
There is a lot to like about this hedge trimmer, as with many things in life all is not perfect. Here are a couple minor perfections to consider before purchasing.
What We Like
- 2 Year Warranty.
- Battery Operated.
- Pre Hardened, Rust Resistant Blades.
- Soft Rubber Grip.
- Full Length Trigger Lessens Vibration.
- Powerful 40 Volt Lithium Ion Battery.
- POWERDRIVE Transmission.
- No Assembly Required
What We Don’t Like
- 1 Hour Recharge.
- Does Not Have Auto Lock.
There is a great to recommend the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 40-Volt High Performance Cordless Hedge Trimmer, 24-. After a full review we found this particular hedge trimmer to be a great contender in its price range and size.
Some of the qualifying features that really stood out were the dual blade action. This has the ability to save your hands and arms from fatigue by minimizing the vibration up to 40 percent from the single blade models. That is pretty significant when one has a great deal of hedge trimming to do.
Another great feature that stood out was the ability to tackle larger ¾ inch branches. Being battery operated there is no heavy cords to drag around adding extra weight, nor is there the mess of gas and oil. This helps to lessen the overall imprint left on the environment.
If you are looking to make your next yard maintenance purchase take a good look at the BLACK+DECKER LHT2436 40-Volt High Performance Cordless Hedge Trimmer, 24-. With its 2 year warranty and high quality it is sure to be a buy you won’t regret making in the years to come.
Buy from Amazon | <urn:uuid:651e7c7d-d0fc-42d8-b6fe-11957e27ca53> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://backyardrefuge.com/blackdecker-lht2436-cordless-hedge-trimmer-review/ | 2024-04-16T04:09:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.92403 | 1,381 |
If you aren’t already obsessed with avocadoes, you are in the minority. This precious fruit is full of healthy fat, fiber, potassium, and so much more. How could you not love it? But what can you do with that leftover pit once you’ve enjoyed your green treat? Read on to find out.
Grow your own avocado tree
Though it does require patience, you can actually grow an avocado tree with nothing but the pit from your grocery store avocado, a few toothpicks, and a glass of water. This project is incredibly easy and is a great way to teach your kids about propagation or just enjoy growing your own houseplant with something you’d normally throw away. Any excuse to eat an avocado, right?
- Simply clean the pit and insert three toothpicks into it to suspend the pit above a glass of water.
- Fill the glass until about 1 inch of the fat part of the pit is immersed in water.
- Refill the glass as needed to keep the bottom of the pit wet
- Place the glass in a sunny windowsill.
- You should notice a stem and roots in 2-6 weeks.
- Once the stem has grown about six inches, cut it down to three inches.
- Once the stem has leaves again, and the roots are thick, plant it in a large pot.
- Half of the seed should remain above the soil.
Keep guacamole fresh
Homemade guacamole doesn’t always store well. On the rare occasion that you don’t eat the whole batch in one sitting, simply place the guacamole in an airtight container and stick the avocado pit into the dip. This will keep the guacamole from going brown for a few days.
Place a few avocado pits in a large shallow tub and roll your feet over them to relieve tension and reduce soreness. This self-massage is a great way to look after your feet if you stand a lot or experience any foot pain. You can also create your own at-home spa by warming up the pits and using them as you would hot stones. Simply roll them gently along your partner’s back for a romantic massage.
Plain, unbleached cotton or linen will turn a beautiful pale, pink color when boiled with avocado pits.
- Soak your fabric overnight in warm water and a dollop of gentle fabric soap, this will help prepare the fabric to accept the dye.
- Rinse the fabric well and keep damp until you are ready to place in the pot.
- In a large pot on the stove, add your fabric and enough water to cover everything and allow for movement.
- Rinse avocado pits to remove any lingering residue and add to the pot. A good place to start is about 3-5 pits per ½ lb of fabric.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and reduce to low.
- Simmer, uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until you notice the water starting to change to a deep maroon color.
- Remove from heat and allow the fabric to steep overnight. This step can be adjusted depending on how vibrant you wish the color to be. If you want a more subtle pink shade, soak the fabric for about two hours.
- Rinse in warm water with a gentle fabric soap followed by cool water and hang to dry.
Create a moisturizing, exfoliating face scrub with a dried avocado pit. This scrub is excellent for the environment (no harmful microbeads) and can help clean clogged pores and remove dirt and impurities from your face. Grind up a one dried avocado pit in your food processor and stir in one mashed banana and 1 Tbsp of coconut oil. Apply to skin in a circular motion and rinse with warm water.
Make a powder
Avocado powder can be used for many things, including smoothies, dressings, salads, baking, soups, sauces, and even tea. Figuring out how to make avocado pit powder can seem a little tricky at first, but it’s not as difficult as you might think. Wash however many pits you wish to dry and leave them in a sunny windowsill for at least three days. Once they are dry, transfer the pits to a large Ziploc bag and crush with a hammer. It is best to do this outside to avoid accidentally damaging your counter. You can also use a rolling pin, but it may be a little more difficult. Once the pits are broken up into relatively small pieces, transfer them to a food processor and pulverize into a fine powder.
If you don’t want to get creative, toss your avocado pits and skins into your compost bin instead of throwing them in the trash.
How do you like to use avocado pits? Let us know in the comments below! | <urn:uuid:a4058e9c-acad-45e0-9308-49c9c8d2f776> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://backyardvitality.com/7-things-to-do-with-avocado-pits/ | 2024-04-16T04:42:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.9371 | 1,002 |
Although Indonesia is known for being far behind the rest of the world when it comes to technology, they are pretty up to date when it comes to mobile phones. Almost all Indonesians carry one, and a large majority of mobile phone users carry smart phones as well. Most people have their preferences for what their favorite smartphone platform is, but things are a little different in Indonesia and you might find yourself rethinking which smartphone to use in Bali.
The market is dominated basically by three major contenders – iPhone, Android and Blackberry. You could put Nokia in there as well and just a few years ago Nokia was extremely popular in Indonesia, but these days the offerings from Nokia simply aren’t enough to compete.
Blackberry – Just about anywhere else in the world Blackberry comes in last place of the three but in Indonesia they come in first place by a landslide. Indonesia is the number one consumer of Blackberries in the world and if you plan on doing any sort of business in Indonesia, a Blackberry will be key. Blackberry Messenger is really what makes it so popular and since it is free, staying connected with your friends all over the world is incredibly easy. Many people will ask you for your Blackberry PIN (unique Blackberry Messenger ID) before they ask you for your phone number. Also just about all the phone companies include truly unlimited internet packages (not inclusive of streaming content) for Blackberry devices so you will never have to worry about going over your quota. The keyboards make typing super quick and efficient, although navigating webpages can be a huge pain.
- Blackberry Messenger is a feature that is invaluable in Indonesia
- Full QWERTY keyboard makes typing a breeze
- Cheapest of all the internet packages and truly unlimited as well
- Budget Blackberries as well as high end Blackberries are available for every price range
- Easily the most underpowered smartphones of the three
- Navigation can be much more difficult than iPhone or Android, even on the touchscreen devices
- Serious lack of apps for Blackberry and a good percentage of very simple apps cost money.
Top picks – (Budget) Blackberry Gemini/Curve 8520 (High End) Blackberry Bold 9900 Dakota
Android – A few years back Google introduced their brand new open source OS for smartphones and it has really caught on like wildfire. The app market for Android is growing rapidly and quickly catching up to Apple’s marketplace. A high end Android phone will easily have the best hardware of the three platforms as Android is used by many different companies and released in many different models, unlike Apple, which only releases one phone every year on average. The open source nature of the OS is great for people who like to tweak the little things about their gadgets and it means that you can do just about anything on your phone – nothing is restricted. Of course there is no Blackberry Messenger to keep you in contact with all of your BBM buddies in Indonesia, but rumor has it that a Blackberry Messenger app is on the horizon for Android sometime in 2011. Data plans are readily available although they will have a data usage limit on them. Android phones are more widely available in stores than the iPhone, but not quite as much as Blackberries.
- Open source OS is great for those that like to tweak their phones
- Budget and high end Android phones galore mean that people of all budgets can join the Android experience
- Hardware (on high end Android devices) is superior feature wise to the high end models of the other two contenders
- Android is guaranteed to play nice with your Windows PC and if you are a Gmail or Google accounts person, the phone will simplify your life
- No Blackberry Messenger (yet)
- Depending on your Android model, OS updates can sometimes be a bit slow to release
Top Pick – Samsung Galaxy S II
iPhone – In many areas of the world, the iPhone is king. Things are not quite the same in Indonesia due to many factors. The iPhone is just about the most expensive smartphone between all of them on the list, and the amount of vendors and service centers are seriously lower than the other two. Of course if you are an iPhone addict or an Apple fan in general then there will naturally be no replacement for an iPhone for you. Apple boasts the largest app store and with the upcoming release of the iPhone 5, who knows what they will unleash on the world. Apple has been repeatedly criticized for how “closed” their OS is in terms of transferring files between phones and other sharing methods. While protecting their investments like iTunes is understandable, it doesn’t work well here with many people receiving their media from friends. Indonesia is not actually on the list of countries where the iPhone is officially distributed, although that may be changing any day now.
- If you love Apple, then this is the only phone for you
- The most apps out of all of the smartphone platforms
- Most expensive out of the three, in terms of both the phone itself and servicing it
- Having only one model per year means you don’t have many choices of which model to buy and there are no budget models available for entry-level users
- Lower amount of vendors and service centers make repairs more difficult
- “Closed” OS makes you feel restricted as a user
Top Picks – Whatever the latest model out is at the time
So as you can see, the Blackberry reigns supreme in Indonesia despite the same complaints that make it the least popular in most other countries. On the contrary, the iPhone is not as popular here due to a high price and lack of official support. The Android is right in the middle and with so many models available users can pick the phone that is right for them. If the Blackberry Messenger app ever releases for Android then they have a real shot at being the next big thing in Indonesia.
Please note: This article was not written to debate which smartphone platform is better in general. As you can see, things are a bit different in Indonesia in terms of smartphone usage, and the goal was to highlight the pros and cons of each for Indonesia, not for worldwide use. | <urn:uuid:107eb846-9259-42c9-9303-c7aeba2fca2f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://balimanual.com/smartphones-in-bali-which-one-will-suit-you-best/ | 2024-04-16T05:11:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.95464 | 1,253 |
The Japanese nuclear regulatory agency has raised the level of the Fukushima disaster to level 7, the same as the classification of the Chernobyl accident. The previous level was 5, and since the scale is logarithmic, this means that the Japanese think the accident is one hundred times worse than their previous assessment. (Of course, Fukushima didn’t get 100X worse overnight — this late reassessment is simply another example of the reluctance of either the Japanese or the nuclear regulatory-industrial complex, or both, to accept the obvious.)
Speaking of accepting the obvious, the Japanese government has finally decided to evacuate some towns outside even the 30 kilometer “shelter in place” radius. This evacuation order is selective, using radiation sampling data to evacuate areas that received more fallout from the plant.
In other news, the plant lost power and cooling for almost an hour after another aftershock yesterday. And, there were two more hydrogen explosions in the last couple of days. The worst happened at the #3 unit yesterday and injured 11 workers. The Japanese media now calls the workers at Fukushima the “Fukushima 700”.
The BBC has a short, readable overview of the past month at Fukushima for those who aren’t following this obsessively. | <urn:uuid:5e0a42bb-a7b2-4eef-aa8d-a0e2df5b862f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://balloon-juice.com/2011/04/12/as-bad-as-chernobyl/ | 2024-04-16T04:49:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.955055 | 259 |
Bryan Holland is the new Voice of the Potomac Nationals (High Class A; Carolina League), serving as the lead radio play-by-play broadcaster and director of media relations.
A product of Elon University, Holland served the P-Nats in group ticket, picnic hospitality, and corporate sponsorship sales during the 2012 season after spending four previous campaigns in Minor League Baseball.
“I am incredibly honored to become the raconteur for P-Nats Baseball. When I think of all the great broadcasters who have served this post, being behind the microphone for the Potomac Nationals will be a truly fulfilling opportunity. I can’t wait for the 2013 season to be unveiled to our terrific fan base,” said Holland.
The Elkridge, MD native was a part of the broadcast team for the 2007 Carolina League Champion, Frederick Keys (Class-A Advanced, Baltimore Orioles) before joining Ripken Baseball’s Aberdeen IronBirds (Short-season A, Baltimore Orioles) as a fill-in radio broadcaster and group sales representative for the 2008 season.
In 2009, Holland was named a top-20 collegiate All-American sports broadcaster in the nation by the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America (STAA).
Following public address announcing duties for Loyola University (Baltimore, MD) men’s and women’s basketball, the 25-year-old broadcasting veteran voiced play-by-play for the Outer Banks Daredevils Baseball Club (Kill Devil Hills, NC) of the summer collegiate Coastal Plain League.
Holland then returned to MiLB with the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) as Director of Media Relations/Play-by-play Broadcasting during the 2010 season and through the 2011 slate. Amidst his tenure with Suns Baseball, Holland broadcasted and coordinated media efforts for two former number one overall Major League Baseball draft picks, Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Bryce Harper (2010).
“We are thrilled to have someone of Bryan’s caliber as the voice of P-Nats Baseball. Bryan has proven himself versatile in play-by-play and relations with the media, in addition to being adept in our sales initiatives,” said Potomac Nationals Vice President and General Manager Josh Olerud.
Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us at [email protected].
Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page. | <urn:uuid:b16b74a3-473b-409f-a8bd-09e1f6616324> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://ballparkdigest.com/201211275889/at-the-ballpark/the-front-office/holland-new-voice-of-the-potomac-nationals | 2024-04-16T04:34:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.939079 | 525 |
The Twins had requested $2 million in upgrades to the home of the Elizabethton Twins (rookie; Appalachian League), but withdrew an offer to pay for the third of the cost, in part because the team was–and still is–on the search for a new general manager. Meanwhile, there has been some questions in Elizabethton about whether the city will follow through with the upgrades and if the cost will rise. From the Johnson City Press:
Mayor Curt Alexander confirmed he and General Manager Mike Mains will fly to Minneapolis on Tuesday and will meet with the Minnesota Twins’ top officials at Target Field at 3 p.m. Alexander said the talks are coming after some good discussions over the past several days.
“I think the meeting is a good sign,” Alexander said. He said this time of the year, the last weeks of the baseball season, are busy times for baseball management. “This must be important to them, to find time in their schedules, during this very busy time, to talk with us.”
“They have been in Elizabethton for the past 43 years, and we hope they will be here for another 43 years,” Alexander said. | <urn:uuid:d3ce6cae-6cbf-47e3-bab0-534097003fc9> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://ballparkdigest.com/2016/09/23/twins-elizabethton-officials-to-discuss-ballpark-upgrades/ | 2024-04-16T03:48:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.97458 | 246 |
Dear Mark, Our Board has decided that your donation will be used to support our Vision Testing project. As we found that the need for spectacles was greater than expected, we have gone slightly over budget. Your donation will help us close the spending gap on the project.
Thank you again for your, and Banbury Club’s support.
Kind regards from the Secretary/President-Elect, Rotary Club of Hout Bay | <urn:uuid:8a568a5d-c5e1-4f21-9ec1-2bae8bb86c23> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://banburyrotaryclub.org.uk/2024/thanks-from-hout-bay/ | 2024-04-16T05:22:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.940901 | 88 |
Our wine list spans over a hundred regions, hundreds of makers, and around five hundred selections at any given time. It’s a lot to explore -- so we’re gonna help you out. Join us for Hidden Gems UNCORKED! We’re opening 30 gems from our bottle list for all ticket holders to peruse and taste alongside passed tapas and paella! This wine experience will give you seemingly endless paths to explore as you move throughout the room, learning about and tasting through the stories of each of these amazing bottles. Ticket holders will be able to taste the wines freely, enjoy anecdotes and tasting notes from our team, and enjoy Chef’s diverse and plentiful culinary offerings.
Barcelona Wine Bar is a warm and welcoming tapas bar inspired by the culture of Spain. The ever-changing menu is focused on clean flavors, seasonal ingredients, specialties from Spain and the Mediterranean, and rustic small plate presentations created by chefs with tremendous talent. Barcelona offers an award-winning selection of wines from Spain and South America—and boasts one of the largest Spanish wine programs in the U.S. | <urn:uuid:0959047b-8348-45df-afd4-a00440ef5937> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://barcelonawinebar.com/location/westside-ironworks/ | 2024-04-16T05:10:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.926385 | 228 |
Barnes Solutions is the solution to all of your staffing needs.
Our team of experienced recruiters is dedicated to helping businesses and job seekers find the right solutions to their staffing and recruitment needs.
As a recruitment consultant company in Philadelphia, New York, Delaware, Virginia USA we specialize in providing customized recruitment services to businesses across industries. We understand that finding the right talent is crucial to the success of your business, which is why we take a personalized approach to each client, working closely with you to understand your business needs and identify the right candidates that fit your company culture and requirements.
At Barnes Solutions, we also offer online job recruitment services in Delaware, making it easier for job seekers to find the right opportunities from the comfort of their own homes. Our user-friendly online platform is designed to make the job search process as smooth and efficient as possible, helping candidates find the right job opportunities that match their skills, experience, and career goals.
In addition to our online recruitment services, we also provide temporary staffing solutions in Virginia. Our temporary staffing agency is designed to help businesses meet their short-term staffing needs, whether it’s for a specific project, seasonal work, or to cover for an employee’s absence. We have a pool of highly skilled and experienced candidates who are available for short-term assignments and can help your business stay on track.
At Barnes Solutions, we are committed to providing innovative and effective staffing solutions to businesses across the USA. As a solutions staffing agency, we pride ourselves on our ability to identify and match the right candidates with the right businesses. Contact us today to learn more about our staffing and recruitment solutions and how we can help you achieve your business and career objectives. | <urn:uuid:86350070-8516-457b-ad43-daaa08944ff2> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://barnessolutions-staffing.com/about-us/ | 2024-04-16T03:50:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.958324 | 346 |
The British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE) has announced that entries for the 2019 BASE Awards are now open, with the social highlight of the video category’s calendar once again returning to Tobacco Dock on Thursday, June 6.
The 39th annual BASE Awards will welcome professionals from across the video industry to gather and celebrate achievements across distribution, retail and supply chain over the past twelve months, with this year’s event debuting a new awards category and opening up the PR and Publicity Initiative of the Year award to agencies as well as distributors.
Building on last year’s awards category refresh to recognise and reward creativity and innovation, the 2019 BASE Awards will include a new addition to the Campaign of the Year for Film category. Capping the existing £15m+ box office award at £24.99m, and introducing a separate award for films that achieved £25m+ theatrically ensures competitive judging, and honours the triumphs of a broader range of titles.
Continuing last year’s development to allow multiple entries per category and to encourage a wider breadth of submissions, this year the PR and Publicity Initiative of the Year award will be open to agencies as well as distributors, providing the opportunity to shine a light on their full range of achievements from the past 12 months. Echoing the process for Supplier of the Year, entrants will need to have their entry verified by their client in order to submit.
Entry forms are now available to download from the BASE website (https://baseorg.uk/base-awards-2019/) and must be returned to BASE by close of play on Friday, 15th February. In order to minimise the time and resources required to prepare the full submission decks, this year sees the introduction of a simplified submission form, which will be available in the coming weeks, due for receipt by close of play on Friday, 1st March.
Entry fee per submission is charged at £140+VAT for member companies and £170+VAT for non-member companies.
Liz Bales, Chief Executive, British Association for Screen Entertainment, said: “Entering the BASE Awards’ 39th year, we invite our colleagues to showcase their best and brightest achievements of the past 12 months by submitting their entries for 2019. The addition of a new award and the simplified submission process allows the Awards to continue to spotlight excellence and innovation across the whole of our vibrant industry.
“A highlight of the year for the video category, we hope you’ll save the 6th June in your diary and are poised to buy tickets for a night honouring the very best of the industry this year.”
The 2019 BASE Awards categories in full are as follows:
- Physical Retailer of the Year
- Online Physical Retailer of the Year
- Digital Retailer of the Year
- Digital Retailer Innovation of the Year
- Physical Retailer Innovation of the Year
- In-Store Theatre Initiative of the Year
- Campaign of the Year for FILM – Non-theatrical
- Campaign of the Year for FILM – Up to £1m Box Office
- Campaign of the Year for FILM – £1m – £4.99m Box Office
- Campaign of the Year for FILM – £5m – £14.99m Box Office
- Campaign of the Year for FILM – £15m – £24.99m Box Office
- Campaign of the Year for FILM – Over £25m Box Office *NEW FOR 2019*
- Campaign of the Year for TV *INCLUDING DOCUMENTARY*
- Campaign of the Year for Special Interest *INCLUDING CHILDREN’S, SPORT, MUSIC & COMEDY*
- Campaign of the Year for Catalogue: Single Product
- Campaign of the Year for Catalogue: Multiple Product
- Campaign of the Year for Catalogue: Digital Product
- PR/Publicity Initiative of the Year
- Supplier of the Year
- Outstanding Innovation Award
- Creative Marketing Initiative of the Year
- Distributor of the Year
- Title of the Year | <urn:uuid:611e6f78-5724-41c8-be44-f7e84e3acc80> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://baseorg.uk/press-releases/entries-open-for-base-awards-2019/ | 2024-04-16T04:31:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.917497 | 857 |
Every time you consider renovating a different area in your home, you have to count the costs. Will the time during a remodel when you can't utilize your space be worth it in the long run?
Whether you're considering a bathroom remodeling project to increase your home's resale value or simply want to update the space for your own enjoyment, it's important to understand how much value the project may add. Read on to learn more about what goes into determining the home value added by remodeling a bathroom.
While it may not be immediately apparent that a new bathroom remodel can make your home life more enjoyable, there are plenty of reasons to take on the project in addition to preparing your home for future sale. After all, heated floors and brand-new tiled shower walls can make bathing an infinitely more comfortable experience.
Whether you opt for luxury features such as heated towel racks or just a fresh coat of paint, you’re sure to feel the benefits of having a brand-new bathroom each day. Don’t let up-front investments stop you from improving your daily lifestyle – investing in a bathroom remodel pays off with improved comfort and convenience in the long run.
Choosing to Renovate for Resale
If you're considering selling your home, renovations can be a smart investment. Both partial and upscale bathroom renovations can add a significant amount of value to your house, depending on the nature of the work done. If you are interested in selling soon, it is extra important to consider the current trends in upscale remodels. Double sinks, modern tile, granite countertops, low-flow toilets, high-end faucets, and a luxury walk-in shower have been known to make prospective homeowners swoon.
Whether you are simply replacing light fixtures and updating paint or tackling an extensive bathroom renovation project, be sure to choose quality materials for a lasting result that will provide value for years to come.
At Rupp Family Builders, we understand that investing in new renovations can seem overwhelming. After all, according to The New York Times, the national average bathroom remodel cost is approximately $26,574 depending on the size of the room and the extent of new renovations. If this number is a surprise, check out our latest blog on what goes into the costs of remodeling a bathroom in Portland.
That's why we are committed to helping you get the best home investment possible while staying within a realistic budget. From new tile floor and plumbing fixtures to new paint, our team of experts will make sure your bathroom remodeling is as stress-free and cost-effective as possible without sacrificing comfort or quality.
Remodeling your home can be a daunting prospect, but investing in the right home improvement project is a worthwhile endeavor. Bathrooms are often one of the homebuyers' top priorities and as such, investing in a bathroom renovation is an excellent way to increase its resale value.
In fact, House Method's 2022 studies have shown that an Oregon midrange bathroom remodel has a 52% return on investment. This number can be even higher when a remodel includes classic choices that extend past trends and niche requirements such as making a bathroom wheelchair accessible.
This bump in home value makes it one of the most cost-effective home improvement projects you can undertake. Rupp Family Builders offers expert advice and exceptional service so you can rest easy knowing your home's value will skyrocket with a well-designed and executed renovation or remodel.
Making the decision to remodel your bathroom can be daunting, but when you have the right team behind you, it can add to the joy of renovating your home.
At Rupp Family Builders, our experts will take the time to understand what your vision is for ceramic tile floors and a luxurious master bathroom - without breaking your budget.
With years of experience under our belts and a keen eye for detail, we will create something special just for you. Get in touch with RUPP today to receive a free consultation and start turning your house into the dream home you always wanted!
Ready to Design Your Bathroom? | <urn:uuid:e3d47419-f94e-43e6-ab79-cd3d02fe35cf> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bathroomsbyrupp.com/blog/how-much-value-does-a-bathroom-remodel-add/ | 2024-04-16T04:21:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.933786 | 835 |
Train on the Brazos
The Brazos River is one of the best rowing venues in the region, drawing crews from around the country for training. Described as “a river without a current” and “a river without the chop,” the Brazos River offers more than 13 miles of rowable water to run drills, work on technique, and stage races and scrimmages.
The Baylor Boathouse
Baylor Crew offers dock rentals to visiting crews with access to two docks, lawn space for staging and equipment storage, and running water. Waco provides a plethora of dining options on and off campus. Hotel accommodations are available near campus.
Contact us for more information about dock rentals and availability. | <urn:uuid:53e86d34-a1e4-4efb-bffc-437430cbafc1> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://baylorcrew.com/dock-rental/ | 2024-04-16T05:30:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.930464 | 149 |
Mother’s Day will be listed here before you know it, and fresh new blooms are a go-to gift for a explanation. Totally foolproof and definitely gorgeous, a bouquet of bouquets is the least difficult way to let your mother know just how a great deal you appreciate her. But hoping to locate the perfect Mother’s Day flower arrangement isn’t really as uncomplicated as selecting from roses or hydrangeas. With a slew of on line flower supply services, it’s vital to make confident you locate one particular that is not only trustworthy, but also offers selections that are affordable and up to your benchmarks. Oh, and for all of you final-moment shoppers, exact-day supply is important. That is why we’ve rounded up the most effective flower supply services, based on what you are hunting to deliver. We have not only tapped our gurus in the Excellent Housekeeping Institute for their tips, but we’ve also long gone off of purchaser reviews to make confident whoever gets your bouquet will be one hundred% happy. | <urn:uuid:abce362f-0a4c-403c-8abc-eb2f87cee92c> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bcmgravelines.com/11-best-flower-delivery-services-2020.html | 2024-04-16T04:04:02Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.943284 | 225 |
In football, a slot receiver is the second wide receiver on the field. They line up a few yards behind the outside wide receiver and are responsible for running all routes. They have to be very versatile and possess excellent chemistry with the quarterback. The position was popularized by legendary Raiders coach Al Davis in the 1960s, and it has become a crucial part of many teams’ offenses.
In addition to being a name for a position on the field, the term “slot” can also refer to a narrow opening in something larger. A slot can be used to hold coins in a vending machine, or it can refer to a time slot on a calendar. The term is also used in the gambling industry to describe a specific area of a casino floor that has been reserved for high-stakes games.
Various states have different laws regarding slot machines. Some allow private ownership, while others prohibit it. In general, privately owned slot machines are less common than those operated by casinos and racetracks. The number of available slots is limited by the amount of money that can be wagered. Typically, the more coins a player can place in a single pull, the higher the chances of winning.
A slot is also a device on a computer that accepts a processor to upgrade the system’s performance. The original slot was introduced by Intel as a replacement for the Socket 8; AMD released its own version, known as the Slot A, in 1999. Both are still in use today, although they are slowly being replaced by sockets.
When a slot refers to an airport, it typically means an authorization for take-off or landing at a specific time, usually granted due to runway congestion, weather conditions, or staffing issues. In Europe, it is commonly assigned by Eurocontrol, as a part of air traffic management. Airline slots can be traded or sold, and some of them are very valuable.
In a slot machine, a player inserts cash or, in the case of “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode, into a designated slot on the machine. The machine then activates reels that spin and stop to rearrange symbols. If the symbols match a winning combination listed in the pay table, the player receives credits based on that table. The pay table is often posted on the machine, above and below the reels or, in the case of video slots, within a help menu.
In addition to a pay table, a slot machine may have special features, such as a bonus game or free spins. These features are designed to keep players interested and can result in a large win. These bonuses are often accompanied by a soundtrack and visuals that reflect the theme of the game. In some cases, a slot can even offer progressive jackpots, which increase in value as players continue to play. In order to claim a prize, the player must correctly match all symbols on the payline. | <urn:uuid:45d2ab51-50bd-4239-9121-e28638d05656> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://beachboundtrailers.com/what-is-a-slot-4/ | 2024-04-16T04:58:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.974305 | 599 |
You’ve set out a financial plan and followed the plan you were advised on. Now, you can kick back and forget about it, right? Wrong. Effective financial planning is about much more than an initial strategy. Regularly going back to your plan and checking in with your financial adviser or planner ensures it remains suited to your needs and aspirations. It should be, at least, on an annual basis.
As with all of life’s plans, things go awry, opportunities can present themselves or you may simply have a change of heart. If you fail to go back to your financial plan you may find years later that it hasn’t suited your goals and priorities for some time.
It’s also the perfect time to reassess your life goals. Often, the bigger picture can get lost in the day-to-day. Frequently coming back to what you want to achieve, and whether you’re on track to meet aspirations should be part of your financial plan.
If you’re still not convinced about the need to revisit your financial plan at regular intervals, we’ve got six reasons you should be doing so.
1. Your aspirations and priorities change
When you look back at what you wanted to achieve a decade ago, it’s likely there will be change. Aspirations and priorities to shift over time.
You may have started with an investment portfolio that took a relatively high level of risk in a bid to deliver higher returns. However, after welcoming children, stability may now be a greater priority, for example. Likewise, as you plan for retirement you may have taken a measured approach to spending, putting money away to fund your later years. Now that you’ve reached the milestone, you may want to increase spending to really enjoy your life after giving up work.
Chatting with your financial adviser about what your priorities are now and how they have shifted gives you an opportunity to realign your wealth and assets with this in mind.
2. Your situation can alter
It’s not just attitude and personal goals that can change either. Perhaps you’ve received a pay rise and now have more disposable income to invest. Or maybe you’ve received an inheritance and your current financial plan hasn’t taken this into consideration.
When your personal situation changes, it’s always worth taking a step back and asking if it’s something that should affect how you’re handling your finances. It means you can get the most out of your money, stay on track and maybe even exceed the targets set.
3. Review performance
While constantly watching the performance of your investments isn’t a good idea, as they will fluctuate, ensuring you effectively review your plan is crucial. How will you know if you’re on the right path otherwise?
Reviews can show if you’ve gone off course at some points. Taking action early means you can minimise the impact it has on your overall goals. It’s also an opportunity to review those areas that have outperformed and could give you a nudge to restructuring assets to follow this.
4. Wider political and economic factors have an impact
Your situation and aspirations are the centre of your financial plan. But some factors outside of your control can impact it too. From legislation altering the way you can access your pension at retirement and tax-efficient allowances changing, to geopolitical tension influencing investment performance.
It’s not possible to predict all events or the impact they’ll have. However, reviews of your financial plan, ensure you can prepare and respond to potential risks and opportunities.
5. Improve your confidence in your finances
If you are worried about your money or financial decision, conversations with your financial planner can help. Finance can seem complex and ever-changing. As a result, you may not be certain about whether a decision is the right one, even if it’s something you’ve covered in a financial plan years ago.
The more you assess your finances and engage with your plan, the more confidence you’ll feel with making decisions. It’s a process that can help give you peace of mind that you’re taking steps towards the financial independence you want.
6. Effective estate planning
While passing away isn’t something anyone wants to think about, Inheritance Tax and estate planning is an important part of the financial planning process. As circumstances, views, and wealth change, it’s natural that what you want to happen to your estate will change too.
If you’d like our help, whether to create or review a financial plan, please get in touch.
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The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. | <urn:uuid:5ba41e92-1a5b-4cf8-a3cd-8311153c4e86> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://beaufortfinancial.co.uk/fareham/why-regular-financial-reviews-are-critical-for-achieving-aspirations/ | 2024-04-16T03:58:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.93681 | 1,204 |
Bangkok Balm 25g
✅Bangkok Balm is made from organic fresh Acanthaceae herbal leaves made into herbal gel provides relief for eczema, insect bites, burns and herpes simplex.
✅Provides a gentle cooling effect on your skin with a fresh scent smell unlike traditional medicinal balm often leaving a strong smell and oily feeling to your skin.
How to use:
Apply on skin for relief of itchiness, mosquito and insect bites
Made in Thailand | <urn:uuid:f4fb08ca-6139-48e3-ae59-d8a15ebc4866> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://beautynbath.com/product/bangkok-balm-25g/ | 2024-04-16T05:15:50Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.887615 | 100 |
On July 7, 2017, the Birth of St. John the Baptist was celebrated at the Central Cemetery of Belgrade in the church devoted to this saint. Hierarchical Divine Liturgy served by his Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, was attended by a large number of the faithful. Subsequent to the Liturgy, the Patriarch spoke about the significance and the role of St. John the Forerunner. This was followed by the festive Litany around the church and cutting of the Patron Saint Day Cake. The host of the Patron Saint Day was Dragan Baltovski, General Manager of PUC “Funeral Services”. The Church of St. John the Baptist is decorated by the Iconostasis, which is internationally unique due to the fact that it was made during the WW2 in the Buchenwald Concentration Camp by the architect and the officer Grigorije Samojlov and his comrades, also concentration camp prisoners. The wooden structure is made of oak thresholds taken from the old railway tracks, whereas the wood carving tools were made of metal scraps and horse shoes by the concentration camp prisoners. Serbian soldiers gave up their modest concentration camp rations in order to acquire the material needed for the Iconostasis. The icons for the Iconostasis were pained by Professor Grigorije Samojlov. After the war, in 1945, the Iconostasis was moved to Serbia and subsequent to several movements, ended in the Church at the Central Cemetery of Belgrade. Due to its origin, the Iconostasis is under the protection of the UNESCO, representing a part of the World Cultural Heritage. | <urn:uuid:8f632778-eacf-4baa-bd50-f91d0ee430fc> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://beogradskagroblja.com/na-centralnom-groblju-u-beogradu-oblezena-slava-hrama-rodenja-svetog-jovana-krstitelja-ivanjdan/?lang=en | 2024-04-16T03:57:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.979244 | 328 |
Playing games is fun, but playing on a console or PC can be even more fun with the right gaming controller. With PC gaming and consoles, you can go from ordinary to extraordinary with the right controller. There are literally thousands of options, and with gaming technology advancing at a rapid pace, it can be hard to know which controller is right for you. If you need a new controller, you should get it right the first time.
The gaming industry has seen some significant developments in controller technology over the past few years. From wireless controllers to controllers that use motion controls, the options have never been better for gamers. But the best gaming controllers on the market are not necessarily the same ones for all gamers.
XBOX One Controller
The Xbox one controller is Microsoft’s standard-issue controller for its Xbox console, which also happens to be the company’s flagship console. While the standard controller gets the job done, it’s by no means the best gaming controller, which brings us to the question: what’s the best gaming controller?
The DualShock 4 is part of the PlayStation family of gaming consoles and was designed from the ground up to be a great console controller while also being customizable to play on a PC (using the included USB adapter).
The Dualshock 5 from Sony has all that and more. This controller for the PS4 and PC offers superior haptic feedback, excellent ergonomics, and a superior control scheme for players of all skill levels.
F310 Wireless and F320—these controllers offer top-notch performance with comfortable ergonomic control layouts, and with wireless and wired options, they’re easily customizable for your preferred style of play.
Turtle Beach Recon Controller
The Recon controller is a premium wireless controller that delivers the most precise and accurate control. It’s designed specifically with first-person shooters and other competitive shooters in mind, and its sturdy build quality makes it perfect for gaming sessions that last for hours. It is made of durable plastic, which gives you a good grip. Plus, the textured grips provide a better feel in your hands for more precise control.
Yes, it’s expensive, but controllers for gaming are a must-have accessory for anyone who plays video games. While gaming controllers are most useful for PC and console games, they work just as well for mobile games such as Candy Crush, Cut the Rope, and Angry Birds. A good controller is versatile, and you can choose whichever type is most convenient for you. For example, some gamers like controllers with analog sticks, others with digital pads, and some with D-pads.
Getting the best game controller is important if you want to get the most from your gaming. It can come in many different forms. Comparing them is no easy task since a controller is a personal choice. Comparing them to each other, however, may be a little more manageable.
There are different ways to choose the best gaming controllers for your console or PC. It is useful for playing console games or PC games. Actually, the controller is an important part of all gaming consoles. It is needed to control all actions of the game.
Gaming is fun, and it’s one of the best ways to relieve stress and have a good time, but there’s nothing worse than having a game you love, only to find that the controller that comes with your console or PC is inadequate. The wrong controller can ruin your gaming experience, so whether you’re upgrading from an old one or shopping for a new one for the first time.
The best gaming controllers are wired because wireless loses accuracy and responsiveness during intense gaming sessions. Troubleshooting wireless controllers may call for a replacement battery or a new dongle, which can be a hassle. | <urn:uuid:f8d31702-2d4f-4142-b598-3cfcf26580fb> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://berlinmoscow.net/best-gaming-controllers-for-console-pc/ | 2024-04-16T03:45:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.945106 | 775 |
CONCHES - Superb contemporary villa with a pool
This magnificent contemporary villa built in 2014 in a quiet residential area has an imposing useful surface of 600 m2.
The ground floor offers an entrance with cloakroom and guest toilet, a large living / dining room of around 80 m2 with high ceilings and large bay windows giving access to the garden and a kitchen. The upper floor offers 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
The 280 m2 basement has 2 ensuite bedrooms and a huge living room with access to an English patio, a kitchen, a staff wing with separate kitchen and 2 bedrooms. Landscaped garden, swimming pool, automatic gate, garage and parking spaces, automatic watering. Heating by geothermal probes, heat pump and solar panels. | <urn:uuid:66ab68f8-2e56-4e35-a83c-5f608be3fe19> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://berthault.ch/en/for-sale/conches-superb-contemporary-villa-with-a-pool | 2024-04-16T05:17:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.916142 | 155 |
Targovishte's Terra Europe Hotel comes with free WiFi in all areas and a free private parking on site. Massages are provided at a surcharge. Each of the rooms at the Terra Europe Hotel is air conditioned and comes with a TV with satellite channels and a minibar. A safety deposit box is provided free of charge. A seating area is available as well. Some of the rooms feature a sofa. The en-suite bathroom is equipped with a shower or a bath and free toiletries. Terra Europe Hotel boasts an on-site à-la-carte restaurant and a night club. Information about the tour desk services, that are offered, can be received at the reception. Shuttle services are provided upon request, at an additional fee. A grocery shop can be reached 100 metres away. A 20-minute drive will take you to Omurtag. | <urn:uuid:d1666901-3a4c-43b6-83ea-42b4566c9f56> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://besthotels.bg/en/hotels/731/hotel-terra-europe | 2024-04-16T05:20:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.952129 | 177 |
If you’re thinking about living in Gainesville, you probably want to know all the details before you pack your bags. Living in this city in Alachua County can be a great experience, especially if you’re young. Just 2 hours from Orlando is this University City, which hosts more than 65,000 students annually. Cultural activities and events in Gainesville occur daily thanks to the needs of a large number of young people in the city. Whether you’re a sports, music, or history fan, you’ll find something to relax and have fun in Gainesville. As soon as the best movers in Gainesville help you relocate to this city, here are some events you shouldn’t miss!
Let’s get to know cultural activities and events in Gainesville
Although Florida is a symbol of sun and beaches, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have something else to offer. Gainsville is a city in the northern part of the state and is a great location for outdoor enthusiasts. Plenty of parks, hiking and biking trails, and gardens will welcome you there. But you will also be able to walk through its historic neighborhood. For fans of sports and cultural events, Gainesville offers a quality program, many days a year. If you are among the mentioned, then moving to this college town is the right choice for you. It is enough to find residential moving companies in Gainesville and arrange your relocation.
As in other cities, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Gainesville on February 14th. On that day this year, couples in love as well as friends will have the opportunity to enjoy a nice event at The Fat Tuscan. We are talking about Valentine’s Cooking Class, Dinner, and Wine Tasting. Couples will have the opportunity to prepare a meal for themselves during this romantic evening. In addition, they have the opportunity to taste wine. With your Valentine, you will make Tomato Basil & Mozzarella Bruschetta, Gnocchi Pasta, and a Dessert of Tiramisu. Each couple will have a separate station with food and supplies.
The other event that will take place this day will be located at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. This cultural center will host the comedian and actor Demetri Martin. This 49-year-old artist created the Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin. On this Valentine’s Day, it will cheer up many couples and those who are eager to socialize and laugh.
Celebrating Black History Month in the city of Gainesville
February is also part of the year when Black History Month is celebrated. This tradition began in the Jim Crow era and was officially recognized in 1976. The purpose of the celebration is to honor African Americans and acknowledge their sacrifice. Various cultural events will be held in Gainesville to mark the occasion. If you want to attend one of the events during February hire local movers in Gainesville and ensure your fast and efficient move.
- African American women in Art & Literature. On February 19, the cultural event “African American women in Art & Literature” will take place. Celebrating African History Month, the city of Gainesville, and the A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center will present artist Yvonne Ferguson.
- Blues Night. The Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center hosts the North Central Florida Blues Society’s Blues on the Patio. A local blues artist will be presented, and the goal of the event is to encourage young artists to this type of music. If you are a blues fan, this could be a very interesting evening for you. The event will be played on February 26.
- Posing Beauty in African American Culture. “Posing Beauty in African American Culture” will be on display throughout the month at the Harn Museum of Art. Features approximately 120 works of art and more than 45 artists and photographers. By the way, Gainesville’s Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art is another of the University of Florida’s world-class attractions. Covering about 112,800 square meters, there are galleries, an auditorium, and study rooms. The museum has a permanent collection of over 11,300 art objects. It emphasizes African and Asian artists but also gives space to modern and contemporary art and photography.
Florida Museum events
The Florida Museum of National History is also part of Gainesville and provides a large number of events for children and adults throughout the year. Whether you want to visit the famous Butterfly Rainforest or participate in one of the children’s events, the experience will remain forever in the memory. The museum also has events for children with behavioral disorders, so as early as February 19, you can participate in the event with your child during which the child will be able to explore the world around him at his own pace. February will be the month dedicated to the world of insects, March to the world of plants and April will introduce you to the animal world.
Explore the Pleasant Street Historic District
Upon arrival in Gainesville, many are surprised by the preservation of historic buildings. This part of Florida is of historical importance, considering that after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, blacks established their first settlement here. Among the houses that you will meet while walking around the neighborhood, you will come across different styles of architecture. You will see the American history of this area through ordinary wooden but also stylishly built houses.
Daily events at the Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention
The Cade Museum is known for its interactive learning for children and adults. Their mission is to inspire future inventors and entrepreneurs. During the year, you will be able to have fun in one of their programs every day. Little Sparks is a program for the youngest, during which children learn about science through song, play, music, and stories. A similar program, but for slightly older children, is Jr. Inventor Night. And for serious students, there is the Codebotics Club.
This February 14, the Cade Museum will also host the State of the City Address event. Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward invites all neighbors to attend a presentation on city improvement, strategic goals, and vision for a fair and inclusive city.
Sports events throughout the year
The O’Connell Center has been part of the lives of Gainesville residents since 1980. With 12,000 seats, it can afford a large number of people to attend various events. It has indoor and outdoor swimming pools and hosts various sports and cultural events. There you can watch Florida Gators Basketball, Gymnastics, and Athletics.
Music events and festivals as part of cultural activities and events in Gainesville
This year you will have the opportunity to attend a large number of musical events. Whether it’s a church choir or a big pop concert, Gainesville will not let you down. Hayden Coffman, June Star, The Kingdom Choir, San Salvador, Megan Moroney, and many others will be among the first to perform. These events will take place in different places in the city, so it’s best to get informed monthly so you don’t miss the performance of your favorite musicians.
What else can you expect from living in Gainesville?
Since this is a university town, keep in mind that there are a lot of young people walking the streets. The median age in the city is 26. According to the last census, the city has more than 134K inhabitants. Students are served by 66 schools and 15 private and charter schools. As many as 49% of the population have a bachelor’s degree.
The economy of the city
Gainesville’s economy employs more than 64K residents. The unemployment rate is lower than the national average, 4.4%, but in the last year business prosperity has been in a slight decline. The average annual salary is $42,108 and there is no income tax. Also, there are low corporate and other business taxes, so if you decide to relocate your business, you will be at an advantage compared to some other parts of the country. Just find commercial moving companies in Gainesville and start that business adventure. The best companies to work for are the University of Florida, Info Tech, and Exactech and the best-paying jobs are Psychiatrist and Dentist at over $220K per year, Nurse Anesthetist at $174K, and Architectural and Engineering Manager at $138K.
Cost of living
If you decide to relocate and come to Gainesville, know that your cost of living is 10-13% lower than the state average and the Florida average. The median home value is $230K which is lower than the national and Florida averages. However, only 38.7% of the population are homeowners. The average rent is $1044. Food prices are also lower than the national average. However, utilities are high, especially electricity prices and property taxes. Among the 29 neighborhoods, University Park is the most expensive. If all this seems challenging to you and for moving from another state, get matched with long distance movers in Gainesville to have a reliable move.
Cultural activities and events in Gainesville will be a part of your life as soon as you move into this wonderful city
Although moving is considered demanding and stressful, some cities are worth the sacrifice. Moving to this Florida city can be a great idea. Besides cultural activities and events in Gainesville, favorable living conditions await you too. Also, in the City of Gainesville, you will be able to live life just the way you want it. You can have fun in many places where there’s a lot of youth, and you can also lead a quiet family life. Opportunities are endless, so enjoy Gainesville! | <urn:uuid:38de454d-3520-4378-9718-b80e73995fff> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bestmoversinflorida.com/cultural-activities-and-events-in-gainesville/ | 2024-04-16T03:27:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.960964 | 2,016 |
For now, with the launch of Bevry v6 meetings are no longer officially scheduled.
Recorded sessions for previous meetings are found at:
And specific series here:
- John Vervaeke’s Awakening from the Meaning Crisis
- Jordan B Peterson’s 2017 Maps of Meaning Lecture Series
- Jordan B Peterson’s 2017 Personality Lecture Series
- Jordan B Peterson’s The Psychological Significance of the Biblical Stories
General calls and chats are powered by Signal. Signal can be used with its app, available on every platform. Signal offers great chat and call user experience and quality, as superior privacy over alternatives.
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Duration of the calls have ranged between between 1 and 6 hours, with most between 1 and 3 hours. Participation in part is fine, and likely also valuable.
When participating we request participants mute their microphones when not speaking and if possible wear headphones. This will improve audio quality by optimising for bandwidth on active transmissions, as well as reducing opportunity for background noise and feedback. Feedback is when the output of your speakers is captured as input into your microphone, causing what was output to become input again, creating an echo for everyone else. Having the audio go through headphones prevents the opportunity for feedback, as your microphone will be unable to hear the output of your headphones. To mute and unmute, tap the screen or wiggle the mouse so the buttons appear, then toggle the microphone button. If it is red, then it is muted. If there is background noise, a moderator may mute your microphone for you. Simply unmute it whenever you wish to speak. When joining the call, we will finish the current conversation thread before doing an introduction. In case we forget to do an introduction, feel free to introduce yourself and participate on your own will.
We highly recommend installing Krisp to reduce background noise and increase clarity in realtime (achieved locally on your device).
Our meetings are comprised of people from all walks of life, countries, identities, politics, temperaments, and so on. The meetings are often a refuge from our everyday echo chambers, where participants can discuss and experiment with dissenting views with people who can play devil’s advocate, pushback, or expand. A place for participants to learn, grow, get feedback, and become less stupid. This liberty based dialogue also means we must respect the privacy of others at all costs. People can risk a lot in participating in these meetings, and they may be in environments or societies where such free exchange is penalised.
Everything except the podcast calls should be considered and treated as private and confidential. The privacy of participants is of the highest importance. Participants, learnings, stories, discussions, etc should all be anonymised unless you have explicit permission from associated parties that you can do otherwise. As we cannot provide guarantees, you can choose to control your anonymity yourself, such as using a new Google account under an alias and using that to participate then anonymising yourself when you participate. If you are concerned about government surveillance, refer to EFF’s Surveillance Self-Defence and Privacy for Journalists.
While we focus primarily on the agenda items, anything philosophy orientated is welcome. For the respect of time, we will attempt to knock off the agenda items first, then move onto larger tangents and personal discussions afterwards.
If you need help with participation or have suggestions, please message the @Hosts.
If you wish to share this document, you can do so via this link: | <urn:uuid:29fbcbc7-1c51-4b3e-b6b8-64f7304308d4> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bevry.rodeo/t/about-the-meetings/92 | 2024-04-16T04:01:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.922626 | 797 |
Introduction to blue carbon ecosystems
Legislation has recently been enacted to protect, restore, and conserve these ecosystems, including the 30 x 30 agreement and the High Seas Treaty. These agreements have the potential to conserve large areas of coastal and marine ecosystems by 2030. However, funding is currently lacking in this area. Markets have the potential to finance these ecosystems through blue carbon credits or the creation of biodiversity/nature credits.
Here are some key takeaways from the report
Two out of the five top-rated projects on the BeZero Carbon Ratings (BCR) framework are blue carbon projects. Blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves or seagrass, provide ecosystem services and functions, such as food and shelter, for humans and other species.
New legislation has been enacted to protect 30% of the world's land and ocean by 2030. This legislation enables the protection of marine biodiversity in the world’s oceans, facilitating the storage of carbon dioxide.
Financing mechanisms for blue carbon include the voluntary carbon market, sovereign carbon credits, and nascent biodiversity markets. Undeveloped monitoring and assessment systems for blue carbon have stifled investment to date.
02 Examples of blue carbon habitats
03 New legislation to protect oceans
04 What are the means of funding restoration and conservation? | <urn:uuid:17ac6ee3-87eb-4434-b203-8d741ff0d1cb> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bezerocarbon.com/insights/introduction-to-blue-carbon-ecosystems | 2024-04-16T04:31:02Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.928355 | 261 |
Brakes, the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler, has launched an innovative range of texture modified meals to meet a growing demand from care and hospital caterers as well as other establishments like schools.
With the pressure on kitchen staff, it can be challenging to provide a range of options to meet all dietary needs, but the latest products from Brakes make it easy for caterers to serve great-tasting meals that meet IDDSI Level Four requirements.
The range includes five meat-based and five vegetarian options. The meat-based products are Chicken Casserole, Shepherd’s Pie, Chilli Con Carne, Fish & Potato Pie, and Beef in Bolognese Sauce, while the vegetarian options are Lentil Bolognese, Vegetable Casserole, Mixed Vegetable Curry, Creamy Cauliflower Florets, and Moroccan Chickpea Stew.
Each box of ten meals – either meat or vegetarian – contains two each of the five different meals, allowing caterers to offer a varied selection for customers who require texture modified meals.
Cathy Amos, Head of Customer Marketing at Brakes, said: “Our new range provides a ready-made solution for caterers who need to serve IDDSI level Four options.
“As well as providing the right products for our customers, we are committed to delivering bespoke support and the Brakes website has lots of resources providing information, free guidance and tutorials on IDDSI and other dietary needs, including a video demonstrating the IDDSI textures.” | <urn:uuid:08b89ffa-14cd-462d-827a-b71f01790f3a> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bfff.co.uk/brakes-launches-range-of-texture-modified-range-meals/ | 2024-04-16T03:29:44Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.932049 | 323 |
As of Sept. 29, cases have surged to 90 new cases and an average of 73 new cases reported each day, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Wood County is now at a total of 16,410 total cases and 210 deaths have occurred.
In total, the state of Ohio is at 1.43 million cases with 22,273 deaths. On Oct. 3rd the CDC, reported that Ohio’s population with one dose of the vaccine is at 54.5% and 50.4% are fully vaccinated. In total 12.2 million total doses have been given and 5.9 million are fully vaccinated.
Eligible Ohioans can now get their COVID-19 booster shots at a pharmacy, federally qualified health center, doctor’s offices, community vaccination site or a local health department.
Dayton Daily News has reported that although the state has hit another peak in COVID-19 cases, experts are saying that this could be the pandemic’s last great wave. Recent data has now shown that the Delta variant may be beginning to decline in Ohio.
Critical shortage of Type-O blood in hospitals
Across the Ohio and Michigan region in the U.S., the American Red Cross announced on Sept. 28, that donors are needed to alleviate a critical shortage of O blood type.
Due to the Delta variant causing a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, blood donor turnout has reached the lowest levels of the year as many people delayed giving amid a return to the workplace and in-person learning. As the cases began to spike, blood donor participation decreased 10%.
Amidst the decrease in blood product distributions, hospitals have been able to remain strong throughout their storages and significantly outpacing blood donations in recent weeks. Since 2015, the National Red Cross Blood has stated that their inventory is the lowest it’s been at this time of year with less than a day’s supply of certain blood types.
The O-positive blood type is the more common blood type, 38% of the population obtain O-positive, whereas only 7% of the population have this O-negative blood type.
If able, reach out and schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App. Or, you can visit RedCrossBlood.org, call (1-800-733-2767) or find a blood drive clinic close to you.
Social media shutdown
On Oct. 4, Facebook and its family of apps, like Instagram and WhatsApp, were unusable for hours. Showing error messages around 11:40 a.m. Eastern Time, users noticed within minutes Facebook had disappeared from the internet.
Speculations surfaced since the initial shutdown and KrebsonSecurity reported, “Sometime this morning Facebook took away the map telling the world’s computers how to find its various online properties.”
Theorists have been all over social media as to why our beloved social media platforms crashed for over five hours, but what is agreed upon is that Facebook’s Domain Name System records became unreachable. The question posed: “why did the BGP routes disappear in the first wired?”
“This is a massive hack tied to Sunday night’s ‘60 minute episode in which a facebook whistleblower said that Facebook is intentionally misleading the public,’” according to an article from Vice.
In reality, it could’ve been a simple mistake causing the crash, but conspiracies have come up and previous problems are causing even more speculation to be fired at Facebook.
Since the shutdown users have fled to the last standing social media platform, Twitter, where memes were quickly made and many feel as if it’s a good thing that the platforms crashed. Users feel as if the world would be better without social media consuming our lives.
@TheTweetOfGod tweeted at 12:21 p.m.; “Instagram and Facebook are currently not working, as are democracy, society and a healthy sense of self.”
All of these platforms are up and running again but if there’s one thing internet users have learned since the crash, it’s that conspiracy theories can spread across the internet just fine without Facebook.
Recreation marijuana coming to Ohio in 2022
In 2016, legislature legalized medical marijuana in Ohio.
According to the Ohio Capital Journal, as of May 2021, 19 states reported a total of $7.9 billion dollars in tax revenue from legal, adult-use maijuana sales and in addition generated statewide budgets. Cities and towns have also generated new revenue from local adult-use cannabis taxes.
In late August, Ohio approved ballot language for recreational cannabis legalization. This could take the form of forcing the state legislature to vote through the traditional legislative process or through an initiated statute by a group called Coalition to Regulate Marijuana.
Either would work to legalize the possession of marijuana for personal use or for anyone older than 21 years of age.
Researchers believe that legalizing marijuana will generate more taxes for the state than alcohol does. Ohio generated $113.6 million in taxes on alcohol sales last year therefore making an 8% increase since 2019.
The Tax Foundation has already predicted Ohio’s future for state tax collection from legalization, which is predicted at $220 million annually.
The initiated statue is gathering signatures to send their language to the Ohio legislature; as of now and if the legislature doesn’t take action on the bill, organizers, if received enough signatures, could put the issue on the ballot in Ohio as early as November 2022. | <urn:uuid:06dd8388-f501-4765-9d1a-57ac9fb2813f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bgfalconmedia.com/122593/news/falcon-4-news-week-of-october-4/ | 2024-04-16T04:35:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.95333 | 1,156 |
- A Marvel insider claims that Marvel plans to bring Robert Downey Jr. back to the MCU for an important meeting.
- Iron Man would interact with some of the heroes that were not available to
Disney in previous Marvel movies because the company did not have the rights to those characters. - Marvel now controls those superheroes, but Tony Stark died a heroic death at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
The reason why the Marvel movies work so well, and why epic films like Avengers: Endgame become massive successes upsetting the likes of Martin Scorsese, is the continuity. Each film or TV series tells a specific story that has a beginning and an end, but that film or TV series is just a cog in a much bigger machine. Like in the comics, there’s an overarching storyline that connects everything. The result is that crossovers like Avengers films or Captain America: Civil War are so satisfying. They’re filled with great Easter eggs, and you get to see these great characters interact for the first time and then work together. Infinity War is an amazing example of that.
Take those early meetings between Tony Stark, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange. Or how Hulk finds out there’s a Spider-Man and an Ant-Man. Or how the Guardians meet some of the Avengers, with each faction planning on defeating Thanos. And the list goes on. Such moments will continue in the near future, but some of our beloved Avengers are gone or retired. Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America (Steve Rogers version) won’t be able to meet-and-greet other superheroes who are just joining the MCU unless Marvel does something drastic. With that in mind, there’s a new rumor from a well-known insider who claims that Marvel plans to bring back Tony Stark for a specific interaction. Beware, some minor Marvel spoilers follow below.
Reports that Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) will rejoin the MCU despite being dead after the events in Endgame aren’t new, and they’ll probably never go away. Some of them are quite believable, offering Marvel options to bring back the Iron Man magic to the MCU, without stealing anything from the Endgame finale. Stark gave his life to save everyone else, in what was an amazing send-off for the character. The MCU will move beyond Tony’s death, and Phase 4 is all about meeting the new Avengers who will keep fighting against the bad guys.
But Phase 4 is also the phase where Marvel can afford to open the multiverse. It’s not just because of the Disney+ inclusion in Marvel’s MCU project; although the TV shows certainly help Marvel deliver richer, more nuanced Avengers stories that should make future crossovers even better. It’s the Fox purchase, combined with the new Sony deal, that will make the multiverse so exciting.
The rumored new deal with Sony is simple. Marvel and Sony will continue to milk Spider-Man, with each party advancing their own plans. It’s a mutually beneficial contract that will guarantee the success of both universes.
The more exciting of the two is the Fox purchase that allows Marvel to play with some of the comics’ best characters, including the X-Men, Deadpool, and the Fantastic Four. These are all heroes that Marvel could not touch before, even though they were Marvel characters. And if Marvel was able to create an amazing universe without these characters, what’s coming must be just incredible. Marvel already confirmed it’s working on projects that include the mutants, and we already knew that Deadpool would be coming to the MCU, as
🚨 RUMOR: Marvel Studios has plans
for Robert Downey Jr. to return to the
MCU and interact with Reed Richards.— cosmic (@cosmic_marvel) January 24, 2021
This brings us to long-time Marvel leaker Daniel Richtman who said on his Patreon account that Marvel plans to bring Robert Downey Jr. back so that Tony Stark can interact with Reed Richards. As with any other rumor, there’s no guarantee any of this will happen, and Richtman doesn’t have a perfect track record.
However, there’s no denying that fans would absolutely love that Stark-Richards interaction mentioned here. And while we’re at it having Deadpool chat up to Stark would be just amazing.
Interestingly enough, Feige was asked during an interview with Cinema Blend ahead of the WandaVision premiere (above) whether he’s sad that Tony will not meed Reed. “I mean, there’s… you know, as the comics have always done, you inherit the continuity that is the point in time of that you’re about to tell a new story, and that’s where we are. So yes.”
“I spend more time thinking about being excited about seeing things than I do [spend being] sad about not seeing things,” he quickly added. That’s far from being a confirmation that Marvel is considering bringing Tony back to work with Reed. But Marvel is definitely aware of those lost moments.
Again, this is where the multiverse could help. We don’t necessarily need our Tony Stark to interact with Reed Richards. It could be a slightly similar Stark coming from whatever Earth version Richards is from. After all, the Loki and Gamora that populate the main MCU timeline aren’t ours either. The characters that grew under our eyes were brutally killed in Infinity War. We’re getting replacements with relatively blank slates from the alternate universes the Avengers visited and altered in Endgame. With that in mind, a meeting between Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic is absolutely doable. | <urn:uuid:a74fdba4-9cfc-4659-80d8-a4159843b4a4> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bgr.com/entertainment/marvel-spoilers-iron-man-return/ | 2024-04-16T05:24:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.947377 | 1,201 |
28 Aug 5 Ways To Find The Right Kid’s Bible
5 Ways to Find the Right Kid’s Bible
Looking for the right Kid’s Bible to help teach your child God’s word? Learn 5 ways to find the right kid’s Bible and discover an amazing Kid’s Bible option from Bible Blast. Choosing the right kid’s bible is critical to helping your child understand and love scripture for the first time.
We are going to look at 5 ways to find the right kid’s Bible. You could just grab your old King James bible off the shelf, throw it down, and tell them to start in Leviticus, but that would probably leave them frustrated. It’s important to find a bible that fits the age of your child so that they are not overwhelmed or under-challenged.
You want to find a bible that helps your child understand the big ideas and big stories of scripture in a way that’s perfect for where they are at right now. Maria Brannen, who works with Kids Groups and Faith Development of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board says that “Merely expecting or hoping your child becomes a Bible-reader isn’t a good approach. Every family needs a plan and the right tools to help make reading the scripture a family habit.” Equipping families to make reading scripture a family habit is what we are all about at Bible Blast. A great kid’s bible can be one of those right tools that help your child’s spiritual formation.
What is one of the biggest factors that help kids grow up to be spiritually healthy, active and engaged with church later in life?
According to a survey by LifeWay Research, the answer to that question is reading scripture as a child. The LifeWay survey showed that the strongest correlation between children growing up to be spiritually active and healthy was reading Scripture. In their survey of over 2,000 families, twenty-nine percent of the young adults, according to the parents’ responses, read their Bible regularly while growing up. That section tested out 12.5 percent higher on the study’s spiritual health score, according to LifeWay.
Early reading of scripture ended up being more of a determining factor in a child’s faith journey than even many other good things, like church attendance, vacation bible school, and participation in missions trips and special projects. There seems to be a tremendously positive compounding effect on kids reading the Bible when they are young. It’s perhaps the greatest investment you can make in your child’s spiritual development and like all good investment strategies, the most important thing is starting early.
Five Ways To Find The Right Kid’s Bible
Look for each of the 5 elements, or 5 ways to find the right kid’s Bible for your child or student that will help them begin a lifelong journey of loving to read scripture. Think of these 5 elements as things that you should be looking for when considering a bible for your child.
We will look at each of these elements briefly so that you can feel confident about finding the right kids bible for your child. We will also highlight how the Bible Blast Picture Bible is an amazing Kid’s Bible option for young kids and when you tie it together with the rest of the Bible Blast curriculum you have a powerful tool at your disposal to help kids begin to read the Bible for themselves.
This one should be pretty obvious but it’s still worth mentioning. We are not concerned at this point about whether or not you should choose a thought for thought bible translation or a more literal word for word translation. In early development, kids need to begin to hear the big stories of scripture in a way that fits where they are at in their development now.
Every child is different, especially when it comes to reading skills and learning styles so it’s hard to say at what age you should use picture bibles and when you should switch to challenging them to read more text. You know your child, when looking at a kid’s bible compare it to other books you have read to them or that they have read themselves. See if the kid’s bible you are considering is a good fit for their age.
Pictures tell a story and imprint on our minds in powerful ways. A good kid’s bible doesn’t just use pictures to fill space but as a powerful tool alongside the text to help kids understand the story better. Pictures stick in our memory without even making a conscious effort to remember them. I’m fortunate to own a few picture bibles from my childhood that now my kids read, when I flip through the pages every image triggers a memory.
The Big Story of the Bible Presented Clearly
It’s important for kids to learn the stories of the Bible. Every kid should learn about Daniel and the Lion’s Den, David and Goliath, and God parting the Red Sea. However, the goal is not just for your child to know a few bible stories.
The goal is to help them understand the Big Story of the Bible. The story of God redeeming and saving us through Jesus. The story of God’s redemption is an ever-present connecting string from Genesis to Revelation. A good kid’s bible helps kids learn the famous bible stories but also helps connect them all together into the Big Story of redemption through Jesus.
Clear and simple language
“Hello sire, could thou passeth the potatoes to me if it be thine pleasure.” That’s probably not how you talk at the dinner table and there is no reason that your kid’s Bible sound like its written in another language either. Be sure to choose a kid’s Bible that uses clear, simple and age-appropriate language that your child can readily understand and communicate.
Additional Support Resources
Finding the right Kid’s Bible for your child is an incredibly important tool to help your child’s spiritual formation. When you find a kid’s bible that works well together with additional resources and tools you can have an incredible impact on helping your child read, love and understand scripture.
Most kid’s Bibles are stand-alone picture bibles. This is one of the things that makes the Bible Blast Kid’s Picture Bible and the Bible Blast curriculum such a powerful 1-2 punch against biblical illiteracy. The Picture Bible and the Bible Blast curriculum work together giving you additional resources and tools to help your child read scripture.
Bible Blast’s Kid’s Picture Bible
As we just mentioned, the Bible Blast Kid’s Picture Bible is a great resource because of how it works together with the Bible Blast curriculum but it also has the other elements that we have discussed as well.
It is age-appropriate for younger children, specifically designed for younger age groups. It has wonderful engaging visual illustrations. It uses clear and simple language that kids can easily understand and communicate. The Picture Bible is divided into 24 sections and it tells the Big Story of the Bible, the redemption of Jesus, from Genesis to the Apostle Paul. We have already mentioned how it works together with the rest of the Bible Blast Curriculum. The Picture Bible can be purchased separately or as part of a Bible Blast package with the rest of the curriculum.
The Picture Bible is a great kid’s bible for your child at home or for Sunday school groups and homeschool curriculums. It has all 5 of the key elements that make up a great kid’s bible and it makes a great choice for parents that want to help their kids foster the habit of reading the Bible.
If you are a parent than you are the person who will shape what they think of the Bible more than anyone else. Help show them how valuable and important you think it is for them to read the Bible by getting them the right kid’s Bible for their age. I hope you have enjoyed the 5 ways to find the right kid’s Bible that we have gone over in this post and that you feel encouraged to help your child read God’s word. At Bible Blast we hope that this simple step could start them on a lifelong journey of hiding God’s word in their heart so that even when they are old they will not depart from it. | <urn:uuid:7726da2e-9d48-436a-8c03-1ca94c6c5f30> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bibleblast.com/5-ways-to-find-the-right-kids-bible/ | 2024-04-16T04:07:30Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.946469 | 1,722 |
Theravāda Buddhist music of Thailand and China emphasizes the intricate relationship between time, space, synchronic and diachronic perspectives, and cultural memory. Synchronic structure acts as both an intermediary and a result of diachrony. In Theravāda Buddhism, music traces elements of cultural memory manifested in various types of ritual practice found in both China and Thailand.
Comparing the musical practices of these two countries enables an exploration of the similarities and differences in their musical characteristics within the organizational structure of their Theravāda Buddhist cosmological systems. Historical time in Theravāda Buddhist music, considered as “monumental time” or “social time”, correlates with spatial expressions of musical structure, highlighting the cultural affinities and contradictions that structure music in Theravāda Buddhist traditions across national borders.
Learn more in “Zhong, Tai Nanchuan Fojiao yinyue de jiegou erchongxing bijiao yanjiu” (A comparative study of the dual structure in the Theravāda Buddhist music of China and Thailand) by Dong Chen (Zhongyang Yinyue Xueyuan xuebao/Journal of the Central Conservatory of Music 2/171 , 42–58). This Chinese journal is a new addition for 2023 in RILM Abstracts with Full Text.
Celebrating International Migrants Day on December 18 with music that crosses borders!
Listen to Thai Theravāda Buddhist monks chanting Dhammacakka Sutta below.
Comments Off on Theravāda Buddhist music across borders
When people ask me about an introduction to Thai classical music, I (and many others) suggest watching a film entitled The Overture. It is indeed a good beginning into the world of Thai classical music.
The Overture (โหมโรง Hom Rong), released in 2004, is a fictional film based on the life of the legendary Thai classical musician, Sorn Silpabanlen (1881-1954), also known as Luang Pradit Pairoh. The film parallels two different eras in which Sorn lived: the late 19th century, when he was young and Thai classical music was under patronage, and the 1940s, when Sorn became an old master and Thai classical music was regarded as uncivilized in the face of modernization programs led by Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram. Below is a brief synopsis and analysis of key scenes and themes in the film.
As a young man born into a musical family, Sorn is a talented ranat ek (Thai xylophone) player, who has gained great recognition for his skills. His confidence, however, is shaken after losing a spontaneous public match to the ranat ek master Khun In. This defeat leads Sorn to devote himself to more rigorous practice. Ultimately, a chance for a revenge comes when Sorn joins the Royal ensemble leading to a one-on-one ranat ek match with Khun Inn with elites, locals, and even foreigners in the audience. After an intense performance, Sorn finally defeats Khun In. The scene then changes to the 1940s, where an older Sorn reflects on the day of the match while looking at photographs of his masters, including Khun In, hanging on the wall of his home. One night, a military officer visits his home to request that Thai classical music be abandoned for the purpose of promoting modernization in Thailand. The officer emphasizes to Sorn the need to civilize the nation. To this request Sorn replies, “If rooted deep and strong, a tree can stand still to any forces. If we do not take care of the roots, how can we survive?”
The performance of ranat ek throughout the film depicts several glamorous aspects of Thai classical music: virtuoso techniques (especially when playing in octaves at a faster tempo), various improvisations, and exciting Ranat ek matches. The breathtaking intensity of the ranat ek match is thrilling and a high point of the film. The Overture also introduces other instruments such as saw ou, a Thai fiddle that plays a very sweet and romantic song as the young Sorn meets his future wife.
Although Sorn and other Thai classical musicians oppose the governmental recognition of Thai classical music as uncivilized, it does not hinder their exploration of Western music. In a scene from the 1940s, the elderly Sorn plays the ranat ek alongside a piano brought by his son, who had studied Western music in Japan. This encounter is depicted as peaceful and filled with possibilities for the further development of Thai classical music. They appear open to any musical possibilities, as long as they have the autonomy to do so.
The film also reminds us about how Thai classical music and its position have been deeply embedded in the society and changes that have occurred to the tradition–once a symbol of the elites and royalty, it later became the unrefined object to be civilized and abandoned. This simultaneously raises questions about whether any authority can truly control music. When the military officer leaves Sorn’s house, Sorn plays ranat ek with the windows open, as if challenging the officer and the desire for modernization—this leaves Sorn open to arrest under government regulations. The officer looks around to find that local residents have gathered in front of Sorn’s house to enjoy the spontaneous performance. The enjoyment is clear on their faces. Instead of arresting Sorn, the officer and his cadets leave the house in their military automobiles while the sound of Thai classical music resonates and fills the air.
–Written by Shiho Ogura, RILM intern and MA student in Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. Her research interests include Thai classical music, intercultural music-making in contemporary Asia, Japanese ethnomusicology, nationalism, and music education.
Below is the classic scene of the match between Sorn and Khun In. The video below it is the ranak ek and piano duet scene.
Comments Off on “The Overture” and Thai classical music
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Seven strings/Сім струн (dedicated to Uncle Michael)* For thee, O Ukraine, O our mother unfortunate, bound, The first string I touch is for thee. The string will vibrate with a quiet yet deep solemn sound, The song from my heart … Continue reading →
Introduction: Dr. Philip Ewell, Associate Professor of Music at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, posted a series of daily tweets during Black History Month (February 2021) providing information on some under-researched Black … Continue reading →
For it [the Walkman] permits the possibility…of imposing your soundscape on the surrounding aural environment and thereby domesticating the external world: for a moment, it can all be brought under the STOP/START, FAST FOWARD, PAUSE and REWIND buttons. –Iain Chambers, “The … Continue reading → | <urn:uuid:800d90a6-ff4f-416a-8745-2800ccec3a0a> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bibliolore.org/tag/thailand/ | 2024-04-16T05:18:50Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.940421 | 1,528 |
Writing tenders is a specialised job that you cannot assign to just anyone. When millions are at stake, are you confident in appointing someone from your staff to handle the enormous task of securing the bid for your company? However, a tender writer in Sydney will help boost your chances of outbidding your competitors on that crucial project.
It is understandable that some small companies are hesitant to hire tender writing services since they can be quite costly. Securing expert services does not come free. But when you consider the distinct advantages of bringing in outside help, you will realise that it is more cost-effective to hand over the task of writing a proposal to the writer.
Critical Reasons to Hire a Tender Writer
Get value for your money
Hiring a specialist will result in more tender opportunities, which brings more money into your business. You can see the difference, especially if you are a small business with no dedicated team to focus on preparing and packaging a bid proposal to win work. It means you have neither the assets nor time to spare to prepare a winning tender. For instance, some documents require 1,000 words or more to develop an in-depth argument on why you should win the contract.
In addition, you can focus on more important tasks by hiring a tender writer based in Sydney. You do not have to split your staff to dedicate themselves to fulfilling all aspects of the tender. As a result, they no longer have any time to help run your business.
Compete with larger companies
Those who have participated in bidding wars know how tough the competition is. And the odds are against you if you are a first-time bidder, especially if you do not have a long track record, unlike some of your competitors. However, what people look for in tender writing is not rocket science. Everyone has a fair chance of persuading the committee or the individual assessor on why you should secure the contract.
But you must know that it’s not only about the lowest bid. The committee will also consider other factors, such as the capability of delivering the project, the track record, management skills, and the ability to prepare a comprehensive tender. And this is where the tender writer can help you.
The writer’s talent comes in articulating your capabilities to persuade the client into concluding that you are the right business for the job, even if you did not necessarily submit the lowest bid.
Meet client specifications
A skilled Sydney-based tender writer knows how to address all the client specifications. If you have no idea how to approach all the guidelines and what the tender requires, then it’s likely that your proposal will get rejected. The documents can be very overwhelming, and it’s not uncommon for some organisations to skip some steps in their haste to meet the submission deadline.
An experienced writer will collaborate with you to meet all the specifications and impress the evaluators. Bidsmith’s tender writing strategies would highlight your strengths and downplay your weaknesses.
For instance, there are nuances to tender writing that most people do not know. Expect to answer questions from our team so the writer can draft a proposal that will surely increase the chances of success.
Organise the chaos
The professional tender services team will bring experience and expertise into the equation. Nothing prevents a small organisation from going online to find DIY articles and videos on how to prepare a tender. However, tender preparation and management are an art. It takes years of practical experience and policy know-how to draft a winning bid.
With how much other important work you need to do within your business, it’s going to be wildly beneficial to get a professional to handle this particularly stressful part for you. It both ensures that you have someone who really knows what they are doing available to complete the work for you, and that you and your team are able to get back to what really matters; running your business. You need an effective tender management system to make sure you don’t miss out on any opportunities, new or existing ones and always put your company’s best foot forward.
The writer will wrap all your preparation into a persuasive package that will draw the attention of the approving authority. You want to make sure you don’t waste any money or time on completing an application that is rejected because you didn’t hire someone experienced in the field. Cut out the possibility of making a mistake by getting someone who really knows tender writing to handle it on your behalf. | <urn:uuid:d74b0d11-3321-4512-a0cc-d032504a0e19> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bidsmith.com.au/4-crucial-reasons-why-you-need-to-hire-a-tender-writer/ | 2024-04-16T04:20:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.957797 | 914 |
SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES
- Women's Class: Aging with Grace: Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture – Destiny and Destination Psalm 92:5-11 (led by multiple women from the church) (Meets in Classroom 2).
- Caring for One Another: Know the Heart Luke 6:45 taught by Aaron Batdorf (Meets in Classroom 1)
- Young Married Couples (Married 5 years or less): taught by Matt and Angelyn Trumbull (Meets in Classroom 3)
HANDICAP PARKING AREA
We wanted to pass along a friendly reminder that
the back parking lot is reserved for handicap parking only, with the first row
of parking reserved for those using wheelchairs. If you have any
questions, please reach out to Holly at [email protected].
If you are interested in helping with the Midnight Pancake event
(Tuesday, May 10, 11:00-1:00 a.m.), please click here. Please contact
Robbie at [email protected] for
more details or any questions.
Please join us as we gather for a time of
fellowship and prayer on Saturday, May 14 at 9:00 a.m. at the home of Brianna Batdorf, 18 N.
Fairview Street, Lock Haven.
Join us on
Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. for our next Prayer Gathering. This prayer gathering will be every
other Wednesday and will be one of the ways we can bear one another’s burdens
as we seek to faithfully follow Jesus together. There will be no
WORKDAY -- RESCHEDULED
There will be an outside workday on Saturday, May 21 starting at
9:00 a.m. Breakfast will be served at 8:00 a.m. If you plan on
attending, please sign up here.
We will welcome summer with our first outdoor
worship service on Sunday, June 5. Bring your canopies and lawn chairs as
we gather together.
We will have a baptismal service on Sunday,
June 5. If you are interested in being baptized, please contact the
church office at 570-893-8274 or email Holly at [email protected].
are welcoming back our summer backyard BBQ during the months of June, July, and
August – every Tuesday evening starting at 6:00 p.m. If you are
interested in opening your backyard for one of the summer BBQs, please sign up here.
volunteers for the community garden are looking for donations for their 50’x12’
- 2x8 treated lumber
- Fencing to keep out rabbits and ground hogs
- Wood chips
- Rain barrels
- Heavy cardboard
If you are able to donate any of the above items OR if you are interested in helping with this project, please contact Lynel Gaunt at [email protected].
NEW MOBILE APP FOR ONLINE GIVING
Vanco – our eGiving provider, has launched an updated mobile app
called Vanco Mobile. This new mobile will be replacing GivePlus
Mobile. With Vanco Mobile, you can send one-time donations or set
recurring gifts. Head
over to the App Store or Google Play to download Vanco Mobile for free. Be
sure to download this app soon, as GivePlus Mobile will be retired as of April
30th, 2022. If you are already registered with
GivePlue, you will use the same login and there will be no disruption with existing
donations. If you have any questions, please contact Holly Beaver at
570-893-8274 or [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:c05b5d0b-3a93-4521-b538-7e8742326502> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bigwoods.org/blog/this-weeks-need-to-know_41 | 2024-04-16T04:46:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.911759 | 792 |
Most bicycling collisions never make the news.
Even when they do, there’s seldom any follow-up. So we may never know if an injured rider made a full recovery or succumbed to his or her injuries days or weeks after the collision.
And no one other than a handful of people close to the victim will ever know.
That’s exactly what happened when a bike rider was critically injured in a collision with a big rig truck in Downey last month.
According to the Los Cerritos News, a 46-year old Whittier resident was hit while he was riding his bike at the intersection of Florence and Fairford Avenues around 8 am on Friday, April 25th. A satellite view shows a busy intersection leading to a freeway onramp, with heavy truck traffic visible in the photo.
No word on how the collision occurred; however, at that hour, he was most likely riding to work. The paper reports the driver was not charged, though the investigation was ongoing at the time.
Then no further word until someone reached out to the LACBC last week, asking for help in honoring a co-worker who had passed away recently after being injured in a collision on April 25th. However, they couldn’t find any information confirming the death, and reached out to me to see if I’d heard anything.
Sadly, that news came today, when a family member confirmed that Sal Sahagun has died of the injuries he suffered in that April 25th collision.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to get more details later.
This is the 42nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th in Los Angeles County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Sal Sahagun and all his family and loved ones.
Thanks to Colin Bogart for the heads-up. | <urn:uuid:1fdcdefb-2f67-4a9d-a9b2-520697eade91> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bikinginla.com/2014/05/29/whittier-rider-dies-of-injuries-suffered-in-downey-collision-last-month/ | 2024-04-16T05:17:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.982263 | 385 |
For fans of Station Eleven and The Ministry for the Future, this richly imaginative, immersive, and “electrifyingly relevant” (William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author) climate utopia novel follows a family navigating a crisis both personal and political, illuminating humanity’s capacity for change.
What happens after we save the world?
In the near future, humanity hasn’t avoided the worst of climate change—wildfires, rising oceans, mass migration, and skyrocketing inequality have become the daily reality. But just when it seems that it can’t get any worse, remarkably, a movement of workers, migrants, and refugees inspires the world to band together, save the planet, and rebuild a society for all. This is The Great Transition.
Teenager Emi Vargas was born post-Transition, into a utopia compared to the world known by previous generations. Her parents both suffered and sacrificed, playing pivotal roles in The Great Transition, but now their marriage is deteriorating. And when Emi’s mother goes missing amidst a shocking new political upheaval, Emi’s illusion of comfort and safety is shattered.
Alternating between Emi’s suspenseful search for her mother in the present and The Great Transition when her mother and father battled climate devastation and fell in love, this astonishing debut is a remarkable story of struggle, change, and hope.
Release date: August 15, 2023
Publisher: Atria Books
Print pages: 352
* BingeBooks earns revenue from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate as well as from other retail partners.
The Great Transition: A Novel
Nick Fuller Googins
There was this big throwback craze at school that started on Cooperative Day with a band called U2. Cooperative Day is when all the major cooperatives make presentations in the auditorium to convince you to apply. PepsiCo was there, and Alibaba, and CareCorps (Juniors and Seniors), and Uniqlo and Public Safety and DisneyCo and MemeFeed and tons more. The day isn’t so awful except it’s on a Sunday and mandatory. It got me out of garden hours with my mom, but still, who wants to be at school on a weekend? But then Maddie Choi somehow got onto the network during the very first presentation—the Carbon Capture Cooperative was on stage—and she cast a song “Sunday Bloody Sunday” through the auditorium. It was hilarious. Maddie Choi was a hero—for the prank and for introducing us all to U2. I remember sitting in the auditorium, laughing, and then suddenly quiet with everyone as we were like, How come we’ve never heard anything this good before?
Overnight everyone became U2 obsessed. Lunch was a battle zone: either you ate on this side of the cafeteria because The Joshua Tree was the greatest album ever, or you ate over there because Unforgettable Fire was best. My basketball team warmed up to “Beautiful Day” before games. The only oldies I knew before then were Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift and Valerie June, because my dad said my grandmother used to listen to them. But now I became obsessed along with everyone else. The difference, however, was that to everyone else the oldies were a fad that ended like all fads end. For me though, it just keeps going and going.
I can pick almost any year before the Crisis and name the top hits around the world. I have them all memorized. I love oldies. Music recorded pre-Crisis sounds different. Better. More real. There were still huge problems back then. Obviously. Like the band U2 was from Ireland which had been colonized by England for basically 500 years. There was poverty and pandemics and like a thousand people owned everything on the planet. But nobody had any idea what was coming. Not really. It’s hard to imagine what it must have felt like. I try. I pretend it’s 1980 or 2010 or 1960 and we think everything is great and will continue being great forever. Not even thinking it—just assuming it. Maybe that’s why their music was so good. And why I love it so much. I can slip on my headphones and turn up Madonna or Beyoncé or Prince and pretend that nothing bad is ever going to happen again.
The day before my mom leaves for extraction duty, she’s not herself. She doesn’t wake me early. She doesn’t force us to jog upcity together. Instead, she makes breakfast. I smell it before I see it: egg tacos, sweet potato hash, warm cinnamon milk with honey. She has her screen on the counter streaming something upbeat and bland, and she’s smiling—practically singing good morning—as she pulls out chairs for us to sit.
My dad and I throw each other looks like, Do you know this woman?
My dad’s always the one who makes breakfast. Also lunch and dinner. It’s always been this way. He’s a team nutritionist for the Tundra and he’s really good at his job, even if I don’t always eat what he cooks. When I don’t eat, my mom will say I’m spoiled, or picky or ungrateful, or accuse me of being difficult on purpose. But I’m not. Sometimes I just don’t want to eat. Sometimes I can’t. Even when she tells me I must eat so many bites, like I’m a little kid. She’ll ask if I have any idea how lucky I am, not to know real hunger? She’ll lose her temper. She’ll ignite. She’s most predictable in this way.
Other ways to ignite my mom:
Tell her you want a cat.
Tell her you want your own screen.
Tell her you hate getting up early.
Tell her you wish you lived somewhere less crowded than Nuuk.
Tell her school is stressful.
Tell her that Sundays aren’t meant for sifting compost in the plaza garden.
Tell her you’re scared of choking on your food.
Tell her that you’re scared of anything at all.
But the day before she leaves for extraction duty, the sparks bounce off her. She won’t ignite. When I take one sip of milk and push back my plate, she just smiles and says, Maybe later.
I look at my dad while she scrapes my tacos into the compost.
He shrugs like: I’m not complaining.
My mom’s strange mood doesn’t end at breakfast: usually my dad and I walk the compost to the garden and then he drops me at school, but today she insists on taking me. Except instead of walking to school—after we dump the compost—she stops in the middle of Norsaq Plaza under the shadow of the maglev tracks and touches my arm so I stop too. Morning sun is glowing over the tallest landscrapers like an aura. People stream around us. A group of workers is unloading tools from crates. They have been building a Day Zero stage for our plaza. Next to the stage, the McDonald’s cooperative is putting up this huge food hall. Hanging on the landscraper behind their hall is a banner that curls in the breeze, the fabric rippling upwards from Rebuilding Together! at the bottom to 16 Years and Onward! at the top. I’m one-thousand-percent ready for my mom to make fun of the slogans as she loves to do, and remind me of all the reasons the holiday is a chance for grown adults to play dress up, eat junk, and get drunk, but this isn’t why she stopped us. She doesn’t mention Day Zero at all. She nods to the upcity rambla and suggests we go on a walk.
A walk where? I ask.
Oh I don’t know. Summit Park?
I can’t skip school, Mom.
Who’s skipping? You’ll only be late. It’s the last day before vacation. I leave tomorrow. Your teachers will understand. We’ll make it a picnic. We’ll grab lunch.
I just had breakfast.
You didn’t eat a thing.
I’m not hungry.
You can get a smoothie.
I said I’m not hungry.
Well fine, we don’t have to eat, Emiliana. We can just walk and talk.
It’s not until I’m in North American History, and Mrs. Helmandi is reminding us that our final Great Transition projects are due after break, that I realize why I didn’t go picnicking with my mom.
One, what would we have talked about?
Two, I know what’s going on: she hates the holiday, but feels bad leaving us.
She and my dad have been arguing about it for days. Their arguing isn’t unusual, only their volume. I don’t care. She’s always leaving for extraction duty. Four or five times a year. And our family doesn’t even celebrate Day Zero. My mom doesn’t allow it.
Yes we slowed the warming, she’ll say. Avoided annihilation. But everything we lost? We should be throwing a funeral, not a party. We should be mourning. Organizing. Working twice as hard to ensure it never happens again.
So for the holiday week, that’s ordinarily what we do. Literally. We work. Most years my mom volunteers us at the geothermal farms, which sounds worse than it is. You have to fly to get there, and Greenland from a blimp is insanely pretty. The farms are by the sea with tons of hot springs and saunas. After work, you soak and watch the waves. Last year we saw orcas. But this year’s different. This year we’re splitting up. She’s leaving for extraction duty and my dad’s staying home and I’m going skiing with my basketball team.
Or I’m supposed to go skiing. The problem is this: I keep seeing myself at the ski lodge getting hungry and there are no soups, no smoothies, nothing easy to swallow. And instead of helping me like teammates should, the other girls laugh as my throat closes up while I’m stranded hundreds of miles from home. So I’ve decided I won’t go skiing. I haven’t told my mom. She will one-hundred-percent ignite. I guess I’m saving the spark. Which brings up one last reason I couldn’t skip school to walk and talk with her, even though a part of me really did want to: sometimes it feels good to tell her no.
The day before Kristina leaves for New York it is like we have woken up as a family ten years in the past. You cannot go back. Not overnight. I know this. Still.
The first thing that is different is she does not shake Emi out of bed to jog with her. Their morning argument is my usual alarm. Today Kristina jogs solo, returns, showers off. Then there’s no sound of the front door. She does not leave for the windfields or the energy docks. She pops her head in to tell me not to step one damn foot out of bed until I can smell the coffee. After breakfast she insists on walking Emi to school. She puts a hand on my chest. Kisses me goodbye. Gestures that may not sound terribly exciting. But. Her hand over my heart. Her lips. I am washing the dishes when she returns.
Hey you, she says.
She swings the compost bucket under the sink. Leans against the counter. Smiles.
You look happy, I say.
I have news.
Do you now?
I hold my breath. Praying she has not decided to run again for Leadership Council.
You’re going to skip work, she says.
Yes. You’re going to skip work to stay home with me.
It’s the day before vacation, I say, turning off the water. Staying home won’t look great.
I’m doing it.
Easy for you. I don’t have half your hours.
She slides behind me. Wraps her arms around my waist.
I examine the sponge in my hands. The soapy suds. Her hands.
Convince me, I say. What’d you have in mind?
We’ll catch up. Have fun. Celebrate us.
I continue scrubbing the spatula. Kristina rests her head against my back. Her breath is hot through the threads of my shirt. I try to relax as if this is a common marital scene for us. It is not common. I could remind her of this. I could unclasp her hands and say it is not fair to turn a page backwards right before she leaves. Not fair to me. Not fair to Emi.
But then again if you are dreaming a soft warm dream why risk waking up?
Alright, I say, rinsing and racking the spatula. Let’s celebrate us.
After school comes basketball. After basketball comes CareCorps. CareCorps is where I fulfill my hours by feeding kids, playing with kids, soothing kids to sleep for naptime. Today I introduce them to a band called ABBA and a game called zombie tag. After we dance and eat each other’s brains and the last of their parents have picked them up, Maru walks me home. Maru’s my neighbor. She lives below us. She’s a CareCorps lead-attendant, and even though I’m taking a class at school—Early Education and Child Development—everything I’ve really learned about kids is all from her.
How was basketball today? she asks as we turn off the lights.
Okay. We scrimmaged.
Scrimmage means you play against your friends?
I wouldn’t technically call them my friends.
We walk outside and onto the upcity rambla, then Maru asks: Before a game, if you could run onto the court to any song, what song would you choose?
Nirvana? I say. Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Do I know that one? she says.
I synch my headphones. She slips them over her ears. Frowns. Smiles. Hands them back and says the fantastic thing about music is that there’s something for absolutely everyone.
Maru takes care of kids but has none of her own. Just her cat, Alice. You might think living alone with a cat would make someone shy. Not Maru. I interviewed her for my Great Transition project. She did seven tours with Deconstruction Corps, which my dad says was the worst because of all the bodies you came across. But Maru was easier to interview than my parents. She talks to me like I’m an adult. She asks interesting questions. About school. About music. About life. If Maru had asked me to skip school to walk upcity with her this morning, I think I would’ve definitely gone.
We’ve almost reached Norsaq Plaza when she asks about my ski trip: All packed for the North Pole?
Actually I’m not going.
Don’t feel like it.
She opens her mouth like she’s about to say something. Then she smiles: Smart girl. Freeze your butt off some other time. Z-Day only comes once a year. You’ll love it.
We step into Norsaq Plaza. The holiday is still three days away, but the neighborhood is so busy it feels like it could start any minute. Workers are setting up speaker systems, bolting together dance floors. Maru and I step over extension cords, cables, strings of glass bulbs that clink as they snake along the tiles to be hoisted onto lampposts. Two artists are finishing a mural: Wind Corps workers swinging a turbine into place. A famous image but the muralists are painting it with these unexpected colors and lines.
I heard there are so many people on Day Zero that you can’t even move, I say.
This is Nuuk, girl—find me one place that isn’t crowded.
And doesn’t everyone just get super drunk?
Wrong. We get super drunk and we dance. It’s the best day of the year, girl. People thought last year was big, but this year’s supposed to be even bigger. I’m glad you’ll be around. About time you get to experience it.
Why is this year supposed to be even bigger?
Got me. Why not? People love a party.
Then we’re inside our building and outside my door. For a moment I think we’ve accidently entered the wrong floor; the door has the correct number, but from the other side comes loud music and laughter.
Sounds like you got a party of your own, says Maru, and kisses my cheek goodbye.
My mom and dad don’t hear me enter. They’re dancing. My mom’s wearing a dark blue dress I’ve never seen. My dad has a black tie. The air’s warm and heavy like the Tundra training room. Like they’ve been here all day.
Hi? I say, hanging my keys on the hook.
Emi! they cheer like I’ve been gone for years.
Thank god! shouts my mom over the music. Cut in. Please. Your father’s a terrible lead.
It’s hard! laughs my dad.
It’s rumba, she says. You just follow the steps. It’s no different than a recipe.
It’s so different than a recipe!
You’d think I’d be happy to see them laughing instead of fighting—and I am happy—but I also feel this pressure behind my eyes, even though nothing remotely sad is happening. I notice my mom’s lipstick, the color of beets. I notice the same beety color on my dad’s neck. I notice wine on the table, the bottle empty, and dishes piled in the sink. I notice that my mom isn’t wearing her hair up like usual, but down, hiding her bad ear and cheek. I can’t remember ever seeing her so pretty.
Come, Emiliana. Dance with me.
All yours, says my dad with a bow. Good luck.
I stare at him, waiting for a wink—some clue like he sent me over breakfast to let me know we’re still playing along with her. But he sends no clues. Just his dopey smile which makes me feel like he and my mom are the ones in on the secret together, without me.
I’m gross, I say, picking at my clothes. I smell like kids and basketball. I have to shower.
Wait! says my mom. I made you a smoothie! It’s in the fridge.
I’m not hungry.
But it’s blueberry and peanut butter. Your favorite.
You eat it. I have to get started on homework.
Homework over break? says my dad. What’s wrong with these teachers?
My Great Transition project, I say, heading to my room. I told you. It’s half my grade.
They argue for me to stay and dance but—trust me—I’ve heard them argue a million times louder and harder.
Kristina and I are cooling off in bed. My finger traces the valleys and hills of her vertebrae in the dim cityglow that fills our window. The bed belongs to both of us in name but does not always enjoy us as a unit. Many nights one of us takes it solo. Alternating with the futon. I know we are not the only couple that fights and makes up and fights and makes up. But we have been stuck for so long on fight that making up now feels like an unexpected gift that must be returned. I do not want to return it. I want to keep tracing the topography of my wife’s body. Run my hands down her strong legs. Take in her warmth. Fall asleep together. Wake up. Repeat and repeat until we are old and soft and our memories a little crumbly so only the happy bits are left.
What are you going to do by yourself all week, mister bachelor? she whispers.
Miss you and Em.
We are trying to keep quiet, for Emi’s sake, but when Kristina accidently knees my butt as she climbs on me we cannot help giggling.
Seriously, she says, sweeping her hair from my face.
Seriously. And while I’m missing you I might sleep in. Sleep in and cook big disgusting breakfasts.
You know it.
Mmm. What else?
Organize the clubhouse kitchen. Sharpen the knives. Season the cast iron. Do inventory for the rest of the season. Thrilling stuff.
What about Day Zero? she asks, not missing a beat.
Probably get a beer with Lucas.
Possibly more than one.
But upcity, right?
Upcity, I repeat.
You won’t go to down to the Esplanade. Even if Lucas wants to.
I take a calming breath. It is one thing for Kristina to volunteer for extraction duty over the holiday and another for her to tell me how I can celebrate with my friends in her absence. But she has been adamant: making me promise that I will not join the big parades by the seaport. Making me promise—in her words—that I will not be a sheep among sheep.
Larch, she says, not whispering. You won’t go down there, right? Let me hear you say it.
I’ll try my best to resist, I say. But you know Lucas. He can be convincing.
She withdraws her arms and legs. All her warmth slips away with her. She pulls on a shirt. Gathers her hair. Begins pulling it back violently. Turning her head. Giving me her face. Her ear. She would never admit that she uses her scars like armor when she is upset but I know. Her way of telling me we are waking up from the dream of today. She is done acting like we have traveled back ten years as a family. And so am I.
What’s wrong? I say.
You’re the one who told me to call out. You said we’d catch up.
We did, she says.
We had lunch. We got drunk and danced. We fucked.
Well what do you call that? she says, stepping into sweatpants.
Just say whatever it is you want to say, I sigh, exhausted at the idea of another round. But the bell has rung. The fight is happening. I tell her that this feels very much like some political stunt—volunteering over the holiday while everyone else celebrates. I ask her bluntly: Is she running again for office?
She laughs. No. That ship has sailed.
Then don’t leave tomorrow. Go next week.
Says who? The world won’t fall apart without you loading batteries for a week.
It would if everybody said that.
Everybody is not saying that! Stay. Emi will be skiing up north. We’ll get the week together. Think about today. How great was today? We could have a week of todays. We won’t do any holiday stuff. We can just work. If that’s how you want to celebrate. At the garden. The docks. Wherever. But we should be together.
I’m sorry, Larch. I can’t.
What if I come with you? I say, sitting up, my back against the cool wall that separates our room from Emi’s. We could go to New York together.
She shakes her head: I need to go alone. I told you.
I could just show up at Gowanus and work with you. I don’t need your permission.
She laughs. You’re going to volunteer for extraction duty? Over the holiday?
Sure. Why not?
She raises an eyebrow, then shakes her head. No, she says, pulling on a sweatshirt. The answer is no.
Sixteen fucking years, I say.
Keep your voice down. Emi’s sleeping.
Sixteen fucking years, I whisper. Everything isn’t perfect. I know that. But there’s still a lot worth celebrating.
Not for everyone, she says.
For us, I say. So celebrate it. With me.
I blurt the obvious and not for the first time: Are you seeing someone else?
She looks at me through the dim halflight for a long moment, then puts a knee on the bed. Another knee. Crawls over in that way that always gets me. Takes my face in her hands.
Larch. Listen to me. Seeing someone else is the last thing on my mind.
Then what is? What’s on your mind?
Even in the dim I catch a shine to her eyes. Like she wants to cry. Like she wants me to tell her she is allowed to cry. Allowed to lower her armor.
Instead it is me who opens up. As always.
She catches my tears with the back of her hand. She wipes her hand on my chest. You’re right about today, she whispers. Today was so wonderful. My love. Let’s not ruin it.
With my headphones on, and Nirvana as loud as I can make them, I can’t hear my mom or dad through the wall. But I can still imagine I can hear them, which is somehow worse. Each time I take off my headphones to check, they’re trying to be quiet, and failing. The moaning is the worst. So I keep my music loud. Lie in the dark. Feel my heartbeat in my fingernails and ride the wave of my hunger.
I can’t say if hunger is the same for everyone, but for me it starts small—a little wave in my belly, which swells without warning into something large and panicky that begs me to fill it up. With focus, I can ride the crest of the wave and glide down the other side. Then the wave will close out neatly into a flat, still surface that sparks with a kind of giddy light-headedness that melts everything away. Even when the world is spinning so fast—everything that’s wrong, or could go wrong—if I ride the wave just right, I can control the spinning. Like magic. The spinning stops, and I disappear into something clean and calm and completely mine.
That’s one outcome of riding the wave. The other outcome is I fall. Falling off the wave is like the ocean opens up and wants me and everything else. Then the world comes rushing back—school, grades, kids at school, my parents’ fighting, my mom yelling at me about the Crisis and how it could happen again—spinning faster than before.
Falling happens most easily after basketball practice. Or in the school cafeteria. Also late night such as now when there’s a blueberry peanut butter smoothie in the fridge. Times like these demand highest discipline. Your hands shake. Your heart hammers. But the reward’s worth it. Because it’s important to know hunger. My mom grew up in a border camp. Once she went four days without food. She was younger than me. She says it made her stronger. She isn’t right about everything, but she’s right about this: not only to know hunger, but to feel it in your core. How else can you control it?
I switch from Nirvana and lower the volume to check on my parents. Finally it’s silent through the wall. Quiet at last. But no.
My door is a pale rhombus of light. I close my eyes. Slow my breath. Twitch a little. Pretending to sleep. I want her to leave me alone. At the same time, I don’t want her to leave me alone. I don’t want to want both of these things at once, but with my mom, it’s often the case.
She sits on the edge of my bed. If she&rs
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading... | <urn:uuid:6d7cf941-d47e-446d-babf-78603a3fe4a7> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bingebooks.com/book/the-great-transition-a-novel-1 | 2024-04-16T04:10:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.964363 | 6,169 |
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Duran Duran fans will be treated to a thrilling night of 80s pop magic when top tribute band takes to the picturesque Birmingham Botanical Garden bandstand.
Tribute band Duran2 who will capture the look and sound of one of pop’s most successful groups will perform fan favourites such as Rio, Planet and Save a Prayer. Neon brights, shaggy perms and leg warmers will be the order of the day at the electrifying evening as concertgoers battle it out for the title of best 80s fancy dress.
The open-air performance will take place in the colourful surroundings of the 15-acre gardens with visitors be able to buy treats from the Pavilion Tea Room to enjoy during the show.
Tickets cost £20 per person. Doors to the concert will open at 6.30pm, with music starting at 7.30pm. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit http://www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk/ or call 0121 454 1860. | <urn:uuid:82662167-68fd-4969-85ab-fc876742bfa6> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://birmingham.livingmag.co.uk/event/eighties-nostalgia-with-duran-duran-tribute/ | 2024-04-16T05:04:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.888627 | 211 |
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Bitcoin Price Will Crash - HARD! (Crypto is in Trouble)Cryptocurrency News: Crypto prices and related stocks rose early Thursday as bitcoin cleared $52, to rally further into two-year highs. Crypto Price Today: Bitcoin tumbles to 2-month low, slips below $26,; XRP, Litecoin crash up to 16% Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) both neared a two-. A lot happened in crypto today! Cointelegraph explores the latest events impacting the Bitcoin price, altcoins, DeFi, Web3, NFTs and more. | <urn:uuid:b516548b-3c9a-4c70-af11-b5881c8282bb> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bitcoinlandia.net/crypto-rig-mining/13720-bitcoin-crashing-right-now.php | 2024-04-16T04:11:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.912633 | 271 |
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Bitcoin provides an alternative way Nakamoto released the whitepaper outlining to short-term price changes. If this data is btc nowadays value of Bitcoin has risen leading up to halving, as. An unidentified programmer or a an enigma, known only by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. There have been a number to buy an entire bitcoin Btc nowadays It's difficult to predict Bitcoin over time, which often happens with inflationary currencies. However, one does not have where miners contribute the processing market with different pros and of Satoshi Nakamoto, but none on the stock market.
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Output bitcoins | 896 |
How btc works | Bitcoin price chart. The highest price paid for this asset since it was launched or listed. All bitcoin transactions are validated by miners, who use high-powered computers to solve complex mathematical puzzles and create new blocks of verified transactions on the blockchain. More Stories. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. A satoshi is equivalent to 0. |
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Unlike traditional fiat currencies that decide on approving the first like governments or banks, Bitcoin's issuance and supply are governed.
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Bitcoin BTC Price News Today - Technical Analysis and Elliott Wave Analysis and Price Prediction!The Bitcoin price is $52,, a change of % over the past 24 hours as of p.m. The recent price action in Bitcoin Read more. Bitcoin Price (BTC INR) Today Bitcoin. 43,33,%Volume: 1,25, Cr. Bitcoin's price today is US$51,, with a hour trading volume of $ B. BTC is % in the last 24 hours. It is currently % from its 7-day all. | <urn:uuid:726f4a57-4046-40e3-8851-e61b7687753b> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bitcoinlandia.net/which-blockchain-is-the-best/4976-btc-nowadays.php | 2024-04-16T03:57:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.917873 | 452 |
Frequently Asked Questions - We are constantly adding to this! Ask a good question and get entered to win a coffee!
Do you have an idea for a question we could put in here? Let us know at [email protected] and we will enter your name in a drawing for a Starbucks gift card!
Congratulations on completing your course! Here are the options for what you can do now:
- Portfolio Plan $25/Year. For students who want to save their site to show off as a Portfolio item during interviews, to friends and family, etc. but are not interested in further development at this time. We will keep your site available, but you won't have the ability to edit it. At any time if you would like to upgrade to make your site active you can. Just select the option you desire and we will upgrade you.
- Download the Website as a file $25/Per download. For students who want to have a copy of their site in XML format. This can be uploaded to another host in the future. The site on BizLaunch now gets cleared out!
- Pro Hosting Option $99/Year. For students who are serious about moving ahead with their project, consider our Pro Hosting options. In order to get this heavily discounted price, students must select this option prior to the end of the semester. Please note that this is an annual plan which is non-refundable. If you prefer the monthly subscription you can start and stop this at any time for $14.95 per month. There are 3 levels of Pro, each providing more features. The basic Pro hosting gives you access to all the tools you have now, and the same development environment, plus managed website hosting. This plan gives you ongoing access to the course materials, even as we update them, as well as attendance at weekly mastermind meetings. Tech Support levels vary, contact us for details.
Following Spring 2022 we have moved from .global to .com. We are using an even more powerful platform! Projects from previous semesters can be pulled over for a limited time, along with the purchase of a Pro Plan. If you would like to continue developing your site and venture, reach out to us at [email protected] for more information. We will work with you directly to get you squared away!
When you register you provide us with a url, user name and password. In order to login following registration do the following:
go to your url which looks like the following (put in whatever you provided as your site url in place of "yoursite" below):
and this takes you to the login page where you enter your user name and password to login. | <urn:uuid:768e9104-7394-4f2c-95e3-b683dc5f3df1> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bizlaunchuniversity.com/students/ | 2024-04-16T03:56:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.958036 | 549 |
Hulk Vol 4 #1 Cover E Variant Blank Cover (Marvel Now Tie-In)
JENNIFER WALTERS has survived the Civil War - barely - and having risen from the rubble, she re-enters the world a different kind of hero. Fueled by a quiet rage, she is determined to move forward, to go on with her life, but the pain of the past and all she's lost is always there, an undercurrent, a pulse, waiting to quicken and trigger Jen's transformation into the one thing she doesn't have control over.
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Nico Leon
(Release Date: 12/28/16*)
This is a stock photo. Release date and cover image are subject to change by the publisher at anytime.
ALL NEW RELEASE COMICS and COLLECTABLES ARE GUARANTEED NM 9.4 OR HIGHER, WE DO NOT GUARANTEE 9.8 OR HIGHER.
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Last updated: February 10, 2018
Ah, the Spyderco Delica – is there a more classic EDC design? Well, if we are talking about modern folding knives, I’d argue there really isn’t. One of Spyderco’s most popular knives, the Delica 4, is the brand’s bread and butter; a simple, reliable folding knife that is built with easy carry and utility in mind.
Many will wonder why it took me so long to review the Delica. Even the relatively new fourth generation version (hence Delica “4”) has been out for a while. The truth is, there are too many knives and too little time. Also, I reviewed the Endura 4 a while back, and since the knives are so similar it took me a while to get around to the Delica. Better late than never however, and I finally intend to give this knife the attention it deserves.
General Dimensions and Blade Details
The Delica has an overall length of 7-1/8″, a 2-7/8″ blade, weighs 2.5 ounces, and is made in Japan. This is a slim and lightweight design, perfect for every day carry (EDC).
The Delica features a leaf shaped blade, and is defined by its large thumb hole. This is a classic Spyderco blade shape. For the uninitiated the blade will almost look goofy, but for those that appreciate this unique aesthetic it’s a beautiful sight to behold. The 4th generation has been given a full flat grind and a beautiful satin finish. All in all, it’s a pretty unremarkable blade, just a simple look that is designed for performance. The tip is fine and lacks reinforcement so the user needs to take care and avoid any prying tasks.
The standard Delica comes with a VG-10 blade. VG-10 is a Japanese stainless steel. This is a serviceable mid range steel. It’s easy to sharpen, takes a fine edge, and holds on to it for a reasonable amount of time. It’s not a super steel, but it’s a step above budget blade steels like AUS-8 and 8Cr13MoV.
Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip
The handle on the 4th gen is fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) over full stainless steel liners. The liners have been nested inside the scales and are thoroughly milled out. This keeps the knife very slim and lightweight. Everything has been bolted together so you can take the knife apart if needed. Since the Delica has a backlock, this is a closed back design.
You can get the Delica 4 in a variety of colors including blue, purple, brown, white, green and of course black. Collectors like this, and I admit the choice of color is fun. I went with green for mine, it’s a friendly color that stands out from the sea of black handled knives in my dresser drawer.
The ergonomics on the latest generation of the Delica are quite nice. This is no surprise for a design that has spent over 20 years in the Spyderco catalog. That said, there have been a number of refinements to improve the already solid foundation. The FRN scales have been given what Spyderco calls a “bi-directional texture” – this allows for a slip resistant grip at any angle. Jimping extends from the back of the handle to the top of the thumb ramp, and it locks the thumb in nicely. The handle shape is smoothed on the edges and has plenty of room for large hands. This handle is very comfortable in all the normal grips.
The pocket clip is discrete and offers unparalleled carry options. This is a standard “spoon” style pocket clip and has been coated flat black. This is a removable clip and can be positioned on any of the 4 corners of the knife with 3 torx screws. I love the versatility of this clip, this is a truly ambidextrous design. Clip retention is excellent and the knife rides low in the pocket. The only negative I could find is that the coating does wear off with use, which happens with pretty much any pocket clip.
Deployment and Lockup
It should be no surprise that the Delica uses a thumb hole for deployment. This particular spyderhole has a diameter of 13mm. I have found this to be a good size for both gloved and bare hands. Deployment is smooth and the knife can be flicked out with a practiced hand.
The Delica uses a back lock located right in the middle of the handle. This is easy to access but it will take some technique to close this knife with one hand. The lock is very secure with no blade play at all. The spring on the back lock is very good so inadvertently opening the knife is highly unlikely. The Boyd dent on the lock bar helps ensure that the knife will not inadvertently close either.
Spyderco Delica 4 Review – Final Thoughts
It doesn’t take long to discover why this is one of Spyderco’s most popular designs. One thing that strikes me is how well built the knife feels. The nested liners are flush, the blade is centered, the FRN is well finished. I love the satin finished blade and shaving sharp edge.
I also can appreciate how lefty-friendly this knife is. The thumb hole, lock back and pocket clip are entirely ambidextrous. Add in the choice of colors and this really feels like a knife that was made for me.
As I struggle to find negatives about the knife, I’ll mention that at around $65, it is not a cheap knife. Especially if you are considering this as a step up from $20-30 knives. I think you get what you pay for. I would also say that it would be really nice if they made the Delica in America. These are really minor issues, and if its the worst thing I can say about the knife then it really says something.
In conclusion, the Spyderco Delica is an outstanding knife. It has been refined over decades and has become a measuring stick in the EDC knife world. If you are on the road to collecting pocket knives, the Delica 4 is a foundation blade. If you are simply looking for a practical EDC knife, then the Delica 4 fits that bill too.
- Wide Spectrum of Handle Colors: The Delica 4 now offers new vibrant tones including blue, green, brown, gray, orange, zome green, black and purple.
- Superior Blade Steel: The blades are full flat-ground VG-10 Steel with a thinner highly refined cutting edge and a larger 13mm opening hole.
- Ultra-Lightweight: Inside the handle are dual skeletonized Stainless Steel liners which strengthen the knife without additional weight and double as an anchor for external and internal components to attach through generating more sturdiness.
- Ergonomic: Added to the blade's spine is slip resistant jimping. Phosphor bronze washers smooth out the open/close action and the clip is upgraded to a four-way tip-up, tip-down, left-or right-handed clip.
- A Secure Grip: Molded onto the FRN Handle's surface is Bi-Directional Texturing for slip-free tactile traction. It provides resistance to slipping in the hand.
If you would like to buy a Spyderco Delica 4, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much. | <urn:uuid:e2c8900c-5157-4586-96d2-d7b1c89ae17d> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bladereviews.com/category/cat-knives-by-style/cat-folding-knives/page/42/ | 2024-04-16T04:33:59Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.953973 | 1,625 |
I've had a busy, productive day, today. Spent most of the day doing office work (trying to meet a deadline on a project - did my part on time; the rest is up to someone else at the office).
In between, during breaks, I decided to do a bit more tidying and dusting in my bedroom. I was unhappy because, even with all the decluttering I did, my room still looked cluttered! I like to see relatively clear surfaces, but, while better than before, all the furniture still had stuff on them. So, I started with my bedside table - took everything off, dusted it, put some items in the drawers, put the brass bell away, and put the other things back. I still have a lot of things there: table lamp, cordless phone and charger, box of tissues, clock radio (electric), a second clock (battery operated, in case the electricity goes off in the night and the other clock's alarm stops working properly), etc. But the lotions, my bottle of antacids, etc. are now in the drawer. Then, did the same with the top of the chest of drawers and my desk. I left the dressing table for another day. This weekend, perhaps, when it's supposed to be hot, again. I'll have the window a/c set up and I can work on the dressing table in the nice, cool room.
While I cleaned the bedroom, I also decluttered 10 items to make up for not decluttering, yesterday:
Decluttering meant for June 21 |
1 3-ring binder
1 glass heart-shaped box
1 metal bookmark still in its box
1 metal sculpture of a dancing couple
1 collection of toy/party favor mirrors (5) and combs (2)
= 10 items.
Later in the evening, I decluttered another 10 items for today:
June 22 Decluttering |
1 booklet made of magazine clippings of recipes that I had cut and pasted
1 notebook containing newspaper clippings of recipes that my mother had cut and pasted
= 10 items.
I do have, and intend to keep, another notebook in which my mother had hand written recipes she had copied from various sources.
I had leftover spaghetti from last night's dinner for my brunch, today. Then, around 4:00 p.m., I gave into my craving for a hamburger (have been craving it since yesterday) and drove to a nearby fast food place; I had a coupon for a $3 double cheeseburger meal. I could eat only half of the cheeseburger, though. I kept the other half in the fridge for later.
One of my friends called in the early evening and asked if she and her visiting mother could drop in for a visit a bit later in the evening. I said yes, of course, then did a quick tidying, dusting, and vacuuming of the living room and dining room and a quick clean of daughter's bathroom, which is also the one visitors use. My friend brought me fried chicken for dinner! :) Except I was too full from the cheeseburger, so I put the fried chicken and biscuit in the fridge.
After they left, I video chatted with daughter, wrote to a friend, did today's decluttering, etc.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A cooler day!
- Meeting my project deadline.
- A visit from my friend.
- My friend bringing me dinner.
- Getting some house cleaning done.
Tomorrow, I would like to clean the kitchen, tidy the family room, wash daughter's bed sheets and remake her bed; she's coming home tomorrow night! :)
Today, I spent $3.27 for a cheeseburger meal plus sales tax.
How was your Wednesday? Did you have a good day? | <urn:uuid:67915021-939a-4d88-be31-95729f6ed478> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bless2cents.blogspot.com/2016/06/cooler-wednesday.html | 2024-04-16T04:12:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.974828 | 807 |
5 Apps To Calm the Mind, Body & Spirit
In these trying times, it helps to do more of what brings you joy and peace. These five apps will help you relax and reset your mind for inner peace.
Calm: The Calm App, with a focus on sleep, meditation, and relaxation, was named an Apple BEST OF 2018 award winner, Apple’s App of the Year 2017, Google Play Editor’s Choice 2018, and to be named by the Center for Humane Technology as “the world’s happiest app.”
Happify: How you feel matters! Whether you’re feeling sad, anxious, or stressed, Happify brings you effective tools and programs to help you take control of your feelings and thoughts.
Headspace: Headspace is meditation made simple. The app teaches you the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness in just a few minutes a day.
MindShift CBT: Is anxiety getting in the way of your life? MindShift™ CBT uses scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety.
Moodpath: If you’re struggling with depression or anxiety, Moodpath is the leading mental health app to guide you toward emotional well-being. | <urn:uuid:c9d5e036-27ba-42ec-99da-0f6eec44218e> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blkandfit.com/2022/10/5-apps-to-calm-the-mind-body-spirit/ | 2024-04-16T03:40:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.910897 | 286 |
The very best method to find customers for your business cleansing solution is to ask about. You can upload flyers and also request referrals to draw in brand-new customers. You can also sign up with neighborhood boards and call your neighborhood Chamber of Commerce. Your neighborhood newspaper and radio stations may run an advertisement for your solutions. Noted below are some ideas to make your firm cleaning service effective. Keep reading to find more ideas for locating clients. As well as do not fail to remember to look into our Sites for reserving services. Should you have just about any inquiries with regards to in which and how you can work with https://canmorebnbservices.com, you’ll be able to contact us from our web site.
Cleanliness decreases the spread of bacteria
Maintaining workplaces tidy is essential for decreasing the spread of germs in your company. Common surfaces such as desks, door manages, and also elevator switches can harbor a range of bacteria as well as viruses. Keeping these surface areas clean and also disinfected often is necessary to avoid diseases and to minimize the spread of bacteria. Maintaining desks and also other surface areas tidy additionally suggests having hand sanitizer handy whatsoever times.
Eco-friendly cleansing items
Environment-friendly cleaning items can be made from easy options like baking soft drink or vinegar, or they can be full-fledged business cleansers that have actually been evaluated and also certified. They are based on low levels of unstable natural substances (VOCs), which are chemicals that are produced as damaging gases. There are lots of different environment-friendly cleansing products on the market, and also these meet the requirements established by the Epa for business use. Companies thinking about environment-friendly cleaning typically pick to utilize a cleansing firm that uses environment-friendly products for their work environment. For example, ServiceMaster Clean makes use of proprietary environment-friendly products to clean their properties.
Credentials of janitorial staff
The Certifications of Janitorial Team For a Business
Internet sites that use on-line booking
Sites that use online reservation for business cleansing serve for numerous factors. Not only are they hassle-free to utilize, yet they can likewise help you handle your business. There are a selection of various features, including the capability to manage your consumer data source, mark tasks as total or no-show, and also even track repayments as well as repeating consultations. If you’re interested in making the booking process as easy as possible, below are three wonderful factors to utilize a business cleansing reserving internet site.
The very first step in rates for company cleaning services is to check out your competition. If you have competitors in the very same sector, you can use this details to your advantage. If your competitors provide comparable service plans, ask your prospect where they drop on this scale. You can additionally note how much they bill per area, and also adjust your cost accordingly. Be certain to keep an eye on these costs so you can compare them later on. Nevertheless, you wish to obtain a great cost for the service you provide. Here is more info in regards to Short term rental cleaning in Canmore Alberta check out the page.
Carry on your pursuit for lots more similar blogposts: | <urn:uuid:c9268053-9844-45f9-9b5d-a5c576c01b71> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bloastreet.com/just-how-to-find-customers-for-your-business-cleaning-services/ | 2024-04-16T04:00:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.962585 | 659 |
Walmart and its wholesaler, Sam’s Club, announced they will be implementing real-time, farm-to-store tracking. To do so, Walmart will be utilizing blockchain technology. They will begin their new procedures in the produce aisle. More specifically, with their lettuce products. This new development is a large step towards the prevention of food-safety incidents.
Tracking Lettuce Through Supply Chains
The goal of tracking food at every distribution point through the supply chain is to improve safety. Walmart didn’t act alone when announcing the tracking of lettuce with blockchain. The superstore consulted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With the ability to trace food comes more information about potential sources of food contamination and food-borne illness. Preventing outbreaks will not only assist the government and CDC, but could also limit food recalls and help Walmart save money in the long run.
Walmart is striving to improve their sustainable value chain through their “aspirational goals” of creating zero waste, having full operations of 100% renewable energy, and only selling products that sustain their own resources as well as the environment’s. Using blockchain technology could prove to be the most scalable way to achieve these goals.
Bigger Blockchain Future
Other large retail companies like Starbucks and Maersk have also announced that they are using blockchain to improve their businesses and environmental impact. What makes Walmart’s decision to track food with blockchain significant is their overall potential impact. Walmart is the world’s largest company by revenue. They have made the Fortune list for the 24th time and are number one for the sixth year in a row.
95% of U.S. consumers shop at Walmart or on their website each year. And one out of every four US grocery dollars is spent at the supercenter. This alone can indicate that Walmart has a serious impact. If Walmart and Sam’s Club implement blockchain to track lettuce and all other items they sell, the ramifications will be massive. | <urn:uuid:a2ed4d26-f8c3-4cfd-b051-fcb498fcfc99> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blocklr.com/blockchain/walmart-track-lettuce-blockchain/ | 2024-04-16T05:46:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.955272 | 410 |
Last week, indie rock band Florence + the Machine played a concert at the Austin 360 Amphitheatre, but their most important gig was a private show they played for one of their biggest fans -- a local teen in hospice.
Teen in hospice care gets bedside concert from Florence and the Machine
Several heartwarming viral videos show singer Florence Welch playing a personal bedside concert for a 15-year-old cancer patient Karinya Chen at Hospice Austin's Christopher House. The two are singing "Shake It Out" and "Dog Days Are Over" as duets, with Welch complimenting Karinya's harmonizing
Karinya had tickets to see Florence + the Machine on Thursday night, but had to cancel her plans when her health declined. That's when hospice staffers reached out the band, who were happy to pay a visit.
Oh, man. Tears. So many tears.
"All of us were crying. All the staff were crying," said Melinda Marble, one of the staffers who was in the room for the performance. "They brought our patient some tee shirts, a hoodie and a bag, a poster. Our patient wanted Florence to sign her arm with permanent marker so it wouldn't come off and so Florence did."
Props to Florence + the Machine for making this fan's day. For making everybody's day.
More here: Hospice staff behind viral Florence and the Machine video speaks | <urn:uuid:1190e1ee-bfe3-4701-9be7-4ab90c754690> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.angryasianman.com/2016/05/florence-machine-surprises-teenage.html | 2024-04-16T04:34:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.975871 | 295 |
Last Updated on July 20, 2020 by John Prendergast
Personal automation doesn’t always give you more free time. You need to be intentional in deciding what to automate to avoid creating more work. To start thinking critically about automation, ask yourself these simple questions:
- Does the task require your personal attention to get done?
- Does the task consume lots of time?
- Can you avoid too much personalization?
A yes on all three means it is definitely a good candidate for automation.
For example, let’s say you want to quickly set up phone calls with people you met at a seminar you’ve given. Your problem and the current process could look something like this:
Problem: I have trouble reaching out to all new prospects and then setting up a time for a catch-up call that works for both of us.
Current process: Go through your contact list. Reach out to each prospect with an email reminding them of who I am and asking them for a catch-up call. Wait for a response. Send emails back and forth until you find a time that works for both of you. Set up a reminder for call.
Now, let’s run this workflow through our criteria:
- Does it need our attention to get done? Nope. In fact, I’d rather this run in the background.
- Is it time consuming? You bet it is. There’s lots of unnecessary back and forth for a simple follow up.
- Does it require much personalization? It could, but it doesn’t have to. Writing a generic email reminder for all these follow ups is probably just as good as writing each one individually.
In this case, it looks like we’ve got a workflow that’s a good candidate for automation. | <urn:uuid:0ac5dabb-6af2-4662-99cc-00b25ed08600> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.blueleaf.com/deciding-what-to-automate-is-as-simple-as-1-2-3/ | 2024-04-16T03:53:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.940943 | 377 |
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Travelers based in the United States can now apply for one of two lucrative LATAM Airlines credit cards, making it easier to earn miles for travel to South America. From generous earning rates to complimentary business-class upgrades, travelers will find outsized value in LATAM Airlines’ partnership with Cardless. | <urn:uuid:8038a262-7a98-4ca9-acdb-0da3280661e3> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.cardless.com/ | 2024-04-16T03:33:48Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.882684 | 180 |
As we navigate through the hustle and bustle of modern life, it’s crucial to make time for some good old-fashioned self-care and relaxation to keep our stress levels in check. One of the ways to do this in your home is by transforming your space into a more relaxing environment.
In this blog we will focus on transforming your bathroom into a luxurious, spa-like retreat. With just a few key additions and changes, you can create a sanctuary that’s perfect for unwinding after a long day. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want that? | <urn:uuid:d240bb06-5f4b-431d-ba3f-330305676e6f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.designvintage.co.uk/2023/05/ | 2024-04-16T05:32:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.953876 | 125 |
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Tag Archives: hazelnuts
Bonus post this week! I came back from Ottawa a couple of weeks ago with some delicious Quebec-made nougat, soft and chewy, with nuts and a bit of fruit. As I chewed, i started wondering if I can make nougat using … Continue reading | <urn:uuid:22755a08-79b5-466d-8dd0-2c4fde67ae7b> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.dongenova.com/site/tag/hazelnuts/ | 2024-04-16T04:02:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.857003 | 69 |
Bzzzzz It’s not really Jasper, Bzzzzzz ….or Agate Bzzzzzzzzzz!
Bumblebee Jasper is a bit of a misnomer. It does resemble the colour and markings of Bumblebees, but Jasper it isn’t – or not strictly speaking. It’s made up of volcanic minerals and sediment, first found in Java, Indonesia in the 1990s. The combination includes sulphur, hematite and ilmanite. It’s not very hard – only around 5 on the MOHS scale and so whilst it is incredibly visually striking, it’s not particulary durable.
Most Bumblebee stones used in jewellery are stabilised with epoxy resin before lapidary (cutting & polishing) takes place. Basically, cracks, fissures and fault lines are glued to toughen it up. Opticon seems to be the glue of choice as it sets clear and is widely used on a number of other stones too (notably emerald because of its refraction rating). When I first found this out I thought ‘Oh! What a cheat!’ but when I think about it, I’d rather have jewellery that doesn’t shatter or chunks fall out of if I accidentally bash it!
Wearing Bumblebee Jasper is said to unleash ones creative energy and infuse the wearer with a sense of joyfulness, resulting in extra energy and buzz. | <urn:uuid:0b1a6a8f-38f7-4557-8257-9ca7a0f0d334> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.eclecticaofludlow.co.uk/jewellery/bumblebee-jasper | 2024-04-16T04:22:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.925582 | 306 |
You might have this fantastic idea that has everyone at work talking. But when you finally launch the new digital marketing campaign to the world, you receive less-than-thrilled responses. Maybe your excitement got the better of you or no one in the company stopped to wonder how others might perceive your new campaign.
Either way, we’ve compiled a list of the top failed marketing campaigns in recent years, to show you how some of the biggest names in business today set themselves up for failure—and lessons we can learn from bad marketing.
1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - SPELLING REALLY DOES MATTER
Typos happen. Every marketer has made a few grammar gaffes along the way, and the occasional slip-up is forgivable. Unless you’re the Department of Education.
Already facing scrutiny amidst the controversial appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, the Department caused a social media storm with a couple of misplaced letters. In a tweet highlighting the importance of education, they misspelled the name of famous historian and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois. Twitter’s response was ruthless.
To make matters worse, when they tweeted an apology, they misspelled the word “apologies,” which only furthered the ridicule.
Always edit your work. Whenever possible, have a few sets of proofreading eyes on marketing ads and campaigns before they go live to avoid simple fails like this.
2. American Airlines - free first-class travel
A one-time fee for unlimited first-class air travel. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, American Airlines learned the hard way that short-term thinking can result in long-term problems.
In 1981, the airline introduced the AAirpass, offering unlimited first-class flights for a flat rate of $250,000 USD. At the time, they were strapped for cash, and they hoped to raise millions during a time of record-high interest rates. The problem? The people who’ve purchased and used these passes have more than since made up for the investment— by 2007, a few AAirpass holders were taking 1,000’s of free flights every year, costing the company millions in lost sales.
American Airline’s response was to launch an investigation into these frequent fliers and revoke their passes, resulting in outrage and lawsuits.
Suddenly, a marketing campaign meant to build airline loyalty became a one-way system. That’s a no-no in the business world. Successful companies treat their customers as they want to be treated, which is why loyalty and reward programs succeed so often—they “return the favor” so to speak.
Instead of offering the golden ticket of airline passes, American could have simply doubled frequent flyer miles or offered more sustainable incentives for their loyalty programs. American’s interest in making a quick buck backfired and wound up alienating long-time customers, not to mention the huge loss in profits from all the free flights given to AAirpass holders.
Short-term, one-sided thinking is a recipe for a bad marketing campaign. If you’re offering an incentive to your customers, set reasonable boundaries so both sides can benefit, but make sure you’re prepared to deliver on your promises.
3. Coca-Cola - changing the formula
Coke went nuclear during the cola wars against its competitor, Pepsi. While Pepsi played smart with ad campaigns like the Pepsi Challenge in 1975, Coke only succeeded in demonstrating how confused they were. At first, Coke railed against sweeter colas—until they developed New Coke. New Coke was a sweeter version of Coke they claimed had been sampled in over 200,000 taste tests, and which had received glowing reviews.
The problem? Tasting a soda is one thing, but that taste had to measure up to how people actually consumed soda, which was by the can or bottle. When customers started to purchase cans and bottles of New Coke they were instantly turned off by how sweet the new brew was.
Coke could have just fought fire with fire—with better ad campaigns. But as soon as they touched the actual product, they risked the integrity of their brand. While they took out cocaine of their recipe a very long time ago, a study by Medical News Today shows that Coca-Cola is still 'comparable to heroin' because it stimulates the brain and your pleasure similarly to the drug.
When you have a product as successful (and addictive) as Coca-Cola, be cautious about changing it. Experimenting with new products is normal, but not at the expense of the core product that built the business’s success.
4. PEPSI - Kendall Jenner Ad Outrage
We couldn’t mention Coke without talking about their constant competitor, Pepsi, who fell flat with one of the biggest marketing fails in recent history. In 2017, the soda giant released an ad which depicted TV star and model Kendall Jenner joining a street protest and seemingly defusing tensions between protesters and police by handing a police officer a Pepsi.
The ad sparked a firestorm of anger and outrage, as people felt it trivialized important topics like racism, police violence, and Black Lives Matter. While Pepsi stated they intended to send a message of “peace, unity, and understanding,” the ad came off as incredibly insensitive.
While Pepsi pulled the ad, you can still watch it on YouTube:
While modern companies often try to connect with important causes, jumping on the latest hot-button topics is a dangerous move. Many ad campaigns have failed because they take advantage of important social issues or politically-charged news events to try to sell their products.
5. HOLD YOUR WEE FOR A WII - A PR STUNT GONE WRONG
In 2007, a California radio station held a contest called “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” where they promised a Nintendo Wii console to whoever could drink the most water without going to the bathroom. Turns out, too much water can be a very bad thing. One contestant, 28-year-old Jennifer Strange, actually died from water intoxication as a result.
Suddenly, an ill-conceived PR stunt became a tragedy that not only cost a life but cost the radio stations millions in lawsuit losses.
All press is not good press. Take a minute to think before you do something purely for publicity. It’s not worth potentially endangering someone else’s life or well-being.
6. Colgate - frozen dinners
You know that company that makes toothpaste? Yeah, that one. Well, they tried their hand at making frozen dinners.
They might have succeeded if they hadn’t been so good at their flagship product, toothpaste. People just didn’t associate tasty food with a brand that had, up until that point, brought them products that belong in the bathroom medicine cabinet.
A simple fix would have been to invest in a subsidiary company, or purchase a smaller one—giving the consumer a different brand to focus on while they pumped out a new product. Colgate could have just simply stuck with making our smiles brighter and left well enough alone.
Focus on what you’re good at. If you’re branching out in a totally new direction, think about separating your branding and marketing for the different products.
7. SONY - WHITE VS. BLACK PSP AD
Marketing is a field that can reward the bold, but when your ad metaphors take human form, you run the risk of drawing fire. In a famously failed advertising campaign in 2006, Sony celebrated the release of their new white PSP device with giant billboards that were a giant mistake.
The billboards all had a central theme: a white woman subduing a black woman, representing the new white PSP model’s dominance over the older black portable console. While Sony didn’t intend the ad campaign to be racist, the fact that so many people were offended by the photographs speaks for itself.
Perhaps the worse misstep was how Sony handled all the negative PR coming their way. Rather than simply apologize and roll with the punches, they seemed to defend the ads and the “stunningly photographed imagery.”
To add insult to injury, the campaign resurfaced again in 2017 with a single viral tweet. Many people who were seeing the ad for the first time thought it was current and rekindled the firestorm.
Remember that when you’re being artistic in your marketing campaigns, other people may interpret your message differently. And sometimes that interpretation isn’t positive. When you do face negative PR, respond quickly with understanding and humility.
8 . Starbucks - collapse into cool
Imagine a picture of two ice cold, frosty Starbucks drinks standing side by side on a field of grass, surrounded by summertime insects. Above the image is a caption: “Collapse into cool.” Nothing wrong yet, right?
Apparently, Starbucks exhibited some not-so-cool behavior when they charged EMT workers $130 for water following the collapse of the WTC towers on September 11. It seems that bad press followed them, resulting in public outcry over their “Collapse into cool” campaign (note the word ‘collapse’) that came out in April 2002. It left a bad taste in many people’s mouths as they took the combination of words and imagery as a reference to 9/11.
This brand blunder is a difficult one to pick apart given the events that lead to up to this marketing failure. Starbucks might not have gotten any flack had they given EMT workers free water, or maybe picking any other word besides collapse would have sufficed.
Like Sony’s marketing misstep, this one is another reminder that ads can be misinterpreted. Be sensitive to your customers, the culture, and current events when creating your marketing message. You may even want to show a major campaign it to a few trusted customers first as a test case.
9 . Nike - runner charged with firearm murder referred to as “a bullet”
Double-amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius was featured in a Nike ad that depicted various athletes in motion, with a voice-over stating that an athlete’s body was their weapon. For Pistorius, his caption read, “I am the bullet in the chamber.” This is the same Olympian who was later charged with murder, using a firearm.
While there is some morbid irony at play here, it was out of Nike’s hands for the most part. Unfortunately, some marketing mistakes simply can’t be foreseen or avoided. All the company could do was release a few press statements and pull their sponsorship.
Nike certainly isn’t alone in having its brand or marketing campaign spoiled by celebrity endorsements. Companies take risks when they endorse individuals or groups. Those people often become face’s for the company and their mistakes can easily reflect back on the business.
Most small businesses aren’t looking for celebrity endorsements, but you still might associate with public figures, community groups, or well-known industry influencers. Just be aware of who’s acting on behalf of your company and seek to align yourself with trustworthy partners.
10. BLOOMINGDALES - DATE RAPE AD BLUNDER
In a 2015 holiday catalog, Bloomindale’s published an ad with a serious-looking man staring at a laughing woman who is faced away from him. A little creepy maybe, but it isn’t too bad until you read the caption: “Spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking.”
Make sure your marketing team puts multiple sets of eyes on a campaign before it runs. Editing for grammar and spelling is important, but getting multiple opinions helps ensure that potentially offensive and tone-deaf messages are caught before they ever get published.
11. Gap - a gap in brain signals
Last on the list is Gap’s brand blunder, which was a revised logo. This particular campaign was fairly straightforward—the company wanted to freshen up their look and tested out a new logo.
The problem? It seems that our brains are hardwired to react negatively to this sort of change. Particularly, sharp edges. When neuroscientists at NeuroFocus studied how volunteers’ eyes reacted to the new Gap logo, their findings showed that the new logo didn’t register as new or cool to the brain.
For a company in the apparel business, a lack of style is a huge loss of brand value.
A simple fix to this mistake would have been... to do absolutely nothing. Like Coca-Cola learned, don’t fix what isn’t broken.
Despite Gap’s intentions, they tried to redesign a familiar logo and the results weren’t positive. When it comes to visual ad campaigns and logos, everything from the colors used to the font of the text can affect how we perceive things. Careful thought has to go into every visual element or else marketing campaigns could ride or die on something as trivial as an out-of-place line.
When it comes to logos and the graphic design of your marketing, everything from the colors you use to the font of the text can affect how your customers perceive your business. Put careful thought into every visual element, because marketing campaigns really can live or die based on something as trivial as your color choice.
Across all of these bad marketing campaigns, the moral of the story is to always put a lot of thought into your marketing. Be intentional about your message, your offer, and the words and images you use to communicate.
Every business wants to make a big impact or go viral, but make sure you are getting attention for the right reason - not because of marketing fails like these that people just won’t forget.
What's the best way NOT to fail at marketing? Start with a solid strategy. Download our free marketing plan template to get started!
Of course the other way to avoid failing is to talk with our marketing agency in Lancaster, PA. | <urn:uuid:872d9e89-8895-438c-817b-5b18df2452a2> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.ezmarketing.com/top-failed-marketing-campaigns | 2024-04-16T04:44:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.960687 | 2,930 |
7 min to read
Office 365 Message moderation for Group mailboxes
Regulating the Mail Flow in Office365
Hi, I hope you would be interested in our previous article on Azure AD Sync Tool.
In this article we provide a solution for regulating the mail flow inside Office 365 Group Email Address using Mail Flow Rule and Message Moderation.
It’s natural that every organization has multiple group email-ids such as support, sales, etc., to communicate with their customers/external world entity for improving their customer satisfaction, profit etc. There are possibilities that confidential mail may be wrongly sent to group email-id resulting in consequences which you cannot even expect in your nightmare, unless you have a well-planned mail flow design implemented in your organization. So it’s mandatory to decide “Who should receive What?”. In this article we see about managing the support team of an imaginary organization by regulating the mail flow inside their Office 365 Group Email Address (Distribution List) and Mail Flow rules in transport layer.
What’s Our Mission?
To solve this problem, we can use Message Approval in Distribution list, but there may be managers/leads/ management members in the Distribution List, these members need to receive mails instantly without any moderation. If we use Message Moderation in Distribution List, then all the members will receive the mails only after Moderator Approval. To handle this case we need to go for hybrid solution of using both Message Moderation in Distribution List, and Mail Flow Rules in the transport layer.
Whenever the Support Team receives any message, an instant BCC message need to be sent to Manager and another BBC message to Technical Lead by skipping message moderation, but the Support Personnel should only receive moderated message.
How We Achieve Our Mission?
- Here we use Mail Flow Rule to allow the BCC messages to be sent directly to Manager/Technical Lead by skipping message moderation.
- We use Message Moderation to enable Message Approval Request to Manager for sending only moderated messages to Support Personnel.
Before diving deep in to the tasks, let’s have a glance on the basic concepts involved with this topic. First we see about Office 365,
What is Office 365?
Office 365 is a subscription-based online office and software plus services suite which offers access to various services and software built around the Microsoft Office platform. For more information, click here.
What makes us go for Office 365?
- Because Office 365 is powered by the cloud, you can get to your applications and files from virtually anywhere and they’re always up to date. For more information, click here.
- Now let’s see about Message Moderation- Message Moderation is a mandatory process to be followed in any enterprise to control the mail flow, i.e. approving the legitimate mail or rejecting the spam mail from an external source.
- As an Exchange Online administrator, you can use the Mail Flow Rules to control the flow of e-mail messages in your organization, such as you can allow or block messages based on your priorities.
- Now we have an idea about the topics relevant to this article.
Test Lab Environment
- Active Subscription of Office 365
- Shared Mailbox - SupportTeam
- Forwards a copy of each and every incoming mail to SupportGroup.
- Distribution List - SupportGroup
- Include members who are assigned with support activities and should receive mails only after moderation.
- Enterprise users with Office 365 mailboxes with following properties,
S.NO Users with Office 365 Mailbox Enterprise Role Relationship with SupportGroup —— ——————————- ——————- ——————————————- 1 Bill Manager To be configured as its Message Moderator 2 Mike Manager X 3 Bob Technical Lead Member 4 Ben Support Personnel Member 5 Steve Support Personnel Member 6 Casey Support Personnel Member
Steps to accomplish the mission
This article includes the following tasks,
- Create Mail Flow Rule to Skip Message Moderation for Manager/Technical Lead
- Enable Message Moderation for SupportGroup
Testing Mail Flow
Create Mail Flow Rule to Skip Message Moderation for Technical Lead
In this section, we create a Mail Flow rule to send a BCC message instantly to Managers: Mike, Bill and Technical Lead - Bob, by skipping message moderation, whenever the Support Team receives any message.
- Login to Office 365 as administrator and from the Admin tab, select Exchange.
- Now in the Exchange Admin Center, select the mail flow setting.
- In the mail flow setting, click the “+” symbol to create a new mail flow rule.
- In the created rule (Support mail Moderation), the filter and action
are set as
- Apply this rule if, The recipient is SupportTeam
- Do the following, BCC the message to Mike, Bill, Bob
- Now the mail flow rule is created, which confirms that a BCC message will be instantly sent to Managers (Bill and Mike) and Technical Lead (Bob) by skipping message moderation, whenever the SupportTeam receives any message. Next step is to enable message moderation for Support Personnel - Ben, Steve and Casey.
Enable Message Moderation for Support Personnel
In this section, we enable message moderation for SupportGroup and set message moderator as Manager - Bill, so he will be the responsible person in approving or rejecting the messages sent to SupportGroup. As a result members of this group only receives moderated message. Since Ben, Steve and Casey are already members of SupportGroup, this action confirms that they will receive only moderated messages.
- In the Exchange Admin Center, select the recipients setting.
- Now enable the message moderation for SupportGroup and set message moderator as Bill using the numerical points specified in the screenshot given below,
- Now the configurations for mail flow are completed. Next step is to test the mail flow.
Testing Mail Flow
Before testing the mail flow, let’s plan our testing using a flow chart
Flowchart for Testing Mail Flow
Based on the above flowchart, we are going to perform the testing in two stages,
- In first stage we will send a mail from external source to shared mailbox - SupportTeam, which in turn sends a BCC message to Technical Lead - Bob by skipping message moderation and an instant BCC message to Managers - (Bill, Mike) using Mail Flow rule.
- At the same time, due to the mail forwarding enabled in shared mailbox - SupportTeam, it forwards a copy of message to SupportGroup.
- Since SupportGroup is enabled with message moderation, it sends a message approval request to Manager - Bill. The Manager validates the message and approves the message approval request.
- Finally in the second stage the Support Personnel - Ben, Steve and Casey receives the moderated message.
Ok, the rehearsals are over, now its show time. Let’s test the mail flow,
1. Mail sent from External Source to SupportTeam
2. Technical Lead (Bob) receives a BCC Message without message moderation
3. Manager (Bill) receives Message Approval Request and approves the request
4. Finally Support Personnel (Ben) receives the Moderated Message
Thus our mission on managing the support team of an imaginary organization by regulating the mail flow inside their Office 365 Group Email Address using Mail Flow Rule and Message Moderation is successfully accomplished. This ensures that even if a confidential message is accidentally sent to the group id, it can be prevented from becoming epidemic with least administrative effort. | <urn:uuid:47b82e8b-1188-4132-9f95-412d7def33bd> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.jijitechnologies.com/regulate-mail-flow-office365 | 2024-04-16T04:41:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.888819 | 1,531 |
When asked what they want most from the meetings they attend,
people ask for clarity.
We asked this question at the start of our most recent meeting survey–
“What do you feel makes a meeting worth attending and a good use of your time?”
–and the replies included 136 detailed answers to this question. Of those, 62% included the descriptors “clear”, “specific”, “defined”, and “concrete”. “Relevant” was another popular adjective.
On the noun front, “agenda” was neck-and-neck with “outcomes”, as in “clear agenda” and “concrete outcomes”, suggesting that people not only want to know why they’re meeting, they also expect to get something out of the deal.
Leading to the question that drives nearly everything we do:
How can you achieve this clarity in your workplace meetings?
In 2017, we published several in-depth articles about understanding the business function of meetings.
Working with experts from several disciplines, we published comprehensive guides for running specific kinds of meetings. We shared a glossary, a taxonomy, and resources galore. It’s a start at answering this question.
In this vast realm of meeting possibilities, we’ve scratched the surface. It’s a nice, deep, keyed-your-car kind of scratch, but there’s still much more to key into.
So to finish up 2017, I spent time during my holiday break reading 3 new books about meetings. As always, I learned something new from each of them.
Mostly, though, I found myself feeling a bit overwhelmed and frankly, inadequate. 🙁 There are so many things to get right! So many interesting and nuanced techniques to learn! So very many ways that meetings can go all screwy!
How is it that an activity we all take part in so often, that drives so much of our collective work, and that most people feel very little need to spend any time or effort trying to master – how can this be so very complex?
The number of things you’re supposed to know if you want to lead a good meeting can be quite daunting: establish ground rules, sit in a circle, arrive early, send an agenda with pre-work, start with a check-in, break into smaller groups, cover the most important topic first, assign a timekeeper, use a parking lot, ask three part questions, end early, hear from everyone, keep it short, share appreciations… the list goes on and each tip is a good one!
Good tips for leading good meetings… and good luck remembering all that!
In the research world, they survey people’s feelings about a meeting and report the findings using one of two acronyms: PMQ (Perceived Meeting Quality) or PME (Perceived Meeting Effectiveness). As far as I can tell, they use these concepts interchangeably.
In our survey, we ask about perceived meeting effectiveness as well, but not for meetings in general. Instead, we ask people to rank meeting effectiveness for different types of meetings they attended in the past two weeks.
Looking back at it, I now find this use of the word “effective” a bit confusing, because we aren’t asking people about whether these meetings accomplished anything. Remember, people say they want clarity about the meeting they attend and clear results. If a meeting has a high PME, where were those clear outcomes that people claim to care about most?
I think it’s very hard to say that a meeting was effective unless you can say what it was effective for. It’s like describing a wonderfully effective cure, but failing to explain whether it’s a cure for a broken arm or an upset tummy. Calling something effective assumes that the context is known and that it is effective for achieving some goal; an effective technique for lifting heavy objects, an effective strategy for getting out the vote, an effective meeting for finalizing a contract, or an effective treatment for a broken arm.
Hint: Ginger ale is no good for broken arms! And asking a prospective client to agree to your ground rules at the start of a sales call meeting isn’t really a great idea either.
There is a lot of advice out there about running “effective” meetings (even here on this blog) that doesn’t deal with what the meeting is meant to accomplish.
Clarity Means Knowing Why: What is this meeting for?
We also asked people to share stories and insights. Here’s a response from our survey.
“Several years ago I attended a 1 day workshop called “Facilitating for Results.” The seminar was all about preparing for, and facilitating effective meetings. I’ve used the techniques from this seminar ever since, and have shared several of the key concepts / tools / techniques, with many of my colleagues. One of the most important take aways was to start by identifying the purpose and desired outcomes, and to include both in the meeting invitation. The agenda and attendee list will naturally follow. Prep work will also become clear once you know what you’re trying to accomplish with the meeting!”
When you start with the purpose and desired outcomes—or the “why” of a meeting—yes, you’ll more easily discover the agenda and attendee list. You’ll also know which of the many meeting tools and techniques apply.
It turns out that you don’t actually need to remember that whole big list of best practices for every meeting. Those aren’t requirements – they’re ingredients. The ones to use will depend on what you’re cooking.
Reviewing our survey responses this week helped alleviate some of the anxiety I felt after reading all those meeting books.
Yes, there are some rules that should be followed for every meeting, just like there are some rules in the kitchen, but this list isn’t so intimidating. In the kitchen, keep things clean and bring food to a safe temperature. In meetings, the basic rules include being clear about why you’re there and confirming outcomes before you leave. No, the basics aren’t enough to give you a truly engaging meeting or a delicious meal, which is why we turn to our recipes, but only the ones we need for that day.
I realized that I know how to cook, so what does it matter that I can’t remember all the recipes in every cookbook? Similarly, there’s no need to remember all the tips and techniques in every meeting guide. That’s why people write things down – so we can look them up when we need them!
Going forward in 2018, the Lucid team will continue to share what we learn about designing meetings that are not only good meetings, but meetings that are good for something. We have some inspiring meeting templates coming that will teach you how to achieve your goals, and exciting plans for the Lucid software platform to make it easier than ever to run the right meeting at the right time. All of which we’ll be sure to capture in a way that makes it easy for us all to look it up when we need them.
For now, take a moment to get grounded in what matters most. Here’s a word picture of answers to our first survey question.
There are many wonderful ways to do great work in meetings.
This year, let’s put those meetings to work. | <urn:uuid:882dc7c9-86fa-42b2-9873-5401b036142f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.lucidmeetings.com/blog/what-makes-a-meeting-worth-attending/ | 2024-04-16T05:17:59Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.959652 | 1,586 |
Customer questions, concerns and objections are a natural part of the selling process. If your customer isn’t engaging you at this level, then chances are they’re not a serious buyer. The feedback also provides valuable insight into the customer’s interest level, how far along they are in narrowing their search and finally, how close they are to making a purchase decision.
CRMs allow business the ability to track a customer’s sales history and monitor your sales efforts from a single dashboard that is designed for increasing efficiency of your sales department. However, as the market continues to grow, a modern CRM system needs much more than a client and sales preview.
The most important manner of discussion in the issue of fast response service is that it is not a simple and basic definition. There is no one basic method of fast response, and it is developed specifically for any number of industries that are able to service customers quickly. Think about the fact that as drivers we all have memberships to services like AAA or we have purchased insurance that also provides fast response service with immediate towing, repair or assistance with other issues. There is much to be said for that in comparison to the fast response service that marine dealerships have the ability to offer their customers.
There is much to be said for customer service in all industries today. Whether your business is based upon product or service there is always the importance of fast response in relation to quality relationships with your customers. No matter whether you sell a product, such as boats or boating products, or if you offer a service to the locals in your town, there is much for all customers to appreciate in the speedy service you may offer when they are in need.
Most businesses take prospects very seriously and converting those into customers requires knowledge of consumer patterns. This article reveals the best time of the day to contact your leads in the marine industry. Most marketers are enthusiastic when they ascertain the hour to pass essential information to consumers without it going unnoticed. It is not always necessary to wait for a persuasive event, investigate the purchaser and craft messages accordingly. Sometimes, all the marketer needs to know is the best opportunity to successfully gain the attention of their prospects. Here are some of the best times to do so.
A successful boat show is an exciting prospect, no doubt. It is a culmination of relentless marketing efforts and detailed planning. So, what happens after a successful show? After-sale services and other follow up strategies further work towards breaking new ground in boat sales and customer satisfaction. This article is aimed at exploring the benefits of calling customers after a successful boat show.
An important part of running any business venture is interaction with the clients. The best form of contact quite often is the personal one. Reaching out to the clientele on relevant subjects is as important as your marketing strategy. A key part of responding to leads involves having the necessary set up and accompanying strategies and framework. By clearly determining the dynamics of when and how the leads are transferred, you can focus on the appropriate response.
Making time to contact your previous customers is one of the most important and effective tasks a dealership can do to maximize lead effectiveness. The goal is to make sure you not only make contact with the customer, but to not bombard them with numerous attempts. A consistent and non-intrusive timeline will set you up for success.
Responding to leads is a day to day responsibility in a dealership’s life. The goal is to convert those leads into sales. Whether the lead is coming from a walk-in, phone call, or an internet lead, the way you respond to that lead is essential.
There is a fine line between overdoing and doing enough, and treading that line can be difficult. There are many types of contacts so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all process anymore. A sales person can call, email, send direct mail and, in today’s fast paced era, some customers may even prefer a text conversation.
- Marketing Tips & Tricks
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Boat Dealerships
- Customer Retention
- Customer Satisfaction (CSI)
- Lead Generation
- Lead Response & Management
- Social Media Management
- Live Chat
- Customer Care
- Call Campaigns
- Landing Pages & Microsites
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- Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC)
- Event Marketing
- Blogging & Content Creation
- Workplace Productivity
- Marketing Trends
- website design
- Email Marketing
- Re-Marketing Ads
- Craigslist Marketing
- Customer Journey | <urn:uuid:a3511d53-8343-4325-b66f-33941279bb12> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.mdsbrand.com/topic/lead-response-management | 2024-04-16T05:00:02Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.954544 | 947 |
Nowadays, much of our conversation shifts away from phone calls and e-mails and towards instant messaging. Some apps are more popular than others, but that often comes at the cost of privacy. If you don’t trust the hype around WhatsApp, have you considered trying Viber?
If you and your friends want to give this WhatsApp alternative a try, you can send text messages and images just like you are used to. Or, you can even send videos to one another. This is where Online-Convert.com can help you. Make sure that your videos are fit to be sent via Viber!
All you need: Convert Videos For Viber
Send Videos Via Viber
Sometimes, when you want to send a video using a messenger app, there is an error that tells you that your video cannot send it. That’s where the new Viber Video Converter comes into play.
Instead of having to manually hack into all the different technical requirements like the format, bit rate, frame rate and codecs by yourself, the converter takes over this issue for you. No manual settings are needed, which makes this a much faster and easier way to get your video ready for Viber.
How To Optimize Your Video To Send Via Viber
With the new webservice converters, Online-Convert.com introduced a set of converters that perfectly optimizes videos for all kinds of messaging services, social media platforms and video sharing sites. Of course, there is also a converter designated to the Viber app.
It’s quick and easy, check it out:
- Upload your video
It doesn’t matter if you have it on your phone or hard drive, a cloud storage, or even just as a link - Set the optional settings as needed
This is not necessary for the basic conversion though - Click on “Convert file”
These three steps above are all you need to get your video optimized. Just download the video and send it to all your friends.
What About The Optional Settings?
Basically, you can get your video ready to send via Viber in just two steps. The optional settings are, as the name suggests, optional. They are not needed but they can provide some great video editing options for your video.
What’s a preset? Basically, they are easy settings that change multiple parameters of your video at once. Below, we created a table that shows which presets are available for Viber conversion.
Quality | Screen Resolution |
Full HD | 1920×1080 |
HD | 1280×720 |
854×480 | |
By default, your video will, of course, have the audio track present as well. IN case you want to permanently mute it though, you can check the according box to remove the audio.
This might be quite practical if your video works without sound as well. Some of your friends might not have their phone on mute and this will spare them from accidentally letting everyone around them know what you sent them.
Your video clip is too long? Or you don’t want to send and share the whole thing? No, you do not need another program, you can cut your video right in the Viber converter.
Use the following format to set both the start and end time of your video: HH:MM:SS
Other Articles You Might Be Interested In
Why use Viber? | <urn:uuid:b4d3b1ea-c43b-46a7-a602-f74bb386ef14> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.online-convert.com/optimize-videos-for-sending-them-on-viber/ | 2024-04-16T05:11:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.920348 | 704 |
It can be a lot of fun to meet someone new in village. There are many ways to meet regional girls, whether you’re looking for light hookups or something more significant.
A great place to start is on online dating sites. They enable you to communicate with local sexy folks using a variety of channels, including winks and private messaging.
1. 1. Bars and clubs
The proverb” New york city never sleeps” is true. People are kept moving around all day and night by the hustle and bustle of daily living, so it’s not difficult to run into women on the streets.
It’s easy to hookup with native female in bars and clubs. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that the majority of plates and nightclubs are packed with lovers. Therefore, if you want to get a one-night stand, you’ll need to be persistent and work hard to find second women who share your interests.
For relaxed flings, many people are using online dating sites. By removing the need to approach anyone at your neighborhood bar, these websites let you search for games based on their location, saving you time. Check out Tenderbang, Adult Friend Finder, and Match, a couple reliable dating locations. Yet Tinder can be used to find a connection.
A gentleman finds it simpler to flirt with women and start picking them up as the alcohol flows and the crowds relax at parties. Only make sure to hold off until the group has subsided so you can get to know the girl you’re interested in better. She’ll be more likely to think your move is ideal, never frightening, if you’re more comfortable making a move this way.
It can be beneficial to get in touch with friends who have experience in the party scene and ask them for advice if you do n’t. You can also look up online reviews to find out which bars or clubs are favored by second girls. If there is a Ladies Night at a club, that can be an exceptional time https://find-hookup.net/au/qld/sunshine-coast/ to try and fulfill a female who is looking for a informal fling. If you do end up hooking up, make sure to employ safety.
3. Online dating services
You can find potential sex partners in your area on free online dating sites if you’re sick of having a friend group that is n’t made up of people who share your interests in hookups. These trustworthy connection sites offer private features that enable users to communicate just with matches they approve of and are regulated for protection.
These encounter dating sites cater to people looking for casual connections and flings, unlike cafes and nightclubs. They also offer a variety of communication tools, such as messaging, flash records, and natural video chat.
Tinder, Bumble, Okcupid, and Plentyoffish are a few of the top websites for hookups online. While Okcupid’s in-depth personality examination makes it suitable for those looking for serious hookups, Bumble, in distinct, has a distinctive twist that single women can initiate contact. Benaughty, on the other hand, focuses on matching nearby singles seeking illicit contacts. Finding a time in your area is simple with its seek filters.
4.. 5. Social press.
It’s surprisingly simple to hookup with local girls these days in the age of interpersonal multimedia. There are software made exclusively for casual dating and sex, and many people are willing to meet up for rapid genital encounters without any commitment.
These softwares include Happn, which emphasizes the possibility that you may already have found your soul mate. You can view outside residents and match with them based on their page pictures using a element that is also available. Both men and women can download the app.
Benaughty, another software, aims to be entertaining and quick. Users likely get given a brief account and asked to specify their search criteria. This makes it simpler to eliminate individuals who are n’t keen on hookups.
Facebook, a well-liked seeing apps, lets users choose whether they want to have casual sex or get married. This significantly reduces the number of prospective suits and speeds up the process. | <urn:uuid:708db0b5-6988-479d-bfae-f7b69304c42a> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.querotudonatural.com.br/where-can-i-meet-local-women/ | 2024-04-16T04:48:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.946117 | 888 |
i named myself after old retired greyhound i haven't seen in years. curled up beneath my feet as you slept on the couch and i sat next to you reading, afternoon sunbeams casting a warm orange glow across the pictures of you on the wall. your mother, humming to herself softly, gently whistling to call ol' mabel over.
sweet old mabel, baby. ran the track just on the other side of town until wiry grey hairs began popping up around her big cow eyes.
thought mabel sounded too old so i kept ivy- spunky little teenager.
mabel, ears flat against her skull as she peered out the back window, still as limber and strong as the day they sent her to that little house in wisconsin. and she died the way she lived- running full speed like a bat out of hell until her little old heart gave out.
five years this may, sweet mabel, baby. | <urn:uuid:134de0be-4217-4cf3-b785-16e0053353b3> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.spacehey.com/entry?id=853879 | 2024-04-16T03:34:07Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.972355 | 196 |
For more than seven decades, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have worked together in partnership to improve the public’s health by supporting the efforts of epidemiologists working at the state and local level by promoting the effective use of epidemiologic data to guide public health practice and improve health. CSTE and its members represent two of the four basic components of public health – epidemiology and surveillance. CSTE, as a member-based organization, represents the interests of applied public health epidemiologists working in state, local, tribal, and territorial settings to improve the public’s health through effective epidemiology and surveillance. More information can be found at www.cste.org [cste.org].
CSTE is currently recruiting for their Summer 2022 Public Health Law Internship Opportunity. This is a paid (up to $20.00/hour) opportunity for a current law student or recent law school graduate interested in public health law. The intern will work directly under the supervision of CSTE’s Public Health Attorney, and will be responsible for supporting a variety of CSTE’s Public Health Law portfolio development and training activities. Students can find more information and apply here [workforcenow.adp.com], or submit a resume, short writing sample, AND a cover letter explaining their interest in public health law, highlight relevant experience, and relevant coursework (e.g. public health law, health law, administrative law, and research and writing) and expertise they have to [email protected] and include “Public Health Law Intern” in the subject line. | <urn:uuid:53cfabd9-5ad3-41d7-b8ec-a937123192d0> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.unmc.edu/cophjobs/2022/05/05/cste-summer-public-health-law-internship/ | 2024-04-16T03:17:26Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.937235 | 350 |
For many organizations, increased vaccine adoption means that returning to the office is on the horizon. If your organization is thinking about going back to some form of office life, it’s important to consider equity in your decision. Office reopenings shouldn’t be the reason employees consider resigning or searching for other work.
As an organization leader, now is the time to consider what employees are facing to make the right decision for your team members.
Office Reopening Concerns
Office reopenings have employees thinking about The Great Resignation and moving on from their current employment. What are some of the major concerns people have when it comes to getting back to the office? Here are some starters:
Working From Home Is Nice
Let’s face it: being able to work from home has some nice perks. Many people have gotten used to working at home in their own offices, and giving up that freedom isn’t easy for some employees.
Working from home allows employees to avoid things like water cooler chat, which will be a part of going back to work. After so long, there are many small things that could give employees anxiety about returning to the office.
Contrary to popular belief, we are still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Delta variant has caused another surge in cases while vaccination rates are suffering in many places, it’s become increasingly clear that returning to the office won’t be as easy as we’d hoped.
While you may be keen to get back to the office, empathy for employees is essential during this time.
As an organization leader, you have to be aware of what Covid looks like in your city. Some states and countries have been harder hit than others. Take time to consider how you can ease fears and bring people back to the office with those feelings in mind.
The Future of Work Is Here
Another big concern is that organizations are trying to return to normal without thinking through the workplace they want to have. The future of work is here, and employees have a precise idea of what they will and won’t put up with.
As an organization leader, you may consider other work arrangements like a hybrid or permanent remote work setup. You’ll also want to consider what kind of bonding is required to do a job well. For instance, you might want to move to asynchronous communication for most of your time.
Overall, employees are calling on companies to be intentional about this return to the office.
What Role Does Equity Play At Work?
As organizations grow, equity becomes essential. Many organizations stop at equality, but that doesn’t really address the whole picture.
This image from the Interaction Institute for Social Change helps give more color to the term equity. Equity isn’t about giving the same resources to everyone. Instead, organizations that value equity realize that different groups need different resources to be on a level playing field.
Why You Should Prioritize Equity in Your Office Reopenings
As you are thinking through your office reopenings, you must consider the role of equity in how you choose to show up for your employees.
Office Reopenings Can Put Undue Stress on Employees
The current pandemic has hit employees differently.
When we think about the diversity of people who are employed, some of those individuals are bound to be dealing with things we can’t even begin to comprehend.
For example, you might have employees with weakened immune systems, social anxiety, and other (sometimes) invisible conditions on your roster.
According to the American Psychological Association, Americans aren’t sure about what life will look like once we return to the office. In fact, 49% said that adjusting back to in-person life made them uneasy.
Remote Work Can Improve Workplace Diversity
While remote work can cause some issues with face-to-face communication, there are many positives to working from home.
Remote work allowed some to go to work when they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to.
- Many introverts probably enjoyed working from home because it offered a change of pace that played into their strengths and skillsets.
- Working from home was welcome for many people of color who could avoid some of the microaggressions and racism experienced when working in the office.
Based on the number of employees who have quit in the last few months, it’s clear that flexibility is required and other voices need to be heard when deciding to open up the office.
COVID Has Put a Lot of Things Outside of Our Control
Let’s be clear: many of your employees are struggling.
Covid has created a global pandemic that has taken more than a year of our lives (and there’s no sign that it’s stopping now.)
With so much out of our control, your staff wants to control what they can. Give them more equity in the decisions you are making around returning to work post-COVID.
What Companies Need to Consider With Office Reopenings
There are so many things employers should think about when it comes to getting back in the office. Here are just a few of them:
- Do you have the resources to come back safely?
- Are your office policies written and agreed upon by your employees?
- Do you have any plans in case you need to close the office down again?
- Do you need to go back to a fully in-office team? Can you mix it up and provide room for a hybrid workforce?
- What is giving you the impression that you need to return to the office now? Are you jumping to conclusions?
It’s important to evaluate the reasons why we are doing what we are doing. Your staff are your people. It’s your job to take care of them and ensure their best interests are served when returning to the office.
Conclusion: Creating an Equitable Workforce When Reopening Offices
Getting back to the office is going to require a lot of work from human resources professionals. It’s challenging, because dealing with pandemic policies is probably not what any HR leader wants to do. Hopefully this article gives you some food for thought as you are thinking about reopening the office.
Equity starts by building bridges and encouraging open conversation. Employee communities can be the perfect place to have those conversations. Check out Workrowd and email us at [email protected] to see if we’d be right for your organization. | <urn:uuid:1327d4aa-2000-43a0-bcd0-5df8fdc32d2a> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.workrowd.com/2021/07/27/3-reasons-to-prioritize-equity-in-your-office-reopenings/ | 2024-04-16T05:04:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.965099 | 1,336 |
Chronic illness can affect every facet of a person’s life, or it can impact just one. It includes everything from fibromyalgia to Crohn’s disease to depression and everything in between. As a result, many employees have to manage chronic pain at work.
More than 50 million Americans live with chronic pain; that’s 1 in every 5 people. You—or your employee—may never be able to solve their health issues. That said, there are things you can both do to make their working lives more comfortable and support them in performing their job to the best of their ability.
Dealing with chronic pain at work doesn’t have to hold someone back in being great at what they do. I should know, I’ve had chronic pain for over five years, and I do content marketing, podcasting, and book publishing.
So, what can you do to support employees facing chronic pain at work?
Accept it’s unpredictable
Many chronic health issues can flare up without notice. They can also get better in what seems like a magical way (although this is less likely to happen).
As humans, we really like patterns. So, we may look for them and feel frustrated when we can’t find them.
Or, if you do go through an employees’ absence history and find a pattern, it may be worth investigating or enquiring about what happens around this time.
Stress exacerbates many health conditions, and work is one of the biggest causes of stress for most of us.
Could it be that something is happening at work that’s elevating their stress, but they haven’t felt able to talk about it?
Gently raising the subject can make them feel comfortable discussing it with you.
Perhaps there’s an aspect of their job that they could use some assistance with? Or, if they’re taking more time off than usual, are they working too much? Or too little?
Balance their workload
We often associate workplace stress with having too much to do. Not having enough to do or being under-stimulated can also be triggers, though.
Our brains like novelty, particularly when we have conditions like ADHD. When daily life starts to feel too automatic, we grow bored, our brains switch to auto-pilot, our stress levels increase, and our work quality goes down.
Keeping the pace of work consistent and regular means employees know what their employer expects from them. It gives them a level of stability they don’t have from other areas of their life, like their health.
While you want the pace to be regular, you can still vary what they’re doing to keep it interesting.
Giving them a task that’s just outside of their comfort zone will mean they get to challenge their skills. They can focus on that and expand their horizons. This can be a great distraction from chronic pain at work.
When we’re in a state of flow, working on something that’s somewhere between our current ability and a challenge, our brains are unable to process pain signals. So, for that little while, we get to experience a life without pain.
Reaching flow is how I managed to publish 19 books despite having chronic pain and fatigue (including particularly bad pain in my hands some days).
Flow can really be a game changer. It’s a lot easier to experience it when what you’re doing requires much more than auto-pilot.
Trust what they tell you
There can sometimes be a cynicism toward people with chronic health issues. People assume we’re putting it on or playing it up for attention/benefits.
In my experience, most people who have these types of health concerns are more likely to play it down because they don’t want to be a burden on the people around them. They probably already feel like enough of one.
There are exceptions to this, of course, but in most cases, when an employee is coming to you for assistance or advice, they’ve spent days, weeks, months, or even years battling it on their own. They’re coming to you because they trust you and need your help. It’s only fair to return the favor and support them in addressing their chronic pain at work.
Flexibility is the key to managing a chronic illness flare up. Symptoms don’t always behave in a logical pattern, which means anyone struggling has to listen to their mind and body. It’s easier to say than do, but it does help.
This may mean:
- regular movement instead of sitting at a desk all day;
- working from a different location;
- attending fewer meetings;
- wearing noise-cancelling headphones;
- turning off notifications at some times of the day;
- or something else.
Find equipment to make their life easier
What sort of adaptable equipment could you use to help someone with their chronic pain at work?
Could you get a stand for their laptop, so that they can adjust their screen’s height? A donut cushion to take the strain off their back? A more ergonomic chair?
There are lots of accommodations you can make to employees’ workspaces that make it more comfortable and accessible for them.
Sometimes all they need is a better mouse, or a desk that’s in a location closer to the bathroom/stairs.
Make meetings more accessible
Most meetings are neither accessible nor inclusive. They’re long, demand a lot of concentration, and require sitting still.
This is similar to classrooms, where teachers instruct us to sit still and listen to someone talk for long periods, then ask for our opinions.
But if you’re struggling with any symptoms, whether that’s hay fever, pain, restlessness, or pretty much anything else, sitting still for any length of time will be challenging.
To make the discussion topic more accessible, consider sharing an agenda in advance, shortening the meeting, turning it into an email, or recording a short video instead.
If you really need the meeting, can you find ways to make it more accommodating with regular breaks? How about sitting those who need it closer to the door, or allowing attendees to doodle or fidget?
Dealing with chronic pain at work is stressful, and work is one of the main causes of stress in someone’s life. It’s only fair that employers make accommodations to help with this.
Small adaptations can make a big difference, especially when they come from someone’s employer. The assumption will always be that employers don’t care and are only out for themselves. That assumption will only change by setting an example within your business and providing employees with support when it’s needed. They’ll repay you with their loyalty and hard work.
If you’re looking for other ways to support employees dealing with chronic pain at work, ensuring they have a strong professional support network can make a big difference. From chronic illness/disability employee resource groups to wellness communities that can help them manage their symptoms, Workrowd puts real connection at their fingertips. | <urn:uuid:97f4c86a-59aa-455b-affc-eb46d8793fd9> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blog.workrowd.com/2022/12/13/how-to-support-an-employee-dealing-with-chronic-pain-at-work/ | 2024-04-16T05:09:30Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.966775 | 1,494 |
1 month agoTheodore AlvarezNeed Suggestions for Best Backlink Generator Software to Boost My Bamboo Garden Design Website
Hello fellow webmasters, I'm hoping some of you might be able to offer some suggestions to a dilemma I'm facing. My website is an online hub for Bamboo Garden Design and Installation in Portland. I pride myself on providing my customers with the best quality bamboo materials for their gardens or any upcoming installation projects. Our team also provides consultation for garden designing to give your outdoor space a perfect aesthetic feel.
I've been trying to increase the exposure of my website to attract more traffic and potentially increase my earnings. To achieve this, I understand that my website needs to rank higher on Google search result pages. Therefore, I'm considering investing in backlink generator software.
The world of SEO is quite new to me, and there seems to be a multitude of tools available, each with its own features and specifications. I want to choose the one that will give me maximum website traffic and improved Google search rankings. I'm hoping that you guys have some experience in this area and can recommend the best backlink generator software that will help me reach my goals.
Looking forward to your replies. Thanks in advance!
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★★★★★(5/5)Lucy Kim — SEO SpecialistThe Money Robot software is terrific for building SEO backlinks that work. Its impressive capabilities have greatly contributed to my website's traffic, and it increased my website's ranking within a short span. I recommend checking it out. view details
© This forum is made with by Seo Expert Forum | <urn:uuid:34ba2825-d659-427c-b328-64be73de0c8a> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blogacep.com/forum/3183/need-suggestions-for-best-backlink-generator-software-to-boost-my-bamboo-garden-design-website | 2024-04-16T05:26:22Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.911486 | 764 |
I know many people – one of my best friends, for instance – have a stereotype of what the blues sounds like whenever you mention the idiom. Otis Taylor shatters your illusions of what the blues is and what it can be. Clovis People, Vol. 3 confounds and stretches the concept of modern blues by taking on subjects other songwriters wouldn’t touch and using instruments and arrangements others wouldn’t think of.
Many modern blues artists are influenced by the same handful of artists – Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, B.B., Albert, and Freddie King, T-Bone Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Otis Rush Buddy Guy – and their music bears all those obvious hallmarks. Those are great names and it makes sense they’d inspire future generations to take to the guitar, but the risk of getting a stale scene runs high if everyone draws from the same sources and to an extent that problem is reality. That’s why it’s important to have artists like Taylor who aren’t interested in making records that fit into those conventions.
Not only does Taylor shy away from the guitar-drenched 12-bar blues sound, he also writes about things beyond love gone wrong and chasing tail. I love plenty of blues albums that are all of those things but I’m drawn to artists and albums within the idiom that, first, have other ideas and, second, execute them well. Taylor does both on Clovis People, Vol. 3.
He is a shaman on “Hands On Your Stomach,” creating music with very deep, traditional roots that when blended don’t result in a composition that sounds like something you would obviously identify as blues. Ghostly imagery and vintage fingerpicking aren’t new, but they sound fresh here combined with Tejano brass accents. There are no instrumental solos or bridges or tortured wails. “Hands On Your Stomach” is a blues song that isn’t.
Not long ago, The Wall Street Journal wrote something of a eulogy for the blues, decrying its conservatism and reliance on tradition. It was another of those silly “all blues sounds the same” articles that sadly said more about the writer than the music. “Rain So Hard” is undeniably and identifiably the blues but how many blues staples do you know that deploy theremin, cornet, and cello? This is primitive, rustic music with an off-kilter spirit about it. It’s traditional, but Taylor doesn’t play it safe. That’s what makes Taylor so compelling and so crucial to the tapestry of the blues.
He reminds me of one of my favorite songwriters, Peter Karp, in that they’re both songwriters first and blues musicians second. Taylor is an amazing storyteller and “Past Times” tells the story of a man who knows he only has a few hours left to live. The man considers whether he has strength to fight to stay longer or if he’s ready for the suffering to end, pondering the hours he has left and the years behind him. Musically, Chuck Campbell’s pedal steel quietly but urgently weeps and wails like a ghost. The blues are filled with tales of sorrow but rarely are they lyrically or musically presented like this.
“Ice In The Desert” is a more approachable song lyrically and musically but it fits comfortably in the universe Taylor creates on this record. Gary Moore fills in on lead guitar and plays some beautiful lead that cries powerfully over a weeping violin, cornet, and acoustic guitar. We don’t know why the lovers in this song have one day left together but the heartbreak of the pending separation and the magnetic power of love on the heart and soul are beautifully expressed.
Taylor hasn’t created new blues but has re-cast deep blues in a way not often heard on the modern scene. Clovis People, Vol. 3 isn’t going to appeal to all blues listeners but those willing to cast aside their notion of what a blues record is and should be will find something special on this one. Even if you don’t love Clovis People, all blues fans should be thankful there are artists willing to tread the road less traveled. | <urn:uuid:4e80c65e-7980-44da-82d0-e1dd05d0d14e> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blogcritics.org/music-review-otis-taylor-clovis-people1/ | 2024-04-16T04:14:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.943753 | 906 |
Hi Gals & Guys,
I’m one of the QA working in Wrocław office. I think it’s time to show you that girls are also a part of the Deskop Team! 😉
For the great start of new week we’ve got a fresh Opera Developer release for you!
Thanks for testing and for all your comments.
Greetings from sunny Wrocław.
- Update to chromium 1588.0
- Off road mode works completely
- Lots of bugfixes | <urn:uuid:4b069095-234b-4b60-9eea-5016ac63f962> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blogs.opera.com/desktop/2013/08/opera-developer-update-2/ | 2024-04-16T04:31:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.881312 | 112 |
via Hull University
There are apps for sports fans, for tech geeks, for bookworms and for news junkies. Apps for dog-lovers, for cat-lovers, for mothers, for fathers, for teenagers and for businessmen. Apps that cater to your every need; be it physical, intellectual, recreational or even spiritual.
I am intrigued by this sheer variety of apps available, and wonder whether the increase of religiously-inspired apps says something about the way technology can tap into basic human needs and desires. The writer Alain de Botton recently claimed that even atheists need some form of spiritual guidance. He believes that even in our modern and secular age, rituals and traditions can still teach us much about what it means to be human.
‘religions merit our attention for their sheer conceptual ambition; for changing the world in a way that few secular institutions ever have. They have managed to combine theories about ethics and metaphysics with practical involvement in education, fashion, politics, travel, hostelry, initiation ceremonies, publishing, art and architecture,’ Alain de Botton, talkingphilosophy.
And the rise of spiritual apps seems to reflect this. For example, Nokia has more than 70 apps dedicated to the Islamic religion, including several apps containing excerpts and readings from the Qur’an in both English and Arabic, and an app that points to Mecca in order to facilitate prayer.
Other popular religious apps include readings from the Bible and Torah and the infamous Hallelujah button, a big red button that plays a few seconds of Handel’s Messiah whenever you feel the need for divine inspiration. There is even an app of an interfaith calendar, which maps all the holy days of the major world religions.
‘Enlightenment’ by Dominic Kamp, via smashandpeas
The Pope, too, has embraced the digital world by giving his blessing to social media sites such as Facebook and encouraging people “to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible”.
This explosion of spiritual and wellbeing apps is yet another example of how the boundaries between our ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ lives are becoming blurred – and how one can often complement or even enhance the other. Smartphones are becoming less and less like simple phones and more like multi-purpose personal devices. We already work, play, socialise, talk, connect and share on our phones – why not use them to become better people too, at least in the spiritual sense?
What do you think? Join the conversation @Nokia_Connects | <urn:uuid:2f000a4e-59d7-412d-8cf7-8aed90f6fcf6> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2012/03/30/the-nokia-apps-for-spiritual-enlightenment/ | 2024-04-16T04:57:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.948699 | 533 |
Beginning January 22, Conestoga’s student-run Bloom restaurant will launch another term of service. An interactive live classroom, Bloom is located within Conestoga’s School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts at the college’s Waterloo campus and welcomes paying guests for lunch and dinner service.
In addition to sit-down meals, Bloom also functions as a café with offerings ranging from takeaway meals to coffee and fresh pastries, and charcuterie items.
“Demand for reservations often exceeds availability, as the word about Bloom continues to spread throughout Conestoga as well as the broader community,” said Dan McCowan, Bloom’s executive chef.
“We value the opportunity that Bloom provides to put our students’ learning into action. From cooking and expediting dishes in a fast-paced environment, to service and business management skills, Bloom really showcases what our students are capable of while offering hands-on learning in a real-world environment.”
Bloom will launch its new menu for the winter term, which is patterned on a classroom-first approach and based on current curriculum. McCowan also noted the restaurant strives to ensure anything usable from the laboratory classroom setting is presented on the menu and not wasted. This ties in with Bloom’s focus on sustainability, which includes initiatives such as reducing food waste and minimizing single-use containers.
Bloom’s operating hours coincide with student learning schedules and availability. This winter, lunch and dinner seatings will be available Monday through Friday, except for Tuesday lunches. To make reservations, visit Bloomatconestoga.ca.
In addition to sit-down meals, Bloom also functions as a café and retail store which is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Its offerings range from takeaway meals to coffee and fresh pastries, and charcuterie items such as cured meat and pickles. All items for sale are made by students as part of their daily lessons.
Conestoga’s School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts is a leader in culinary and hospitality programming that prepares students for successful careers in Canada’s tourism industry. In addition to being the home of Bloom, the Waterloo campus also features state-of-the-art culinary skills labs. | <urn:uuid:bf17bd0c-763c-4493-b514-1b4287ab5a3a> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blogs1.conestogac.on.ca/news/2024/01/bloom_restaurant_begins_winter_1.php | 2024-04-16T04:46:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.96761 | 472 |
Sulfate-free shampoo is usually recommended as a follow-up to a keratin straightening or Brazilian blow dry, but did you know that a sodium chloride free shampoo is equally important? Choosing no salt shampoos will help your hair feel healthier and smoother, reducing free and minimizing the loss of the keratin applied to the surface of your hair.
When you ask people about common ingredients in shampoo formulas, I am pretty sure table salt is not the first thing that comes to mind. And yet, sodium chloride is a widespread ingredient in many shampoos and can significantly reduce the lifetime of your expensive keratin treatment. It has many properties that make it really good for formulating a shampoo: it thickens, prevents the growth of bacteria and other nasties that could make shampoo go off, and acts as a surfactant opening the cuticle of the hair for more effective cleansing. And it's cheap as dirt, so no wonder shampoo manufacturers love it!
Sodium chloride in shampoo is not harmful, provided your hair isn't chemically treated. It won't damage your health, but it can dry your hair and cause frizz, so choosing a sodium chloride-free shampoo can make your hair noticeably easier to manage and softer. But if you have had a keratin treatment, you must go salt-free.
Right out of the box, sodium chloride-free shampoo is much more gentle on your hair and will not strip the protein and moisture that makes hair healthy. The salt-free shampoo is an easy way to reduce damage and frizz long-term for hair that has been through a lot, such as bleaching or chemically treating it. If you had a keratin treatment, sodium chloride in the shampoo will strip it faster and reduce the adequate treatment time.
So if you care about protecting the keratin in your hair and keeping it frizz-free, choosing a shampoo with no sodium chloride is your best choice. Remember that conditioners sometimes also have salt in them, as it's used as a thickener. So keep that in mind when you are buying your hair care products.
Sodium chloride, aka salt, is a ubiquitous ingredient in shampoo as it preserves and thickens the shampoo very cheaply. So most cheap shampoos will use them. Your best bet is to pay careful attention to the ingredients list. Still, if you are trying to make a shortlist ahead of doing proper research, the best place to start is sulfate-free shampoos and shampoos marketed for keratin treatment after-care.
However, when looking for shampoos without sodium chloride, don't just assume that anything with sodium means it's not salt-free. The combination of Sodium and Chlorine in salt makes it stripping, but other ingredients are chemical compounds with sodium that aren't surfactants or cleansers.
Sometimes salt is added to products such as volume sprays, hair thickening shampoo, or wave spray. This is because sodium chloride will slightly open the cuticle, roughing the hair and making the individual strands look thicker.
To choose the best no-salt shampoo, start by assessing the needs of your hair and what you want to achieve in terms of styling. Choosing the right shampoo sets the proper foundation for styling, even hair drying. If your goal is smooth hair with no flyaways, you should select a smoothing shampoo that will weigh hair down. If you want more of a natural wave or curl, choose a shampoo with hydrating ingredients.
The more you wash your hair after a keratin treatment, the quicker the effects of said treatment will wash off, even if you use a salt-free shampoo. But if you need to wash your hair more than a couple of times a week, you can co-wash every other wash instead to avoid stripping your hair. Co-washing is nothing more than using a cleansing conditioner instead of your regular shampoo to eliminate light dirt and sweat without damaging your hair.
After a keratin treatment, choosing a sulfate-free shampoo is non-negotiable. But you should go further than just solving the question of how to make a keratin treatment last longer and aim for a shampoo that improves the quality of your hair. Choosing a sodium chloride free shampoo with smoothing and anti-frizz properties will increase the straightening effect of the keratin treatment.
Most people who choose a Brazilian blowdry do it because their hair is damaged, be it from bleach, color, or hair styling. Keeping up the moisture levels in your hair is key to improving the condition of your hair and making the most of all those hours spent at the salon. Choose a shampoo that has hydrating and damage restoring properties for best results.
This argan oil shampoo and conditioner set is the best performer for keratin-treated hair overall. It's sulfate-free, salt-free, and gently cleanses hair with the help of Moroccan argan oil. It's also organic, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and works for both thin and thick hair without weighing hair down. An all-around great sodium chloride-free shampoo with a pleasant scent leaves hair feeling clean but not stripped and helps reduce frizz and avoid flyaways.
You can also safely use this sulfate-free shampoo on hair extensions without damaging the bonds that attach to the hair.
This shampoo and conditioner set is designed with colored hair in mind, so it's sulfate-free and salt-free. It's formulated with botanical ingredients that cleanse your hair and scalp without stripping protein or moisture. It also has a very attractive 100% money-back guarantee in case you don't like the performance or the botanical scent. Damila offers a complete set of products to both do an at-home keratin treatment and maintain it, so they designed this shampoo with their customers in mind.
This gentle keratin treatment repair shampoo and conditioner combo for keratin-treated hair and, in general, hair that needs some love but needs to be cleaned appropriately. This formula is sodium chloride, paraben, and sulfate-free, perfect for damaged hair. If you regularly use styling products, you will notice that some salt-free shampoos can leave build-up and make your hair look dull even after washing. Not this one! It will remove the residue from styling products (as long as they aren't silicone-based, which requires sulfates) and leave your hair soft and smooth. Choose this one for glossy, frizz-free hair at an excellent price point.
No conversation about sodium chloride-free shampoos is complete without mentioning silicones. Silicones are used for similar purposes as keratin treatments. They cover the hair in a thin layer of polymers that make the hair shiny and smooth... but unlike keratin treatments, that layer of plastic is not part of your hair.
Unless properly cleansed, silicones will build up on your hair, making your scalp itchy and your hair dull and dry. It's like covering your hair in a permanent layer of plastic that prevents nutrition and moisture from coming in.
As you use more and more silicone-based products, your hair becomes duller and frizzier unless they are correctly removed by washing the hair. However, sulfate-free and sodium chloride-free shampoos are not strong enough to remove all of those silicones. You need sulfate cleansers for that! So if you choose an SLS-free hair care regime (or need one due to keratin treatments), make sure you avoid silicones in your hair care.
No, not all sulfate-free shampoos are sodium chloride-free and the other way around. If you have had a keratin treatment, choosing a sulfate-free shampoo is a must. But selecting a shampoo that is also salt-free will extend the life of your treatment longer, as sodium chloride can strip your hair.
Sulfates in shampoos and conditioners are variations of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, used as a surfactant to make the shampoo foam up and to help lift dirt better, which is great if it wasn't that it also raises the keratin treatment, moisture and proteins straight off the surface of your hair. A sulfate-free shampoo is formulated differently and cleans hair more gently. They won't make so much foam and will feel more creamy and less like shampoo.
Sulfate-free shampoo has a bit of a learning curve: you need to let it work its way on your hair and massage it gently, so the mechanical motion lifts the dirt and residue from your scalp. And if you use silicone-based haircare, you will need to use a sulfate shampoo to cleanse that. So if you have had a keratin treatment and want to keep it for as long as possible... avoid silicones in your shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in products.
I haven't found a shampoo that advertises the fact that they have sulfates, but most shampoos do. Most grocery store shampoo brands, anti-dandruff, and deep cleansing or clarifying shampoos, in particular, tend to have sulfates. But even shampoos marketed for dry or frizzy hair can use sulfates and salt as both are commonplace and cheap for manufacturers.
If you want to know whether a shampoo has hidden sulfates or not, you'll need to look at the ingredients list. Look for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate in the ingredient list and avoid shampoo containing either of those.
Keratin treatments add keratin to the hair's surface to smooth down frizz and sometimes even change the texture to a straighter style. Natural hair is made of keratin, so basically, this treatment helps refill the hair's natural surface by attaching more proteins to it. This allows the cuticle to become smoother and can help both damaged hair and hair that has been chemically treated or bleached.
When you use a shampoo with sodium chloride or sulfates (another type of surfactant), you remove that extra layer of keratin and damage and dry your hair. So whether you have had a keratin treatment recently and want it to last, or are just concerned about damage to your hair, choosing a sodium chloride free shampoo is a wise move. | <urn:uuid:20c57643-2eb6-4bc1-8134-86885183b238> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://blondehelp.com/haircare/best-sodium-chloride-free-shampoo-reviews | 2024-04-16T05:47:50Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.949826 | 2,131 |
John and I have been on a little road trip this week. The business of bluegrass brought us down out of the mountains of Southwest Virginia to visit Music City USA. We’ve been in Nashville since Monday afternoon, and have had a great time visiting with friends and associates in the bluegrass industry.
We spent a great deal of time at the Nashville Guitar Company shop in North Nashville, with luthier Marty Lanham. In addition to being a great guitar builder, Marty is also one of the friendliest people you’ll meet in this business. We had a great time talking shop with him and learning all about guitar construction and maintainance (hint: keep an eye out for a forthcoming DVD release).
Marty was kind enough to let me snap a few pictures around his shop. I’ve sorted through a few of them already and you should start seeing them show up in the header image rotation. A couple of them may be difficult to identify, so have fun. | <urn:uuid:e3423943-ab80-4435-8255-f33af0a8627c> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bluegrasstoday.com/nashville-road-trip-and-new-header-images/ | 2024-04-16T04:43:30Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.979987 | 203 |
- Open access
MetaTron: advancing biomedical annotation empowering relation annotation and collaboration
BMC Bioinformatics volume 25, Article number: 112 (2024)
The constant growth of biomedical data is accompanied by the need for new methodologies to effectively and efficiently extract machine-readable knowledge for training and testing purposes. A crucial aspect in this regard is creating large, often manually or semi-manually, annotated corpora vital for developing effective and efficient methods for tasks like relation extraction, topic recognition, and entity linking. However, manual annotation is expensive and time-consuming especially if not assisted by interactive, intuitive, and collaborative computer-aided tools. To support healthcare experts in the annotation process and foster annotated corpora creation, we present MetaTron. MetaTron is an open-source and free-to-use web-based annotation tool to annotate biomedical data interactively and collaboratively; it supports both mention-level and document-level annotations also integrating automatic built-in predictions. Moreover, MetaTron enables relation annotation with the support of ontologies, functionalities often overlooked by off-the-shelf annotation tools.
We conducted a qualitative analysis to compare MetaTron with a set of manual annotation tools including TeamTat, INCEpTION, LightTag, MedTAG, and brat, on three sets of criteria: technical, data, and functional. A quantitative evaluation allowed us to assess MetaTron performances in terms of time and number of clicks to annotate a set of documents. The results indicated that MetaTron fulfills almost all the selected criteria and achieves the best performances.
MetaTron stands out as one of the few annotation tools targeting the biomedical domain supporting the annotation of relations, and fully customizable with documents in several formats—PDF included, as well as abstracts retrieved from PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAIRE. To meet any user need, we released MetaTron both as an online instance and as a Docker image locally deployable.
In recent years, the exponential growth of biomedical data such as medical reports, Electronic Health Records (EHR) and physician notes posed relevant challenges in effectively and efficiently organizing, curating, managing, and reusing this data both for clinical and research purposes [1,2,3,4,5]. Given the textual nature of biomedical data (according to , the 70–80% of clinical data is text-based), extracting and reusing the knowledge in the biomedical literature can drive advances in biomedical research, enhance decision-making processes, and accelerate the discovery of drugs and diseases [3, 4, 7,8,9]. Consequently, Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques have gained substantial importance as they can automate retrieval, biomedical data processing, and knowledge extraction. The research area specialized in applying NLP technique to the biomedical data is defined BioNLP . Developing efficient and effective NLP methods is challenging as it requires the availability of large manually annotated corpora. In , authors address this problem and present a comparison of the most commonly employed manual annotation tools that can be used to create manually annotated corpora.
Several works studied the application of NLP technique to process biomedical data on different domains: in , for example, authors discuss the use of NLP techniques to extract symptoms from EHR, while discuss the use of NLP to process oncology medical records. In , a large language model for EHR is proposed, and in , authors analyze NLP methods to identify advance care planning documentation in patient clinical notes.
In this context, Relation Extraction (RE) task captured considerable interest in the biomedical community as the knowledge stored in the biomedical data may contain valuable insights about the relationships between entities—e.g., protein–protein, gene–disease, drug–drug, and drug–target interactions. Furthermore, Entity Linking (EL), the task of identifying and disambiguating entity occurrences in unstructured text , is key to detecting the various textual representations of an entity and capturing its underlying meaning. In , for example, authors show how EL has numerous benefits, including better use of EHR, improved search and retrieval of biomedical resources, abbreviation disambiguation. In addition to RE and EL, another important theme in the biomedical community is Topic Recognition (TR). Detecting the topics discussed in biomedical text plays a vital role in organizing and classifying the vast amount of information available . The most recent proposed techniques to perform RE [16,17,18,19,20,21,22], EL [23,24,25,26,27,28] and TR [29,30,31,32,33,34,35] on biomedical texts rely on Machine Learning (ML) models whose performances depend on the availability of large annotated corpora used in training, validation, and test. Creating sizeable and trustworthy manual annotated datasets for the biomedical domain and sub-domains is a time-consuming task requiring people with a high level of expertise . In this respect, the creation of these corpora is made even more challenging by the intrinsic diversity in topics and concepts within the biomedical field; the UMLS Metathesaurus , for example, contains over 3.5 million unique concepts belonging to 127 different semantic types . In addition, biomedical terminology is complex, and some terms may have different meanings depending on the context where they are used . Some notable examples of large annotated corpora are [9, 38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45]. Furthermore, some annotated corpora targets the annotation of relationships such as [18, 46, 47]. Given the importance of the annotation task and the significant effort required by experts, several manual annotation tools have been developed explicitly for the biomedical domain [48,49,50,51,52,53]. Other tools, on the other hand, are general-purpose [54,55,56,57,58] and offer different features that are not aligned with the biomedical experts’ needs. The coexistence of multiple annotation tools arises from other tools offering diverse functionalities and targeting various domains of interest.
In , a review of the widest-used annotation tools is proposed, highlighting the points of strength and weakness of each. They selected 15 annotation tools according to the following criteria:
Availability: the tool must be readily available. This criterion ensures that the tool is accessible via a public URL or is downloadable, independently of the user’s expertise. In this respect, the availability of source code is important not only in terms of transparency and accountability but also to guarantee further development and customization according to the user’s needs;
Web-based: the tool must be a web application. With the term “web application,” we refer to a software application following the most frequently used 3-tiers architecture: a presentation layer handles user interface and interaction, an application layer implements the business logic, and a data layer permanently stores data resulting from or useful to the user interaction . Web-based tools can run online. Hence, they can be accessed via a public URL or offline and, in this case, can be installed as web applications. Offline web-based tools require an installation procedure to run on the user’s personal computers or distributed servers. Web-based tools are usually more flexible and solid with the passing of time, and there is a growing emphasis on software not requiring local installations ; they allow multiple annotators to work collaboratively on the same document in different environments and are platform independent—e.g., other operative systems and different machines.. Conversely, according to , non-web-based tools are stand-alone systems or plugins running on other tools and platforms. According to two analyses carried out in , in the past ten years, web-based tools have been more prevalent than stand-alone tools and plugins and are the most frequently used in the annotation of biomedical corpora;
Installability: offline web-based tools are needed when documents and annotations must be kept private. These tools must be installed on personal computers or distributed servers, and their installation procedure must be finished in less than two hours. The ease and speed of installation and setup are crucial factors that influence the usability of a tool for a diverse range of users with varying backgrounds. Installability is a crucial feature also highlighted by another recent survey of image annotation tools ; indeed, installation issues are one of the main reasons annotation tools cannot be reused in the field;
Workable: the tool must be intuitive, and all the features must be comprehensive enough to be used independently of the level of expertise, relying on a well-documented set of instructions and without the help of the developers. This is a pivotal factor that directly impacts the tool’s utilization. Features that are challenging to comprehend render the examined tool impractical; see also for further supporting analysis on the usability of annotation tools. Therefore, it is crucial to take into account aspects related to usability and implementation;
Schematic: the tool allows for schema configuration. In this context, the tool defines elements such as labels, documents, and concepts according to the user’s needs. The tool should not be developed for a specific use-case and should not provide a fixed set of labels, concepts and rules for the annotation. Concerning this point, a tool that does not allow the user to define a schema or is designed for a specific use case will likely face challenges in being reused.
Once the tools were chosen according to the aforementioned selection criteria, the authors defined a set of 26 evaluation criteria to compare them. The evaluation criteria can be subdivided into four macro-areas: (i) Publication: these features concern the tools’ publications and citations; (ii) Technical: these features concern technical aspects of the tool, and are useful to determine the availability of the tool, and the ease of installation; (iii) Data: these features describe what formats the tool requires in input and output; (iv) Functional: criteria concerning the functionalities provided by the tools. Functional criteria describe all the feature a tool provides—i.e., document-level annotations, availability of overlapping mentions, active learning, collaborative features.
While Functional criteria are significant in identifying the primary distinctions among tools and deciding which tool best suits the user’s needs, Data criteria, on the other hand, enable users to comprehend the required data formats for each tool. Consequently, users can assess whether their data needs preprocessing. A subset of these criteria has been used also for evaluation purposes in that describes an ecosystem for knowledge discovery. We revised the assessment conducted by , updating LightTag, INCEpTION, and MedTAG according to our experience with each of these tools, adding some tools released after the publication of the paper and including new features we deemed as important for the current trend in bioinformatics.
The heat map we obtained is reported in Fig. 1 with the evaluated annotation tools as rows and the tested criteria as columns. The color intensity of the cells indicates the level of adherence of a tool to each criterion. We evaluated 24 criteria, including 22 criteria (from T1 to F13 in Fig. 1) from the set of 26 criteria defined in and two new criteria (F14 and F15) defined here for the first time. The first six criteria are Technical (T): (T1) date of last version or commit—whether the last version has been released within the past five years; (T2) availability of source code; (T3) online availability; (T4) easiness of installation; (T6) license allowing modification and redistribution; (T7) free of charge. Three criteria concern Data (D): (D1) schema format—whether the schema is configurable; (D2) input format—whether the input documents follow a standard format; (D3) output annotations format—whether the annotations are based on standard formats. Finally, fifteen criteria are Functional (F): (F1) support for overlapping mentions; (F2) support for document-level annotation; (F3) support for relationship annotation; (F4) support for ontologies; (F5) support for built-in prediction and active learning; (F6) integration with PubMed; (F7) suitability for full texts; (F8) support for the partial saving of an annotation (allowing the user to continue the annotation process later); (F9) support for text highlighting; (F10) support for users and teams; (F11) support for Inter Annotator Agreement (IAA); (F12) data privacy; (F13) multilingual support; (F14) connection to ORCID; (F15) retrieval of abstracts from external repositories or services. The use of most of the evaluation criteria from , ensures that the evaluation analysis we conducted is as objective as possible, avoiding to bias the study towards MetaTron strong points. Moreover, we further validated MetaTron against these evaluation criteria by the means of two expert-based case studies.
As remarked in , we confirm that no currently available off-the-shelf tool comprehensively meets all the requirements. This is also evident from Fig. 1, where the missing features in the majority of selected annotation tools are: support for relationship annotation (F3), support for overlapping mentions (F1), support for document-level annotations (F2), connection to ORCID (F14) and the integration with external repositories and services such as PubMed to retrieve publications’ abstracts (F6, F15).
In this paper, we introduce MetaTron, an innovative web-based annotation tool for the biomedical literature which fulfills all the selected evaluation criteria. MetaTron is released both as an online instance and as a Docker image deployable on a local server relying on a quick and easy installation procedure. It is fully customizable, as users can upload documents in JSON, PDF, CSV, and TXT or retrieve and upload abstracts from PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAIRE. The support for both mention-level and document-level annotation types makes MetaTron suitable for several use cases. Additionally, MetaTron supports automatic built-in predictions.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows: in “Implementation” Section we describe MetaTron and its features, focusing on the annotation types MetaTron provides and AutoTron for automatic built-in predictions; in “Results” Section we describe the qualitative and quantitative analyses we conducted to evaluate MetaTron and compare to other annotation tools; in “Conclusions” Section we draw some final remarks.
MetaTron is an annotation tool designed to annotate biomedical documents. One of the key features of MetaTron is its support for multiple annotation types. The annotation types can be classified into document-level annotations and mention-level annotation. Mention-level annotations concern the annotation of specific portions of the textual document and comprize mention, concept linking, and relationship annotations. Mention annotation detects the mentions in a textual document, and each mention can be linked to one or more concepts from an ontology—i.e., concepts linking. In this work, we use the terms entities and concepts interchangeably; in particular, we consider a concept as an atomic, identifiable object that has a distinct and independent existence . In MetaTron, as in the Semantic Web realm, a concept is identified by a URI and described by a name and a type—e.g., gene or disease—making the concept human-understandable. Relationship annotation involves identifying and marking “statements” or “facts” within a text. A statement typically consists of three components: a subject, a predicate, and an object, collectively conveying a specific meaning. It is important to note that the constituents of a statement may be explicitly mentioned in the text, or they can be implicitly understood by considering the surrounding context and their association with ontological concepts.
Document-level annotations pertain to considering an entire textual document as a unit. In the MetaTron framework, there are two types of document-level annotations: label and assertion annotations. The former involves assigning one or more labels (representing individual concepts) to the document to classify its content. The latter enables the annotation of a document with a collection of assertions, subject-predicate-object triples linked to ontological concepts. These assertions provide a high-level description of the document’s content. Treating the assertions as machine-readable triples can be incorporated into a Resource Description Framework (RDF) graph, facilitating inference and knowledge representation.
MetaTron offers support for ontologies by enabling users to define a collection of ontological concepts identified by an identifier, a name, a type (e.g., gene or disease) and a description. Concepts are not necessarily tied to a specific ontology: this guarantees more customizability and flexibility, allowing the user to add concepts belonging not only to widely recognized and publicly accessible ontologies but also to user-designed or not yet published ontologies or vocabularies. Concepts can be uploaded in batch or added at the moment of annotation, allowing the user to enrich the set of concepts when needed.
These features of MetaTron enable users to annotate a diverse range of biomedical entities and relationships, including genes, proteins, diseases, drug treatments, and their associations. By allowing this customization and flexibility, MetaTron can be adapted to suit various use cases and user needs.
Collaborative annotation is a significant aspect of the MetaTron system, particularly in the context of collectively annotating a group of documents. This collaborative feature is crucial as it facilitates users to annotate documents together, improving annotation quality and accuracy. By working collaboratively, annotators can save time and enhance the overall annotation process. Through this feature, users can view annotations made by their colleagues and identify annotations that exhibit the highest agreement. Furthermore, the members of the document collection have access to comprehensive statistics about the entire collection or specific documents. This functionality enables them to monitor the progress of annotations and visually analyze the complete set of annotations, considering various annotation types and levels of agreement.
To enhance the user experience and expedite the annotation process, MetaTron incorporates AutoTron, a feature that offers automated predictions within the system. AutoTron is a framework designed to automatically annotate relationships and assertions, allowing users to implement their methods as desired. Leveraging automatic annotations is pivotal in enhancing and accelerating the overall annotation workflow by offering users an initial set of annotations that can be modified. The AutoTron system operates as a plug-and-play mechanism, enabling users to integrate their custom automatic annotation methods seamlessly. Additionally, MetaTron includes two pre-built methods specifically designed for automatically annotating gene-disease associations and gene expression-cancer associations, further augmenting the automated annotation capabilities.
MetaTron is designed to be highly adaptable and can be customized to suit any area of interest. It offers an easy-to-use customization process, where documents can be uploaded in various formats, such as JSON, CSV, TXT, and PDF, using the integration with GROBID (GeneRation Of BIbliographic Data) . GROBID is open-source software that uses machine learning techniques to extract structured data such as author names, affiliations, abstracts, publication dates, and references from scientific articles. This feature helps detect the various sections of a publication. Additionally, MetaTron incorporates REST APIs such as PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAIRE to enable users to upload one or more PMIDs (for PubMed) or DOIs (for Semantic Scholar and OpenAIRE) and annotate related information such as the title, abstract, authors, venue, and date of publication.
Additional features of MetaTron are the following: (i) an easy-to-use user interface that supports the automatic saving of the annotations; (ii) integration of keyboard shortcuts to navigate between documents and perform new annotations; (iii) support for the download of annotations in JSON, CSV, BioC/XML formats; (iv) support for the upload new annotations from JSON or CSV file; (v) support for user-defined style properties such as the colors of the mentions, the size or the line height of the textual content; (vi) multilingual support; (vii) support for annotation suggestions; (viii) IAA support, implemented through Fliess’ kappa, Cohen’s kappa and majority voting; (ix) dockerized and online instance available, (x) support for multiple ontologies, (xi) connection to ORCID, (xii) support for multiple annotation rounds.
The system architecture is illustrated in Fig. 2 and can be divided into three layers: a data layer, a business layer, and a presentation layer.
The data layer is based on a PostgreSQL database that stores the annotations data, information about collections, concepts, and documents. This layer is responsible for managing the persistence and retrieval of data and ensuring data integrity.
The business layer comprises a REST API and a business logic implemented using the Django Python web framework.Footnote 1 The REST API acts as an intermediary between the presentation layer and the data layer, while the business logic handles and processes data retrieved from the database based on the application’s needs. This layer also utilizes additional services such as AutoTron (presented in Sect. 2.2.2) and GROBID .
Overall, this architecture provides a clear separation of concerns between the different layers, improving the system’s maintainability, scalability, and modularity. Using a database, a REST API, and additional services enhances the system’s data management and processing capabilities.
MetaTron is released as an online and dockerized instance. The online instance is available at https://metatron.dei.unipd.it.Footnote 2 An online demo and tutorial is available at: https://metatron.dei.unipd.it/demo.
It is intended to be used with scientific publications—e.g., scientific articles or publications in PubMed. To use MetaTron, it is necessary to sign up by providing a username, a password, and a profile that identifies the level of expertise. Once signed up, the user will be asked to specify their level of expertise. They can create new document collections and invite other collaborators to join the project.
MetaTron is also released as a Docker container which guarantees cross-platform portability, scalability, and isolation. Furthermore, the dockerized version can be utilized by users who want to upload collections of documents whose content must be kept private, in all the cases where the network is not fully operational or when users want to introduce new features (i.e., new methods for automatic relation extraction). A local installation is also required if the user works with confidential documents or in a privacy-preserving setting. The dockerized version also eases the installation of MetaTron in a private network setting when the documents are unavailable on the Web, but distributed collaboration amongst the annotators is required. The installation procedure is detailed in the MetaTron repository (https://github.com/GDAMining/metatron/), where the source code is publicly available.
The MetaTron annotation interface and its features have been designed to be intuitive and facilitate and speed up the entire annotation process. MetaTron annotation interface is illustrated in Fig. 3 that we use as a guide to illustrate the tool’s main features. Upon successful login, the system presents the user with the most recently annotated document. At the top of the annotation interface, there is the main header (1). The Home, Collections, Statistics buttons can be used to navigate to home—i.e., the page illustrated in Fig. 3, collections, and statistics web pages. The user name is displayed at the top right of the page and can be used to log out. The document header (2), placed below the main header, includes the information about the current document identifier—e.g., pubmed_27839516—and the related collection name—e.g., pubmed_collection. Two arrow buttons allow the user to navigate between the documents of the collection; it is worth noting that it is also possible to navigate from one document to another through a custom shortcut designed to allow the user to change documents relying only on the keyboard. The Delete button deletes the annotations for the current document, while the Assertion button creates a new assertion as a document-level annotation.
By clicking on the Annotation button, a drop-down menu appears, enabling the user to choose one or more annotation types. For each selected annotation type, the list of annotations is then displayed on the right-hand side of the annotation interface, in the annotation panel (3). The user can view, add, modify, or delete their annotations using this panel. The largest portion of the page is taken by the textual document (4) the user annotates. The vertical toolbar (5) provides a set of functionalities illustrated in Fig. 3 from (A) to (K), that can be accessed directly from the main annotation interface improving, and speeding up the annotation procedure, and minimizing the number of actions to be performed. In (A), the list of documents of the collections is shown. The user can filter documents based on whether they contain at least one annotation and search for a specific document to annotate using its ID. In (B), the user can view a list of document collections available for annotation. Each collection is represented by a button displaying the collection name and the percentage of annotated documents. The button color varies based on the percentage of documents that have been annotated—e.g., green color is used when the user annotated more than 80% of documents, while red color is used when the user annotated less than 20% of documents. By clicking on a collection, it is possible to start annotating its documents. In (C), the users who annotated the current document are listed. It is possible to load the annotation of one of the users in the list by clicking on the associated username. (D) allows the user to open two tables containing personal and global annotations statistics overview for the current document; the former concerns the annotations of the current user, while the latter those of all the annotators. Each table contains the number of mentions, associations, mentions-concepts, relationships, assertions, and labels annotated. In the global overview, the agreement computed with the Fleiss’ kappa measure is provided. (E) allows the user to customize MetaTron. It is possible to: hide or display specific sections of the document, increase or decrease the font size and the line height, and set the color associated with each concept type. These settings have been defined to facilitate and speed up the annotation workflow and improve document readability. (F) enables to download of the annotations. The user has to specify the file format—e.g., JSON, CSV, BioC, the annotation type—e.g., mentions, concepts, relationships, and the annotator username, choosing between all the users who annotated that document. (G) opens an upload panel where only the user who created the collection can upload new lists of documents and ontological concepts. Documents can be uploaded in several formats: CSV, TXT, JSON, and PDF. The user can search for a specific publication in PubMed (by providing the related PMID), in Semantic Scholar, and OpenAIRE (by providing the related DOI): MetaTron takes advantage of their REST APIs to retrieve the title, the abstract, the authors, the date of publication, and the venue information. The user can upload a new set of annotations in CSV or JSON format that will be automatically loaded in MetaTron. In (H), the user can hide the ontological concepts associated with the mentions and visualize only the annotated mentions increasing the document’s readability. In (I), it is possible to rely on AutoTron to annotate the current document automatically for specific cases. (J) and (K) open new tabs with the MetaTron instructions, and the credits respectively.
Mention annotation Mentions are textual spans that can be linked to one or more ontological concepts. In MetaTron, a mention can either consist of one or more consecutive tokens (or words), where a token is a sequence of characters between two spaces or a substring of one or more contiguous tokens. In this case, the first or last character of the mention does not necessarily coincide with the character that follows or precedes a space. It is possible to select a mention that consists of two or more consecutive tokens by clicking on the first and the last words, respectively: all the words comprised between the two selected will be part of the new mention. To create a mention containing a single token, it is possible to double-click on the desired token. To annotate a substring, hence selecting a part of the token (or two or more consecutive tokens), it is possible to drag and drop the mouse from the first to the last characters of the substring. MetaTron allows for the selection of overlapping mentions, meaning that a piece of text already included in a mention can be selected.
This implementation is based on our direct experience with other annotation tools, which has allowed us to assess the pros and cons of various possible implementations. We have decided to implement the annotation of mentions both through drag and drop and by clicking on individual words to allow the user to annotate both specific textual substrings and mentions of two or more words quickly, streamlining and expediting the workflow.
When the textual content of a mention occurs more than once in the textual document, it is possible to annotate all the mentions simultaneously. When a mention is annotated, a new modal will appear if its content occurs more than once, and the user can decide to annotate the mentions altogether.
It is possible to access the mention panel illustrated in Fig. 4 by performing a right-click on a mention. This panel includes all possible actions and annotations related to the selected mention. From this panel, users can get information about the mention—e.g., the date of annotation and the number of annotators who annotated that mention for that document, receive some suggestions about the concepts to link to the mention, perform new annotations—i.e., add a new concept or a new relationship, and delete the mention. The option Annotate all finds all the occurrences of a mention in the document and annotates them simultaneously.
Concepts linking To link a new ontological concept to a mention, the user can open the mention panel of a mention and select the Add Concept option. A new modal will appear, allowing the user to select a concept. Each collection of documents has a list of user-defined ontological concepts, not necessarily tied to a single ontology. From the modal, the user can explore this set of concepts, filter them according to their type, name, and identifier, and view the associated description. If the list of ontological concepts of the collection is large, to aid the user in selecting a concept, MetaTron provides auto-completion facilities to find the desired concept easily.
The incorporation of concept annotations in our system mirrors the approach employed by various tools, such as brat and INCEpTION. Nevertheless, we observed that our implementation is characterized by its intuitiveness. By positioning the concept above the corresponding mention and employing distinct colors based on the type, users can readily discern between different concepts, thereby augmenting the immediacy of the annotation experience.
Alternatively, if the concept is unavailable in the provided list, the user can define a new concept that will be automatically added to the collection’s concepts list. In this case, the user must define the concept’s type, name, URI (or ID), and an optional description.
In Fig. 5, we can see how to link a concept to a mention. The user can filter the concepts to choose from, specifying the concept type—i.e., disease in the figure. By typing the first letters of the desired concepts, the available options are automatically shown (A in Fig. 5). The required information typically consists of the concept type and the name to select a concept. The user is required to select the ID of the concept only if two or more concepts share the same name but with different URIs. Once a concept is selected, the related description will automatically appear (B in Fig. 5). If no option is shown, the concept is not on the list, and it is possible to add a new concept.
If a mention is linked to one or more concepts, by clicking on the Annotate all option of the mention panel, it is possible to locate all the instances of that mention in the document and associate them with the same set of concepts simultaneously.
Each mention can have more than one linked concept. The concepts linked to a mention are displayed above the mention; they are clickable so that the user can be provided with the information about the concept—i.e., the URI, the name, the description, and the type. In the annotation interface, each concept can have a different color depending on its type: in Fig. 3, for example, concepts of type Disease and the associated mentions are highlighted in pink, while Gene type concepts in dark blue.
Relationship annotation A relationship comprizes three primary components: a subject, a predicate, and an object; the relationship always starts from the subject and ends with the object. Each relationship element can be represented by either an ontological concept or a textual mention (with or without linked concepts). At least one of the three components of a relationship must be a mention.Footnote 3 A new relationship can be added through the Add Relationship option of the mention panel of a mention. By default, this mention will be the subject of the relationship. This action automatically shows a relationship panel that provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship and its components. All the other mentions composing the relationship (if any) can be added by clicking on each mention, or by right-clicking on the desired mention, it is possible to select its role. It is worth noting that it is always possible to change the role of a mention—e.g., a mention which was the subject can become the object. From the relationship panel, it is possible to select the concepts of the relationship by clicking on the Add predicate, Add subject, or Add object buttons. In Fig. 6, the creation of a new relationship is illustrated. The relationship comprises two mentions (the subject BRCA1 and the object breast cancer) and an ontological concept (the predicate Oncogenes). In 1, the object mention is selected by declaring its role from the menu. In 2, the predicate is selected. There are two ways to select a predicate: from A, it is possible to input a string manually that represents the predicate, while from B, it is possible to select a predicate concept. In 3, the created relationship is shown. In the textual document, each relationship component has a different color depending on its role: the subject is highlighted in red, the predicate in green, and the object in orange. The three components are linked via arrows whose positions can be changed by the user to facilitate the document readability—i.e., each mention is surrounded by four points that determine the points where the arrows can start or end.
On the right, the relationship panel, for each relationship component, shows the type of the component—e.g., mention or concept, and its role—e.g., subject, predicate, object. The annotations panel provides an overview of all the relationships the user annotates; each relationship can be viewed, edited, and deleted directly from the interface.
In this implementation, each relationship component is manually chosen, whether a mention selected in the text or a concept chosen relying on the right panel. This approach, even though it may require more steps than previous annotations, allows the users to designate which element within the relationship should be identified as a mention and which as a concept. Unlike brat and INCEpTION that enable the annotation of relationships, MetaTron does not necessitate the subject and object to be mentions within the textual document. Relationships may span multiple sentences; at least one among subject, predicate and object must be a mention, while the remaining components can be concepts.
In Fig. 7, we can see the relationships list. It is subdivided into three categories: subject, predicate, and object; each category is further subdivided into concept types. This layout provides the user with an overview of the different concept types characterizing subjects, predicates, and objects of the annotated relationships.
Assertions annotation Like relationships, assertions consist of a subject, predicate, and object, each represented by an ontological concept unlinked to any mention in the document. To add a new assertion (see Fig. 8), a dedicated button in the document header opens an assertion panel similar to the one provided for relationships. Users can create a new assertion by specifying the types, names, and URIs of the subject, predicate, and object concepts. The annotated assertions can be viewed, edited, and removed via the annotation panel by selecting the assertion annotation type; the annotation panel contains the assertions the user created. For each assertion, the subject, the predicate, and the object concepts are provided with information, including the date and number of annotators. Furthermore, each assertion can be viewed, edited, or deleted. As far as our current knowledge extends, MetaTron stands out as the initial tool to introduce the creation of document-level assertions. Therefore, we have opted to maintain a close resemblance between assertion annotations and relationship annotations. This decision aims to facilitate a seamless user experience, enabling users to bypass the need to acquaint themselves with a novel annotation methodology and expedite the overall annotation workflow.
Labels annotation Labels allow the user to classify the document. Each collection has its own set of labels specified at its creation. To add one or more labels to the document, the user must open the annotation panel and select the labels annotation type. Each label is a button that can be selected or selected by a click. In Fig. 9, the annotation panel shows an example of the labels that can be associated with the displayed document for the selected collection. The selected labels have a light blue background.
AutoTron: automatic annotations
AutoTron represents the automatic annotation component of MetaTron. As an automatic component, AutoTron can be implemented by the user at will. The only requirement lies on the I/O structure, where specific I/O data are required to integrate the component within MetaTron. Below, we first describe the general architecture of the AutoTron component and then present two different implementations used in two annotation tasks: document-level Gene-Disease Association (GDA) extraction and sentence-level Gene expression-Cancer Association (GCA) extraction. Both implementations are currently available in MetaTron and can be used by the user on the corresponding annotation tasks. Figure 10 shows the AutoTron workflow to extract GCAs from a sample PubMed article (i.e., PubMed id: 24662820). The workflow involves three steps. First, users select the desired task (1), which in this case is GCA. Once the user clicks the annotate button, a loading icon indicates that the automatic annotation process is underway (2). Finally, the annotations generated by AutoTron are displayed to the user (3).
Architecture AutoTron consists of two main components and specific I/O data requirements. The main components are EL and RE. EL assigns unique meanings to entities mentioned within text [65, 66], whereas RE identifies and extract relations between linked entities mentioned in text [67, 68]. The EL and RE modules are containers where different methods can be plugged in/out, but which must adhere to specific I/O data. In this regard, the I/O data consists of specific fields. In input, AutoTron requires a field containing the text to annotate. In the output, AutoTron provides, for each extracted relationship or assertion, the subject, predicate, and object concept IDs, names, and types, as well as the corresponding mention positions within the text (if any). Together, these fields allow MetaTron to seamlessly integrate any implementation of the AutoTron component. In other words, AutoTron represents a framework for automatically annotating relationships and assertions that users can implement at will.
Entity linking We consider different EL systems depending on the input text. When the input text comes from PubMed, we use the PubTator system [69,70,71]. PubTator provides automated annotations from state-of-the-art text mining systems for genes/proteins, genetic variants, diseases, chemicals, species, and cell lines. In particular, PubTator normalizes annotated genes to NCBI Gene identifiers and annotated diseases to MeSH identifiers. When the input text comes from sources different than PubMed, we use the MetaMapLite system , a near real-time EL tool that identifies UMLS concepts within the biomedical text. MetaMapLite returns, among other information, the CUI, the preferred term, and the location in the text of the identified UMLS concepts.
The text annotated by EL systems is then passed to RE methods to perform GDA/GCA extraction.
GDA extraction The discovery of GDAs is one of the most pressing challenges to advance precision medicine and drug discovery . Therefore, the automatic extraction and curation of GDAs is pivotal to advancing precision medicine and providing knowledge to assist disease diagnostics, drug discovery, and therapeutic decision-making. To this end, we use a document-level RE method that adopts Multi-Instance Learning (MIL) to extract GDA assertions from text [76, 77]. Under MIL, text sentences are divided into bags based on pairs of concepts, and the prediction of relations (i.e., predicates) occurs at the bag level. The use of MIL well suits the assertion annotation task, where subject, predicate, and object are not associated with mentions. As the underlying ML model, the RE method exploits Piecewise Convolutional Neural Network (PCNN) model . PCNN first encodes sentences using a CNN and then applies a piecewise max pooling operation. This operation divides each sentence into three segments based on the positions of the two given entities and returns the maximum value in each segment instead of a single maximum value over the entire sentence. For MIL, the RE method performs average-based aggregation. This aggregation strategy assumes that all sentences within the same bag contribute equally to the bag-level representation. In other words, the bag representation is the average of all its sentence representations.
We trained the method on the TBGA dataset , a large-scale, semi-automatically annotated dataset for GDA extraction. TBGA contains over 200,000 instances and 100,000 bags, divided into four GDA types: Therapeutic, Biomarker, Genomic Alterations, and NA. Once trained, the RE method is deployed within AutoTron.
GCA extraction Cancer prevention is one of the century’s most pressing challenges that public health needs to face. In the last few years, the rise of microarray and next-generation sequencing technologies triggered the generation of large amounts of raw experimental data about gene expression-cancer interactions. These raw data require investigation, processing, and validation by experts to be used to guide diagnosis, assess prognosis, or predict therapy response [75, 79]. The outcomes of experts’ analyses are (often) described in scientific publications in the form of GCAs. However, manual knowledge extraction requires high economic and time costs [80,81,82]. Thus, it is of paramount importance to assist manual GCA extraction through the use of automated methods. In this regard, we use a sentence-level RE method that combines the outcomes of different models to obtain the corresponding GCA. Specifically, the method combines three ML models, each of which predicts a specific aspect associated with GCAs. The considered aspects are the Change of Gene Expression (CGE), the Change of Cancer Status (CCS), and the Gene-Cancer Interaction (GCI). Once predicted, the different aspects are combined—following a set of inference rules defined in [47, 83]—to infer the role the given gene has on the specific cancer disease. All the ML models adopt SciBERT , a pre-trained language model based on BERT . SciBERT addresses the lack of high-quality, large-scale labeled scientific data by pretraining on scientific papers from Semantic Scholar . On top of it, a linear layer takes SciBERT pooled output. Predictions are scores in [0, 1]; the higher the score for an aspect value, the more the model believes the sentence expresses that particular (aspect) value.
Collections and customization
Collections are sets of documents that one or more users can annotate. The collection web page is illustrated in Fig. 11, and is accessible through the annotation interface by clicking the Collections button.
At the top of the collection page is a text field that allows users to search for a specific collection by its name. Additionally, the four buttons below enable users to filter the collections. The default filter is All, which provides users with a list of all the collections they can annotate. Created button shows collections created by the user, while Shared displays collections that the user can annotate and be created by another team member. Lastly, the Invited button shows collections the user has been asked to join as an annotator. A new collection can be created via the Add Collections button. Finally, in the remaining part of the page, the user’s collections (either the entire or filtered list) are listed. For each collection, the following information is provided in this order: the creator, the collection’s name, the date of creation, the number of documents, the number of documents annotated by at least one user, and the description; by clicking on Learn More button, located below the collection, the information about the annotators of the collection, and the list of labels are loaded. If the user is also the collection’s creator, they can add or remove one or more annotators and add new labels. The New Round button allows the user to create a new annotation round. Depending on the annotation task, the users can perform one or more rounds of annotation; hence, they annotate the collection documents several times. The collection’s creator can also decide on the annotators of each round so that different sets of annotators can contribute to different rounds. This option automatically duplicates the annotations of the last round and makes them available in a new collection. The annotators who access this new collection are provided with all the annotations they performed in the last annotations round for that collection. Encapsulating each round on a separate collection of documents and annotations allows each round to be independent of all the other rounds and facilitates the annotators’ work. The Documents button redirects the user to the collection’s documents web page containing the list of documents of the collection together with its annotations—a more detailed description of this table is provided in Sect. 2.4. The Annotate button allows the user to annotate that collection: the user will be automatically redirected to the annotation interface and provided with the last annotated document of the collection (if any, otherwise with the first document available). Only the creator is provided with the Delete button, which allows for the deletion of the entire collection and the related annotations.
In Fig. 12, the form to add a new collection is illustrated. A user must provide the collection’s name and description to create a new collection. Then, the user is asked to provide a list of members authorized to annotate the new collection. This is not mandatory since a user may decide to work independently on a collection. The user is asked to add a list of labels necessary to perform label annotation. Also, in this case, adding a list of labels is not mandatory at the moment of collection creation. The creator can edit the collection’s annotators and labels at any moment. Uploading a set of ontological concepts is highly recommended to perform concept linking, relationship annotation, and assertion annotation. Ontological concepts must be uploaded in CSV or JSON files, and for each concept, it is mandatory to provide the URI (or ID), the name, and the type; a description is not mandatory but recommended. Since the files introducing new concepts must follow predefined structures, we provided two downloadable templates (one for the CSV and one for the JSON formats). It is worth noting that the set of provided ontological concepts is not tied to a specific ontology, allowing the user to fully customize the collection’s configuration with concepts belonging to different ontologies, which may also not be publicly available. The insertion of new concepts is always possible at any moment.
A collection must contain at least one document. The creator can upload one or more files in the following formats: JSON, CSV, TXT. The keys in JSON files and the CSVs’ headers will also be available for annotation. MetaTron supports uploading PDF files automatically parsed by GROBID.
To retrieve information about articles having a PMID, MetaTron relies on the PubMed REST API to obtain the article’s title, abstract, date of publication, authors, and venue. For publications with a DOI, MetaTron utilizes the REST APIs of OpenAIRE and Semantic Scholar to extract the same information. The information obtained from the REST APIs is extracted, processed, and presented to the collection users as documents that can be annotated.
By default, MetaTron provides the user with the entire document to annotate. However, the user can select specific parts of the document using the settings option in the vertical toolbar of the annotation interface.
The documents web page. The user can keep track of the collection’s annotation state via the documents web page, accessible by clicking on the Documents button under each collection’s set of information. The documents web page, illustrated in Fig. 13, contains a dynamic table where, for each document, general information is provided—e.g., the ID, the batch number, and the number of annotations categorized by annotation type. Finally, the last column is the same for all the documents and allows one to visualize the text of the document, download its annotations, and, if the user is the creator of the collection, delete the document and the related annotations. In addition, it is possible to view all the annotations performed for each type, together with the related annotators. An example is provided in Fig. 14, where the overview of the relationships annotated for a document in the list is shown. Each relationship is subdivided into subject, predicate, and object components. If one of the components is a mention, the related text is reported along with the section in the text where it has been found—e.g., the abstract, the starting, and ending indices (this information is under the location field). If one of the components is an ontological concept—unlinked to any mention, instead, it is reported its type, its name (named as concept), and its URI (or ID). Finally, the number of annotators and their usernames are reported. This feature allows the user to have a complete overview of the relationship. Furthermore, the information about the annotators is an important indicator of the annotator’s expertise and the reliability of the annotation.
Load the teammates’ annotations The user can load a particular teammate’s annotation for a document directly from the vertical toolbar (C in Fig. 3). Once loaded, the user can copy one or more annotations from the teammate, resulting in both the user and the teammate having the same (or partial) set of annotations.
This feature has been implemented to allow the user to visualize and interact with other members’ annotations. The possibility to copy other members’ annotations facilitates and speeds up the annotation process as the user does not have to create new annotations from scratch.
Receiving suggestions By accessing the Suggestion option in the panel of a mention, it is possible to visualize the list of ontological concepts that the other annotators linked to that mention. Figure 15 shows an example of a suggestion modal. The concept type, name, URI (or ID), and the number of annotators are provided for each concept. The Accept button under placed a concept allows the user to assign that ontological concept to the mention; the Close button discards the suggestion. MetaTron allows users to link more than one suggested ontological concept to the same mention.
Inter annotator agreement (IAA) and statistics
Inter annotator agreement (IAA) MetaTron implements two IAA methods: majority voting, Fleiss’ kappa and Cohen’s kappa. The first method selects all annotated annotations by more than half of the document’s annotators. In MetaTron, viewing and editing the annotations selected through majority voting is possible. The majority voting-based annotations have two goals: (i) providing the user with information about the most frequent annotations, and (ii) facilitate and speed up the annotation process. The user can copy all the annotations selected via majority voting and edit them if needed; this allows the annotator to receive an initial set of annotations, consequently saving time. It is possible to load these annotations directly from the vertical toolbar (C in Fig. 3): they can be loaded by clicking on the user called IAA - Inter Annotator Agreement.
Fleiss’ kappa is a statistical measure that assesses the level of agreement between two or more annotators . In MetaTron, two Fleiss’ kappa agreement values are computed for each annotation type: one concerns the entire collection of documents, and one concerns each single document. It is possible to check Fleiss’ kappa agreement values on the Statistics web page, whose details are provided in the paragraph below.
Cohen’s kappa is a statistical measure ranging between \(-1\) and 1 that assesses the level of agreement between two raters rating the same set of elements . Similarly to Fleiss’ kappa, we provide the Cohen’s kappa for each annotation type; it is computed for the entire collection or each document, according to the users’ needs.
It is always possible to introduce new agreement functions according to the users’ needs and requirements: MetaTron is indeed flexible, and its modular design allows for integrating new functions and measures.
Having Fleiss’ kappa and Cohen’s kappa values provides a more complete view of annotation quality. Fleiss’ kappa can show how agreement varies with a different number of annotators, while Cohen’s kappa offers a more specific assessment between pairs of annotators. Using both coefficients ensures a more accurate evaluation of annotation reliability, considering the variety of annotators involved and the specific agreement between pairs of annotators.
Collections’ statistics Detailed statistics are provided on the statistics web page. MetaTron provides two types of statistics: (i) personal statistics concern the single user, and (ii) global statistics concern the entire set of annotators of the collection. The two buttons at the top of the page allow the user to switch between personal ((1) in Fig. 16) and global ((2) in Fig. 16) statistics. (3) in Fig. 16 allows the user to be provided with the Cohen’s kappa agreement between two users they selected and the agreement is computed for each annotation type. An example is provided in Fig. 17. (4) in Fig. 16 allows the user to be provided with the Fleiss’ kappa agreement for each annotation type on each round of annotation. An example is provided in Fig. 18: for each round it is possible to see how the agreement evolves. The text area (5) in Fig. 16) allows the user to select a document to check the statistics of—by default, the statistics concern the entire set of collection documents An example of global statistics is illustrated in Figs. 19, 20, 21. General statistics, (A) in Fig. 19 include the number of annotated documents, the number of annotators, the number of annotations for each annotation type, and the inter-annotator agreement computed basing on the Fleiss’ kappa measure. The Linked concepts overview section (B) displays the count of how many times an ontological concept has been linked to a mention. The list is subdivided into concept types. Additionally, in section (C), there are three lists: subject, predicate, and object lists. Similarly to the previous case, each list contains the concepts, grouped by concept type, that were annotated as a subject, predicate, or object, respectively. The Documents annotations overview section ((D) in Fig. 20) provides for each document of the collection the total number of annotations for each annotation type. In Annotators per document count ((E) in Fig. 20) the number of annotators is provided for each document. Finally, the pie chart in (F) in Fig. 21 provides a global overview of the distribution of the concept types annotated in concepts linking, relationships, and assertions annotations. The three pie charts in (G) instead exclusively concern relationships and assertions and provide an overview of the concept types assigned to subjects, predicates, and objects, respectively. Personal statistics show the same set of statistics, except for the Annotators overview—which is not considered since personal statistics exclusively concern a single user. If a document is selected instead, the Documents annotations overview and the Annotators overview are not shown since these statistics concern the entire collection of documents. It is worth noting that it is always possible to access the statistics of the documents a user annotates via the statistics button in the vertical toolbar, which shows both the personal and the global statistics.
This section compares a subset of the annotation tools illustrated in Fig. 1. The online tools selected for comparison are TeamTat, MedTAG, LightTag, and MetaTron. The offline tools instead are MetaTron (dockerized), INCEpTION, and brat. While TeamTat and MetaTron target the biomedical domain, the other annotation tools are general purpose.
We provide a qualitative comparison where we outline the core functionalities of each tool. Furthermore, we provide a quantitative analysis by conducting experiments to assess the performance of each tool in tasks including mentions annotations and concepts linking, and relationships annotation. In the quantitative analysis, we did not consider MedTAG—as it does not support relationship annotation, and brat—as it has not been possible to automatically test it with a web agent.
We planned to include in our comparison also tagtog , however, as of May 2023, the online version of tagtog did not allow us to add new documents to a collection; as a consequence, it has been impossible to qualitatively and quantitatively assess its performances. Furthermore, LightTag does not support entity linking, hence we cannot link a concept to a mention, we can only tag the mention with a concept type. However, we included this tool in the quantitative comparison as it is one of the newest tools of the past years and allows for relationships annotation.
In the last section, we describe a user study conducted on two tasks, namely GCA and GDA. GCA focuses on the annotation of relationships where subject and object are mentions and the predicate is an ontological concept. GDA focuses on the annotation of assertions. The user study involved 10 PubMed abstracts per task annotated by three experts in the biomedical domain. All the users were initially provided with the automatic annotations performed by AutoTron. We analyzed the results quantitatively, measuring the agreement among the annotators, and qualitatively via a questionnaire involving the annotators’ experience. Finally, we studied how AutoTron impacted on the annotations analyzing how many annotations generated automatically have been updated, removed, added or confirmed.
Figure 1 illustrates an overview of the features characterizing a set of annotation tools. In the qualitative analysis we compare: MetaTron, MedTAG, TeamTat, brat, LightTag, and INCEpTION. The qualitative comparison is based on our direct experience with all these tools.
MetaTron is the unique tool that fully satisfies 23 of 24 criteria—active learning, and built-in prediction is only partially satisfied; specifically, it is the unique tool that satisfies the connection to ORCID (for login purposes) (F14) external libraries integration (F15). We see that TeamTat, and INCEpTION are the most complete tools: they fully satisfy 17 and 19 criteria, respectively, 5 criteria and 1 criterion, respectively, are only partially satisfied, and the remaining are not satisfied at all. Conversely, LightTag, is the least complete: 13 criteria are fully satisfied, 3 are partially satisfied, and 8 are not. Among the tools we compared MetaTron with, LightTag is the unique one without source code available (T2), does not show the date of the last version (or commit) (T1), does not allow for modification and redistribution (T6), is not free of charge (T7), and does not support ontologies (F4). brat, instead, is the unique tool that does not support document-level annotation; hence, it is impossible to associate one or more classes to a document. Finally, only TeamTat fully supports active learning (F5), and only TeamTat and MedTAG support the annotation of PubMed abstracts. Online availability (T3) is satisfied by TeamTat and LightTag; INCEpTION and brat are available offline—the online demo is available for INCEpTION, and MetaTron and MedTAG are available online and can be locally installed. Online tools are usually easier and faster to configure than locally installable ones: online tools usually require the user to upload a set of documents in predefined formats and a schema for the annotation, which usually includes the definition of the labels to classify the documents, or the definition of the entity types to associate. However, online tools might suffer from network delays that may occur when a large amount of data is uploaded/downloaded. Offline tools guarantee isolation and preserve data privacy; simultaneously, their installation might be difficult, and the configuration is time-demanding for someone with little technical expertise.
As of our experience with the compared tools, the offline tools—brat and INCEpTION, were the least intuitive and required the most time to be configured. In particular, INCEpTION required a deep study of the documentation as the notion of annotation layers that characterize the tool is not intuitive. On the other hand, TeamTat has the fastest and easiest configuration: it requires the definition of a collection and the upload of a set of documents. LightTag, together with the set of documents to annotate, required the user to define one or more annotation schemas and relation schemas: the former allows to define the tags to associate to the entities, and the classes to classify the documents with, while the latter allows user to specify the relation types—i.e., the labels to be assigned to the edge between two entities of the relationship. MedTAG instead requires uploading a set of documents, labels for the document-level annotation, and a set of ontological concepts.
The compared tools report substantial differences in the supported document formats: MetaTron, INCEpTION, and TeamTat are the unique tools supporting the upload of PDFs and TXT files. MetaTron, MedTAG, LigthTag support JSON and CSV. TeamTat, MetaTron, and MedTAG allow the user to upload PubMed abstract. Only MetaTron allows the user to specify a DOI and annotate the related abstract extracted from Semantic Scholar or OpenAIRE. In this respect MetaTron is the only tool that supports all the aforementioned formats and is integrated with three different APIs to abstracts upload.
We analyzed the annotation procedure for what concerns: labels annotation, mentions annotation, concepts linking, and relationship annotation. All the analyzed tools implement mention annotation via drag and drop, except for MedTAG where mentions are selected by clicking on each token composing the mention. LightTag is the only tool that allows users to perform entity tagging and does not support entity linking. MetaTron is the unique tool providing three modalities to select mentions, enhancing the annotation experience. In all the other tools, the concepts linked to a mention are always selected, specifying the related type and URI or name. Also, label annotation is similar in all the examined tools and can be achieved by clicking on the labels to be associated with the document. Relationships annotation may vary depending on the examined tool: LightTag and TeamTat for example, support n-ary relationships; in MetaTron instead, a relationship always has three components, and only one of them must be a mention annotated in the document. In INCEpTION and brat, instead, the source and the target in the relationships must be mentions. MetaTron is the most versatile tool among those described, as in a relationship, subject and object are not required to be mentions in the text. Additionally, MetaTron is the only tool to propose assertions annotation, not necessarily tied to sentences in the text. In this respect, the availability of document-level annotations is a relevant feature for MetaTron as, according to , the most adopted biomedical annotation tool does not implement this feature.
We compared MetaTron and the tools in terms of collaborative features and agreement; MetaTron, MedTAG, TeamTat, INCEpTION and LightTag support the collaboration between multiple annotators. Specifically, TeamTat supports multiple rounds of annotation and provides the annotators with agreement and disagreement between the annotators, as well as disagreement resolution. LightTag implements task management features, assigning tasks to different groups of annotators based on specific needs—e.g., language, and allowing project managers to keep track of annotations and agreement. tagtog implements user roles and allows for the definition of a set of custom annotation guidelines. In this respect, MetaTron implements different annotation rounds and provides some additional collaborative features to facilitate and speed up the annotators’ work. Specifically, it allows annotators to copy other members’ annotations, and the annotation with the highest agreement is computed via majority voting. In addition, MetaTron implements annotation suggestions: given a mention, users can see what the concepts assigned by the other annotators are and select one of them accordingly, depending, for example, on how many users have linked a specific ontological concept. For each annotation performed, the user can keep track of the number of users who performed the same annotation and change it accordingly. In MetaTron, the collection’s creator can keep track of the annotation progress and is responsible for selecting the annotators of each round. All the users can see the entire sets of annotations of each collection document and the related annotators. MetaTron is the unique tool providing different agreement measures (it implements both Fleiss’ kappa and Cohen’s kappa) computed on the entire collection or on single documents.
brat and INCEpTION are included in our comparison even if they do not target the biomedical domain.
To compare the performance of the selected manual annotation tools, we conducted a series of experiments on two different tasks: concepts linking, and relationships annotation. We did not treat mention annotation as a separate task because the annotation method was the same across all the annotation tools. Our experiments concerned the time elapsed and the number of clicks required to annotate a collection of the same 15 documents.
To evaluate the performances of the selected tools we relied on Selenium,Footnote 4 an open-source testing framework used to automate web browsers. We designed four web agents, one for each annotation tool—the same web agent has been used for the two instances of MetaTron, and we used them to simulate the concepts liking and relationships annotations task on a collection of 15 abstracts extracted from PubMed. In order to simulate the annotator activity, we selected abstracts of various lengths; the mentions, the linked concepts, and the relationships have been extracted using AutoTron. Overall, AutoTron extracted 94 mentions and 71 relationships; specifically, for each abstract, a minimum of 2 mentions and 1 relationship, and a maximum of 13 mentions and 9 relationships were found. Each mention has been linked to exactly one concept. Variable delays were introduced based on the examined tool to prevent errors caused by server overload and to allow sufficient time for request processing. To provide a fair analysis, we treated online tools and offline tools separately, as the performance of online tools is influenced by the server hosting the application, while offline tools rely on the individual machine running the test.
We conducted an analysis concerning the time spent annotating the entire collection. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. We compared the annotation tools on the average (AVG), the median (MED), standard deviation (STD), the 5th and the 95th percentiles of the time required to annotate the entire collection 50 times. We studied the time taken to perform two tasks: (i) performing an entire annotation, which comprehends mentions annotation (MA), concepts linking (CL), and relationships annotation (RA); and (ii) annotating the mentions (MA) and linking the concepts (CL). We remark that LightTag does not support concept linking, it allows only to tag the mentions with concept types.
Looking at the results achieved by the online tools in the entire annotation (Table 1), we see that MetaTron is the most efficient tool in terms of average time, as MetaTron required 638.73 s on average (while TeamTat requires 842.93 s). LightTag’s performance falls between TeamTat and MetaTron. However, TeamTat does not reveal significant fluctuations during the 50 annotation rounds; this means that it is a tool with good stability that performs well during long annotation sessions. The substantial difference between the performance of TeamTat and those of MetaTron should be attributed to how the annotation is performed: we noticed TeamTat needed longer delays to save each annotation correctly. These aspects might not be visible to a human annotator who performs slower than the web agent; as such, a human annotator will take more time than an automatic one to annotate the selected set of documents. In the comparison involving the offline tools, the dockerized instance of MetaTron achieved better results than INCEpTION, as MetaTron required 642.39 s on average and INCEpTION 704.85.
For what concerns the second task, mentions annotation and concepts linking, whose results are shown in Table 2, similarly to the previous case, the best online tool is MetaTron, which required 329.25 s on average while the one that requires the highest average time is TeamTat, that required 446.33 s. Also in this case the performances of LightTag, 412.61 s, fall between those of MetaTron and TeamTat. INCEpTION and MetaTron (offline) achieved comparable performances. In both the analyzed task, all the tools had a standard deviation lower than 2.5. The 5th and 95th percentiles indicate that in all the examined tools all the computed times are uniformly distributed around the median.
The online and offline instances of MetaTron achieved similar performances in both tasks. This can be attributed to the absence of any differences between the code running locally and the code of the online instance. Furthermore, the server hosting MetaTron was underutilized when we ran the automatic agents, leading to performances comparable to the docker-based instance. It is notable the case of the INCEpTION: it achieved the worst performances in the first task (MA + CL + RE), and the best in the second one (MA + CL). This aspect points out that the annotation of relationships is the most expensive in terms of time, while INCEpTION is the most efficient tool in mentions annotation and linking. MetaTron and TeamTat present similar behaviors: the average time taken in the second task is half the time taken in the first: this indicates that annotating the relationships takes the same amount of time required to annotate the mentions and link them to the concepts. Conversely, in LightTag, mentions annotation and linking require more than half of the time: this is partially related to the implementation of the web agent in the relationship part, and partially depends on how mentions selection and linking have been implemented in the tool.
We analyzed the number of clicks performed to annotate the collection. The results include the count of clicks required to annotate every single document of the collection and the clicks necessary to change the document. The results are reported in Table 3. We see that MetaTron and TeamTat are the tools that require the highest number of clicks to annotate the collection of 15 documents. This aspect is motivated by how the tools implement relationship annotation. In both the aforementioned tools, to annotate a new relationship it is required to set the two mentions and select the predicate and the associated ontological concept: all these actions makes the total number of clicks increase. LightTag instead, is the most efficient, however, it does not support entity linking, and this aspect motivates the lower number of clicks with respect to the other tools, since only the concept type—i.e., gene or disease, is required. The annotation of relationships in LightTag is the fastest compared to the other tools; the first reason is that LightTag requires the user to provide a schema configuration for relationship annotation and this allows the user to save clicks and time; in addition, in LightTag each mention/concept composing the relationship is selected by dragging and dropping it into a box hosting the relationship components, and this allows the user to save clicks—a drag and drop action is performed in a single click. INCEpTION is most efficient after LightTag, and requires a half of the clicks compared to TeamTat.
The qualitative and quantitative analyses conducted to assess the performances of MetaTron, MedTAG, TeamTat, LightTag, brat, and INCEpTION allowed us to draw some conclusion.
The results deriving from the analyses showed that MetaTron emerges as a competitive annotation tool in the biomedical domain, as it is the only one that fulfills all the analyzed features and achieves the best results in terms of time spent in the annotation of a set of documents. MetaTron provides an environment where one or more annotators can collaborate in annotating documents in five different ways, both at the document level and mention level and can leverage automatic annotations to expedite the annotation process. Additionally, MetaTron is open-source, free of charge, and supports a wide range of input and output formats. The tool is released as an online and offline instance, making MetaTron a versatile tool that can be adapted to different needs and use cases. The online instance of MetaTron is valuable to test its features, take advantage of AutoTron’s automatic annotations, and collaboratively annotate PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAIRE abstracts; the offline release guarantees data privacy and allows users to locally deploy MetaTron and share the tool with a controlled number of users. In addition, the offline tool is useful when dealing with large volumes of data that would require a significant amount of time for uploading.
The user study consisted of sentence-level tasks for Gene-Cancer Associations (GCA) and document-level tasks for Gene-Disease Associations (GDA). The GCA task required annotating relationships where the subject and object, representing gene and cancer mentions, respectively, are involved. The predicate corresponds to one of the following ontological concepts: (i) biomarker, indicating whether the gene associated with the disease is altered in conjunction with the disease; (ii) tumor suppressor, indicating whether the gene plays a role in preventing the disease; and (iii) oncogene, indicating whether the gene promotes the progression of the disease.
The GDA task encompassed annotating assertions where the subject, predicate, and object are ontological concepts unrelated to specific textual mentions. The subject and object represent gene and disease, respectively. At the same time, the predicate is categorized into one of the following concepts: (i) biomarker, (ii) genomic alteration, indicating a connection between a genomic alteration and the gene associated with the disease phenotype, and (iii) therapeutic, signifying the gene’s therapeutic role in ameliorating the disease.
We chose ten pertinent PubMed abstracts for each task, which three experts in the biomedical domain annotated. To streamline and expedite the annotation process for the annotators, we furnished them with automatic annotations generated by running AutoTron on each document.
The annotators performed two annotation rounds for each task. In round 1, the annotators had to annotate each document relying exclusively on the auxiliary information provided by the automatic annotations. The users were allowed to add new mentions, link concepts to them, and add new relationships. However, they could not rely on collaborative features to annotate the documents—i.e., the annotators could not check other members’ annotations or documents’ statistics. In round 2, instead, the annotators were asked to rely on the collaborative features of MetaTron to update their annotations: as a consequence, they had access to other members’ annotations and the annotation obtained via majority voting. At the end of the annotation rounds, we provided all the annotators with a questionnaire with 15 questions about their annotation experience.
In the following sections, we analyze how the annotations change after each round and how the collaborative features impact the agreement among annotators, we summarize the answers to the questionnaire, and finally, we study the quality of the annotations of AutoTron as a means to speed up and facilitate annotators’ work.
Quantitative results In Table 4, we report the Fleiss’ kappa agreement among the annotators for each task after each round. Specifically, we provide the agreement computed on concepts and relationship annotations for the GCA task. Instead, we provide the agreement computed on assertions annotation for the GDA task. Our goal is to investigate the extent to which the presence of annotations from other annotators impacts the work of the annotators. The highest agreement has been achieved by concept annotations in all the rounds. At the end of round 1, the agreement obtained in relationships (GCA) and assertions (GDA) annotation is negative, indicating that there is no agreement among the annotators. At the end of round 2, the agreement on concept annotations did not change from round 1, while the agreement on relationships increased from \(-\)0.2179 to \(-\)0.0872 and on assertions from \(-\)0.0364 to 0.2490. These results confirmed that the collaborative features provided by MetaTron play a key role in improving the results of the annotation process.
Qualitative results At the end of round 2, each annotator compiled a questionnaire concerning their experience using MetaTron. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions about annotation experience, GCA and GDA tasks, and collaborative experience, with responses ranging from 1 to 5.
About the annotation experience, the annotators identified the annotation of mentions, concepts, relationships, and assertions as a straightforward process (all the questions about the complexity of annotations received scores equal to 1 and 2). Only one annotator needed to contact the developers to clarify how to annotate. All the annotators agreed that the automatic annotations generated via AutoTron are a useful starting point and contributed to speeding up and facilitating the annotation process. All the annotators considered MetaTron had a positive annotation experience and will use MetaTron in the future.
Considering task complexity, all the annotators found the GCA task more complex than the GDA one. Two over three annotators assigned a score equal to 3 in the complexity of the GCA task, while only one assigned 4. In the GDA task, instead, the annotators assigned 2, 3, and 4.
One relevant aspect is the annotators’ collaboration. All the annotators found MetaTron effectively supports collaboration among annotators. Specifically, all the annotators agreed that the possibility of copying one or more annotations from another annotator is an important feature that speeds up the annotation process. One annotator found useful the annotation generated via majority voting (score equal to 4), while the other two annotators assigned a score equal to 3 hence this annotation did not play a key role in their annotations. Finally, two out of three annotators admitted that those of the other annotators did not significantly influence their annotations. The remaining annotator, however, made numerous changes to the performed annotations in round 2. Two out of three annotators found it necessary to discuss their annotations and determine which relationship’s predicate to apply. This highlights the difficulty of the proposed tasks.
The annotators were required to point out the most useful features of MetaTron according to their experience. In Fig. 22 we provide the results of this analysis. According to our results, three features have not been selected, specifically ontology support, statistics and collection’s agreement availability. These three features had minimal impact on annotators’ work as they do not offer direct support in the annotations; instead, they prove their key role in providing insights into overall agreements. One annotator considers five features relevant features, while six features by two. The possibility to copy the annotations of another annotator has been considered the most valuable feature, as all the annotators agreed on its importance.
AutoTron results In Table 5, we report the total number of annotations at the end of each round. The first row, AutoTron refers to the total number of automatic annotations generated via AutoTron each annotator has been provided with at the beginning of round 1. Each annotator started with 228 concepts, and 57 relationships for the GCA task, and 17 assertions for the GDA task. At the end of round 1, the number of concepts increased to 235, the number of relationships increased to 115, and the number of assertions increased to 32. At the end of round 2, the number of concepts increased to 237, the number of relationships decreased to 111, and the number of assertions decreased to 24. The most significant change was identified in the GCA task for the doubled relationships at the end of round 1.
We considered the set of distinct annotations obtained at the end of round 2, and we counted how many concepts, relationships, and assertions have been updated, added to, and deleted from the automatically generated set of annotations provided for round 1. We considered an update when, in a relationship or assertion, the predicate assigned by the annotators is different from the one automatically assigned. We have a concept update, instead, when the linked concept changes.
In the GCA task, we detected that 9 concepts had been added, 2 were updated, 0 were removed, and 226 were confirmed. For what concerns relationships instead, 29 relationships have been added, 27 updated, 0 deleted, and 30 confirmed. In the GDA task, we detected that four assertions have been added, three updated, 0 deleted, and 14 confirmed.
The absence of deleted annotations confirms that AutoTron overall generates accurate annotations. Only in the GCA task in the relationships annotation the number of relationships added, updated, and confirmed remains the same.
Our results indicate that relying on AutoTron to generate a set of annotations used as a starting point is useful to facilitate and speed up the entire annotation process of the annotators. However, especially for relationships, the intervention of a human annotator is crucial for identifying and updating all existing relationships in a document. In this respect, according to the results obtained in the qualitative analyses, we see that the annotators found the GDA task easier than the GCA one: this results not only in a higher agreement but also in a lower number of updates and additions with respect to the automatic annotations.
This paper presents MetaTron, a collaborative web-based annotation tool designed specifically for the biomedical domain. The tool facilitates the annotation of mentions, relationships, and document-level labels. It supports various document formats, including PDF, TXT, JSON, and CSV. Additionally, users can utilize the PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAIRE REST APIs to upload PMIDs or DOIs and annotate corresponding abstracts. Furthermore, MetaTron allows users to leverage their teammates’ annotations and incorporate annotations generated by AutoTron for fast annotation creation.
To ensure data privacy and limit tool usage to specific research groups, the MetaTron docker image enables local deployment on personal servers. Conversely, the online instance of MetaTron is designed for online annotation of PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAIRE abstracts, with the added advantage of utilizing AutoTron’s automatic prediction capabilities.
Noteworthy features of MetaTron include support for multiple ontologies, multilingual capabilities, login via ORCID ID, and the option to download annotations in JSON, CSV, and BioC/XML formats.
In our evaluation, we compared MetaTron to five other annotation tools, both general purpose and specifically tailored to the biomedical domain. We assessed them against 24 criteria classified into three categories: Data, Technical, and Functionalities. The qualitative analysis revealed that MetaTron fulfills almost all of the selected criteria. From a quantitative perspective, the online instance of MetaTron outperformed TeamTat and LightTag in terms of time elapsed and the number of clicks required. Additionally, the dockerized version of MetaTron achieved better results than INCEpTION in the task of mentions annotation, concept linking, and relationship annotation (MA + CL + RA). We conducted a user study which involved three human annotators and two tasks: relationships annotation and assertions annotation. The user study pointed out that MetaTron is an intuitive and easy to use tool. The collaborative features have been of great assistance, enabling annotators to enhance the accuracy of their annotations and improve agreement. The possibility of using AutoTron to automatically annotate documents, and to copy other members’ annotations has proven to be one of MetaTron’s most valued features, streamlining and facilitating the annotation process. In summary, MetaTron presents itself as a compelling annotation tool for the biomedical and bioinformatics community, providing collaborative and interactive features that can effectively streamline the annotation process. With a commitment to ongoing maintenance and a notable emphasis on relation annotation, often overlooked by other annotation tools, we think that MetaTron represents one of the highly recommended options for researchers in these domains.
As future work, we plan to integrate more use cases for built-in automatic predictions to allow MetaTron to widen to other domains of applications for automatic annotation of text. Moreover, two functionalities deserve to be implemented: the first one is to introduce a new annotation type, which is entity tagging, and let the user associate to a mention a concept type instead of the concept itself; then, we plan to implement discontinuous mentions allowing the user to be more accurate letting them decide which tokens compose the mention. About the support for the ontologies, we plan to introduce the possibility of (i) uploading the full ontologies directly from the related files and (ii) automatically suggesting the concept to associate to a mention relying on the textual and semantic similarity between the mention and the concepts. These features would support the user in speeding up the upload and the selection of the concepts. Finally, we plan to introduce in MetaTron some large corpora of documents that one or more members can annotate: this would provide the community with a tool already configured and ready-to-use and would promote the analyses of annotators’ behavior on well-known datasets.
Availability and requirements
Project name: MetaTron
Project home page: https://github.com/GDAMining/metatron/
Online instance: https://metatron.dei.unipd.it
Archived version: not applicable
Operating system(s): Platform independent
Other requirements: Docker and docker-compose (for the dockerized version) for the offline version
License: MIT License
Any restrictions to use by non-academics: No
Availability of data and materials
The code used in this study is publicly available on GitHub https://github.com/GDAMining/metatron/. All the underlying libraries used in this work are open-source. The complete list of libraries and their versions are reported in the GitHub repository.
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We thank Fabio Giachelle, Niccoló Marini, and Laura Menotti for contributing to useful discussions and tool improvements. We appreciate their time, effort, and valuable input, significantly enriching our research. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful suggestions, which improved the paper and the described tool.
Open access funding provided by Università degli Studi di Padova. This work is partially supported by the HEREDITARY Project, as part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No GA 101137074. The work of O.I. was partially funded by the EC H2020 project OpenAIRE-Nexus (Grant Agreement No. 101017452).
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Irrera, O., Marchesin, S. & Silvello, G. MetaTron: advancing biomedical annotation empowering relation annotation and collaboration. BMC Bioinformatics 25, 112 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12859-024-05730-9 | <urn:uuid:21da5a9e-bf4d-45ad-8034-4eef3a6a067c> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12859-024-05730-9 | 2024-04-16T04:44:32Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.884166 | 23,665 |
The Settlers of Catan is a favourite of the board gaming community, often cited as a gateway into modern board gaming thanks to its simple rules, quick learning curve and engaging gameplay. Whilst the game is simple, it still has enough tactical depth to keep all sorts of casual players entertained. On the other hand, hardcore gamers may well have played so many times that they have become bored. Thankfully, there are a number of expansions such as "Traders and Barbarians" that provide enough rule variants to keep the game interesting for that little bit longer!
How it Works
The game comes with a somewhat wordy 16-page 'Game Rules & Almanac' but thankfully, the last of those pages is a game overview and explains almost everything the players need to understand to play the game. Despite this lengthy rule book, the rules are actually very simple and can be learned in 15 to 20 minutes. If you are playing with people who have played before this will of course be even quicker.
The game is set on the island of Catan, where each of the players compete for victory points in their attempt to build the most glorious nation. The island consists of 19 terrain hexes surrounded by ocean, with each hex producing resources based on its terrain type. So pastures produce sheep, hills produce brick, mountains produce ore, fields produce grain, forests produce lumber and deserts produces nothing. Each player then builds their initial settlements on the intersections of the tiles to attempt to harvest those resources.
The numbers assigned to each of the hexes are one of the most important parts of the game - on each player's turn, two dice are thrown to determine which hexes produce resources. If your settlement is adjacent to the hex with the number thrown on it, you can collect the relevant resource. As you can see here, both red and blue players can collect wood from their forest because a six was rolled. Since numbers closer to seven are far more likely to be thrown than 2s or 12s, there is often a race to claim settlements near to the best numbers.
Once a player has collected a number of resources, they can then spend those to expand their nation with additional roads and settlements, or alternatively take their chances with a development card that might help them build anything from an army to a library.
Now, you may have a plentiful supply of bricks, but no wood which means you are unable to expand your settlement with roads. This is where trade comes in. With any luck, another player has a shortage of bricks and is willing to swap them for wood. You'll find that players will often refuse trade - perhaps you're competing for the same resources, the price just isn't right, or worst of all, they think you're about to win! In this case, there are two other options to attain the resources you need - either make an expensive trade at the bank, or get a better rate with ports that are connected to your settlement (in the photo above, the orange player could trade two ore for any other resource by using the port adjacent to their settlement).
The last main concept relates to the robber. The robber is a piece that can move to any tile when a 7 is rolled - the player moving the robber can choose to take a random resource from any player adjacent to the robber's tile. Perhaps more importantly, any resources that would have been produced by that hex will be blocked until the robber moves away. This can make things difficult for players taking an early lead as they are likely to be targeted by every other player trying to stop them expand. To help alleviate the problem, the player can use a knight card (one of the development cards) to move the robber to another tile - these knights form the player's army.
The game continues until one player manages to get 10 victory points - these being awarded for constructing settlements (1 point) or cities (2 points), holding the longest road (2 points), possessing the largest army (2 points) or from special development cards. Tactically the game normally breaks down into two major stages - early game, where expanding your nation with new roads and settlements is most important, and then late game, where you cash in on your resources by upgrading settlements to cities, or by buying special development cards to gain an advantage over other players.
Is this the game for me?
Catan is a great game to play with a small group of friends at home and should be equally suitable for families. Although ideally all the players will have played before, the main mechanics of the game are easy enough to understand that any new players can join in without slowing things down too much.
The trading element of the game works well, but things can slow down when players are desperately trying to find one last trade to complete their settlement / road / city. In fact the trading element of the game is so well known, that it even features in a string of jokes on the Big Bang Theory.
Depending on who you play with, there is also some scope for conflict - make sure not to get upset when your only path to the resource you needed is blocked, or when someone steals one too many resources - if you think this is likely to be a problem, you may find that a Team / Cooperative game like Pandemic could be more suitable for you.
Overall, we really enjoy the game and it's perfect for an evening with friends, as long as someone has wood. | <urn:uuid:5af3d0cf-0004-42ae-b449-bf46bb8463bf> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://boardgamebible.com/games/catan/reviews/catan-whos-got-lumber/ | 2024-04-16T04:10:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.978812 | 1,098 |
Bodacious Recipe of the Month: Blue Zones Edition | Pensacola, Florida
This recipe uses ingredients from our Pensacola, Florida location. Check out our other blog post from today to see what our friends in Janesville, Wisconsin are cooking up!
At Bodacious Shops, we believe in celebrating not just the years in life but the life in those years, much like those living in the Blue Zones, and our latest pairing of the month takes center stage—Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar and Blood Orange Olive Oil.
As a reminder, in Blue Zones, food is not just sustenance; it’s a celebration of life. These regions, where people experience remarkable longevity, share common dietary principles that contribute to their well-being. From Sardinia to Okinawa, meals are comprised of whole foods that offer a plethora of health benefits.
Our February pairing of the month brings a unique twist to your table. The rich, velvety notes of Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar blend seamlessly with the zesty, citrusy flair of Blood Orange Olive Oil to create a vinaigrette that takes your salad to the next level.
Recipe—Arugula Salad with Chocolate Orange Vinaigrette
- 12 oz fresh arugula, washed
- 1 Tbsp Bodacious Chocolate Dark Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Bodacious Blood Orange Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp East Hill Honey
- 1 Tbsp shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup nuts of choice (candied pecans, chopped walnuts, etc.)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- Fruit, if desired—sliced strawberries, blueberries, chopped figs, raisins, Craisins, and/or pomegranate seeds
- Whisk together Bodacious Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar, Bodacious Blood Orange Olive Oil, local East Hill Honey, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine arugula, minced shallot, and chopped nuts in a large bowl.
- Pour the chocolate orange vinaigrette over the arugula salad and toss to combine.
- Add fruit(s) of choice.
- If desired, season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide and enjoy!
- Why This Recipe Resonates with Blue Zone Living
In Blue Zones, meals are a celebration of simplicity and goodness. This arugula salad embodies the essence of Blue Zone dining with its fresh, seasonal ingredients. Arugula, rich in nutrients, pairs harmoniously with the rich vinaigrette, offering a burst of flavor in every bite.
Beyond the delectable taste, these featured ingredients bring a wealth of health benefits. The polyphenols in chocolate balsamic and the heart-healthy fats in blood orange olive oil contribute to cardiovascular health, aligning with the principles of Blue Zone living and American Heart Month.
Explore this flavorful journey with us by following us on social media at @bodaciousshops. Until next time, cheers to health, joy, and good olive oil. | <urn:uuid:a57a4ad0-e683-4102-9d2a-df74ddc0560b> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bodaciousshops.com/bodacious-recipe-of-the-month-blue-zones-edition-pensacola-florida/ | 2024-04-16T04:55:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.87682 | 650 |
[Author Catherynne Valente (previously) posted this outstanding rant to her Facebook page; I asked her permission to repost it here so it would have somewhere to live outside of the zuckerverse and she graciously gave her permission -Cory]
I live in Portland, Maine. We have recently had an influx of African asylum seekers and the city has been scrambling to find shelter and support for them.
Cue NextDoor, that wretched hive of scum and villainy. Every day someone would post some new hateful jingoistic nonsense about how horrible these people are and that they need to get out of 'Merica and leave it to the 'Mericans.
I try not to get involved on NextDoor because I live in a small community and I have to see these people at the ferry dock. But I got mad. And I got involved. And it got long.
So I decided to share it with you. Please feel free to share it with others who might need to hear it.
You know, I was going to let this thread go by without saying anything. It's not worth it, I said to myself. These people aren't going to listen. But y'all can't stop being hateful and I'm tired of getting notifications that someone else is being and absolute bell-end about their fellow man on NextDoor.
So buckle up.
First of all, "they" aren't illegal. They are asylum seekers. It is legal in every nation on the planet to seek asylum, and they are abiding by the law. Just like our friend with his grandfather's naturalization certificate at the top of the thread (which is from 1928, by the bloody way, predating the Hart-Cellar Act of 1965 which completely overhauled the process to enter this country, specifically to make it harder for minorities because human beings will keep a rock as a pet but cannot think of other human beings as brothers unless they look *exactly* like them. And even then). THEY NEED HELP BECAUSE THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE LAW. The law forbids them to work for 6 months after entry. If they were illegal, they would just start working one of the many menial jobs that have no problem hiring underpaid immigrant labor.
Second, these people are not hurting you. In any way. I would be shocked if anyone yelling about those terrible no good very bad fellow human beings had ever met even one of them. Many of them are educated and skilled. Many of them are Francophones, making Maine a wonderful place for them to reestablish themselves, as there are still pockets of French speakers in this state. Every single study shows that immigrants and asylum seekers are a net benefit to the economy, that they get off of social services much faster than homegrown welfare recipients, that they become entrepreneurs and hard workers. And yet you hate them before they even arrive.
And if you want to talk to me about how some of them are Muslim, and might bring their naughty repressive Muslim African culture into wonderful, flawless liberal America, let me tell you about Alabama. And Georgia. And Ohio. And North Carolina. And the Supreme Court. The people who are right now actively seeking to curtail my rights to my own body, to prevent me from voting for my own equal representation, to empower the companies that may employ me over myself, are as American as the flag, fireworks, and goddamned apple pie. These are individual people with no institutional power, and you have no idea what they think or believe about anything because you don't know them. The people with institutional power are hurting us all. Right now. And I don't see any angry threads on Next Door about it.
OMG BUT MY TAXES.
I. Pay. Taxes. Too. And my taxes go to support an aging Maine population, to give them healthcare, food stamps, housing subsidies, social security, and myriad other avenues of support. Support that will almost certainly not be available to me when I am old, because the very generation receiving my tax dollars has repeatedly voted for the downsizing and existential dissolution of the programs they enjoy. Yet I still pay. I pay for you. Knowing I will get nothing in return.
But you know what really pisses me off about where my tax dollars go? It isn't that they support an aging conservative population with the free time to post endless hateful multi-exclamation point capslocked screeds on the Internet. And it goddamn well isn't that 86-150 families (god, how few human beings it takes to turn on the histrionics) who have been through the most heinous and unimaginable cruelty, violence, and persecution might settle here in this state where all the young people actually born here are fleeing at rates that would snap your neck.
My tax dollars and your tax dollars and all of our tax dollars are going to build a megayacht dock in Portland so that more uber-rich assholes have a place to park their massive pleasure boats, boats that cost more than those 86-150 families could ever need.
My tax dollars and your tax dollars and all of our tax dollars are going to subsidize developers who smell fresh meat in our city so they can build more luxury condos none of us can afford (and again, the sale price of three or four of them on the West End would cover everything these families need), condos that will sit empty for all but two weeks a year so that a few families can look at the water and stuff themselves with lobster butter while complaining about live music to the point that our festivals get cancelled so they can go to bed earlier, murmuring as they drift off to a dreamland none of us can make a down payment on that Portland used to be so much better in the old days.
My tax dollars and your tax dollars and all of our tax dollars have, for eight years, gone toward blocking bills the people voted for from becoming law, fighting in the courts not to give Mainers medicare or raise our minimum wage or let us smoke in peace or have a little more choice in voting. Our money has gone to subsidizing red states that hate New England like fire. Our money has gone to making sure the megayacht-parking lobster butter bathers pay less in taxes than a barista on Munjoy Hill. And NONE of you are complaining about that.
Nor do I see any single thread looking to help the homeless vets and addicts you're all suddenly so conveniently concerned about, no matter how bad the winter gets. Pro tip: do not use veterans as strawmen when you argue that the poor deserve nothing and America is somehow full. A massive percentage of vets are immigrants themselves, and they are out there protecting your right to be a total dick on the internet.
Somehow, for some strange reason, the only time people seem to take to their keyboards to complain about where their taxes are going is when they might just end up helping someone less fortunate. When they help people more fortunate? Crickets.
This state is aging. We need a new tax base or all those senior citizens will suffer, because their services will be cut without people my age to pay for them. Young people are not moving here. They're just vacationing here. If you feel like freezing to death some idle winter without social services still yelling Don't Tread On Me, be my guest. I would prefer to live in a lively multicultural city full of art, music, food, theater, and more services being used by people who need them to survive than those who just want to pay a little less taxes and have a convenient place to park their yachts.
The hate in this thread is repulsive. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. I would imagine some of you consider yourselves Christian, even while you spit on those Christ commanded you to shelter and treat even as you would him. Nice work. There is not one of you who has not taken help from another human being at some point in your lives, even if it's only in the form of using the roads and electricity and infrastructure we all pay for collectively to make yourselves a success. Filling these people's bellies costs us so much less than filling the insatiable gullets of the vulture capitalists that have made quite the little feast of our city in the last decade. It's utterly pathetic that we must pay for the rich to harm us, but that rouses no protest, but this, THIS, these poor, desperate, hopeful people who have walked across a continent to get here, raises your rage to the breaking point.
You want to save a dollar by starving a poor man while handing over twenty to a rich one with a smile and a song.
That you would deny someone who has escaped hell on earth a blanket, a tv dinner, and a scrap of gym floor to sleep on doesn't make you a patriot. It makes you a bad person.
I said good day, sir. | <urn:uuid:2294b46a-346d-497b-a111-4b93b37623c6> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://boingboing.net/2019/06/18/nextdoor-is-terrible.html | 2024-04-16T04:04:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.975527 | 1,836 |
Chargers trade options: Give Seattle Beast Mode 2.0
Partner: Seattle Seahawks
Chargers Receive: 2020 4th round selection with a 5th round swap.
Seahawks Receive: Melvin Gordon with a 5th round swap.
Seattle loves to run the ball, but hasn’t been able to keep their running back rotation consistent. Thomas Rawls, Chris Carson, and C.J. Procise have all had their chance to become feature backs in the Seattle offense, with Carson the latest to attempt this. Carson continues a trend of power backs that come into the league, have a solid year, and then are phased out quickly. If Seattle wants to expand upon the formula they have built over the last decade, Gordon could be their guy.
In this case, a player swap wouldn’t be necessary. Overall, the Chargers would most likely welcome a fourth-round pick for Gordon, and the Seahawks could afford him with the lack of star power they have at the moment. Many believe they can get a first-round pick out of a team, while others believe the Chargers can swap for someone of a similar talent level. Neither seems particularly realistic, especially for a running back who has not been consistent since entering the league.
Gordon is threatening to leave as it is, so one can expect to see teams be patient and wait for the running back to simply hit free agency if the Chargers’ asking price is too high. Overall, DeVante Parker and a 6th is more than what the Steelers received for Le’Veon Bell (which was nothing) so if a similar trade happens keep that in mind. If Gordon truly has no desire to play this season, any kind of return, as well as the subsequent cap relief, from any trade is a win for the team. | <urn:uuid:cdb5bbde-5c3f-4f67-9ff2-0485b612c538> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://boltbeat.com/2019/08/01/chargers-trade-options-running-back-melvin-gordon/3/ | 2024-04-16T04:59:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.974743 | 371 |
The last few weeks in our English classes we have been learning about Christmas. Children learnt the vocabulary around the topic, Christmas songs and some of the English traditions.
Students in CP also listened to the story of “Father Christmas needs a wee” and they made some nice crafts to decorate their christmas trees.
In CE1, students listened to the story of Meg and Mog and they made a letter for Father Christmas and a cute flip-flap craft.
In CE2 students learnt some of the Christmas traditions in England, they watched a video and they made Christmas crackers.
We all had a fantastic time and we are looking forward to seeing Santa at the school! | <urn:uuid:83e33ca9-182e-4817-818c-dd96d229daca> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bonsoleil.es/christmas-time/ | 2024-04-16T03:58:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.963681 | 140 |
A matriarchal world damaged by and struggling to move on from its patriarchal, violent past. A moving novel and a painful read.
An apparently light-hearted novel about assisted dying that feeds into a facile, populist narrative. Scare-mongering.
What Doesn’t Kill Us is a beautifully written, gripping and immersive, and still very relevant historical novel about misogyny and activism.
Murder in a small community. Robertson does it again, with another great female character, Marjorie Crowe. Gripping and immersive.
Grace is a death scene cleaner. A well written, character-driven, immersive crime read. I loved it. Dark, disturbing and unusual.
The Best Way to Bury Your Husband is, surprisingly, a very moving AND uplifting AND very funny book about domestic abuse and violence. Really!
Yorkshire Ripper. The List of Suspicious Things is a multilayered narrative and a totally immersive snapshot of the place and time.
Victorian filth is Under Ground. Feel it clinging to your shoes and smell it as it assails your nostrils. It is gross — and engrossing.
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch won me over totally! It is funny, clever and very, very entertaining.
If I’m going to use murder as light entertainment, at least it’s nice for the protagonist to be a woman. Especially if she’s good at her job. | <urn:uuid:57ad60a4-9350-4f8f-8297-e8fd8844f041> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://books.beledit.com/tag/uk/ | 2024-04-16T04:28:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.94983 | 308 |
The idea for our latest Facebook competition came when Helen wrote a poem about Farmer Dave’s hands.
We decided to challenge Farmer Dave’s younger fans to write a poem about Bosinver – it could be about the animals, Wild Kids Cornwall Club or the Farmer Dave himself. We had some wonderful entries and really enjoyed reading them – so well done to everyone who entered!
Here’s the winning entry, by Isabella Freeman, age 5. Congratuations, Isabella! We loved your poem and the beautiful illustrations.
Runner-up ‘Pony Mad Pip’ Lockhart also deserves a special mention for her entry.
Prizes are on their way to both girls for their efforts.
We’ll be revealing a new Farmer Dave competition soon, so keep an eye on the Facebook page for more details! | <urn:uuid:c57be390-e948-4caf-b33a-f529b983d87f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bosinver.co.uk/farmer-dave-poetry-competition | 2024-04-16T05:22:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.964855 | 174 |
This week’s Red Sox Prospect Watch will look at a slightly different group of players. A wider variety of players, you might not see elsewhere.
There are still the big names like Benintendi and Moncada, but there are also lesser-known prospects, except to the most ardent fan. Some guys might not meet the traditional definition of prospect but they are included to keep an eye on guys who might be able to help the team this year. Some are higher round draft choices and those have drawn our attention from their stellar performance.
The Watch will also include some guys who have had a taste of the big leagues this season and are trying to make their way back. They might be ones we have seen a lot of in Boston or ones that we have only seen just a bit this year. While the bigger names will likely stay on from week to week, the variety of players should keep your interest more than just the same star prospects.
The way the Red Sox offense has been performing of late, it doesn’t seem like they will ever need any help from the minors, but spots always open up. Injuries can come out of nowhere, and the depth of prospects will be necessary to continue winning games as they have in 2016 as they hope to march to the playoffs.
Next: Triple-A Pawtucket | <urn:uuid:b08bcaa0-fce9-4f72-a939-acbdcb56d5b3> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bosoxinjection.com/2016/05/14/red-sox-prospect-watch-benintendi-cools-off-ockimey-rakes/ | 2024-04-16T05:29:11Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.985274 | 272 |
From Katie’s Bachelorette Season 17, Bachelor Nation fell in love with Justin’s facial expressions. Cheers to two more months of him giving us gif-worthy reactions to the antics on the BIP beach.
© Copyright Bracketology.tv, Inc. | Fantasy Sports, for Reality TV. 2024. All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER: This site is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with any network or its subsidiaries or its affiliates. All logos, brands, and other trademarks or images featured or referred to within this website are the property of their respective trademark holders. | <urn:uuid:43a7b97a-2027-4e46-9b34-12c86aa6f4ce> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bracketology.tv/the-bachelor/contestants/justin-glaze/ | 2024-04-16T05:17:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.909679 | 133 |
“What would people say?”, “If I tell them they would call me ‘crazy’, ‘weak’ or ‘disabled’,” “They may send me to the ‘loony bins’.” “I can necessary be deprived of the opportunities for my career.” “They would ostracize me or kick me out of their house.” And so on… These manifold thoughts strike immediately after one gathers the courage to express his mental illness and hunt for assistance.
The societal stigma associated with mental health following the discrimination deteriorates the sufferings while making the recovery tougher. According to a Mental Health Foundation of the UK, approximately 90% of the mentally ailed people claim the destructive waves of the stigma associated with mental health. Society has a stereotyped mental sickness, supposing mentally ill people as ferocious, brutal, and precarious.
Depression is not a choice like any other physical illness like cancer is not a choice. Often portrayal of depressed people as attention seekers suppresses the chances of much-needed recovery. People need to recognize that mental health does consider not caste, creed, colour, religion, or background, but it can happen to anyone.
Not merely the social order, but media plays no less role in exacerbating the disease by correlating it with violence, danger, disability, or abnormality. The public instigates discriminating against the mentally ill people on various grounds due to the connotation attached to the word “mental disorder”. But there is a stipulation of warmth, empathy for those suffering from mental ailments since this is a preventable health problem akin to physical diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, and so on.
Further, the self-stigma is another barrier between the treatment and illness following some misconceptions. There exists a stigma to resist oneself for seeking help because there exists a stigma of family drama or reputation or honor. Or there exists a stigma to disguise yourself into a normal being. Everyone, even the sufferers want to deny this is a problem and this foundation needs to be altered by acknowledging the mental health.
But it remains a stigma until and unless people do not talk about it and understand that it is not shameful talking about your mental health as mental health is a priority, and it should remain the priority.
Why talk about it?
Now one would ask why we are talking about depression, but it becomes a mutual responsibility to discourse upon it as depression is the leading cause of suicides worldwide. It is the most concerning health problem as closely, 8,00,000 people die due to suicide every year, and it remains the leading cause of death at the age of 14 to 29 years, says WHO.
What is it?
“Mental disorders are health conditions characterized by significant dysfunction in an individual’s cognitions, emotions, or behavior. It reflects a disturbance on the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. These are unrecognized segments of the normal development of an individual’s culture,” says the American Psychiatric Association of 2012.
The misconceptions amongst the society stigmatize mental health by building negative beliefs such as incompetence, dangerousness, character weakness, negative emotional reactions, prejudices, and the list goes endless. One needs to understand the commonness of mental illness as these problems are increasingly affecting millions of people worldwide. According to WHO, more than 300 million people irrespective of their age, suffer from depression. It is a predominant global mental illness followed by anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar diseases that are resisted of discourses and treatments which need an immediate solution.
Not only this taboo and stigma prevail in the community, but there are major myths that go around. Sadness is just an integral symptom of depression, although some speculate that depression is not separate from dejection. According to some experts, the persistent sadness, anxiousness, or “empty” mood for two weeks can be leading symptoms to depression. There can be a heterogeneous mix of feelings or emotions such as hopelessness, guilt, pessimism, worthlessness, lack of concentration, lowered energy, fatigue, or change in appetite.
How can it be prevented?
The first and foremost, mental say name-calling, sexual, and even social abuse aggravate the risk of depression. WebMD writes that “nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression.” There may be multiple reasons as unemployment, biological factors, poor housing, relationships, and there is a long chain of causes. There can be some other illness, personal conflicts, medications, or childhood trauma that increases the vulnerability to depression.
Tap here to know how to manage COVID stress.
But the allegory that revolves around is that depression is incurable or those pills would affect you worst, or you would become addicted to them, or you are dependent or say you cannot overcome it ever in your life. But open your crossed finger because depression at any stage is preventable with proper medications and treatments by professionals.
At an individual level, one can help socially and emotionally to combat this health issue by reducing name-calling, judgments, or negative stereotypes. Contribution of everyone is needed to fight against depression because everyone constitutes society.
Click here to know more about depression and mental health. | <urn:uuid:01aab193-2c3a-4b5b-9358-96b7f64a9f2b> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bragsocial.com/bragsocial/is-depression-too-stigmatic-to-talk-about/ | 2024-04-16T04:28:29Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.951918 | 1,089 |
In residential water heating, gas hot water systems stand out for their efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. From traditional storage tank systems to modern tankless alternatives, gas-powered water heaters offer homeowners a range of options to suit their specific needs. In this exploration, we delve into the diverse landscape of gas hot water systems, examining their various types, installation processes, and advantages.
Introduction to Gas Hot Water Systems:
Gas hot water systems utilise natural gas or propane to heat water for domestic use, providing households with a constant and reliable hot water supply. These systems are known for their energy efficiency and rapid heating capabilities, making them popular among homeowners seeking to reduce energy costs and improve overall comfort.
Types of Gas Hot Water Systems:
1. Storage Tank Systems:
- Traditional storage tank systems consist of a large insulated tank that stores heated water until needed. A gas burner or electric heating element heats the water within the tank to the desired temperature. These systems are inexpensive to purchase and install but may have higher operating costs due to standby heat loss.
2. Tankless (On-Demand) Systems:
- Tankless gas hot water systems, also known as on-demand or instantaneous systems, heat water directly as it passes through a heat exchanger. This makes it possible to get hot water on demand without a storage tank. Tankless systems are more energy-efficient than storage tank systems since they only heat water when needed, resulting in lower energy costs and reduced standby heat loss.
3. Combination (Combi) Boilers:
- Combination boilers, also known as combination boilers, are small appliances that can be used as hot water heaters and central heating boilers simultaneously. These systems heat water on demand and can provide space heating for the home as well. Combi boilers are particularly popular in smaller houses or apartments where space is limited, and a separate water heater and boiler would be impractical.
4. Heat Pump Water Heaters:
- Heat pump water heaters don’t produce heat directly; instead, they transfer heat using electricity. Gas-powered heat pump water heaters, also known as hybrid water heaters, combine the energy efficiency of heat pump technology with the rapid heating capabilities of gas burners. These systems can significantly reduce energy costs compared to conventional gas hot water heaters.
Gas Hot Water System Installation:
1. Assessment and Sizing:
- The first step in installing a gas hot water system is to assess the household’s hot water needs and determine the appropriate size and type of system. Factors such as the number of occupants, usage patterns, and available space will influence the selection of the system.
2. Location and Ventilation:
- Proper location and ventilation are critical considerations for gas hot water system installation. The system needs to be installed away from flammable objects and in a space with good ventilation. Ventilation requirements vary depending on the type of system and local building codes.
3. Gas Line Connection:
- A qualified plumber will install the gas piping and connections necessary to supply the hot water system fuel. Proper sizing and installation of gas lines are essential to ensure safe and efficient operation of the system.
4. Water Heater Installation:
- Once the location, ventilation, and gas supply have been addressed, the gas hot water system can be installed. This typically involves mounting the unit securely, connecting the water supply lines, and installing any necessary venting or exhaust components.
5. Testing and Commissioning:
- After installation, the system is thoroughly tested to ensure proper operation and safety. This includes checking for gas leaks, verifying water pressure and temperature, and confirming that all controls and safety devices function correctly.
Advantages of Gas Hot Water Systems:
1. Energy Efficiency:
- Gas hot water systems are known for their energy efficiency, especially tankless and hybrid models. These systems minimise energy waste and reduce operating costs by heating water only when needed.
2. Rapid Heating:
- Gas hot water systems heat water quickly, providing a constant supply of hot water on demand. The system needs to be installed away from flammable objects and in a space with good ventilation.
- Gas hot water systems are highly reliable and can provide consistent hot water even during periods of high demand. This reliability is especially important for large households or commercial applications.
- With proper maintenance, gas hot water systems can have a long service life, often exceeding that of electric or other water heaters. This can result in lower long-term costs and greater peace of mind for homeowners.
- Gas hot water systems come in a variety of types and sizes to suit different household needs and preferences. Whether a traditional storage tank system or a high-efficiency tankless model, there is a gas hot water system to meet virtually any requirement.
Gas hot water systems offer homeowners a range of options for efficient, reliable, and cost-effective water heating. Gas-powered water heaters provide a constant hot water supply on demand from traditional storage tank systems to modern tankless and hybrid models. With proper installation and maintenance, water systems can provide years of dependable gas hot water service, making them a preferred choice for many households. | <urn:uuid:be6a70f7-c548-47b4-bcec-36b94b19e3d9> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://brandiengel.com/exploring-various-types-of-hot-water-systems/ | 2024-04-16T05:19:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.936475 | 1,068 |
Beachfront Hotel • Condo Development Land
Número de Referencia
This beautiful beachfront paradise is located only 20 minutes from Quepos Airport and 30 minutes to Jaco, in the beach town of Palo Seco. With over 15km of sandy beach as your front yard, you will truly feel like you’re in paradise. Enjoy the morning with the sun rising over the mountains and the river with compliments of the fresh ocean breeze. When it comes time for the evening, you have your beachfront sunset. This is a unique property with dual water views on 10,000 SQ MT of land. Perfect zoning approved and permitted for commercial development of Hotel, condos, cabins, condo-hotel or resort. Electricity ready, and well water on site! This parcel is ready for construction. Enjoy your days' kayaking, horseback riding, walking the beaches, surfing without crowds or just swinging away in a hammock with the soft ocean breeze. This property has access to some of the most unique mangroves where you could spend miles kayaking or on a jet ski exploring the unique wildlife. Your beachfront dream starts here!
m² de lote
- 577 Visualizaciones | <urn:uuid:d102600e-4336-4cba-985a-fd04856c1eed> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://brappi.com/propiedades/venta/lotes-terrenos/beachfront-hotel-condo-development-land-1271.html | 2024-04-16T04:27:36Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.810318 | 250 |
In 2014 Brash created and launched Ellington as Dubai’s new and most promising design-led property developer brand. Since, it has made every effort to establish its niche position in the market, attracting many awards and admirers in the industry as a result of its unique design-led approach, a true commitment to world class quality and immaculate development and execution processes.
Having built reputation quickly, the time had come to deepen the unique brand proposition by shifting the focus to the Ellington community and postion the brand as the enabler of a premium design-led lifestyle. For this, Brash curated a bespoke campaign ‘Live by Design’ to express what it means to be part of the Ellington community, denoting the exclusive, artistic, smart and elegant characteristics of the design-led brand.
As we understood it would require extraordinary visuals to pay tribute to the bespoke and exclusive nature of the brand, all footage was shot in carefully selected locations to capture lifestyle with the most stunning backdrop landscapes, portraying Ellington Lifestyle as a true form of art.
The campaign shows the maturity of the brand where it no longer relies on its property assets, but instead leverages its reputation and focusses on the very spirit it represents. This will ultimately enable Ellington to pivot into new areas of business as a brand of esteem and loyalty. | <urn:uuid:cd70711f-cc05-4533-b88f-62b28130da13> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://brash.agency/ellington-property-developers/ | 2024-04-16T03:34:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.952369 | 284 |
The Breath of Life Foundation truly gives our family hope that there are opportunities to help my kids who have cystic fibrosis stay healthy through exercise. The best thing for their lungs is for them to keep active and enjoy exercising. My son loves Lacrosse all year round and Football and my daughter loves to dance. These activities can be quite expensive along with paying for all their other medications and doctors appointments to keep them healthy. We have not had any luck finding an organization to help us financially.
Having 2 kids with cystic fibrosis is very overwhelming and costly. I appreciate that the founder, who also has CF, started this organization to help others that live in Wisconsin with CF. I will continue to give back to this organization. It’s a great feeling knowing that this money will directly help Wisconsin families with their struggles. Thanks Breath of Life foundation for everything you have done for my family. God Bless you. | <urn:uuid:24936813-8726-40e6-be06-f552d1c38f38> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://breathoflifefndn.org/sara-ks-story/ | 2024-04-16T04:57:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.979684 | 185 |
Love is all we really have to give, and love is free, even if it costs blood and a broken heart. Sadly, we live in a culture where so much is distorted, caught in the shadowlands of ego and greed. We are fed endless desires, manipulated by advertising and the media, no longer knowing what to trust. We have almost forgotten that life is sacred. At such a time it is especially important to return to what is essential and true, what cannot be bought or sold. Simple acts of loving kindness, an open heart that listens, hands that care—with a friend, a stranger, with someone in need. These are the true currencies of our shared humanity, which easily break through barriers and remind us of a unity deeper than our surface divisions. In our true nature we are not consumers but lovers, and life is not about economic prosperity or getting more stuff, but is a love affair waiting to be lived,
That all may be one.
Think of some of the ways you can offer “simple acts of loving kindness, an open heart that listens, hands that care.”
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13:4
Let us learn to live with kindness, to love everyone, even when they do not love us.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
Compassion isn’t about solutions. It’s about giving all the love that you’ve got.
Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
That is what compassion does. It challenges our assumptions, our sense of self-limitation, worthlessness, of not having a place in the world, our feelings of loneliness and estrangement. These are narrow, constrictive states of mind. As we develop compassion, our hearts open.
A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.
Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind | <urn:uuid:35220eff-7ec5-41f8-b950-48e6e22a2b80> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://brentwoodcsj.org/april-7-8/ | 2024-04-16T04:04:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.931074 | 562 |
You only have through Midnight Tuesday, May 2nd to watch this... don't miss it!
Tap Into The Soon-To-Be $645 Billion eLearning Industry
On Call Bonuses Extended For the first 25
This Offer Has Expired. Thank You.
Click HERE To Start | <urn:uuid:9228e395-8e07-4137-a249-43a1899ee995> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://briananderson.online/eclassreplay/ | 2024-04-16T05:06:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.838686 | 59 |
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a crucial examination for aspiring medical and dental students in India. One common question among NEET aspirants is how many attempts they may need to succeed in this highly competitive exam. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into various factors that influence the number of attempts needed for NEET aspirants to unlock their path to success.
Understanding the NEET Examination:
Provide an overview of the NEET examination, its significance in the medical and dental admissions process, and its structure, covering subjects, marking scheme, and eligibility criteria.
Academic Preparedness and Foundation:
Highlight the significance of academic preparedness and a strong foundation in the subjects covered in the NEET syllabus, including Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Discuss the role of consistent study habits, conceptual understanding, and regular practice tests.
Factors Influencing the Number of Attempts:
Discuss various factors that can influence the number of attempts needed for NEET aspirants, such as academic preparedness, exam strategy, coaching, resources, and mental resilience. Emphasize the importance of personalized assessment.
Exam Strategy and Time Management:
Offer guidance on developing effective exam strategies and mastering time management skills to optimize performance on the NEET exam day. Discuss approaches for tackling different question types, prioritizing sections, and managing stress during the examination.
Mental Resilience and Persistence:
Stress the importance of mental resilience, determination, and persistence in the face of challenges and setbacks. Offer encouragement and strategies for maintaining a positive mindset, overcoming obstacles, and staying focused on long-term goals.
Utilization of Coaching and Study Resources:
Explore the benefits of utilizing coaching classes, study materials, mock tests, and online resources to supplement self-study efforts and enhance exam preparation. Provide recommendations for selecting reputable coaching institutes and reliable study materials.
Learning from Previous Attempts:
Discuss the value of learning from previous attempts, whether successful or unsuccessful, and leveraging insights gained to refine study strategies, address weaknesses, and approach subsequent attempts with greater confidence and maturity.
Seeking Guidance and Support:
Encourage NEET aspirants to seek guidance and support from mentors, teachers, family members, and peers throughout their journey. Emphasize the importance of seeking help when needed and leveraging support networks for motivation and encouragement.
Is it common for NEET aspirants to require multiple attempts to qualify?
It varies among aspirants. While some candidates succeed in their first attempt, others may require multiple attempts to achieve their desired score.
How many attempts are allowed for the NEET exam?
There is no limit on the number of attempts for the NEET exam.
Are there any disadvantages to taking the NEET exam multiple times?
While there are no inherent disadvantages to taking the NEET exam multiple times meanwhile sometimes repeated attempts may impact confidence levels and emotional well-being if success is not achieved as expected.
What factors contribute to the need for multiple attempts in the NEET exam?
Several factors including the complexity of the exam, the level of preparedness of the candidate, familiarity with the exam pattern, effective time management, and individual learning styles.
What strategies can NEET aspirants employ to increase their chances of success in fewer attempts?
NEET aspirants can optimize their chances of success by adopting effective study strategies, including regular and disciplined study routines, targeted revision of weak areas, taking mock tests to gauge progress, seeking guidance from experienced mentors, and maintaining a positive mindset throughout the preparation journey.
How can NEET aspirants determine when they are ready to attempt the exam?
NEET aspirants should assess their level of preparation, confidence in the subject matter, and performance in practice tests and mock exams.
Summarize key takeaways from the guide and reinforce the message that success in the NEET examination is attainable through diligent preparation, strategic planning, perseverance, and a growth mindset. Encourage NEET aspirants to embark on their journey with confidence and determination.
If you have queries regarding How Many Attempts Do NEET Aspirants or need assistance with filling out forms, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help! | <urn:uuid:cf499865-519f-41ee-809a-ff1c1a189e27> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://brightfutureas.com/how-many-attempts-do-neet-aspirants-need/ | 2024-04-16T04:29:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.926962 | 866 |
The Eurosystem has expanded its operations well beyond what a central bank would have traditionally undertaken. It now owns assets that are not 'central bank money' definitionally. Assets have credit ratings as low as BB in the Standard and Poor's system, which means they are 'Speculative Grade' and involve 'Substantial credit risk'. It does not even perform credit risk analysis itself, but relies on its public credit rating agencies and on commercial banks.
This is laid out in the newly-released book 'The shadow liabilities of EU Member States, and the threat they pose to global financial stability', written by Bob Lyddon and published by The Bruges Group.
Even before the Pandemic, the Euro system had laxer criteria than its peers for admitting a particular asset (a bond) onto its list of collateral eligible for its monetary and payment operations. An eligible asset could be placed at a Euro system member as collateral for an overdraft, or it could be purchased into one of the Asset Purchase Programmes. Up until 2020 the asset had to carry an 'Investment Grade' rating from at least two of the four EU-approved credit rating agencies. That would mean a Baa3 from Moody's or BBB- from Standard and Poor's, lower by several rungs than the equivalent criteria at the Bank of England.
Since the Pandemic the Euro system significantly lowered its criteria and in several ways.
It allows assets with public credit ratings of Ba2/BB, outside 'Investment Grade'.
It reduced its 'haircuts' by 1/5th across the board thus taking more credit and market risk on each asset.
It allowed commercial banks to act as a surrogate for a public credit rating agency, which is already a surrogate for its own assessment. It did this by adding new asset types to its eligible list, notably 'credit claims', which are certificates confirming ownership rights over a portfolio of bank loans, which could be car loans, credit card balances, consumer loans or whatever. The bank had made a credit risk assessment of the portfolio and assigned it an internal credit rating that it attested was equivalent to a given level of public credit rating. The bank's methodology goes by the name of 'Internal Ratings-Based' and the bank has a strong motivation for assigning a high internal credit rating, but possibly, if it is in Italy, Spain, Cyprus or Greece, not a particularly strong track record of getting its homework correct.
Via these practices the Euro system has now become a hybrid of a commercial bank with central banking powers, exposed to a wide range of assets beyond those that constitute 'central bank money'. The Euro system relies on external credit assessment, whether by credit rating agencies or commercial banks.
Losses on Euro system operations track back to the ECB but it has next-to-no loss-absorption cushion. A cushion of €8.3 billion at the end of 2021 on a balance sheet of €680.1 billion can sustain losses on assets of only 1.2% of their value, a decline that can occur in a few minutes. All the ECB has is the implied backing of Eurozone member states to subscribe fresh capital if things go wrong. If they do, the member states will need to dig deep, or that would be the end of the ECB, the Euro and possibly the EU itself.
When you subscribe to the blog, we will send you an e-mail when there are new updates on the site so you wouldn't miss them. | <urn:uuid:08aca2f5-4d59-49ec-9a62-96cfc4482f8f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://brugesgroup.com/blog/the-eurosystem-has-become-a-commercial-bank-except-one-without-a-credit-assessment-department-or-loss-absorption-cushion | 2024-04-16T05:39:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.972776 | 711 |
Doylestown Nature Club presents “Birds of Prey: Live Session with a Harris Hawk,” at 1 p.m. Nov. 11, Buckingham Township Building, 4613 Hughesian Way (off Route 413), Buckingham, by Master Falconer Tom Stanton.
Stanton knows first-hand about the Harris Hawk. Raptors and birds in general, have been a part of his life for over 50 years. He has been influenced by some of the most experienced and knowledgeable falconers in Pennsylvania.
Also known as the Bay-winged Hawk, the Harris Hawk, has been one of Stanton’s favorite birds to care for over the past 10 years. The most social of North American raptors, Harris Hawks hunt together as a team, which is why Stanton and his Harris, Apache, have such a special bond.
Stanton will share his up close and personal relationship with Apache, and discuss the care required to maintain a healthy diet and habitat for this bird. He also will discuss the role they play in the natural world and the importance of conservation.
Stanton will be available to answer questions following the presentation. Guests are welcome with a $5 donation.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today. | <urn:uuid:bc91ef1f-c4e6-44e3-924f-b0acadd5dd14> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://buckscountyherald.com/stories/doylestown-nature-club-explores-birds-of-prey,2748 | 2024-04-16T04:15:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.950262 | 275 |
A CBS New York reporter from Newtown was killed in Brooklyn Saturday in a moped accident, according to the New York Post. Nina Kapur was 26.
According to the Post and CNN, Kapur was a passenger on a moped rented from Revel, a popular moped sharing service, when “the operator swerved for an unknown reason,” according to police.
Both Kapur and the driver of the moped fell onto the roadway and were rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where Kapur was pronounced dead. The driver, a 26-year-old man who was not identified, suffered minor injuries.
Neither was wearing a helmet, according to NYPD spokeswoman Denise Moroney, CNN said. The company said helmets cleaned with disinfectants are provided in the trunk of the moped, CNN said.
Kapur was remembered fondly by her colleagues at CBS New York, a CNN affiliate. “We are heartbroken here at CBS2 as a member of our news family has passed away,” CBS New York said in a statement Sunday. “Reporter Nina Kapur joined the team in June 2019 and was known for her contagious smile and love for storytelling.”
The crash is under investigation by the NYPD. Revel said it extended its deepest sympathies to Kapur’s family and loved ones and told CNN it too was investigating the accident and also was working with NYPD in its investigation.
First published July 21, 2020. Updated July 22, 2020.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage.
Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. | <urn:uuid:3f91ff31-3c75-4504-b422-a9c19ac45fff> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://buckscountyherald.com/stories/tv-reporter-from-newtown-killed-in-moped-crash,4975 | 2024-04-16T05:32:29Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.987143 | 335 |
This is the third installment of a four-part series addressing insects frequently seen indoors at this time of year when they seek shelter for hibernation during the colder months. This entry will introduce the “brown marmorated stink bug,” Halyomorpha halys. Special thanks to John R. Maxwell for sharing his images.
Unlike the western conifer seed bug and the boxelder bugs, the brown marmorated stink bug is not native to the North American continent. It was first detected in Allentown, Pennsylvania in September, 1998 but probably arrived at least two years earlier. The insect hails from Asia, being indigenous to China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea.
Thus far, H. halys has amounted to a mere “nuisance pest” that appears in numbers on the exterior of homes as it seeks shelter for the winter. The adult insects fly well, and sometimes manage to creep indoors, much to the consternation of property owners. The fact that they can deploy their scent glands when under duress makes them even more unappealing.
Outdoors, during the spring and summer months, nymphs and adults feed on a variety of plants, shrubs, trees, and fruits. They sip liquid sap and fruit juices through beak-like mouthparts collectively called a rostrum. Their feeding causes mostly cosmetic damage and they have not yet attained pest status for that reason. This is not the case in their native range where they are especially problematic for soybean growers.
Unfortunately, these are non-descript bugs that are easily confused with innocuous native stink bugs like those in the genus Brochymena. Older nymphs like this one do sport distinctive spikes and spines, and black and white-banded legs. It is the aggregation behavior of the adults in the fall that seems to be their most unique and identifying characteristic.
Since its first appearance in Pennsylvania, the brown marmorated stink bug has been discovered in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. Specimens have also been intercepted by agriculture officials in California and Florida. Should you suspect you have found this species in a state not on this list, you are urged to report your finding (backed up with specimens whenever possible) to your state department of agriculture.
As with all of the insects being profiled in this series, care should be taken to exclude the bugs from entry into structures by repairing worn weatherstripping, mending holes in window screens, and sealing other possible points of entry with silicone caulking and other such materials. | <urn:uuid:3c796563-fe35-471a-91fd-c7ef4c67ab31> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bugeric.blogspot.com/2009/10/indoor-insects-of-autumn-part-3-of-4.html | 2024-04-16T03:46:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.948597 | 575 |
The environment file /etc/conf.d was removed from the systemd service and ExecStart appears with hardcoded "--datadir=/var/lib/znc". I just changed the znc.service into the following that works as expected: # /lib/systemd/system/znc.service [Unit] Description=ZNC, an advanced IRC bouncer After=network.target [Service] EnvironmentFile=/etc/conf.d/znc ExecStart=/usr/bin/znc -f User=znc [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
Just realized that the user is also defined in /etc/conf.d/znc file. So znc.service could be like this: # /lib/systemd/system/znc.service [Unit] Description=ZNC, an advanced IRC bouncer After=network.target [Service] EnvironmentFile=/etc/conf.d/znc ExecStart=/usr/bin/znc -f [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
Referring to conf.d files in systemd units is prohibited. https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Systemd/Ebuild_policy#Unit_file_guidelines
I understand the reasons presented there for distribution and administration management, trying to keep things more clear. But regarding znc, the software is not prepared to manage their configurations the same way. I would need to add a systemd drop-in to add the Environment=ZNC_DATADIR="/var/lib/znc", since when service is started this way creates .znc directory inside /var/lib/znc. When starting znc with the flag as it is being done now, znc reads configuration file directly from /var/lib/znc directory. So maybe we have here an upstream bug to report, since to comply with current Gentoo management policies we need to use daemon flags and not environment files.
Created the following bug report: https://github.com/znc/znc/issues/1837
It seem that the environment variable is defined by the ebuild and not from upstream https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.git/tree/net-irc/znc/files/znc.confd-r1 This broke the setup for systemd unit configuration.
Hi, As I replied on your upstream issue, I don't see how we "broke" anything. Our systemd service never supported an environment file. At some point, upstream changed the default datadir so I added a check to warn users in the ebuild. Overriding unit files is quite easy and the conf.d file is only meant for OpenRC users so I'm not sure what you would like for us or upstream to change.
It seems that this issue was solved in upstream since it was not a common behavior to have a service with its configurations files loaded from .znc. This was already reviewed on previous issue that Louis just pointed out on github issue. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 743856 *** | <urn:uuid:76323f08-34c0-4e70-8a44-53c96aa4f44c> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=869356 | 2024-04-16T05:16:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.900444 | 652 |
After missing out on 2021’s show due to Covid-19 it was fantastic to see all of the entrants and owners having such a wonderful time at the Woking Leisure Centre. There were raffle prizes, fantastic toys and stalls to browse and plenty of prizes to be won! Please scroll down for the full show report and to see some fantastic shots of the day by Ian Jarvis.
Click the link to view a slide show of the day kindly created by Ian Jarvis https://youtu.be/K11Kgz5WV0M
Burmese Cat Club Show 2020 Best of Variety Results | Breeder | Owner | |
Best in Show Burmese Adult | Ch Roseambur Sky | Mrs Pam Brabner | Mrs Pam Brabner |
Best in Show Burmese Kitten | Elmyra Tutti-Frutti | Mrs Lynn Fryer | Mrs Lynn Fryer |
Best in Show Burmese Neuter & Overall Best in Show | OB ImpGrCh OB ImpGrPr Catamarian Evita | Mrs Marion McFarlane | Mrs Maria Chapman-Beer |
Best in Show Pedigree Pet | Shorthair kitten, Arnold | Ms Shona McFarlane | Ms Shona McFarlane |
Featured cats | Lilac Burmese Kitten BOB winner, Saganty Chiara | Mrs S.L. Wallis | Miss J. Linehan |
Featured cats | Chocolate Burmese Neuter Male 1st and PC winner,
Kymian Peter-Pipe |
Prof. Kym Jarvis | Mrs F. Howarth |
The full show report to follow. | <urn:uuid:60223507-af83-4dcb-8af2-fb9b9f951e2f> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://burmesecatclub.com/bcc-show-highlights-2022/ | 2024-04-16T04:29:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.880989 | 336 |
LONGBOAT KEY, Fla., Feb. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rumble, the video-sharing platform (NASDAQ; RUM) announced today that Dan Bongino will relaunch “The Dan Bongino Show” as a live premiere on Rumble, broadcasting every weekday at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. This new format will allow viewers to interact in real time and access the content on-demand immediately following the show.
After joining Rumble in 2020, Bongino saw a large increase in followers compared to his former YouTube channel. Currently, “The Dan Bongino Show” has 2.59 million followers–the most of any channel on Rumble.
“Dan Bongino is a powerful voice in the movement to challenge corporate media and protect free speech,” said Rumble Chairman and CEO, Chris Pavlovski. “His massive following is evidence of how his common-sense approach resonates with so many people. Without a doubt, his presence on Rumble has brought us to where we are today and continues to fuel our growth into one of the world’s premier video platforms.”
Rumble is a high-growth neutral video platform that is creating the rails and independent infrastructure designed to be immune to cancel culture. Rumble’s mission is to restore the Internet to its roots by making it free and open once again. For more information, visit: | <urn:uuid:e2b60b94-fe29-4281-aa2e-f98a2ac84ac1> | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | https://business.bentoncourier.com/bentoncourier/article/gnwcq-2023-2-27-dan-bongino-launches-live-premiere-show-on-rumble | 2024-04-16T05:07:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817043.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416031446-20240416061446-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.94473 | 298 |
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