The box of nuclear physics is coming into the twenty first century whereas experiencing a powerful revival. at the one hand it's altering qualitatively via new experimental advancements that permit us to direct radioactive and different unique probes to focus on nuclei, and touch off tremendous vigorous nuclear collisions. additionally, the remarkable sophistication of recent detector structures leads us to anticipate a few new discoveries within the close to destiny. however many new functions have seemed in fields as various as medication, undefined, artwork, archaeology and the environmental sciences. This publication is a collection of prolonged lectures on simple and new issues, that provides an educational creation to the sphere of contemporary nuclear physics. it's superb to bridging the space among the normal textbook fabric and the examine literature, and gives the mandatory beginning for performing as those that intend to paintings in any of the various disciplines the place nuclear technology and expertise goes to play a huge function within the future.
Lewis deals a substantially assorted point of view on care of the mentally in poor health now that those sufferers aren't any longer remoted from society.This booklet is predicated on a chain of interviews carried out with 313 Chicago region sufferers published from 4 diversified kingdom hospitals. instead of depend on retrospective data-gathering on sufferers at consumption, Lewis started on the time of free up, monitoring the sufferers for year in which they have been interviewed two times. This procedure authorised Lewis and his researchers to find the place the sufferers went, whom they grew to become to for support, how they seen themselves and their sickness, and the way they fared.Former sufferers who had misplaced their houses and help networks by means of alienating households and employers ended up at the streets and at last in prison. half the sufferers interviewed had felony files, a 3rd of them having devoted felonies. Of the previous sufferers who again to psychological associations, ninety seven percentage did so voluntarily. One-fifth of these recommitted themselves simply because they lacked jobs and housing.Lewis says the govt. can assist through supplying extra welfare investment, drugs relief, help to sufferers' households, and homeless shelters with certified counselors. "If we don't do something concerning the poverty, we can't do something in regards to the psychological disease. We needs to tie paintings and welfare to remedy settings."
Smooth Tort legislations is a entire, available and updated advent to the legislations of torts. Now in its 7th variation, Vivienne Harpwood's renowned, student-friendly textual content explains the rules of all facets of tort legislation in a full of life and thought-provoking demeanour. The extensive assurance of contemporary tort legislations makes this an awesome textbook for any undergraduate tort legislations path. scholars are inspired to appreciate and observe the rules of tort legislations successfully all through and specific consciousness is paid to the context during which the legislations is evolving, making those issues either available and stress-free. This 7th variation has been revised and up-to-date take into consideration advancements in view that ebook of the former variation together with within the components of privateness, negligence, own damage and defamation. Human Rights concerns are built-in during the textual content instead of treating the subject in isolation, in accordance with the way in which the topic is often taught. Now extra available and student-friendly, it contains: recommendation on extra interpreting on the finish of every bankruptcy that's meant to indicate scholars in the direction of assets of extra research and significant debate new bankruptcy introductions, rewritten to mirror studying results. glossy Tort legislations is now supported through a better half site which deals lecturer assets on hand to adopters of the e-book, together with 'think issues' designed to motivate mirrored image and debate and PowerPoints of diagrams and flowcharts contained in the textual content. A devoted scholar part additionally bargains weblinks, a consultant to key Tort legislation circumstances, a flashcard word list and a try financial institution of a number of selection questions.
This functional, user-friendly guide examines ethics in learn. It helps researchers to manage ethical dilemmas that come up whereas examine is being deliberate, carried out and mentioned and incorporates a special 'ethical evaluate checklist', in addition to different necessary beneficial properties, to assist ethics in perform.
This quantity is the results of an Advances in Econometrics convention held in November of 2002 at Louisiana kingdom collage in popularity of Halbert White's pioneering paintings released in Econometrica in 1980 and 1982 on powerful variance-covariance estimation and quasi-maximum chance estimation. It includes eleven papers on various comparable subject matters together with the estimation of potentially misspecified blunders part and stuck results panel versions, estimation and inference in very likely misspecified quantile regression types, quasi-maximum chance estimation of linear regression types with bounded and symmetric error and quasi-maximum chance estimation of versions with parameter dependencies among the suggest vector and blunder variance-covariance matrix. different themes comprise GMM, HAC, Heckit, uneven GARCH, Cross-Entropy, and multivariate deterministic pattern estimation and trying out less than a variety of attainable misspecifications.
Cultural Writing. moment, Revised version. provided right here in Spr/Summer 2004, new textual content has been additional in response to the recent availability of Yasujiro Ozu's extand works. "I felt encouraged to enhance the outline of the one Son and deepen my options approximately Ozu in general," (from the Preface) Nathaniel Dorsky has been making and displaying motion pictures in the avant-garde culture due to the fact that 1964. From the textual content: "For movie to have a devotional caliber either absolute and relative time has to be energetic and current -not purely current yet functioning concurrently and invigorating each other. Transformative movie rests within the current and respects the fragile information of its personal unfolding."


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Become a successful entrepreneur from the comfort of your home without investing a penny on outlets or a store. Direct selling provides a good opportunity to investors, especially women, who are keen on working from home.
IN India, direct selling gained momentum in the early 1990s when the country liberalised its regulations for foreign companies to enter the Indian markets. From being a Rs 895-crore industry in 1998-99, the direct selling industry in India is today worth Rs 3,330 crore. By 2012-13, this sector is predicted to reach Rs 71,200 million. Foreign companies like Amway, Avon Products, Mary Kay Inc, Herbalife Limited, Tupperware and Oriflame Cosmetics have become well established and well-known brands in the direct selling segment.
Manisha Amol, Vice President, Marketing, Modicare Ltd, states, "Our main aim was to help the common man by providing an excellent opportunity. Till date, we have touched one million Indians who have experienced Modicare opportunity." In the last two decades, the direct selling sector in India has grown immensely. On the demand side, increase in disposable earnings due to dual incomes, growth of metro cities, development of markets in tier II and III cities and more awareness among customers have supported this sector's growth. On the supply side, the factors favouring growth of direct selling are primarily liberalisation and encouragement from the government for FDI. Availability of semi-skilled workforce due to abundance of manpower is another factor. Moreover, direct selling business is directly proportional to the social network of distributor. Bigger the social network, better will be the sales, and Indians are good at maintaining strong social bonds, leading to higher sales.
Single-level marketing (SLM): In this, the distributor (seller) is rewarded for his personal sales. Commissions and benefits are derived from single-level depth, from sales to the distributor. Distributors do not have to sponsor or make a chain of his sales personnel to get more commissions. Therefore, the distributor cannot grow into leadership beyond a certain point. Tupperware, which is into single level marketing, believes in giving equal chance to everybody. It does not matter who joined earlier or later as in MLM. It has a different philosophy, as says Asha Gupta, Managing Director, Tupperware India.
Multi-level marketing (MLM): In this model, sales distributor recruits other sales people under him. He earns extra in the form of commissions and bonuses on the sales that his downline make. Downliners are needed to increase the sales force and generate huge number of sales. More than 80 per cent of players in this sector have adopted multi-level because the structure assists rapid growth of networks that lead to rapid sales volumes.
Direct selling as a mode of distribution is growing in tier II and III cities. More than 50 per cent of the companies with operations in tier II cities have recorded more than 30 per cent increase in sales turnover. A possible reason for this can be that modern retailing is low in such cities, therefore leading to direct selling as a way to reach customers. However, almost 57 per cent of overall revenue for direct selling companies comes from metro cities. Direct selling companies had initially started in south but now have a pan-India presence. However, south India still remains the hub of activity followed by west India.
The direct selling companies have to face many challenges in India. Pinckney says, "One of the challenges is the presence of many schemes that masquerade themselves as direct selling opportunities. These schemes are in reality fraud schemes whose intent is to fleece the public of their money." Another shortcoming is illegal selling of the products in retail outlets rather than person-to-person selling.
Despite this, direct selling continues to offer lucrative opportunities to aspirants. For, the challenges are not much as compared to the benefits.
= No training: Any entrepreneur can be successful in this sector if he or she has good communication skills and can convince people easily.
= No technicalities: Distributors can be successful without having hi-tech machineries at their homes. Having a phone to remain in touch with clients is the basic requirement.
= Full package: Mostly, all direct selling companies provide their distributors with sales materials, training materials and a business plan.


✩ Life ❣ Beauty ❣ Food ✩: "You're more than what you think!"
My body really gave way liao, I'm sick now; cough, flu, fever, they're visiting me one by one. Hate such half dead body, I'd rather to be totally gone, and sleep for a day or two.
Someone (let's name him Mr. D hereinafter) got so worried and waited up the whole night, in case I need to see a doctor or what, he will be just a phone call away.
And this morning, he insisted to send me to work. He's staying very far lor! That's not all. He even made herbal tea, bought me my daily dosage of milk tea and yummy breakfast.
That's what I always meant by "action speaks louder than words!"
And you know what's worst of the worse?
You don't even know that the one sleeping in the same room with you everyday, is not feeling well.
Disclaimer: I posted these with absolutely NO intention to put down anyone. I didn't make any announcement on FB, at all.
Well, there were more along the way actually. I'm glad to know that there are people out there who understand how I felt, and sincerely wish me all the best.
I appreciate it very much and hereby giving my heartfelt thanks to them. Let's all fight on, to a better future ahead.
Very drowsy, grouchy and sensitive for the whole of today. Felt like I'm floating, instead of walking. Appetite reduced by half. Love-hate feeling towards being sick.


text:
Q: How to call a function from a DLL file from [ MQL5 ] code? Why the first MessageBox() works and the second doesn't?
I don't know where the problem is.
Does the MQL5 can access the dll file?
I need to to call C# functions that read JSON.
No errors appear in MetaEditor.
C# .dll file:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
namespace TestMe
{
    class Test
    {

   // [DllExport("Add", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static int Add(int left, int right)
    {
        return left + right;
    }

    public static int Sub(int left, int right)
    {
        return left - right;
    }

    public static double AddDouble(double left, double right)
    {
        return left + right;
    }

    public static float AddFloat(float left, float right)
    {
        return left + right;
    }
}
}

this is an MQL5 code:
#import "TestMe.dll"
                    int    Add(       int    left, int    right );
                    int    Sub(       int    left, int    right );
                    float  AddFloat(  float  left, float  right );
                    double AddDouble( double left, double right );
#import

#property strict                 // MQL-syntax-mode-modifier == "strict"

int OnInit()
{   int k = 0;
    MessageBox( k );             // this call works
    k = Add( 1, 666 );
    MessageBox( k );             // Doesn't work

    return( INIT_SUCCEEDED );
    }

A: Welcome to theWildWorlds of MQL
How to test a DLL-function call access?
This is the easiest part. Test it from inside DLL. Add some input/output parameters/values printing on stdout into each DLL-function source and during the debugging-phase you have all the needed C#-side self-diagnostics covered there.
MQL-side also needs to have all DLL-calls permitted, check the MetaTrader Terminal 5 settings:[x] Allow DLL imports ....

Syntax matters: check calling-signature(s) item by item
MQL documentation states a single, clear call-signature for MessageBox() to be used:

int MessageBox(
string text,                     // message text
string caption = NULL,          // box header
intflags       = 0);           // defines set of buttons in the box
Parameters :
text:            [in] Text, containing message to output.
caption= NULL : [in] Optional text to be displayed in the box header. If the parameter is empty, Expert Advisor name is shown in the box header.
flags= 0 :      [in] Optional flags defining appearance and behavior of a message box. Flags can be a combination of a special group of flags.  ( Plus: Default value == 0 == MB_OK )
Return Value :If the function is successfully performed, the returned value is one of values of MessageBox() return codes.  ( Which are: { IDOK | IDCANCEL | IDABORT | IDRETRY | IDIGNORE | IDYES | IDNO | IDTRYAGAIN | IDCONTINUE } )

MQL is not C#MQL-string is not a string in fact, but a structMQL is not forgiving any single tiny detail:due care is a must:
MQL documentation states:

Internal representation of the string type is a structure of 12 bytes long:

#pragma pack(push,1)
struct MqlString
  {
   int      size;       // 32-bit integer, contains size of the buffer, allocated for the string.
   LPWSTR   buffer;     // 32-bit address of the buffer, containing the string.
   int      reserved;   // 32-bit integer, reserved.
  };
#pragma pack(pop,1)

This is The Strange Answer to why the first call worked. The MessageBox() did not try to access any memory location on it's call, as the faked MQL-string-struct (ill)-declared by itself, via the .size struct-component it's own .buffer memory area ( addressed indirectly ) to have 0 bytes in length and thus no memory area ( ultimately colliding, by definition, with an address space of some other memory-object ) will be, in this specific case accessed.
After more than a decade in MQL domain, with more than a few hundreds man*years hands-on team experience with creeping MQL language-syntax, I may dare state, "do not rely on no errors being reported in a compilation phase", MetaTrader Terminal has made us hair-less in many circumstances, even when the code was following published documentation word-by-word.
Feel free to check other posts on MQL to see more details on DLL-integration nightmares and also good stories about going into distributed processing, GPGPU-computing et al.

Final remark on JSON
If I were to design an architecture to communicate via JSON I would jump in with ZeroMQ DLL distributed-processing services, that would make your goal much faster, than building just another JSON-parser as a greenfield project.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Girl Alone is a film that defies expectations. It is a film that explores difficult and dark subjects such as homelessness and domestic abuse, but in a non-traditional, non-linear fashion. It grips the viewer from beginning to end. Linda Barnett has crafted a script which leads the viewer down a rabbit hole. From the moment you first see "the Girl", played by the wonderful Amy James-Kelly, you are thrown into the deep end trying to figure out what is going on. As the story builds to an electrifying climax it is finally revealed why the girl is on the run, alone.
All great films are built on strong collaborations. Girl Alone was probably the strongest collaborative process I have ever been involved in, everyone brought something special and unique to the project, from the runners getting their first taste of the film making process, to the production designer tasked with making our locations look amazing on a tiny budget. As a director, when you work with such a strong team, your job becomes considerably easier.
Girl Alone is a testament to everything that is special about film making in Britain and Ireland. Even the notoriously temperamental Manchester weather played its part as we were blessed with long sunny days throughout the shoot. I hope you enjoy the film.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
What's Next For Agile in 2020
By Ain Tohvri
Ain Tohvri
Savings United GmbH
The Agile Manifesto, the iconic set of principles and values published in 2001, had seismic effects both on software development teams and entire organizations. This article by Ain Tohvri, the CTO of Savings United explains the milestone represented a clear inclination towards streamlining the development process with a clear focus on efficiency and flexibility.
This meant that specification drift, rigid planning, and heavy documentation that was rarely revisited were all left behind.
Agile proved extremely potent for putting team members above processes and tools, together with the constant strive for pragmatism by avoiding complexities that would cause failure. Unlike the waterfall scenario, where the linear process could stretch up to a year or longer, Agile established itself as a powerful guide in dynamic environments characterized by high levels of unpredictability.
There's no wonder that Agile has earned an indispensable position in teams across industries. According to an HP survey, two-thirds of companies now describe themselves either as "pure Agile" or as "leaning towards Agile". Likewise, agile projects are estimated to be 28% more successful than traditional ones.
Statistics like this only show that Agile isn't going anywhere. In fact, due to its flexibility, efficiency, and collaborative capacity, some proclaim it as the cornerstone of the new ways of working. However, with novel innovations, ever-growing demands, and the changing nature of work itself, Agile as we know it is undergoing a shift and will have to face new challenges.
What aspects will define the Agile of the future?
Automation is the driving force behind the growing performance of many organizations – and it's no difference within agile teams. With soaring labor costs, organizations can drive efficiency by outsourcing repetitive and tedious tasks to machines.
That's why automation will be increasingly integrated into the cycles and will further boost valuable synergies, for example, with DevOps. This means that Agile will incorporate new features, including automated testing in its broader sense, bringing better results than ever before. Test-driven development (TDD) for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) not only ensures that every part of the software is automatically tested but also goes beyond it by securing the integrity of entire infrastructures around it.
Cutting down the occurrence of human error and installing a fast resolution framework that rules out the snowball effect of potential issues is incredibly important. Specifically, Agile will benefit from content management and code reviewing systems that can run real-time tests to detect any errors, which would otherwise only be discovered through manual effort.
There are many ways agile teams can benefit from automation. Team members will no longer have to spend disproportionate periods of time on repetitive manual tasks and will instead have more space for flexibility and creativity. One such optimization could be a switch from Continuous Delivery to Continuous Deployment, cutting time in software release management.
Self-organizing teams in the remote context
Effective team communication and flexible approaches to problems have always been one of the fundamentals of Agile. Regular standups, quick troubleshooting, collaboration over hiccups, and smooth information dissemination all add the oil that powers the well-working agile machine.
However, these dynamics are likely to change as remote work becomes more prevalent. Agile needs to adapt to new settings and prioritize the freedom of team members more than ever before: We see more videoconferences, one-to-one online meetings, and Slack workspaces – complementing these with on-location meetings several times a year will foster an excellent communication equilibrium.
Maintaining close contact is crucial for self-organizing teams: It's the only way to prevent team members from working redundantly on features in parallel or creating overhead by developing conflicting features.
Openness, tolerance, and flexibility are more important than ever. While remote teams can reap the benefits of multicultural inputs, they also need to navigate work across timezones. This will require them to develop a strong respect for the time management and independence of each team member.
Embracing modularity to face complexities
Agile always needs to be responding to current trends. As technology advances, it's crucial to understand that not all technologies can be built in-house – it's neither time- nor cost-effective. That's why Agile needs to cater to a modular approach. An effective system can consist of hundreds of components across different technologies, enabling the introduction of external teams that can then contribute to a system they have been assigned to.
The best programmer isn't one that writes code to resolve a problem – it's the one who saves resources and avoids complexity by finding a solution from the synergy of existing components. This means that even in increasingly complex settings, teams should always stay faithful to the roots of Agile.
There's no doubt that this can be difficult. One of the main challenges of Agile has traditionally been the clashes between the developer and the business side. With pressing deadlines, last-minute requests, and rapid shifts in priorities, agile teams will find it beneficial to lean on principles such as KISS (Keep it Simple Silly) or DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself). While these shouldn't be religiously followed, they promote modularity and ensure that the team keeps moving forward without unnecessary complications.
Likewise, teams will become more efficient by incorporating the concept of marginal gains. Leading competitors are often at similar stages, and robust modular systems where small increments can be delivered at a fast pace will help you get ahead. This means that every detail matters, and progress – no matter how small – needs to be welcomed.
Despite technological disruptions and changes in work culture, Agile remains as important as ever. Whether it's automation, self-organizing aspect of teamwork, or modularity, all of these three themes are so interwoven that embracing them in a joined-up way will surely lead you and your team to success.
Ain TohVri is CTO at Savings United, the leading voucher code partner of premium media companies. One of the fastest-growing tech companies in EMEA according to Deloitte, Savings United develops managed performance marketing SaaS platforms. Ain has over 15 years of experience of working in Agile environments, including software projects the likes of SingTel, HSBC, Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Post/DHL, Nike, Sennheiser and others. He is fortunate to have been part of the award-winning teams that have claimed FWA, Red Dot and German Design Awards to name a few.


text:
Did you know that pulled pork was tasty before it was trendy? Want to know why?
By Cordelia Vecchio / no comments
In Food
Practically speaking, "pulling" meat, whether it's pork or beef, is the act of separating a slow-cooked meat from its bone and along its well-cooked grain into thin strips, resulting in perfectly and naturally juicy, shredded meat. The separation involves two forks, some patience and a little arm strength (more for endurance than brute strength). So, …
Inspiration: Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Awards
By Renee / no comments
In Food Photography
All the pinning in the world could not deliver the visually stunning inspiration that the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year awards do.
Educating your target – inspire them!
In Showreel
We've been talking about grabbing attention through a bit of creative quirkiness in a MLA secondary cuts campaign over here… Now we're going to look at the second stage of this campaign, which was the education stage.
Grab attention with the quirk factor
Gaining someone's attention is the very first step in the complicated dance known as the hierarchy of effects, which happens to be:
Quote of the day: Inspiration
In Good times
This is a great one for the beginning of the week! And on the topic, here are a few tips on finding inspiration when you're not really feeling it:
Facebook Likes and what they mean to you
Not all likes are equal. Believe it. People are just starting to come around to the idea of quality vs quantity when it comes to Facebook fan likes. We want to show you a great example of quality, from our client, Rangers Valley.
The power of pick-up appeal
By Karyn MacDonald / 1 comment
When our client says, "We want maximum pick-up appeal", we say, "Don't we all?" But seriously, how do you create a promotional piece that flies off the shelf by itself? One that makes your target engage, reach out, pick it up, flick through it and then decide they still want to take it with them? Well, …
On Shoot with Red Candy: Post it notes, eye droppers and the search for the perfect tomato…
While it looks like a heap of foodie fun a lot of research, prep and agonising goes into producing the beautiful food photography you see from Red Candy.
The advert and the chuckle
The evolution of the display ad finds us at a time in history where almost anything goes and humour takes centre stage. Sure, being integral to your brand voice is paramount, but a campaign ad looking to uncover the golden chalice of cut-through can afford a bit of wriggle-room and ask the audience to, at …
What's in the package?
In Foodservice
Ever think you'd see a beef primal cryovac pack that could turn your head and make you go "ooooh"? Right, us either, that is until we were asked to make it happen.


Captain's Log, 1XE, Day 9 of the month of September in the Earth calendar year 2011.
Roadless.... a place without roads. Last seen in abundance in the 20th century. Reduced to a myriad of conversations and confusing rule changes. A concept strongly felt by a multitude of stakeholders all looking after good ole number one - themselves.
Flying machine 1XE lately flew members of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership over the Currant Creek Roadless Area, located in the Grand Mesa National Forest, high above the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The area is close to the Clear Fork Divide, the largest tract of intact roadless backcountry in Colorado. The remote and unaltered landscape of Currant Creek offers highly diverse vegetation and forage for elk, black bear and other wildlife species. The area is a key migration corridor for lynx and provides essential elk and mule deer calving habitat.
Now what makes this landscape so special? You guessed it. No roads. No logging, mining or oil and gas roads leading to open pits, clear cuts or well pads. Untrammelled landscapes for the wildlife of Colorado to roam freely and be relatively undisturbed to procreate and to grow into trophy species.
I remember flying in Central America almost 30 years ago and looking down on the forests and realizing something was catching my eye. Already this area was heavily deforested and cut with roads. Then, as I passed over southern Belize at 150mph it dawned on me that this was a land of pristine nature with no roads. We later located this place on a map and worked diligently for years with the Belizean authorities to make it the first national park of Belize, Bladen Nature Reserve.
Now here in the good ole U.S. it again catches my eye when I zoom or float over a section of land that is pristine in nature and roadless either by design or some other intangible.
The roughly 4.2 million acres of roadless lands in Colorado are currently protected by the National Forest Roadless Rule adopted by President Clinton in 2001, which bars commercial logging, road construction and most mining. The Bush Administration attempted to undermine the national rule by encouraging each state to pursue its own rule, and two states, Idaho and Colorado, took that path.
Though a Federal court had reinstated the 2001 Roadless Rule, in April 2011 the Forest Service issued a proposed Colorado Rule with the intent of it being "at least as protective...and preferably more protective.... than the 2001 rule". Local groups argue that the proposal falls far short of this message, as it only offered top-tier protection to about thirteen percent of the land protected under the Clinton-era rule.
Groups are pressuring the Forest Service to ensure that areas in Colorado like Currant Creek, Kannah Creek, Mamm Creek, Flattops Elk Park and other ecologically important areas are included in upper-tier protections under the new rule.
The comment period for the proposal ended July 14, 2011.
Breaking news today (21st October): a federal appeals court upheld the 2001 Roadless Rule, reversing the lower court's decision and prohibiting roads on nearly 50 million acres of land in national forests across the United States, including Colorado; a very significant ruling and victory. Thank you to all our partners in the conservation movement who have valiantly stayed the course and fought the good fight.


When Patch 7 lands in Fallout 76, players will be able to earn some wickedly creepy masks in thanks for their participation in the seasonal event called the Fasnacht Parade. The event celebrates the end of frosty weather through the "burning of an effigy of Old Man Winter". The parade event will start on March 19th and will run for a week. Players can repeat the content which includes "party prep", finding decorations and taking out pests that threaten the event.
Update 7 is about more than a party too. In addition to the Fasnacht Parade, players will find some Energy and Heavy Weapon balance, CAMP and Workshop Budget adjustments, CAMP placement adjustments, and alterations to challenge tracking.
Update 7 is expected to launch in Fallout 76 later this week.
Read the full preview on the Fallout 76 / Bethesda blog.


Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by nick1, Aug 11, 2018.
finomenal, ladeback, NBP81 and 15 others like this.
With his wingspan just making people run around him will more often than not suffice.
Ray R and GUH-sick-EE like this.
Ray R and Superself like this.
I think his lack of blocking skills are blown WAY out of proportion. Does he have to improve? Yes, but he is willing, and apparently puts in the work. Blocking is a coachable skill. At his height, he is probably never going to get under an opponents pads, but he will get the job done.
Fintastic17, fininpsl, Ray R and 4 others like this.
As long as he can keep the defensive ends or outside linebackers honest by handling the occasional bulrush he should be fine. It's not like they're going to be relying on him to be a clean out blocker. I liked what I saw early Thursday night, I'm glad being brought up.
Ray R and foozool13 like this.
The blocking thing is getting out of touch. We got Gesicki to catch TD's so any blocking is gravy. Let's not try to turn a great pass catching TE into an in line blocker.
Would you rather talk about the TD he scored or about the block he made?
NBP81, Ray R, foozool13 and 2 others like this.
I'm just excited that this guy could be a Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates for us.
Ray R, GUH-sick-EE and Danny like this.
What I like, is that Gesicki seems eager to learn and develop his blocking skills. Here we have a player who played wide receiver in high school and did a good job of developing his catching skills. As he got older, he grew taller and got bigger, to the point where he's now around 6'5", 250 lbs. At Penn State they saw his strengths in catching the ball and used him as a weapon, but his blocking skills were not fully developed.
Don't be surprised if Gesicki ends up bigger and stronger next year and better equipped to block. This does not appear to be an Egnew scenario, where we overdrafted a TE, with poor blocking skills and very little self confidence.
Ray R, GUH-sick-EE, Vaark and 2 others like this.
That will improve with experience. The NFL is a bit more complicated than the college game, and the defensive players are faster. If that's the biggest hurdle, it shouldn't be a long term problem.
Good call on pointing out the draw play. You're right, he did throw a critical block on that play. I didn't notice that live.
Ray R, GUH-sick-EE, nick1 and 1 other person like this.
I mean we basically saw what you expected out of a Gesicki and Goedert in those preseason games.
Gesicki showed elite athleticism on the endzone fade from Fales and Goedert was working the field like he has been doing this for a while, Able to get open with relative ease and showed really good hands.
Gesicki might make you wish you had Thomas Duarte or even Michael Egnew blocking at tightend, but I still think he'll be enough of a weapon in the passing game. When he's the only tightend on the field it just feels more like a 4 wr set.
I have a feeling we're not going to be harping on his blocking for much longer.
He's a smart guy. Once he acclimates and is able to quickly identify blitzes and any other pass blocking responsibilities he'll clean it up.
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Always a pleasure to get your analysis Travis. Thanks!
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KPMG: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 2020 KPMG U.S. Transparency Report
Originally published on LinkedIn by Paul Knopp, Chair and CEO at KPMG U.S. KPMG is No. 12 on the 2020 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list.
KPMG's Legacy
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are foundational to KPMG's purpose, values, and strategy. I have witnessed incredible change and significant progress throughout my 37-year career, but it has not been nearly enough — as a society, as a profession, and as a firm.
The events of the past year taught us that we must think bigger and be bolder in our ambition and our action. At KPMG we will take action to fight racism, intolerance, and inequity in our society, and drive sustainable change in our firm and in the communities where we live and work.
One of my first acts as KPMG Chair and CEO was to launch Accelerate 2025 — our collective commitment to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through bold leadership, values-driven actions, and strong accountability.
Accelerate 2025 is a firmwide commitment to understand the lived and shared experiences that our Black talent and all underrepresented groups have in navigating the workplace, and to identify real or perceived barriers, pain points, and biases that may influence and impact moments that matter for our people.
We are focused on our commitment to attract, retain and advance underrepresented talent — at KPMG and in the profession more broadly — through continuous learning, courageous conversations, and inclusive leadership.
These are my aspirations for the U.S. firm for the end of the fiscal year 2025:
50% partner and managing director representation from underrepresented groups, including doubling our Black representation;
50% increase in our Black and Hispanic / Latinx workforce;
Significant increase in representation from underrepresented groups in client and firmwide leadership roles.
Our Board of Directors will hold our Vice Chairs and me accountable for delivering on our Accelerate 2025 priorities. We will accomplish this by more frequent updates and greater levels of transparency around our actions. This Transparency Report is a big step in holding us accountable and measuring our progress.
To view the full report, click here.


The Venice Dress is reminiscent of beautiful Italy with its long romantic split sleeves and flowy hemline. This light and airy dress is beautiful and flattering on many types of figures. Options include long sleeves, long split sleeves, short split sleeves, sleeveless, mini length, high-low hemline, and maxi length. Also included in a wide range of sizes from 00-26.
This pattern is designed for Wovens. Suggested fabrics include: Lightweight Wovens, Rayon Challis, Crepe De Chine, Faille, Voile, Gauze, Georgette, and Lightweight Knits.
This PDF pattern comes complete with easy detailed instructions with full color pictures and computer drawn pattern pieces that are easy to print off . Also included is the option to print only your desired size through layers.


Growing up in a Lebanese family, I was surrounded by people who loved to prepare and eat good food. My mother, grandmothers, several great-aunts and even my great-grandmother all lived with us at various stages, and my earliest memories are of being chivvied out of the kitchen by female hands. It was always done with a smile, and with a piece of Arabic bread or stuffed vine leaf being stuffed into my hands. As I got a bit older, they started letting me watch them cooking, and eventually I was allowed to help. I have vivid memories of watching my great-grandmother pounding spices in a mortar and pestle, or my aunt washing mounds of herbs, or my mother pulling trays of kibbeh out of the oven.
My father always wanted me to join the family business, but at the age of 16 I ran away from to home to start my cooking career by taking a job as a dish washer in a Mexican restaurant. After 8 months I was completely absorbed by the kitchen world and I started a formal apprenticeship in Melbourne. I spent 3 years working in a fine-dining, European-style restaurant before heading overseas to broaden my experience. I worked in France, Belgium, Italy, Austria and then Hong Kong.
Health issues brought me back to Australia in 1989, and in 1991 I began the restaurant at O'Connells Hotel. This was where I began to build my reputation for innovative contemporary Middle Eastern food. In 2001, I set up the kitchen at MoMo restaurant in the heart of the Melbourne central business district, and I have been there ever since. In 2008 the restaurant re-located to the Grand Hyatt hotel.
Greg Malouf is an Australian chef of Lebanese parents, also the executive chef at Melbourne's MoMo Restaurant specialising in modern Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean food. Jointly with his writing partner Lucy, Greg is the author of four cookbooks: "Arabesque: Modern Middle Eastern Food" (1999), "Moorish: Flavours from Mecca to Marrakech" (2001), "Saha: A Chef's Journey through Lebanon and Syria" (2005) and last but not least, "Turquoise: A Chef's Journey through Turkey" (2007). Another book, "Saraban: A Chef's Journey through Persia" will be launched in November 2010. Greg and Lucy's fourth book Turquoise, a travel-cookbook book on Turkish cuisine, won the "Best International Book" award by IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) in 2008. Below, you will meet this master, learn his thoughts and stories about Turkish cuisine and how he made Middle Eastern cooking his life's passion. Chef Malouf will also be sharing a few of his favorite recipes on Foods of TurkeyTM in the following weeks.
When researching different aspects of our cuisine for your book, did anything surprise you?
Turkey – and Turkish food – was one surprising delight after another! I was bowled over by the differences, as well as the similarities. I don't think Turkish food has a very clear identity or particularly strong reputation in the West, partly because tourists to the country tend to eat a limited repertoire of dishes at 'traditional' tourist restaurants. In the West, most Turkish restaurants are kebab restaurants or take-aways. I was most interested to discover the breadth and variety of Turkish cuisine. We tasted dishes in rural parts of the country that people in Istanbul had never even heard of. I was really excited to discover that as well as sophisticated and better known 'Ottoman dishes, there are also a vast number of Anatolian dishes from country areas.
I was also really surprised by some of the ingredients that are widely used in Turkish cooking. I had no idea that dill was such a popular herb, or that there were so many different wild greens used, or of the range of different kinds of dried red peppers. I was also blown away by the seafood cooking I enjoyed in Turkey. I guess it's because of the long coastline, but I believe Turks cook fish and seafood better than any other country in the region.
What do you find to be the most popular features of Middle Eastern or Turkish cuisine and dishes in Melbourne for an Australian audience?
Australian diners are similar to other diners in the West - be it New Zealand, England or North America. They are all drawn to the exotic aura of the food, and in particular to the spices...to the layers of perfume, flavours and the textures of Middle Eastern dishes, which are so different to the European tradition. The idea of 'mezze' - or shared plates, is also something that appeals.
I think diners also recognize the simplicity at the heart of many Middle Eastern and Turkish dishes. In Turkish food, in particular, the focus is entirely on the quality of the ingredients. There is virtually no saucing (as in French or Italian cuisines), which allows the intrinsic flavours of the meat/poultry/seafood/vegetables to shine through, unadulterated.
How did you start writing about cuisines and travel and what inspired Turquoise and your most recent book?
In 1998 I was commissioned to write, with my first wife, Lucy, a book about my food. We wanted to write a book that introduced the Australian reader and diner to Middle Eastern ingredients, and to my food, which at the time, was unique. Arabesque was published in 1999, (re-published 4 times since) and has been described as a best-selling modern 'classic', as an A–Z of ingredients that define Middle Eastern cooking and a collection of traditional and modern Middle Eastern dishes.
Arabesque was followed by our second book, Moorish, which expanded the scope of dishes into North Africa and Southern Spain. In 2006, our publishers commissioned us to travel to the Middle East to research and write Saha, the first of our travel-cookbooks. This was the book I had always wanted to write! I was able to return to the land of my heritage, visit food producers, chefs and family there, and gain invaluable inspiration from the source. Thanks to the success of Saha, we were then commissioned to write another travel-cookbook. I had strong memories of Turkey from the time I lived in Austria as a young cook, and I had always wanted to return to explore the food in greater depth. In 2007, Lucy and I spent 5 weeks travelling around the country to research the food and cooking of Turkey for our book, Turquoise.
Our fifth book (Saraban) explores the food of Persia, and will be released in November 2010.
In this interview "Cooks and their Books" from February 2009 (SBS Food), Greg explains his journey with food. Listen here.
What are the challenges in creating Middle Eastern or Eastern Mediterranean dishes in Australia?
Some specialist or locally-grown ingredients are very hard to find, outside of the home country. For example, there is nothing like the range of wild greens in Australia, as there is in Turkey. It is hard for us to make dondurma (Turkish ice cream) here, because we can't source mastic and sahlep easily here. Fruits, such as mulberries, tiny wild figs, barberries are virtually unknown here. Molasses - or pekmez - from pomegranates or grapes or mulberries are hard to find in Australia and there is nothing like the range and variety of Turkish dried peppers. We cant get sheep's milk butter or such good yoghurt. Nor can we get kaymak, one of my very favourite items!
How do you balance authenticity with practicality when it comes to application of ethnic cuisines outside of their home countries?
Because of the challenges in finding the specialty ingredients, It can be quite difficult to make a dish in an entirely authentic way. It's not impossible, and as a chef I am able to encourage growers to grow things for me (so I have producers growing purslane and fenugreek and savory and sourcing edible blossoms and flowers for me) and I try to find distributors who can import particular specialist ingredients for me.
It can also be hard to learn specialist skilled techniques. But we are lucky to have a broad range of nationalities living in Australia, so there are people who bring skills (such as baking or sweet pastry and confectionary making) with them from their homeland. But this is not really something that limits my imagination when it comes to creating dishes and menus. To me, the purist approach, which says the only good food is food that follows tradition, is nonsense. Cooking is a skill or a craft that is 'living'. It always reflects its times and the prevailing culture. When new ingredients become available, and migrants travel to new lands, they always take their food culture with them. Over time dishes influence and are influenced by the new country. Australia is a great example of the way in which different cuisines are evolving.
I do think it is important to understand tradition though and cooks do need to respect ingredients and traditions. I respect and love traditional dishes. Koussa mahshi (stuffed zucchini) is one of my favourite Lebanese home-cooked meals! You can't just put 'exotic' ingredients together and hope for the best. My approach is always to try to research (by reading, but more importantly, by travel) first, and then to allow my imagination to take things to another level.
What is the culinary focus/story of your restaurant MoMo?
Since I had my first head-chef job and was able to run my own kitchen, my driving force has been to bring the flavours of the Middle East into the West. This was what I did at O'Connells restaurant, and I continue to do the same at MoMo. So here you eat contemporary Middle Eastern food. The dishes are my interpretations of food from various countries in the Middle East/Eastern Mediterranean, reaching into North Africa and Moorish Spain. I believe it is crucial to understand the soul of the dish before you start to interpret it, and that's why I think travel is so important to explore the ingredients, techniques, terrain in the land of origin. I try to keep the tradition or the soul of a dish or technique, but present things in a slightly new way.
A meal at MoMo is generous - again, because this element of generosity and hospitality is so crucial in Middle Eastern countries. It is all about sharing, so the meals are banquet style.
We thank Greg for this interview, his insights and views on Turkish cuisine. We are looking forward to his new book soon to be released and the recipes he will be sharing with us here on Foods of Turkey. We also thank his publisher, Hardie Grant for allowing us to use the photographs provided here.


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How NATO Works
by Marshall Brain & Sarah Gleim
NATO Basics
NATO Headquarters is located in in Brussels, Belgium and serves as its political and administrative center. NATO
As we mentioned previously, NATO is the acronym for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an alliance of countries that work together to implement the North Atlantic Treaty. NATO's 12 founding member countries include the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Greece and Turkey joined in 1952, followed by West Germany in 1955. Spain joined in 1982.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, several Eastern European countries joined, including the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland in 1999; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia in 2004; and Albania and Croatia in 2009. Montenegro was the last country to join NATO in 2017 [source: NATO].
When the founding members drafted the original treaty, there were disagreements on how many countries should join. The United Kingdom wanted to keep the NATO small and strong, but the United States wanted to include smaller, weaker countries — those more likely to succumb to the Soviets. France was most concerned with protecting its colonial territories, and Germany was a concern to all three countries [source: NATO].
Today, countries don't have to be members to work with NATO, however. Partnerships with non-NATO countries started back as far as 1991. The goal is to help these non-member nations become stable and democratic, with modern armed forces. Four partner countries have declared interests in NATO memberships: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine. Today, any European country can join NATO as long as it accepts the commitments and obligations of membership (more on that shortly) [source: NATO].
NATO Headquarters is located in in Brussels, Belgium and serves as its political and administrative center. Representatives from member countries, as well as civilian and military experts, work there daily consulting on global security issues. More than 5,000 meetings are held there annually. All decision-making at NATO is done by consensus, which is a central value that was included in the creation of NATO in 1949.
Consensus decision-making means that there is no voting at NATO. Instead, discussions take place until all 29 member nations can come to an acceptable solution — and then it is deemed a NATO decision. Oftentimes that means some member nations "agree to disagree." The job of leading the consensus decision-making process falls to the NATO secretary general [source: NATO].
The North American Treaty
The North Atlantic Treaty was written and signed in 1949. It arose because of the growing strength of the Soviet Union after World War II (which ended in 1945). Right after the war, the Soviet Union consolidated itself under communism and strengthened its armies. At the same time, Europe was exhausted and in shambles. The United States implemented the Marshall Plan in 1948 to help rebuild Europe, but the European countries would not have the strength to fight against the Soviets. The United States and Canada would be needed to provide the force necessary to counter any attack from the Soviet Union.
Who Wins and Loses in a Trade War?
Does Paying People to Relocate to a State Work?


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From time to time, doctors and other staff at Murumbinda Hospital publish articles, reports, and academic papers on health matters affecting the local Murumbinda and national Zimbabwean population. These reports highlight the challenges facing the hospital, the efforts being undertaken to address them and the progress being made to improve the health and lives of the population of this impoverished region. To access the reports please click on the links below. We hope you find them engaging reading.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the currency of- and accessibility to- these reports, some link to reports hosted on third-party websites and links may occasionally not work. If you experience any difficulties accessing these reports, please contact us via our CONTACT page and we shall endeavour to rectify the issue. Thank you.
2011 Annual Tuberculosis Report: Buhera District, Manicaland, Zimbabwe
Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV: evaluation of a pilot programme in a district hospital in rural Zimbabwe (British Medical Journal)
Five years of support for a Tuberculosis programme in rural Zimbabwe: what has been achieved? (British Medical Journal)
Anaesthesia associated mortality in a district hospital in Zimbabwe 1994 to 2001 by Madzimbamuto and Glenshaw(Central African Journal of Medicine)


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What still needs to be done after the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan?
2019/05/25 Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights (TAPCPR) Supplementary news material 25 May 2019 1. Complete adoption rights The Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No....
TAPCPR's 2019 Ketagalan Boulevard Wedding Banquet' Press Release
2019/05/25 Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights (TAPCPR) will host the '2019 Ketagalan Boulevard Wedding Banquet' on May 25th, 2019 (Sat) on the Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential...
Formal response to the draft bill, The Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748, promulgated by the Executive Yuan, Taiwan
2019/02/21 Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights(TAPCPR) Date : 2019/02/21
Thank you all for supporting marriage equality in Taiwan
2019/01/26 By Chih-Chieh Chien - Secretary-general of TAPCPR Translated by Elizabeth Hsinyin Lee Dear benefactors, Thank you all for your contributions to our cause which enable Taiwanese LGBTIQ...
TAPCPR's Public Statement in response to the Results of the Referendums on November 24, 2018
2018/11/24 This was an unfair battle of referendums. What we faced was a monster with a war chest of hundreds of millions of dollars that were used in brainwashing campaigns to promote bias, fear and even...
Condemning the anti-LGBT referendum, which has corrupted electoral integrity and dragged Taiwan's democracy backwards
2018/11/24 by TAPCPR 2018/11/24 Today (November 24th) is a 9-in-1 joint election in Taiwan. Due to the aggressive mobilization of anti-LGBT organizations, hundreds of different violations of electoral laws...
About Us Statement & Press release Media Report International Bill of Human Rights Donate


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A Cuba that I want
Photo: Roberto Ruiz
A very young Cuban artist approached me recently to say hi, and he used the opportunity to make a comment that surprised and pleased me. Not all young people have succumbed to being seduced by the "privileges" of capitalism; most of them want something different from what exists, either here or there. "I'm very optimistic about everything that's happening between Cuba and the United States. I travel a lot to Miami and New York, and we do need a store like Walmart or something like that, but not the crazy capitalism that exists there. I'm afraid that Cubans will lose their innocence in that sense, and all of the services for the population, and the social values that we have, especially in education, health and culture," he told me.
Last December, a few hours after President Obama's speech, top executives of U.S. corporations, investment funds, and law firms began setting into motion
something that had been stewing for some time: their Cuba Plan.
In a recently-published article, Princeton professor and former secretary of labor Robert Reich said that most U.S. companies do not feel any kind of alliance or commitment to their country or to raising wages for their workforce, and that their only commitment is to their stockholders and to maximizing profits.
I also would like to see a Walmart store in Cuba—several of them, why not. Stores like Apple and Home Depot, and even though I prefer Cuban coffee to Starbucks expresso, I would like to see a few of those scattered around Havana, too. I don't have anything against the way those businesses are run; despite what Prof. Reich says, I think it's right for them to defend their interests. However, if they were to have access to the Cuban market someday, I would like for them to think not only about their earnings, but also about how to give back and invest part of that wealth in society. My criteria is that whatever inspires and promotes the nation and people's prosperity and well-being, including the participation of U.S. companies, should be welcomed, but with moderation and caution.
Investment is needed; Cuba needs to get back on its feet, evolve…. I think a lot of things need to be resolved, and a lot of things need to be taken care of, protected, and defended, especially everything that represents and is, in essence, the soul of the nation.


text: China Fdi Historical Data Converter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Bob Dylan to Tour with Mavis Staples
Bob Dylan has announced another installment of his so-called "Never Ending" tour.
The 76-year-old singer will hit the road in October and make his way from the west coast to Boston, where the tour concludes on November 16th.
Along for the trek for all but the first two dates will be Mavis Staples, civil rights activist and Dylan's one-time girlfriend/frequent collaborator who famously rejected his marriage proposal in the early 60s.
Dylan's latest release is Triplicate, a three disc collection of covers of classic American songs.
Staples recently announced the upcoming If All I Was Was Black, a collaborative album with Jeff Tweedy, due November 17th via Anti-Records.
Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples
10/13- Valley Center, CA @ Harrah's Southern California Casino & Resort*
10/14- Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea*
10/17- Salt Lake City, UT @ George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater
10/21- Broomfield, CO @ 1stBank Center
10/23- Omaha, NE @ CenturyLink Center
10/24- Ames, IA @ Stephens Auditorium
10/25- Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Arena
10/27- Chicago, IL @ Wintrust Arena
10/28- Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
10/29- Bloomington, IN @ Indiana University Auditorium
11/01- Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
11/03- Akron, OH @ E.J. Thomas Hall
11/05- Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre Columbus
11/06- Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall
11/08- Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
11/10- Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
11/11- Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre
11/14- Washington, D.C. @ The Anthem
11/16- Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
* = no Mavis Staples
Pentatonix Plans Holiday Tour
Texas acappella group Pentatonix have announced plans for a Christmas-themed tour in December via an Instragram video.
The tour will primarily focus on the east coast, but starts with three consecutive dates in Chicago (it also includes three-run stints in Boston and New York City) and will be in support of the quintet's upcoming album, A Pentatonix Christmas Deluxe, a reissue of last year's A Pentatonix Christmas, which will include 10 new songs.
A Pentatonix Christmas Deluxe is due October 20th through RCA Records.
Pentatonix are the recipients of three Grammy awards – winning Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, in both 2015 and 2016 and Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2017 (along with Dolly Parton) for the group's arrangement of Parton's "Jolene."
Pentatonix on Tour
12/03- Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
12/07- Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre
12/09- Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
12/12- Boston, MA @ Boch Center – Wang Theater
12/17- Washington, DC @ The Anthem
12/19- New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
12/21- New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre


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America left with a lot of soul-searching to do after the election
After such a divisive election, where lies the soul of America, asks Caroline O'Doherty
Sat, 12 Nov, 2016 - 00:00
Caroline O'Doherty
THIS week's presidential election has left the US with a lot of soul-searching to do — not just searching its soul, in fact, but searching for it.
After what happened at the polls, is it truer to say the soul of America lies in the rural and regional hinterlands, in largely white, Christian, conservative, blue-collar, and muddy-boot communities, cautious in their dealings with the wider world and fiercely protective of what they have created around them?
Can an argument still be made, as so often seems the case from abroad, that it dwells among the diverse, progressive, urban environments that owe their character to the flow and fusion of people from overseas and the openness of mind that it takes to accommodate their differences?
Or is it somewhere else entirely, in a people or class or mindset harder to collectively identify but possibly residing right across the street in every small town and big city in the US if only anyone had thought to walk over and knock the door to see?
Certainly, Hillary Clinton's campaign was more readily identified with the middle group. A visit to a room it took over in the offices of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City's financial district showed why.
As in other Democratic field offices set up in borrowed and rented rooms across the country, every inch was adorned with inspirational messages.
"Engage with purpose, organise with heart, win every day," urged the posters on the wall.
"This person is a changemaker," said the arrows taped to a full-length mirror catching reflections of the volunteers walking by.
Signs everywhere said: Do the most good. Stronger together. Love trumps hate. And all of the above in Spanish too.
They poured out positivity and encouraged proactivity. On election day in the office near Wall Street, volunteers were still working on a texting campaign late in the day, appealing to voters one last time to get to the polls if they hadn't already done so.
Donald Trump supporters cheer on election night
Others sat back and chatted, sipping bottled water, barista coffees, and the odd glass of wine, while a DJ spun discs.
A man in tight pink jeans was first up on a cleared area of floor and unselfconsciously got down to Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé, pulling others up to join him.
This was a feel-good, feel-strong operation that took its tone from the uplifting Obama campaign of 2008 and, to a lesser extent, 2012.
Donald Trump's campaign had a considerably more old-school feel to it. Its offices were functional, its messages were mean rather than meaningful, and it drew on anger as an energy and blame as a motivation.
But does the fact that it worked mean it captured a mood or created it? Did it tap into an already full vein of discontent or did it dig and dig until it found a reserve it could pump to the surface?
There were no Beyoncé booty dances at the Republican Club office in Guernsey County, Ohio.
A volunteer politely shook hands, made his excuses and left, saying he'd be back before long.
He returned with a bottle of black raspberry wine, homemade from the fruits growing wild in the surrounding Appalachian countryside. With quiet pride he placed it carefully on the floor where it wouldn't get knocked and wished good enjoyment of it.
"We're cordial people," said the club president after the volunteer had left. It had not been suggested otherwise but he'd seen the footage from the Trump rallies where garish supporters in shirts bearing offensive messages spoke a little too loudly and crudely for comfort.
They were cordial — quick to offer a lift, an introduction, information, or whatever else might be of assistance to a person passing through town.
Their views were no less rigid than those of the rally groupies, but less stridently expressed.
Thousands of anti-Trump protesters shut down 5th Avenue in front of Trump Tower
If the rallies seemed like a travelling circus attended by clowns — easy to dismiss as likely to be of little substance at the polls — these nice-as-pie berry-wine makers were the true backbone of the support for Trump.
But are these more reflective of the true spirit of America, and if so, how swiftly would their hospitality be tested if the stranger was, say, black or Muslim?
They would reject any accusation of racism, such as that which ran through Trump's diatribes, because to their minds, he was trying to root out bad guys and skin colour was incidental.
There weren't too many people of colour in these communities to gauge the wider impact of Trump's words.
A Somali had been arrested somewhere in the country, it was explained, for performing female genital mutilation. Proof, it was suggested, that "these people" could not be allowed into the US.
The story, told from a different perspective, could have emphasised the fact that this person was successfully apprehended, that the law of the US did not tolerate the behaviour, that one transgressor flouting the law did not weaken it, and that the country remained robust in its opposition to such practices.
Instead, it focused on one person and escalated their wrongdoing into the need for a the national blockade. The mental blockade was already there.
And yet the elections that took place alongside the presidential ballot for places in Congress and the House of Representatives returned extra, though still small, numbers of people of colour.
So how much does racism taint the soul of America? For that matter, how much does misogyny?
Another Trump supporter wears a Hillary Clinton mask outside of Trump Tower.
Throughout the campaign, Hillary Clinton was repeatedly condemned for standing by her husband through his sexual infidelities.
Trump's own infidelities and sexual misconduct was just him being a man. All the more manly because of it, seemed to be the interpretation by many.
Clinton was criticised for being a career politician and having the ambition to climb her way to the top over three decades in public service.
Trump's arrogance in presuming to deserve the most powerful position in the country just because he wanted it and had the money to buy it, was him living up to the art of the deal and proving fantasies can become real, all the more admirable because of it.
When Trump said Clinton didn't look presidential, folk studied the lines on her face, the fullness of her figure, and the functionality of her pantsuits, and turned back to idolising Kim Kardashian.
When Trump appeared orange-faced, overweight, hair resembling the bed of hay in a Christmas crib, pale lips pursed, and eyes narrowed so tight their colour can not be seen, they thought how great it was that an ordinary looking guy should get such a hot wife. Three of them, in fact.
Hillary couldn't get away from the gender issue. When she tried to campaign on women's rights — equality rights, really — she was condemned for playing the women's card.
She tried to embrace the criticisms, repeatedly using the slogan, 'If striving for equality means playing the women's card, deal me in'.
It did little good in a country where, it appears, many don't believe a woman should even be at the card table.
Or is it unfair to categorise the America that spoke last Tuesday in any of the above ways?
Was it simply a case that a sufficient number of people felt tired enough from the struggles of the recession, angry enough to want to blame the rest of the world, and desperate enough to put their faith in whoever sold them the biggest dream and the simplest solutions? Did we just get America on a bad day?
A vendor sells badges to both sides outside of the Trump International Hotel in Washington .
There are usually safeguards in the law and institutions to help prevent the soul of any country sinking into dark terrority and the US has long relied on those that support the mantra, 'land of the free and home of the brave'.
But these two key tenets of belief in the American way need scrutiny now. In a land of the free, freedom of speech has always been cherished as a right that enables all to have a voice, to speak with honesty, and to share ideas so that no one in power goes unchallenged and no one in the masses need feel forgotten.
Somehow that treasured ideal has been hijacked and turned into a right to spite, to spit out insults, to lie and distort, to spread fear and drown out reasonable debate with deafening propaganda.
What about that other bulwark against the shrinking soul — democracy itself? The home of the brave is built upon it and every schoolchild grows up to believe theirs is the greatest in the world because anyone with the courage of their convictions can become president. Anyone including, as we now know, a man who brought buffoonery and belligerence to his audition for the job and who many fear will repeat the performance in power.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) sent 300 election monitors from 43 countries to polling stations around the US on Tuesday to observe the ballot and watch out for evidence of the rigging Trump insisted would happen and the intimidation Clinton's camp feared.
A day later, they provided their preliminary report and gave the process, for the most part, a clean bill of health.
Americans in high numbers took the opportunity to freely choose their leadership, they said, but there were many sharp criticisms.
The campaign was "characterised by harsh personal attacks, as well as intolerant rhetoric, particularly by one candidate", the report states.
"There was frequent use by one presidential candidate of intolerant discourse aimed at women, minorities, and people with disabilities."
The electoral system was really 50 separate elections, they said, a fundamental weakness with a lack of countrywide standards leading to myriad regulations regarding the candidate and voter-registration process, the requirements for voter identification, and the machinery used in voting.
There was criticism of the two-party system in which the US effectively boxes all voters, with third party and independent candidates facing obstacles registering their candidacy in all states.
Anti-racism protesters take part in a demonstration denouncing Donald Trump outside the US embassy in London after he was elected as US president. Picture: Victoria Jones
Provisions of the Voting Rights Act struck down by Republicans two years ago meant less federal government involvement in how presidential elections were run — southern states used this to move and close polling stations in mainly minority communities and change voter- registration rules.
The changes resulted in "removing a timely and effective safeguard for the protection of rights for racial and linguistic minorities", states the OSCE. "Technical aspects of the process were often motivated by partisan interests."
Contrary to good practice, 15 states had no paper trail to back up their electronic voting, making recounts impossible.
Efforts at voter engagement were criticised, with an estimated 35m people not registered to vote; it was noted that 6m convicts, including those with sentences served, were also excluded. "Suffrage rights are not guaranteed," says the report.
Instances of long queues and malfunctioning voting equipment didn't help matters.
Time and again, the report emphasises the exclusion — or vulnerability to exclusion — of minority and marginalised communities.
They didn't even get started on the bizarre and archaic college electoral vote system that determines who becomes president. In the great democracy of the US, the 'one man, one vote' principle does not apply, not all votes are equal, and a candidate can win the most votes overall to be the popular choice of the people and still have to concede to their rival.
The protests that took place across seven US cities the evening after Donald Trump's election ran chiefly on the message "not my president".
They could, with some justification, equally have used the slogan "not my democracy" because it is not the fair, free, and noble one that has been sold to Americans as their right for generations.
Wherever the soul of the US lies after this week's election, and whatever its characteristics are, it looks like it is set for more than a little torment in the four years that lie ahead.
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Ailish Drake: Thoughtful design of public spaces can make a difference to women's safety
CourtsAnalysisUS Elections 2016Hillary ClintonDonald TrumpUS electionPlace: USPlace: New York CityPlace: Wall StreetPlace: Guernsey County, OhioPlace: AppalachianPerson: CarolinePerson: DohertyPerson: Hillary ClintonPerson: TrumpsPerson: Justin TimberlakePerson: BeyoncePerson: ObamaPerson: Donald TrumpPerson: TrumpOrganisation: AmericaOrganisation: ChristianOrganisation: United Federation of TeachersOrganisation: DemocraticOrganisation: Republican Club
Q&A: Is Simon Coveney damaged by champagne controversy?
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Straight Party Voting on an iVotronic: If you select a straight party selection box, the screen will highlight all of the candidates on the ballot representing that particular party. If you vote a straight party ticket you may still manually make selections to an individual race. Any manual selections made will be retained even if you choose to change your straight party selection. Meaning if you choose to change your straight party selection, any race where you have made manual selections will not change to the new selected party. This gives you the ability to choose a Straight Party and adjust individual races if you chose to do so.
Straight Party Voting on an Optical Scan Ballot: You may cast a straight-party vote (that is, cast a vote for all the nominees of one party) by darkening in the oval provided to the left of the name of the party of your choice. If you cast a straight-party vote for all the nominees of one party and also cast a vote for an opponent of one of that party's nominees, your vote for the opponent will be counted as well as your vote for all the other nominees of the party for which the straight-party vote was cast.


The average rate on consumer credit cards jumped almost a half-point between August and September, breaking the 15% barrier and hitting its highest level since September of 2007, exactly two years ago. The current average rate now stands at 15.39%, up from 14.99% last month. A number of major credit card issuers raised rates in the last month, with the most significant development being the elimination of many lower-rate tiers normally reserved for those with good credit histories. Major issuers are showing that in the current financial environment they simply don't trust anybody.
We note the particular significance of today's average rate equaling that of September 2007 -- a time when the Federal Reserve began taking steps to spur the economy by slashing interest rates. In September of 2007 the Federal funds rate was 4.75% and the Federal Reserve Board made its first in a series of interest rate cuts that eventually took that rate down to essentially 0%. However, while these cuts initially brought down credit card rates, subsequent events -- including rising defaults and the recently passed Credit CARD Act -- have spurred issuers to bring rates right back up. Credit card rates have come full circle in the last two years, despite the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by almost 5%.
The average credit card rate for non-reward consumer credit cards jumped to 14.27% this month, up from 14.07% in August, while the average rate for credit cards offering rewards increased to 15.87%, up significantly from the 15.39% rate of a month ago.
While the averages listed above attempt to take into account the multiple tiers that many credit card issuers offer, IndexCreditCards.com also tracks the very lowest listed rates, those reserved for customers with the very best credit. As noted, these lower-rate tiers are under attack right now, and the jump in these averages shows it. For the market as a whole, customers with excellent credit are now seeing an average rate of 11.86%, up a full half-point since last month, when this rate was 11.36%. Breaking this average down, the average rate that excellent-credit customers can expect on non-reward cards jumped to 10.94% from 10.13% last month, and increased to 12.25% on reward credit cards, up from 11.89% last month.
Business credit card rates also jumped. The average rate for non-reward business credit cards increased to 13.37%, up from 13.19%, while the average rate for business credit cards with rewards increased to 13.83%, from the previous average of 13.71%.
Strangely enough, there was once again no change in the rates being offered to students -- the average student credit card rate remains at 15.33%, where it has been all summer. Note that this rate is now lower than the average rate for mainstream credit cards. It is hard to say whether we should interpret this to mean that students are now seen as lower risk than older adults, or whether rates are simply being ignored because so few cards are actually being issued to students.
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Not My Founder
Unless you are really into musicals or history, you may not know that there has been a wildly successful musical on Broadway about one of our most important, but not first tier, Founding Fathers aptly named Hamilton (coming soon to a Civic Center near you!). It should come as no shock that this musical was a worlds-colliding situation for me. I mean, I studied BOTH music AND history in college. My historical focus is the US Constitution for Pete's sake!
But I was never really a fan of Hamilton. You know how people say you're either a Beatles person or a Rolling Stones person? Well it's the same for Hamilton and Jefferson, and I am absolutely with Jefferson who was a true Renaissance man. He invented machines, could write beautifully and played the violin. He was an underdog guy, standing up for farmers.
In the opposite corner stood Hamilton. He was an elitist. He considered having a monarchy in the US. He stood up for the bankers and lenders and was pro-British even when they were kidnapping sailors and inciting fights with Native American tribes. I could never be on that guy's side! But the most well-known fact about him to most people is that he was shot by Aaron Burr.
"Aaron Burr," you say. "Yes I do remember that he shot Hamilton." And what else?
Not much. But after reading Hamilton by Ron Chernow and listening to Hamilton on repeat for a few years, I determined it was time to learn more about this man. In looking for a well-researched biography of the man, pickins were slim. In fact I only found one—Nancy Isenberg's Fallen Founder.
Were I doing a book review, I would elaborate on why I did not think the book treated its subject fairly, going so far as to defend some of his more notorious actions. I argued with the book in her characterization of Jefferson, Hamilton and others, feeling they were vilified to bolster her thesis that Aaron Burr was a victim of narrow-minded thinking.
But a more frustrating statement comes right at the top. Fallen Founder?? Since when does Aaron Burr deserve the term "founder?" He was not at the US Constitutional Convention, did not sit in either the First or Second Continental Congress, nor did he argue in state ratifying conventions for the Constitution. He penned no important documents and authored no definitive legislation. He did fight in the Revolutionary War. He deserves the title "veteran" and maybe "war hero," but not "founder."
One doesn't just get to be a Founding Father because they were alive during the Revolutionary and Founding periods. Especially when that person subsequently attempts to raise an extralegal army to provoke a war, and solicits an outside nation for support in that protowar!
On this Independence Day, we have a LOT for which to be grateful in the United States. We should be celebrating the men (because yes they were all men) who founded this nation. Just don't include Burr in that list.
Posted on Thu, July 4, 2019 by Jennifer Seal
Putnam City Schools Foundation
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Welcoming a baby can elicit many powerful emotions. New moms can expect to feel excitement, fear and everything in between. Mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, depression and difficulty sleeping are not at all uncommon and typically start to fade within a couple of weeks of childbirth. However, some women develop serious postpartum depression, characterized by feelings of extreme sadness and anxiety that might interfere with a woman's ability to care for herself or her family. Therapists specializing in postpartum issues can help women struggling with the common, and usually less serious, "baby blues" and those suffering from severe postpartum depression.
I am passionate about this phase in life, and am committed to helping moms through this rocky time. I have been working with women around childbirth for the past 12 years and have advanced training in postpartum and parent/infant psychology.
I have a special interest in supporting women at all stages, but especially through pregnancy and motherhood. I am a member of Postpartum Support International and have additional training in perinatal mental health including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
Postpartum depression and anxiety do not discriminate - estimates show that at least 20% of women who give birth are affected. For too long there has been stigma about postpartum depression/anxiety. I endeavor to validate the experiences of individuals who have adverse experiences related to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.
I was the first male practitioner to work at the postpartum wellness clinic SPHD outside of Chicago. There I specialized in working with both women and men experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety disorders. I use mindfulness-based and interpersonal therapies to help you feel better and be the best self and parent you can be.
In 2015 I completed a year-long training and consultation group focused on perinatal/postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. I approach this work from a holistic perspective, collaborating with you to identify the multiple factors that contribute to your wellbeing during and after pregnancy.
Becoming a mother is the most intense transition a woman can go through in her life. New parents have great stresses on them and relationships and wellness can become taxed when baby arrives. Prioritize your well-being in this time. I can help you identify and tap into support, mend toxic patterns of thought that keep you suffering alone, and help you strengthen your self-belief.
I myself had experience with a postpartum mental health crisis. I experienced postpartum psychosis, and was hospitalized in a mental health facility. Since then, I've written and told my story in several different public settings, and I've forged connections with Baby Blues Connection and Postpartum International, as well as other mothers struggling through similar experiences.
Nearly 1 in 7 women and 1 in 10 men experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder. The symptoms arrive at a time when both the demands and the stakes are high; the last place a postpartum parent wants to be is in a therapist's office. As a mother of 3, I understand. We will balance the exploration of feelings with concrete steps to help you feel better and come to enjoy parenthood.
Life after baby can be an unexpected experience filled with feelings and challenges you may not have anticipated. For some moms, being surrounded by others who may not understand their grief, can further lead them to feel isolated and increase feelings of despair. I am here to let you know that you are not alone, and with the right help, you can get through this challenging time. Reach out today.
I specialize in maternal mental health.
Postpartum mood issues are more common than we talk about. You are not alone. Taking care of you is just as important as taking care of your baby.
The post-partum period challenges people's views of themselves, their careers, their relationships, and who they want to be as a parent. And all on very little sleep. I have worked in a hospital birthing center and NICU and keep an eye toward the practicalities of sleeping, eating, and support, while counseling a woman or couple through the emotional and philosophical changes.
The postpartum period is one of the most sensitive periods in a family\'s life. Major shifts in life experience mingle with the joy of bringing new life into the world and are unsettling for mothers, fathers, and siblings. I have trained to assist you with both the practical and the emotional and can help you smooth out this very important period of transition.
As a mother of two, I understand personally the transition into parenthood. It is an amazing right of passage that is often taken as a matter of course, or celebrated with consumerist ideals. Often though, we find that something is missing, or that it wasn't quite what we had expected. This is normal and I provide a safe and understanding space to work through these feelings.


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How Play-Doh Works
Play-Doh Surfactants and Inhibitors
Amylose helps make Play-Doh compound sturdy and cohesive, but it has one drawback. As a starch-and-water mixture cools, the strands of amylose left in the water bind to each other. This is known as retrogradation, or set back. Retrogradation can cause dough to harden permanently.
For this reason, Play-Doh compound includes a retrogradation inhibitor -- a substance that keeps the amylose strands from sticking together. Play-Doh includes amylopectin or a waxy starch to act as a retrogradation inhibitor.
Extra amylopectin, though, can cause Play-Doh compound to become a sticky paste rather than a smooth gel. For this reason, Play-Doh includes ingredients to improve its texture and consistency -- a lubricant, like mineral oil or vegetable oil, and a surfactant.
You can find surfactants -- also called surface active agents -- in cleaning products in your home. Surfactants are artificially manufactured molecules whose jobs are to suspend substances in water. They can do this because of their unique molecular structure. One end of the surfactant molecule is hydrophilic -- it likes water. The other end is lipophilic -- it likes fats. The lipophilic end is also referred to as being hydrophobic.
In Play-Doh compound, surfactant combines with lubricant to reduce stickiness.
If you add a solution of surfactant and water to a fat, the lipophilic ends of the surfactant molecules will bind to fat molecules. The hydrophilic end of the molecules will bind to nearby water molecules. In this way, the fat becomes suspended in the water. (With different proportions, water could also become suspended in a fat). In Play-Doh compound, surfactants bind to molecules of lubricant and suspend them in the starch-and-water solution. This reduces the compound's stickiness.
So, with this combination of ingredients -- starch, water, retrogradation inhibitor, surfactant and lubricant -- you get a pliable compound that's smooth instead of sticky. The rest of the Play-Doh ingredients fine-tune the dough and give it its color and fragrance. Salt adds some antimicrobial properties and reduces the number of free water molecules. Hardeners and humectants can make the compound harder or moister if needed. Preservative increases the shelf life, and fragrance and color add the final finishing touches. Manufacturing Play-Doh compound essentially requires mixing all of these ingredients together and placing the mixture into sealable containers.
We'll learn about several recipes for making homemade Play-Doh in the next section.
Child's Play or Thievery?
Some people have discovered that Play-Doh can be used to bypass biometric fingerprint scanners. In theory, you could make a mold of a person's finger, fill it with the compound, and use the resulting reproduction to bypass security systems. However, newer systems also measure body temperature or perspiration or conduct other liveness tests to prevent such a security breach from occurring.
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