text:
Montrealer who used Canadian border guard to smuggle cocaine found guilty
Dhingra passed through a border crossing seconds after a shipment of drugs and handed the guard a coffee. His vehicle wasn't searched.
Paul Cherry, Montreal Gazette
A 45-year-old Île Bizard resident who used a Canadian border guard to smuggle large amounts of drugs like crystal meth and cocaine into Canada was found guilty of five charges on Wednesday.
Soninder (Sonny) Dhingra's name was mentioned often last summer during the trial of Stefanie McClelland, 41, the Canada Border Services Agency officer who was sentenced to an 11-year prison term for letting smugglers tied to Dhingra bring 182 kilograms of cocaine through her post at the Lacolle border crossing in December 2014.
Months after McClelland was sentenced at the courthouse in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Dhingra's own trial began at the Montreal courthouse on charges related to a different smuggling conspiracy. During his trial, Quebec Court Judge Flavia Longo heard evidence that McClelland was also involved in an earlier conspiracy through which Dhingra used a woman — Jenny Lacoursière, 44, of St-Amable — to bring 94 kilograms of cocaine and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine through McClelland's post on Dec. 12, 2013. Dhingra was represented by defence lawyer Debora De Thomasis during the trial and the Crown was represented by prosecutor Dannie Leblanc.
After they made arrests in the investigation dubbed Project Abri, the Montreal police boasted that the 15 kilograms of methamphetamine represented the largest single seizure they had ever made of crystal meth in a single day.
McClelland, who is appealing her conviction and her sentence, let Lacoursière's car go through without a search. Dhingra passed through the same crossing seconds later and handed McClelland a coffee along with his passport. Once they crossed the border, Dhingra and Lacoursière drove directly to the giant IKEA store in the St-Laurent borough and used its large and often busy parking lot to distribute the drugs.
One of the distributors who unloaded large bags from Lacoursière's vehicle that day was Richard Desrosiers, 68, a man who had carried out a series of bank robberies in the 1970s but had become a model of rehabilitation after he decided to devote his life to helping other convicts overcome problems like drug addiction. Desrosiers's arrest in Project Abri came as a shock to many people in Montreal's legal community as, before his arrest, he was often called as a witness at sentence hearings to testify on the status of a convict's progress in drug therapy programs.
In 2016, Desrosiers received an overall prison term of seven years after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and drug trafficking charges. Another man who was observed unloading bags from Lacoursière's car at the IKEA parking lot was Jean-Philippe Guerrette, 37. He is serving a five-year prison term and was granted day parole by the Parole Board of Canada last month.
Lacoursière, a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, was working as a masseuse when she met Dhingra and they were involved in a relationship before he brought her to the U.S. for what he claimed would be an overnight trip. She testified at Dhingra's trial and said she believed that, at worst, she had transported large bags of cash across the border for him.
In 2017, she pleaded guilty to being in possession of property obtained by crime and received a sentence she could serve in the community. While delivering her decision on Wednesday, Longo said "the vast majority of (Lacoursière's) testimony must be rejected" because her version of events changed dramatically during the trial.
Longo theorized that Lacoursière's testimony was motivated as "she despised the accused because he ruined her life." The judge went on to explain that despite having to reject Lacoursière's testimony, there was enough evidence to convict Dhingra on five of the seven charges charges he faced; two counts each of drug trafficking and smuggling and a conspiracy charge.
A key part of the evidence was what the Montreal police observed while Dhingra and his accomplices were at the parking lot of the Swedish furniture store. Dhingra's Dodge Charger was positioned in a way that allowed him to watch who entered and exited the lot and "all evidence shows he had control of the drugs," the judge said.
Other evidence included text messages he exchanged with McClelland minutes before he and Lacoursière went through the border station she was working at. The first message read: "Kids are ready." While evidence heard during McClelland's trial revealed she and Dhingra were also involved in a relationship, they did not have children together. The pair exchanged text messages again, hours after Lacoursière made it across the border, and they revealed McClelland was actually sick that day and had only spent enough time at work to let Dhingra's drugs through. Through a coded message, McClelland wrote to Dhingra that "I only went in today because of the kids."
Dhingra will have a sentence hearing at a later date.
pcherry@postmedia.com
Border guard maintains innocence while she awaits sentence for cocaine smuggling
Border guard sentenced to 11 years in prison for letting 182 kilos of cocaine into Canada
Arson investigation launched after R.D.P. car fire  Leonard Cohen mural has given major boost to Montreal's Mural Festival


Felt like a very short time on stage for Brandon,short but really good ,I love his music .
Brandon was enthusiastic and very personable! Great music! I was a fan before but am an even bigger fan now!
An absolutely wonderful concert and worship. I highly recommend they return to this area soon.
Brandon always sounds the same In person..even the high notes! He is very down to earth and is a joy to hear.


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I just reread this post I wrote on November 15th 2009 and realized I needed a refresher. This is one of the most read articles on this site.
It's about the powerful notion that when we change our perception about things, the right decisions for our health can also be the easier ones. It's a journey, not a sprint, however.
I wrote this post out of experience (as usual). I went years spending money and much effort on the right clothes, shoes, tanning lotion, hair product, and make up in order to look how I wanted to look. Thing is, I wanted to just look healthy. I wanted to look fit and glowing, happy, and energetic. So my attempts through shopping to achieve this fell flat and I went broke. There is no substitute for the real thing. I really think that to look healthy, we need to be healthy.
So I put more time, effort, and cash into the basics: exercise and good eating. And what do you know, I started looking healthier and feeling better. I used to search for the perfect jeans. Then I ran 3 miles, 5 days a week and suddenly all jeans fit perfect and I learned I had been going about it backwards. Now if only I could do that with my post-pregnancy body…but that's another story entirely!
Anyway that's what this post is about. A gentle reminder to you and myself, that if we focus on health first and fashion second, we'll get what it is we're searching for.


Our recent flurry of mirror-related projects means my repertoire of pun-riddled mirror references is growing thin. Our latest victim was the guest bathroom. We figured after swapping out the medicine cabinet in our master bath, that we might as well do the same in the guest bath. Especially since our guests won't exactly need a medicine cabinet. At least we hope not.
It's clearly nothing elaborate, but at least it was free (it was an old Target mirror that we've had for a couple of years). And we figure once we get some paint on those walls (we're thinking some sort of muddy gray will hopefully add some sophistication with the yellow tile) the white frame will pop nicely off the wall and go hand in hand with other clean white objects like the trim, sink, toilet, etc.
… but also to remedy the uncomfortable placement. See, if our guests went in there to do their business, they'd get a view similar to this one. Minus the jeans. Awkward.
Removing it was a cinch. Since it wasn't glued to the door, I just had to remove the single clip on the right side, and then carefully slide that baby out (it had two clips on the top and the bottom, and one on each side). Once it was off the door, I removed the rest of the clips. Here's the best one handed "in progress" shot that I got.
And here's the door as it stands now. We've still gotta putty over the screw holes left by all of the mirror clips and then hang our towel hooks but we feel pretty good that we've saved our guests from having to experience their very own "John on john" moment. If they happen to be named John. Otherwise switch the first John out with their name (like how I overexplained that for you?).
I love the mirror changes, but I must admit that I really liked the towl rack. To each their own!
Looks great guys! We also removed a medicine cabinet in our guest bath, but ours was the recessed kind.
Oh, and I feel your pain on the mirror puns, I ran out of curtain puns recently with a flurry of posts on the subject.
You will love the gray and the pop from the white. I just did it in a room and I am in love. Great changes you all are making.
We have almost the same towel racks (the ones you didn't take out) and I'm DYING to replace them… ours aren't mounted on tile though so it would be much easier. Unfortunately that's not a high item on our budget priority list (especially since we rent). Definitely a good choice to ditch the door mirror. Yeesh.
John on John??? you guys crack me up!
You realize I am on post watch every hour of every day??? I am so happy I get to see your changes to your new house!!!
Love the changes and the toilet pic- definitely a good point! Soooo loving the idea of gray with that awesome yellow tile. I have to admit I'm normally preferential to white subway tile in bathrooms (as are you all, no?), but something about that yellow tile is just too awesome.
I loved the towel rail too, but can't see it fitting with the amazing sounding grey yellow plan you have.
Was the medicine cabinet recessed or just super skinny?
It was a bit recessed, but the mirror is larger than the indent so it covered it right up. We could have re-drywalled it to make it seamless, but we figure since it's covered it's not a priority just yet.
If you are looking for a nice muddy grey….check out Benjamin Moore's Silver Fox….we love it!
Was your medicine cabinet fullt mounted on the outside of the wall, or was it partially recessed into the wall? I've got a really old one I want to remove in our guest bath too, but the fact that it is recessed into the wall a bit has me more than a little apprehensive (since then I would have to replace with drywall, mud, paint, and THEN hang a mirror)… any advice you have would be more than appreciated!
Scroll back for that info and maybe try googling for tips? Good luck!
I love mirrors- it makes the room look bigger and they can be so fun and interesting!
I so love you guys, so don't take this wrong, but I am cracking up at John's monkey-toes in the potty pic, hehe.
Agreed. The man has crazy toes. And he gave them to our daughter.
I like the 'framed in' idea for your MB mirror – maybe the same color frame as your new mirror over the sink (or is that too matchy matchy).
And I love yellow and grey – way to work the awesome midcentury tile!
I think that full length mirror deserves an award for the "Worst Placement of Mirror Ever." How did anyone ever think that was a great place to put a mirror!??!
The changes look great, I'm sure your guests will appreciate them!
Simple, yet lovely! Seems to be your theme :) And this post makes me think of something– I've seen loads of people live with bathroom tile on the walls that is less than pretty, so it makes me wonder: is painting ceramic tile even possible since nobody does it? We'll hopefully be purchasing our first home soon and if we get the one we want, it has fuuuunky colored tiles so I'd love to know if we have the option of painting them or if we should just stay clear. Thanks!
We have heard horror stories of DIY tile painting gone wrong, but you can get it professionally reglazed for a few hundred bucks. We're definitely going to embrace the yellow tile for a while though.
We had a medicine cabinet, complete with what I like to call "Chorus Line" lighting (think 1980's movie dressing room globes) in our BEDROOM when we moved into our house. It was wired, but not recessed into the wall, so it stuck out about 5 inches from the wall-really lovely.
I have since removed that medicine cabinet and the two others that were more appropriately placed in the bathrooms and am glad they are gone.
I love the wall color. And I totally vote for painting the mirror and that window trim the same color (deep gray? deeper green?) so that they look like one piece.
As for your photos, have you experimented with how to adjust your white balance? If you have/make a white card, you should be able to take truer-to-life shots. Just a tip!
Wow, that bathroom looks remarkably like my guest bath. My house was built in 1955, I believe, so I think the mirror is also the same as the house. We also have these ugly looking gas space heaters that are installed in the walls in both of our bathrooms. We actually had the gas lines cut to them when we moved in because we feared a child would think it was really nifty to turn the knob and then gas would start free flowing. Anyway, one of these days, we will take those down all together. They are sort of neat looking in a way – but definitely not something I want to keep in there. I am definitely going to have to take down the mirror/medicine cabinet and do what you did. What a difference that makes!
…..you had me at "a muddy gray"!! Can't wait.
To add to my last comment – imagine this thing hanging on the wall in your bathroom.
That is pretty much what ours looks like. I cannot wait to figure out how to take this thing off the wall. I am just afraid of what is behind there and how to go about repairing the wall.
Kudos to John! Nice work on the removals and especially the single-handed in-progress photo- they can be tricky!
I cracked up reading this post. Love the John on john photo and description. You guys are hilarious!!
I think your yellow bathroom is darling :o) and yeah, the previous owner went a little overboard on the design feature "mirror" but think of all of the really really -bad- things they could have done!
We have 1 guest bathroom with probably 30 square feet of mirror, and I'm not exagerating. 1 and a half walls of mirror. Its INSANE. I keep thinking that we can take them down, cut them and build frames. With the span of mirror we have, there's plenty of room for trial and error. But I'd love it if you guys tried it first! Any plans to re-use that mirror in a more stylish application?
No plans off the top of our head, but if we come up with something we'll def post about it! Otherwise we'll donate them to the ReStore so they get to live on in someone else's house.
I was especially interested in this post because we are in the process of remodeling a bathroom that was formerly shared by our children into one that will primarily be used by houseguests. I was interested that you are considering a muddy gray with the yellow tile — which sounds beautiful — but how do you plan on tying it in with the blue and white duvet in the guest room (that you had on your bed in your old house)? Also, do you feel the need to coordinate your bedroom/bath wing's color scheme? Pink (Clara's room) and blue and yellow and gray? You guys have a great eye so I am interested in hearing your thoughts.
We like things to go but they don't have to match, so by using things like pops of color with white and some moody gray undertones (in the paint in Clara's room, the blue duvet, the bathroom walls, etc) everything should work together nicely!
Quick fix that looks great!
I just in one of your comments above that you'll be embracing the yellow tile — I love it! There's a neighborhood in our town that is known for its homes with colored tile bathrooms (mostly mid-century ranch style homes) and I think they are so neat. Very vintage-cool… and eco-friendly I might add.
I love expression on John's face in the toilet photo. Priceless and awkward, all at once.
Love the idea of dark muddy grey + yellow tile. It strikes me as very sophisticated.
Yes we have, just search our site for that info.
Love that photo of John…hilarious and you definitely had me at grey and yellow, love that combination and I can't wait to see it finished.
Yellow and gray is one of my favorite color combos. Can't wait to see how it turns out! Do you plan to keep the towel bars? Actually, I don't know if there would be a way to remove them without damaging the tile.
We wish we could pop those off without damaging the tile but that's not a possibility so we'd have to remove them and patch the holes left behind with tiles that are exactly the same color and style, which might be hard to find. So for now we're going to do our best to work with what we have. Even though they kind of hurt my eyes.
Is this door that you removed the mirror from hollow on the inside? Our house (built in 1948) has these old, cheap doors that are hollow on the inside. I have been scared to remove our bathroom mirror, because I wasn't sure how putty would take to them – I am envisioning the putty just dropping right through the hole and into the door. Let me know if you have any thoughts about a fix!
Yup it's hollow. We've patched them lots of times. Actually works like a charm.
Muddy gray walls will look great in the guest bathroom to modernize the yellow tile. Keep up the great job of working with what you have!
We had that exact sink top (ours had a pedestal) in our house in Richmond. When we replaced it with a ($90!) newer pedestal sink and put the old one by the curb, a neighbor knocked on our door to tell us how that style sink is still in demand and we should sell it to a vintage resale shop to get cash for it. Really?!
We tried – but since it had one tiny rust scratch in the bottom, they wouldn't take it. So if/when you decide to swap out that sink, and if it looks good as new, you may be able to get some cash for it.
I don't know if anyone else laughs at your posts as much as I do, but I think your humor is great :) Especially when I'm reading at my desk in my cube at work …woops? Did I say that?
I agree with leaving the mirror in the master (with future trim). Having a full length mirror comes in handy! Well, unless you are sitting on the can staring at yourself. Good call on removing that one! Looks great!!
I really like "Granite boulder" as a muddy gray but it might be a bit dark for you guys in the bathroom. It is a behr premium color (yay primer built in!).
It was in the running for our bedroom re-do but we ended up going with "gray area" instead (also from behr).
Can't wait to see how it all evolves.
Gotta love those free upgrades! I think hooks in the bathroom (and guestroom) are great for guests. That way they have easy places to put things like towels and PJs. Also reminds me that I have to get hubby to tackle the moulding around our basement bathroom mirror. It's only been a year!
Wainscoating would be perfect in there!
We have similar bathroom. Our tiles are blue though. And the mirror is HUGE and recessed. We'll eventually replace it becuase it is hideous, but we're going to have to find one large mirror to cover the hole it will leave behind. My biggest complaint with the tile is the toothbrush holder since modern toothbrushes don't actually fit. Got any tips for that?
Also, how's your floor looking? Do you have any tips on cleaning the grout so that the tile on the floor looks nice again? I don't want to replace it, but it's pretty dingy.
I kneeeww you wouldn't let go off the mirror on the master bedroom door!!!
Love yellow and gray together! i think it will look amazing! Can't wait!
Yeah, the whole mirror thing while on toilet is just plain old weird. How did the previous residents live that way? Very strange!
Love your blog keep the posts coming.
@ Letty, my mom successfully painted the tile in her bathroom and it looks beautiful. But there is no shower in that bathroom, just a bathtub and that played a part in her decision. She roughed up the tile, primed it, then did a base coat and then did the fancy whatever you call it to make it look marbled and then did 2 coats of sealant. It is really amazing. She bought cheapo tiles somewhere and practiced the technique before taking on the whole bathroom. I tried to talk her out of it because I was afraid it would look like sponge painting but it doesn't. (I also really wanted to tile her bathroom!) So it is something to consider. It would be too tedious for me, personally I would rather rip it out and start over but everyone is different!


In order to set up a Direct Debit instruction on-line, you must be the account holder of a personal bank or building society account. If you are not the only required signatory on your account or you would rather send us a paper version please download a Direct Debit form here.
If you have any questions about setting up a direct debit, please contact us on 0161 437 8136 or email supporter@sah.org.uk. If you prefer to post your form to us, the address is: Finance team, St Ann's Hospice, St Ann's Road North, Heald Green, Cheadle, Cheshire Sk8 3SZ.
Please pay St Ann's Hospice Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with St Ann's Hospice and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.	Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.


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Memories from the days when the Explorer Post operated the movie theater
By Jaine Treadwell
Published 11:34 pm Friday, August 21, 2020
The year was 1960, maybe '61. "It's been 60 years ago, who remembers that long ago?" Byron Belcher said, laughing.
Belcher might not remember the year exactly but he remembers the smell of hot, popping corn, the tingly taste of a "co-cola" and the sound clips from an old movie projector.
The hometown Brundidge boy was a member of Explorer Post 34 back when picture shows were beginning to take a backseat to something tagged television and a gadget called a cassette.
"At that time, the Brundidge Theater had been shut down for a couple of years," Belcher said. "Tommy McCormick was the leader of our Explorer Post and his dad, Mac, was experienced, in some way, with theater operations. They had the idea that our Explorer Post could take the Brundidge Theater as a community service project. We could open the theater to the public on weekends. Operating the picture show would be a lot of fun for us and would be a great learning experience for junior and senior high school boys and something fun and entertaining for the community."
At that time, Explorer Post 34 was meeting at Brundidge Banking Company where Harold Walker was an official. Walker was very supportive of the idea and recognized it as an innovative community service project for the Explorers.
"Mr. Walker helped our post with the legal work that was necessary for us to rent the theater and with a company that distributed motion pictures," Belcher said. It took a lot of work to get the theater ready to open but it was a learning experience and we had fun doing it."
The responsibilities were divided among the Explorers.
"We had a full concession stand so it took two guys to work it," Belcher said. "We had Coca-Colas, popcorn, Hershey bars and other kinds of candy. We stayed busy before, during and after the picture show. One guy worked the ticket widow; one was the entertainment manager, one was the floor manager or usher and a couple of us helped the man who ran the projector. I was in charge of the sound."
Other members of the Explorer Post had odd jobs and some just hung around the movie theater.
"The movies arrived by truck or bus on Wednesday for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows," Belcher said. "On Wednesday nights, we – the Explorers – could have private showings and, sometimes, we had dates to come."
Belcher added, laughing that Explorer Post 34 was not a first-run movie theater but it featured movies for all ages.
"On Friday, we usually had a drama or a who-dun-it. The Saturday movies were the most popular so we had really good crowds. We most always had a cowboy movie and sometimes it was a double feature. On Sundays, we usually had a drama or a musical. At every show, we had the previews and a cartoon. Everybody liked the cartoons. We had good crowds most of the time. We didn't make a big profit but we weren't doing it for the money."
The first movie that Explorer Post 34 showed at the Brundidge Theater was 'The Mummy."
"It was a real scary movie," Belcher said. "'The Mummy was very popular back then and can still be seen on late-night television.
"Rex Coleman ran the movie projector that held huge reels that came in metal containers," Belcher said. "They were 35 millimeter professional reels that ran 24 frames a second."
If the projector had a glitch and the movie stopped, there would be a collective hum of disappointment or aggravation throughout the theater.
As the Explorers moved closer to high school graduation, their interests changed. Date night at the theater was fun for those who had dates but the Explorers where working not dating. The thoughts of the Explorers turned more toward getting that long-awaited high school diploma and the possibility of college than what was playing at the theater on Saturday night. Attendance at the theater began to drop as television was "taking over."
And, it wasn't that way just in Brundidge.
Once the Explorer Post 34 Theater ran out of tickets but got a good deal on tickets stamped Clayton Theater because that nearby theater had closed, it doors," Belcher said.
Not long after, in 1963, Explorer Post 34 closed the doors of the Brundidge Theater.
"We had a lot of fun and learned various real-life experiences," Belcher said. "We learned to keep books, to place orders, to manage money, to deal with people across the counter; we learned to sweep and clean up and we gained greater appreciation for our older patrons."
Belcher, who now lives in Fort Walton, dusted off his memories of the Explorer Post 34 Theater and made a donation of one of the heavy-weight reels and other "picture show" memorabilia to the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library in Brundidge.
"The movie theater is part of the city's history," he said. It opened in the 1940s and during the 1950s it was managed by Ralph Johnston and Foy Ingram. Mr. Tupper Lightfoot, for whom the library is named, once gave me a radio. He was an extremely generous, loving and patient man, particularly with children. I will never forget him. It's good to look back and remember, people and places.
Adams, Robinson share insights at JCA
The Johnson Center for the Arts hosted an artists' reception and Art Talk for local artist Charles Adams and Huntsville... read more

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Another current movie that's a fan favorite is Lion (trailer), well worth seeing for the heart-warming true story and excellent acting. Garth Davis directed and Luke Davies wrote the screenplay, based on Saroo Brierley's book, A Long Way Home, and the movie was lovingly filmed in Kolkata and Tasmania by cinematographer Greig Fraser .
The story begins in 1986, when five-year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) becomes separated from his older brother at a train station. He falls asleep on a decommissioned train and can't get off for several days. Meanwhile, it has traveled far from his home, reaching the sprawling city of Kolkata. At the time, Kolkata had approximately 10 million residents, including thousands of orphans, and was full of dangers for a child—especially one from a rural area who could not speak the local Bengali. Some effort is made to help him find his family, but he doesn't know enough. Eventually he's adopted by an Tasmanian couple, Sue and John Brierley (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham).
Only when Saroo is a young adult (Dev Patel) does the technology come along—Google Earth—that may be able to help him find home. The search becomes a secret obsession, threatening his relationship with his girlfriend (Rooney Mara) and the parents who raised him. It's worth the price of admission to see the happy-go-lucky Patel's moment of overwhelming loss that starts this quest, triggered by the sight of the red jalebis he wanted as a child. With his hair grown out and shaggy, he even starts to look like a lion.
The story is rather straightforwardly about love, but what could have been overly sentimental is brought to a higher plane by virtue of the solid acting performances. Sunny Pawar, who plays the young Saroo is a marvel!
Rotten Tomatoes critics' rating 86%; audiences 93%.
By Vaseem Khan – Though this debut crime fiction author was born in London, his experience working in the Indian subcontinent comes through clearly in his convincing portrayal of the people, culture, and politics of the complicated city of Mumbai. He's managed to marry that deep knowledge with his more recent work experience as well. Since returning to the U.K. in 2006, he has worked in the Department of Security and Crime Science at University College London.
If it's possible to have a "gentle" crime novel, this is one, although the crimes he writes about are wicked, indeed, involving trafficking of young boys, murder, assault and that persistent and almost universal social disease, corruption. Our hero is 51-year-old police inspector Ashwin Chopra, who has been forced into an unwelcome early retirement by a heart attack. Just at that time, two unusual events occur.
First, he hears the laments of a poor woman who claims that because her family has no status, the police will not investigate the death of her son, which they claim was accidental and which she says was murder.
Second is receipt of the bizarre inheritance that gives the book its title—a baby elephant. The accompanying note warns Chopra "this is no ordinary elephant." Indeed.
The reader can't take seriously that Chopra tails a suspect accompanied by baby elephant Ganesha, or that the elephant manages to save Chopra's life. I don't believe Khan expects readers to be that literal. Instead, his easy prose encourages us to relax into a foreign, sensuous environment where even the worst bad guys are likely to get what's coming to them. I had a few plot quibbles, but these can be glossed over in light of Khan's many other accomplishments. It's a crime story perfect for readers who don't require nonstop violence. I'm delighted there's more to come in this series!
A longer version of this review appeared at CrimeFictionLover.com.
By R. K. Narayan (1906-2001)– A friend brought me this book from a trip to India, where the acclaimed author is well appreciated for his classic tales. They combine a deceptively simple narrative style and acute perceptions of human nature in all its absurdity and poignancy. Graham Greene was an early Narayan admirer and helped bring his work to attention in the West.
In this novella, the hero, Margayya, although indubitably Indian, also is "a type which should have taken its place long ago in world literature because he exists everywhere." Margayya, whose name means "the one who showed the way," indeed does show the way, although his ultimate destination is not what he hopes or has planned. His story begins in his early career, sitting daily underneath a banyan tree at the center of his dusty village with his small box of forms and pens, helping peasants sort their finances, brokering loans, and earning barely enough to keep his wife and adored son, Balu, in food.
As the plot winds toward the inevitable, Margayya's vanities, his obliviousness disguised as business acumen, and the jockeying for advantage of everyone around him—in an economic environment where so little advantage is to be had—provides ample fodder for the kind of laugh-at-ourselves "humour that knows no national boundaries," says Der Kurier, Berlin, also the source of the earlier quote.
Well said. I laughed out loud.
In the introduction to another of his books, Narayan says that in India "the writer has only to look out of the window to pick up a character and thereby a story," and in Margayya he has selected an unforgettable protagonist and packed his tale with humanity.


MoFAIC || News || His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed issues law concerning Abu Dhabi Power Corporation.
الرئيسيـة > Home > Media Center > News > His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed issues law concerning Abu Dhabi Power Corporation.
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed issues law concerning Abu Dhabi Power Corporation.
In his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued, Law No. 03 for 2019, which relates to the Abu Dhabi Power Corporation.


text:
package hydrograph.ui.engine.converter.impl;

import java.math.BigInteger;
import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
import java.util.Map;

import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
import org.slf4j.Logger;

import hydrograph.engine.jaxb.commandtypes.FileOperationChoice;
import hydrograph.engine.jaxb.commandtypes.S3FileTransfer;
import hydrograph.engine.jaxb.commandtypes.S3FileTransfer.Encoding;
import hydrograph.engine.jaxb.commontypes.BooleanValueType;
import hydrograph.engine.jaxb.commontypes.ElementValueIntegerType;
import hydrograph.engine.jaxb.commontypes.TypeBaseComponent;
import hydrograph.ui.common.util.Constants;
import hydrograph.ui.datastructure.property.FTPAuthOperationDetails;
import hydrograph.ui.engine.constants.PropertyNameConstants;
import hydrograph.ui.engine.helper.ConverterHelper;
import hydrograph.ui.engine.util.FTPUtil;
import hydrograph.ui.graph.model.Component;
import hydrograph.ui.logging.factory.LogFactory;

/**
 * The Class S3FileTransferConverterHelper to convert for S3 protocol
 * @author Bitwise
 *
 */
public class S3FileTransferConverterHelper{
	public static final Logger logger = LogFactory.INSTANCE.getLogger(S3FileTransferConverterHelper.class);
	private Component component;
	protected Map<String, Object> properties = new LinkedHashMap<String, Object>();
	protected ConverterHelper converterHelper;

	public S3FileTransferConverterHelper(Component component) {
		this.component = component;
		this.properties = component.getProperties();
		converterHelper = new ConverterHelper(component);
	}

	public void prepareForXML(TypeBaseComponent typeBaseComponent) {
		logger.debug("Generating XML for :{}",	properties.get(Constants.PARAM_NAME));
		typeBaseComponent.setId(component.getComponentId());
		String componentId = component.getComponentId();
		componentId=component.getComponentId();

		S3FileTransfer s3FileTransfer = (S3FileTransfer) typeBaseComponent;

		addAuthenticationDetails(s3FileTransfer);

		BigInteger connectionTimeOut = FTPUtil.INSTANCE.getPortValue(PropertyNameConstants.TIME_OUT.value(), componentId, properties);
		ElementValueIntegerType timeout = new ElementValueIntegerType();
		timeout.setValue(connectionTimeOut);
		s3FileTransfer.setTimeOut(timeout);

		BigInteger noOfRetries = FTPUtil.INSTANCE.getPortValue(PropertyNameConstants.RETRY_ATTEMPT.value(), componentId, properties);
		ElementValueIntegerType retries = new ElementValueIntegerType();
		retries.setValue(noOfRetries);
		s3FileTransfer.setRetryAttempt(retries);

		//operation
		addSFtpOperationDetails(s3FileTransfer);

		Encoding encoding = new Encoding();
		encoding.setValue(FTPUtil.INSTANCE.getCharset(PropertyNameConstants.ENCODING.value(), component.getComponentName(), properties));
		s3FileTransfer.setEncoding(encoding);
		BooleanValueType failOnError = FTPUtil.INSTANCE.getBoolean(PropertyNameConstants.FAIL_ON_ERROR.value(),
				component.getComponentName(), properties);
		s3FileTransfer.setFailOnError(failOnError.isValue());
	}

	/**
	 * authentication details
	 * @param ftp
	 */
	private void addAuthenticationDetails(S3FileTransfer s3FileTransfer){
		Map<String, FTPAuthOperationDetails> authDetails = (Map<String, FTPAuthOperationDetails>) properties
				.get(PropertyNameConstants.FTP_AUTH.value());
		FTPAuthOperationDetails authenticationDetails = null;
		if(authDetails != null && !authDetails.isEmpty()){
			for(Map.Entry<String, FTPAuthOperationDetails> map : authDetails.entrySet()){
				authenticationDetails = map.getValue();
				if(StringUtils.equalsIgnoreCase(map.getKey(), Constants.AWS_S3_KEY)){
					if(StringUtils.isNotBlank(authenticationDetails.getField1())){
						s3FileTransfer.setAccessKeyID(authenticationDetails.getField1());
					}
					if(StringUtils.isNotBlank(authenticationDetails.getField2())){
						s3FileTransfer.setSecretAccessKey(authenticationDetails.getField2());
					}
				}else{
					if(StringUtils.isNotBlank(authenticationDetails.getField2())){
						s3FileTransfer.setCrediationalPropertiesFile(authenticationDetails.getField2());
					}
				}
			}
		}
	}

	/**
	 *  file operation details
	 * @param ftp
	 */
	private void addSFtpOperationDetails(S3FileTransfer s3FileTransfer){
		Map<String, FTPAuthOperationDetails> fileOperationDetaildetails =  (Map<String, FTPAuthOperationDetails>) properties
				.get(PropertyNameConstants.FTP_OPERATION.value());
		FileOperationChoice fileOperationChoice = new FileOperationChoice();
		FTPAuthOperationDetails authOperationDetails = null;
		if(fileOperationDetaildetails!=null && !fileOperationDetaildetails.isEmpty()){
			for(Map.Entry<String, FTPAuthOperationDetails> map : fileOperationDetaildetails.entrySet()){
				if(map.getKey().contains(Constants.GET_FILE)){
					fileOperationChoice.setDownload(map.getKey());
					authOperationDetails = map.getValue();
					s3FileTransfer.setOverwritemode(authOperationDetails.getField5());
				}else{
					authOperationDetails = map.getValue();
					fileOperationChoice.setUpload(map.getKey());
				}
			}
			s3FileTransfer.setFileOperation(fileOperationChoice);
			s3FileTransfer.setLocalPath(authOperationDetails.getField1());
			s3FileTransfer.setBucketName(authOperationDetails.getField2());
			if(StringUtils.isNotBlank(authOperationDetails.getField3())){
				s3FileTransfer.setFolderNameInBucket(authOperationDetails.getField3());
			}
			s3FileTransfer.setRegion(authOperationDetails.getField4());
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Modern British Sculpture
Reginald Cotterell Butler (28 April 1913 – 23 October 1981) was an English sculptor. He was born in Buntingford. He studied and lectured at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London from 1937 to 1939. Butler was a conscientious objector during the Second World War, being exempted from military service conditional upon setting up a small blacksmith business repairing farm implements.
In 1947 Reg Butler became an assistant to Henry Moore, before holding his first individual exhibition of sculpture at the Hanover Gallery, London, in 1949. On Moore's recommendation, he was appointed Gregory Fellow in Sculpture, University of Leeds, from 1950-53, a seminal period for British sculpture. In 1951, he was commissioned by the Arts Council and the London County Council to create work for the Festival of Britain
After winning the 'Unknown Political Prisoner' competition in 1953 he became one of the best known sculptors during the 1950s and 1960s, and also taught at the Slade School of Art.
Butler's later work consists of lifelike models of female figures, such as Girl on a Round Base, that have something in common with Hans Bellmer and the sculpture of Allen Jones and prefigure the work of Ron Mueck.
Many of his works are held by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and Tate Gallery in London.
Butler was featured in the 1964 documentary film, "5 British Sculptors (Work and Talk)", by American filmmaker Warren Forma.
He died in Berkhamsted.


QuickTime is an app made by the developers of Apple and it is one of the highly rated apps in the market. It is basically a video player that is powerful and studded with an ample of features. Apple has a propreitership of this video format where QuickTime Player acts as its official video platform.
QuickTime is a very simple to use app that can avail you the features that are hidden as well. You can also create playlists using this app. Basic functions such as playback make the life of the user easy in the QuickTime app. A pro version of this app is also available in stores and it comes with more advanced features.
The interface of this video player is quite simple and this is why it sets a high standard for the other video player apps in the market. The developers have worked on improving the reliability, compatibility and address security of the app, which has made the latest versions of the app interesting.
QuickTime can be downloaded on Windows platform too with the use of an android emulator. GenyMotion is one of the most popular android emulators and it makes the task of installing QuickTime for Windows as easy as ever.
Using QuickTime, editing and conversion can be made by the users without any hassles.
QuickTime is known for delivering an impeccable quality for the videos.
The usage of QuickTime on the system is very easy. The interface of the app enables the novice subscribers to use this app without any problems.
The connection speed of your system is automatically detected by QuickTime player and it selects the highest quality stream for the bandwidth that is available to you.
The best feature about QuickTime player is that it reconnects aautomatically after getting disconnected.
The multi-channel audio feature available in QuickTime player simply stands out among the other video players.
You can tune into 24 channels dedicated to audio which helps you to turn your office into a virtual home theater.
QuickTime player can support a wide number of audio formats namely AIFF, WAV, MOV, MP4 and AAC/ADTS.
QuickTime can be downloaded for Windows without any hassles, provided that you employ the use of an android emulator.
Visit the official website of GenyMotion and download it on your PC.
After this step is undertaken, you need to search for QuickTime in the search box of GenyMotion.
Once the icon of the app is displayed on your screen along with the Install button, kindly click on the Install button to kick off the installation process.
It takes a few minutes and the app gets downloaded for Windows.


text:
Acta Scientific Microbiology (ISSN: 2581-3226)
Phytotoxicity of "Tide" Detergent Powder Using Lens culinaris Seeds as a Bioassay
Xiang Cai1,2* and Sergei A Ostroumov1,2
1Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
2Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China
*Corresponding Author: Xiang Cai, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
The indiscriminate use of synthetic laundry detergents (SLDs) triggered notorious prevalence of toxic pollution in water environment. SLDs synthesized from surfactants and other chemical compounds pose ecotoxic risk to living organisms once invading the ecosystem. The widespread presence of terrestrial vegetations in ecosystem may be subject to exposure to SLDs. It is important to test phytotoxic effect of SLDs on terrestrial plant species and form a system of phytotoxic risk assessment. The phytotoxicity of "Tide" detergent powder (TDP) was tested using Lens culinaris seeds as a bioassay. The bioassay showed that the seed germination percentage (ca. 0% - 90%) reduced sharply due to an increase in TDP concentrations (0.0%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 1.0%) within 72-h and 96-h, respectively. Meanwhile, the increasing concentrations inhibited root elongation (ca. 0.0 - 8 mm) after 72-h long exposure to TDP, and also impeded root elongation (ca. 0.0 - 17 mm) after 96-h. The phytotoxicity was assessed depended on two indices: seed germination and root elongation indices. The present study validated an effective and economical bioassay, in which the phytotoxicity ranks (slight, moderate, high and extreme) were graded.
Keywords: Phytotoxicity; Lens culinaris; "Tide" Detergent Powder; Seed Germination; Root Elongation
Ojo O A and Oso B A. "Biodegradation of synthetic detergents in wastewater". African Journal of Biotechnology6 (2009): 1090-1109.
Shu W C and Ding W H. "Determination of fluorescent whitening agents in laundry detergents and surface waters by solid-phase extraction and ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography". Journal of Chromatography A1-2 (2005): 218-223.
Ferradj A and Idouhar M. "Determination of anionic surfactants in wastewater treatment plant in Algiers City". Desalination and Water Treatment53 (2016): 25677-25685.
Chen Y., et al. "Microbial community assembly in detergent wastewater treatment bioreactors: Influent rather than inoculum source plays a more important role". Bioresource Technology 287 (2019): 121467.
Aboulhassan MA., et al. "Removal of surfactant from industrial wastewaters by coagulation flocculation process". International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology4 (2006): 327-332.
Warne MSJ and Schifko AD. "Toxicity of laundry detergent components to a freshwater cladoceran and their contribution to detergent toxicity". Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (1999): 196-206.
Kogawa AC., et al. "Synthetic detergents: 100 years of history". Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal6 (2017): 934-938.
Liu W., et al. "Quantitative structure-activity relationship between the toxicity of amine surfactant and its molecular structure". Science of the Total Environment (2020): 134593.
Gassama UM., et al. "Influence of municipal wastewater on rice seed germination, seedling performance, nutrient uptake, and chlorophyll content". Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology1 (2015): 9-19.
Ostroumov S A and Solomonova E A. "Phytotoxicity of a surfactant-containing product towards macrophytes". Russian Journal of General Chemistry13 (2014): 2614-2617.
Ostroumov S A. Biological effects of surfactants on organisms, MAKS-Press, Moscow (2001).
Solomonova E A and Ostroumov S A. "Tolerance of an aquatic macrophyte Potamogeton crispus L. to sodium dodecyl sulphate". Moscow University Biological Sciences Bulletin 4 (2007): 176-179.
Song J., et al. "A phenotypic and genotypic evaluation of developmental toxicity of polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate using zebrafish embryo/larvae". Toxics 2 (2020): 33-47.
Scott M J and Jones M N. "The biodegradation of surfactants in the environment". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes 1-2 (2000): 235-251.
Metcalfe C D., et al. "Carcinogenicity and mutagenicity testing of extracts from bleached kraft mill effluent". Chemosphere6 (1995): 1085-1095.
Wieck S., et al. "Fragrance allergens in household detergents". Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 97 (2018): 163-169.
Wang M., et al. "Laundry detergents and detergent residue after rinsing directly disrupt tight junction barrier integrity in human bronchial epithelial cells". The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology5 (2019): 1892-1903.
Mtisi M and Gwenzi W. "Evaluation of the phytotoxicity of coal ash on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) germination, growth and metal uptake". Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety15 (2019): 750-762.
Bagur-González M G., et al. "Toxicity assessment using Lactuca sativa L. bioassay of the metal (loid)s As, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn in soluble-in-water saturated soil extracts from an abandoned mining site". Journal of Soils and Sediments 2 (2010): 281-289.
EPA U S., Ecological effects test guidelines (OPPTS 850.4200): seed germination/root elongation toxicity test (1996).
Ostroumov S A., et al. "Toxicity of gold nanoparticles for plants in experimental aquatic system". Moscow University Biological Sciences Bulletin3 (2014): 108-112.
Lazareva EV and Ostroumov SA. "Accelerated decrease in surfactant concentration in the water of a microcosm in the presence of plants: Innovations for phytotechnology". Doklady Biological Sciences1 (2009): 180-182.
Ostroumov SA. "Toxicity testing of chemicals without use of animals". Russian Journal of General Chemistry 13 (2017): 2933-2941.
Cai X and Ostroumov SA. "Phytotests for assessing phytotoxicity of "Blue moon" liquid detergent: Lens culinaris seeds". Issues in Biological Sciences and Pharmaceutical Research3 (2021): 93-100.
Mtibaa R., et al. "Biodegradation and toxicity reduction of nonylphenol, 4-tert-octylphenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol by the ascomycetous fungus Thielavia sp HJ22: Identification of fungal metabolites and proposal of a putative pathway". Science of the Total Environment15 (2020): 135129.
Bozym M. "Assessment of phytotoxicity of leachates from landfilled waste and dust from foundry". Ecotoxicology 4 (2020): 429-443.
Citation: Xiang Cai and Sergei A Ostroumov. "Phytotoxicity of "Tide" Detergent Powder Using Lens culinaris Seeds as a Bioassay". Acta Scientific Microbiology 5.2 (2022): 21-26.
Copyright: © 2022 Xiang Cai and Sergei A Ostroumov. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Tie rods are a vital part of your Chevy K1500 Suburban's steering linkage. They connect your vehicle's steering wheel to the front wheels. The steering wheel is mounted on a long shaft with a specialized gear called a pinion on its end. When you turn the steering wheel, this pinion engages the perpendicularly oriented steering rack, which is a metal tube that terminates in two pieces of equipment called tie rods. These tie rods connect to specialized steering knuckles in the wheels themselves. You can buy replacement tie rods for your Chevy K1500 Suburban at PartsGeek.com.
A broken tie rod is a very serious situation. If your wheels are properly aligned, you may be able to navigate your car in a straight line upon the road until you get it to safety. If you hit a bump in the road, however, your wheel will spin out of control.
They are available for the following Chevrolet K1500 Suburban years: 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92. This part is also sometimes called Chevrolet K1500 Suburban Tie Rods. We stock tie rod parts for most Chevrolet models including Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500 HD, Trailblazer, S10, Malibu, Impala, K1500, Tahoe, Blazer, C1500, Camaro, Colorado, Monte Carlo, Suburban 1500, Corvette, Avalanche 1500, Cobalt, Express 1500, C10 Pickup, Astro, Equinox, Chevelle, K2500, Aveo, El Camino, C10, Express 3500, Caprice, Trailblazer EXT, Cavalier, Silverado 1500 HD, Silverado 3500, C2500, Uplander, C3500, C3500HD, HHR, Express 2500, Tracker and Venture.
We stock these Tie Rod brands for the Chevrolet K1500 Suburban: Moog, AC Delco, TRW, Mevotech, SKP and API.
This OEM part fit perfectly on my 1996 Chev Surburban. Thanks Parts Geek!
This OEM part fit perfectly on my 1996 Chev Surburban.


Life events can involve love found, love lost, friends, enemies, family, births, deaths, hurt, healing and hope. I knew immediately after reading the first story in Caitlin Hamilton Summie's amazing short story collection, something inside of me was going to change because of her words.
You are probably familiar with graphic novels, but are you familiar with graphic short stories? Let's explore this creative avenue for the opportunity it offers to those who love reading and writing short stories. You just may be inspired to try illustrating on the short side of literature.
What is commonly referred to as the "Digital Age" has brought about great change for readers of short stories. Now, there are new avenues to find these short pieces of fictional prose.
The Short Story is making a revival. These fictional gems may seem short in length, but the tales that they tell are unique and well written.


Hill, Rick and Truman Lowe ed. Who Stole the Teepee?
Jensen, Doreen In Celebration of Our Survival. The First Nations of BC.
Lippard, Lucy R. Esthetic Sovereignty, or, Going Places with Cultural Baggage.
Lupien, Joyceline and Jean Phillipe Uzel Double Jeu :identité et culture – Willie Cole, Ron Noganosh, Richard Purdy – Double Play: identity and culture – Willie Cole, Ron Noganosh , Richard Purdy.


text:
Home › 20th century Art › 21st Century Art › Czech Art
Andre Dluhos, 1940 | Abstract Palette Knife painter
By Zana Bihiku Tutt'Art By Zana Bihiku Tutt'Art Art Movements and Styles 20th century Art, 21st Century Art, Czech Art
Andre Dluhos was born 1940 in eastern Czechoslovakia, which is now Slovakia. Andre began to paint at eight years old. At fourteen he won his first art competition from the region's 400 entries. He studied under celebrated artists and mentors at the Bratislava Art School and School of Fine Arts in Uherski Hradiste. Favoring portraiture, figure and landscape painting, his professional career as a painter began. Traveling and showing throughout Europe, in 1969 he decided to seek new opportunity and a new home in the United States where he now resides.
1956-59 Bachelor of Arts, Fine Art, Graphic Design Bratislava Art Academy;
1960-61 Masters in Art, The School of Fine Arts, Uherski Hradiste;
1966 Independent Study, Ancient Arts, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
"I was born in 1940 in a little town called Spisske Podhradie in the eastern part of Czechoslovakia, what now exists as Slovakia. I was eight years old when I began to draw the woods and the amber fields of wheat that surrounded my town. But it was the glorious castle that stood high above my home that captured my fancy as a young boy and led me to draw its majestic lines from every angle and every perspective imaginable. At age fourteen, I won my first art competition being recognized as the best from the region's four hundred entries. No doubt that was my first step toward my goal of becoming a professional painter".
"My mentors were many celebrated artists and teachers at the Bratislava Art School and the School of Fine Arts in Uherske Hradiste, and I studied under them all. I obtained a valued education much needed in work that favored portraiture, figure, and landscape painting. My professional career started with three years of commercial art. After that, independent work on various assignments and commissions began".
"Traveling through Egypt and studying ancient art had a significant influence on my approach to art, and it led to a better understanding and comprehension of my mural paintings and mosaics that I was commissioned to do. My career in Czechoslovakia was very promising, but short. It was my insight into the injustice of the system, the presentation of art as I saw fit, and the raw truths that I painted that made me realize that I could never fulfill my personal satisfactions there. Simply I was not allowed, or perhaps I felt unallowed, to paint that what was in my soul and heart. I was struck with the thought of leaving my homeland".
"In 1969, after a year of extensive traveling, painting, and showing throughout the countries of Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Austria, I decided to look for new opportunities and a new home in the United States. I continued my passion for painting. My wife Yary, five year old son Peter, and myself became permanent residents of this country. All my free hours then were devoted to the painting of the truths I held to be self-evident. It was a struggle and it was hard work, but thinking of it as a price to be paid for getting closer to success made it a little easier. Today, I know that the decision I made thirty years ago was right, and my paintings are a culmination of my learned truths throughout my life".


A month after an E. coli outbreak was linked to Chipotle restaurants in the Northwest, health officials believed the culprit was a vegetable of some kind. Now, nearly three months later, an exact cause still hasn't been uncovered, and some analysts say it might never be.
Business Insider reports that after thousands of tests, both by Chipotle and state and local health officials, health investigators are no closer to determining the source of a nine-state E. coli outbreak that sickened more than 50 people.
Infectious disease specialists say that it's unusual for the cause of a foodborne illness to remain unresolved after months. In fact, five other major outbreaks in the last decade were resolved rather quickly.
The passage of time and the number of tests already run don't exactly bode well for Chipotle, Dr. William Schaffner, infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Business Insider.
He believes the cause of Chipotle's problems may never be found, as most of the tests conducted by various agencies are so rigorous they would have already discovered the source if it were going to be found.
Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that even if tests found the food that was the cause of the outbreak, it might not make much difference.
Part of the problem is Chipotle's menu. Because most people eat a combination of the same ingredients, it's harder to pinpoint which one was contaminated.
Adding to the mystery of Chipotle's foodborne illness problems is the fact that a second strain of E. coli was found to have sickened five people in two states months after the outbreak in the Northeast.
To that end, Chipotle announced last month that it would revamp its cooking procedures to ensure food is handled safety.


text:
Q: Altering Variables in a void method? I need to set the temperature class, and need to alter the degrees in a void method.
How do I access these variables in a void method, and ensure that the void method alters the parameters into the variables that I need?
I need the degrees to be converted, and I don't know how to access the degree variable not in the set class?
Temperature (double enteredtemp,char scale ){
   degrees=Temperature.set();
}

public void set (double enteredtemp, char scale){
       if (scale=='r'||scale=='R'){ degrees=(enteredtemp/(9/5));}
       else if (scale=='c'|| scale=='C') {degrees=enteredtemp+273.15;}
       else if (scale=='F'||scale=='f'){degrees=((enteredtemp+459.67)*9/5);}

A: You are implementing a setter, whose responsibility will be to change the value of degrees. Setters typically have a void return value - this means they don't return anything at all.
This code you posted looks like an 'ok' setter:
public void set (double enteredtemp, char scale){
       if (scale=='r'||scale=='R'){ degrees=(enteredtemp/(9/5));}
       else if (scale=='c'|| scale=='C') {degrees=enteredtemp+273.15;}
       else if (scale=='F'||scale=='f'){degrees=((enteredtemp+459.67)*9/5);}

However, the way you are calling it in your constructor is completely wrong. This line does not make any sense:
degrees=Temperature.set();

Remember your set function returns void, so attempting to assign that value to degrees isn't going to work. Moreover it completely misses the point of calling the setter (which is to have the set function assign the value to degrees). Another issue is that you are calling set() as if its a static method - its not (and if it was, it would again miss the point of using a setter).
The correct way to call your set function from your constructor is:
Temperature (double enteredtemp,char scale )
{
    set(enteredtemp, scale)
}

Another example...
Temperature temp = new Temperature(98.6, 'F');   // normal temp
temp.set(102, 'F');                              // now we've got a fever

A: I suppose the snippet you posted is inside a class, that has a "degrees" member. In that case you're on the right track.
For example :
public class Temperature {
    private double degrees;
    public Temperature (double enteredtemp,char scale ) {
        degrees=Temperature.set(enteredtemp, scale);
    }

    public void set (double enteredtemp, char scale) {
        if (scale=='r'||scale=='R'){ degrees=(enteredtemp/(9/5));}
        else if (scale=='c'|| scale=='C') {degrees=enteredtemp+273.15;}
        else if (scale=='F'||scale=='f'){degrees=((enteredtemp+459.67)*9/5);
    }

    public double getDegrees() {
        return degrees;
    }
}

This is a functioning class, apart for conversions that i didn't check and some coding conventions about method names that we can debate about :)
Just to make sure you understand how to USE this class, for example inside a main method :
Temperature t = new Temperature(25,'c');
System.out.println("Temperature F " + t.getDegrees());
t.set(30,'c');
System.out.println("Temperature F " + t.getDegrees());

A: Within methods, variables in Java are block-scoped meaning you either need to pass an object's reference to your set method (and alter the object's value in your method), either need it to return something (which doesn't seem to be what you want since you specified you want it void).
Please explain why exactly you want your set method to return void. It seems you do some computations in it, I think it would me much more appropriate as a compute or a calculate method since set methods (also known as setters) have very specific meanings in Java as well as in lots of other programming languages (specifically OOP ones).
Could it be something like :
public double computeDegrees(double enteredtemp, char scale) {
        double degrees = 0;
        if (scale=='r'||scale=='R'){ degrees=(enteredtemp/(9/5));}
        else if (scale=='c'|| scale=='C') {degrees=enteredtemp+273.15;}
        else if (scale=='F'||scale=='f'){degrees=((enteredtemp+459.67)*9/5);
        return degrees;
    }

Found your code on another thread, here's the fixed version. Please try to understand it and ask questions in comments if you have any. I think the biggest mistake you've made was trying to instantiate a Temperature object inside the constructor of your Temperature class (ultimately creating a stack overflow ^^). When you are inside a method (arguably a constructor is a method), use the keyword this to refer the object invoking the method (inside a constructor this refers to the object being instantiated).
public class Temperature {

    public double degrees;

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // This is an example
        Temperature myTemperature = new Temperature(28, 'C');
        System.out.println("My temperature is " + myTemperature.get());
        Temperature myOhterTemperature = new Temperature(25, 'C');
        boolean greaterThan = myTemperature.isGreaterThan(myOhterTemperature);
        System.out.println(greaterThan); // should be true since 28 > 25
    }

    Temperature () {
        degrees=0;
    }

    Temperature (double enteredtemp) {
        degrees = enteredtemp;
    }

    Temperature (double enteredtemp,char scale ) {
        set(enteredtemp,scale);
    }

    public void set (double enteredtemp, char scale){
        if (scale == 'r'|| scale == 'R'){ degrees = (enteredtemp/(9/5));}
        else if (scale == 'c'|| scale == 'C') {degrees = enteredtemp+273.15;}
        else if (scale =='F'|| scale == 'f'){degrees = ((enteredtemp+459.67)*9/5);}
    }

    public double get() {
        return degrees;
    }

    public double get(char scale) {
        if (scale == 'c'|| scale == 'C'){degrees = (degrees-273.15);}
        else if (scale == 'r'||scale == 'R'){degrees = (degrees*(9/5));}
        else if (scale == 'f'|| scale == 'F'){degrees = (degrees*(9/5)-459.67);}
        return degrees;
    }

    public boolean isLessThan(Temperature t) {
        if (this.get() < t.get()) {
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }

    public boolean isGreaterThan(Temperature t) {
        if (this.get() > t.get()) {
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }
    public boolean isEqual(Temperature t){
        if ((Math.abs(this.get() - t.get())) <= 10E-12) {
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }

    public boolean isGreaterThanOrEqual(Temperature t){
        if (this.get() >= t.get()){
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }

    public boolean isLessThanorEqual(Temperature t){
        if (this.get() <= t.get()) {
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }
}

EDIT : Just noticed your double get(char scale) method actually modifies the degrees property of the Temperature instance whose invoked that method. This is really BAD choice of wording, please re-read my above lines about mutators (getters and setters). A getter should almost never modify any value and especially not any property of the class calling the getter ! If I were to use such a Temperature class, I certainly would expect the returned value to be a copy of the degrees value hold by my Temperature instance converted to the given scale.
Also noticed in this comment that your professor hates switch, break, and won't let you use case. If this same prof gave you this code base as it is, please change school.

A: The good practice is - do NOT use static methods or static variables unless it is necessary or you are sure it is good way how to do it.
In your case, you can do someting like this:
public class Temperature{
   private double temperature;

   public Temperature(double temperature){
      this.temperature = temperature;
   }

   public void addOneDegree(){
     temperature = temperature+1;
   }

   public double getTemperature(){
     return temperature;
   }
}

public class MyGreatProgramForTemperature{
    public static void main(String [] args){
      double testingTemp;
      Temperature temperature = new Temperature(50);
      testingTemp = temperature.getTemperature();
      System.out.println(testingTemp); //it prints 50
      temperature.addOneDegree();
      testingTemp = temperature.getTemperature();
      System.out.println(testingTemp); //it prints 51
    }
}

Also note, that you should have each class in different file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Should I receive compensation if I am on-call?
The Fair Labor Standards Act provides an employee who is required to remain on-call on the employer's premises or so close thereto that he or she cannot use the time effectively for his or her own purposes, is considered to be working while on-call. An employee who is not required to remain on the employer's premises, but is merely required to leave word at his/her home or with the University official where he or she may be reached is not considered to be working while on-call.
Must overtime work be pre-approved?
Yes, there are no exceptions. Employees can be disciplined for working overtime if it has not been pre-approved.
How do I correct a social security number, which has been incorrectly entered in SAP?
The departmental business office should send a memo stating the correct number as well as a copy of the social security card to: Payroll Department, 340 Peterson Service Building, University of Kentucky.
What are I-9's and why are they necessary?
In 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, a law which requires every employer to implement employee authorization for those individuals who are legally eligible to work---citizens, naturals and aliens authorized to work in the United States. To comply with this Federal Law, all new employees (regular and temporary, including student employees; part- half- and full-time) are required to complete an Immigration form called the I-9 verification form. New employees are not allowed to work until they have completed the I-9 verification form.
When is shift differential paid?
If a position is approved to receive a differential, the amount shall be added to the regular rate of pay for employees working on second and third shift operations. The employee must work that shift on a regular basis.
When should a job evaluation/re-evaluation be initiated?
Positions may change in work content or responsibility. A position may be re-evaluated when there has been a significant change in the required skills and responsibilities.
The following reasons are not justification for re-evaluating a position: a pending job offer, exceptional qualifications of the employee, employee personality, scarcity of new employees, financial need, relative efficiency, volume of work, length of service, unusual diligence or overtime, and changes in the position's appointment status (i.e. 50% FTE to 100% FTE ).
What happens during a job evaluation/re-evaluation?
Who initiates a job evaluation/re-evaluation?
The head of the department, or comparable unit, initiates job evaluation/re-evaluations for exempt and non-exempt positions. HR cannot evaluate positions without the appropriate approvals.
Where can copies of position descriptions be obtained?
Positions are determined to be exempt or non-exempt based on job duties, responsibilities, salary, and in some cases, minimum salary and/or education required. The determination is made under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. An exempt position is not eligible for overtime, whereas a non-exempt position must be compensated at time-and-one-half for all hours worked over forty (40) in a workweek.
What happens to the PAR once the PAR Processor receives it?
Oftentimes when Compensation receives a PAR, it is necessary for the PAR to go through one of the other HR offices for other approvals prior to being approved by a PAR Processor (examples include new hires, re-hires, temporary employees, FMLs, Workers Compensation, and others).
Securing further approvals can sometimes prevent immediate approval by the PAR Processors. Please keep in mind that certain delays may occur while working through this process; however, every effort is made by the Compensation staff to process each PAR by the allotted deadline.
How do you calculate overtime in dual employment with different rates of pay?
This requires the payment of the gross weighted average calculated weekly. If this situation occurs, please contact the Compensation Office.
Where do I find information related to regulations on travel time?
Or you may contact the Compensation Department at 859-257-9555, option 6.
Can an Employer accept someone who is willing to do work on a volunteer basis?
No, an employer cannot accept someone volunteering for a job that we normally pay for doing.
What are some other helpful laws, policies, procedures, regulations, etc.?


Photopolymerization is a common process used for the solidification of materials in a variety of applications including dentistry, electronics, printing, optics and tissue engineering (2). This process, which allows for the fabrication of cell-laden hydrogels from aqueous precursors, offers advantages such as spatial and temporal control, fast curing rates at physiological conditions and minimal heat production (2).
Photoinitiators are often used in bioprinting as part of the gelation process to solidify bioinks, but research has suggested that this crosslinking process may affect viability (1). This study tested effects of various steps in the polymerization process on cell viability with photoinitiators Irgacure and lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate, also known as LAP or BioKey. While exposure to free radicals or Irgacure demonstrated decrease in viability, light exposure and exposure to LAP alone do not affect viability. When used with GelMA, the radical polymerization process does not affect viability with either photoinitiator.
Various parts of the polymerization process, such as exposure to potentially harmful wavelengths, free radicals or photoinitiators themselves, can harm cells and affect viability (3). This study tests cell exposure to light, photoinitiators Irgacure and BioKey, free radicals created by these initiators and ultimately the entire radical polymerization process for the polymerization of BioGel.
Cells cultured in 96 well plates were exposed to either 365 nm (LED ENGIN) or 405 nm (LED ENGIN) light at an intensity of 10 mW/cm² for 2 min, then compared to a control of no light exposure. ATP data (Figure 1) indicates viability improves from Day 1 to Day 7 for all groups, with no statistical difference among groups at each timepoint.
Figure 1: Cells exposed to 365 nm and 405 2D controls. ATP data indicates viability improves from Day 1 to Day 7 for all groups. No statistical difference found among groups at each time point (p<0.05).
First, 0.5% (w/v) solution of LAP and 0.5% (w/v) solution Irgacure were dissolved in cell culture media under stirring and heat (65˚C). Then, cells cultured in 96 well plates with LAP or Irgacure were exposed to 405 nm light at an intensity of 10 mW/cm² for 2 min, then compared to controls of cells cultured with photoinitiators not exposed to light. Brightfield images taken of each group indicate altering cell morphology of cells cultured with Irgacure or those exposed to light with either LAP or Irgacure (Figure 2). Cells with no initiator and cells with LAP that had no light exposure demonstrated similar cell morphology to 2D control. ATP data demonstrates no statistical difference between cells exposed to LAP without light than cells without any photoinitiator. Groups with a photoinitiator exposed to blue light or Irgacure with no light had statistically lower ATP activity at each time point than controls (Figure 3).
Figure 2: Brightfield images (10x) of cells at 24 hr after exposure to 0, 30 and 120 seconds of blue light with no initiator, LAP or Irgacure. Typical fibroblast morphology is apparent in groups with no initiator as well as cells exposed to BioKey(LAP) and 0 seconds of blue light. Abnormal morphology is apparent in other groups.
Figure 3: ATP results over 72 h demonstrate no statistical difference among groups with no initiator as well as those exposed to BioKey (LAP) and 0 seconds of blue light. Groups exposed to Irgacure or a photoinitiator and Blue Light had statistically lower ATP activity. Groups with differing (*) indicate statistical differences (p<0.05).
Figure 4: Cell seeding on BioGel (GelMA) crosslinked with BioKey (LAP) and Irgacure photoinitiators. Groups with differing (*) indicate statistical differences (p<0.05).
Thin Films of 10% (w/v) GelMA were created with either 0.5% (w/v) LAP or Irgacure, respectively. After polymerization through exposure to 405 nm or 365 nm wavelengths, cells were seeded onto each thin film. No statistical difference was found in ATP activity among either of these groups and a 2D control on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) at days 1 and 3. At day 7, both cells seeded onto GelMA and LAPand cells seeded onto GelMA and Irgacure demonstrated higher ATP activity than a 2D control.
Free radical polymerization is a popular process for cell encapsulation and 3D cell culture. Various parts of this process are potentially toxic to cells, including exposure to certain wavelengths, free radicals and photoinitiators themselves. This study tested various parts of this polymerization process in relation to photocrosslinking of GelMA. Exposure to 365 nm and 405 nm wavelengths for times needed to polymerize this biomaterial do not affect cell viability.
When exposed to an activated photoinitator, cell viability decreased for both Irgacure and LAP. Without a monomer to react, activation of photoinitiators releases free radicals that are never terminated, leaving cells exposed to these particles for an extended time period. As expected, this exposure caused a decrease in cell viability, as evident through brightfield imaging and ATP activity. However when used in combination with a photocrosslinkable material such as LAP, cell viability is not affected, as demonstrated through ATP activity.
Exposure to unactivated Irgacure also appears to affect viability, as cells exposed to this initiator with no light demonstrated lower ATP activity than 2D controls. Exposure to unactivated LAP did not affect viability, demonstrating that this photoinitator may be a better alternative to Irgacure when photocrosslinking cell-laden materials.
This study demonstrated that the process of photopolymerization can create viable 3D cellular structures. While both Irgacure and LAP, when combined with GelMA, produced hydrogels able to support viable cell populations, exposure to Irgacure decreased cell viability even without the activation of free radicals, suggesting that LAP may be a better alternative for the fabrication of photocrosslinked cell-laden hydrogels.
To create thin films, glass coverslips were first treated as suggested in the protocol provided by Allevi. Then, 0.5% (w/v) solution of LAP and 0.5% (w/v) solution Irgacure were dissolved in cell culture media under stirring and heat (65˚C). Next GelMA, purchased from Allevi, was mixed at 10% (w/v) in each solution. After the mixture was completely dissolved and homogenous, it was sterile filtered (0.22 μm) (Millipore) as suggested in the protocol provided by Allevi.
HNDFs were suspended at a concentration of 250,000 cells mL-1 and pipetted into the wells containing the GelMA thin films. Enough cell solution was used to submerge the samples. After overnight incubation, media was exchanged.
To assess cell viability, CellTiter-Glo 3D ATP Assay (Promega) was performed according to manufacturer's protocol and analyzed using a BioTek Synergy 2 Plate Reader.
 Nguyen, Kytai T. et al Photopolymerizable Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering Applications. Biomaterials 23 (2002). pp 4307-4314.
 Williams, Christopher G. Variable Cytocompatibility of Six Cell Lines with Photoinitiators Used for Polymerizing Hydrogels and Cell Encapsulation. Biomaterials 26 (2005) pp 1211 – 1218.
 J. K. e. a. Carrow, "Polymers for Bioprinting," in Essentials of 3D Biofabrication and Translation, Elsevier Inc, January 2015, pp. 229-248.
 B. T. et al., "The 3D Printing of Gelatin Methacrylamide Cell-laden Tissue-engineered Constructs with High Cell Viability.," Biomaterials, vol. 35, pp. 49-62, 2014.


Building A Live Edge Table with A Zipper River!
Check out All of my Woodworking Tools!
Selecting materials for any Live Edge Table is almost the most important part of the build. You're going to want to select some lumber that has character, is manageable, and is close enough to being flat that you're not going to kill yourself getting it to be an actual table. As you saw in the video, I actually selected some cherry for this project initially, then moved to these beautiful walnut slabs.
For A Live Edge Table, Specifically one with a River, you're going to want to lay it out first before you get to making any cuts. So I cut the slab in half, then orient the table the way I want it to look and mark it up for milling. Clean up the edges before you get to screwing anything together, it'll save you time having to take it apart later.
For this table I made a "jig" to hold the table in place by drilling it from the bottom. I left the slabs long so I could cut off the edges once I have it put together.
Now that the table is laid out the way I think it will look best. I go ahead and cut all the stitches for the "river". Initially I wanted this part to be Bowties, but after seeing the stitches I changed my mind. So I lay out the stitches in an orientation I want them.
I then build a router jig that fit the stitches perfectly, so I could use a pattern bit to cut the inserts and clean them up with a chisel.
This step is basic enough, I glue in the inserts for the live edge table with Titebond 2 and i leave them slightly above the surface so i can sand it flush.
PRO TIP - Sand the inserts flush with no vacuum on your sander. This will force the dust into any gaps and make your flaws look much cleaner.
the base for this table is made from 8/4 soft maple I had laying around. I mill everything down to rough dimensions for what length and width I am looking for.
I just created a drawing to scale for what size I wanted the base legs to be. I then used the template to get my angles for the joinery, from there i used a bevel gauge on my table saw to cut all the angles. Overall the thickness of material is 1.25".
I assemble the base using screws, yes simple screws. For this geometry it would've probably been more aesthetically pleasing to do A finger joint at an angle, but you live and learn. To pretty the joinery up I use a plug cutter to cover the screw holes and sand them flush.
I attach the legs to the table using threaded inserts. I cut the sloppy holes for movement in the legs, then reference them where i want them on the table. From there it allows me to perfectly cut the insert holes where they will be on the table. I use threaded inserts because they're strong and make breakdown of the table super easy.
I sand the whole table to 220 grit and water pop it. I then sand it to 400 grit and wipe it down with a tack cloth before applying 4 coats of General Finished Endurovar with sanding between coats. I chose to spray this table because of all of the nooks and crannies in it. Its much easier to just spray then wipe these finishes on .
Neat project, thanks for sharing!
You know this article demonstrates great talent, good thinking, and writing, but...the live edge river theme sounds and looks a lot like the knotty pine theme of the '50s and '60s and the green and yellow appliances of the '70s. A bit quirky and too specific to individual taste.
This is a great variation on the live-edge river table theme. Excellent work.
This came out so well! Amazing job!


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Al Ahsa hospital Department of Surgery is committed to offering the safest, compassionate and most effective surgical care to optimize patients' outcomes.
The department evaluates and manages patients with diseases, which potentially require surgical interventions.
Our surgeons are trained to deal with wide range of surgical conditions, and treating a high volume of patients has given our surgical staff extensive experience to deal with the most complicated cases.
Our surgeons focus on treating the whole patient and not the individual disease.
The department is chaired by a consultant in general surgery and continuously develops programs of continuing education for our practitioners who are awarded privileges in all the surgery divisions and units.
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Companies are becoming more aggressive in their financial goals, with cost-cutting being a common mantra. Indeed, in some organisations, when all the obvious cuts have been made, making the less obvious cuts can begin to jeopardise the smooth-running of the business.
In manufacturing, we see an industry under pressure – an industry trying to do more with less. A more proactive approach is needed now to breakout of this cycle of simply fulfilling demand. While it might not be obvious, your quality manager or quality director is in the perfect position to guide this strategy.
Quality leaders are focused on quality. By this I mean customer satisfaction and reputation building are inherent in their goals. They make analytical decisions based on facts and with no hidden motive. It is this type of input that is needed when difficult choices have to be taken.
HepcoMotion, a manufacturer of linear motion systems and automation components, is an example of a company that leads with quality. The company manufacture everything in-house, so no responsibility for quality can be delegated externally. John Burrows, HepcoMotion's Group Quality Manager, defines his job as "ensuring that our customers get the best possible products." In industries striving for full order books filled with repeat business, the quality department's smooth operation can make this a reality.
Quality departments are often unfairly profiled as the inspector who comes in looking for problems at the end of a project. The truth behind this is that quality leaders, like John Burrows, believe the company can achieve greatness. So, if something goes wrong, there is a process or control that needs to be fixed. John is trusted at an operational level as someone to turn to when an issue is found. Leading from the front like this allows issues to be addressed earlier in the manufacturing process, instead of being picked up at the end by the inspector.
Quality leaders understand how the business runs. They know the small details, the daily struggles, as well as the big picture strategic goals. They work beyond silos to understand the internal processes that take requirements and turn them into commercial products. This gives quality managers a deep understanding of where things can, and do, go wrong. They see where the trends are that provide opportunities for improvement. Quality leaders track non-conformances and the cost of these issues.
The ability to cost Corrective Action Preventative Action (CAPA's) allows John to highlight areas that require attention. "Where costs have been accrued from a variety of different reasons, for example, work in progress, customer issues, final inspection issues, this gives us a much better picture of particular products that may require different processes or additional inspections. We can easily add costs of rework, extra inspections etc, to an issue and can get an accurate picture of what it has cost the business," says John.
This is the kind of data-driven decision-making that all companies are striving for. Executives often overlook the quality department as a partner in business intelligence. HepcoMotion have made great efforts to improve reporting and analysis, keeping in mind the strategic needs of the company.
In many companies, each location operates within its own rules and business constraints with little sharing of best practices. Each location focuses on optimisation. This is a worthwhile activity that can have significant cost-saving benefits, however, at the public level it may not be enough to make an impact.
In a competitive market, customers put a premium on suppliers that they can rely on. Reliability and repeatability are fundamental goals within the quality leader's principled and positive focus. It is part of "ensuring that our customers get the best possible products", as John says. When every customer knows they will get exactly what they need, the orders grow. The wider market notices and the effects are transformative.
When subcontracting part of the manufacture to suppliers, a part of the burden of reliability is taken. But only if you have chosen wisely, set the requirements, and been realistic with lead times. The situation is different if you are the sole provider. This is the position that HepcoMotion is in, as it does all its manufacturing in-house.
In recent years, John's day-to-day focus has shifted as HepcoMotion adapt to deal with demand. Downtime is minimal and many of their machines run 24/7. The company's order books are full, its focus on quality is undoubtedly a contributing factor. Customers expect the "HepcoMotion" standard, not the standard of a particular site. John Burrows understands that it takes more than a written policy to ensure success. For that reason, he spends increasing amounts of time at different manufacturing sites, engaging people and establishing a true group-wide approach to quality.
Because when the reputation for quality and reliability is built, the impact of failing to meet a customer's expectation in a single instance can be devastating.
It is for these reasons that quality managers are the leaders that manufacturing needs.


Today we have a guest post from Steve Gavatorta of www.Gavatorta.com. As I have often said, your sales motivation and sales success depend greatly on your commitment to keep learning and gleaning from a number of resources and voices. Enjoy Steve's post!
Are you ready? Generation Y is hitting the workforce. Also known as Millennials, Echo Boomers and the Digital Generation, Gen Y was born between 1980 and 1994 and are now becoming part of the workforce. Whether you're managing them, working with them or selling to them, you've got to successfully interact with them. Working with Gen Y isn't optional.
You know you need to communicate with them, but how? You must learn the art of connecting and interacting with them to maximize success – and they must learn to do the same with you.
T&D Magazine reported that when asked, "Does Senior Management Encounter Problems Communicating with Any of the Following Employee Groups?" Gen Y was ranked #1, by 19% of respondents. The second-place group, Hispanics, came in at 8% — Gen Y was over twice that of the second-place group.
This survey, coupled with the experiences that I've garnered interfacing with a wide variety of managers, confirms the difficulty that they have communicating with Gen Y. It doesn't have to be this way. Successfully interacting with Gen Y involves raising your awareness of the basic human communication methods, which really aren't all that different from generation to generation.
Yes, Gen Y grew up in a different time, are more skilled in technology and like communicating online and via text messages. This may affect communications, but by bridging this generational gap you will uncover diamonds in the rough, including techno savvy people who will ultimately boost your business.
To break through the barrier, you must raise your awareness of the specific communication styles of the people with whom you interact with. There is no magic formula — you just have to realize that people are unique and that working with them may take more effort. Gone are the days of "my way or the highway" management.
Communicating with staff and colleagues today needs an approach tailored to each individual based on their communication style. In doing this – by treating each person as one worthy of your effort – you'll achieve a critical competitive advantage and set an imitable example that creates a mutually-beneficial relationship.
There are five practical steps that you can use to help you better communicate with Gen Y. Each step builds upon the previous one to create a self-reinforcing cycle that will improve your relationships with Gen Y, as well as friends, colleagues, clients and employees.
1. Establish and build trust – This step is an important one for everyone you interact with, not just Gen Y. It is the foundational element of any successful relationship, and the success of your relationships is tied directly to the breadth and depth of trust established. Be true to your word, keep your promises and do what you say you will. Be trustworthy, as well as trusting.
2. Take the initiative and show empathy– Walking in someone's shoes always helps to establish trust, because when you see things from their perspective, you're showing that you value them. Take the initiative and try and understand them. Then you'll understand why they do what they do, as well as set an example to be followed.
3. Listen and ask questions – The best way to show empathy is to ask questions and truly listen to their answers. The key is to ask sincere questions, those that get the other person talking. Don't ask closed questions that can be answered with a "yes" or a "no," but questions that require thoughtful responses. Then be quiet and listen; you'll be surprised by what you learn.
4. Observe and adapt to behavior – Working with Gen Y requires heightened awareness, which is a skill you can use when interacting with anyone and simply means observing others' behavior and adapting accordingly. If you are highly talkative and they're not, don't overwhelm them with your extroverted approach. If they are risk averse and fear change, then nurture their willingness to take risk or deal with change rather than forcing them into change.
5. Communicate openly – Trust is built through open and effective communication. "Open" means a back-and-forth conversation rather than a monologue, and "effective" means communicating in the manner and style of the person with whom you're speaking. With the combination of openness and effectiveness, you'll be able to build the foundation for trust, and ultimately an effective relationship.
Some steps may feel defensive and unlike your usual communication style; they may feel like you're giving away power or the upper hand. Work to remove your ego from the process and remember that you are trying to accomplish things with or through this person. The end result is what truly matters.
I'm not suggesting that you put up with disrespectful or unacceptable behavior, which should never be tolerated. But it's critical that you're able to differentiate bad behavior from generational differences. Using the above steps will help you make that distinction and communicate better with Gen Y – and anyone with whom you interact. If you do this you'll develop the path for better relationships, greater sales, improved leadership and overall improved results.
Steve Gavatorta is author of The Reach Out Approach: A Communication Process for Initiating, Developing & Leveraging Mutually Rewarding Relationships. He is a consultant, trainer, coach and speaker. He conducts workshops and speaks on the topic of effective communication and how it is a catalyst for personal development, success in sales, management, leadership, team-building and dealing with change. For more information on his capabilities, visit his website www.gavatorta.com. In addition, he can be reached at 813-908-1343 or steve@gavatorta.com.
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