text:
Q: Provide input to an .exe file from a text file When I run an a.exe file as below it is running fine:
C:\forc>a.exe 'iss mac'

6

(Output is 6)
How to provide this input from a text file?
I tried the below but no luck:
C:\forc>a.exe < input.txt
C:\forc>a.exe 'input.txt'

Kindly help.

A: the only time that you will be able to pass file contents into a program is when the program accepts a filename in the command line arguments or if the program is designed in a way that lets it read all the contents of the standard input stream.  For example, in C#,  you would treat Console.In in the same way you would treat a file input stream (read lines, chars, etc)
in conclusion
the program must directly support consuming data from standard input in order to use the < redirection. Standard Input is NOT the same as a command line argument.

A: Whether you can send input to a.exe depends entirely on a.exe. You will need to read the documentation for a.exe, or ask its author, to determine whether what you want to do is possible.

A: From Alexei Levenkov answer :
Using command redirection operators
 program.exe < input.txt > output.txt

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Wall Street's 2023 outlook for stocks
This post was originally posted on TKer.co
It's that time of year when top Wall Street strategists tell clients where they see the stock market heading in the coming year.
Typically, the group's average forecast is for the S&P 500 to rise by around 10%, which is in line with historical averages.
This time the pros are exceptionally careful with the most anticipated the S&P to end 2023 lower than it is today.
There are hundreds of pages of research and analysis that accompany the forecasts of these strategists. The general themes: Most Wall Street firms expect the U.S. economy to enter a recession in 2023. the downside means a lot of volatility for stocks in the beginning. of 2023. At the same time, many also expect an unambiguous decline in inflation, which would give the Federal Reserve permission to ease its hawkish monetary policy. At least some strategists believe that if economic conditions deteriorate significantly, the Fed may even start cutting interest rates again.
Wall Street is exceptionally skeptical about 2023. (Image: Getty)
Overall, strategists expect a volatile first half to be followed by an easier second half, which could see stocks climb slightly higher.
Below is a summary of 16 of these 2023 forecasts for the S&P 500, including highlights from the strategists' comments. Targets range from 3,675 to 4,500. The S&P closed Friday at 4,071, implying returns of between -9.7% and +10.5%.
Barclays: 3,675, EPS of $210 (as of Nov 21, 2022) "We recognize some upside risks in our scenario analysis given post-peak inflation, strong consumer balance sheets and a resilient labor market. However, the current multiples come with a strong moderation in inflation and ultimately a soft landing, which we continue to view as a low probability event. »
Societe Generale: 3,800 (as of Nov 30) "Bearish but not as bearish as 2022 as the return profile should be much better in 2023 as the Fed hike comes to an end for this cycle. Our "soft landing" scenario calls for a rebound in EPS growth to 0% in 2023. We expect the index to trade in a wide range as we expect negative earnings growth in 1H23, a Fed pivot in June 2023, the reopening of China in 3Q23 and a US recession in 1Q24.
Capital savings: 3,800 (as of October 28) "We expect global economic growth to disappoint and the world to slide into a recession, which will cause more pain for global equities and corporate bonds. But we don't anticipate a particularly prolonged downturn from here: towards mid-2023, the worst could be behind us and risky assets could, in our view, begin to rally again in a more sustained fashion. »
Morgan Stanley: 3,900, EPS of $195 (as of Nov 14) "That leaves us 16% below consensus EPS of 23 in our base case and down 11% from a year-over-year growth perspective. other. After what remains of this current tactical rally, we see the S&P 500 discounting 23 earnings risk in Q123 via a price bottom around 3000 to 3300. We believe this is happening ahead of the eventual trough in EPS, which is typical of earnings recessions. "
UBS: 3,900$198 EPS (as of Nov 8) "With UBS economists predicting a U.S. recession for Q2-Q4 2023, the setup for 2023 is essentially a race between easing inflation and financial conditions per versus the coming hit to growth + earnings History shows that growth and earnings continue to deteriorate to market lows before financial conditions improve materially.
City: 3,900, EPS of $215 (as of Nov 18) "We implicitly believe that multiples tend to rise coming out of recessions as EPS in the denominator continues to fall as the market begins to assess the recovery on the other side. Part of this multiple expansion, however, has a tariff connection. The monetary policy impulse to lower rates is raising multiples as the economy claws its way out of the depths of recession.
BoA: 4,000, $200 EPS (as of Nov. 28) "But there's a lot of variability here. Our bullish case, 4600, is based on our sell-side indicator being as close to a "buy" signal as it was in past market lows – Wall Street is bearish, which is bullish. Our bear case stressing our signals earns 3000."
Goldman Sachs: 4,000, EPS of $224 (as of Nov 21) "U.S. equity performance in 2022 was all about painful devaluation, but the equity story for 2023 will be about the lack of EPS growth. Zero earnings growth will correspond to zero appreciation of the S&P 500."
HSBC: 4,000$225 EPS (as of Oct 4) "…we believe valuation headwinds will persist through 2023, and most of the declines in the months ahead will come from slowing profitability."
Credit Suisse: 4,050EPS of $230 (as of Oct. 3) "2023: A year of weak, non-recessionary growth and falling inflation"
RBC: 4,100$199 EPS (as of Nov 30) "We believe the path to 4,100 will likely be choppy in 2023, with a potential retest of October lows early in the year as earnings forecasts are reduced, policy the Fed is approaching a transition (stocks tend to fall before final cuts), and investors are digesting the start of a tough economy.
JPMorgan: 4,200$205 (as of Dec 1) "…we expect market volatility to remain elevated (VIX averaging ~25) with a further round of equity declines, particularly post year-end that we claim and the S&P 500 multiple approaching 20x.Specifically, in 1H23, we expect the S&P 500 to retest this year's lows as the Fed overtightens on weaker fundamentals. sell-off combined with disinflation, rising unemployment and falling business sentiment should be enough for the Fed to start signaling a pivot, subsequently driving assets higher and pushing the S&P 500 to 4,200 by the end of the year 2023."
Jefferies: 4,200 (as of Nov. 11) "In 2023, we expect bond markets to probe the Fed's terminal rate, while equity markets will be in 'no man's land' as earnings continue to decline as growth and the margins disappoint."
BMO: 4,300EPS of $220 (as of Nov 30) Unfortunately, we believe it will be difficult for stocks to end 2023 much higher than current and expected levels given the ongoing tug of war between Fed messages and market expectations.
Wells Fargo: 4,300 to 4,500 (as of August 30) "Our unique and consistent message since the start of 2022 has been to play defense in portfolios, which practically means making patience and quality the daily watchwords. Sticking firmly to these words implies that long-term investors, in particular, can exercise patience to potentially turn time into advantage. As we wait for an eventual economic recovery, the long-term investor can use available cash to gradually and disciplinedly add to the portfolio.
Deutsche Bank: 4,500, EPS of $195 (as of Nov 28) "Equity markets are expected to rise in the near term, dip when the US recession hits, then recover fairly quickly. We see the S&P 500 at 4,500 in the first half, down more than 25% in the third quarter and back to 4,500 by the end of 2023."
The range of forecasts is quite wide this year, and therefore different surveys yield very different results. Bloomberg polled 17 strategists who had an average forecast of 4,009. Reuters' poll of 41 strategists found a median forecast of 4,200. (CNBC publishes its survey here, but it's not yet updated with the 2023 goals.)
🙋🏻♂ I will say two things about one-year price targets.
First, don't obsess over those one-year goals if you don't have to. Here is what I wrote last December:
⚠ It's amazing difficult to predict precisely where the stock market will be in a year. In addition to the countless variables to consider, there are also the totally unpredictable developments that occur along the way. Strategists often revise their goals as new information comes in. In fact, some of the numbers you see above represent revisions to forecasts. For most of you, it's probably not advisable to review your entire investment strategy based on a one-year stock market forecast. Still, it can be fun to track these goals. This helps you get an idea of how high or low different companies on Wall Street are going.
Second, most of the equity strategists tracked by TKer produce incredibly rigorous, high-quality research that reflects a deep understanding of what drives the markets. The most valuable things these pros have to offer have nothing to do with one-year goals. (And in my years of interacting with a lot of these people, at least a few of them don't care about the year-long goal posting exercise. They do it because it's popular with clients.) Don't dismiss all of their work just because their one-year goal isn't up to scratch. And don't be surprised to see me highlight their views in future newsletters.
Good luck in 2023!
Sam Ro is the founder of TKer.co. Follow him on Twitter at @SamRo
Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events moving stocks
Download the Yahoo Finance app to Apple Where android
Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, instagram, Flipboard, LinkedInand Youtube
#Wall #Streets #outlook #stocks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Puerto Rico: A permanent tax deferral in a GILTI world?
By Natallia Shapel, CPA, MST, MBA, New York City; Emma Norwood, ACA, CTA, New York City; and Gabriel F. Hernandez, CPA, BDO Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Income & Exclusions
Editor: Kevin D. Anderson, CPA, J.D.
In the past, U.S. businesses have sought to defer U.S. taxation of their earnings through supply chain and intellectual property (IP) migration planning with jurisdictions outside the United States. Considering recent U.S. tax reform changes, for example, lower federal income tax rates and preferential tax regimes such as the rules related to foreign-derived intangible income (FDII), thoughts have shifted toward keeping IP in the United States rather than following a more traditional IP migration route (such as, for instance, transferring IP to a tax-favorable European jurisdiction).
Those, however, that do not fall for the dangling carrot of enticing tax benefits in the United States must face a punishing stick in the form of global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI), which effectively ends the ability to defer the U.S. taxation of earnings of controlled foreign corporations (CFCs) in most situations (excluding a 10% carve-out for the CFC's qualified business asset investment and certain other limited exceptions). IP migration planning is further exacerbated by exit charges on outbound transfers of appreciated assets under Sec. 367 and ever-increasing substance requirements in the EU. However, for U.S. businesses (especially those in technology and life science industries), global IP often remains the most valuable revenue generator and, as such, the biggest trigger for corporate tax expense. With the immediate recognition of income tax on foreign earnings, what can businesses do to mitigate their tax burden?
Under the right set of circumstances, there may be a significant opportunity for tax savings in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico incentives overview
The government of Puerto Rico sought to stimulate a struggling economy by encouraging immigration to the Caribbean island. On July 1, 2019, Puerto Rico enacted a new tax incentives law consolidating its tax incentives offering, which covers manufacturing, export services, and film production, among other activities (Act No. 60 of 2019, known as the Puerto Rico Incentives Code). Of particular interest for this discussion are tax incentives afforded to "individual resident investors" and to "export services" businesses.
Individual resident investor: Eligible persons can obtain a 100% tax exemption, lasting until the end of 2035, from Puerto Rican income taxes on dividends, interest, and capital gains accrued after becoming a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico. Gains generated from commodities, coins, and digital assets based on blockchain technology are eligible, among other asset categories. Certain conditions must be met to qualify, including, notably, a requirement to make annual contributions of at least $10,000 to not-for-profit organizations operating in Puerto Rico and acquisition of residential real property within two years of the start of incentives. Similar incentives were previously provided by Act No. 22 of 2012, known as the Act to Promote the Relocation of Investors to Puerto Rico.
Export services: The export services incentive includes a 4% tax rate, lasting until the end of 2035, on income from eligible export service activities. Service income from network, cloud computing, blockchain, subscription, or licensing, among other activities, is eligible. Dividends from eligible businesses are exempt from Puerto Rican income tax. To be eligible, a company must commit to having at least one employee when annual projected or actual volume of business is more than $3 million. Similar incentives were previously provided by Act No. 20 of 2012, as amended, known as the Export Services Act.
All these benefits are part of the aggressive economic incentive program to attract new business to Puerto Rico. Companies in technology and certain other industries with a significant IP component could enjoy an attractive combination of preferential tax regimes while, at the same time, employing a great workforce and benefiting from the U.S. legal system for IP protection.
While the benefits that can be obtained from Puerto Rico are great, they come with a price. For a U.S. business, migration could be a complicated process, including the relocation of individual owners as well as moving activities, employees, and significant functions to Puerto Rico, in addition to navigating the U.S. tax consequences of migration.
Impact from a US tax standpoint
The United States generally taxes U.S. citizens and permanent residents on their worldwide income regardless of their place of residence. This general worldwide income tax also applies to U.S. citizens and resident alien individuals who are bona fide residents of Puerto Rico (as defined under Regs. Sec. 1.937-1(b)). However, under Sec. 933, those individuals can generally exclude the Puerto Rican-source income from their U.S. individual income tax return when determining their U.S. income tax liability.
Sec. 937(b) and its regulations set forth the rules for determining whether income is considered to be from sources within Puerto Rico for purposes of the Code. Under these provisions, when determining whether income is sourced from Puerto Rico, or is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within Puerto Rico, rules under Secs. 861-865 generally apply (with some modifications). Notably, dividend income would generally be considered Puerto Rican-source if paid by a Puerto Rican corporation from its Puerto Rican-source income, subject to the rules in Regs. Sec. 1.937-2(g)(1)(ii). Certain capital gains are sourced to Puerto Rico if derived by Puerto Rican residents (albeit with limitations).
Income from performance of services is sourced to Puerto Rico to the extent that services are provided in Puerto Rico. Where the service in question is software as a service, with requisite substance and functions in Puerto Rico, subscription income derived from the provision of such online services to worldwide customers could be sourced to Puerto Rico. With proper planning, income from eligible Puerto Rican activities could enjoy a preferential 4% tax rate while being fully exempt from U.S. taxation in the hands of the U.S. owner who is a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico.
But what about GILTI and the Subpart F regime? To be subject to these anti-deferral regimes, a person must be a U.S. shareholder of a CFC. Broadly, a U.S. shareholder is defined to include U.S. persons who own directly, indirectly, or constructively 10% or more of the vote or value of the CFC. Interestingly, however, under Sec. 957(c)(1) a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico is not treated as a U.S. person (as defined in Sec. 7701(a)(30)) and thus is not subject to Subpart F and GILTI inclusions associated with ownership of stock in a Puerto Rican subsidiary (provided dividends received by that individual from that foreign subsidiary would be considered Puerto Rican-source). Additionally, to qualify for a preferential 4% rate in Puerto Rico, the relevant income does not have to be derived via a Puerto Rican corporation. In fact, it could also be generated by a Puerto Rican branch or a transparent entity, allowing considerable flexibility from a planning standpoint.
And what about exit charges? Notably, for U.S. citizens relocating to Puerto Rico, Sec. 877A does not apply to impose an exit charge on the built-in gains, if any, inherent in the individual's assets. As such, a permanent exemption from U.S. income tax could be obtained on a significant income component (to the extent sourced to Puerto Rico) without the need to give up U.S. citizenship and face an exit charge under Sec. 877A. Importantly, Sec. 367(a)(1) imposes taxation on the outbound transfer of property by a U.S. person to a foreign corporation in a transaction that would otherwise qualify for nonrecognition treatment. Under Sec. 367(d), certain otherwise tax-free transfers of patents, know-how, copyrights, trademarks, franchises, licenses, and other similar IP create a taxable deemed royalty to the U.S. transferor. Most recently, the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, P.L. 115-97, added goodwill, going concern value, and workforce in place to the list of IP items subject to deemed royalty treatment under Sec. 367(d), thereby further limiting the ability of U.S. taxpayers to move valuable IP offshore.
In traditional IP holding company structures, a significant exit charge could diminish or even outweigh the potential benefits of a migration. Additionally, the ability to obtain FDII rates (i.e., 13.125% for tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017, and before Jan. 1, 2026, and 16.406% for tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2025) on export activities could make it less attractive to migrate. So how does Puerto Rico compare to other jurisdictions? Based on the table "Corporate Tax Rates Across Jurisdictions" (below), Puerto Rico stands out as a clear winner in a best-case scenario.
While dealing with exit charges and other challenges could be a significant hurdle, Puerto Rico could perhaps offer some entity choice solutions that are unique and not necessarily available in more traditional EU IP holding company structures. For example, under the right set of facts, a Puerto Rican business and associated assets could be held via a Puerto Rican branch rather than a Puerto Rican subsidiary corporation, thereby eliminating the exit charges under Sec. 367.
This strategy may be especially viable in a closely held context for U.S.-owned businesses structured as S corporations or partnerships. By establishing a Puerto Rican branch structure, those businesses could avoid the exit charges under Sec. 367 while still obtaining a preferential 4% tax rate in Puerto Rico on eligible income generated through the branch and a complete exemption from U.S. taxation on the same income under Sec. 933 in the hands of U.S. owners who also are bona fide residents of Puerto Rico.
As to the U.S. IP holding company structure, while obtaining the benefits of the FDII regime may incur fewer costs, it is important to highlight that the preferential FDII tax rate is only available for export activities income (i.e., income derived in connection with property sold to non-U.S. persons for foreign use, or services provided to any person, or with respect to property, not located within the United States). In contrast, in a Puerto Rican IP holding company structure, the preferential tax rates may be available for export activities to U.S., EU, and other customers located outside of Puerto Rico.
To implement a Puerto Rican structure, all facts and circumstances must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The ability to benefit in Puerto Rico and the United States rests heavily on the sourcing of income, meeting Puerto Rican eligibility requirements for the tax exemption decree, and U.S. eligibility requirements under Sec. 933, among other factors. It should also be noted that Puerto Rican residents are generally not eligible for international tax treaty benefits, and, therefore, additional planning may be required to mitigate the withholding tax exposures, if any. The implementation process may require certain business changes; however, for those taxpayers in the right position, a 4% tax rate on business operations that are also excluded from U.S. income tax (among various other benefits) could be a very significant reward. With the ever-changing tax landscape across the globe, now is the time to explore unique opportunities such as the permanent tax deferral that can be found in Puerto Rico.
Kevin D. Anderson, CPA, J.D., is a managing director, National Tax Office, with BDO USA LLP in Washington, D.C.
For additional information about these items, contact Mr. Anderson at 202-644-5413 or kdanderson@bdo.com.
Unless otherwise noted, contributors are members of or associated with BDO USA LLP.


text:
Q: Wanted to find the number of present days using php? Hi to all the people here in stackoverflow, I would just like to ask for a little help from you guys. I'm stuck on what I'm doing I wanted to count the number of days present in my query but I don't know how. Could anyone help me on this? An form of help would be much appreciated.
Here is my codes with comments:
//Used for getting the values
$mfrom = $this->input->get('mfroma');  //From: Month
$yfrom = $this->input->get('yfroma');  //From: Year
$yto = $this->input->get('ytoa');      //To : Year
$n_of_months = $this->input->get('n_of_monthsa'); // Month or year Range

$cmonth = $mfrom;            //From: Month
$cyear = $yfrom;            //From: Year
$clastyear = $yto;          //To: Year

$sSQLSelect = "";
$sSQLSelect1 = "";

for($i=0;$i<=$n_of_months;$i++)
{
    $curdate = $cmonth." ".$cyear;

    $sSQLSelect = $sSQLSelect."SUM(IF(DATE_FORMAT(date_d, '%c %Y') = '$curdate' ,
                                    IF(DP.hrsdiff <= 4, 0.5, 1), 0)) AS 'month$cmonth$cyear', ";
    $sSQLSelect1 = $sSQLSelect1."month$cmonth$cyear + ";

    if($cmonth+1 > 12) {
        $cyear++;
        $cmonth = 1;
    } else
        $cmonth++;
}

date_default_timezone_set('Asia/Manila');
$current_date = date('Y-m',time());

$d = array();
$i = 0;

$sSQL = "SELECT TS.id AS TSid, employeeid, `date` AS date_d, TS.TI1 AS TI1, TS.TO1 AS TO1,
                    CONCAT(E.lastName,', ',E.firstName,' ',E.middleInitial,'.') AS 'fullname',
                    (TIME_TO_SEC(CAST(TS.`TI1` AS time))/3600) AS 'timeinint',
                    (TIME_TO_SEC(CAST(TS.`TO1` AS time))/3600) AS 'timeoutint',
                    E.startDate, C.companyName, B.branchName,
                    R.mon, R.tue, R.wed, R.thu, R.fri, R.sat, R.sun
            FROM timeschedule AS TS
            LEFT JOIN  employee AS E ON TS.employeeid = E.id
            LEFT JOIN  company AS C ON E.companyid = C.id
            LEFT JOIN  branch AS B ON E.branchid = B.id
            LEFT JOIN restday AS R ON R.id = E.restDayid
            WHERE TS.`show` = '1'  $namecondition $companynamecondition $branchnamecondition
            GROUP BY employeeid
            ORDER BY fullname ASC";

$result = $this->db->query($sSQL);
$data = array();

foreach($result->result() as $row)
{
    $rowemployeedetails = $row;
    $fullname = $row->fullname;
    $startdate = $row->startDate;

    $st_month = (int)(date("m",strtotime($startdate)));
    $st_day = (int)(date("d",strtotime($startdate)));
    $st_year = (int)(date("Y",strtotime($startdate)));
    $data['data'][$i][] = array($row->fullname);
    $data['data'][$i][] = array($row->companyName);
    $data['data'][$i][] = array($row->branchName);

    // #$cmonth = start_month
    // #$cyear = start_year
    // #number months in between
    $cmonth = $mfrom;
    $cyear = $yfrom;

    for($j=0; $j<= $n_of_months ;$j++){
        if((date('Y-m', strtotime($startdate)) <= date('Y-m', strtotime($cyear.'-'.$cmonth)))&&($current_date >= date('Y-m', strtotime($cyear.'-'.$cmonth))))
        {
            $d[$j]  = ((date('Y-m', strtotime($cyear.'-'.$cmonth)) ==  date('Y-m',time()))?date('d', time()):cal_days_in_month(CAL_GREGORIAN, $cmonth, $cyear));
        }
        else
        {
            $d[$j]=0;
        }

        if($cmonth === 12){
            $cyear++;
            $cmonth = 1;
        }
        else{
            $cmonth++;
        }
    }

    // #Result: d[] = number of days in month
    // #$cyear = start year filter
    // #$clastyear = last year filter
    // #$cmonth = start_month
    $cyear = $yfrom;
    $clastyear = $yto;

}
$result->free_result();
return json_encode($data);
}

A: If you have two dates and want to know the amount of days from one to the other, a simple solution would be to use DateTime::diff like so:
<?php
$from = new DateTime('2014-03-28');
$to = new DateTime('2014-03-30');
$interval = $from->diff($to);
echo $interval->format('%R%a'); // +2


Thanks again for participating in the Kii Cloud App Challenge! All the results have been collected from the judges. We are just tying up some loose ends here, and will be announcing the winners shortly. Thanks for your patience!


text:
package config

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"

	"github.com/spf13/cobra"

	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util"
	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/util/i18n"
	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/util/templates"
)

// CurrentContextOptions holds the command-line options for 'config current-context' sub command
type CurrentContextOptions struct {
	ConfigAccess clientcmd.ConfigAccess
}

var (
	currentContextLong = templates.LongDesc(`
		Displays the current-context`)

	currentContextExample = templates.Examples(`
		# Display the current-context
		kubectl config current-context`)
)

// NewCmdConfigCurrentContext returns a Command instance for 'config current-context' sub command
func NewCmdConfigCurrentContext(out io.Writer, configAccess clientcmd.ConfigAccess) *cobra.Command {
	options := &CurrentContextOptions{ConfigAccess: configAccess}

	cmd := &cobra.Command{
		Use:     "current-context",
		Short:   i18n.T("Displays the current-context"),
		Long:    currentContextLong,
		Example: currentContextExample,
		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
			cmdutil.CheckErr(RunCurrentContext(out, options))
		},
	}

	return cmd
}

// RunCurrentContext performs the execution of 'config current-context' sub command
func RunCurrentContext(out io.Writer, options *CurrentContextOptions) error {
	config, err := options.ConfigAccess.GetStartingConfig()
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	if config.CurrentContext == "" {
		err = fmt.Errorf("current-context is not set")
		return err
	}

	fmt.Fprintf(out, "%s\n", config.CurrentContext)
	return nil
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Human Kindness Vegan Food Bank has been established by a small group of vegans to provide necessary support to vegans throughout England and Wales, in times of need.
Launched in September 2017 with a mission to help by providing vegan food and vegan toiletries to vegans, their families and companion animals when they need it most.
Across England and Wales there are many food banks doing excellent work, supporting the general public, however they are not specifically focussed on the requirements of vegans.
The availability of nutritious vegan food (including vitamin B12 and omega 3), and vegan toiletries can vary considerably in different locations. This leaves vegans in times of need with a terrrible predicament; do they compromise their vegan principles?
Help us to put the smiles back on people's faces across England and Wales!
Companion animals become one of the family; we provide food for the entire household, including companion animals.
Help keep entire families well fed and cared for by supporting our work. We cater for individual household requirements, considering both human and non-human food requirements and other circumstances such as allergies.
When providing food for non-human animals, we respect the guardian's wishes around the types of food they usually purchase, e.g. when providing cat food.
Generally we send food and toiletries parcels by courier, across England and Wales. Using the tracking number we provide, people can see when their parcel is due to arrive. Of course, we work to get their parcel delivered as soon as posible, usually the day after we speak to the client.
On some occasions the items may be delivered by a supermarket home delivery scheme or local volunteer.
Regardless of the delivery method, nothing will identify the delivery as being from a food bank. Their confidentiality will be fully respected.
You can get involved by making a donation or by volunteering. As a small, volunteer-led organisation every single donation and hour of your time will make a significant difference.


Kayaking is becoming a popular way of exploring outdoors as it offers a refreshing opportunity for enjoying lakes, oceans, and rivers- all while working out. These slim boats, which come in a wide range of designs and features, are favorite for surfing, fishing, and diving, as well as other leisurely excursions through warm waters and sunny climates.
To enjoy your ride, you need to equip yourself with the best kayak model, and since the market has a lot of brands making kayaks, it might be a daunting task to choose a suitable one for your needs. While people who are not well conversant with kayaks see them as the same, to a knowledgeable mind and an experienced eye, not all kayaks are created equal.
In fact, if you start considering that there are sit-on-top and sit-ins models in addition to their many variations in construction, outfitting, and design, it can be a mind baffling task for a novice to choose the best sit-on-top kayak or best fishing kayak among the many different models available on the market.
That's why we've simplified your work by bringing you the top kayak brands on the market today to help. Before we narrow down to the top 4 best kayaks in 2017, let's highlight several factors you need to consider when choosing a kayak?
Skill level: depending on the features and construction design, different kayaks need varying levels of skills Sit-in or sit-on-top design; you need to know the best design for your needs.
Speed and stability: this is an important factor you need to consider. A kayak need to be well-designed to cut through the water and stable enough to keep you safe.
Intended use: do you want a kayak for fishing, exploring, diving, or just surfing the water bodies?
The Perception R15 is one of the best sit-on kayaks on the market, thanks to its solid construction and relatively lower price as compared to other models. In fact, the Perception R15 Pescador is a re brand of a previous version of a Wilderness Systems Tarpon- a more expensive kayak, owned by the same parent company known as Confluence Outdoor.
The entry price of this kayak allows novices to try out the kayaking with little risk of buyer's regret, and the quality is top notch; you won't find any need to upgrade. This kayak is designed for fishing thanks to its hull shape that makes it stable and gives it pace.
The Perception R15 Pescador is 12 feet long by 28 inches' width, with two flush mount rod holders, anchor kit, and one caster rod holder. It also has ample cargo space for fishing gear.
It has been praised for its versatility on water, thanks to its speedy nature and great stability on choppy water.
It's also cheaper as compared to other brands with the same features and quality. Surfing and fishing enthusiasts can now purchase a quality kayak at lower price.
It has ample storage space on board which makes it an ideal option for fishers and picnickers.
It has great tracking, speed, and stability making it one of the best models in the market.
The main downside of this kayak is its weight; weighing 65 pounds and 12 feet, some people find it too heavy to carry it. However, it's this weight that makes it stable in the water.
In terms of quality, price advantage, and stability, Perception R15 Pescador dominates the current market. For those looking for the best sit-on-top kayak suitable for fishing and picnicking, then the Pescador is a great choice.
The Ocean Kayak is one of the oldest names in the industry of kayaks and has made a name for their lightweight, durable, and quality kayaks. The Frenzy is a popular model for both beginners and experienced kayakers.
At 9ft long and 31 inches wide, the Ocean Kayak Frenzy is best suited for all water bodies. With a wider hull and shorter tri-form body than most kayaks, the Frenzy is designed with tracking, maneuverability, and stability in mind. It's made of polyethylene and weighs 43 pounds, making it one of the most portable kayaks on the market.
The price-to-quality ration of Ocean Kayak Frenzy is hard to beat; it comes at a great bargain for new kayakers.
The hull shape of this kayak makes it ideal for surfing on choppy water.
It's highly durable thanks to its solid construction.
Its wider hull construction makes it quite slow, meaning that you'll need to use more effort to paddle.
Durability, unbeatable price, and stability make Ocean Kayak Frenzy an excellent sit-on-top for beginner kayakers or those looking for a recreational kayak.
If you're looking for something bigger, then Sevylor Big Basin 3-Person might be the model you are looking for. It can accommodate three people; two adults and a child.
It's extremely stable and has a great tracking because of the two direction strakes that keep you paddling straight.
It has ample storage space and can hold up to 49olbs of weight.
Comes with three air chambers for safety in the event of puncture.
Sevylor Big Basin 3-Person Kayak is an excellent option for people who are looking for a recreational kayak. It's well-constructed and durable.
This is one of the top-rated kayaks in the market as well as among the most costly on our list. It offers great quality for those willing to meet its price. Though highlighted as a "fish and dive" kayak, reviewers assert that it can also serve as a recreational kayak as well due to its ample storage space.
The Malibu Stealth 14 comes with three large dry hatches that allow divers, campers, and fishers carry everything they need for their recreational activities.
At 14ft and 4inches, this kayak paddles easily and tracks well. At 31 inches wide, the Stealth is one of the most stable kayaks on the market.
It's versatile as it can be used both for fishing and recreational activities.
It has unparalleled stability enabling it to withstand some of the most challenging waters.
It has a stand-up platform where fishers can stand to cast or look for fish.
It's costlier than most kayaks in the market. But it offers a great deal of quality.
If you are looking for a strong and durable kayak that will last for years, then Malibu Stealth 14 is a perfect option. Although it comes at a costlier price, it's well worth it.
There you have it; the Top-Rated Kayaks Brands 2017. We hope that you'll find your best pick on our list.


text:
That's The Way God Planned It
Billy Preston
Label: Emi Catalogue
Do What You Want (2010 Digital Remaster)
I Want To Thank You (2010 Digital Remaster)
Everything's All Right (2010 Digital Remaster)
She Belongs To Me (2010 Digital Remaster)
It Doesn't Matter (2010 Digital Remaster)
Morning Star (2010 Digital Remaster)
What About You? (2010 Digital Remaster)
Let Us All Get Together Right Now (2010 Digital Remaster)
This Is It (2010 Digital Remaster)
Keep It To Yourself (2010 Digital Remaster)
That's The Way God Planned It (Parts 1 And 2) (2010 Digital Remaster)
Through All Times (2010 Digital Remaster)
As I Get Older (2010 Digital Remaster)
That's The Way God Planned It (Alternative Version)
Something's Got To Change
2010 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Apple Corps Ltd under exclusive licence to EMI Records Ltd


text:
Жукатау () — селище в Саткинському районі Челябінської області Російської Федерації.

Населення становить 391 особу (2017). Входить до складу муніципального утворення Бердяуське сільське поселення.

Історія

Згідно із законом від 17 листопада 2004 року органом місцевого самоврядування є Бердяуське сільське поселення .

Населення

Примітки

Селища Челябінської області

Населені пункти Саткинського району

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This durable leak-proof hydration bladder includes an additional insulating sleeve that is ideal for extreme environments. It can also be used as an effective pouch to strap your bladder to the outside of your pack, on your boat, or anywhere there are straps.
The Crystal Creek Hydration Bladder is great for hiking, biking, trail running, hunting, and more. The large capacity helps you to stay hydrated on your longer treks, and the positive flow valve gives you hands free rehydrating. Wherever you need access to your water source you're covered. The large lid allows easy access for cleaning and filling and the dishwasher safe material makes it even easier to care for. Clear construction ensures you can see how clean your bladder is.
The bonus insulated sleeve provides an extra layer of protection for your bladder, and is the answer for adventures in extreme environments–cool water quenches your thirst in hot weather and won't freeze up on you in cold weather. And no need to worry about that awful plastic taste with this FDA approved and BPA free bladder made from food grade materials.
The extra reinforced seams and 3L (100 oz) size means your water supply lasts long. Your product life is extended, too. Crystal Creek offers a 100% money back guarantee if, for any reason, you are unsatisfied with your purchase.
Ever since a very long hike through the desert of Utah, I've been looking for a larger hydration bladder than the 2 liter I normally carry. On that day I solved my water requirements by carrying two 2 liter bladders in my pack, a bit of overkill. The solution, obviously, would be a 3 liter size.
As serendipity will have it, just about the time I began looking, along comes startup company Crystal Creek. In addition to its 3 liter size, the insulated hose and insulating jacket were immediately appealing to me. So I took the plunge and purchased one. With a money back guarantee there was nothing to lose, and plenty to gain.
When the bladder arrived, many of the other features also raised my eyebrows and put a smile on my face. Dave Stewart, the founder of Crystal Creek, really put a lot of thought into this product. He obviously knows hiking and hikers because of the little touches that make the Crystal Creek Hydration Bladder easy to prepare and use, even clean.
When did you ever find a hydration bladder that was dishwasher safe? This is the answer to perhaps the biggest drawback of past bladder technology. Cleaning has always been a pain. Whether you use vinegar or baking soda or mouthwash, it was never easy. Now it is. Just prop the mouth open and lay it in the dishwasher. What could be more simple than that. The detachable hose also makes this uncomplicated. If desired, you can still obviously clean with a brush, but the clear material makes the inside easy to see so you can assure it is clean.
The lid is nice and big, so filling is a snap. And the lid is simple to close with screw threads. No need to worry about alignment and hokey arrows like the trend in some other bladder products. I do have one little complaint about filling, though. When loading it all the way to the 3 liter line, it is a bit difficult to close the lid. Sticking to about 2¾ liters is fine.
Other bladder products use a bite valve and locking switch to turn on and off water flow. The Crystal Creek Hydration Bladder has changed that some. The positive flow mouthpiece is a different concept. Instead of biting and sucking, just grab the mouthpiece with your teeth and pull. It took me a little getting used to, but within a half hour of beginning my first hike I was an old pro with this technique.
Also, instead of a locking mechanism to obstruct water flow when not in use, the Crystal Creek deploys a dust cap. Keeps trail grit away from your mouthpiece, and a 2nd level of leak prevention. The bite connector pops off easily so the system can be filled with purified water via a Sawyer filter or other compatible system.
A HUGE improvement is taste. Yes, taste. Every other hydration bladder I have ever used tasted like rubber, or plastic… at least for the first few months or so. The Crystal Creek tastes like water. Yay! I could not detect any taste from the bladder material itself. That alone might be a reason to consider the Crystal Creek for your next bladder purchase.
The 3L size isn't unweildy. It's a little bit taller than a 2L bladder, but most of the difference is in the width. Since fit within a pack almost always depends on a bladder's length, the additional width does not add a burden. The 3L bladder fit in my 30L day pack just fine.
If you aren't worried about your water supply, you can enjoy tiny sights like these.
I haven't even talked about the insulated hose and insulating jacket yet. Whether keeping your water cooler in summer, or protecting it from freezing in winter, these features are another nice touch of the Crystal Creek Hydration Bladder. Put ice cubes in the bladder if you like and they will avoid melting longer.
Has your water turned to slush on one of those below freezing winter mornings? In my experience, it tends to happen quickest right at the mouthpiece. The insulation on the hose and the jacket around the bladder will assist with freeze prevention. Trying to nurse sore muscles after a long day? This bladder can even be used as a hot water bottle. The 5oz insulating sleeve is easily removable, like a jacket, so use it or don't, depending on weather conditions.
With the insulating sleeve on, a canvas hook and straps enable you to connect the system to the outside of your pack, another astute touch if internal space is limited. Like I said, Dave, the owner of Crystal Creek and developer of this bladder, really thought the design through.
The Crystal Creek Hydration Bladder is tough and durable. Built to last, the seams at the edges are double reinforced. Dave has demonstrated how he filled it completely full, then stood on it. The seams held. The lid held. The hose connector held. Chances are it will hold in your pack as well. The warranty includes a no leak guarantee.
The Crystal Creek Hydration Bladder and Insulating Sleeve has a suggested retail price of US$49.99 and can be purchased from Amazon.
Prior to now there have really only been one or two names in hiking hydration bladders. Well, it's time to add Crystal Creek to the list. I have a new favorite hydration bladder. In my opinion Crystal Creek is the current best product on the market.
Just to show you how Crystal Creek stands with their product, after approximately 14 months of use, I developed a slow water leak at the connector of the bite valve with the bladder hose. Crystal Creek sent me a replacement hose right away, no charge, no questions asked. Great customer service.


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These Drake-area restaurants will satisfy your pre-debate hunger
Sarah Kay LeBlanc
If you're looking for a special occasion to grab a bite on the town, look no further than the Democratic Presidential Debate at Drake University's Sheslow Auditorium on Tuesday.
Whether you're a campaign staffer, an attendee, a candidate, a journalist or a Drake Bulldog, several restaurants within walking distance from the campus are available to satisfy your hunger before the debate.
Grab dinner before the show at these Drake-area staples.
China Place
Open for lunch and dinner, China Place has all your Chinese food favorites for dine-in, takeout and delivery. Lunch specials are under $8 and include a choice of soup, egg roll or crab rangoon and steamed or fried rice. The dinner menu includes the same sides for its specialty entrees and stir-fry dishes sorted according to protein.
Location: 2414 University Ave., Des Moines
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Drake Diner
It's not a trip to Drake University until you stop at Drake Diner. Grab chicken and waffles or chicken fried steak and eggs from the breakfast all day menu, the Maytag burger or the rarebit open-faced burger with a spicy cheddar cheese sauce or one of the blue-plate specials such as meatloaf or hand-carved roast beef or turkey served from 5 to 10 p.m.
Location: 1111 25th St., Des Moines
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Contact: 515-277-1111; drakediner.com
Fernando's Mexican Grill
This little Mexican restaurant has plenty of dine-in or takeout favorites like burritos, quesadillas and nachos. Tortas come with a choice of fish, chicken or steak while tacos come filled with a choice of six options including seasoned beef, veggies or barbacoa. Shake it up and try a seasoned tofu burrito on one of Fernando's freshly made flour tortillas.
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fong's Pizza
Fong's Pizza serves pizza by the slice and the whole pie for dine-in, carryout and delivery through Grubhub. Whole pies can be ordered in 10-inch, 16-inch or 10-inch gluten-free sizes. Fong's at Drake features a lunch special including two slices and drink or a slice, salad and drink ($7.50) Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and happy hour Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: 3018 Forest Ave., Des Moines
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Contact: (515) 277-3664; fongspizza.com; Facebook
Gazali's
Gyros, baba ganoush, hummus, shawarma and all things Greek and Mediterranean make the menu at this tiny counter-service restaurant in the Drake neighborhood. But save room for some sweet and crunchy baklava.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
This sushi bar also serves Thai fare in a sleek and blue setting. The menu features rolls and nigiri, with sushi boats for large orders. Look for Asian fusion dishes such as coconut shrimp, Mongolian beef and chicken or beef in black bean sauce. Try the yaki udon, a Japanese noodle dish, or the pork chop marinated in a special sauce.
Location: 1315 31st St., Des Moines
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.
Contact: 515-277-6704; haikudsm.com
Jethro's BBQ
The legend of Jethro all started at Drake University, where the wood-fired smoker churns out pulled pork and chicken, smoked sausages, shaved turkey, brisket and baby back ribs. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays, including four-egg omelets, biscuits and gravy or the Jethro breakfast with a tenderloin topped with hash browns, three eggs and more.
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Contact: 515-279-3300; jethrosdesmoines.com
Lzaza Indo-Pak Cuisine
Lzaza's offers a lunch buffet featuring Indian and Pakistani favorites like tandoori chicken, aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes stewed with fresh herbs), saag paneer (spinach with cheese) and yellow daal (lentils with vegetables). The buffet includes hot chai tea and desserts like kheer (rice pudding) and mango custard. A regular menu with house specialties is available all day as well as gyros, Italian beef, Philly cheesesteaks and hot wings.
Location: 1409 23rd St., Des Moines
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Mondays. Buffet available daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Mars Cafe
This independent coffee shop with a space theme serves up breakfast and lunch dishes such as sandwiches, salad, soups and more. For breakfast, the Space Egg sandwich with egg and cheese and Breakfast Quesadilla with egg, cheese, spinach and salsa are just some of the items that make the menu.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Contact: 515-369-6277; marscafe.net
Papa Keno's Drake
This regional chain recently opened a location in the Drake neighborhood, offering pizza by the 14- or 18-inch pie and by the slice (a slice as big as your face, $4.09; whole pies start at $13.99). Gluten-free crust is available. Try The Papa — a 26-inch thin crust pie ($26.99).
Hours: Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Contact: (515) 630-0796; papakenosdesmoines.com
University Library Cafe
You can always tell people that you're studying at the library instead of going to this neighborhood bar. The nachos here are legendary, but do try one of the burgers or some sandwiches, such as the French dip, breaded chicken and bacon sandwich or Reuben. The restaurant also serves breakfast, so start the day with a Texas melt with bacon, eggs and cheese on Texas toast or breakfast nachos topped with eggs, bacon, sausage, onions and peppers.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to midnight.
Contact: 515-255-0433; thelibrarydm.com
Woody's Smoke Shack
Woody's Smoke Shack is back with all of the same award-winning smoked meats and sides people have come to expect from this little barbecue spot near Drake. Barbecue aficionados can choose from sandwiches, platters and meals of sliced Texas-style beef brisket, twice-smoked pit ham, pulled smoked chicken or whole chicken, pulled pork, baby back ribs, pork loin and turkey (turkeys need a three-day advance notice). Almost 20 kinds of sides round out the menu including new kinds of baked beans and potato salad.
Location: 2511 Cottage Grove Ave., Des Moines
Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Sundays.
Contact: 515-277-0005; woodyssmokeshackdm.com
Sarah LeBlanc covers trending news for the Register. Reach her at 515-284-8161 or sleblanc@registermedia.com.
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text:
Dark Horse May Outdo Lithium-Ion Battery Storage
Words by Andrew Burger
Leading battery storage technology developers and emerging market players, including Elon Musk's SolarCity and Tesla, are investing billions of dollars to improve the performance and lower the costs of manufacturing lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Along the way, they are promoting Li-ion battery storage as a cleaner, more efficient, sustainable and significantly less costly solution across a wide range of applications, from electric vehicles, homes and buildings on up to grid-scale energy storage and stabilization.
But Li-ion isn't the only game in town when it comes to emerging advanced battery and energy storage technologies. And there are those who believe proponents are stretching their case too far in touting the advantages of Li-ion battery storage across such a broad range of applications.
Developers of flow batteries, for instance, say utilities and other large end-users would be ill-served by acquiring Li-ion battery storage, except for comparatively narrow and strictly defined cases. A developer of vanadium-flow battery storage systems, Imergy Power Systems, is taking its case to the market.
Flow batteries for utilities and large-scale end users
On Feb. 17, Fremont, California-based Imergy announced the introduction of its largest line of vanadium-flow batteries to date: the ESP 250 series. Capable of operating 20 years or more without the need to replace electrolytes and with only a couple of moving parts, Imergy's ESP 250s are capable of delivering 250 kilowatts of electrical power for four or more hours.
That's at least 1 million kilowatt-hours of electrical energy housed in two 40-foot shipping containers. It's an amount that – when considered alongside other salient attributes – makes ESP 250s ideal for utilities, large commercial, industrial and government end-users, and developers of renewable energy projects, Imergy states in a news release. Its ESP 250s, Imergy says, are ideal for use across a wide range of large-scale applications.
ESP 250s, for instance, are more efficient and will soon prove more cost-effective than the conventional natural-gas and coal-fired "peaker" plants used by grid operators to meet peak electricity demand. They are also much better-suited than Li-ion batteries for applications such as utility and grid operator transmission and distribution investment deferral, renewables management, microgrid implementation, emergency back-up power system delivery, frequency regulation, and peak shaving, Imergy contends.
Broad spectrum energy storage applications
Imergy CEO Bill Watkins touted the broad spectrum use of its vanadium-flow batteries across the supply and demand sides of U.S. power markets. "With the introduction of the ESP 250, Imergy has broadened its product portfolio to include a product for every major energy storage market segment and application," he was quoted as saying.
"From demand response for individual buildings, to frequency regulation for the grid, Imergy has a product designed to meet the market's growing demand for low-cost, high performance energy storage."
Those assertions were echoed by company president and COO Tim Hennessy in a 3p interview. A combination of unique characteristics and attributes make Imergy's vanadium-flow battery storage systems ideal, and much better suited than conventional alternatives and Li-ion battery storage systems, for a wide range of stationary energy storage applications – from utility-scale down to residential-scale energy storage applications, Hennessy explained.
The advantages of vanadium-flow batteries start and flow from their unique chemistry. Added to that is the combination of high-density energy storage, unlimited use, 100-percent charge-discharge capacity, fast ramp-up, ramp-down and response capabilities, and their long life.
Vanadium's unique chemistry means that end-users never have to replace the electrolytes used to charge and discharge Imergy's flow batteries. Stored in separate containers connected to the electrolytic cells that store and deliver electrical energy means that Imergy's vanadium-flow battery systems are modular and can be scaled up or down quickly as needs require.
Significantly, its vanadium-flow batteries are safer and more reliable than Li-ion battery storage systems. They are nontoxic and can operated in complete safety across a much wider range of temperatures than Li-ion batteries, Hennessy noted. That means avoiding the risk of battery systems erupting in flames, a big problem that has plagued Li-ion battery systems.
In addition, Imergy obtains the vanadium used in all of its batteries from secondary sources, such as mining operations and steel production. By recycling vanadium, Imergy is realizing value and beneficial use from what would otherwise be industrial waste. Furthermore, end-users can recover all the vanadium used in the system at the end of its useful life, generating revenue by selling it secondary markets.
Low levelized cost of energy
All this results in a low levelized cost of energy (LCOE), a measure of the overall costs of energy production and storage solutions over their lifecycles, Hennessy emphasized.
According to a recent market research from Navigant, worldwide revenue from energy storage for grid and ancillary services is forecast to grow rapidly and reach $68.5 billion from 2014 through 2024. "Around the world, utilities are also studying storage as an option to manage peak demand and increase grid resiliency," Imergy points out.
"These same utilities are also focused on storage as a way to manage the impact to the grid presented by the increasing penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and photovoltaic. Utilities now recognize that long-duration energy storage is the key to solving these issues. Imergy's ESP 250 offers a solution which is typically financially and technically impractical for other battery and storage chemistries."
The key to Imergy's ESP 250 and smaller-scale ESP5 and ESP30 vanadium-flow battery systems, Hennessy added, is "that it's a integrated, 'plug-and-play' platform."
"Our smaller platforms can be aggregated, but we've done that with the 250. That allows end-users, and our company, to realize the benefits of economies of scale – both in terms of customer applications and lowering the costs of manufacturing."
This is unique to vanadium-flow batteries and what Imergy is doing as a company, Hennessy continued. "No one has the ability to move so easily and go from one end [of the market] to the other," he told 3p.
*Image credits: 1) Goodpix.com; 2), 3) Imergy Power Systems
Andrew Burger
An experienced, independent journalist, editor and researcher, Andrew has crisscrossed the globe while reporting on sustainability, corporate social responsibility, social and environmental entrepreneurship, renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean technology. He studied geology at CU, Boulder, has an MBA in finance from Pace University, and completed a certificate program in international governance for biodiversity at UN University in Japan.
Read more stories by Andrew Burger
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The Jasper County Public Housing Agency (JCPHA) is governed by a six member Board of Commissioners.
Five Commissioners are local elected officials and one Commissioner is a Resident Advisory member.
The Commissioners are responsible for approving the agency's annual budget and for setting the JCPHA's policies.
What is the Jasper County Public Housing's role?
To set visions, mission, goals, policies and procedures for the following programs: Shelter Plus Care, Supportive Permanent Housing, Family Self-Sufficiency, Family Unification and Housing Choice Voucher.
Want to get involved and you are a participant on the JCPHA's Housing Choice Voucher Program?
Yes, I would like to be considered for the JCPHA's Resident Advisory Board Member.
To promote adequate and affordable housing, economic opportunity and a suitable living environment without discrimination.
To promoting self-sufficiency and upward mobility of families and individuals receiving rental assistance in our service delivery area.
To keep the Jasper County Public Housing Agency's policies and operating procedures current with regulations through sound governance and management practices.


text:
NMAI review
==== THIS REVIEW IS FREELY DISTRIBUTED ====
"A THOUSAND ROADS, NOT TAKEN"American Indian Film Music ReviewBy Brent Michael DavidsJuly 16, 2005
"If we don't frame the issues, someone else will frame the issues for us"- Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee)
This is the first in a series of film music reviews intended to address American Indian composers and musicians in the film industry. The intent here is twofold: to discuss film scoring, but also to provide insights into the process of making a good American Indian film score. With this in mind, a potential starting place is to review the musical score of the "signature" film of the National Museum of the American Indian, A THOUSAND ROADS. While other films might be part Indian or have Indian themes mixed into them, this "signature" film embodies the ideals of the National Museum of the American Indian. According to Founding Director Rick West and the NMAI Board, the American Indian's own self-determined voice is at the heart of whatever the NMAI sets out to accomplish:
"[The] mission-driven core value of the National Museum of the American Indian…is this: …we will invoke, in a conscious, systematic, and focused way, the insights, perspectives, and voices of Native peoples themselves. In doing so, we depart…from the historically conventional approach of interpreting and representing Native cultures and communities from third-party viewpoints. We do so because we believe the cultural expertise of Native peoples is authentic, authoritative, and real concerning their cosmologies, philosophies, life and cultural experience, past and present…" [W. Richard West, Jr., 2004. National Press Club]
"The National Museum of the American Indian shall recognize and affirm to Native communities and the non-Native public the historical and contemporary cultural achievements of the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere by advancing, in consultation, collaboration, and cooperation with Native people, knowledge and understanding of Native cultures, including art, history, and language, and by recognizing the museum's special responsibility, through innovative public programming, research, and collections, to protect, support, and enhance the development, maintenance, and perpetuation of Native culture and community." [NMAI Board of Trustees, Mission Statement]
Therefore, it occurred to me, that in a place that prides itself on commissioning genuine Indian works of art, such as the giant woven curtain designed by Romona Sakiestewa (Hopi) for the Rasmuson Theater which regularly exhibits A THOUSAND ROADS, the NMAI might be the best choice to find a clear example of American Indian film scoring for the subject of this review.
Admittedly, looking at American Indian films for their musical scores is not a popular science; just google the phrase "American Indian film score" or "American Indian film music" and see how little you turn up. There are a couple reasons for this, the lack of American Indian film composers and the market-driven climate of popularized film songs. First, the demands of composing for film are varied and intense. A film composer must be an expert in most forms of music from classical to rock, able to write the score into music manuscript, able to identify the proper music genre and its proper dramatic placement within a film scene, and able to compose quickly. While there are many highly creative and talented Indians who are musical performers and even composers, they are more often not versed in all forms of music as demanded by a career in film music. In addition, those Indian composers that can write for orchestra are few and far between. For instance, if a singer-songwriter takes on the task of scoring a film, they most likely will hire a trained composer to ghost write for the orchestra, or simply work collaboratively with a trained composer who can write down and orchestrate the music.
Secondly, in today's film scene, the marketplace has a near stranglehold over the type of music used for film scores. The desired "ideal" for film music has shifted as a result of the heavy lobbying efforts of the record companies and producers. In the former days, before song placement or "needle-dropping" songs into films, film scores were seen as the comprehensive work of trained composers such as Jerry Goldsmith or Elmer Bernstein. In today's' marketplace however, large deals are struck between the recording industry and film producers, the intent of which is to give record companies the chance to have their songs reach a larger "film" audience with the sale of accompanying music CDs, in exchange for providing additional revenue to film makers in search of more funding.
But this deal-making stifles the film scores being produced, creating a tunnel-vision effect on the newer generation of film directors. Today, the recording industry's lobbying efforts have influenced a new generation of directors who buy into the marketed "ideal" for film scores, as if few other scoring solutions exist; today's film makers rarely search out expert film composers but immediately search out the music of songsters and bands instead. Many American Indian film makers are not immune from this lobbying effect, almost having been "brought up" or "raised" by the industry to first look for bands and songsters, and not trained film composers. Coupled with the genuine scarcity of Indian film composers in the field, the stifling effect for American Indians is compounded. Checking the composer credit on any Indian film, even if the film features an Indian musician, will reveal a non-Indian composer is listed who did most of the actual film scoring. American Indian film scores are not the most studied or talked about topic — inside or outside of Indian country — which is why in-depth reviews of this type are needed. Taking a cue from Wilma Mankiller, as Indians we should be framing these issues for ourselves.
For A THOUSAND ROADS, we must examine the context of the score, as well as the music itself. While working as the Associate Director of the Mall Transition Team for the new NMAI building, James Volker (non-Indian) had the initial idea. "I was the originator of the concept of the film, some three and a half years ago," Volker explained, "I wanted to develop a film that was identified solely with the Museum, and that's when it became called a signature film" (May 18, 2005). Volker was then approached by Scott Garen (non-Indian), "Scott was the primary mover in terms of the development of the production. The Smithsonian and myself and Rick West and Elizabeth Duggal were the primary story consultants." Garen was directed to collaborate with Joy Harjo (Muskogee Creek) to write the script and Chris Eyre (Cheyenne/Arapaho) to direct the film. Including Ulali, these were the only American Indians involved in the film scoring process. Ulali is a trio that sings in many styles including the indigenous-based "pre-blues" singing style. Ulali singers include: Pura Fe (Tuscarora), Soni Moreno (Mayan/Apache/Yaqui), and Jennifer Kreisberg (Tuscarora).
R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute), stated that his music was added to the film without his direct involvement; the specific request for his music came directly from Chris Eyre to Robert Doyle of Canyon Records. In perhaps an oversight, Douglas Spotted Eagle (non-Indian) was listed in the NMAI press release (April 6, 2005) as a "Native" flutist along with Nakai, while in a reprint of that press release by Indian Country Today (April 19, 2005), the word "Native" was correctly omitted for Spotted Eagle; Spotted Eagle's own web site indicated: "I was told as a child, right up til [sic] I was an adult, that I had Native blood, and so I set out to learn about it. I could never find any proof that I had it, and so as far as I'm concerned, I'm white." Similar to Nakai, Spotted Eagle was not involved in creating the film score, though his music was added to it. In addition to Folkway recording samples, the score also included Heitor Pereira (Brazilian) guitar samples.
The composer selected for the film was Whale Rider's Lisa Gerrard (non-Indian). No exact information has surfaced about the selection criteria, although Volker explained "Specifically in terms of the music, Scott Garen contacted Lisa Gerrard, and Lisa and Jeff are the composers, so that connection came through Scott." Beyond this fact, little has surfaced about the exact criteria. While the selection criteria is not known, it is factually clear there was no "open bid" process for a composer, as some governmental institutions do if they are publicly funded (for example: the public "Call for Submissions" to create outdoor sculptures for "long-term public display" at the NMAI). Executive Producer W. Richard West, Jr. (Cheyenne/Arapaho) could not be reached for comment. Neither Scott Garen nor Chris Eyre have offered any response to my interview requests, made to them through their PR representative Laura Marks.
According to Joy Harjo, herself a composer and musician, music was central to translating the various characters and places in the script. Central to the script wasa wise and hilarious DJ who held the stories together with music spinning out across the world from the communities of the characters. This was abandoned very late in the project. The story took another turn as it sometimes does. "Some of the DJ narrative was kept in, but the DJ character was cut. I always felt that the music would be crucial and it was important to have contemporary native music sounds mixed with more traditional sounds, to give some sense of the variety and innovation in our lives." However Harjo had no final say in the musical direction. When Garen ran by his choice of Gerrard for the project he told Harjo, "Can't you hear her voice all through the movie?" Harjo responded that Indian singers would be more authentic for an Indian film. "I mean, Gerard has a beautiful and haunting voice and I can understand the quality of sound that Garen was after. But I was surprised that a non-Native voice would become the heart of a signature sound on a supposedly Indian film. What if we were making an African American film, would a non-African American voice even be considered? Not at all. It doesn't make sense, especially after the carefulness of insuring an Indian presence in the scriptwriting and directing."
But according to Harjo, her music ideas were ignored. "It was made very clear to me that I was a writer for hire and that I was to stay out of the music. I was kept out of the loop of the movie after my comments on the impending hire of non-native composers. I felt that at least one of the composers should be native." Was it coincidence then that her music was not present on the preview soundtrack DC? According to Harjo, Jeff Rona told herthat the guest tracks had to have a recognizable native sound to be included. "I didn't have the right native sound, not enough drums and flutes to be considered."
Lisa Gerrard did not respond to my interview request. Jeff Rona initially agreed to an interview, but has not responded again. Harjo has no knowledge of Chris Eyre's view on how she was treated on the project. However, it was interesting to hear that Eyre and Garen have formed their own company together. As Volker explained, "As a result of that collaboration between Scott Garen and Chris Eyre, they've now formed a production company called 'Seven Arrows Signature' looking specifically to work with Native communities on other projects" (Volker, 2005). It is also interesting to note that I was denied a screener copy of the film by Seven Arrows. But, I was graciously given a DVD by Tom Sweeney (non-Indian) of the NMAI Office of Public Affairs.
Harjo's description of being cut "out of the loop" vs. the more affirmative picture offered by James Volker, did not jibe. In response, I called Tom Sweeney to get an official view of the project in two respects: to better understand the "signature" importance of the film and what constituted an acceptable "collaboration" on the project. James Volker had emphasized repeatedly that A THOUSAND ROADS was a genuine and respectful collaboration in all respects. Sweeney followed suit with the same admonition. But, Sweeney added something more; in his view, the "signature" aspect of the film was almost arbitrary, downplaying its meaning. "It's just a term," explained Sweeney, "It's just meant to differentiate from other films, because we do have a Native film and video center… I mean like Safeway has a signature sandwich so [chuckle] it's a term used in many different ways" (May 2005). Asked why a film would be called a "signature" film to simply separate it from other films, Sweeney had no definitive answer beyond the fact that he was not involved in labeling it that way, and ultimately did not know why. This was an interesting response considering that the term "signature" was not well defined for people actually working on the production either, responded Harjo.
The most interesting and helpful response to my question regarding "signature" and "collaboration" came from a somewhat independent source. James Nason (Comanche) is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and Emeritus Curator of Pacific and American Ethnology in a prominent Washington State museum. Nason spent 6 years working on the architectural program design for NMAI, 2 years on exhibits, and is now on the programs committee. According to Nason (May, 2005), in a typical museum's view:
"'Signature' means a product that is a foundation piece, reflecting the mission and values of the organization, i.e. it can stand as a representative of what the organization intends to do for all such products in the future and what the organization stands for." [James Nason, 2005]
"A 'collaborator' is usually somewhat more than someone who provides volunteer consultation, but not necessarily a full-fledged participant who is paid. A collaborator might be paid, but not necessarily so. It implies input and potential agreement to the product's nature." [James Nason, 2005]
It was important to note that a "signature" work does not rest simply in how it functions in the present tense, but also how it sets a precedent for all future "signature" works. But is their some NMAI confusion between a "collaborator" vs. a "worker-for-hire"?
As a final interview, I spoke with Jennifer Kreisberg about Ulali's one recording session for A THOUSAND ROADS. Her response was serious in tone, as Ulali was told by Jeff Rona their music "was too bluesy" for the soundtrack; Jennifer quickly corrected Rona, stating that bluesy quality was a uniquely indigenous feature of Ulali's music which predates modern blues. "That really is our scale," Kreisberg affirmed. But their expertise was ignored. Rona altered the light and definitive sound of Ulali, without Ulali permission, into a heavier echo-laden sound smothered in reverb. To boot, Ulali was not given "retakes" nor the opportunity to properly warmup.
In Summary, the Indians involved in the film music score, including Joy Harjo (scripted music) and Ulali (performed music), were treated largely as "works-for-hire" and not as genuine collaborators. The decisions regarding the film score were made almost exclusively by non-Indians on the project. It is unfortunate that a greater transparency could not have been established for contracting both the producers and the composers, especially considering that both, admittedly, had little knowledge of American Indian music at all. According to Rona:
"I met with the director and producers of the film for a spotting sessions [sic] to discuss the style and placement of music for the film. This was also my first real introduction to the vast array of Native American music. While I had a couple of CDs of native flute and powwow recordings, I knew little of the music of specific geographic regions." [Jeff Rona, web site, 2005]
Also unfortunate is that a professional "Code of Ethics" was not in place that may have offered a better model for collaboration. An established Code might have better served the NMAI's adopted Mission. For instance, below is an excerpt from the "Statement of Ethical Intent" of the First Nations Composer Initiative (FNCI):
"Those commissioning or creating new works intended to represent, reflect or otherwise include any form of American Indian music should ensure that steps are taken to seek out and invite American Indian composers and musicians for those works. If working together in collaboration with American Indians, all parties should agree to honestly portray and authentically represent the American Indian work. Such relationships must not be misrepresented as Native American collaborations if they were not created with mutual respect for, and sensitivity to, the customary practice or established practices of the American Indian collaborators. The FIRST NATIONS COMPOSER INITIATIVE does not condone the use of Native American "workers-for-hire" under the guise of authentic collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people; such practices are tokenistic. The FIRST NATIONS COMPOSER INITIATIVE does encourage and support collaborations with American Indians that are honest exchanges of knowledge and creativity on equal terms, and where the collaboration is not achieved at the expense of the Indigenous people. Native American collaborations must be mutually respectful and honestly authentic within the collaborating process as well as in the resulting product of the collaboration." [FNCI.org]
The film A THOUSAND ROADS portrays a number of small vignettes in locations including: Alaska, New Mexico, New York City, Peru, and Puget Sound. Each location employs a short story, including: a girl's encounter with Alaska villagers, a Navajo boy's struggle with gang pressure, and a Mohawk woman's stressful inner-city job. The stories are threaded together with an unseen voice who refers to the film's characters as if he knows them personally. The vignettes serve to illustrate the many "roads" of Indigenous peoples in a type of visual suite or pastiche. The film is 42 minutes, and the music is 32 minutes (77%). Only ten minutes is without film music.
The chart below shows the amount of Source versus Scoring in the film, by percentage, according to musical style. The percentages were figured using a "Cue Sheet" that lists every bit of music appearing in the film (appendix). First, the term "Source" refers to any music placed into a film that is not the original creation of the film's composer; such Source music includes: (1) on-screen events such as music from a car radio seen in the film, or (2) prerecorded music that is needle-dropped into the film. "Needle-dropped" music, like dropping the needle onto a record, refers to prerecorded music being cut-and-pasted into the film. Second, the term "Score" refers to the music composed for the film footage; the unique feature of music Scoring is its being "tailor-made" to fit the film in perfect synchronization. Film composers create music that shifts in mood or style to exactly match the shifts within the scenes themselves; in this way, the score is more precise than source or needle-dropped music. A good film composer creates music that adapts and supports the scene, mood for mood, shift for shift, no matter what music is called for.
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As one can see from the top rows of the chart, Source music was of lower importance to the overall soundtrack, as indicated by very low percentages. From the bottom rows of the chart, we see that most of the soundtrack was original scoring, predominantly long string tones and Lisa Gerrard's voice. As indicated in the chart's middle rows, much of the other music used in the soundtrack was prerecorded "samples" or "loops" that were mixed into the score; in this way, long string tones and Gerrard's voice were enhanced with added bits (samples) of prerecorded guitar, flutes and drum loops. It is interesting to note the diversity of non-Indian styles used in both Gerrard's singing as well as in Rona's prerecorded sample loops, including: generic africanized drum loops, generic rock loops, arab-like melisma singing, Western opera-style singing, and singing with drawn-out long tones.
American Indian composer Barbara Croall has provided her insights about the score. Croall (Odawa) is an award-winning composer and former Composer-In-Residence of the Toronto Symphony, also specializing in multimedia theatrical works. Toronto is widely recognized for its film festival each year, and the Canada Film Board is an incredibly active organization. Below is Croall's review in its entirety:
"A Thousand Roads isa film of intimatenarrativeswithin ahuge scope: spanning from the heart of urban America, to its arctic and its desert, and then to the mountains of the Andean region of South America. Its purpose is to tell the stories of the indigenous peoples who are linked in spirit, however geographically far apart. The stunning visuals ofsky, land, water, birds, animals and people certainly have a visceral impact upon us.
For a film so sprawling in content – geographically and culturally – the challenge lies in scoring it with the sounds and music of its story line. Although on one level, a seamless score strongly permeated by synthesized symphonic strings aims to achieve continuity from scene to scene, the audible fragmentary moments of actual indigenous music-making are sparse and covered by a heavier veil of orchestral and MIDI foreground. When we hear this predominantly 'new age' melding-concept of sounds, replete with string lines and sonority with pseudo-celtic vocals weaving in and out, we can close our eyes and imagine many different kinds of visual scenarios and subject matter which match what we hear.
Throughout the film, there are highly poignant moments when the meaning of a scene peaks in our consciousness and we are craving for the sounds and music which bring that to a culmination – the so-called catharsis in highbrow terms – but we are often left disappointed. Even though the score is beautiful and worth merit on its own, we are reminded of a pervasive trend in American cinematic expression – whereby the true voice of a culture's spirit is often smothered so much in the gloss of presentation, that its cultural distinctiveness either struggles to be heard or is lost altogether. There is a certain irony, then, with this film in that only fragmentary and disconnected expressions of the representative cultures, from scene to scene, can be heard. This all the more compounds our sadness rather than uplifting our spirits, which we expect the film to do if it is intended to celebrate the resilience of indigenous peoples of the Americas, rather than to further lament its vanishing.
In some instances, the sounds of one traditional style of music – most notably with native flutes which are used in a pan-Indian way – do not correspond with the cultural content of the film. In the Arctic story line scenes, we do not hear the evocative sounds of drumming and song from the north. Instead, we hear the traditional love flute which we associate with the Woodlands and Plains.
There are many moments when there is opportunity to heighten the film's positive messages sonically – especially when the narrator John Trudell says: "We have songs for everything – songs for healing, for grieving…" , which is then immediately followed by a celtic kind of melody which expands into a sort of Vaughn Williams conception of English choral writing. Where are our songs – where is our music in this film? Where is the voice of our people ?
Again, the aims of this film are admirable – and achievable – by involving a collaboration of representative First Nations musical artists across the Americas who can sing for themselves and only strengthen what the theme of A Thousand Roads really is." [Barbara Croall, 2005]
Croall's insights reveal that A THOUSAND ROADS may be suffering from a "gloss of presentation" that hurts rather helps the film's "cultural distinctiveness." In this instance, it may be helpful to illustrate how an Indian composer may have handled the score differently. Though many examples exist in the film, below are 2 that illustrate the difference an Indian viewpoint makes, in the New York and Alaska vignettes.
NEW YORK. This example illustrates one of the first rules of film scoring: "Music cannot save a film." If something's not in the film already, music cannot put it there. The score for the NY segment consists largely of long tones layered with looped rock rhythms. Looking at the scenes without an Indian eye, most of what we see is a cityscape with a couple of Indian characters. With this non-Indian view, it might be plausible to use long dark washes of sound and a city-like beat for the music. But with an Indian eye, many things are missing; several important questions were not answered in the score.
Q – How does she feel about her own history?
A – The music might have revealed her feeling "at home" in the same skyscrapers her people had built. Working as steel workers in New York, Mohawks were known as the "skywalkers," building the Empire State building among many other City landmarks.
Q – How can the music show her connection to Mohawk life?
A – Mohawks are a culture of extended kinship ties. Many Mohawk songs embrace the solid community of extended family ties. Instead, the film itself merely implied an extended family by her quick glance at a small photo and her moving stones into a "new age" circle on her desk. The music's inadequacy may owe partly to the film's inadequacy. A film can be enhanced by music, but music cannot fix something that is missing.
ALASKA. This second example is more clear-cut. Whales are more than food for Alaska Natives, they are part of a nearly symbiotic relationship with the Indigenous people, as the heart of their entire way of life. Whale hunts were prohibited in the past because of low whale populations and laws protecting whales, which the Indigenous people have always supported. When the laws again permitted the taking of whales in traditional hunts, the Alaska Natives revived their time-honored tradition. Whale harvesting is a life-affirming and happy time for the Indigenous people.
Q – How was the life-affirming quality illustrated in the music score?
A – It was not. While whales were harvested, the music became dark and ominous. This dark music created a mood of isolation and despair for the girl who spit out her first taste of whale meat.
Q – How might Indian eyes have scored this scene differently?
A – Instead of scoring the whale harvesting scene with a wash of dark tones, an Indigenous eye would see a festive spirit, creating a life-affirming music that is not dark nor ominous. Such music would empower the Indigenous images and champion the deep connection they maintain with the whales. A life-affirming music might have created a more positive mood for the girl's experiences on-screen. Because an Indian eye was not employed for the score, the music suffers from an artificial and unnecessary mood of darkness.
In the final analysis, it is clear from all the explorations and considerations above, that the film score for A THOUSAND ROADS has largely failed in its attempt to accurately and honorably portray the Indigenous voices of the hemispheres. This overall failure resulted partly from a non-Indian decision-making process that guided the making of the score, as well as from the non-Indian composers hired to create it. To be sure, creating a 'signature' music score that inspires viewers to further explore our many and varied Indigenous voices is a lofty impetus. Disappointingly, the score for A THOUSAND ROADS offers little more than a mono-thematic and stereotyped vision.
Rather than affirming the uniqueness of Indians, the score for A THOUSAND ROADS travels down the long-established — and heavily traversed — road of Hollywood stereotypes. After hearing the film music, one comes away with an overarching sense of melancholy and isolation, almost as if Indians need saving from their lonely lives. Neither the film nor the music established feelings of a vibrant community of extended kinship ties, which is fundamental to Indigenous life.
As a helpful resource — for the benefit of any Indigenous Tribe or Nation creating your own signature film — this review demonstrates the need to choose your production team and collaborators wisely. In a point well taken, please consider an excerpt from poet Robert Frost, slightly reworked for the title of this review:
Somewhere STEREOTYPES and INDIANS hence:A THOUSAND roads diverged in HOLLYWOOD, and I– I took the RED one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
_____________________________Copyrighte2005, Brent Michael Davids. Available to freely distribute and re-print without obtaining further the permission of the copyright holder, as assigned by Brent Michael Davids, July 17, 2005.


With 7:34 left in the fourth quarter, the Milwaukee Bucks held an 18-point advantage over the Denver Nuggets. With such a large lead and little time remaining, the Bucks held a 99.6 percent chance of escaping the thin Colorado air with a big win, according to Inpredictable.com. Things did not go as planned.
The first link in this improbable daisy-chain of events came with 3:43 remaining. With Milwaukee's lead cut to nine, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo fouled out of the game on an offensive charge.
Still, with veterans like Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, and Jabari Parker in tow, holding on for the victory wasn't out of the question. Unfortunately, Antetokounmpo's removal proved to be an indelicate surgery, and they just couldn't stop the bleeding.
A Nikola Jokic layup cut the deficit to three with 30.6 seconds on the clock. The Nuggets first had a chance to even the score after Parker whiffed on a nail-in-the-coffin nine-foot shot with 7.7 seconds remaining, but Paul Millsap turned the ball over. It should've been over - the game, and possibly the Nuggets' playoff hopes - right then and there, but they wouldn't quit.
With a three-point lead and possession with 2.9 seconds left, all the Bucks had to do was keep possession. But, Middleton mistimed the inbound attempt to Jason Terry, and second-year guard Jamal Murray plucked the ball out of the air and unfurled it from 3-point range with hardly a moment to spare. The attempt clanked off the back of the rim, but the refs called a shooting foul on Terry, sending Murray to the line for the potential game-tying free throws.
As if injected with Rocky Mountain ice water, Murray hit all three - part of a flawless 10-for-10 night from the charity stripe. He'd finish with 27 points.
The Nuggets pulled away in overtime for a 128-125 victory. Jokic lead the way with 35 points and 13 rebounds - though the ever timely Murray was clearly the hero of the night.
It's hard to overstate how badly Denver needed this win to keep their postseason hopes alive. Mike Malone's crew started the day just outside the playoff picture, fighting with the Los Angeles Clippers for a chance at stealing one of the final playoff berths in the Western Conference from the likes of the Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, or New Orleans Pelicans.
While their fate still lies in the performance of the teams ahead of them in the standings, for one night at least, the Nuggets can rest easy knowing they did as much as they could. It was undoubtedly the most significant performance of their season, and one of the most miraculous comebacks in recent NBA memory.


FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German automaker Volkswagen has posted another annual sales record by selling 10.83 million cars in 2018 as new SUV models boosted deliveries.
-based maker of Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and other brand name cars beat its 2017 record of 10.74 million cars. Sales rose in the U.S.
He called it "a great result" even though the company no longer sets unit sales records as a primary business goal.


text:
LeToya Luckett Opens Up About Finding Love Again: "He Sees Me"
The tale of their love is nothing short of a dream.
Keyaira Kelly
Source: Jerritt Clark / Getty
In an exclusive with Essence Magazine, LeToya Luckett opens up about her relationship and recent engagement to beau Tommicus Walker.
After a very public breakup from author Rob Hill Sr., the songstress expressed she was frustrated with the dating process in an interview with Pastor John Gray from OWN.
The Pastor's advice to the 'Back To Life' crooner would prove to be prophetic–her husband was on his way.
Months later Luckett was attending a wedding when she ran into her friend/designed Nikki Chu. Chu, aware of Luckett's love life issues, offered to introduce the Texas native to her boyfriend's brother. Luckett agreed to the introduction with one caveat, she didn't want her potential suitor to know her full name or anything about her past.
The pair talked for weeks without seeing a picture of the other. Their courting finally came to a head when they began praying together. Walker shortly after flew out to LA to meet Luckett in person.
When he finally realized his love interest was none other than famous, 'Destiny's Child' alum LeToya Luckett, Walker was unfazed.
"None of that matters because I've gotten to know you and to see your heart and that's what I'm into, and so that doesn't change nothing we got going on right now," Luckett shared with Essence.
"I love that he isn't in the entertainment business, but yet he still understands me and he's so supportive," said Luckett. "He gets me, but he sees Toya. And that's what I've always wanted. I'd say, 'God, whoever you have for me, I want them to see me. I want them to see my heart. I want them to see me crystal clear in their eyes the way you see me in yours.' And, he sees me. And there's no better feeling."
SOURCE: Essence
LeToya Lucky: 'Destiny's Child' Alum Engaged To Entrepreneur Tommicus Walker
In Kontrol: LeToya Luckett Sparkles For Magazine Cover
Rob Hill, Sr., Opens Up About His Breakup With LeToya Luckett
LeToya Luckett Opens Up About Finding Love Again: "He Sees Me" was originally published on hellobeautiful.com


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Rosales-Casian, Jorge A. (2004) "Age and Growth of Young-Of-The-Year (YOY) California Halibut (Paralichthys calif ornicus) , from Northwestern Baja California," Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences: Vol. 103: Iss. 3.