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Steele City, NE
Keystone Pipeline XL — What They Don't Want You to Know About Steele City
Toni Koraza 2021-05-04
Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash
Would you invest your savings with oil companies?
If you lived in the late 1800s and witnessed the expansion of Standard Oil, you may disagree with the following article. But for the love of our planet, I can't understand why some assume that fossil fuels have a stellar future in the 21st century.
We need more energy than ever before, but we need it from more sustainable sources. I'll do my best to give a balanced overview of why you should ditch love for oil.
A slight detour on how democracy works and why we support it
When self-proclaimed freedom fighters say they don't want an angry mob making all the rules, they fail to realize they're looking at the mirror. Everything in that mirror is flipped, but it's still the same image.
The term "angry mob," just like "death tax," "alternative facts," and "stop the steal," is deliberate propaganda coined in right-wing think tanks with the sole purpose of keeping powerful in power. Democrats have their fair share of these sayings, too, including "war on women" and "state of the planet."
Now, if you ever hear your friends parroting party lines, and they don't profit from the ideas, call them on it. But prepare to deal with extreme emotions. Nobody wants to believe they're a victim of propaganda.
Now that we have this out of the way, this is why "angry mobs" are actually a synonym for social pressure, which is vital for democracy.
Why can't we just enforce laws?
Angry mobs are bad judges. Nobody wants to fall victim to a stampede of unhinged weed-smoking liberals. However, we haven't really seen many unhinged mobs burning and looting our streets, have we?
Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd racked up one billion dollars in collective insurance claims. BLM is the most expensive demonstration in history. Rodney King protests held the prior record with almost 800 million in insurance claims.
However, one hurricane event in Florida can easily dwarf any damage that comes from democracy.
Insurance companies paid $9,132,526,25 between 2018 and 2020 for hurricane damage in Florida. Essentially, global warming is a bigger threat to America than any angry mob out there, but whatever. I digress.
How democracy works in a nutshell:
Bottom-up: Social pressure → Mounting interest → Election Victory→ Legislation → Enforcement.
Top-down: Mounting interest → Propaganda → Social Pressure → Legislation → Enforcement.
So, the angry mob is crucial for creating laws, whether we like it or not. But we can just call them people.
You, I, and Co. Angry mobs are us, only with semantics adjusted to provoke outrage.
Now, I hope you're still with me.
Let's dive into why fossil fuels are not the future.
Biden held his promise on day 1, just like Trump did
Keystone XL was a controversial offshoot of the massive Keystone oil system that would help the Mid-west drown in Canadian black gold.
Obama first refused the proposal for a 1,700-mile pipeline after 7 years of careful consideration. However, Obama streamlined the southern line of Keystone and helped connect the United States with fast-oil delivery.
People from both sides of the aisle dislike Obama's part in this story. The 44th President somehow managed to make enemies with Oil Barons and environmental groups by helping southern states boost jobs in coal and oil industries while stopping the development of an $8 billion project across the Midwest.
Thanks, Obama.
Nevertheless, Keystone XL was halted in 2015 in a landmark victory for grassroots campaigns and indigenous populations living close to Nebraskan Sandhills.
Trump then tried to revive the Keystone XL during his first days in office. He called for TC Energy to resubmit the proposal for building The Keystone XL pipeline extension. The pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of oil each day from Alberta, Canada, all the way to Steele City in Nebraska, where the pipeline connects to the Keystone grid.
Trump's administration approved the project, quoting thousands of new jobs that could be created alongside Midwestern states, most notably for towns and villages with aging populations.
Steele City had 61 residents at the time, respectfully.
Trump's plan failed. He lost the elections. Environmental groups have all sided with Democrats, staking their future on supporting the winning side in these elections. Oil companies have also done the same, siding with the Republican party. We know who won this round.
What happened on Biden's first day in the office? The 46th president revoked all permits on Keystone XL Pipeline and placed a moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The oil lobby wasn't happy with Biden's decisions and his prerogative.
"Killing 10,000 jobs and taking $2.2 billion in payroll out of workers' pockets is not what Americans need or want right now," said Andy Black, the CEO of the Association of Oil Pipe Lines.
Now. Let's say that both sides are equally bad and just adhering to higher capital and interest.
Each group has its backers and authority. This is essential American politics.
Biden has more than one solid reason to pivot in the energy race
Innovation is the bedrock of American prosperity
China has leaped ahead in all renewable energy sectors
America is less reliant on Fossil fuels now ( -5% drop since 2009)
Environmental hazard control is insanely expensive
Keystone Phase 1 suffered 12 spills in its first year
Renewable energy sectors produce high- paying jobs
Biden's voters and backers care about climate change
Renewable energy consultants are some of the most sought-after professionals in America, with salaries starting in the comfortable 6-figures.
On the flip side, the world is projected to use more oil in the short run. Oil jobs are real. The planet is now home to almost 8billion people who all need fossil fuels to survive. Oil demand is on the rise, but that's not where the opportunity lies.
Investors buy something because of its future appeal, not historic. Oil has created the world we live in today, but it's not the future. Biden's administration is making sure that renewable sectors catch up with technology and development. Renewables may take decades to dethrone fossil fuels as the primary source of energy. Oil and coal industries have centuries of technology, culture, and development behind them.
The whole world runs on fossil fuels in the same way everybody rode horses back in the day.
First cars were expensive, and it took decades before Ford introduced something for the middle class. He eventually did create a car and helped common people gain more freedom with their commute. Rarely anyone rides a horse to work nowadays.
Renewable energy is the new direction.
How did this happen? First, the green industry is less of an underdog than many would assume. Environmental groups are not some fringe yippies that had one acid tab too many. The Clean energy lobby is gaining ground at a remarkable pace.
Second, Biden seems to be more relentless in reinstating America as the global energy leader than any president in history. He's probably chasing his legacy with money from green energy sectors. This is capitalism at its best.
Now, let's go back to the question, would you invest your savings with the fossil fuels industry?
Would you buy ExxonMobil and BP for your kid's college fund?
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Home About Endowed Lectureships
Generous alumni and friends of the Department of Philosophy have made possible four different endowed lectureship funds. Each year, the campus community is invited to hear prominent philosophers speak on their work and on the current applications of philosophical study.
Elton Lecture
The Elton Lectureship, along with the Elton Professorship, was endowed by Romeo Elton, a professor of classics at Brown University. Elton was a good friend of William Staughton, the first president of the original Columbian College before it became the George Washington University. The Elton Lecture is delivered annually on a philosophical subject of general public interest.
Watch the 2023 Elton Lecture
Griffith Lecture
The Griffith Lectureship honors William B. Griffith, former professor and chair of the Philosophy Department. The lectureship was formerly named after Thomas Goutman, BA '76, a distinguished attorney and benefactor of the department. The Griffith Lecture was renamed at Goutman's request and is delivered annually on a subject related to ethics, social and political philosophy or public affairs.
Watch the 2022 Griffith Lecture
Thacher Lecture
The Thacher Lectureship was established in 2003 through the financial support of Michael Thacher, BA '70, a former public affairs manager for global energy company Unocal Corporation. The Thacher Lecture is offered annually on a subject related to cognitive science, epistemology, logic, or philosophy of science and technology.
Watch the 2022 Thacher Lecture
Sophia Lecture
This lecture series was funded by an anonymous GW Philosophy Department alumna to support early to mid-career women and/or philosophers from minority groups. As a philosophy professor herself, this alumna wished to recognize the excellent scholarship of younger women through a public lecture that would help advance their careers. The Sophia Lecture aims to inspire other philosophy departments to likewise showcase the scholarship of women and minority philosophers.
Watch the 2022 Sophia Lecture
Upcoming Endowed Lectures
Thacher Endowed Lecture
Past Endowed Lectures
Elton Endowed Lecture
Friday, 1/27/2023, 9:00pm - 11:59pm
Sophia Endowed Lecture
Friday, 11/18/2022, 9:00pm - 11:59pm
Bailey Thomas delivered the GW Philosophy Department's 2022 Sophia Lecture
Griffith Endowed Lecture
Alex Voorhoeve
Friday, 11/4/2022, 8:00pm - 11:59pm
2022 Elton Lecture: Lewis R. Gordon
Friday, 4/8/2022, 4:00pm - 11:59pm
2022 Thacher Lecture: Elisabeth Camp
2022 Sophia Lecture: Emma Velez
2021 Griffith Lecture: Manuel Vargas
2020 Elton Lecture: Sally Haslanger
2018 Griffith Lecture: Taking Responsibility for Racial Violence: Shooting the Racist Imagination
Thursday, 4/26/2018, 8:00pm - 11:59pm
2018 Elton Lecture: Rorty and Post-Post Truth

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Fezler passes away at age 69
By Jim McCabe, PGATOUR.COM
Forrest Fezler's lone win came in his 92nd PGA TOUR start, the 1974 Southern Open. (PGA TOUR)
There will be those views from afar, held by those armed with statistics and the obligatory memory of an on-course clothing statement during a U.S. Open, that don't quite do justice to the memory of Forrest Fezler. "Those people just don't know," said Roger Maltbie, who is in possession of the view that counts the most, the up-close-and-very-personal one.
"But I do know. I saw him as a kid, and I know he was a hell of a player."
Maltbie paused, absorbing the news that had just been confirmed to him – that Fezler, his friend for more than 50 years and the former high school teammate he looked up to, had died. Having waged a battle with brain cancer, Fezler was 69 when he died Dec. 21 in Tallahassee, Fla., where he had lived since the late 1970s.
"To be honest," said Maltbie, "it feels like a huge part of me kind of died, too. I'm at a loss. He meant the world to me in a lot of ways."
That sentiment was shared by former PGA TOUR player Kenny Knox, who also confirmed Fezler's death. "He was the greatest guy I've ever met," said Knox, a three-time PGA TOUR winner.
Not lost on Maltbie and Knox was the fact Fezler died of glioblastoma, the same type of cancer to the brain that killed Bruce Lietzke earlier this summer. So, if it feels like a second kick in the gut to those who remember those PGA TOUR days of the 1970s and '80s, Maltbie and Knox can commiserate because it's been a tough run.
What's important to Maltbie is that the lasting memory of Fezler isn't of sweltering heat at Oakmont Country Club in 1983, the day his friend from the east side of San Jose, Calif., decided to go into a portable toilet on the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open and come out wearing a pair of shorts. "I still hear it two or three times a week," Fezler told Gary Van Sickle for a golf.com story in 2015. "They say, 'Oh, you're the guy who wore shorts."
He did so not because he was a maverick or in search of the spotlight; heck, he was T-50 that year and since it happened on the very last hole, Fezler slipped out of Oakmont CC with very little fanfare. No, there was a point to be made, Fezler insisted, though it would be a few years before the real story came out. By then, Fezler had been supported by fellow competitors John Brodie and John Schroeder, both of whom were witnesses to what was deemed unfair officiating during the 1981 U.S. Open. The story was told of Fezler's shot out of a ravine at Merion's 16th hole and how because it was a blind approach and such thick rough, the players searched for nearly five minutes. Watching from the greenside, U.S. Golf Association chief executive P.J. Boatwright never told the group that Fezler's golf ball was 10 feet from him, at least not until Fezler asked the official if he had seen it.
When Boatwright threatened slow-play penalties to the trio, Fezler stood up to him, as did Brodie and Schroeder. The penalties were withdrawn, but two years later, Fezler didn't deny that his final U.S. Open was going to include a statement. It came in front of thousands who were lining the 18th hole at Oakmont and got him one last audience with a USGA executive.
"He said, 'Forrest, this is the best thing I've ever seen in my life,' " Fezler reminisced to Van Sickle. "Sign your card and get the hell out of here."
Yes, Maltbie can get a chuckle out of the memory – especially knowing Fezler always did – but he has a wider view of his friend's life and offers a perspective that is layers-thick in respect. First and foremost, Maltbie suggests the PGA TOUR playing record – just one win in 390 tournaments, the bulk of which were played between 1972 and 1984 – doesn't do Fezler's talent justice.
"He was such a good player as a young man, but he got compromised when a surgically-repaired wrist was not done right and never allowed him to do what he needed to do with the golf club," said Maltbie.
Fezler's only win came in his 92nd PGA TOUR start, the 1974 Southern Open at the tail end of his third full season. Then 24, Fezler on the strength of 70-68-68 started the final day in fourth place, one behind a trio of leaders, J.C. Snead, Tommy Aaron and Ben Crenshaw. With a sizzling 65 – 271, he won by one over Snead and Bruce Crampton at Green Island CC in Columbus, Ga., but of course, always, there's a story behind the story.
"The 17th hole at Green Island, a par-3, was impossible if you went over the green," said Knox, still laughing at the memory of J.C. Snead feathering a baby 5-iron hole high, a ploy that led Fezler to think he needed at least a 5- or 6-iron. Naturally, "Forrest hit it over the green and J.C. and Crampton figured they had him."
Only Fezler miraculously pitched it onto a green that sloped dramatically back-to-front and the ball struck the flagstick and dropped. The improbable birdie provided his only PGA TOUR win and "Fezler divorces bridesmaid tag," is one headline that appeared in a newspaper the next day. To reporters, Fezler didn't deny that he was having doubts about his PGA TOUR career. "I was getting an image. People were saying I was a bridesmaid, or that I choked. I began to think that I would never win. (But) the first one is so hard to win."
Surprising many, there never would be a second victory and Maltbie is among those who has a difficult time rationalizing that. But he insists that the wrist injury seriously curtailed Fezler's career. That it was Maltbie (five wins and $2.2m in prize money during a career that stretched over 520 tournaments) who had the better PGA TOUR career of these two San Jose kids leaves him shaking his head.
"He was a junior (at James Lick High School) when I was a freshman and he beat my butt every day," Maltbie said. "He stuffed Johnny Miller in the California State Amateur one year. If I had one piece of luck as a kid, it's that I was blessed to challenge myself to try and play as good as him every day."
Knox doesn't discount the wrist injury, but he played a ton of golf with Fezler and insists "his putting held him back; he was a George Knudson-type of guy, a great striker, and even in his 60s he hit was hitting further and straighter and better than ever . . . but his putting failed him."
Born Sept. 23, 1949, in Hayward, Calif., Fezler, like Maltbie, was raised in San Jose and after high school attended San Jose City College before turning pro in 1970. (One sidelight that used to make him laugh: He was backup quarterback to heralded Jim Plunkett, but in high school, not college. When reporters mistakenly spread the story that Fezler played at Stanford behind Plunkett, he got a kick out of that. Wikipedia still reports that Fezler "later attended Stanford University.)
Fezler began his PGA TOUR career in 1972 and for each of his first seven years ranked within the top 90 on the money list. His best season was 1973 when he finished 13th thanks to three second-place finishes that contributed to the perception that he was a "bridesmaid."
Arguably the most memorable of eight career runner-ups was "The Massacre at Winged Foot," the infamous U.S. Open of 1974 when Fezler stood on the 72nd tee just one off the lead. "But I didn't know it, or I might have been nervous," he once conceded. Hale Irwin, playing behind Fezler, bogeyed the 15th and 16th to add drama, but when Fezler bogeyed the final hole to shoot 70 for 9-over 289, Irwin finished par-par to win by two.
When the U.S. Open returned to a tamer Winged Foot in 1984, Fezler was already into his walk-away from the PGA TOUR. He told a reporter years later that 34 was too early to quit, but he came to hate the traveling, the strain it put on his first marriage, the pressure to compete against younger players who didn't even know him or his pedigree. There were two factors in play: One, the torn tendons in his left wrist were just too big a hurdle, and two, the burning desire to get his hands dirty was a challenge he wanted a piece of. Always, Fezler had harbored a passion for golf-course design and when he befriended acclaimed designer Mike Strantz, a remarkable partnership was born.
Fezler once told Terry Frei of The Denver Post: "(Mike Strantz) said the best way to learn how to be a designer is to put a shovel in your hand. I started that way and I can't get a shovel out of my hands."
Maltbie remembered working a TV shoot for NBC at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club outside of Myrtle Beach, S.C., many years ago. "I was fascinated by the place and took a golf cart out to get a better look," said Maltbie. "I saw some guy in a big hole, tossing dirt out with a shovel and when I drove by, I heard, 'Hey, Roger.'
"I looked down, saw this guy covered in dirt and it was Forrest. I stopped, we talked, and that was him – he loved to get his hands dirty, he loved that work."
On an impressive list of heralded Strantz work, Monterey Peninsula Country Club's Shore Course stands out, and Fezler stayed in touch with club officials, even after his friend's death in 2005, just to make sure the layout remains true to the designer's vision.
On the home page of his company website – fezlergolfservices.com – Forrest Fezler offered a remembrance of Strantz. "A true artist he was. Like most architects, he walked the land to get a feel of the charm of the property. But Mike had a talent like no other."
Maltbie and Knox would both agree with the assessment, only to add that their friend Forrest Fezler was similarly gifted. "I can tell you that the last time I saw him, they were moving a bed into his living room so Forrest could sit up and watch golf on TV," said Knox. "Forrest just loved the game."
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Farmville é uma cidade  localizada no estado norte-americano de Carolina do Norte, no Condado de Pitt.

Demografia
Segundo o censo norte-americano de 2000, a sua população era de 4302 habitantes.
Em 2006, foi estimada uma população de 4538, um aumento de 236 (5.5%).

Geografia
De acordo com o United States Census Bureau tem uma área de
8,0 km², dos quais 8,0 km² cobertos por terra e 0,0 km² cobertos por água. Farmville localiza-se a aproximadamente 23 m acima do nível do mar.

Localidades na vizinhança
O diagrama seguinte representa as localidades num raio de 20 km ao redor de Farmville.

Ligações externas

Cidades da Carolina do Norte

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


WASHINGTON (AP/WUSA) -- The Justice Department says FedEx Corp. will pay $8 million to settle allegations that company couriers falsely blamed increased security following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks for delivery delays on... Read more.
FedEx Corp. has agreed to pay the federal government $8 million to resolve allegations the company misused delivery codes to excuse couriers from failing to deliver overnight packages in a timely fashion.
The whistleblower suit... Read more.
A whistleblower has alleged that FedEx "used 9/11 to profit," defrauding the government by falsely blaming security delays related to the terror attacks for slow deliveries and then failing to pay penalties for packages that arrived late... Read more.


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Milwaukee students listen to Pope Francis' speech to Congress
Students at Marquette University High School watched as Pope Francis addressed a joint session of Congress."I hope that people actually take his words to heart and actually think about it," Alec Phillippe said. "Not just be excited about him being here, but be more excited about what he's coming here for and what he wants to tell us."Some were concerned the pope's message would take on a political tone, but students at the school did not hear it that way."To me, it's not really a right or left problem," Nate Cera said. "It's really what Jesus teaches to us, and I don't think he's really paying attention to what the left or right said. He's just trying to teach what Jesus says and I think that speaks to the core of all people."
Students at Marquette University High School watched as Pope Francis addressed a joint session of Congress.
"I hope that people actually take his words to heart and actually think about it," Alec Phillippe said. "Not just be excited about him being here, but be more excited about what he's coming here for and what he wants to tell us."
Some were concerned the pope's message would take on a political tone, but students at the school did not hear it that way.
"To me, it's not really a right or left problem," Nate Cera said. "It's really what Jesus teaches to us, and I don't think he's really paying attention to what the left or right said. He's just trying to teach what Jesus says and I think that speaks to the core of all people."


Earl �Tootie� Joseph Chauvin, 86, a native and resident of Chauvin, died at 3:35 a.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2008.
Funeral service was held at noon today at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Chauvin with a Military Service at 11 a.m. today and burial in St. Elie Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Jennie Lapeyrouse Chauvin; one son, Eugene Chauvin and wife, Lucille M. Chauvin; one daughter, Earline C. Watson and husband, Daryle; one brother, Elward �Sonny� Chauvin; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clay J. and Louise Chatagnier Chauvin; one brother, Elton �Peter� Chauvin; three sisters, Eleanor Charpentier, Elry LeBoeuf and Elma Boudreaux; and one great-granddaughter.
He was a member of the VFW, American Legion and Knights of Columbus. He was an Eucharistic Minister.


Academics, postdocs and PhDs at the SPANGL4Q kick-off meeting in Wuerzburg, 22nd March 2012.
From left to right: Alex Greilich, Ilya Akimov (TU Dortmund), Vladimir Kulakovskii (ISSP- RAS), Alex Huggenberger (Uni Wuerzburg), Andrei Maksimov (ISSP-RAS), Kirill Kavokin (Ioffe Inst), Sven Höfling (Uni Wuerzburg), Christian Schneider (Uni Wuerzburg), John Rarity (Uni Bristol), Ruth Oulton (Uni Bristol), Sebastian Meier (Uni Wuerzburg) , Kobus Kuipers (AMOLF), Arthur Thijssen (Uni Bristol), Martin Garcia-Lopez (Uni Bristol).
An inaugaural visit to SOLAB by the Coordinator and Bristol students to kick-start scientific collaborations occured in September 2013.
Also in the picture is a tunable TiSp laser and a closed-cycle cooled cryostat for a newly equipped state-of-the-art spin-noise measurement.


Denver District Attorney Beth McCann has formally charged a man in connection with the shooting death of another man on New Year's Eve day.
Jared Chavez (dob: 08-25-1992) is charged with one count of murder in the first degree (F1). The charge was direct-filed yesterday in Denver District Court.
In the early morning hours of December 31, 2017, Chavez is accused of shooting at and killing 35-year-old Junior Izaguirre Gamez in the parking lot of Dandy Dan's club in the 200 block of S. Federal Boulevard as Mr. Gamez and friends left the club.
Chavez is being held without bond in Denver city jail. He is scheduled to appear on January 10, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. in district courtroom 4G for advisement.


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The Simpsons introduces a new boyfriend for Smithers, without punching down—or up
In "Portrait Of A Lackey On Fire," Smithers makes a real love connection with a character voiced by Victor Garber
KT Hawbaker
Image: Fox
Centered on the ticky-tacky marriage of Homer and Marge, The Simpsons is still perhaps one of the most hetero TV shows out there. It's also pure and certain comfort at this point, which is why I have rewatched so much of it during the pandemic. For 33 seasons, the cartoon has been microwave popcorn and Mountain Dew. To that end, I don't expect Springfield to destroy gender or feature any fully realized, dildo-wielding femmes, but I do expect the familiarity and warmth of an after-school snack.
That's not to say The Simpsons is without its cruelties. When queerness does emerge on the show, it's historically at the expense of Waylon Smithers (Harry Shearer), Mr. Burns' long-abused personal assistant. Mr. Smithers' attraction to Mr. Burns is a poorly kept secret throughout early seasons, with the writers exploiting his gay shame in the name of frat-boy humor. In season four's "Marge Gets A Job," Mr. Smithers has a romantic vision of Mr. Burns flying into his bedroom window at night. Here, queer desire is coded as grotesque and pathetic, a reflection of how broadcast TV generally painted LGBTQ+ lives at the time.
Thankfully, three decades of different writers and politics have changed Smithers' place on the show. In more recent seasons, his sexuality has become an open part of the narrative. The series' latest episode, "Portrait Of A Lackey On Fire," accomplishes what it sets out to: For 15 minutes, Mr. Smithers has a boyfriend who treats him well without his sexuality being a punchline. The story is as safe as a Pride parade with the sweetness of an old-school drag show. Imagine a set of straight parents who are trying their best to support and bond with their gay child. That's the vibe—we're not gonna get a vibrator.
The first act of the episode begins at Mr. Burns' mansion, where a new litter of "the hounds" have just been born: "Four boys, three girls, and, uh, one who would prefer not to be labeled yet." Mr. Burns (also Shearer) tasks Smithers with their training, which involves using Homer (Dan Castellaneta) as an attack dummy. As the puppies chew up Homer, Smithers bemoans his unrequited love for his boss.
The B-plot takes off as Mr. Burns then discovers a jigsaw puzzle sent by Warren Buffett and tries to make heads or tails of it. His slow understanding of the puzzle he's putting together reemerges throughout the episode to add a bit of on-brand, aloof humor. It's expectedly charming.
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Meanwhile, Homer discovers Smithers crying alone in a dog kennel, longing for companionship and love. Homer offers encouragement, and after reviewing the dating profiles on "U.S. Male Service" (which features a quick rundown of all the gay characters featured throughout the show), decides to play queer matchmaker for Smithers ("I'm gonna find you a man-Marge!"). The "ally" playing haphazard wingman is a well-worn device in the sitcom world: Sex And The City and The Office, among many others. It's used as a way of assuring viewers that their main characters are straight but not narrow.
Mr. Burns pawns off the murderous puppies to other corrupt businessmen, shaming the one friendly dog left behind. A smooth fashion designer named Michael de Graaf (guest star Victor Garber) steps up to adopt the pet, casually identifying himself as gay and giving Homer the opportunity to set up Smithers. An opposites-attract connection comes out as the two men click and embark on a passionate, open love affair.
This nearly seamless visibility implies that Springfield embraces Smithers' sexuality and wants to see him happy. It also gives the writers a chance to further flesh out the supporting cast while making good on the series' earlier mistreatment of queer characters, including Smithers. In fact, the real clown here is Luigi's homophobic mother, who gets her own queer arc. "Lackey" has been billed erroneously as the first time Smithers has had a real relationship, but it's actually his second; he got together with Julio (originally voiced by Hank Azaria, now voiced by Tony Rodriguez) in season 27's "The Burns Cage."
However, much of the episode's sweetness comes from behind the scenes. Written by the father-and-son duo of Rob and Johnny LaZebnik, the episode served as a bonding experience as Rob brought in Johnny, an openly gay man, to add his lived perspective to the production's themes. The younger LaZebnik, who never formally came out to his parents but received boatloads of unwavering support from his family, grew up with his father writing for the show and intuitively understands how it can evolve without patronizing its audience. The result is still very much The Simpsons, but it's a punch across instead of a punch down—the writers now know how to make fun of Mr. Smithers without dehumanizing him. We get big PFLAG energy without the franchise losing its salt.
That's quite an accomplishment. Does it imperfectly operate on stereotypes? Sure, and it's clear that showrunner Al Jean and his team are trying to figure out how to balance that part of The Simpsons' flavor with their own progressive political values. "Portrait Of A Lackey On Fire" is ultimately a winning story because it treats Smithers with the same special blend of ridicule and tenderness it bestows upon the straight characters.
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Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by Doug Lord, Feb 10, 2016.
Windsurfing foil youtube returns 52,400 results. Are you going to post them all?
Well that would be going to far, easy to look up yourself.
The point is that simply posting videos from YouTube is a bit pointless.
I expect that most of the people who visit here know that hydrofoiling boats have been around for over 100 years, however recent improvements in the cost and accessibility of high strength composites means they can be reasonably cheaply attached to all sorts of marine craft. That, combined with cheap, high resolution video cameras and a forum like YouTube, means there are now also thousands of reasonably slick, high–quality videos to watch. But after the first few they are all very much the same.
In regard to the posted video, the interesting facet for me is that sailboard design has changed far more than foil design. Even comparing foiling kiteboards to 30 year old stunt water ski foilers shows remarkable similarity, the notable difference is the kite, not the foil.
The biggest recent advance in sailing hydrofoils has been the inward–facing J, L, Z, whatever boards developed for catamarans that have been reversed to outward facing for monohulls. But even their application is limited to high–performance craft, so great to look at and fun to sail but irrelevant to the vast majority of boat owners and passengers.
If the Windrider Rave V ever gets its marine version of a sonic tube working, maybe that will be another step forward. But it's not looking good at the moment.
When we were working on the rule, we knew you wanted to get as much lift as possible when you were going fast downwind," Melvin says. "For instance, in the 2010 America's Cup, sailed on giant multihulls, the maximum amount of lift we thought we could get was about 50% of the weight of the boat. At that time, we were still relying on the hull to provide pitch control, so what's come out of this is the boats all now have elevators (the horizontal foils on the rudders).
Not reversed at all-the physics of the way the IMOCA foils operate is nearly identical to the way an UptiP foil operates with respect to leeway. But entirely different with respect to lift: the uptip foils are unique because of their ability to control the flight altitude of the boat they are attached to with leeway coupling. Since the IMOCA boats are not foilers(they don't fly above the water) the altitude is irrelevant but the foil assist lift -similar to DSS foils- generates substantial additional righting moment as well as reducing the displacement of the boat.
There is absolutely no reason why these foils need be limited to "high performance" boats-"foil assist" ,particularly retractable versions of DSS, can be used on cruising boats as well as high performance boats.
Reversed in the sense that they protrude outward, away from the hull, not inward.
Except that hydrofoils are expensive, more complex to operate than a fixed keel (or even ballasted centerboard), encroach into interior space, are a maintenance headache, especially if the boat is left in the water for more than a few days (most cruising boats spend at least weeks at a time in the water and usually 12 months or so), and only offer benefits on a small range of sailing angles.
Most cruising boats spend at least half their time under power, either fully or sail–assisted, because conditions are unfavourable. The conditions under which they can make any use of hydrofoils might occur 10% of their transit time, which is a tiny percentage of the time the boat spends on the water.
So while retractable foils can be used on cruising boats, the incentives to do so are hugely outweighed by the deterrents.
DSS foils don't encroach into interior space-they fit under the cabin sole and take up zero room in living accommodations. Maintenance is not a problem since the board is easily accessible.
Do you have any photos or videos that you could post?


The Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device is a unique and versatile anti-perching device that will protect virtually any surface but is specifically designed to protect surfaces that require regular maintenance. The Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device is a spider-shaped deterrent with a rotating head from which fine stainless steel wire 'arms' protrude. This product is manufactured and distributed by a company in the United States called Bird-B-Gone.
The unit is mounted on a UV protected polycarbonate base and comes in three sizes; 1.25 metre diameter, 1.8 metre diameter and 2.5 metre diameter. Each model will protect a circular area equivalent to the spread of its 'arms'.
The stainless steel 'arms' are constructed from extremely thin wire and as a result move and wave freely in the wind. When a bird attempts to land on the surface protected by the device, its feet will touch the 'arms' resulting in the bird feeling unsafe and aborting its landing. The 'arms' should extend slightly over the area to be protected (2" is recommended by one supplier) to ensure that birds cannot perch on the edge of the surface. If more than one unit is installed the 'arms' of each unit should just touch each other.
The Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device can be used to protect a wide variety of surfaces including street lights, air conditioning units, grain silos, flat roofs, boats and virtually any other surface. Although the product is relatively expensive compared to industry standard products such as the anti-roosting spike, its main application is intended to be hard to protect areas such as a domed street light housing or the roof of grain silo where conventional products may be less effective. As the Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device requires no maintenance and is simple and quick to install the product will have particular appeal to those wishing to undertake a DIY installation. The product would also be ideal for mounting in areas where access is difficult or expensive.
The Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device is virtually invisible when viewed from a distance mainly due to the extremely thin stainless steel 'arms' and the white plastic base and head. When mounted against the skyline the unit is almost impossible to see. The plastic base and head are made from a material called delrin, a frictionless material that allows the base and head to rotate freely. The only disadvantage of delrin is that the material is resistant to glue so an acrylic mounting plate is supplied with each Daddi Long Legs so that it can be screwed to the base of the unit. The acrylic plate is then adhered to the surface to be protected with a strong adhesive. Alternatively the base of the hub can be screwed directly to the surface to be protected with stainless steel screws.
In areas where high maintenance regimes are necessary or where constant human access is required, the Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device is ideal due to the fact that the 'head' can be de-mounted from the base unit whilst maintenance takes place. Once maintenance is completed the head is simply re-attached to the base unit. The only other 'reversible' product on the market is the anti-roosting spike which can also be removed and replaced with ease when access is required.
The Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device is highly recommended for specialist installations such as pleasure craft in marinas where problems with gulls and pigeons are common and where conventional products are often inappropriate. Several ingenious adaptors are available to fix Daddi Long Legs to commonly-used perching places on boats. A railing mount is available to attach the unit to safety railings around the boat with a quick-release screw so that the unit can be de-mounted quickly and easily. A 'boat mount' is also available that allows the unit to be attached to almost any area of a boat with bungee cords or rope – examples of where the adaptor might be used to great effect is on a coiled sail or horizontal mast. Finally, for all areas where the 'boat mount' and the railing clamp cannot be used, a 'sandbag base' is available. The sandbag base is simply a weighted bag of sand to which the unit can be easily attached.
Another example of where the Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device can be used to protect an area often used by birds but difficult to protect is a flat roof. The roofs of single storey extensions are commonly used by garden birds and pigeons as a vantage point to exploit food provided on bird tables. Flat roofs are also used extensively by seagulls for the purpose of nesting. Most roofs, particularly felt roofs, are difficult to access and damage can be caused by constant human access to clean-up bird excrement. Daddi Long Legs can be adapted for installation on flat roofs and once installed, requires no maintenance. Daddi Long Legs can be installed on a flat roof by placing paving slabs on the roof at required intervals and then attaching the unit to the slab. The unit can be attached to the slab by drilling 3 holes into the slab, inserting a raw plug into each hole and then fixing with the stainless steel screws supplied. The base unit is ready drilled with three holes for the purpose. The units can then be moved as required, whilst still attached to the slabs, to ensure that the required protection and coverage is achieved. Alternatively the head can be detached from the base unit and then re-installed.
The Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device is not discussed on the DEFRA website.
To date we have been unable to find any user reviews for Daddi Long Legs but we will update this section as and when user reviews are made available to us. If you are able to provide a user review for Daddi Long Legs please contact the Pigeon Control Resource Centre.
Daddi Long Legs is a unique and versatile anti-roosting product that has its main application in difficult to protect and difficult to access areas. Its main advantage is that it is simple and easy to install and most installations can be undertaken without the need to instruct a specialist contractor. The product is as appropriate for residential and 'home' installations as it is for large-scale commercial applications, although the cost of the unit is always going to be an issue where the protection of large areas is concerned. Daddi Long Legs is also ideal for specialist applications such as boats or ships and can be fitted to virtually any surface.
Daddi Long Legs is a low visibility product and therefore has considerable appeal for those needing to protect an area where aesthetics are an issue. Any bird deterrent or anti-perching device that blends in with the architecture of the building or site concerned is highly sought after but many of the products that fall into this category, such as nylon bird netting, are often prohibitively expensive and can degrade very rapidly. The Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device is ideal for installations against the skyline, such as the roof of a grain silo, where the product is virtually invisible from the ground. The product is also ideal for difficult to protect architectural features due to its low visibility and versatility where installation is concerned. The optional installation products such as the sandbag, railing clamp and boat clamp will allow the product to be installed on to most surfaces with relative ease. Ease of installation also means that the product can be removed quickly and easily should access to the area or surface be required. The only other anti-perching product on the market that offers this degree of versatility is the anti-roosting spike.
Daddi Long Legs is ideal for specialist applications such as the protection of boats in marinas or boatyards. Historically gulls and pigeons have been a constant nuisance for boat owners and those managing marinas and boatyards with the only control options being the use of sonic or noise-related devices. These devices may, in part, be effective against gulls outside the breeding season (distress call-related devices are ineffective during the breeding season) but are completely ineffective against pigeons. Daddi Long Legs, however, is an excellent choice for the protection virtually any area of a boat with the added benefit that the product can be quickly and easily removed when not required and then reinstalled when the boat returns to the marina. The fact that the product is white (as are most boats) and is more or less invisible against the skyline further lends itself to this application.
One of the most difficult areas of any building to protect is a flat roof. Nylon netting is commonly recommended and used for this application by contractors. Nylon netting is expensive, invasive to install, has the potential to trap birds and often degrades quickly requiring regular maintenance. The Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device is quick and easy to install on flat roofs and has the added advantage that once installed the product requires no maintenance. Should access to the roof be required for any reason the 'head' can be removed and replaced easily as can the whole unit if necessary, assuming that it has been attached to a paving slab as is recommended for this application.
Daddi Long Legs may be expensive relative to low visibility anti-perching products that achieve the same goal, but the product certainly has validity as a stand-alone device for use in hard to protect areas. If Daddi Long Legs is compared directly with a product such as nylon netting, however, there is no doubt that once installation and maintenance cost associated with the installation of netting are taken into consideration, Daddi Long Legs would be the more cost effective option. If used in conjunction with anti-roosting spikes the combination of the two products will often be all that is required to comprehensively proof a building, particularly where aesthetics are an issue or where invasive bird exclusion products are forbidden, such as on many grade listed buildings. The benefits and flexibility of the Daddi Long Legs anti-bird device appear to outweigh any disadvantages associated with the initial cost of purchasing the unit.


In my previous experiences I found that rockets and snipers are highly effective but when shooting them watch out for approaching defense units so you don't get hoarded.
Ok dododex, it's been forever; WHERE'S OUR ATTACK DRONE PIC?! You can get a pic for the freakin Overseer, but can't get one for the attack drone?


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Home / India News / Bihar: Thousands form human chain for de-addiction, govt claims world record
Bihar: Thousands form human chain for de-addiction, govt claims world record
Bihar claimed to have forged a world record on Saturday as tens of thousands of people came together in support of prohibition, forming a chain which the ruling JD(U) said stretched for more than 11,000 kms across 38 districts.
College students make a human chain to promote prohibition of liquor in Patna on Friday.(PTI Photo)
Updated on Jan 21, 2017 07:46 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Patna | ByMammen Mathew
Officials said three Isro satellites, four trainer aircraft, choppers and 40 drones filmed the entire event played out over 3,000 km of National Highways and 8,285 km of state highways and roads.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who kept a poll promise by announcing total prohibition on April 5 last, led the landmark event which was also attended by RJD chief Lalu Prasad and state Congress chief Ashok Choudhury.
"The human chain made of some 2.5 crore (25 million) of its 11 crore (110 million) population holding hands has broken a Guinness world record, set up in 2004 in Bangladesh, which extended across 10,000 km," said Ajay Alok, spokesperson of the JD(U).
It was, however, not immediately verifiable.
Bihar chief minister meets school students after making a massive human chain against alcoholism and other addictions at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. (PTI Photo)
The chain was billed as a social message against addiction, and specifically in favour of prohibition,
Despite opposition from many, the Kumar government has clamped down severely on anyone found violating the ban.
Education department officials, who anchored the event, said an estimated 1.57 crore government school children, 4 lakh teachers, 5 lakh college students and 70 lakh self-help group women, powered the event, besides some 1.70 lakh Anganwadi workers among others.
People make a state level human chain to support liquor prohibition called by CM Nitish Kumar in Patna on Saturday. (PTI Photo)
The state had got 1.20 crore families of students to sign a document supporting prohibition last September. However, BJP leaders, who had congregated for the party's state executive meeting in Siwan, played down the event, describing it as the government's "spider web to distract people from the failing law and order situation".
Citizens make a human chain to support liquor prohibition. (PTI Photo)
Union minister Giriraj Singh said he refused to participate in the event though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on January 5 praised the resilience of the chief minister in initiating this "brave move". Tibet's spiritual leader, The Dalai Lama, had also praised the measure on January 13.


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'An Injury' at the Ovalhouse: Consumerism and Complicity
Posted by Matilda Payne | Aug 11, 2017 | Performance, Spotlight
Anyone who has spent any length of time on the internet in the past few years is highly likely to have come across the phrase "there is no ethical consumption under capitalism". This is usually accompanied by some terrifying graphic which show dozens of smaller brands that are all in fact subsidiaries of some behemoth like Nestlé or Coca Cola. The idea is that essentially, no matter how much you try to avoid the big bad wolves of consumerism – those companies pouring oil into the ocean or ripping out the rainforest – you end up lining their pockets anyway. In modern society unless you decide to go live in a cave in the woods, sustaining yourself on nothing but the fruits of nature, we're all collaborators in the violence of capitalism. Whilst An Injury – a new play from Kieran Hurley – extends it's focus it a little further, looking more closely at the effects of our continuing involvement in the Middle East, it's enduring message is that no matter how much distance we try to put between ourselves and the actions perpetrated on our behalf abroad; we are all complicit.
It's been a long time since I've seen a piece of such pared back theatre, the set nothing more than four chairs and an ambiguous hanging block which looked both brain-like and decidedly faecal. The room itself was stiflingly warm and a little smoky, which didn't feel completely inappropriate for the subject matter. The play looks at the story of a drone pilot, a data entry administrator, an aspiring political journalist, and a nine-year old Arabic girl. Four actors (Khalid Abdalla, Julia Taudevin, Yusra Warsama, and Alex Austin) take turns playing each character, leaning on body language to maintain a unifying sense of personality – an impressive feat which they all achieve with varying levels of success. Each brought something a little different to their portrayal, a touch more vulnerability here or an added layer of desperation there. I had my favourites for each; Taudevin brought a believable sense of resigned duty to the drone pilot, whilst Abdalla made for by far the most likeable version of Danny the political journalist. This swapping of roles added to the message that all our acts are interconnected, that no matter whether you're actually that person pressing the button which drops a bomb on a village half way across the world, somewhere along the line you had a part to play.
In by far my favourite scene in the play, Danny the political journalist – a man who hates the idea of keyboard activism but is pretty much the definition of it – sits in a car with Morvern the administrator. Morvern's role in all of this is that she works inputting the names of asylum seekers who have been refused entry to the country. At times she recites the names of them to herself, a roll call of refugees who are being set back to the violence and terror they've tried to escape. In an attempt to maintain peace of mind in the face of such work, Morvern took to listening to motivational tapes which espoused peppy quotes and Eastern philosophy. This car scene follows a minor mental breakdown for both Danny and Movern, a slip up in their charade of normality and a moment of actual violence, and the two struggle to explain their opposing belief systems to the other. Morvern offers up Jainism, the idea of bringing peace through treating the world with kindness and achieving change through gentle nudges in the right direction; like a stream of water eventually carving a path for itself down the hillside. Danny feels the opposite way, he angrily points to a quote he feels is often misused at political marches: "No justice, no peace". It doesn't mean, "we don't have justice, we don't have peace", he explains, it means until we have justice than they will have no peace (whatever "they" is the enemy this time, the government, the corporation, the man).
Here we have the crux of the matter; can you achieve change through inaction? Can you achieve positive change through violence? As I'm writing this, in the very recent past there have been riots on the streets of London in protest of the death of Rashan Charles in police custody. This is one protest amongst thousands which are currently happening across the world at this time. We're living in a climate where it feels like every day there is a new march, a new riot. The far-right is sweeping Europe and we have President Trump pandering to the alt-right and "ethno-nationalism".
This has added fuel to a rising resistance movement, an opposing force; peaceful groups like Black Lives Matter mobilising to fight back. Danny is on the side of this resistance, but feels like violence is sometimes a necessity, returns again and again to an image of Nelson Mandela with a machine gun in his hand. He berates Movern for her harmlessness, sees her inaction as complicity in the evil acts being perpetrated by higher powers. Well that's all well and good, Movern answers (and I'm very much para-phrasing here) but sometimes just the act of trying to live seems to require monumental energy. Trying to survive in a job which sucks out your soul, with a boss whose very physical presence as he breathes behind you feels like an assault, can sometimes be too much. I think what resonated the most strongly with me in a play which could at times have fallen into the pitfall of being preachy, is that it seems to acknowledge that whilst yes, we should all try to improve things for the better, to fight back against unfair systems, sometimes just actually just getting on with living is struggle enough.
An Injury is a neat piece of social commentary, which strives to be both relevant in its politics and humour – a moment where Danny tries to mansplain what mansplaining is got a big laugh. It isn't always, however, the slickest of productions. The flubbing of lines combined with the use of leather bound books as props which contained the full script, gave it the feeling of a rehearsal. The play does call for the characters to speak at length and speed, but if Billie Whitelaw is able to perform Beckett's Not I without a script to hand, that's not really a justifiable excuse. There is also only so much some dynamic lighting and four constantly re-arranged chairs can do to stretch an audience's imagination; it feels difficult to escape from your awareness of the actors as just that.
Kieran Hurley's script is richly written but as a whole a little too ambitious in it's subject matter, getting tangled up at times in the complexity of the issues it's looking at. An Injury is a valiant effort at encapsulating the inherent violence of the system we live in and the struggle of individuals to escape it, it's just an effort which could do with a little polishing. Like the kind of lengthy foreign film that critics rave about but isn't available at your local Odeon, intellectually it felt nourishing but didn't necessarily tempt one to a second viewing.
An Injury was performed in late July 2017 at London's Ovalhouse Theatre.
Previous'Okja' and 'Raw': Meat in the Movies
Next'Origins': Staging Humanity's First Murder
Matilda Payne
Matilda is currently living and working in London, having graduated from an undergraduate degree in English & Related Literature at the University of York in 2015. Always chasing the next cultural hit, she's passionate about Richard Linklater films, Haruki Murakami novels and going to the theatre.
(Tea) black or white?: "What Once Was Ours" at Pegasus Theatre
Dancing While Black: In Conversation with Pauline Mayers
An Interactive Afternoon at The Hepworth Wakefield
Freedom of Movement: 'The End of Dance' at the Vault Festival
Love and Loneliness Under the 'Moonlight'
Pick of the Vaults Festival 2018
A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours: Digital Innovation and the Music Industry


This issue brief explains the many ways Medicaid provides health coverage uniquely designed for children—coverage that addresses children's health needs, and that helps them lead healthier lives, now and well into adulthood.
Medicaid includes benefits that are designed for children and adolescents. Medicaid's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit ensures that children receive the pediatrician recommended health services they need.
Medicaid is a critical lifeline for children with special health care needs. Compared to private insurance, it offers more comprehensive coverage for the types of services and supplies these children need.
Medicaid is a driver of health equity. Together, Medicaid and CHIP have helped cut the number of uninsured children in half, with the greatest improvement in coverage rates for children of color.
Medicaid's coverage of pregnant women supports healthy births and healthy babies. In 2010, Medicaid covered almost half of all births in the U.S.
Medicaid protects the health of children in the child welfare system. Medicaid is the dominant insurer for children in foster care.
Medicaid helps children get screenings and health services in school. It is a key source of financing for school-based services. There's a well-established link between health and learning. Providing services in schools helps ensure that more children get connected to the care they need.
Medicaid helps ensure that low-income children can access the health care they need—health care their families could not otherwise afford. It's an investment in our future, an investment that's threatened by state or federal efforts to cut or restructure the program.


Where has this year gone?! I can't believe it is almost October already, feeling slightly robbed.
It has come round so fast that I don't feel prepared in the slightest for colder dressing. In this post I have layered a couple of pieces I've been wearing over Summer for a more Autumnal look. This white tee is an updated basic from Topshop, it's called the "Moth-Bitten Tee" because the hem has a nibbled look about it, how Kayne of you Topshop. I've layered this with a simple, silk, lace edged bralet from Brandy Melville. It was only £11 and I know I'm going to get a lot of wear from it over the next few months. Styles like this and a silk cami dress are perfect for that Autumn layering look that everyone is wearing right now.
Denim is having a moment in my life right now. I never used to wear denim, ever and now I can't seem to get enough. I love that the skinny jean is not the only style out there anymore! I own a few pairs of moms which are so easy to throw on with absolutely anything whilst looking like you made an effort getting dressed. Another favourite at the moment is the straight leg which is the style I'm wearing here with their amazing next level frayed hems. With a customised jean like this I think it's better to keep the top half on the simpler side so as not to look too OTT or trying too hard.


This brief video documents the ease with which you can harness Facebook Messenger to make free worldwide calls using a free 3CX phone client and Incredible PBX.
The Antipodes is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy written by Richard Brome c. 1640. Many critics have ranked The Antipodes as "his best play...Brome's masterpiece," and one of the best Caroline comedies — "gay, imaginative, and spirited...;" "the most sophisticated and ingenious of Brome's satires." Brome's play is "a funhouse mirror" in which the audience members could "view the nature of their society."
Apparently this is a incorrect number?


The SEMA Wheel & Tire Council and Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) have joined forces to tackle tough questions regarding tire size and vehicle performance.
With support from SEMA and the WTC, CU-ICAR conducted research to determine the actual effects of plus-sizing tire and wheel assemblies on the driving dynamics of America's number-one selling truck, the twelfth generation Ford F-150 4x4 (2009-2014). CU-ICAR operates some of the most sophisticated automotive testing facilities in the world and a wide variety of tests and simulations were performed at the Greenville, South Carolina campus. After months of testing and evaluation, the results have been compiled and are now available in the industry's first "Ride Guide."
The "Ride Guide" is a valuable resource to ANYONE who sells wheels and tires. From manufacturers to distributors, to e-tailers and brick and mortar installation shops, the "Ride Guide" will help you make confident, data-driven recommendations to your customers.
The "Ride Guide" is composed of the most relevant and approachable data points. For more information on the full research project, including complete findings, please review the full report "Wheel and Tire Customization Influence on Vehicle Dynamics Performance" by Xianjie Zhou and Dr. Paul Venhovens.
Research is underway to provide additional data on other full-sized trucks as well as compact sedans.


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Q: Python coverage with unittesting I've written tests for my python code and want to check how much % is covered with tests, so I decided to use python coverage. But I have a problem launching it. I launch my tests with this bash command:
export PYTHONPATH=. && python files/test/tests.py

My python program is in "files" directory, and tests are in "test", so I can't launch it another way.
Using
export PYTHONPATH=. && python coverage files/test/tests.py

raises Error. How to correctly use coverage in my situation ?

A: The correct way to do this is to use an appropriate coverage plugin for the unit testing framework/runner you are using:
Here are some combinations:

*

*pytest + pytest-cov

*nose + nose-cov
There are probably other tools and combinations you can use. But these two are probably the most common (no reference).

A: coverage run files/test/tests.py

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Lake Conditions: Fair - 18° / 50° - 357.4'
Lodging Types
Lodging Overview
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US President Harry Truman dedicates Kentucky Dam in 1945.
Park Avenue Properties
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> Real Estate > Our History
The history of the Kentucky Lake area offers unique perspective on how our region has changed over the last several decades.
For instance, did you know that entire towns, one with over 2500 residents, had to be completely relocated when the lakes were built? And did you know that thousands of people were relocated when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) purchased over 170,000 acres of land to form a national recreation area?
Something of this magnitude doesn't seem possible. But it happened, beginning in 1938 and lasting over the next 30 years.
The creation of today's Kentucky Lake began way back in the 1920s when frustrations grew with frequent flooding on the Tennessee River causing problems for residents in the Tennessee Valley. Additionally, most rural residents in this region outside of towns didn't have electricity.
Efforts began creating a hydroelectric dam somewhere along the Tennessee River in western Kentucky to help solve these problems. In the late 1920s, most locals wanted the dam at Aurora, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) considered this area to be a potential site until around 1937-38. The present-day site at Gilbertsville was chosen.
TVA began constructing Kentucky Dam in 1938 and completed it in 1944. The reservoir behind the dam became known as Kentucky Lake, stretching 184 miles and covering 160,000 acres. Today, the dam generates electricity for thousands of households in the region.
Lake Barkley
A series of locks and dams built in the early 20th century along the Cumberland River was generally meant for navigation but not flood control. Some of the worst flooding in the country occurred along the river area frequently, including the Flood of 1937 which devastated communities along the river.
After the creation of Kentucky Dam in 1944, residents along the nearby Cumberland River began calling for a similar dam. They got their wish in the late 1950s, when the US Army Corps of Engineers announced the creation of a new dam just two miles east of Kentucky Dam.
In 1964, Lake Barkley was created when the gates at Barkley Dam were closed. Many communities had to be completely relocated, including the towns of Kuttawa and Eddyville. Railroads, major US highways, homes, cemeteries - all had to be moved to make way for the new lake. Today's City of Eddyville along US 62 is totally new, having moved to it's location in the early 1960s. Most of the old town is underwater and gone.
During the creation of Lake Barkley, TVA realized Lake Barkley, Kentucky Lake, and the connecting canal between the two dams would create a peninsula. Known to the locals as "Between The Rivers", this stretch of land was very rural, somewhat isolated and impoverished.
TVA began an effort to create a vast recreation area known as "Land Between The Lakes" (LBL) and began purchasing property from landowners in the area.
The move by TVA was quite controversial, with several families not wanting to sell their property. However, eminent domain prevailed and the last families were relocated in the late 1960s.
Evidence of the former homesites, churches, businesses and roads are everywhere in LBL. There are dozens of cemeteries that remain, which are maintained by families and volunteer groups.
Today, Land Between The Lakes is a 170,000 acre National Recreation Area with several attractions, campgrounds and historical places of interest. There are no businesses or residents in Land Between The Lakes, so it is a great place to really get away from it all and experience nature.
Historic Iron Furnaces
Our sister site, Four Rivers Explorer, features more historical information for the Kentucky Lakes Area. The site also showcases some of the "lost" historic places in Land Between The Lakes.
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Whee, UNDERCURRENTS is here again, to make February seem a whole lot less bleak and cold, at least for a couple of glorious weeks, stuffed to the bursting with Theatre from all across this ridiculously spread-out nation of ours. I'm just home from the second night of the 2014 festival (missed opening night due to rehearsals for my own upcoming show, which I THINK is a valid excuse), where I caught two great shows indeed. I'm gonna post about the second one first, because it's only in town for this first week of the fest and I want to get the word out on how wonderful it is toot sweet, you dig? Don't worry, the other review of the evening will follow soon.
The show in question is BROKEN, courtesy of Ramshackle Theatre, a gang based in the Yukon, earning them the title of farthest travelling Undercurrent artists to date. A one-manner starring Brian Fidler, and directed by Maiko Bae Yamamoto (who was in the 2012 Undercurrents in the delightfully drunk WEETUBE 5400), this is, I kind of expect, the most intimate, honest and personal piece of theatre we'll see at this year's festival. A living love letter to the past, as told by William (Fidler) using a handful of objects that belonged to his grandfather. His grandad, see, was a wartime photographer, mildly famed for one particular picture that became a Time magazine cover. Back in the 1980′ s Granddad, at the age of 78, moved into the basement of the house owned by his son and his wife, and ten-year old William. Young Will delights in listening to Grampa's meticulously catalogued stories and watching his slideshows…Grampa's methods of holding on to his memories even as they begin to slowly slip away from his mind.
Brian Fidler in BROKEN from Ramshackle Theatre.


Jailani gives the thumbs-up after placing a tile to symbolically launch the new site of 1Malaysia Internet Centre in Kpg Tanah Hitam.
LUNDU: Thirteen telecommunication towers will be erected here to expand the communication coverage in the district.
According to Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia Datuk Jailani Johari, the 13 new towers would be built at a cost of around RM10 million.
"Currently, six telecommunication towers have been completed while another 13 towers will be built for the development of communication industry, particularly in rural areas," he said when officiating at the new site of a 1Malaysia Internet Centre in Kampung Tanah Hitam here yesterday.
He said thus far, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia had constructed 60 small cell towers statewide.
"The government, through the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, will construct another 70 small cell towers in the state estimated to cost around RM35 million.
"These small cell towers will fill the void between one tower to another and are expected to be completed by this year-end," he said. With these communication towers, Jailani hoped they could assist in producing more online entrepreneurs.
"It is also in line with the government's aspiration to encourage more local entrepreneur icons to emerge from the technology advancement provided by the government," said Jailani.


We are an ageing population relying on a squeezed National Health Service. There has never been a more important time to discuss health and champion innovation.
Cavalier works with the private, public and third sector to address some of the most crucial issues within the health sector. We have led national and local campaigns for the NHS, NHS Digital, Public Health England, and delivered digital and content strategies for privately held care providers. Our aim is to help our clients do well by doing good.


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Parsol is the trade name of a number of UV absorbers:
Avobenzone (Parsol 1789)
4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (Parsol 5000)
Polysilicone-15 (Parsol SLX)


Her place is on a bit of a main road, only one shop near by, and opposite the road is a pub (not Directly). A bit tatty going up the stairs, but her own massage room was clean and tidy, with a proper massage table.
Anne is Polish with dark hair, say late 20's fairly good looking, wearing normal clothes, nothing revealing. size 12 I think with 34c cup at a guess. advertises on the internet under the name Kate. Has a photo, but she looks better in person.
I phoned and made an appointment for 3pm, which i arrived on time for, greeted by name and went up stair to her massage room.
Sorted out the paymnet then left to undress while she left and returned a few minutes later. Onto the massage table for a very soft and senual massage, then turn over for the best HR I have ever had, she did allow me to touch her lightly over her clothes, I would say that is as far as she would go, as I did try to slide my hand inside her top, she kindly stopped me there. She cleaned me up, and then left me to get changed while she waited outside the door. There was hardly any communiction, which was OK for me, but some may prefer small talk. For the price and service I will return, plus on the bonus side, she is only a few minutes drive from me.


Guide us to thy Perfect Light . . . "
Tomorrow is the Feast of the Three Kings, a day, when the aforementioned lyrics to the hymn, We Three Kings are sung. In New York City, the feast will be honored by a number of celebrations throughout the boroughs including an annual parade in East Harlem. And, as I posted on TLLG's Facebook Page this morning, "This year will mark the 35h anniversary of this parade. The route begins at 106th Street and Madison Avenue, and it ends at 115 Street and Park Avenue. Although I've never been, I am aware that the parade features 12 feet Magi Puppets and live animals, such as camels and sheep. I am not sharing the info as an endorsement but am doing so because I think it sounds like an interesting event."
As you undoubtedly know, dear reader, The Three Kings are always associated with the star of wonder, and, hence the presence of a star is a big part of holiday decor, or at least it is for the tenant who lives in the brownstone across the street from my building. The image of the star in a window, which is posted above today's blog entry, was taken on my camera by my neighbor's boyfriend on December the 30th 2010. He took the image for me when I told him that I had admired the star from the street.
Our apartments are on the top floor (fifth floor walk-up) of a brownstone in New York City. The window from their main living space faces the street and the brownstones directly south of us. I face north, with a "rear window" view which I described in yesterday's post.
Be that as it may, the aforementioned hymn comes to mind each time I see the star (which is quite frequently) because my good friend and who also often "serves" as my editor, Peggy Wood (PW); and is someone that I visit often, has a view of the star from her window too. This can be seen in the image below which also shows her "window sill" succulent garden.
The image was taken by yours truly last week, but a very similar one was taken by me last year, and it was included in something I posted about the Epiphany (a holiday associated with The Three Kings), which you may refer to by clicking here.
This year, what I have to say about the window where the star hangs is quite different than last year because PW has shared some information with me of her experience seeing the star from her front (and only) window, and her "front window" news comes to my mind now. because, yesterday, in my post I described the plot of the movie Rear Window, saying, "Wiki's intro to the film's plot is this, "after breaking his leg during a dangerous assignment, professional photographer L.B. "Jeff' Jefferies (James Stewart) is confined in his Greenwich Village apartment, using a wheelchair as he recuperates. His rear window looks onto a small courtyard and several other apartments. During a summer heat wave, he passes the time by watching his neighbors, who keep their windows open to stay cool . . . "
Apparently, my friend PW, like "Jeff" in Rear Window, watches the comings and goings of her neighbors, not to the extent that "Jeff" did, as PW is most often reading as seen in the image below.
Evidently, for the past two New Year's eves, PW, has had an "interesting" experience regarding the "star of wonder", for it seems the tenant who puts up the star, throws quite the soirée for the new year, when all the guests take off their clothes for the duration of the party.
PW described it this way, "Guests enter the apartment and immediately take of their clothes. Then close to midnight, they put their clothes back on, place lights on their head and go out to Central Park [which is near by] to watch the celebration of fireworks, and after the fireworks are over, they return to the apartment and take off their clothes again . . . "
The aforementioned fireworks occur in conjunction with the Midnight Run every New Year's Eve. I usually attend the event in Central Park with friends as I described in a blog entry here on TLLG last year, so I know of nothing about the New Year's Eve comings and goings of the tenants who live in the apartment that has the window with the star, but I will say, it sounds like PW's succulents have a much more exciting view from her front window than mine have from my rear window!


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ACADEMY: Review 2016
Andy Jones takes a look back on a successful 2016 for the Academy
It has been a positive year for Shrewsbury Town's academy, with many systematic and personnel changes looking to shape the club for a positive future.
Andy Jones came in over the summer and has implemented many of the new methods being used by the club, and he has been talking to us about the steps that the academy has taken in 2016.
"It's definitely been a transitional year for the club and the academy, I think it's been a good year, we made progress on and off the field.
"It's been challenging to come into the environment, but it's something I've really enjoyed and something I'll look to continue in 2017."
Town's U18s are into the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, a fantastic achievement and they will look to go one further when they take on Premier League club Sunderland in the New Year.
Jones expressed his delight at the cup run, which has come at a difficult period in the season with many changes, especially from a staff perspective, with Ian Dawes and Matt Rains both leaving the club.
"It was a good draw for us, we're going to go over the video of the Sunderland games to get the lads prepared and it's a great occasion for them.
"It's probably the biggest game of their careers, and to get into the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup is a great achievement.
"To get into the fifth round would be even better but we'll take one game at a time and we'll be confident but we appreciate how difficult it will be up at Sunderland."
Away from the field, Jones has been overseeing a number of changes, including the introduction of the PMA system, and strength and conditioning programs for the youngsters, among others.
"We've made some small but significant changes, the strength and conditioning which is slowly coming into place as the season goes on.
"We've introduced the new online system PMA, we've had loads of new coaches coming in so it's just taking a little bit of time, but the feedback we've been getting from it is definitely something that's improved."
Jones continued: "Our relationships with schools and the community is just getting us out there in a better light.
"The MJPL seems to be running really well, we're giving opportunities to the best talent locally with the shadow squad system as well.
"It's about making sure we get the foundations in place all the way through and making sure that the club philosophy is running through the whole set up within the club."
The academy has been trying to build a culture and philosophy from which the club can build for many years, especially with trying to set the players up for a professional career.
"Our motto is that if you're good enough, you're going to play.
"So we try to play up as much as we can, we've had a number of our U16s squad with the U18s last weekend which is good for their development as well.
"It's about opportunities but also just to ease the transition through the different age groups. And it's about looking after them and making sure that they get a feel of what it's like to be a scholar."
To follow up the positive steps taken in 2016, Jones has also been speaking about his ambitions for the club going into the New Year.
"First and foremost to get as many of the lads professional contracts as we can.
"I feel we're in a great position now where we can really stamp our authority on it and move it forwards."
Jones went on: "I think we're developing a really good reputation, we're constantly getting a lot of category one clubs coming to our games to look at our boys, which is a good thing and a bad thing at the same time.
"But it's a compliment to the staff that we've got and the way we play and it's something I aspired to when I first started, to make sure we get the reputation of building young players."


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Venturia compacta är en stekelart som beskrevs av David B. Wahl 1987. Venturia compacta ingår i släktet Venturia och familjen brokparasitsteklar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Brokparasitsteklar
compacta


Like most landscape photographers I love winter and find it a special time of year. There is much to be said for autumn, spring and summer but there is just something about crisp frosty mornings and fresh layers of virgin snow that I find invigorating. A change is as good as rest as they say. However, this year winter has never really arrived. Maybe one frosty morning and a couple of minor snow falls by Mid January and that was our lot.
Around this time I received an invite from Tim and Charlotte to come up to Glencoe and spend a couple of days with them in their rented cottage. Checking the forecast revealed promises of heavy snow and temperatures well below zero. It seemed too good to be true and I accepted the invite with alacrity. When I arrived at the cottage late on the Friday night via a Glencoe almost bereft of snow I discovered a puncture on the Landcruiser. Feeling slightly disheartened Tim and I had a natter over a glass of Red and discussed where we would all go on the morrow. I disclosed I had never been to Glen Nevis before and that was just about the start and end of the discussion.
Location decided, we set off earlyish in Tim's car the following morning. A fresh landscape beckoned and the puncture on the Landcruiser could wait. Driving up a now and ice covered single track road into the heart of Glen Nevis gave Tim the chance to find out how grippy (or not) his Volvo XC70 was in four wheel drive. We drove right to the end of the road and parked up. By this time it was just after dawn but there was no sign of any light. The new day was being revealed as rather a flat grey. We decided to walk back to the nearest footbridge; maybe half a mile or so back down the road.
I always have to go to the highest point when exploring new locations.
It was my call as I had been rather taken by the sight of some beautiful Scots Pine trees standing on little platforms of rock a few hundred feet up from the valley floor. We agreed to meet back at the bridge in a couple of hours time and I was off exploring. I always have to go to the highest point when exploring new locations. I've no idea why. I just do. On this occasion I was never going to get to the highest point but a few hundred feet would certainly give me a different take. As I climbed I could see the weather start to close in and the conditions improved by the minute. The only problem was, as I got higher I wanted to go higher still. There was always another, more interesting ridge beckoning me on. I finally decided to call a halt as the snow flurries started to thicken and the distant ridge started to disappear from view.
I was travelling fairly light. No filters, tripod etc and using just the Nikon Df, 20mm 2.8Ais, 28mm 2.8Ais, 50mm 1.2Ais, 85mm 1.8G, 135mm f2 DC, 180mm 2.8AF-n. The 50mm is a recent acquisition and I have been quite taken by it. From the highest point I reached I had a view forwards to the ridge (Tim told me the name but I have no idea what it is) with a lovely charismatic Scots Pine in front of it. Using the 28mm lens gave me the opportunity of trying to capture it in a manner complementing the nearly out of sight ridge. Moments after this the ridge disappeared from view as the snow flurries grew in strength. Despite the fact that there were some interesting views of waterfalls and rocks behind me (I was on a small ridge like pinnacle) I decided to start making my way back down the hill. Although the snow was a decent depth at this height there were no issues with my movement up, down or across.
Moving slowly back down the slope gave me time to explore some of the other wee platforms of trees. In common with many other photographers I always tend to go to the highest spot first and then take photographs on my return journey. It means I've seen each view from all the angles and I'm more in control of my time. As I descended the snow got heavier and I started to wonder if Tim would be worrying about the journey back out of the Glen. Conditions were too nice to worry too much about that as I reached rather a nice platform of trees. It was quite an easy job to isolate one of the Scots Pine, in such a ways as to also give it a nice diagonal backdrop of other Pines.