text:
Category Archives: Misc Subjects
Flasby Hall Iron-Age sword and scabbard in The Craven Museum.
NGR: SD 942 563. In 1848 a well-preserved late Iron-Age sword and scabbard were dug up in the grounds of Flasby Hall, near Skipton, North Yorkshire. This ancient antiquity was said to date from the 1st Century AD. The Victorian edifice of Flasby Hall, dating from about 1843, is a couple of miles to the northeast of Eshton and some 3 miles to the southeast of Winterburn. It is thought that the iron sword belonged to a Celtic warrior or chieftain of the Brigantean tribe who lived at a nearby settlement, possibly the one at Sharp Haw, and around the time when the Roman army was marching north and eastwards through the Dales in order to consolidate their grip on the north of England and, 'put down' the Brigantes tribe, who had held sway here. But did this Celtic warrior bury his sword here in order to retrieve it at a later time? or was it just thrown into a pit maybe as an offering to some pagan god? That we will probably never know.
The sword and its scabbard were kept for many years at Flasby Hall by Captain Preston, but then in more recent times it was donated to The Craven Museum, Skipton, where it is still on display in a glass cabinet along with the Malham Pipe (flute) from the Seaty Hill tumulus, and also a Celtic stone-head. According to the 'Out of Oblivion' website' "The scabbard is made from beaten and cast copper alloy, lined with wood and is decorated in typical 'celtic' style. The sword itself is of iron. Such a sword would have been the prized possession of a local Iron Age warrior and an important symbol of his status. It is similar to several others found in the area occupied by the tribe known as the Brigantes." See 'Out of Oblivion' and 'Wikipedia' websites, below.
Sources & References:-
https://www.cravenmuseum.org/archaeology/fact-sheets/the-flasby-sword/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flasby
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craven_Museum_%26_Gallery
https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=35748
Categories: Misc Subjects | Tags: The Flasby Hall Iron-Age Sword Skipton in North Yorkshire | Permalink.
Rieve Edge Cross above Thursden Valley.
NGR: SD 9076 3457. Rieve Edge is a steep hill overlooking Thursden Valley at the north side of Extwistle Moor, in Lancashire. At its summit is an outcrop of Gritstone rocks with more rock debris on its lower flank, down as far as the Pennine Bridleway, which skirts the lower side of this hill. On one of the large flat rocks on the lower slope of Rieve Edge there is a large carved cross which is "possibly" Medieval, or could it be more recent? And on another rock a bit further up the hill there is a carving of a head with a helmet and some letters; this particular carving being more recent though. There don't appear to be any prehistoric carvings on the rock outcrop though there are erosion-related holes in some of the rocks. There is a stone with a single cup-mark beside the bridleway. No designated footpath goes up to Rieve Edge from Ridehalgh Lane, in Thursden Valley, so it's just a case of climbing up the steep hillside with the rock outcrop up ahead of you, but it's worth the climb just for the views!
Carved head on stone at Rieve Edge, above Thursden Valley.
The crude cross that is carved onto a large flat stone about a quarter of the way up Rieve Edge is what's referred to as a "Potent" style cross and is similar to the St Chad's Cross, although their designs are slightly different. Could this cross have been carved by monks from either Whalley abbey or Sawley abbey and, could it mark the extent of their lands, the boundaries of their monastic estates? However, we don't know when the cross was carved though it could be late Medieval, or maybe more recent? And was it carved by a Whalley monk, or a pilgrim making his way to the abbey? There is another similar cross carved on a rock further up Ridehalgh Lane, although it's very faint. Going further up the slope of Rieve Edge there is another curious carving on a rock of a helmeted, mustachioed head (probably a knight) with the letters 'BR' above. This carving is obviously quite recent in date, but why it was carved, and what it signifies is anyone's guess. The name "Rieve" as in the context of 'Rieve Edge' is taken to mean "a bank of snow", which sounds about right, but it can mean a few other things too.
Sources / References:-
Post, W. Ellwood, Saints Signs And Symbols, (Second Edition), SPCK, London & Morehouse-Barlow Co, 1974.
https://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/rieve
Categories: Cross Slab, Misc Subjects | Tags: Rieve Edge Cross in Thursden Valley in Lancashire | Permalink.
The Written Stone, Grimsargh Near Longridge, Lancashire
The Written Stone at Grimsargh, near Longridge, Lancashire.
OS Grid Reference: SD 62622 37892. At the northern end of Written Stone Lane at Grimsargh, near Longridge, Lancashire, is a very curious and mysterious stone slab, with an even stranger inscribed message carved onto it and the name Ralph Radcliffe (1655), although this very large lump of gritstone might be much older. This inscribed stone, known locally as 'The Written Stone', stands at the side of the lane close by the entrance to Written Stone Farm, originally called Cottam House. It became known as 'the cursed stone' after very strange and ghostly happenings took place when the farmer decided to try and move it, but he had to return the stone to its original position when 'all hell let loose', according to the legend. To reach this site from the east side of Longridge: head onto the B6243 for a couple of miles in the direction of Hurst Green. Passing the two Spade Mill reservoirs on your left continue for a short distance, then take the next (left) turning up Written Stone Lane; the stone is in the bank beside the entrance to Written Stone farm, on the left-hand side.
The Written Stone is a huge long lump of sandstone measuring 9 feet in length, 2 feet wide and 18 inches in depth, and is said to weigh several tonnes. There is a long inscription along the side of the stone in large letters dating back to the mid-17th Century. The message reads: RAVFFE: RADCLIFFE: LAID: THIS STONE TO LYE: FOR: EVER: A.D. 1655. It is, according to the legend, said that a terrible murder was committed here. The victim of this murder began to plague the conspirators – the Radcliffe family – who lived at Cottam House. Several members of Ralph Radcliffe's family began to die in strange circumstances as if they were cursed in some way. In the hope of atoning for this terrible murder Mr Radcliffe had a large stone carved and an inscription written onto it; the hope being, perhaps, that the restless spirit would be calmed. But travelers going along the lane, which local people called Boggart Lane, began to report strange happenings – loud screeching sounds, bumps and bangs, ghostly appari-tions, people being pinched and their clothing being messed about with. All this was simply put down to a poltegiest trying to cause trouble.
The Written Stone is a long slab of gritstone with an inscription carved on its side.
Many years later when the Radcliffe family had moved away from Cottam House its new tenant decided to try and move the large stone so that he could put it into use as a "buttery stone" in his dairy. However moving the stone proved very difficult. It took six horses and many local people to actually move it. But during the removal a number of persons were injured and much noise seemed to eminate from the stone itself. When the said stone was finally moved to its new resting place the problems continued – anything placed upon it just fell off or was thrown off by unseen hands. During that first night "all hell let loose", with loud bangs and clatterings, and other horrid noises. The next morning the farmer decided he'd had enough and the six horses and local folk were asked to move the stone back to its original site but, oddly enough this time only one horse was required – the stone almost moving of its own accord – seemingly the demonic spirit was eager to get back from whence it came and, from that day onwards the stone has not been moved or touched, according to the Legend. So peace and quiet returned to the country lane. Today, people walking past the stone seem unaware of its terrible history, but I wonder whether anyone dares to touch the stone or get too close to it. Let it be 'a warning' to anybody who might even consider trying to move, or take the stone away, from its "place of eternal rest" and, if you do, be ready for the consequences, or not.
Janet & Colin Bord (1980) tell about a doctor riding his horse along Written Stone Lane: "Late one night he was riding past the Written Stone…….when his horse became hysterical, and took off at a gallop, only stopping two miles further on. The doctor must have been feeling especially bold, for, despite this adventure, he decided to return to the Written Stone and face whatever had frightened the horse. He rode up to the stone and issued a challenge, whereupon, in the words of Kathleen Eyre, describing the encounter in her Lancashire Legends, a shapeless mass materialized, seized him, plucked him from the saddle and almost squeezed the breath from his body. As soon as he was able, the doctor left the spot at a gallop."
In recent times it has been suggested by a few people that the 'Written Stone' was brought down from the fell where it had perhaps been a standing stone, or that maybe it had once formed part of a stone circle, and as such it might have been a pagan altar-stone. Another theory is that it could possibly lay on the site of an earlier standing stone, according to Janet & Colin Bord (1980). I have heard it said that it might actually be an outlier. But from which stone circle did it come? as there are no such ancient monuments like that anywhere near here, so it must have travelled some distance. Written Stone Lane, also known as Boggart Lane, forms part of, or intersects with, a Roman road that links the forts of Ribchester and Lancaster.
The British Listed Buildings (BLB) Source ID number is:- 1147440. See Link below.
Sources/references and related websites:-
Bord, Janet & Colin, The Secret Country — More Mysterious Britain, Granada Publishing Limited, St Alban's, Herts, 1980.
Dixon, John & Phillip, Journeys Through Brigantia, Volume Nine, The Ribble Valley, Aussteiger Publications, Barnoldswick, 1993.
Fields, Kenneth, Lancashire Magic & Mystery, Sigma Leisure, Wilmslow, Cheshire, 1998.
Howarth, Ken, Ghosts, Traditions & Legends of Old Lancashire, Sigma Leisure, Wilmslow, Cheshire, 1993.
http://northernantiquarian.forumotion.net/t307-the-written-stone-near-longridge
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101147440-the-written-stone-longridge#.XIBQ-VJCdjo
http://www.martintop.org.uk/blog/rauffe-radcliffe-written-stone-longridge
Written Stone Lane
Categories: Inscribed Stones, Misc Subjects | Tags: The Written Stone at Grimsargh near Longridge in Lancashire | Permalink.
Medieval Stone Carving In Marsden Park, Marsden, West Yorkshire
The Laycock Memorial in Marsden Park by Humphrey Bolton (Wikimedia)
OS Grid Reference: SE 05080 11474. At the base of a memorial to the Lancashire poet Samuel Laycock in Marsden Park at Marsden, 8 miles southwest of Huddersfield, west Yorkshire, there is a curious carved stone, which has been called 'Celtic' by local historians down the years. It is strangely carved with elements of nature that do indeed seem to be "Celtic" in origin. However, the stone is more likely to be late medieval. But where did this curious carved stone come from? No one seems to know. Maybe it came from some Medieval church or priory (though there is no record of that), or from some sacred grove beside a riverbank. The monument was actually set up to commemorate the Lancashire dialect poet Samuel Laycock (1826-93) who was born in Marsden, but his poetry was mostly about Lancashire and the 'hardships' of the Cotton Industry. Laycock died in Blackpool, Lancashire. The monument with its curious carved stone stand close by the bandstand in Marsden Park near Carrs Road. So just head for the bandstand and the monument is on the other side – just opposite the war memorial – dedicated to local men who died in the Great War.
Celtic Stone in Marsden Park, at Marsden, west Yorkshire.
Apparantly the curious carved stone was found at Marsden in the late 19th century and then in 1911 it was seen fit to place it at the base of Samuel Laycock's memorial in Marsden Park. But why? Maybe it was seen as 'a fitting tribute' to such a great poetic genius for Samuel Laycock was just that. The stone is thought to be Late Medieval and to date probably from somewhere be-tween the 14th-16th centuries, but could it be much earlier? A few local historians have con-sidered it to be Celtic in origin! Well at least the carvings look to be Celtic! And also carved on the stone is what looks to be the head of a Celtic sun god with sunrays radiating from it. Or is this carving a depiction of 'The Tree of Life'- maybe. Another theory being that the oval-shaped face is that of a Celtic saint complete with a halo; the crown of oak leaves being associated with saints of the Old British Church both in folklore and literature.
In an article called Reading the Environment by David Fletcher & David Ellis in the 'Pennine' magazine (1980) we are told about this curious Celtic stone in Marsden Park. They say that: "At the base of this modest monument is a mysterious stone carved in low relief depicting an oval-shaped face with a garland or crown of oak leaves, acorns and flowers. This stone was found somewhere in Marsden during the last century, no-one seems to know exactly where, but the local worthies realizing its antiquity placed it at the feet of the local bard when his memorial was erected in 1911. Nothing could be more appropriate because it is my opinion that this mysterious stone can introduce us to a people who inhabited the Pennines for perhaps a thousand years—the Celts."
Fletcher and Ellis go on to say that: "The symbolic head with an oval face, and the crown of oak leaves suggest to me that this was part of a pagan shrine and who knows, perhaps it was the focus of worship in a sacred grove by the river Colne."
Fletcher, David & Ellis, David, (Reading the Environment article), Pennine magazine (No 5), Pennine Heritage Ltd., Pennine Development Trust, Hebden Bridge, West Yorks, June/July 1980.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Marsden,_West_Yorkshire#/media/File:The_Laycock
http://northernantiquarian.forumotion.net/t350-stone-in-marsden-park-marsden-west-yorkshire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsden,_West_Yorkshire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Laycock
http://halfwayhike.com/2014/02/03/a-marsden-poetry-trail/
Categories: Misc Subjects | Tags: Medieval Stone Carving in Marsden Park at Marsden in West Yorkshire | Permalink.
Simon's Cross, Simonstone, Near Padiham, Lancashire
Simon's Cross near Simonstone, Lancashire.
OS grid reference: SD 7760 3609. Upon White Hill and just beside Shady Walks at the north-side of Simonstone, near Padiham, Lanca-shire, is a large boulder with a deep socket hole. This is, in fact, the cross-base of a Medieval wayside cross which was known locally as 'Simon's Cross', 'Simon's Stone' or sometimes 'Wart Well'. Very little is known about its history and who it was named for, or who actually erected the cross. There are inscriptions carved into the sides of the cross-base. The stone can be reached from the A671 (Whalley Road) in Simonstone, then via School Lane and Trapp Lane for ¾ of a mile, passing Higher Trapp Hotel on the left. Just before the top of the lane where the woodland begins go through the wooden kissing gate – the cross-base is beside the wall. Just opposite the cross-base is the beginning of a long and overgrown woodland trench, and the track running alongside this is known locally as Shady Walks!
Simon's Cross (from above).
This large, natural and round-shaped boulder, known as 'Simon's Cross' is roughly 4½ ft wide and just over 2 ft high and is thought to weigh 2-3 tonnes. Its socket hole is 1 ft wide and 10′ deep. But it is not always full of rain-water. When it does contain water it is locally called 'Wart Well' as it is said to be a cure for warts, or it used to be? When I visited there was no water in the socket hole. On the side of the boulder the words 'SIMON'S CROSS' are carved along with a faint cross symbol and some Latin-type letters: maybe J A M and J W and a date that looks like 1860. The cross-shaft that would have fitted into this boulder having long since disappeared, but where did it go to?
Simon's Cross (side view).
Simon's Cross (close-up of the 'Wart Well').
Simon's Cross originally marked the parish boundary of Simonstone and Read, and was perhaps set up in the late 13th or early 14th century by Simon de Read, or could it have been Simon de Altham in the 14th century? It could also, perhaps, be named after a member of the Whitaker family of Simonstone? But we may never know. Simonstone takes its name from any of these characters. And maybe the monks of Whalley Abbey had some connection with the cross as it may have stood on land owned by that religious house, but the main landowners between here and Clitheroe were the de Lacys. Maybe this was a wayside cross to which pilgrims on-route to the abbey could congregate at – and say prayers for a safe journey – the cross acting as a sort of waymarker. The stone for the building of Whalley Abbey is 'said' to have come from quarries at Read and Simonstone.
"The deep, overgrown trench alongside the path in Shady Walks was a drift mine for the extraction of fire clay", according to the 1992 book 'Walks In Lancashire Witch Country' by Jack Keighley. This industrial quarry working runs beside the woodland track for about ½ a mile.
Sources and related web-sites:-
Clayton, John A., The Lancashire Witch Conspiracy, Barrowford Press, 2007.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp411-416
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/lancashire/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8142000/8142400.stm
Keighley, Jack, Walks In Lancashire Witch Country, Cicerone, 1992.
Categories: Ancient Crosses, Misc Subjects | Tags: Simon's Cross at Simonstone near Padiham in Lancashire | Permalink.


Course overview: This course complies with the training requirements for Supervisor Refresher training from HSG 247 - The Licensed Contractors' guide.
Who should attend: This training course is intended for trained Asbestos Supervisors who require annual refresher training.
What will you learn: Depending on TNA* results, types, uses and risks of ACMs; health hazards; legislation and guidance; site set-up; stripping techniques; inspections; records; RPE/PPE; transit; decontamination; plant and equipment; waste; emergency procedures; records; risk assessment; plans of work, supervisor's role; management systems; information; instruction and training.
*TNA means training needs analysis. This is carried out before training commences to check on any knowledge gaps you may have so that the training can focus on these specific areas.


Are you wondering what to read next? Please explore the reviews and other resources in this part of our website to help you decide what to read next.
 If you would like to write a review, please come to the library and ask us how.
Read reviews written by your peers to choose what to read next.
Read reviews written by teachers to help you choose what to read next.
Find out more about a particular author or series.
Find out what books are similar to books you've already read and loved.
Use the slideshows to choose a new book. You can choose a favourite genre or try a new one.
Try one of these websites to read some kid friendly reviews about children's books.
Several websites with free digital audio and video books. Check them out!


text:
Review of 2018 – what have we done at Ethical Reading?
by Gill Ringland | 6 February 2019 | Business ethics, Ethics, Leadership
We were set up as a company in the autumn of 2017, and we started to be visible with our launch at Reading's Thames Tower on January 24th to over 100 people. We were delighted that Professor Beverley Kracher joined us in person and gave an insight into the Omaha Business Alliance – from whom we at Ethical Reading have learnt so much. We were supported by Sacha Romanovitch, CEO of Grant Thornton on video. We were honoured to be joined by local figures such as Deputy Leader of Reading Borough Council, Councillor Tony Page, Sir John Madjeski, Paul Lindley of Ella's Kitchen, and Superintendent Commander Stan Coulson of the Thames Valley Police.
Since then we have attracted 20 Partner organisations and 4 Supporter organisations in the Thames Valley area, and over 1500 individual Members globally.
Our web site has blogs on a wide range of topics related to ethics and mental health, contributed by us and our friends, it has links to ethics resources, and links to a number of volunteers and community organisations. It was implemented with the help of interns from the University of Reading in the summer of 2017.
We have held Meetups, which are free, open to all, evening sessions, on a wide range of topics:
February Ethics of AI
March Bullying in the workplace
April Fairness in the Workplace
May Diversity
June Creating a speakup culture
July Why be moral?
September On the brink of burnout
October Three keys to resilience
November RESPECT
These have attracted from 15-35 people and feedback is highly positive!
We held a Breakfast Briefing on 1st November, hosted by Grant Thornton at their Winnersh Triangle offices, on Ethical Leadership. 49 people attended – the speakers were Major Martyn Cook, previously at the Centre for Army Leadership, Sandhurst; Loughlin Hickey of The Thinking Business; and Professor Emma Borg. The ratings were "world class".
We have held 2 Open Days and 2 Mental Health Awareness sessions supporting out Health and Ethical Workplaces programme.
We have worked with Mark Neild of the University of the West of England on our strategic objectives, and Professors Emma Borg and Brad Hooker of the University of Reading on developing a Code of Ethics.
We have an amazing team of volunteers and a supportive and insightful Advisory Council! And 19 of us gathered for our Christmas dinner on 6th December.
How can we build on this next year? We hope we can!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Nearly 1 million kids have gotten COVID vaccines. Here's how to talk to your children about shots
Marina Pitofsky
By the end of Wednesday, nearly 1 million children ages 5 to 11 will have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Jeff Zients, President Joe Biden's COVID-19 response coordinator, confirmed on Wednesday that another 700,000 shots have been scheduled in pharmacies across the country for younger children.
Adam Keating, a general pediatrician with Cleveland Clinic Children's, told USA TODAY, "There's a large cohort of parents, and to some extent a large cohort of kids, that are really excited to get vaccinated for this."
"They realize these are very effective vaccines," he said.
If you're taking your child to get vaccinated against COVID-19, experts said there are approaches that can make it easier for you both. From preparing distractions for your little ones to talking with kids about side effects, here's what you need to know:
Honesty is the best policy
Keating said parents can form a "strategy" to talk about COVID-19 vaccine – and vaccines in general – with their children.
"Anytime you're doing a vaccine with a kid, it's worth having a conversation beforehand and a strategy before they get the vaccine," Keating said.
"In general, my preference is that this is a conversation that the kid has time to prepare for beforehand, and they don't learn about it 30 seconds before it happens," he said. "That doesn't give the kid control over the vaccine. And so much of the worry and the pain that happens with vaccines is about the lack of control and the lack of time to prepare."
Erlanger Turner, assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, said "it's really important to be honest with your child" about any vaccine.
Turner emphasized "being able to talk with them at an age-appropriate level about that, letting them know that the vaccine has been shown to be helpful by doctors and that it works for everyone, regardless if they're younger or older."
He said kids should have a chance to ask questions about getting the shots.
"Sometimes as an adult we may be concerned about 'what is a kid going to ask?' So we may just give them a lot of information without providing an opportunity for them to ask questions," Turner said.
"The more information that you give kids at an age-appropriate level as you're being honest with them about those situations, it actually helps them to be less anxious and worried," he explained.
Parents of 11-year-olds:Here's what experts say you should do about COVID-19 vaccine
Health:Cities, states offer incentives – including gift cards – for children to get COVID-19 vaccine
Strategies that work for parents and kids
Whether you're taking your child to get vaccinated in the coming days or next year, Keating said there are "good, evidence-based strategies for helping kids to be more comfortable with shots."
That includes letting them "choose where they sit, whether it's on the table or on a parent's lap. They can choose which arm they get it into. They can choose whether or not they look or they don't. They can prepare themselves with distraction techniques, whether it's a screen or a toy or a book or singing."
Turner said parents can practice breathing exercises with kids, including taking "a couple of really deep breaths" to "help better regulate yourself and help you feel less anxious."
Like Americans, health experts are frustrated with the CDC. Here's why. As COVID-19 surges, there's no hospital bed for others in need of care Here's how often you should be wearing your N95 and KN95 mask Get the latest news straight to your phone: Download the USA TODAY app
He said parents can give their children cues to signal they don't need to be scared about vaccines.
"It's really important for parents to really manage their own fears and anxieties that they may have about their child getting vaccinated," he said. "Because if they see you being worried or concerned, that may freak them out and make them a little bit more anxious about the situation."
Talking about side effects
According to the CDC, kids may have some side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, which can include a sore arm, redness and swelling where the shot was administered, tiredness and other minor symptoms.
Health officials said any side effects should go away in a few days. Turner said parents shouldn't be afraid of telling children they might experience these symptoms, but they can explain the vaccine's benefits.
"Talking with them about those risks can help normalize that this is an experience that others may feel and not just you," he said. Parents can tell their kids, "I'm a little bit worried that you may not feel great for a couple days, but I'm also excited that this is a way that's going to help you be healthy and safe."
Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, has been reported after the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination in children 12-17 years old, according to the CDC. Those cases are rare, and Keating noted that a coronavirus infection "has a significantly higher risk of myocarditis."
What studies have shown:Everything to know about COVID-19 vaccine and children
Experts say equity is key:Will children of color get vaccinated at the rates of other kids?
Reviewed:Is your child receiving the COVID-19 vaccine soon? These 8 products may help soothe side effects
Keating urged parents and children who may have questions to talk to a pediatrician or health care provider about side effects or concerns surrounding vaccines.
"It's a big deal for a kid to get a shot, particularly when it's scary and they're young," Keating said. "Everything that we can do to help make this more comfortable, less fearful early on makes a big difference for their lifetime relationship with medical care."


Abstract	 Salt marshes in Patagonia ecosystem are nowadays fully recognized by ecological, pollution and phytoremediation studies but a soil genesis and geomorphology approach is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to establish the soil-geomorphology relationship in Fracasso salt marsh and to determine the successional vegetation dynamics associated with the landscape evolution. This work was carried out in Fracasso salt marsh sited in Peninsula Valdes, Argentina, where an integrated study on soil-geomorphology relationship and landscape evolution was performed along with sedimentological analysis and vegetation changes (C3 photosynthesis pathway vs. C4 photosynthesis pathway plants). This last was determined through the delta C-13 composition from soil organic matter (SOM). Soil descriptions and laboratory analysis of soil samples were performed. A marked relationship between the vegetation unit, the dominant landform and the type of associated soil was found. Limoniwn brasiliense (Lb) and Sarcocornia perennis (Sp), both C3 plants, are dominant in levees associated with tidal creeks, and soils were classified as Typic Fluvaquents, while Spartina alterniflora (Sa) soils were classified as Sodic Endoaquents and Sodic Psammaquents. Although no sulfidic materials were identified by incubation test, they were identified by hydrogen peroxide treatment in Sa soils, and now are considered potential acid sulfate soils (PASS). Sedimentological analysis from deepest sandy C horizons indicates a beach depositional environment. On the other hand, the delta C-13 stable isotope composition of SOM preserved into these buried soil acting as parent materials shows the dominance of C4 plants presumably belonging to Swarm species, suggesting a possible colonization and stabilization as the pioneer salt marsh.
Reprint Address	 Rios, I (reprint author), Inst Patagon El Estudio Ecosistemas Continentales, Blvd Brown 2825,CP U9120 ACF, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
Funding Text	 The authors wish to thank Claudia Sain and Estela Cortes for their exceptional assistance at fieldwork and laboratory. We also greatly appreciate the reviewers for their comments and suggestions. This work is based on the Doctoral Thesis defended by the first author at the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba in 2015. This research has been funded by the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnologicas (CONICET, Grant number: PIP 2014 00190 CO, and 191) and Agencia Nacional de Promocion Cientifica y Tecnologica (Grant number: PICT 2013-1876).
ISO Source Abbreviation	 J. South Am. Earth Sci.


There are many different impressions associated with the "Spreewald" - for example: a beaver diving into the river Spree, or the many storch that come here for mating season.
But at night when the fog blankets the hay, there's a place that invites you to "take a load off." Come on into our Absack-Bar. Enjoy one (or more) of our fine "drops," and let your thoughts wander to what the next day might bring.
For special occasions, booked in our house, we would be happy to reserve our "Absack Bar" exclusively for your group. For this to be possible, the entirety of the hotel must be booked by your group.


We are hiring an instructor for a one year commitment only, how do we provide the necessary notice of non-renewal at the outset?
I am delighted to offer you a full-time position as [X] in the Department of [X] at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, effective [X] through [X]. This will be a one year position, so this letter also serves to notify you of the nonrenewal of this contract, effective at the end of the term.
We are hiring a category of faculty (e.g. Instructor, Research Associate) that is not listed in the templates; do we still use those templates?
Yes, you can modify the term and the type of appointment to match the faculty category you are hiring. For Research Associates, you should use the Basic Science faculty template. For any category of faculty that will have clinical duties, you should use the Clinical Faculty template.
What if there are sections of the offer letter that don't apply to a specific recruit such as research/start up resources?
The offer letter template is intended to cover all possible faculty recruitment scenarios. Sections that offer recruitment terms that are not applicable to a specific individual (like moving expenses or start up packages for research) may be deleted.
Can I use this template as an offer letter for clinical associates?
No, the clinical associates are senior staff, not faculty and receive a different cover letter along with their employment agreement. This letter template and contract template is owned and maintained by the Clinical Practice Association.
Is the University's Covenant Not to Compete required for all clinical faculty recruits?
No, faculty below the rank of Assistant Professor (i.e. Assistants and Instructors) are not governed the Terms of JHM Non-Compete for Physicians. The JHM Policy on the Covenant Not to Compete (JHM Policy No. GEN002) provides more detail on the non-compete clause. You should contact the COO for OJHP and the Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs for any requests for exceptions that might be permitted under the policy.
A Full-Time Faculty member would like to change their status to Part-Time Faculty (below 75% FTE), do I need to document this in writing?
Yes, while faulty at 75% FTE may be considered "limited full time" under the Gold Book, part-time faculty appointments are governed by the Blue Book, and you should provide a signed appointment letter documenting the change in position. There is a form provided for your use.
A Faculty member wishes to take a personal leave of absence. How do we document this?
Medical, family, or other FMLA leaves are governed by University policies. You should follow the instructions at the JHU Benefits site for Family and Medical Leaves. Other kinds of faculty personal leaves are granted at the discretion of the Department Director and after approval by the Dean under Section IX.B.3 of the Gold Book. Personal leaves are granted without guarantee that the Full-time faculty position will be available at the expiration. Clinical faculty need to notify the Medical Staff office of their leave, and for faculty with grants, the funding agency must be notified. There is a form provided for your use.
Our department is hiring a part time faculty member who will be compensated. What form of offer letter should we use for this?
Part time faculty who are less than 75% employed are subject to the provisions of the Blue Book, not the Gold Book. Their benefits may also be different. There is a form provided for your use in recruiting part time compensated faculty.
The offer letter templates must be used in conjunction with your approved departmental compensation plan. Select the correct template for clinical or basic science faculty, and adjust the various clauses to match your department's plan. Note that, while three different methods of calculating bonuses are provided, each department should have one consistent method that they use for all faculty. Refer to the Compensation Definitions and the resources of the Clinical Practice Association for more information. Faculty recruitment may require finance office review, and for clinical faculty may require review for fair market value review.
If there are unique circumstances for your recruitment, contact Faculty Affairs for further guidance on changes to the offer template.
These templates are provided to assist department directors and administrators in providing appropriate notice to faculty members of the nonrenewal of their faculty appointments, and/or of any proposed reduction in the portion of their salary that is subject to the Gold Book guarantee. These forms should not be used for making changes to other elements of faculty compensation, such as additional or bonus compensation.
Prior to issuing a salary reduction or non-renewal letter, the department should contact the Office of Faculty to permit review of any issues of potential concern.
Select the correct form for the faculty rank, and pull the current faculty appointment letter to ascertain the correct dates to insert. Consult section V.B of the Gold Book for guidance. Remove all document headers and highlighted or bracketed instructions and placeholders from the final letter. Consult the Office of General Counsel before making any changes to a template.
Contact the Office of Faculty before sending a faculty member a letter proposing a salary reduction. Consult with the Office of Faculty on any performance related issues before sending a nonrenewal letter.


text:
Death toll of severe weather in Sri Lanka rises to 8
COLOMBO -- The death toll from high winds and rains that have lashed out across Sri Lanka since Saturday reached eight on Tuesday, while over 38,000 people were affected, the Disaster Management Center said in its latest update.
The deaths were reported from the island's south, northwest, and east, which recorded the highest rains.
Around 6,000 people were evacuated to safer locations, while the police were deployed for search and rescue missions in the affected areas.
Till Tuesday morning, 15 districts were affected by the rains, prompting authorities to warn against landslides and floods in low-lying areas after spill gates had to be opened.
The Department of Irrigation said several areas were inundated due to several major rivers overflowing.
With the threat of more rains, President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe directed the authorities to provide immediate relief to those affected by the adverse weather conditions.
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera also instructed the Treasury to release funds to provide relief to the flood victims immediately.
Schools in the rain-affected areas in the Sabaragamuwa Province also remained closed on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka is facing its annual south-west monsoons with the Meteorological Department, in its latest weather report, warning of more rains in several districts across the country in the coming days.
"Heavy falls, about 150 millimeters, can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa, Western, Central, North-western provinces, and in Galle, Matara districts," the Meteorological Department said.
"There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity," it added.
Over 200 people were killed and 78 people missing when the southwest monsoons caused severe floods and landslides across Sri Lanka last year. (Xinhua)
Europe heating up more than twice global average
Coastal villagers urged to report stranded marine mammals
Environmental workers concerned over discovery of dead 'dugong'
Inaction on climate change to further breed calamities
Upland villagers plant 1.5K trees in Bataan town
Groups reiterate creation of separate agency for fisheries
UN chief urges action vs. dirty air, climate change
DENR intensifies protection of marine species in Sarangani Bay
New project promotes mercury-free gold mining
Marine animals killed by plastic alarm environmentalist


text:
Tag: bedroom suck records
Another New Cyanide Thornton Track
October 9, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
I greatly appreciate Cyanide Thornton today. I've got several other Aussie acts on the table today, but this one steps out from my expectations of the region (I'm a pigeonholing jerkstore, I know). Sienna Thornton has this breathy vocal delivery, deep in her register, which might draw some comparisons to Courtney Barnett; it's great to find her notes wrapped in the rest of the band's notes, adding textured depth. Most of the tune is fairly relaxed, sitting back waiting to suck you into the sound…go ahead and give in to it. The group will release their self-titled LP on November 9th via Bedroom Suck Records.
Explorative Pop from Cyanide Thornton
September 13, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
I can always count on Bedroom Suck Records to keep me in the know when it comes to the Aussie music scene (among other labels of course). What I've grown to appreciate about the label, and come to think of it, most of the Australian labels is that they don't seem too intent on always operating with the same musical styles. Take this brand new Cyanide Thornton tune that they just released; it spends almost two minutes exploring various sonic textures, building you a world where its safe for the lyrics to come into play. Once Sienna enters the fray, she controls the listener with ups and down in pitch, smoothed out notes follow. Musically, the landscape of the track has these folk motifs, but the latter half has the faintest hint of post-punk laying in wait. The self-titled album will drop on November 9th.
Striking Opus from Rabbit Island
August 14, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
Admittedly, when I stumbled upon the music of Rabbit Island, I knew very little of Amber Fresh and her project. But, with her forthcoming album, she seems to have struck a cord within me that's not easily ignored. For instance, this track has this emotive organ as the key musical element; I, oddly, don't even think it needs much more than that. Amber operates between spoken word and half-hearted song throughout, and its her dedication to musical patience that draws you further into the depths of the song. Deep In the Big is going to take me on a magical journey, and I couldn't be happier about it; it drops this week via Bedroom Suck Records.
Rabbit Island Releases New Single
July 11, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
I was blown away by the first single from Rabbit Island's forthcoming LP, but I'm putting that aside to fall head over heels in love with this new number. There's a delicate nature to this track, as if it could be shattered like a window…it adds strength to the tunes emotive qualities. Amber's voice glides across the mix with gentle ebbs and flows atop the piano work that serves as the song's backbone; it comes across like words dancing upon the wind, dancing their way into your subconscious, their new home. The new album, Deep in the Big, will be released on August 17th via Bedroom Suck Recods/Remote Control.
New Music from Rabbit Island
June 14, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
Always keeping my ear to the seas, word's been spreading about Australia's Rabbit Island for some time, and today we get a glimpse of why Amber Fresh's project is riding the whispers of hype. This track is very bare and emotional; it revolves entirely around Fresh and a piano, with the ivory keys striking a solemn tone. Her voice has this innocence to it, with her words showing us a more playful side of songwriting. The world will all get to hear her new album, Deep in the Big, when it's released by Bedroom Suck Records/Remote Control on August 17th.
New Tune from Lehmann B Smith
April 30, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
Just a few weeks ago I shared with you a tune from Lehmann B Smith, who is set to release his 7th album, Poplar Music, at the end of May. Today, there's another track floating about from overseas, though this one features Sarah Farquharson of the Finks providing vocals. One listen through, and the title begins to make sense, as there's definitely a modern vibe of tropicalia crafted here…and wrapping it all up with an emphatic burst of poppy psych exuberance. Look for Poplar Music to drop via Bedroom Suck Records on May 25th.
Good Morning Drop Two New Singles
Just a few weeks ago we were alerted to the news that Aussie act Good Morning would finally be releasing a new full-length via Bedroom Suck Records. And now, we've got two new tracks to sit back and enjoy this morning, reveling in the duo's songwriting. "Just a Man" is slightly playful, though it draws in some folk traditions, particularly in the way the vocals are presented. "For a Little While" is more of a slow burner, working over electronic beats and piano to craft a powerful ballad. If you're unfamiliar with the band, give these a listen, as I'm sure you won't be let down. Prize//Reward will drop on may 11th.
Theres a Good Morning LP on Its Way
March 27, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
I've written about Good Morning in some form or fashion almost every year, and while that seems to have stretched back to forever, the band are just now announcing their debut LP, Prize//Reward. It's interesting, as we get two new tracks to share with you today, yet they're both offering a slightly different sound than what we've heard previously. Honestly, this sounds like a band that decided to write a record where Pedro the Lion and Beat Happening were huge influences, of course, I could be completely off with that. Maybe the current love of Hovvdy would be an apt comparison…if you threw in a slight Woods influence. You see, the group provide an all encompassing pop sound the whole world is going to love. Their new LP drops on May 11th via Bedroom Suck Records.
Prize // Reward by Good Morning
Jaala Offer Something Different
March 1, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
I can't stop playing this brand new track from Jaala. At times it seems as if it's a soulful R&B performance, but the edges aren't as soft and the fleshed out sound seems a touch more artful. Singer Cosima Pay flirts with various nods to other artists, but she has a voice all her own; I'm particularly impressed by the range of notes she can pull of, even when she's delivering vocals in a stop/start fashion. Ultimately, this track's a soulful ballad under the umbrella of experimental pop tunes. The group will release Joonya Spirit on April 20th via Bedroom Suck Records/Captured Tracks.
Joonya Spirit by Jaala
Premiere Primitive Motion Release Feed the Signals Video
January 8, 2018 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
Bedroom Suck Records is one of our favorite labels, not just in Australia, but in general terms, and they reached out hoping we could spread the word on their first release of 2018: Primitive Motion's House in the Wave LP. This video exhibits the band's creative spirit, whilst working with minimal instrumentation; on this song you have little more than piano and horns dominating the mix. Everyday images are used to express the natural beauty, in both the song and the world in which we live. Perhaps my favorite element, a benefit of live recording, is the slight buzz at times in the room where two recorded; it adds an intimacy that places you right inside the room itself. Look for the group's new LP to drop on February 23rd.


Here is a very welcome reissue of some of the best material recorded by a fine band that had a wide and loyal following in the 1970s and 80s. Actually, the groupÕs roots go back to the 1950s, when Harley Gabbard and Aubrey Holt recorded some 45rpm records for Starday and some local labels. The band was a very entertaining & proficient regional group that eventually became popular all over the country and made a number of impressive appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Throughout the bandÕs history Aubrey Holt wrote most of their songs, and heÕs respected today as a fine composer. GabbardÕs dobro, Paul Mullins on fiddle, Noah Crase on banjo and Jerry Holt on bass rounded out what was a fine traditional Bluegrass band. Among the songs found on this neat 14-track budget CD is the classic ATLANTA IS BURNING. With excellent notes by Jon Weisberger, this is a fine and much needed album.


The city's commuter cycling network is currently underutilised and fragmented, requiring investment to complete dedicated connections between the outer suburbs and the central business area.
Wagga Wagga City Council in partnership with Transport for NSW have developed the Active Travel Plan to significantly improve the network and establish 5 designated routes totalling 43km of cycleway. The network will offer excellent connectivity and encourage more people to use active and healthy forms of transport to commute across the city. Implementation of the plan will result in reduced traffic congestion, improved health and wellbeing and positive environmental outcomes.
Support the Active Travel Plan and encourage Council to continue working with Transport for NSW to secure partnership funding for full implementation of the Plan.


text:
namespace libmatroska {
    class KaxTracks;
    class KaxCluster;
}

namespace ZMKV {

    class Track;

    class MuxerPrivate;

    class MuxerIOWriterCallback;
    class WriterCallbackAdapter;
    class Muxer {
    public:
        Muxer(MuxerIOWriterCallback &callback);

        libmatroska::KaxTracks &getTracks();

        libmatroska::KaxCluster &getCurrentCluster();

        void ProcessClusters(bool video, bool key, unsigned long long ts);

    private:
        std::shared_ptr<WriterCallbackAdapter> callbackAdapter;
        std::shared_ptr<MuxerPrivate> priv;
    };
}

#endif //ZMG_MUXER_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package azkaban.utils;

import azkaban.Constants;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Objects;
import java.util.stream.Collectors;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import org.apache.http.HttpResponse;
import org.apache.http.client.config.RequestConfig;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients;
import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
import org.apache.http.HttpStatus;

public class ExternalLinkUtils {
  private static final int DEFAULT_AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_TIMEOUT_MS = 3000; //3 seconds

  private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(ExternalLinkUtils.class);

  public static String getExternalAnalyzerLinkOnReq(final String topic, final Props azkProps,
      final HttpServletRequest req) {
    // If no topic was configured to be an external analyzer, return empty
    return topic.isEmpty() ? "" : getLinkFromRequest(topic, azkProps, req);
  }

  static List<String> getExternalAnalyzerTopics(final Props azkProps) {
    if (azkProps.containsKey(Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPICS)) {
      return azkProps.getStringList(Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPICS);
    }
    // If no AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPICS defined, use legacy config
    //AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPIC
    return Arrays.asList(azkProps.getString(Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPIC, ""));
  }

  public static String getExternalLogViewer(final Props azkProps, final String jobId,
      final Props jobProps) {
    // If no topic was configured to be an external analyzer, return empty
    if (!azkProps
        .containsKey(Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_LOGVIEWER_TOPIC)) {
      return "";
    }
    // Find out which external link we should use to lead to our log viewer
    final String topic = azkProps
        .getString(Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_LOGVIEWER_TOPIC);
    return getLinkFromJobAndExecId(topic, azkProps, jobId, jobProps);
  }

  private static String getLinkFromJobAndExecId(final String topic, final Props azkProps,
      final String jobId,
      final Props jobProps) {
    String urlTemplate = getURLForTopic(topic, azkProps);
    if (urlTemplate.isEmpty()) {
      logger.error("No URL specified for topic " + topic);
      return "";
    }
    final String job = encodeToUTF8(jobId);
    final String execid = encodeToUTF8(
        jobProps.getString(Constants.FlowProperties.AZKABAN_FLOW_EXEC_ID));

    urlTemplate = urlTemplate.replace("${jobid}", job).replace("${execid}", execid);
    logger.info("Creating link: " + urlTemplate);
    return urlTemplate;
  }

  private static String getLinkFromRequest(final String topic, final Props azkProps,
      final HttpServletRequest req) {
    String urlTemplate = getURLForTopic(topic, azkProps);
    if (urlTemplate.isEmpty()) {
      logger.error("No URL specified for topic " + topic);
      return "";
    }
    String flowExecutionURL = "";
    flowExecutionURL += req.getRequestURL();
    flowExecutionURL += "?";
    flowExecutionURL += req.getQueryString();
    flowExecutionURL = encodeToUTF8(flowExecutionURL);
    urlTemplate = urlTemplate.replace("${url}", flowExecutionURL);
    logger.info("Creating link: " + urlTemplate);
    return urlTemplate;
  }

  static String getURLForTopic(final String topic, final Props azkProps) {
    String externalUrlConfKeyToUse =
        Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPIC_URL.replace("${topic"
            + "}", topic);
    // If no AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPIC_URL defined, use legacy config
    //AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_TOPIC_URL
    externalUrlConfKeyToUse = azkProps.containsKey(externalUrlConfKeyToUse) ?
        externalUrlConfKeyToUse :
        Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_TOPIC_URL.replace("$"
            + "{topic}", topic);
    return azkProps.getString(externalUrlConfKeyToUse, "");
  }

  static String getExternalLabelForTopic(final String topic, final Props azkProps) {
    String externalLabelConfKeyToUse =
        Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPIC_LABEL.replace("${topic"
            + "}", topic);
    // If no AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TOPIC_LABEL defined, use legacy config
    //AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_LABEL
    externalLabelConfKeyToUse = azkProps.containsKey(externalLabelConfKeyToUse) ?
        externalLabelConfKeyToUse :
        Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_LABEL;
    return azkProps.getString(externalLabelConfKeyToUse, "External Analyzer");
  }

  static String encodeToUTF8(final String url) {
    try {
      return URLEncoder.encode(url, "UTF-8").replaceAll("\\+", "%20");
    } catch (final UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
      logger.error("Specified encoding is not supported", e);
    }
    return "";
  }

  /**
   * Return list of external analyzers based on configs and current web request to web server
   * to render the execution page.
   * @param azkProps azkaban configs
   * @param req current web request
   * @return list of external analyzers
   */
  public static List<ExternalLink> getExternalAnalyzers( final Props azkProps, final HttpServletRequest req) {
    final List<String> externalTopics = getExternalAnalyzerTopics(azkProps);
    return externalTopics.stream().map(topic -> {
      String externalLinkUrl = getExternalAnalyzerLinkOnReq(topic, azkProps, req);
      if (!externalLinkUrl.isEmpty()) {
        logger.debug("Adding an External analyzer to the page");
        final String execExternalLinkLabel = getExternalLabelForTopic(topic, azkProps);
        logger.debug("External analyzer label set to : " + execExternalLinkLabel);
        int timeout =
            azkProps.getInt(Constants.ConfigurationKeys.AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_ANALYZER_TIMEOUT_MS,
            DEFAULT_AZKABAN_SERVER_EXTERNAL_TIMEOUT_MS);
        return new ExternalLink(topic, execExternalLinkLabel, externalLinkUrl,
            validExternalLink(externalLinkUrl, timeout));
      }
      return null;
    }).filter(Objects::nonNull).collect(Collectors.toList());
  }

  /**
   * check if external link is reachable or not.
   * It will send http request to target url, and check the status code from response,
   * If the page returns 200x or 300x status, returns true, and external link is enabled,
   * otherwise returns false, and external link is disabled.
   * @param externalLinkUrl azkaban configs
   * @param timeout timeout for httpClient in milliseconds
   * @return true if target link is reachable, otherwise false.
   */
  private static boolean validExternalLink(final String externalLinkUrl, final int timeout) {
    final RequestConfig config = RequestConfig.custom()
        .setConnectTimeout(timeout)
        .setConnectionRequestTimeout(timeout)
        .setSocketTimeout(timeout).build();
    final CloseableHttpClient client = HttpClients.custom()
        .setDefaultRequestConfig(config)
        .setSSLSocketFactory(null).disableRedirectHandling().build();
    try {
      try {
        HttpResponse httpResponse = client.execute(new HttpGet(externalLinkUrl));
        int responseCode = httpResponse.getStatusLine().getStatusCode();
        if (responseCode >= HttpStatus.SC_BAD_REQUEST) {
          logger.warn("validExternalLink url " + externalLinkUrl + " not reachable, response code " + responseCode);
          return false;
        }
        logger.debug("validExternalLink url " + externalLinkUrl + " is reachable.");
        return true;
      } finally {
        client.close();
      }
    } catch (Exception e) {
      logger.error("validExternalLink url " + externalLinkUrl + " CONNECT ERROR " + e);
      return false;
    }
  }
}


Karaoke Information & Karaoke Contest Forms Live!
By: Suwada Date: February 17, 2009 12:00 AM ESTSing your hearts out, Boston!
By: Suwada Date: February 16, 2009 12:00 AM ESTAnnouncing a grittier AMV contest.
By: Jackie Date: February 10, 2009 12:00 AM ESTThis will help keep the lines to a minimum!
By: Phil Date: February 7, 2009 12:00 AM ESTInterested in getting a table in Artist Alley this year?
Online Pre-Registration is Back Up!
By: Suwada Date: January 21, 2009 12:00 AM ESTerested in this year's cosplot events?


Thank you for visiting Pristine Pools, Inc. website ("Website").
Internet address of the site you visit after leaving this Website.
Invisible tags placed on this Website's pages, not on your computer, to compile aggregate statistics about site usage. When you visit a page with a tag, a generic notice of your visit to that page is generated.
If you send comments or questions from the contact form on this Website, the information you provide will normally be used to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve our services, or to assist you. Once you provide personal information, you are no longer an anonymous user.
If you wish to "Do Not Track" or disable cookies on your web browser, you can go to your browser preferences / privacy / and follow instructions.
If we change our privacy statement, we will post the revised statement here, with an updated revision date. If we make significant changes to our statement, we may also notify you by other means, such as sending an e-mail or posting a notice on our news page.
The testimonials posted on our website are only posted with the expressed permission of the individual or as listed on Google Reviews, Yahoo Local, facebook or yelp!
Weekly routine service days are based on the pool's geographical location in relation to the company's existing routes. Changes to the weekly service day are uncommon but may occur on an as-needed basis to better serve our customers and will be communicated in advance. Customers may change the level of weekly routine pool service received by contacting the office with the request, and the change will be made effective the 1st day of the subsequent month, unless otherwise approved by the owner. Routine pool service will be provided each week of the year (unless otherwise communicated) but billing will be generated monthly and is based on a 48-week year. If the service day falls on a holiday, service may either A) be provided on an alternative weekday or B) be provided at a different service level than normal, at the company's discretion. The company is closed the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, and no service or repairs will be performed during this period. If we are unable to perform weekly service due to a circumstance on the property outside of our control, service may be forfeited for the week and monthly billing will not be affected..
Billing - Billing is typically sent out by the 20th of each month and is due on the 10th of the subsequent month. Acceptable payment methods include cash, check, ACH or credit card. Fees incurred for any returned checks will be passed onto the customer. Accounts with past-due unpaid balances may be subject to a $10.00 late fee and/or an interruption/hold in weekly service until payment is received and the account is current. One-Time Repairs/Equipment Installations: Bills for one-time repairs/equipment installations may be billed separately from routine service, and may be due immediately upon completion of work, at the company's discretion. Accepted payment methods for one-time repairs/equipment installations that exceed $1,999.99 are cash or check only unless otherwise stated or previously agreed upon in email correspondence or pool installation contract.
Chemicals - Chemicals included in weekly service are those required to keep the pool balanced and sanitized per industry standards, and are as follows: chlorine (liquid, tabs and granular), muriatic acid, soda ash, sodium bicarbonate, calcium, and clarifier. The allotted amount of liquid chlorine included in the base cost for routine service is up to 2 cases (8 gallons) of liquid chlorine per month, unless otherwise quoted. Additional consumption of liquid chlorine needed due to excessively high chlorine demand will result in additional charges of $5 per gallon of liquid chlorine. Specialty chemicals needed will be a separate charge outside the scope of normal service maintenance and include but are not limited to algaecides, phosphate removers, sequestrients, conditioner, etc. Administration of specialty chemicals is based on the visual and chemical information of the pool, and the pool's history, and is at the discretion of Pristine Pools, Inc.
Additional Debris Removal Service - This service is available to Basic and Basic-Plus service customers who request this service be performed. This service is billed at $2.00 per man-minute spent removing debris, and is outside the scope of the routine service level. Premium service customers will receive this service automatically, so to receive consistent service results despite recent weather patterns.
Non-Routine Service Call/Trip Charge - Non-routine service calls have a charge of $125 for the first hour of work. An additional $125 per hour afterwards will be applied depending on the nature of the call. Special requests outside of the weekly routine service visit may be subject to a $75 trip charge to compensate for gas, time and labor of alternate technician.
Filter Cleanings - This service is offered outside the scope of routine service and is a separate charge, priced as follows: Cartridge Filters-$125, Sand Filters-$75, D.E. Grid Filters-$150 (includes D.E.), and Spa Cartridge Filters-$25. Filter cleanings are performed on the homeowner's property and occur approximately every six months, however the frequency of cleanings may increase due to having an under-sized filter or recurring outbreaks of algae/phosphate removal treatments. Filter cleanings are scheduled based on the professional judgment and at the discretion of Pristine Pools, Inc. Company-performed filter cleanings are not optional and are a condition of service for new customers.
Vacuum Services - These services are offered outside the scope of routine service and are available upon request. The cost to vacuum to the customer's filter is $100. The cost to use our portable vacuum unit and vacuum directly to our filter, bypassing the customer's filter, is $150.
Heater Services - Work performed on the heater is a separate charge outside of routine service and the cost of this service depends on the nature of the work required. The cost for troubleshooting the heater to diagnose the issue and recommended solution is $125 per hour (1-hour minimum charged). Heater service will not be performed unless requested by the customer regardless if the heater is operational or not.
Solar Systems - The cost for solar system-related services, such as system start-up and shut-down services, is $125 per service performed and is outside the scope of weekly routine service. Services pertaining to solar systems are limited to "ground work" only; we do not perform services requiring us to climb a ladder or climb on to the roof.
Salt Chlorinators - Necessary maintenance performed on salt chlorinators to ensure salt cell life and functionality is an additional charge outside the scope of routine service. There will be a charge of $89 for us to summarize salt systems including proper salinity testing, adjusting, and programming, as every pool is different. Additional salt is extra and is billed at $11.95 + tax per 40lb. bag needed. This service includes an acid bath to the electrolytic cell to remove calcium/scale deposits from the cell blades. If it is determined that further diagnosis, additional repairs and/or replacement part(s) are necessary, a subsequent visit by a Repair Technician will be scheduled and billed separately.
Pool Orientation - This service is offered to all customers who want to learn all there is to know about how their specific pool, pool equipment, hydraulics, plumbing and electrical works together. The cost is $125 (per hour) for this one hour consultation.
Repair Warranties - Major repairs (which are considered plumbing lines, plumbing appliances and fixtures) performed by Pristine Pools, Inc., are warranted against defects in workmanship for a period of 1 year from the date of completion, unless otherwise stated. Pristine Pools, Inc. is not responsible for any consequential damages resulting from major repairs performed and/or issues that may arise due to existing, aged equipment or brittle plumbing. Minor repairs, such as the general scope of soft plumbing, various water plumbing connections and minor pool cleaner repairs, that consist of plastic materials subject to sunlight and water exposure are considered temporary with a maximum of a thirty (30) day guarantee.
Pool Water Level - The customer is responsible for maintaining the proper water level in the pool, including adding water when needed and draining the pool during the stormy seasons. If the water level is low on service day, the equipment may be turned off and customer will be notified to add water to the pool. Failure to maintain a proper water level may result in serious damage to the pool equipment and algae growth.
Gates and Backyard Access - It is the customer's responsibility to ensure that all gates are operating properly, and are unlocked and accessible on the day of service. If backyard access is not permitted or is obstructed, thus compromising safety, on the service day, service for that week may either A) be rescheduled to a different time or day in the week or B) be postponed until the following week's service date, at the company's discretion depending on service technician availability. Pristine Pools, Inc. assumes no responsibility for maintaining fencing or gates at customer's property.
Animals - Service technicians will perform weekly service regardless if there are dog(s) or other animals in the backyard, except in instances where safety concerns arise. If this happens, the customer will be notified and customer will assume responsibility to contain dog(s) or animals if requested. The responsibility of any unprovoked bites sustained by service technicians is the customer's. Should such a bite occur, it is the customer's responsibility to provide the company with up-to-date vaccination records for the animal if requested by the company. Customers are responsible for containing dog(s) or animals if they are known to be aggressive, or if the homeowner would like to avoid the risk of an escape. Our company policy dictates that gates shall be closed immediately upon entering or exiting the back yard, and we do our best to prevent animals from escaping. However, due to the sometimes unpredictable behavior of animals, Pristine Pools, Inc. is not responsible for animals who escape during a service or repair visit. Service technicians often carry dog treats for the dogs on their route; if a customer wishes for their dog(s) not to be fed treats commonly sold at pet stores and/or grocery stores, it is the customer's responsibility to notify the company to that effect.
Pool Covers - Pristine Pools, Inc. assumes no responsibility for any pool covers. Proper pool maintenance requires pool covers to be removed at least 2 days per week to allow the water to breathe and gas off from the chemical reactions taken place. Failure to do so can cause algae outbreaks. It is recommended that customers remove pool covers on their routine service day. If covers are present, the service technician will perform service around the cover to the best of their ability. Automatic pool covers, if found closed, will be opened to allow for service and then left in the position in which they were found, unless otherwise requested by the homeowner. If excessive water is present on an automatic cover, thereby disallowing the cover to function properly, cover will not be removed to avoid damaging the cover. Solar bubble covers will not be removed by technicians due to liability stemming from risk of property damage and/or risk of drowning during removal and reinstallation should technician fall in pool.
Diving Boards & Slides - Pristine Pools, Inc. is not responsible for verifying or maintaining the structural integrity, condition, or safety of any diving apparatus and assumes no responsibility for any incident involving their use. Liability lies solely with the homeowner for the maintenance and use of such devices.
Contaminated Water - Pristine Pools, Inc. will not be held responsible for any sudden outbursts of algae blooms, phosphates, and cloudy water due to inadequate pump run-times, hydraulic and circulation deficiencies from pool construction, a suspension in weekly routine service due to non-payment of account, old/saturated pool water that requires the pool be drained and refilled with fresh potable water, or unexpected natural occurrences such as heat waves, heavy rain falls, storms, and any other foreign materials introduced into the pool between service days. Pristine Pools, Inc. will not be held liable or responsible for the chemical make-up of source water or water chemistry readings outside the parameters of industry standards that are directly or indirectly affected by outside circumstances beyond our control, such as the CA drought or leeching of plaster material.
Pool Finishes - Under the terms of this agreement, Pristine Pools, Inc. will not be held responsible for any staining of plaster. Since plaster is composed of natural materials, a certain amount of shading, staining and color variation is to be expected. Different forms of staining do occur in all pools and with proper chemistry, can be held to a minimum.
Drain Cover Safety - The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act ("VGBA") requires safety drain covers for pools and spas to conform to certain specifications. Compliance with the VGBA drain cover requirements is enforced by certain local public agencies. Under no circumstances shall Pristine Pools, Inc. be held liable for customer's noncompliance with the VGBA safety drain cover requirements, or any resulting personal injury, death or property damage from noncompliance with the VGBA. Customer is encouraged to contact the applicable local agency responsible for enforcement of the VGBA to determine if all drain covers are in compliance. An agreement to provide routine services or execution of any equipment contracts shall not be construed to impose any liability on the part of Pristine Pools, Inc. for the customer's compliance with the VGBA. Compliance with the VGBA is the customer's sole responsibility.
GFI Protected Lights - The National Electric Code (NEC) requires all lighting circuits and branch circuits that are tied to fixed equipment consisting of an electric motor to be GFI protected on swimming pools. Although this falls under the homeowner's responsibility to ensure compliance, we are available as a resource to assess and assist in finding solutions to ensure code compliance. Pristine Pools, Inc. is released of all responsibility and liability if homeowner is not NEC code compliant and/or does not choose to comply with NEC code requirements.
Pricing is the Base Cost and is subject to an increase depending on volume of water, size/design of pool, surrounding landscape and geographical location.
Either party can cancel this agreement at any time. These terms are subject to change at any time with or without notice. All outstanding balances are due immediately upon cancellation.
Our routine pool service footprint covers the areas of Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon and East Danville, while our pool equipment repair services extends out to Alamo.
A pool company you can trust!
Copyright © 2019 | All Rights Reserved | Pristine Pools, Inc.


text:
Champions League 2018-19
Paulo Dybala may be expendable, but not because of Cristiano Ronaldo
By Hunter_Sharpless Sep 20, 2018, 9:49pm CEST
Share All sharing options for: Paulo Dybala may be expendable, but not because of Cristiano Ronaldo
Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Paulo Dybala may be expendable.
Juventus' No. 10 sat on the bench once again for the Bianconeri's visit to the Mestalla for the first Champions League game of the season, and among the various, difficult revelations — perhaps somewhat lost, even, in the mayhem — is the fact that the Argentine forward appears to no longer be needed in Turin. But the salient narrative, in this case, would not be correct. Dybala isn't expendable because of Cristiano Ronaldo; Dybala is expendable because of Federico Bernardeschi.
In Juventus' 2-0 victory over Valencia, a night of misfortune and drama for Max Allegri's side, the Italian was absolutely everywhere — both before and after Ronaldo was sent off with a straight red card in the 29th minute. Bernardeschi created the first two real chances of the game for Juventus, the first from the left flank and the second from the right. On the first occasion Bernardeschi sent a perfectly placed cross to Ronaldo, who scuffed a shot into a ball for Mario Mandzukic, who sent the volley skyward. On the second occasion Bernardeschi chopped down a cross to the feet of Sami Khedira, who again sent a wild shot above the crossbar. Even the first penalty was partly thanks to Bernardeschi's disruption in the box.
That was the sort of night Juventus had: One that will be remembered for Ronaldo's red card, for the two penalties from Miralem Pjanic, and from a difficult victory that, despite No. 7's suspension — however long it may be in the end; rumors are the suspension will only be for one game — positions the Italian champions well for the rest of group play.
But through five undefeated games in competitive play, this is the real story: Bernardeschi and Joao Cancelo, two 24-year-olds, have been far and away Juventus' best players. On a roster with Ronaldo, Dybala, Douglas Costa, Alex Sandro, Pjanic, Leonardo Bonucci, and other new and old faces, a winger-utility player and a flexible fullback, both of whom were acquired in the last two years, are, to this point, the most important players. On a night when Juventus lost Ronaldo before the 30-minute mark at the Mestalla yet still managed a victory, these two players were the crux of the matter.
I've already written about Bernardeschi's attributes, and the main points from the article still stand. Bernardeschi offers some of what Dybala offers (the ability to "connect the lines," a creative force, a wicked left foot) but a lot of what the Argentine doesn't (defensive work rate and skill, an unending motor, physical toughness). The only difference between now and last month is the stage.
Allegri seems to agree: "Bernardeschi has become a real Juventus player and one worthy of the big games in a short period of time. He has grown so much in his maturity and technique, so I have no qualms now about playing him even in the biggest fixtures."
The fact that arguably Bernardeschi's two best games wearing a Juventus kit have come against Lazio in Turin and Valencia in Spain, minus Ronaldo, speak volumes not only to the trust Allegri has placed in the youngster but in Bernardeschi's ability to rise to the occasion.
Is five games, then, a large enough sample size to say that Juventus can or should move on from Dybala? Knee-jerk reactions are always tempting, clickbaity as they are, but in this case it may not actually be going too far to say that Juventus should sell Dybala, use the funds to add a world-beater to the midfield, and fully commit to a 4-3-3. Great as Dybala is, he has remained a positional problem for a very long time under Allegri. People will say that Dybala could've turned out different under X or Y coach, but there's obviously no way of proving or disproving that.
What can also be true, though, is that even though this idea — that Dybala should be sold to add a midfielder and commit to a 4-3-3 — could theoretically be on the money right now, there is also enough time for Dybala to prove himself as integral, as indispensable, before January (or before the summer). But right now the only two players who Juventus could absolutely not lose are Bernardeschi and Cancelo (and — who are we kidding? — Giorgio Chiellini).
The addition of Ronaldo has done nothing to alter whether or not Dybala is a viable option. Ronaldo's presence meant and always meant the dismissal of Gonzalo Higuain, as Ronaldo will either play as a left wing, a central striker, or on top of a two-striker front, interchanging with Mandzukic as we have seen in the two big games so far (Lazio and Valencia) this year. Even so, Allegri may now and then choose to utilize a 4-2-3-1 with Dybala for tactical reasons, but I doubt that'll be satisfying for Dybala in the long run.
In the very near future Juventus will learn how many games
Aperitivo afterthoughts: three of them
1. Juventus should be considered a top-three favorite to win the Champions League
I confess I wasn't too surprised about Manchester City's loss to Lyon, because there's just no way that, at the end of the day, you can field that kind of defense and hope to make it through this tournament alive. Juventus showed in Spain why they must be considered one of the favorites: a very good goalkeeper fronted by an elite defense. Like the last three years, the midfield remains riddled with questions. The offense is stacked, but not without questions as well.
But that, to me, is exactly why Juventus ought to be considered a top-three favorite: The Bianconeri have yet to figure out how to play with Ronaldo, and yet still — staying true to their defensive identity and playing with defiant grinta — they are winning. If and when they figure things out with Ronaldo (and Dybala), the rest of Europe should sound the sirens.
2. As ever, Max Allegri will gain very little praise from fans
Juventus were making Valencia appear the — as one commentator put it — "vastly inferior" side well before Ronaldo was sent off, as both Mandzukic and Khedira whiffed on golden opportunities. But with a one- and then two-goal lead Allegri orchestrated yet another masterpiece. When Juventus drew these teams for the group, the game at Valencia immediately appeared as a crucial fixture. Priority No. 1 was probably not losing the game — Allegri's starting 11 seem to accord with that assumption — and three points would be absolutely lovely.
When his team went down not just a man but Ronaldo, playing in Spain, the tactician didn't buckle, and the players maintained their focus. At this point it's increasingly difficult for me to understand those who want Allegri immediately sacked and replaced.
3. Joao Cancelo was amazing — again
The column was somewhat derailed by Bernardeschi, but you could essentially write a very (eerily) similar column about Cancelo and Alex Sandro. Just two years ago some of us labeled the Brazilian as Marcelo's heir apparent, as a player who already was in the conversation for best backs in the world. But for the last 18 months his inconsistency has been his Achilles heel.
Enter Cancelo. We all complained about the price. We wondered about the experience. And we hoped that his introduction didn't mean the persistent featuring of Juan Cuadrado — a great player, but simply not Juve's best wide man at this point — on the right wing. But not only did Cancelo theoretically bring us Ronaldo; it brought us a budding superstar at right back. The young Portuguese followed up his best match with another absolutely phenomenal performance, and remember that he's done all this after starting the season by giving away a penalty.


text:
O memorial aos heróis da casa das máquinas do Titanic é um monumento de granito localizado em St. Nicholas Place, no  Pier Head, em Liverpool, Inglaterra. A cidade de Liverpool é fortemente associado com o malfadado transatlântico que afundou em 15 de abril de 1912, depois de bater em um iceberg no Atlântico Norte com a perda de 1.517 vidas. O RMS Titanic era de propriedade da White Star Line que foi fundada em Liverpool em  1840. Liverpool foi também o porto de matrícula do navio com as palavras 'Titanic, Liverpool' visível na popa do navio. O memorial na orla de Liverpool é dedicado aos 244 mecânicos que perderam suas vidas no desastre enquanto trabalhavam no fornecimento de energia e outras necessidades vitais ao navio durante o maior tempo possível. O monumento é notável por ser o primeiro momumento no Reino Unido representando a classe trabalhadora.

O monumento dedicado às centenas de homens que morreram durante o naufrágio foi desenhado por Sir William Goscombe John e construído por volta de 1916. Tem 14,6 metros de altura e embora seja mais fortemente associado ao RMS Titanic, sua dedicatória foi ampliada para incluir todas as fatalidades de casa das máquinas ocorridas durante o desempenho de dever na Primeira Guerra Mundial. O monumento é de Grau II*. Danos por estilhaços causados por bombas que caíram durante os ataques da Segunda Guerra Mundial podem ser claramente vistos no momento.

Existe também um memorial dedicado aos maquinistas do Titanic localizado em Southampton, Inglaterra. Existem inúmeros artefatos do RMS Titanic no Merseyside Maritime Museum localizado rio acima dentro do The Royal Albert Dock Liverpool.

Ligações externas
 TITANIC: FROM BOILER ROOM 5 TO LIFEBOAT 13 (Kevin E. Phillips)
 A Last Bright Shining Lie by Senan Molony {copyrighted}

RMS Titanic
Monumentos da Inglaterra
Construções de Liverpool
Monumentos comemorativos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


jetzt downloaden and Online lesen Bücher CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES Online ePub/PDF/Audible/Kindle, its easy way to streaming CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES Bücher for multiple devices.
jetzt downloaden CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES Bücher PDF EDITIONS LAMARRE Büchers en ligne PDF CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES. jetzt downloaden et lire des Büchers en ligne CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES Online ePub/PDF/Audible/Kindle, son moyen facile de diffuser CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES Büchers pour plusieurs appareils.
CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES was written by best authors whom known as an author and have wrote many interesting Bücher with great story telling. CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES was one of the most wanted Bücher on 2019. It contains pages. This book was very surprised because of its top rating and got about best user reviews. So, after finishing reading this book, I recommend to readers to not underestimate this great book. You should take CALCULS DE DOSE. SUJETS OFFICIELS CORRIGES - ANNALES as your reading list or you will be regret because you have not reading it yet in your live.


If you go straight from being an undeclared major to an economics major at the end of your freshman year, the Office of Academic Advising will assign an adviser to you, and you don't need to do any paperwork through the department.
If you switch from another major, or add economics as a second major, you will need to meet with Professor Hamilton (Director of Undergraduate Studies for Economics), who will assign you an adviser.
Even if you do not need to visit Professor Hamilton when you become an economics major, it is a good idea to stop in for a first visit. No need for an appointment; just show up during Professor Hamilton's office hours or catch him when he is having coffee in the Gilman Atrium.
Once SIS knows that you are an economics major, your advising will be done with your assigned academic advisor. You will need to meet with him/her each semester to get cleared for online registration.
Note: If you are a double major, SIS will not allow you to register online until you have been cleared by both departmental advisers.
The Office Academic Support offers optional small group tutoring sessions. The purpose of the tutoring sessions is to offer an opportunity to students in the course to ask basic questions about the material in the course. The session tutors are undergraduate students who have taken courses in a prior year and have done well.
For more information, including session times and meeting places, visit The Learning Den section of the Academic Support website; visit Garland Hall, Suite 3A; call 410-516-8216; or email tutoring@jhu.edu.
If you want tutoring help in a course that does not have Learning Den tutors, check with Professor Hamilton. We can frequently find capable Learning Den tutors, but only if we know there is a need.
The Career Center is here to support you in connecting your academic pursuits to your post graduate goals. Visit their website to navigate the career development process using the EPIC model – Explore, Present, Identify, and Connect.


text:
Jared Mitchell
Deep Dive: Clarifying Rules and Redesigning the UI (10/31/15)
Last week I talked about my inspirations and initial concepts for gameplay during the Campaign Mode. If it seemed a little difficult to explain the new systems, well-
Yeah, players didn't know what they were supposed to be doing.
One of the biggest issues was the complexity of the systems I made. When presenting the new PAC system in class, the professor urged us to simplify the ruleset, since it was difficult for him and our classmates to understand. The moment I realized we had a major problem was when my team members explained aspects of the design incorrectly- I couldn't even get them to understand it. The game needed to be streamlined in a way that kept as much of the depth I wanted to express.
An Extra Credits episode on depth and complexity in games, which I remembered when trying to minimize complexity
So, I started with the values the player dealt with; previously they had been referred to as "PAC Budget", "PAC Spend Percent", and "Campaign Budget". While perhaps accurate, they didn't exactly tell the players what their purpose was- very few people understood that the Campaign Budget was going to be used for their debate ammunition. Also, mixing a unit of monetary value with PAC Budget and a unit of percentage with PAC Spend Percent didn't help either. These variables were renamed to be more literal as to their function: Campaign Budget became Debate Budget, and PAC Spend Percent became Poll Budget, and was now expressed as a dollar amount.
When I ran these changes by one of my roommates, he also had an interesting idea of having each player only have one national PAC, as opposed to one per state. The systems involving storing and retrieving money in PACs would still be there, and players wouldn't need to go through an extraneous layer of putting money in each state and then adjusting the percentage of that value- they could just put the exact amount they wanted in directly. I was really excited about this decision, since it still allowed for all the systems I had created to exist, but reduced the mental load on the player drastically.
The second big issue I had to resolve was the UI, since it wasn't getting the job done of having the players understand the game. Having done a lot of UI work on my previous production game, I had initially tried to hold to the rules we followed there- minimize the amount of UI on the screen at one time, and keep UI specific to a unit on the unit itself. I think I had initially gone about this the wrong way, though, since I tried to have state-specific information inside the area of a state, as well as player-specific information above the heads of the avatars.
A UI mockup from last week showing the old layout and PAC system
In order to minimize clutter, I wanted to show state-specific UI only when a player was in a state's area. This was a problem, though, since there was a ton of stuff we needed to show with each state, and the area available for each wasn't consistent. We hadn't even had room for polling info with this layout- obviously this wasn't going to work.
I started talking to my designer roommate and walking him through the game. He mentioned having some elements of the UI be persistent to ease up on clutter, but I didn't think having the state info use this would be wise. It then occurred to me that if state UI was based on one of four players being in that state, then only a maximum of four states would have their info displayed at the same time. If these UI elements were moved off to the side of the map, then suddenly I had something a lot more clean-looking:
The new Campaign mode UI mockup. State-specific information is off to the left (not scaled properly), while persistent player UI is at the top
I took my roommate's advice about persistent UI, and used that for the player information themselves. What's really convenient is that the decision to reduce PACs to one per player actively helped trim the amount of information players needed to keep track of, further reducing the number of elements needed onscreen. I was told that replacing the polling percentage and money spent in each state with pie graphs would further help compress information, and that's something we're actively looking into.
We weren't required to do anymore playtesting during this stage, but I urged my team to go again, so that we knew how players would react to our simplification efforts. The results were better than I had hoped- compared to the old PAC system, which about 50% of players understood, the new system was understood by 75%. In addition, when asking if testers understood every UI element, an astounding 93% said they did.
It would be very foolish of me to claim that this half of the game is now perfect, but there's been a marked improvement in the reaction of players. After several weeks of my efforts falling flat, it's encouraging to see some positive reactions.


New court filing shows just how closely Natalya Veselnitskaya is connected to the Kremlin.
A new indictment unsealed on Tuesday revealed that Natalya Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer at the heart of the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting, worked far closer with Russian higher-ups than previously known.
The indictment was filed in the U.S. Southern District of New York and charges Veselnitskaya with obstruction of justice. It detailed how Veselnitskaya worked with the Russian prosecutor's office to draft language pertaining to a case related to American sanctions on Russia — and how Veselnitskaya then proceeded to lie to American investigators about the collaboration.
The indictment undercut one of the arguments popular among Trump supporters and skeptics of the Russian investigation. Ever since the news broke about Veselnitskaya's meeting with Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and then-campaign manager Paul Manafort in Trump Tower in 2016, critics have pointed to the fact that Veselnitskaya wasn't an official member of the Kremlin's inner circle, and therefore wasn't necessarily important.
But as the filing shows, Veselnitskaya collaborated directly with the Russian prosecutor's office in another court case at the heart of that infamous meeting in Trump Tower in 2016.
At that meeting — which Trump Jr., Manafort, and Kushner attended because they all believed they were going to receive "dirt" from Russia on Hillary Clinton — Veselnitskaya discussed the U.S.'s Magnitsky Act, which sanctioned numerous Russian higher-ups for the death of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky. Following the U.S. issuing Magnitsky-related sanctions, Russia proceeded to ban American adoptions of Russian children.
Magnitsky had been investigating a $230 million embezzling scheme in Russia, which involved a company called Prevezon Holdings. Veselnitskaya would later represent Prevezon.
In the Trump Tower meeting — in which Trump Jr. harangued Veselnitskaya for information on the Clinton Foundation, according to the Russian lawyer — Veselnitskaya focused primarily on trying to get the Trump campaign to pledge to lift the Magnitsky-related sanctions. The meeting was largely unsuccessful, at least as it pertains to lifting the sanctions.
However, as the new indictment reveals, Veselnitskaya wasn't some no-name Russian lawyer. Rather, amidst the U.S.'s attempts at tracking down how the $230 million Magnitsky found may have been laundered, Veselnitskaya worked closely with the Russian prosecutor's office to draft language to try to stymie the investigation.
Veselnitskaya's collaboration with the Russian prosecutor's office resulted in the Kremlin throwing up roadblocks against American investigators.
In 2014, per the filing, Washington requested assistance in its investigation into the massive money-laundering operations uncovered by Magnitsky. The request came pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which permits cooperation between Russian and American authorities on certain legal matters.
"The main thing that I see here is that she came to the U.S. to try to disrupt the political process by lying about me and lying about Sergei Magnitsky — and she got caught lying in court," Browder told ThinkProgress. Browder also confirmed that he is the unnamed CEO mentioned in the indictment.
Veselnitskaya denied to American authorities that she had anything to do with crafting Russia's refusal to help, even claiming in a legal filing that the Russian prosecutor's office had denied her access to Russia's MLAT response.
In reality, Veselnitskaya apparently had full access to the entire process of Russia refusing to assist, and even helped edit the refusal directly.
Moreover, she "participated in drafting and editing the Russian MLAT Response" — and even communicated directly with the Russian prosecutor via his personal email.
As the indictment notes, in 2015 the Russian prosecutor sent Veselnitskaya a Microsoft Word document "from a personal email account." The document "appeared to be a draft legal filing made in" Veselnitskaya's name and addressed to the prosecutor, which means the Russian prosecutor was effectively writing documents on Veselnitskaya's behalf.
Throughout this, Veselnitskaya was denying in U.S. court that she had any access to or involvement with Russia's MLAT response.
There are plenty of questions that remain surrounding the new indictment, but the filing has completely deflated one of the few remaining arguments (which Trump himself favors) that the 2016 meeting isn't worth looking into — or that Veselnitskaya was just an anonymous Russian lawyer, without any Kremlin ties.


The purpose of Service System Development (SSD) is to analyze, design, develop, integrate, verify, and validate service systems, including service system components, to satisfy existing or anticipated service agreements.
SSD is about making sure you have everything you need to deliver the services, including people, processes, consumables, and equipment.
Remember that "system" does not mean an IT system; we intend the more general definition of system: a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole.


text:
Q: Extracting python List I have a pandas data frame which has strings in it like this
ID value
1  2
2  25,35
3  1,25,3,40

I would like to count the number of times each value occurs.
The values are strings not integers or floats

A: You can try this, using string ascessor, split, stack and value_counts:
df.value.str.split(',', expand=True).stack().value_counts()

Output:
25    2
2     1
1     1
3     1
35    1
40    1
dtype: int64

A: Pass all the values to a Counter like this:
counter = Counter()
for value in values:
     counter[value] += 1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


There are three different Dogwood trees represented here. The most common is the White Dogwood - the flower the State Flower Of North Carolina US. Pink Dogwood is said to be exotic .. But, the other one is Red ... much more intense color than the Pink. Dogwood Trees grow in yards; fields, forests .. beside roadways -- at least the White ones do. The Bracts are the colors most dominant -- flowers are in the center -- look like green peas, yet open into delicate yellow blooms. Season -- usually from mid- March to mid-April ... of course, depending on the Winter .. All this beauty is follower by red berries forming for the benefit of wild birds later in the year.
You have sure captured the pristine with the dogwoods.


Optiva Inc., an innovative software provider of mission-critical, cloud-native monetization solutions to leading communication service providers (CSPs) globally, is cautioning CSPs at Mobile World Congress Barcelona (MWC) that failure to move core, cloud-native applications to the public cloud will result in the loss of competitive market position and millions of dollars from their bottom line.
At a series of complimentary Optiva Insider events at MWC, Optiva executives will unveil their new Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Simulator. The simulator allows operators to see, specific to their circumstances, the resources and revenues they are wasting with on-premises implementations of their core BSS applications. In the case of one Middle Eastern CSP, hosting their disaster recovery on the public cloud is leading to savings of 78 percent of its TCO.
The complimentary Optiva Insider events include Kubernetes as a Stepping Stone, providing insight into how CSPs can start with an on-premise deployment of a BSS application and then move to the public cloud with the same installation at a future date. A second set of sessions called Let's Go Full Cloud! explores the advantages and strategies for CSPs that want to move immediately to the public cloud.