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The Impact of Weight Bias on Talent Management
February 27, 2019 by Tamara Phillips
Did you know that we have up to 188 biases running around our brain at any given time? Recent scientific research has shown that we tend to make all sorts of judgments influenced by inherent cognitive biases, which affect both our thoughts and actions.
Our struggle with bias comes down to how our brains work. According to The Huffington Post, it "happens automatically, is outside of our control, and is triggered by our brain making quick judgments and assessments of people and situations based on our background, cultural environment, and personal experiences."
Neurologically, we're hardwired to prefer those who look, think, and sound like us. Bias doesn't make us bad people; it's just an unconscious part of the human experience. But, we do need to be aware of where and when it shows up to mitigate any negative consequences, especially when managing talent.
Yes, Weight Bias Is a Thing
The worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults 18 years and older were overweight, and over 650 million of that figure were considered obese.
Sadly, there is clear evidence that weight bias exists in the workplace. Common stereotypes include perceptions that overweight employees are less competent, lazy, and lacking self-discipline. Such judgments can negatively impact decisions on salary, promotions, and employment status.
In fact, a recent study by the World Obesity Federation found that 62 percent of respondents said that they were likely to face discrimination because they were overweight. Additionally, 43 percent of those surveyed reported bias from supervisors and 53 percent reported bias from co-workers.
Plos One research recently found that even marginally heavier job candidates suffer from bias during an experimental job interview process. Researchers obtained photos of male and female faces from a publicly available database then doctored the images to make the faces appear slightly heavier. After seeing the original and doctored pictures, 182 study participants rated heavier female and male faces lower on their ability to be hired than the original faces.
How to Help Mitigate Weight Bias
To drive meaningful change in this expanding area, organizations need to rely less on gut feelings about whether people "look right for a job" or "should be promoted." Access to intelligence-driven talent management tools and methodologies can empower hiring managers to make better decisions based on job-relevant data, insights, and intelligence across three fundamental aspects of the talent management process.
1. Recruiting and Hiring
HR organizations can make unbiased hiring and salary decisions through photo-less recruiting. Brilliant Hire and Blendoor both offer solutions that help companies make hiring decisions based solely on a potential candidate's skills and competencies.
In addition, forming a panel of interviewers reduces individual bias in hiring. Machine learning can also eliminate bias when determining new-hire salaries by recommending equitable compensation while considering market dynamics and the level of difficulty to fill the relevant role.
2. Performance and Goals
Companies can also use 360-degree feedback processes to reduce the influence of a single person's unconscious bias. This approach helps ensure that multiple people are rating an employee's performance with fairness and equity.
Additionally, companies can encourage more frequent, job-related feedback based on accomplishments tied to goals with continuous performance management (CPM).
Plus, calibration tools can help managers categorize employees fairly and accurately. By plotting employees according to their performance and potential, managers can gain the insight to pinpoint top contributors and give them the greatest rewards and opportunities. They can also detect whether bias is influencing performance reviews by activating photo-less calibration, which helps identify where unconscious bias may be influencing the evaluation process.
3. Succession and Development
To eliminate bias and develop and promote all the best talent, mentoring programs should enable mentees to search for appropriate mentors by indicating the skills, competencies, capabilities, and experiences they desire to gain, instead of demographic similarity.
Companies can deliver courseware on supportive supervision, accurate performance assessment, and how to work beyond unconscious bias
Building an Inclusive Culture Where All the Best Talent Can Thrive
Tackling weight bias throughout the talent management lifecycle is a key business imperative that must be integrated into diversity and inclusion strategies and programs. By enabling the workforce with tools that help identify and mitigate bias, bring diverse talent into the organization's social structure, and encourage contributions and ideas, companies can support a culture of inclusion to create lasting workforce engagement for all.
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace has become a business, economic, and social imperative. To hear best practices and winning strategies to cultivate a culture of diversity and inclusion, listen to this podcast: Cultivating a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion to Enable a Business Beyond Bias.
Tamara Phillips is global director of Business Beyond Bias at SAP SuccessFactors.
This article originally appeared on Recruiter.com.
Tags: HCM, HR, Human Resources, performance management, SAP SuccessFactors
Listen to the podcast: Cultivating a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion to Enable a Business Beyond Bias
Welcome to the Human Revolution
Watch the webcast: Diversity and Inclusion Programs That Get Results and How Technology Can Help
Fashion Leader Partners with SAP to Become an Intelligent Enterprise
Feature Article — Innovation is baked into everything that fashion juggernaut Tapestry does. Now the company is unifying all three of its brands on one SAP platform for...
July 9, 2019 by Susan Galer


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News Sports Business Life Opinion Obituaries E-Edition Legals
Board to consider comments on sage-grouse documentation
By Keith Trout;
ktrout@masonvalleynews.com;
The Lyon County Board of Commissioners at 10:30 a.m. Thursday will consider draft comments to the proposed listing of the Bi-State Sage-grouse Distinct Population Segment as a threatened species, as recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and regarding a federal agency draft environmental impact statement regarding the sage grouse.
After a presentation by Lyon County Commissioner Virgil Arellano, the Lyon County Public Lands Management Advisory Board, comprised of the planning commission, voted Dec. 10 to accept submitted comments regarding the draft EIS for the Greater Sage-grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Forest Plan and BLM plan amendment.
Comments for both the draft EIS and the proposed listing are due to the federal agencies by Dec. 27.
The public can submit their own written comments.
The draft comments regarding the proposed listing consists of a three-page letter and 14 pages of recommended literature for inclusion and consideration as part of the proposed rule for the Bi-State Sage-grouse DPS.
Arellano worked with John McClain of Resource Concepts Inc. and county manager Jeff Page on both sets of draft comments.
The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is proposing to amend the Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and the BLM proposes to amend the Carson City and Battle Mountain Resource Management Plans "to conserve, enhance, and/or restore habitats to provide for the long-term viability of the Greatere Sage-grouse Bi-state Distinct Population Segment and a draft EIS has been formulated for these changes.
During last Tuesday's public lands board meeting, Arellano stressed the importance of including in the comments that predatory birds, especially ravens, were not taken into consideration as a major threat to the sage-grouse.
As the motion to accept the comments was being made, Arellano asked the board to include wording to "emphasize the predator problem with ravens."
Max Symonds, representing Smith Valley rancher Fred Fulstone, also cited the lack of mention of predation as a threat to the sage-grouse.
The draft comments under the background section where other "major threats are listed state: "It is surprising to note that ravens, coyotes and other predators are absent from this list.
Ravens are presented by Dr. Pete Coates, USGS Sage grouse Biologist, as responsible for more sage grouse losses than any other predator."
Arellano said, "It's incomprehensible to me how predatory birds, such as ravens, were not listed in the DEIS as a major threat to the bi-state sage-grouse."
The proposed comments regarding the proposed listing and designation of critical habitat begins saying Lyon County "is deeply concerned by the above-reference documents [as printed in the Federal Register] and Proposed Threatened Status for the Bi-state DPS of greater Sage-Grouse.
The County is opposed to listing any portion of the DPS under the Endangered Species Act."
It says the county had been highly supportive of efforts by the various local working groups, the Bi-State Technical Advisory Committee and Executive Oversight Committee, and says the proposed listing threatens to derail the advances made by these groups.
The comments say the short timeframes associated with the listing "appear to have resulted in a finding that is not nearly as comprehensive as it should be given the magnitude of this decision."
The draft comment letter continues," "One of the more troublesome aspects of the Proposed Rule is that is identifies 'grazing and rangeland management' as a significant risk.... However, the threat assessment has no information or analyses on local grazing management, stocking rates, seasons of use, grazing systems, standards and guidelines, permitting, or annual monitoring," and it is in conflict with findings of the above mentioned groups.
However, it goes on to say it was revealed at a Dec. 3 local area working group meeting in Bridgeport that inclusion of "grazing and rangeland management" as a "significant risk" was an "editorial error" and should have been corrected before publishing.
"The County demands an answer in terms of how this will be corrected in a manner that does not jeopardize the future viability of its local farmers and ranchers," the comment letter continues. It goes on to say the discussion of "rangeland management is extremely limited" and misleading.
The letter later goes on to address predation and says, "There has been considerable anecdotal information presented from multiple sources regarding the threat of predation by ravens in particular. The Species Status Assessment acknowledges huge increases in raven populations, as much as 150 percent, since the 1960s."
The comment letter concludes that "the county is committed to the future conservation of its natural resources, and wildlife, including sage-grouse," evidenced by its support of locally-driven conservation efforts.
However, it adds that it is concerned about deficiencies identified in the comment letter and corrections could "result in the realization that listing under the ESA is not warranted."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Syzran is an airbase of the Russian Air Force located near Syzran, Samara Oblast, Russia.

The base is home to the 484th Training Helicopter Regiment with the Mil Mi-24 as part of the Prof. N.E. Zhukovsky and Iu.A. Gagarin Air Force Academy.

References

Russian Air Force bases

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Kotavan è un comune dell'Azerbaigian situato nel distretto di Ağdaş. Conta una popolazione di 938 abitanti.

Collegamenti esterni
Kotavan su GEOnet Names Server

Comuni del distretto di Ağdaş


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Denmark: Brands
We've brought a number of popular local food brands to the travel market, including MASH, Aamanns, Le Sommelier and Gorm's and we're working with some of the best chefs in the country, such as Gorm Wisweh and Adam Aamann, to provide a wide range of delicious food and beverages to meet the needs of our customers. We also create bespoke concepts, tailored to specific travel hubs.
A selection of some of our brands is listed below.
Gorm's is a 'declaration of love' to Gorm Wisweh, the pizza maker who brought his crisp pizzas from the small sunny island of Bornholm to Copenhagen. Gorm Wisweh – a loving and playful guy who loves food and great ingredients – is the incarnation of what Gorm's stands for. His inspiration comes from the simple and rustic traditions of Italy spiced with the very best from the Nordic kitchen. At Gorm's, flavours are based on imported Italian ingredients, fine wines and a lot of love for food.
YO! Sushi®
YO! Sushi has been serving fun, fast and fresh Japanese food to diners since 1997. Pioneering the famous 'Kaiten' conveyer belt in the UK, the format delivers sushi, sashimi and other classic Japanese dishes directly to customers. The brand now operates close to 100 restaurants across eight countries, including France, the US, Scandinavia, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
SSP partnered with YO! Sushi to launch a restaurant at Copenhagen Airport.
MASH – Modern American Steak House – has taken the best from the real American steak house tradition – namely, large steaks cut from some of the best cattle in the world. Here they add innovation, and an amazing wine list to match the high-quality beef, in an environment designed to enhance the experience. The first MASH opened in Copenhagen in 2009. Since then MASH has launched new restaurants in Denmark, Germany and London.
Aamanns
When Adam Aamann opened his deli in Copenhagen in 2006, his plan was to take smørrebrød back to its roots while giving it a contemporary overhaul. He let the traditional Danish rye bread remain the backbone of the sandwich, and established a healthier and better balance between fish and meats. Aamanns was quickly recognised for its new modern smørrebrød and received numerous awards, including the Danish Gastronomic Academy's Award and the title Lunch Restaurant of The Year.


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är en ort och kommun i regionen Friuli-Venezia Giulia i Italien tillhörde tidigare även provinsen Trieste som upphörde 2017. Kommunen hade  invånare (2018).

Referenser

Kommuner i Friuli-Venezia Giulia


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Werther at Manitoba Opera
If opera ultimately is about bel canto, then one need not look any further than Manitoba Opera's company premiere of Massenet's Werther, its lushly scored portrait of an artist as a young man that also showcased a particularly strong cast of principal artists. Notably, all were also marking their own role debuts, as well as this production being the first Massenet opera staged by organization in its 44-year history.
A review by Holly Harris
Above: Lauren Segal (Charlotte) and John Tessier (Werther)
Photos by R. Tinker
Based on Goethe's German-Romantic tale "The Sorrows of Young Werther," and sung in French with English surtitles, the nearly three-hour production's skeletal plot of boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy dies is opera at its compact best. Preferring not to gild the lily with convoluted (albeit operatic) twists and turns, it delves more deeply into the hearts and minds of its ill-fated characters, underscored by Massenet's stunningly gorgeous music brought to life by Tyrone Paterson leading the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
Last appearing onstage as Tonio in MO's 2012 production of Donizetti's "The Daughter of the Regiment," Edmonton-born tenor John Tessier in the title role may quite rightfully may be considered a Canadian treasure. He spun every lyrical phrase like fine gold, first heard during his opening aria "O Nature, pleine de grâce," performed with ease and capped by ringing high notes. His showstopper: "Lorsque l'enfant revient d'un voyage," and later, a goose-bump inducing "Pourquoi me reveiller" elicited well-deserved, spontaneous applause with cries of bravo.
Lauren Segal (Charlotte) and Keith Phares (Albert
South African/Canadian mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal as Charlotte also created a flesh-and-blood "angel of duty," with her prismatic acting skills revealing her character's inner turmoil until her final climactic "Ah!" after Werther dies in her arms. Segal's rich vocals also resonated during Act III's "Va! Laisser couler mes larmes," that grew in dramatic intensity as she realizes the poet's path towards self-destruction.
Winnipeg-based soprano Lara Secord-Haid's sparkling portrayal of Charlotte's younger sister Sophie captured the impetuous optimism of youth, as she skipped and flitted about the stage with her effervescent colouratura on full display during "Du gai soleil, plein de flame." But she also imbued her youthful character with subtle nuance, creating a fascinating sub-text for her own tragic tale of love and loss after Werther's departure leaves her sobbing uncontrollably during Act II.
Scene from Werther
Albert performed by American baritone Keith Phares proved solid and true, besotted with his wife Charlotte, with his resonant voice clearly projecting while providing steady ballast to Werther's eloquent arias.
The cast also includes Le Bailli performed with gravitas by baritone David Watson, and his whiskey-swilling village sidekicks, Johann (baritone Howard Rempel) and Schmidt (tenor Terence Mierau). An ensemble of six children (prepared by Carolyn Boyes) delivered a sweetly jubilant "Noel! Noel," that heightens the dramatic tension during the final Christmas Eve scene with its twin messages of birth and death.
Having said all this, the production itself proved uneven. Hodges opted for an overall slow-burn approach to the lead characters' respective emotional trajectories, allowing Werther's love for Charlotte to first smolder like ashes during Act I and II, before finally erupting into flames in Act III. When the poet arrived to escort Charlotte to the dance in Act I, their first encounter came across as more polite than passionate. His understated reaction to hearing of Charlotte's impending nuptials also did not clearly read, despite his later, angst-ridden "Un autre est son époux!"
It's also difficult establishing a physical/emotional connection when Charlotte herself is forbidden fruit, so duty-bound she refuses to even kiss Werther until he is mortally wounded by his own hand. This created a strangely distancing effect that a few embraces – no matter how furtive – might have helped mitigate.
Still, other artistic choices were effective, including an added prologue showing the death of Charlotte's mother. This established the opera's overall themes, while also providing Charlotte's motivation for remaining stonily resistant to Werther's ardent declarations of love.
The 1920s-styled set on loan from Opéra de Montréal, with the production itself originally created by Opera Australia appeared striking in its simplicity, while also engendering fresh appeal. Nevertheless, sightlines at times became challenging, and the "big box" style of set visually dwarfed the opera's sweeping themes of transcendent love, despite its waving grasses just beyond the formal exits that beckoned of wild nature and freedom like a siren song.
Effective lighting design by Bill Williams included a luminous moon under which Charlotte and Werther fall in love during Act I, and relatively abrupt fades during Werther's key arias, which nevertheless focused attention on the doomed poet as he hurtled toward his own death spiral for love.
Holly Harris


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Interview with Catalina Sandino Moreno and Josh Marston
Maria Full of Grace has been playing to critical acclaim around the country. It's finally opening in Colorado, and here to answer questions at a Denver screening (and during a day of interviews) are the film's director and star.
The strange humidity of the day and the late afternoon time-slot make the two seem a little weary, but they're happy enough to talk about their movie, the first for both of them.
After getting their recommendations (see the sidebar), I asked them about improvisation, being chosen, research, Colombia,"The Scene," and a serendipitous ending.
Moreno and Marston share their first film — and their first promo tour
Movie Habit's review of Maria Full of Grace
Recommendations from
Josh Marston
Raining Stones
Dreamlife of Angels
Ladybird Ladybird
Secrets and Lies
Catalina Sandino Moreno
Marty Mapes: It's interesting you recommended Secrets and Lies. What you did sounds like something Mike Leigh does — improvisation, then writing it down.
Josh Marston: Well it's sort of a somehow an amalgam of Mike Leigh's approach and Ken Loach's approach.
MM: I'm not that familiar with ken Loach.
JM: A lot of people put them together because they both make films that have very compelling characters that feel very real. And they both use improvisation but they use improvisation in very different ways. Mike Leigh says that he starts without knowing what the film is going to be about, let alone having a script. He starts developing characters with the actors, and then slowly builds up interactions, and then he creates scenes, and a story, and then goes off and writes, and then comes back with the written text.
MM: ... and it's actually nailed down pretty tight...
JM: ... by the time they shoot. Ken Loach has a script written irrespective of actors, before they're cast, and then casts it, and then shows the actors the script, if at all, maybe the day before — the day of — and does a lot of improvisation in the actual shooting. He starts rolling the scenes well before the scene takes place and continues rolling well after the drama would have stopped on screen.
Being Chosen
MM: Catalina, I've read that the casting was a surprise, and that you wanted to go see what this strange white guy was doing. It turns out you got picked over 800 other Marias. What do you attribute that to?
Catalina Sandino Moreno: Luck? Talent? I don't know. I think the circumstances were so crazy because I was refusing to go to any castings. When the casting came, it was thanks to my mom that I went. She was like "You have to go, you have to go, go and see who this guy is, just go and see him." And when I went, I saw him, and we've been working since. It was just... it was destiny. It was luck. It was, I don't know, compilations of a lot of things, all together.
MM: Five years in the making! I'm surprised it's a 90-minute movie and not a book. Is there a book in you somewhere?
"Yeah, I swallowed 8 pellets through the whole movie. And it was as scary as it looks."
JM: It's not my medium. I like writing and I write, I would love to write a novel at some point, and I wouldn't mind writing nonfiction, but somehow it just wasn't the medium that felt right for this for me.
MM: There's a lot of stuff that you can't fit into 90 minutes.
JM: True, but there's also an emotional weight and drama that you can give to something by fictionalizing it that you can't by either making a documentary film or writing a nonfiction piece of work.
MM: It's set in Colombia, but it was shot in Ecuador. How come?
JM: Because at the time we were getting ready to shoot, it was just before the presidential elections there; things were heating up. There were a few bombs placed, and we couldn't get production insurance. So we had to move everything to Ecuador, which was probably the most difficult and harrowing moment of the whole film.
MM: Not getting insurance or having to move?
JM: Having to move, because it was one thing to be an American and going to Colombia to tell a Colombian story — who am I to do that? But to take it a step further and be an American going to Ecuador and fabricating a country that's not my own was very daunting, because I knew I wanted to get it right. I wanted it to feel authentic. And ultimately our way to do it right was to collaborate with a lot of Colombians.
MM: Is Colombia really that unsafe? You've got family there. Do you think of Colombia as a dangerous place?
CSM: I lived in Colombia. I lived in Bogotá for 21 years, and nobody ever robbed me. I have nothing related to drugs, like none of my friends were involved with drugs, none of them have been robbed. So it's pretty crazy. In a lot of place in Colombia of course you find violence, but the rest of Colombia is not like that. In Bogotá I feel safe.
MM: I was really impressed with the research that was involved. The swallowing scene of course made a huge impression. I was surprised at the low tech — they used latex gloves — then they used this machine, and I'm not sure what it was.
"the fact that it was latex gloves — it was so specific — that was one of those levels of detail that sucked me in"
JM: It would normally be used to make homemade vitamins.
MM: I was thinking 'has the drug trade developed this low tech solution and then developed this high tech machine?'
JM: No. All of it is based on research, all based on stories that I was told. In a way I actually think latex fingers are higher tech than condoms, and I personally never understood condoms, I could never wrap my head around it. Everything about it just seemed wrong.
MM: People used that for swallowing drugs?
JM: That's sort of the urban legend. That was the only thing I had heard about when all of this started, was the idea of swallowing drugs in condoms and transporting them. And in a way that first story that I heard, the fact that it was latex gloves — it was so specific — that was one of those levels of detail that sucked me in to wanting to tell this story.
MM: On that scene — it's really hard to watch. Was it hard to perform? Did you ever actually swallow something?
CSM: Yeah, I swallowed 8 pellets through the whole movie. And it was as scary as it looks. The fear that I have in that scene, it was a real fear. I didn't act. It was good because it was my first time that I saw how a pill was made. It was my first time that I put a pellet in my mouth. I didn't practice.
MM: Did you ever run into any trouble? You've done a lot of research into some dangerous people. Did you ever get so close that you were in fear of your life?
JM: No, not at all. I think making a film about a drug mill is about as threatening to the higher-ups of the drug trade as making a film about a drug pusher on the corner of the South Bronx would be. It's a low-level person, of whom there are thousands, and doing something that's fairly commonplace and common knowledge in Colombia.
MM: Catalina, do you think that's true? Do you think this is common knowledge?
CSM: Yeah. Of course I learn a lot, but it's not a secret and we know that there are mules. And we know they are caught and they are in jail and that's good. The other part that I really learned from this movie is that behind every mule is a plot, and you have to respect that. It's so easy to judge people. You just have to quit judging and just try to put yourself in their shoes and try to think "Why do they do that? Why do they risk their life for a couple of dollars?"
MM: There's something at the very end that made me like the movie an extra bit. There's a sign at the airport with the message of the movie. Was that serendipity?
JM: (Sheepishly) Yeah. I could lie to you. I'm very tempted to, because you say that it puts you over the top. It would never occur to me to work on the level of hanging a billboard with the message of the movie in the background. I didn't even notice it until we showed a rough cut of the film and someone pointed it out to me. And I had to really search for it. I was traveling through the airport about two months later and there was a sign in the same place advertising shoes. I was really glad that that wasn't what happened to be in the background.
MM: I'm actually glad it's serendipity.
JM: I've looked at it closely, now that it's been pointed out to me, and there's no single frame that you can see the whole thing at once. That would be the only way to do it, and if someone had said "we can do it and you'll never fully see it and we'll block it and coordinate the camera movement," I'd be like "get out."


Piramal offers a comprehensive range for contract research services from our state-of-the-art research centre in India to support drug discovery activities. We started building our expertise supporting start-ups and virtual biotech companies in 2003, but have subsequently expanded our offering to serve Pharma, Biotech, and Academia. Our world class chemistry laboratories located in Ahmedabad, India, has 300+ scientists. At Piramal, we understand the entrepreneurial and emerging biotech culture which empowers us to deliver creative and flexible solutions in a timely manner to our customers.
Our discovery services are forward integrated with our API and Formulation services, thus allowing us to serve our customers across the drug value chain.
Our delivery model has a proven track record of providing a step change in the effectiveness of drug discovery for a range of global pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies operating at the forefront of drug discovery. We understand that early and intensive evaluation of the molecules based on thorough communications and rapid decision-making will lead to a high throughput of successful drug-like compounds. The model has been designed for speed and revolves around effective project management, processes/equipment and people.
Each lab unit is spacious with 12 fume-hoods and an accompanying write-up area along with an integrated engineering and central services support. The modularity of this design enables us to customise client-experience.
Prompt delivery of starting materials is crucial to a fast start of a project and the key to our high speed delivery. We have a dedicated procurement team that works with qualified suppliers, both locally and internationally, to ensure faster procurement timelines. It also works to our advantage that our Discovery Services site is located in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which enables faster custom clearance of our materials.


Recently I've noticed that the trusty old airport hotel has somewhat of a bad reputation among travellers/travel bloggers, and I don't think that's on. There are some pretty sweet, reasonably priced airport hotels out there, you know?
I'm all about travelling on a budget because travel does not have to be expensive. I love getting to see and do everything I want for as little money as possible, and I love staying in hostels to meet new people.
That being said, I've never understood why people would rather spend countless nights sleeping on cold airport floors, wrapped in their entire wardrobe, just to save themselves a bit of money. I've read stories of people staying in the airport during 12 hour night-time lay-overs. I've read about people having to try and sleep in the section of the airport before customs, and of people staying in places far out of their way that they have to get up at ridiculous hours and make their way to the airport when many modes of transport are not running just because they thought the airport hotel was too expensive.
I will happily splurge when it comes to my comfort/sanity. I just don't think avoiding airport hotels are worth it.
I've stayed in a few airport hotels, either at the beginning or end of a trip, and I've found them to be lovely and *whispers* actually good value for money. Who woulda thought it, eh?
Two that stand out for me are the Ramada Plaza at Newark Liberty and The Custom Hotel at LAX. Seriously, I'm still fantasising about the bed at the Ramada a year and a half later; it was huge and you could easily drown in the sheets they were that fluffy. No joke.
I stayed in The Ramada at Newark for a couple of nights (two nights because I got my flight days mixed up. Oops) before I flew back to London after three months in the US and it was absolute bliss. I got there at midnight, still managed to get a huge pizza (because, New York) delivered to my room and managed to get snacks from the shop. I went up to my room turned on the AC to make it a little chilly and snuggled up in my king size bed to watch the AGT final on my large flatscreen. That certainly beats a night on the airport floor or a long dash through NYC with three months worth of luggage (I was young and naive back then and didn't pack light!) to make my flight on time. And you know the best part? It was pretty cheap, especially when you consider its location.
What else makes airport hotels so great?
They're a good source of comfort after a long time in hostels: I don't know about you guys but I love nothing more than treating myself to a little bit (or in the case of the bed at the Ramada, a lot) of comfort after roughing it in hostels or campsites. They also give you a comfy place to recharge before or after a long flight.
They're convenient: If I have the choice between sleeping for as long as possible or dragging my still half asleep self out of bed hours before I have to be at the airport then I'd always choose staying in bed for as long as possible. Obviously. When you stay in an airport hotel you're practically sleeping in the airport anyway so you can keep your lazy arse in bed for a little bit longer. Woo hoo.
You're not judged for staying in your room all day: I mean, you're probably not judged in any hotel if you stay in your room all day but – well I don't want to speak for everyone- I would at least feel like I was being judged if I was in any other hotel. You don't stay in airport hotels to use as a base for sightseeing so you don't have to leave. You enjoy that comfy bed and flatscreen!
You don't have to feel self-conscious for being alone: In fact, I'm preeetty sure airport hotels were made with people on their own in mind (not really). They're usually occupied by business men and women on trips, or solo travellers so, checking in alone won't make you feel self-conscious.
You can afford more luxury than you're used to: What I've always found is, when you have a group of hotels at an airport, yes they're more expensive than hotels further out, but they're all similarly priced to each other. I've never seen much difference between a 1* and a 3* airport hotel. That means that, if you're splashing out on an airport hotel anyway, you can probably afford to stay in a more upmarket hotel than you're used to. What's not to like about that?!
What's everyone else's opinion on airport hotels? Do you love them or loathe them? What's been your favourite/least favourite you've ever stayed in? Leave me a comment!
I stayed in a YOTEL before my recent trip. it was so lovely to wake up and already be in the airport – highly recommend!
oo I've never stayed in a YOTEL before but I think they're such a good idea!


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Car parking is one of the most contentious issues in cities, but councils cannot condone illegality
June 3, 2021 by Cian Ginty
— There are other solutions rather than local Government illegally endorsing illegal parking.
COMMENT & ANALYSIS: A council turning a bit of a blind eye to something is one thing, but anybody interested in road safety, disability access or reducing the impact of car use in urban areas should be fighting tooth and nail against Dublin City Council endorsing illegal footpath parking.
It's not something we should be turning a blind eye to anyway as illegal parking is directly linked to deaths in this country and others — from pedestrians getting crushed inside cars parked partly on a footpath when a motorist driving along hits the parked cars, to people on bicycles being killed when other motorists are "forced" to swing around parked cars.
On a daily basis illegal parking also has a serious impact on the ability of people to get around safely, independently and uninterrupted without having to walk onto the road. Especially children, less mobile older people, people in wheelchairs, people with sight issues, and mothers and fathers pushing prams. Illegal parking also regularly blocks emergency access.
This is a national issue — it will effect other areas of the country if Dublin City Council gets away with it. Everybody with interested should be writing to Dublin City Council's CEO to complain.
In the UK, outside of London where footpath (pavement) parking is mostly legal, there's a move by road safety, disability and active travel campaigners to fight for what we legally have. We need to fight for what we have already and for better enforcement, encouragement and design.
It seems like if the council follow through with their policy and make it official that not just as they endorsing criminal behaviour but they would be doing so illegally.
It is surreal that not long after the Road Safety Authority starts an advertising campain against parking on footpaths and cycle paths that a council could start to illegally endorse illegal parking just as long as there 2 metres left for pedestrians.
Not only is it likely illegal or acting beyond their powers for councils to try to draw a distinction between parking on a footpath with 2m space or less. This kind of ambiguity will make it harder to stop all sorts of illegal and dangerous parking.
Currently a load of motorists see no problem with driving up onto footpaths to illegally park in city, town or village centres simply because they can do it at home. If they can do it and are encouraged to do it on their own street, then why wouldn't they do it elsewhere?
If it's allowed to fester, the issue will only get worse as BusConnects and cycle routes are built — if parking on footpaths and cycle paths becomes (officially) acceptable then make no mistake that the issue will get worse.
There are alternatives approaches that councils should be acting on:
— Getting people to park legally in available spaces: While some streets and areas this is not a solution, it seems like a very large percentage of illegal parking isn't down to a shortage or car parking. Often people park on footpaths outside houses with empty driveways or with free public parking spaces just a short walk away.
— As part of the above, offer residents information, parking permits for other streets, and even incentives if needed.
— Mark out parking spaces on the roadway: In many cases there's ample space on the carriageway for cars to park and still allow emergency access once the parking is organised correctly (ie painted spaces out on one side of the road or the other or alternating from one side to the other ). This would also offer act as traffic calming.
— As part of the above, look at options such as reverse-in diagonal parking on suitable streets and even woonerf-like designs.
— And also, making some streets one-way (with contra-flow without lanes for cycling) to allow for car parking on the carriageway rather footpaths. Done right, this would also act as traffic calming.
— As a last resort: Dig into very wide footpaths to make new parking bays. This should generally be reserved for helping residents with mobility issues to have parking nearer to their houses.
It's easy to say forget about all of the above and just fine or clamp or remove illegally parked cars, but some balance is needed if we want to move from a country when illegal parking is tolerated to one where it's the rare exception.
Categories Comment & Analysis
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Citizen Wolf
In the UK, it's utterly horrendous what some streets have become due to people completely blocking footpaths. It absolutely will get worse here by officialdom, not just turning a blind eye, but actually making excuses for it. Not only is it illegal, it's anti-social, it's dangerous and seriously negatively impacts the lives of tens of thousands. Even those who themselves block footpaths with their cars, they're also negatively affected by this anti-social behavior. Everyone suffers while this is allowed to go on.
Good points, and there is definitely a slippery slope effect among drivers, where they see liberties being taken with no obvious consquences and don't want to be the fool who misses out. I would be more keen on repurposing excessively wide footpaths though. Two metres is already a wider path than many busy streets have, and if pedestrian traffic is light, extra width on the footpath is just useless concrete. If nothing else, dig it up to create floral borders with bollards in them to prevent wild parking.
Paul Waldron
2 metres on a path will become 1 metre which will become half a metre which will become, "shure there's enough room to squeeze by."
Perhaps we should state frequent offending locations re this? Just one example that has become an absolute laughing-stock, Norhside at Kilbarrack Road leading up to Mc Hughs Wine shop/Centra etc, coming in from coast road. There are bollards erected to protect cyclists. But Cyclists cant get inside them because the entrance to the bollards are almost always blocked by cars. But at the legitimate car parking spot jjust ahead of that sopt, cars are parked head-first into footpath even though the makings are for sideways only. This means cyclists have to go around them risking being hit by cars coming behind. Worse is when the idiotic drivers realize they have then to reverse out of that position and invariably into a cyclists path. Gardai pass by, notice this – do nothing, everyday. If we Phone either 999 or the local Garda station and they'l insist you physically go to the trouble of calling into a Garda Station and make a formal and specific complaint about a specific car. That's designed to put us off.


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How Dacia became Europe's fastest growing car brand by accident
Dacia's success isn't just related to the worst car market Europe has experienced in decades. Analysts say the company was thriving even before the crisis simply because it has no competition.
September 12, 2013	by Sarah Dilorenzo THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
European Automobile Manufacturers' Association
Gosn
IHS Automotive
FRANKFURT, Germany—The fastest-growing car brand in the European Union was never even supposed to be sold there.
Dacia, the Romanian subsidiary of French manufacturer Renault, sells low-cost cars. Really low-cost cars—in some cases, half the price of rival models.
In recession-hit Europe, Dacia is bucking the region's sliding sales: In the first half of this year, the company sold 141,278 passenger cars in the EU, 17.6 per cent more than it sold during the same period last year. That's the biggest percentage increase in Europe, an impressive result in a market that fell 6.6 per cent in that period, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.
Dacia's success isn't just related to the worst car market Europe has experienced in decades. Analysts say the company was thriving even before the crisis simply because they have no competition.
"Historically, doing a low-cost car is something that nobody wants to do," said analyst Carlos Da Silva of IHS Automotive. "Intellectually, culturally, nobody was prepared to do it because the culture of car companies is driven by engineers, and engineers want to perpetually innovate. Building a low-cost car requires a different kind of thinking."
Renault took over the Dacia brand in the 1990s with the intention of building a car for central and eastern Europe, essentially building a better Lada, the Russian clunkers that dominated the market in the Eastern Bloc.
On a whim, the Dacias were also tested in western Europe and started selling well. Dacia is still small, representing just 2.5 per cent of the European market, but Da Silva says it is buoying its parent company, Renault. Dacias rely on Renault parts and the cars sell under the Renault brand in places like Argentina, Brazil and Russia.
In the same January-to-June period that Dacia was doing well, Renault sales fell 10.4 per cent. Renault's first-half earnings were just 39 million euros, and its car-making operations lost money last year.
Dacia "already saved the company, I think," said Da Silva.
At the Frankfurt Auto Show this week, Dacia unveiled a redesign of its Duster SUV—a car targeted at the growing middle class in emerging markets. The Duster starts at 10,490 euros ($13,900). By contrast, Renault's SUV, the Koleos, starts at 28,490 euros.
Arnaud Deboeuf, director of Renault's low-cost program, says it's not technically difficult to build the cars; you simply need to make the tough choices to make every single part as cheaply as possible. For example, the company has made the decision not to go for the top 5-star European safety rating.
"When we increase the price of the instrument panel … by, let's say, 5 euros or 10 euros, we must find minus 5 or minus 10 euros somewhere," he said. "I spend my days asking,'What is the cost of this?'"
Nothing is keeping carmakers from entering this market. Volkswagen is now looking to move into the low-cost market, and Hyundai and Toyota are already there to a certain extent. Deboeuf says he is keeping an eye on those companies, but that's not the competitor he's thinking about when a Dacia is designed.
"Our main competitor today is the used-car market," he said.
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Roseville girl becomes face of women in STEM movement
By Bisi Onile-Ere
A Roseville girl literally became the face of women in STEM with this New York City billboard. (Jomi Babatune-Omoya / FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul)
ROSEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A local high school student's passion for science, technology, engineering and math is serving as an inspiration for young women across the county.
According to statistics, the number of women in STEM careers is low and that's especially true of women of color.
One medical tech company is working to change that.
At the age of 16, Jomi Babatune-Omoya's passion for STEM has taken her far.
"My parents moved from Nigeria to the U.S. when I was four because they wanted a better life for me and my brother," she said.
This summer, the Roseville High School junior, who aspires to become a biomedical engineer, became one of 40 students across the country chosen to be an intern at Abbott Laboratories.
"What Abbott really did for me is showed me that someone could really believe in me," she said. "It's all about having the resources and opportunity."
On Aug. 26, Women's Equality Day, Jomi reached new heights by capping off the summer internship at the New York Stock Exchange while donning a colorful lab coat she helped create.
"It was a really cool opportunity that I thought I'd never have," she said.
The teenage girl is now the face of a movement to increase the number of women in STEM.
"Right outside the New York Stock Exchange, when I got there, there was a billboard of me, and it was the coolest thing in the world," she said.
For many students, Jomi's journey is an inspiration.
"There's a sense of pride around the community that we have here that she's pursuing STEM," said Advanced Studies Teacher Carly Miller.
Abbott says that it's giving away its blueprint for starting a high school internship program to inspire other companies to do the same.


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Trouble sleeping? You could be at risk of type 2 diabetes
By Annabel Mansfield
As the Christmas season ramps up, UniSA researchers are reminding people to prioritise a good night's sleep, as new research shows that a troubled sleep may be associated with risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
In the first study of its kind, researchers found that people who reported having trouble sleeping were, on average, more likely to have indicators of poor cardiometabolic health – inflammatory markers, cholesterol and body weight – which can contribute to type 2 diabetes.
In Australia, almost one million adults have type 2 diabetes. Globally, type 2 diabetes affects more than 422 million people.
UniSA researcher Dr Lisa Matricciani says different aspects of sleep are associated with risk factors for diabetes.
"Everyone knows that sleep is important. But when we think about sleep, we mainly focus on how many hours of sleep we get, when we should also be looking at our sleep experience as a whole," Dr Matricciani says.
"How soundly we sleep, when we go to bed and get up, and how regular our sleep habits are, may be just as important as sleep duration.
"In this study, we examined the association of different aspects of sleep, and risk factors for diabetes, and found a connection between those who had troubled sleep and those who were at risk of type 2 diabetes."
The study assessed more than 1000 Australian adults* with a median age of 44.8 years. Researchers examined a range of sleep characteristics: self-reported trouble sleeping, duration, timing, efficiency, and day-to-day sleep length variability.
"People who reported having trouble sleeping were also more likely to have a higher body mass index, as well as blood markers of cholesterol and inflammation," Dr Matricciani says.
"When it comes to the crunch, we know we must prioritise our sleep to help stay in good health. More research is needed, but as this study shows, it's important to think about sleep as a whole, not just as one aspect."
*Most participants (87 per cent) were mothers. About half of all participants (48 per cent) reported that they never had troubled sleep.
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Spot gold was flat at $1,328.90 per ounce at 0152 GMT.
China's net gold imports via main conduit Hong Kong doubled in January from the previous month, as banks in the world's top consumer likely stocked up at the beginning of the year.
Gold prices were steady on Wednesday as the dollar stood near a three-week low after the Federal Reserve's chairman reiterated the US central bank would stay patient on further interest rate hikes, while palladium hovered near a record-peak.
Spot gold was flat at $1,328.90 per ounce at 0152 GMT, while US gold futures were up 0.2 per cent at $1,331.20.
Rising risks and recent soft data shouldn't prevent solid growth for the US economy this year, but the Fed will remain "patient" in deciding on further interest rate hikes, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday.
The dollar was trading near its lowest against major currencies since early February.
The pound surged against the greenback after UK Prime Minister Theresa May offered lawmakers the chance to vote in two weeks for a potentially disorderly no-deal Brexit or to delay Britain's exit from the European Union if her attempt to ratify a divorce agreement fails.
Spot palladium, which scaled a record-peak of $1,565.09 per ounce in the previous session, was flat at $1,560.
Palladium has climbed about 24 per cent this year on widening supply tightness in the market, while threats of strikes by mineworkers in South Africa added support to the autocatalyst metal.
Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest palladium producer, said tighter emissions regulations in all major markets and flattish primary supply would widen a palladium deficit in 2019.
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet on Wednesday for their second summit, betting that their personal relationship can break a stalemate over the North's nuclear weapons and end more than 70 years of hostility.
In a stinging rebuke to President Trump, the House of Representatives brushed aside veto threats and passed legislation to terminate the emergency he declared at the US-Mexico border in order to build a wall there.
Meanwhile, the White House formally notified Congress that if the measure passes Congress, Trump's advisers would recommend that he veto it in order to maintain the power he activated on Feb. 15 as a way of circumventing Congress.
Uganda's gold exports jumped 23 per cent last year from 2017, for the first time overtaking coffee as the East African country's top foreign exchange earner, central bank data showed.
Indonesia's disaster agency said on Wednesday that rescuers were searching for survivors after more than 60 people were feared buried by the collapse of an illegal gold mine on the island of Sulawesi.


The Seychelles National flag of the third republic is made of five oblique bands of blue, yellow, red, white and green representing a young country moving in the new future.
'Koste Seselwa' is the name given to our national anthem of the third republic. The words and tune has put together by the local artist, and translated in English and French.
Seychelles celebrates it National day on the 18 of June, which predominate by the military parade and the state of the Nation Address by the president. Apart from the national day, Seychelles celebrate it liberation day on the 5 of June and it independent day on the 29th of June.
The coat of arms of the Republic of Seychelles shows a shield, in which a turtle is located on green grounds. On the ground there is a coconut tree. Behind it there is a blue sea with two islands and a boat to be seen. The shield is enthroned by a silver helmet, on which a tropical bird is located before blue and white waves. The shield is supported by two white swordfish. Beneath the shield the motto of Seychelles is stated: "Finis Coronat Opus" (Latin for "The End Crowns the Work").


I keep the DKH up (~9-10) and all other parameters appear normal. Good water flow from three feet away, under 250 watt bulbs (9 months old).
It extends its fingers and polyps are visible. I feed the tank twice a week with a stew of reef roids,mysis and live coral food.
What other corals do you have in the tank? how many powerheads? how do you measure your salinity? some corals need varying, randome flow, and also salinity can play a role. if it's way off, the cells of the coral may either swell up excessivly or shrink, causing the coral to appear limp. The more details you can provide the better.
I have 4 Koralia powerheads on a wavemaker. 2 @650 gal. and 2 @1050gal. which presents in a gentle flow throughout the tank (6 foot). Salinity is 1.025 which is a bit high but easily adjusted (tested with a vertex refractometer).
The only other coral are a few mushrooms which are happy and about four feet away. 2 tangs one damsel,lots of coraline algae in a 8 year old tank ( starting into coral).
Because my lamps are starting to age, I decided to put the leather higher up/closer to the light. We will see if that makes much difference-maybe in a couple days it will perk up. If it responds I will try placing it mid way to see if it droops again. Hoping santa brings tank lights this year!
I started reading a book by Tony Calfo. One thing that interested me was a bit about over-extended polyps could be a sign of dirty lens/hood on halides. I am giving it a try. I removed the fixture and clean the lens covering the lights but notice that the lights themselves are looking frosted.
Increased flow, increased lighting and increased dKH. We will have to wait a bit. I also read that they don't like to be moved around the tank.
also in my tanks, leathers seemed to like the deeper side of the tank.. they wouldn't survive passed ~18" from the top. i had 400w's 10k and t5ho's actinics.
they did quite well at 30~" from the top. mine also seem open alot more then the lights turned off in the evening and after feedings.
pleased to report that the leather SLOWLY getting better-still extended "finger" but the main trunk system is becoming more erect and overall the size is increasing. Lotsa light and flow and frequent water changes (3X a week) with dKh boosted.
Next weekend I will move it away from the light, then reduce water changes back to once a week later this month.
I am so happy I am thinking of fragging it- maybe in the new year.
to keep looking at them the way they did! so I took them out.
him open up and look the way he does now,which is a very large leather!!!
this is what happened to my leather though!!!
in short........leathers are to have patience with.
yep it sure is fussy!
Yesterday is was all droopy-today it is happy again. I haven't moved it lower down in the tank- Worried it will collapse again over the Christmas holidays/partying here. Maybe in the new year I will get brave and try moving it.


Whoot! It's Friday and boy do I have a lovely wedding to show you! Shelley and Chris – a sparky yet sweet, super intelligent yet funny, grand'ole time of a couple. We had a blast during their engagement session in North Beach, view here. So I knew their wedding would be nothing short of greatness. Equal parts wine country rustic and charmingly modern, we played in the amazing rose gardens of property, vogued it out at a sweet white barn down the road, stuffed our faces and danced until the stars went to bed. They even had a poetry booth and a sparkler exit! As always, mega thanks to my right-hand photo lady Kara. Congratulations you two!! Enjoy the sneak!
a beautiful bride ( inside and out ) Shelley.
Thank you for your talents as a photographer.


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Google's Nexus 7 Tablet Finally Revealed
June 27, 2012 at 10:26 am PT
AllThingsD.com
Google today unveiled a new tablet, after months of speculation that the search giant was developing hardware that would compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire and, maybe, the iPad.
The Nexus 7, made with hardware partner ASUSTek Computer, is a 7-inch tablet, built for Google Play, and is running the latest version of Google's Android operating system, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Priced to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Nexus 7 costs $199 and is available for preorder today through the Google Play store, with orders shipping in mid July. To sweeten the deal, Google is throwing in a $25 Google Play credit, the "Transformers" movie, some free magazines and a Bourne book.
The tablet boasts a 1280×800 HD display, a Tegra 3 chipset with a quad-core CPU and a 12-core GPU. It has a front-facing camera; is Wi-Fi-, Bluetooth- and NFC-enabled; and claims up to nine hours of battery life with video playback, and up to 300 hours of standby time.
It weighs just 340 grams, Google says, or about three-quarters of a pound.
Earlier today, The Verge reported that images of the Asus-branded Nexus 7 had surfaced in the Google Play app store.
As my AllThingsD colleagues Ina Fried and Bonnie Cha pointed out here, Google had already demonstrated its vision of combination OS-plus-hardware with its Nexus smartphones. And there are currently Android tablets of all shapes and sizes, from bargain-basement to iPad-comparable prices, available on the market.
What has been lacking are compelling, tablet-optimized apps combined with content services that keep it simple, stupid.
Google chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt first sparked the tablet rumor mill back in December of 2011, when he hinted in an interview with an Italian newspaper that the search giant would bring a tablet to market within six months.
Since then, Microsoft has introduced its own tablet hardware to compete with Android tablets and the market-dominant iPad. While a price point and release date hasn't been announced, Microsoft has said the Surface for Windows RT will rival ARM-based tablets in terms of price, and should be released around the time Windows 8 hits the market later this year.
Some believe that Microsoft had taken a wise wait-and-see approach to entering the tablet market, while others feel that the software maker's presentation of two different devices last week was half-baked. (And the silence from Microsoft's PC-hardware partners has been deafening, aside from this statement from Acer.)
Google, of course, is still reliant on its hardware partners for the distribution of its Android OS, and owes its fast-growing market share to this multiplatform approach.
But with products like Amazon's Kindle Fire running a barely-there Android OS, it was only a matter of time before Google took control of how its operating system appeared on hardware. The Nexus 7, with its 7-inch form factor and $199 price point, takes more of an aim at the Fire than at the iPad.
In a company letter to investors earlier this year, Google CEO Larry Page quoted co-founder Sergey Brin as saying, "We've let a thousand flowers bloom; now we want to put together a coherent bouquet."
Flowery language aside, what he meant was that the company planned to focus on big bets and core products, rather than spreading itself too thin.
Will Google's newfound focus on key products — Google Play, Google+, Google Music and Google Drive, to name a few — be the glue that ties it all together to make a killer tablet?
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There was a worry before I started this that I was going to burn every bridge I had. But I realize now that there are some bridges that are worth burning.
— Valleywag editor Sam Biddle


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'Chicago Fire' Season 8 Finale Features a Harrowing Injury and an Awkward Romance
By Christian Long - April 16, 2020 12:05 am EDT
Wednesday night's episode of Chicago Fire wasn't filmed to be the season finale, but that's what happened. Like more than 30 NBC productions, along with dozens of others, the firefighter procedural had to go on temporary hiatus in order to help slow the spread of coronavirus. Warning: there are mild spoilers for the most recent episode, entitled "51's Original Bell," to follow.
Luckily, the latest installment featured plenty of action, including Harold Capp (Randy Flagler) getting seriously injured when the squad was answering a call at a metal recycling plant. After getting knocked back with a fateful of chlorine gas, he was admitted to the hospital. Despite his condition and the advice of the doctors, however, he soon checked himself out. Capp's condition ended up rubbing some other members of the squad the wrong way. Namely, Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), who ends up almost starting fights almost started with the plant owner as well as some leaning on the office responsible for doling out fines.
In the end, things seemed to work out, as Capp ended up returning to the firehouse. True to his character, he showed up and attempted to tell his fellow squad members that the injuries were serious to the point he'd no longer be able to be a firefighter. Although, the rest of the gang can see straight through his joke, and welcome him back to the firehouse with open arms — even though Capp has a few more treatments to go through before he'll be back.
"51's Original Bell" also touched on the on-again/off-again romance between Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende) and Violet (Hanako Greensmith). After a casual fling between the two, Blake decided that it would be best if the two started seeing other people. However, violet took him up on the offer, which left Blake both frustrated and jealous. Things took a turn for the worse after he decided to propose to her while at the firehouse, which is sure to make their workplace a slightly more awkward place in the upcoming ninth season.
Chicago Fire, along with companion shows Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med, was also part of creator Dick Wolf's mammoth deal to secure exclusive rights to stream the shows on NBC's platform, Peacock. The service launched today, albeit only for Comcast subscribers, but will be available to all subscribers starting in July. In the meantime, you can catch the most recent episode of all three shows on NBC.com.
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'Law & Order: SVU' Guest Star Alex Brightman Talks Most Exciting Part of Acting With Ice-T, Mariska Hargitay (Exclusive)
'Bewitched' Star Agnes Moorehead: What Happened to the Beloved Endora Actress


text:
Home Vietnam War Doc! Hugh Sullivan
Hugh Sullivan
The Adventures of a Navy Hospital Corpsman
LEARN ABOUT AUTHOR Hugh Sullivan
Book Selection Choose an optionPaperbackHardcover Clear
SKU: N/A Categories: All Books, Hugh Sullivan, Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Michael P. Kelley, Vietnam War
DOC! is the story of Hugh Sullivan, who began his military career in 1961 when he enlisted in the South Carolina National Guard. Later that year, he joined the U.S. Navy in order to "escape the cotton mill way of life" that awaited most of the young men who grew up in Hugh's town.
Trained as a hospital corpsman, Hugh—or "Doc" as Navy corpsmen are often called—served two tours in Vietnam in 1965 and again in 1966. Afterwards, he made a career out of the Navy eventually retiring after thirty-nine years active duty with the rank of captain and an impressive collection of medals and awards.
What happened in between enlistment and retirement—including his time served during Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s—is a story of perseverance and determination, and a lesson in how to succeed in the military despite the politics and egos one encounters on the way up through the ranks.
Book Selection
Paperback, Hardcover
All Books, Michael Archer, New Releases, Vietnam War
Michael Archer
All Books, Larry A. Redmond, New Releases, Vietnam War
A Dusty Boot Soldier Remembers
Larry A. Redmond
All Books, Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Miscellaneous, Nathan Ritzo
Nathan Ritzo
All Books, Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Korean War, New Releases, Ronald Wheatley, World War II
A Time for War
Ronald Wheatley


This exclusive series published by The Mysterious Bookshop features short stories by some of mystery fiction's best authors. New titles will be released periodically.
Want to learn more about the series? Click here for an explanation from MysteriousPress.com publisher Otto Penzler.


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Star of the Sea College Heritage Project
Following a four-year consultation and planning process, we are excited to announce that we are ready to proceed with the first stage of the College Master Plan, the Heritage Project. The refurbishment is key to shaping an exciting future for our students and College community. The Heritage Project will commenced on 21 September, 2020 and we are pleased to announce it will come at no additional expense to our parents. We expect that the project will be completed within 18 months.
The Heritage Project will honour the essence of the Convent and our Presentation Sisters. Currently home to over a dozen classrooms and over 45 staff, the building requires refurbishments to meet the needs of our contemporary pedagogy and curriculum. The Heritage Victoria-approved restoration will enhance the beauty of the original Convent, with a portico connecting the east and west sides of the campus. Contemporary learning and social spaces, including landscape development, will create an environment that enhances student wellbeing, resources and facilities, resulting in desirable educational outcomes.
In keeping with our Presentation ethos and Kildare Ministries values, the new Master Plan will maximise the opportunity for a quality education through the creation of new learning spaces, and places for prayer and reflection. We thank all parents for their support of the Heritage Project and look forward to welcoming you to the official opening and blessing at its completion.
View the Heritage Project render for an artistic impression of the renovations.
Heritage Project Building Dates:
December 2020, expected completion within 18 months.
The Heritage Project is the result of four years of planning and community consultation. The College is well positioned to commence the project at this time:
Well-managed College finances
Fees will not rise to fund the project
Planning permission obtained
Heritage Victoria consultation
Architect and builders selected.
The Heritage Project provides the College with the opportunity to support many businesses affected by COVID-19. The project requires the work of architects, builders, trades, design and various other suppliers, and we are pleased to be able to provide employment to these workers during this difficult time.
Star of the Sea College will offer our community a series of Heritage Building tours when the project is complete. We look forward to sharing this journey with you and welcoming you to our College.
Star of the Sea College has communicated with all members of our College community about the Heritage Project. We will provide regular updates until its completion. We have also established a dedicated project email: heritageproject@starmelb.catholic.edu.au
Star of The Sea — Heritage Wing Project 2020
© Mcglashin Everist
Our 2022 plan outlines the guiding principles that inform how we educate and empower young people at Star of the Sea College. Guiding Principles Fostering faith Teaching and learning with […]
We are so grateful for the ongoing generosity and financial support we receive from our College community. Past and present students, staff and members of […]


text:
Q: What is the correct way of using '*' keyword in a cucumber feature file I have multiple validations to be done on some web UI. So instead of writing
Then I see "foo" element on the page
And I want the user to see "bar" text
.
.
.
And new order is generated

I want my feature file to be more readable(this might go app-specific and not business specific) and should go something like this
Then following validations are made
     * "foo" element is visible
     * "bar" text is visible
     .
     .
     .
     * new order is generated

My Questions is, '*' keyword has the ability to adapt to any step according to documentation, am I using it correctly? ( I think not because my IDE doesn't think so). What is the correct way of using it?
In other words, how to write steps with * so that IDE understands and recognizes step definition
Let me know if I am not understanding this correctly.
EDIT:
The way I am using '*' is correct, we have to write something like
* "foo" is present

IDE doesn't recognize it may be a problem with the plugin, I wrote the step and the corresponding step definition with any of the standard keywords (Given/When/Then), cucumber recognizes it and works accordingly

A: The approach I'd use is to find the overall name for all the validations, what are your validations validating?
When you have done that write a single step
Then 'my foo should be valid'
then implement this as something like

Then 'my foo should be valid' do
  should_have_valid_bar
  should_have_valid_baz
  ...
end

and then write the helper methods to make this work. This will do the following

*

*Simplify your feature file and make it much easier to read.

*Make it much cheaper to add or modify validations.

*Transfer responsibility to the programmer.

*Simplify your step definitions and reduce their number

In general keep you scnenarios simple and short and don't include detail about HOW things are done. Push that HOW down into step definitions and helper methods.

A: The GWT should be seen as following:
   Given some sort of pre-condition, something kind of setup for the test.
   When the action that happens
   Then The expected result of the action
the And and But are just representations of the preceding Given, When or Then.
Sometimes, a scenario in this way just is not the best approach (not all jobs need the same tool) and a list of "stuff" is more desirable. i.e.
* Open web browser
* Go to google
* Search for Cheese
* Select a cheese to buy
* go to shop
* buy cheese
* eat cheese
* feel happy

This is where the * should be used to show a list that is a order of instructions. (I'd also be happy to argue that the above could quite easily be written into GWT and that most things can if you understand what you are trying to describe well enough).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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London Sash Windows offer four main pricing brackets; sash window repair, sash window draught proofing, sash window double glazing, and sash window painting.
Please note all prices have a tolerance plus or minus 15%-20% of the cost stated which is affected by condition and size. A good example would be a really small sash window draught proof in excellent condition which might cost £170, whereas a large one in poor condition will cost £230.
Manufacturing new sashes and installing into original frame.
Painting sash windows is the most variable, mainly because the large amount of difference in finishes and preparation so standard prices are quoted in a range.
Copyright © 2016 London Sash Windows Repair. All rights reserved. Providing Sash Window Repairs London for over 10 years.


text:
D.C. United Stadium Deal Is Better Than Most but Still Pretty Terrible
By Matthew Yglesias
Gene Thorp / The Washington Post
My friend the fanatical D.C. United fan is eager to point out to me that by the standards of stadium boondoggles, the new deal between the D.C. government and the D.C. United soccer team looks pretty good.
And indeed it does look pretty good. Basically, the city is going to swap an existing municipal builiding that sits atop some very valuable land in order to acquire some not-so-valuable land. The not-so-valuable land will be used to build a stadium (D.C. United wins!), the existing municipal building will be turned into a mixed-used condos-and-retail structure (jobs! residents! tax revenue!), and the city agencies will be relocated to a new facility near the Anacostia Metro where they'll help contribute to what's hopefully a rennaissance for retailers in the Historic Anacostia downtownish area. That'd be a change for the better relative to what we have now.
But the fact that this counts as a pretty reasonable stadium deal as far as stadium deals go just goes to show how dumb stadium deals are. The building the city is giving up as part of this deal, the Reeves Center, has an estimated value of $100 million. The D.C. United soccer franchise is worth about $50 million. According to D.C. United, the reason a new stadium is necessary is that they can't earn profits at RFK stadium but will be able to turn a profit at the new facility. So we're talking about investing a sum of money that exceeds the present value of the team in order to take an action that will have substantial private benefits for the team's owner. Now it's conceivable that keeping the team in D.C. has some public benefits that make it worth doing, but for the price D.C. is paying the city could literally buy the enter soccer team which would be a much better way of obtaining the public benefits.
Note that while we superficially have a story about sports subsidies here, the real devil's work is being done by accounting. Imagine we had already sold the Reeves Center to a private developer and moved the government offices across the river and had $100 million sitting around in a room somewhere. Now we're debating what to do with the $100 million. The option "use it to buy land and then give it for free to a soccer team" would probably not seem very appealing to people. But since selling the Reeves Center and moving the offices is a very good idea, including that swap as part of the bundle rather than considering it separately makes the plan look pretty good.


I just moved to London from America. In the USA I had 12 horses that I took care of on a daily basis and now I'm missing the work of it all and being around them.
My family has been in the equine industry for 30 years. I was first on the back of a horse when I was 3 months old. On property we have always had an average of 12 horses that we took care of. 6 being ours leaving 6 spaces for boarders. At home we ran a youth training facility with a 4H program and helped to maintain positive animal welfare for 20 years.
I also worked for Horsepower Ranch in Geneva Florida taking care of Clydesdales and Mini Horses for children's parties. I was responsible for general husbandry (feeding, cleaning stalls, watering, grooming, medications), and training.
Worked as a barn manager in College for a 42 stall Intuitive Horsemanship facility. We took care of boarded horses and horses there for training. General animal husbandry, ordering feed and hay, general farm maintenance and equipment maintenance.
In the USA I have shown in AQHA, IBHA and APHC competitions, competing in Hunter Under Saddle, showmanship, Western pleasure, hunt seat equitation, Western horsemanship, trail, Hunter hack, Hunter in hand, and ranch riding. I've competed at a National level for AQHA in 2013 and most recently the IBHA World Show in 2017.
I also competed in 4H during my youth years from 2009-2013. I excelled at Hunter under saddle, showmanship, hunt seat equitation, level 1 dressage, and Hunter hack.
General exercise, English disciple, Western discipline, in hand work, lunging.


While it wasn't all-time conditions, it was certainly a solid downwinder, particularly towards the end of the 24km course when the wind picked up and the glides really started running.
Titouan Puyo cemented his reputation as one of the world's greatest downwind paddlers by claiming the crown, however the race will be remembered for the emergence of the next generation in 15-year-old Clément Colmas. The youngster stunned the top Aussies to finish runner-up behind his compatriot — just like Titou, Clément hails from the downwind paradise of New Caledonia.
Karla Gilbert took the women's title, ending Angie Jackson's quest for a three-peat.
Watch up top and enjoy, and pencil the 2017 King of the Cut in your calendar.


text:
David P Howard
Grant of the Month: Holy Trinity, Norton Juxta Twycross
In a new feature on our website, we'll be bringing you regular news of how our funding is making a difference to churches and the people who use them. This month we look at Holy Trinity church in the Leicestershire village of Norton Juxta Twycross.
Published: 8th July 2022
One of the main ways we help keep the UK's churches open and in use is through our grant awards. Last year we gave £5.1 million of funding for vital church repairs, maintenance, and new facilities.
At a time when funding for churches is in short supply, partly due to the loss of income during COVID-19, our grants are increasingly important. In a new feature on our website, we'll be bringing you regular news of how our funding is making a difference to churches and the people who use them.
This month we look at Holy Trinity church in the Leicestershire village of Norton Juxta Twycross.
The village of Norton is recorded in the Domesday Book the Lord of the Manor listed as the famous Lady Godiva.
The church probably sits on the site of an earlier Saxon building.The church seen today was built in the early 14th century but was heavily restored around 1841. Holy Trinity features gargoyles and animal and human faces on some of the windows' arch mouldings, a stone font and a full set of 19th century box pews.
Today Holy Trinity serves its small community with regular services and a range of community events including carolling in winter.
Holy Trinity was one of 32 churches we were able to fund in 2021-2022 with £3.6 million provided by the Heritage Stimulus Fund, part of the Government's Culture Recovery Fund.
"Without the National Churches Trust we would have still had an ever-worsening roof and collapsing ceilings"
Holy Trinity applied to us in early 2021 for funding to help with essential work to repair the church roof, rainwater goods and structure. Thanks to the Heritage Stimulus Fund, we were able to offer Holy Trinity a grant of £71,626, a significant increase on their initial application for £20,000.
Kate Rounce, Church Support Officer at the National Churches Trust explains: "The Heritage Stimulus Fund has been invaluable for churches such as Holy Trinity as it has enabled vital repairs to be completed at a particularly challenging time for church communities."
"Many churches struggled to raise funds for essential building repair projects during the Covid-19 lockdowns and then needed to find additional funds to meet increases in project costs. Through the Heritage Stimulus Fund programme, we have had to meet challenging deadlines and to work closely with Holy Trinity to ensure the work was completed on time and on budget. It has been really rewarding to see the church complete its repairs".
With the work now complete, the church is safe and open for visitors again. Pauline Bee, a spokesperson for Holy Trinity who was closely involved with the project said:
"Without the National Churches Trust we would have still had an ever-worsening roof and collapsing ceilings, potentially closing it even from services. Thank you."
Despite the challenges of fundraising over the pandemic, the project has drawn enthusiastic support from the community, she said:
"When we sent out a S.O.S. via the village Whatsapp for people to help clean in time for the Thanksgiving service, villagers were glad to help. One had never been in the church before."
"At the recent village fete we put up boards showing project photographs and many stopped to look and ask about the project."
Since 2007 we have helped over 2,000 churches, chapels and meeting houses throughout the UK stay open and in good repair, preserving their heritage and enabling them to continue as vital community buildings.
You can find details of some of the churches we have helped on our website:
https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/church/find-a-church?show_supported_churches=1
Map o'r wefan


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text:
Tableware Selected Chef Garima Arora, the first Indian female chef to earn a Michelin star at the age of 32.
In March 2019, Restaurant Gaa made its debut on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list at No. 16 with the Highest New Entry Award, and shortly after, claimed its place at No. 95 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list.


text:
Bayesian Thinking on Your Feet: Embedding Generative Models in Reinforcement Learning for Sequentially Revealed Data
Project funded by the National Science Foundation (IIS-1320538)
PI: Jordan Boyd-Graber, Co-PI: Hal Daumé III, University of Maryland
The goal of this project is to create algorithms that can "think on their feet", i.e. to incrementally process input and to decide when enough information has been received to act on those data. This research requires innovation in two areas: content models (to make accurate predictions, even when not all available information is available) and policies (to know when to trust the outputs of the content models---or know they won't get better---versus waiting for more information).
We are applying these models to two problems: synchronous machine translation (or "machine simultaneous interpretation") and question answering (when questions are revealed one piece at a time).
Synchronous machine translation is when a sentence is being produced one word at a time in a foreign language and we want to produce a translation in English simultaneously (i.e., with as little delay between a foreign language word and its English translation). In the machine translation setting, the content model predicts what words are going to appear in the input stream, even though they might not have been seen yet. This is particularly important in verb-final languages like German or Japanese, where an English translation can barely begin until the verb is seen. For the simultaneous translation problem, our content model must predict unseen elements of the sentence (e.g., the main verb in German and Japanese, or relative clauses in Japanese, or post-positions in Japanese). The job of the policy is to decide when to trust the content prediction. It must learn to balance incorrect translation versus timely translations, and must use those predictions to translate the sentence.
For question answering, we use a specially designed dataset that challenges humans: a trivia game called quiz bowl. These questions are written so that they can be interrupted by someone who knows more about the answer; that is, harder clues are at the start of the question and easier clues are at the end of the question. The content model produces guesses of what the answer could be and the policy must decide when to accept the guess.
Quiz bowl is a fun game with excellent opportunities for outreach, but it is also related to core challenges in natural language processing: classification (sorting inputs and making predictions), discourse (using pragmatic clues to guess what will come next), and coreference resolution (knowing which entities are discussed from oblique mentions).
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Jordan Boyd-Graber
Assistant Professor, Computer Science (Maryland)
Hal Daumé III
Associate Professor, Computer Science (Maryland)
Danny Bouman
Undergraduate student, Computer Science (BS 2014, Maryland)
Leonardo Claudino
Ph.D. student, Computer Science (Maryland)
Anupam Guha
Alvin Grissom II
Ph.D. student, Computer Science (Colorado)
Stephanie Hwa
Mohit Iyyer
MS student, Computer Science (Maryland)
Khanh Nguyen
Davis Yoshida
MS student, Computer Science (BS 2016, MS 2017, Colorado)
Publications (Selected)


text:
World - ethnic
Balkan / Greek
Ali Doğan Gönültaş
"Anatolia, the mother of tunes. Mesopotamia, the mother of cultures. Ali Doğan Gönültaş, with his delving rhythmic journey, grasp my heart and caresses it with care and knowledge. He awakes the layers of cultural divinity and embraces all its population." Zekeriya S. Şen. Author, music writer & radio programmer. Radio show Dünyayı Dinliyorum (I listen to the world) at 94.9 Acik Radyo.
Di Gasn Trio
Mediterranean / World
Di Gasn Trio is an Israeli band, chiefly influenced by music of the Balkan region and Klezmer music of Eastern Europe, blending additional elements of jazz, Arabic and classical music.
Entavía
Roots attached to the past and wings to fly towards the future. Entavía is a project born in Salamanca, formed by like-minded musicians. Entavía released their first album, Raíces con Alas (roots with wings), in 2017. And in autumn 2021 they released their second album: Arando Ñieve (plowing snow). They have played massively in Spain and have also performed in Portugal and Greece. Entavía is the same as "still" in the Salamanca variant.
Vigüela
The history of Vigüela is the story of a vital surrender to a cultural legacy of a wild and very ignored beauty: the traditional music of the center of the Iberian Peninsula. The music from the land of Don Quixote de La Mancha.
Hamid Ajbar
Hamid Ajbar - North Africa, Andalusia, Middle East
Puchero, a flamenco guitarist born in Barcelona has earned the recognition of great international flamenco artists . He has accumulated many merits during his artistic career on international and national tours throughout France, Croatia, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, Italy, Switzerland and the African ontinent.
The crossover Trio, feats Theodosii Spassov
Balkan / Mediterranean / World
The award-winning composer, musician and UNESCO's "Artist for Peace" Theodosii Spassov is considered a living legend of Balkan music. With his creativity, craftsmanship and talent he has managed to establish himself as one of the world's leading soloists and has participated in countless sold out concerts around the world. "The crossover Trio", playing music on stage with "Theodosii Spassov", interact with each other crossing different musical worlds and creating a repertoire of melodies that switch between traditional and modern music, taking the audience on a wonderful musical journey.
Piano, Oud, Kanun – The crossover Trio
Balkan / Greek / Mediterranean / World
Yannis (piano), Marina (oud) and Alkis (kanun) form a dynamic trio, through which the three artists manage to commune and exchange their personal experiences and knowledge on music. Their artistic chemistry along with the harmonious sounds of their instruments -piano, oud and kanun- create space for their absolute symbiotic relationship to flourish. They interact with each other crossing different musical worlds and creating a repertoire of melodies that switch between traditional and modern music, taking the audience on a wonderful musical journey.
Symbiosis Project
Greek / Mediterranean / World
Palestinian, Syrian and Greek, three of the oldest musical cultures, are explored by the virtuoso musicians of Symbiosis Project. Using their musical instruments, oud, kanun and cello, they exchange their personal musical experiences derived from the traditions of their respective countries.
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