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Fly Mobile today announced the launch of new Dual SIM (GSM+GSM) handset E281n which comes with the 3D feature for Rs. 3499. Along with the 3D glasses, it brings to you a plethora of experiences like social networking applications, 1.3 MP camera with flash, rich 2.8″ screen, a 3.5 mm jack, Bluetooth with A2DP support, external memory expandable up to 32 GB, and an 1100 mAh battery that offers up to 12 hours of talk time.
India's National Telecom back bone Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is ready to provide connectivity to uncovered 37000 villages through Digital Satellite Phone Terminal (DSPT) technology and the technically feasible villages are expected to be provided with VPT facility by 31st March, 2013.
The progress and the changes in telecom have been astronomical, with new and cheaper wireless and mobile technologies taking birth almost each year. With an addition of approx 18 million subscribers every month and contributing to nearly 2% of the Indian GDP, Indian telecom industry is considered to be the largest telecom markets of the world.
But still about 37,000 villages in India are yet to be connected with mobile connectivity as per the analysis carried out by CDOT (Centre for Development of Telematics) and nun of private operator much interested to expand their telecom/mobile services in remote and rural or commercially not profitable areas.
Aircel today reinforced youth as its primary customer segment by launching yet another innovative product called the Aircel PocketBuddies – Srf n Txt', specially designed for the youth offering single packs for High Speed 3G Data, SMS and Unlimited 2G Internet access.


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Boulder/Monarch Completes Five-Game Win Streak To Capture High School Div. II National Championship
By Jim Smith, 04/01/19, 1:45PM MDT
Boulder/Monarch rolled in the championship game with a 7-1 victory over Burrell High School
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – Boulder/Monarch won its first title at the Chipotle-USA Hockey High School Div. II National Championship after a convincing 7-1 victory over the Burrell High School Bucs on Monday in Cleveland.
After losing its opening game of the tournament, Boulder/Monarch rebounded with five consecutive victories, outscoring their opponents 23-7 in that span. Boulder/Monarch's single loss in the tournament came at the hands of the Bucs in pool play.
"We lost to these guys 6-4 and knew they had some really skilled players," Boulder/Monarch coach Jimmy Dexter said. "We tried to concentrate on a couple of them," offered Dexter.
Boulder/Monarch 1 4 2 7
Burrell HS Bucs 0 1 0 1
Mon Apr 01 2019 @ 10:30 am EDT / OBM Arena / Strongsville West
Boulder/Monarch's penalty kill was a key factor in Monday's win. The team scored a pair of short-handed goals scored during a single penalty kill, both coming from Zach Given.
"That that really turned our advantage," Dexter said. "He stole the puck, walked in and had a great shot and one came off the wall and he ripped a one-timer. It was awesome."
Losing their first game certainly provided additional pressure for Boulder/Monarch and Dexter addressed that. Dexter coached his team the rest of the way under the belief each game going forward was a must-win.
The group of players who helped lead the charge included Given and his brother Jake. The brothers, who are set to play baseball at the University of Massachusetts next year, missed the first two games of the tournament because of baseball. They returned for the third game of the tournament and Jake earned a hat trick.
Dexter went on to say that other players such as Alex Scatena and Fuller Loose also helped lead the charge. Dylan Sheets was also key for Boulder/Monarch in net.
"He kept us in games, especially against Waterloo in the quarterfinals, "Dexter said. "In the first period they outshot us 16-2 and he kept us in the game."
Shin Stienbarth added a pair of goals in the championship game while Jordan Finney, Loose and Scatena each contributed goals. Jake Given earned three assists and Scatena a pair of helpers. The Givens brothers and Scatena tallied 3 total points in the game.
"These guys (Dexter's team) are unbelievable," Dexter said. "It is one of the best teams I have ever had. These guys have such a chemistry, get along and it has been so much fun this season.
The win for Boulder/Monarch comes after the program lost in the championship game a season ago. This was the program's third title game ever, but the first time the team came home a champion.
"It's awesome," Dexter said. "USA Hockey runs it so well. It has been unbelievable; every time we have been here it has been great. This one is sweet."
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
High School Division II Home
2019 Nationals Home
High School Division II News
High School Nationals Notebook
By Jim Smith 04/02/2019, 11:45am MDT
News and notes from all three high school tournaments
High School Div II Notebook: Action From the Quarterfinals and Semifinals
By USA Hockey 03/31/2019, 6:00am MDT
Championship matchup to be decided today
High School Div II Notebook: Pool Play Concludes Today
Get the scores and stats from the High School Division II tournament
Playing At High School National Championships Becoming Habit For The Gillette Wild
By Jim Smith 03/29/2019, 4:15pm MDT
For the second consecutive season, the Wyoming-based team has qualified for the Division II tournament.
High School Div II Notebook: Tournament Continues
Stay up to speed on all of the Division II action
Tag(s): Home News 2019 Division II

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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{{Speciesbox
| image = Lobostemon montanus S-2661.jpg
| image_caption = Lobostemon montanus from the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa
| genus = Lobostemon
| species = montanus
| authority = (DC.) H.Buek
| synonyms = *Echium montanum DC.
Echium sprengelianum (H.Buek) DC.
Lobostemon sprengelianus' 'H.Buek
| synonyms_ref =
}}Lobostemon montanus, the turquoise bush bugloss, mountain lobostemon or agtdaegeneesbos, is a South African species belonging to the forget-me-not family.

 Description

 Growth form
This branching shrub typically grows  tall, although it may reach a height of . It spreads up to  wide. The woody branches are hairless, while the terminal, upward growing herbaceous branches are hairy.

 Leaves
The stalkless hairy leaves are a silvery-green colour and are oval or oblong, widening towards the tip. The leaves cover the entire plant to ground level, forming rosettes at the ends of branches.

 Flowers
Flowers are borne in large inflorescences at the top of the shrub between June and September.  The individual flowers are loosely arranged to form a globose (spherical) unit, spreading slightly in fruiting stage. The flowers are short and tubular, bell- or funnel-shaped. They are blue or turquoise, with stamens that stick out of the top, past the petals. The stamens are usually purple, contrasting with the pale petals. The staminal scales occur well below the throat of the corolla tube (about  above the base) and are reduced to rounded ridges and lack lateral lobes. The area between scales is also hairy.

 Distribution and habitat
This species is endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa, where it occurs in the Cape Floristic Region. It is found in mountainous areas between the Cape Peninsula and Onrus. It is currently most abundant in localities around False Bay. Populations are also known from Hermanus, the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, and from the lower northern slopes of Table Mountain, where the type specimen for this species was collected. It is fairly common on mountains, rocky outcrops and along the coast, where it occurs on sandstone soils. It is also frequently found in disturbed areas, for example, along roads.

 Ecology
The blue flowers attract bees and also birds, particularly the orange-breasted sunbird, the lesser double-collared sunbird, and the cape sugarbird. Baboons have also been observed to eat the flowers.

While individuals may resprout from the lower stems or the trunk after fire if not too badly burnt, this species mainly recolonises through seeds. They reseed themselves most prolifically after a fire.

 Cultivation Lobostemon montanus'' is relatively easy to grow in most gardens. It requires well-drained soils in a sunny position and does particularly well in rockeries and on embankments. It is a suitable plant for a coastal garden as the thick, hairy leaves protect it from the salt-laden wind. These thick, leathery leaves also make it highly drought resistant. It is, however, not cold tolerant and will need to be protected from frost.

It can be grown from cuttings or from seeds. Cuttings from the tips of branches or thin side shoots root taken in spring or autumn well provided that they are not kept too wet. They should root after about two or three months if placed in a sandy bed that receives the cooler morning sun and are sprayed occasionally, whenever they look stressed. Plants grow from fresh seeds collected from old flower heads that have turned a brownish-grey. Treat the seeds with hot water and thereafter with smoke to simulate fire in order to aid germination. Seeds should be sown in late summer or in spring.

Conservation
Although this species has a narrow distribution, it is a common species within its range. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has classified this species as least concern.

References

Boraginaceae
Biodiversity of South Africa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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instagram.com/nettiesbaby88
Black Mom Adopts Three Children and Suffers Insults Because of Their Different Skin Color
A single black mother faced massive backlash after she took in 3 white kids from foster care at the age of 30. While responding to people's criticism, the foster mom shared that the only thing that mattered to her was love.
Parents are known for showering their kids with tender love and care, especially a mother whose love for children is endless and unconditional. In that regard, becoming a mom doesn't always have to involve giving birth to a baby.
As if often seen, women are naturally bestowed with motherly sentiments, and such feelings can often inspire them to change the life of kids who are in dire need of a loving parent. A single black mom did the same for her adoptive kids.
[Left] Engleman pictured with her three kids. [Right] A candid picture of Alexis, Elijah and Mercedes. | Photo: instagram.com/nettiesbaby88
BECOMING A FOSTER MOM
Treka Engleman was the youngest of 11 kids. She lost her mother at the age of 6. Even though she had no role models to teach her how to be a mom, the motherly sentiments came naturally to her.
Drawing from her experience of babysitting nieces, nephews, and kids from different families over the years, she began working in childcare after finishing high school. It was during this time that she felt a strong desire to be a foster mom.
However, she was neither married nor had any kids of her own. After some research, Engleman discovered that one had to be at least 21 years old in order to foster children, regardless of their marital status.
In August 2016, she contacted St. Joseph Orphanage and took two months of classes to train for the process. During that time, she heard stories about what some kids had to endure through foster homes. Talking to "Love What Matters," she said:
"Color doesn't matter to me. Love is love no matter what color you are."
After her classes ended, she was given the approval to foster up to 4 children. While she didn't know how she would manage to look after so many kids, she knew in her heart that she wanted to go for it, and so she did.
ADOPTING ELIJAH, ALEXIS, AND MERCEDES
Engleman then received a call from her caseworker regarding a five-day-old baby who needed a home. On December 8, 2016, she welcomed Elijah Lee Hill into her home, which was her first-ever placement, but certainly not her last.
On May 10, 2017, she got a call again regarding two sisters who were in need of a home. Soon afterward, Engleman welcomed an adorable little girl named Alexis Bowman but was surprised to see that she wasn't accompanied by her sister.
As it turned out, Mercedes Bowman was facing some trouble and had gone to a group home. Engleman noticed how being away from her sister was taking a toll on Alexis's emotional health, so she ensured that the two siblings met on weekends.
On March 16, 2018, Mercedes joined the Engleman family, and Alexis was finally reunited with her sister. Talking about the instant change in Alexis's behavior, Engleman shared:
"Suddenly, Alexis started getting good grades. She had been so worried about Mercedes that she couldn't focus on anything else."
Engleman then talked to her children, asking them if they wished to be adopted, and they immediately agreed. After intensive paperwork, Elijah, Alexis, and Mercedes officially became Engleman's kids on November 1, 2019.
SURVIVING BACKLASH
Along the way, Engleman faced backlash and sheer criticism from people. The negative comments poured in shortly after her story was featured in a local news segment about adoption. She told "TODAY":
Family Says They Learned What God's Love Is after Adopting Boy Traumatized for 7 Years
Mom Fosters Little Girl, Gets a Call about Her Sister Few Weeks Later: 'They Deserve Love'
Black Couple Adopts Three White Kids, Saying 'Families Don't Have to Match'
"People were writing things like, 'All these black kids in foster care and she goes and adopts white kids.' They accused me of self-hatred and all this terrible stuff."
Engleman explained how she was often mistaken for a babysitter, and people questioned her decision to adopt white kids as a black mom. She said that she loves her kids with all her heart, and being their mother is one of the best feelings in the world.
She also added that all the criticism she's received over time has never stopped her from fulfilling her purpose.
Engleman said that she shared her story to encourage other women like her to consider fostering and adoption if that was what they really wanted to do. Undoubtedly, the phenomenal story of Engleman and her kids teaches us that love has no color.
Mom Adopts a Child, Gets Called 'Selfish' and Told She's Too Old for It
Woman from Small Town Adopts Black Boy, Starts to Hear People Whispering about Him
Black Parents-Of-5 Adopt 6 White Siblings Who Choose to Change Names to Match the New Family
Child Is Sent Back by Two Adoptive Families, Case Worker Closes the Search after 10 Years
Paralyzed Man Who Walked Down the Aisle after 7 Years in a Wheelchair Adopted 6 Kids
3 Siblings Get Adopted Together after Four Years in Foster Care: 'It Means I Have a Family'
On Her First Day in New School Girl Enters Classroom and Meets Her Carbon Copy – Story of the Day
Years after Parents' Death, Little Girl Discovers Her Adoptive Mom Is Actually Her Birth Parent – Story of the Day
23-Year-Old Single Woman Adopts 13 Kids to Devote Her Life to Them, Births Her Own Baby Soon After
Couple Adopts 3 Siblings Who Lost Parents to Keep Them Together and Become a Forever Family
Adopted Black Kid Puts a Boy in His Place When Asked Why He Looks Different from His Parents
'You Don't Yell at Her': Three Kids Happy for Mom's New Husband after Living with Abusive Dad
Mom No Longer Wants Adopted Son after Having 'Her Own' Kids, Kicks Him Out of the Home


Not all of it but he is closing 1,100 square miles of it, making it off limits to charter boat captains who operate out of the Florida Bay, in what can only be described as a shameless act against the American people at the hands of a president who is willing to inflict as much pain on as many as he can in order to achieve a political goal. Just before the weekend, the NPS notified charter captains of their latest outrage.
He is paying the price for his hostage taking and his extortion as his approval rating has dropped to 41% in the latest Gallup poll, with 52% disapproving. One unidentified park ranger is disgusted by a set of orders they received and that was to create as much pain and havok on the taxpayers as they can.


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Nice ending: LSJ party ticket holder gets his free recliner, thanks to folks at Langlois
MUSKEGON – Jason Andree lost track of his most important raffle ticket at the worst possible moment.
But thanks to the kind folks at Langlois Home Furnishings, he received a new La-Z-Boy recliner, just the same.
Langlois, 3000 Henry Street in Muskegon, donated a recliner to be raffled off at Local Sports Journal's High School Football Kickoff Party at Bella Maria's Restaurant on Aug. 18.
Jason Andree tries out his new chair with Laurie Langlois. Photo/Jason Goorman
Andree, 38, a Muskegon resident, was hoping to win the chair when he got to the party, because he said he needed a new one at home.
He purchased $20 in raffle tickets and put most of them in the basket to win the recliner, or a pair of University of Michigan football tickets.
As it turned out, his ticket number was called for the recliner, but he didn't realize it soon enough. So another number was drawn, a happy winner came up to claim the chair, and the party ended.
"I had all my tickets laid out in front of me," said Andree, who graduated from Muskegon High School in 1998 and is a longtime member and volunteer at Sacred Heart Church. "I'm going through all of the numbers, saying 'OK, where is it?' I looked and looked but couldn't find it.
"But as soon as they called the second number and the other guy got up there, I had found the number. And I'm like, 'Oh no.' I was a little upset. I had been looking for quite a while. And when I found the ticket, I set it aside and Jason (his friend Jason Housler) was letting me hear about it. He couldn't help me because he was trying to read his own tickets.
Andree (top middle) checks out his raffle tickets during the early stages of the LSJ's kickoff party at Bella Maria's on Aug. 18. Photo/Leo Valdez
"He pretty much knew what was happening when he saw the look on my face. He said, 'You had the number, didn't you?' and I said 'Uh huh.' After the other guy won, I looked at the ticket way too many times for my liking. I had to go up and talk to (LSJ officials) after the party, but I was like, they will probably say 'You snooze, you lose.'"
But Andree didn't lose.
LSJ Publisher/Photo Editor Jason Goorman took down Andree's number at the end of the football party, then contacted Langlois to see if the store could create a happy ending.
"Jason was one of the first fans to show up at the kickoff party, and he was very excited about the chance to win the chair," Goorman said. "He told me throughout the evening how badly he and his mother needed to win that chair. When he came up to me after the party was over, with his winning ticket in hand, my stomach sank.
"The look on his face said it all. I thought about what I could do, and relaying the story to Langlois seemed like the best option. I didn't think there was much of a chance we'd be able to do anything, but I knew Langlois has a deep-rooted tradition in Muskegon, and if anyone had a soft heart, they might."
Andree ponders which color to pick with Laurie Langlois. Photo/Jason Goorman
The folks at Langlois came through, just like they do in a lot of different ways for the community.
"From what I was told, he won but couldn't respond quick enough, and the chair was given to somebody else," said Laurie Langlois, a co-owner of the store. "I'm glad we were able to still give him one.
"I can't imagine, the poor kid! I am just so glad we were able to come through for him, and I think he'll really enjoy the chair. It's just a very nice ending for a very nice guy."
Andree said he was stunned when he received the phone call from Goorman, telling him he was going to collect his prize, after all.
"I told my mom after I got off the phone that Langlois was kicking in the chair, and she was ecstatic," said Andree, who lives in Shoreline Landing Apartments on Grand Haven Road. 'We needed a chair pretty badly. The one we have has really been going downhill. We've had it for 10 years.
"That was really nice of Langlois. In a million years, I never thought it would happen. I am quite impressed with Langlois. They are really thoughtful, and they want to help out the community."
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I didn't saw you were in the challenge. Love your style so recognizable. Excellent lighting in your picture.
Nice to be in on the birth of a great image.
I presume this will have lots of steamy atmospherics?
Excellent lighting and character! Although its hard to see the little character right now. I really like the grinning guy controlling the 4 armed creature. Very evil looking.
Yes indeed, and some rain too if I can manage it.
WOW - great concept. do you still planning to build plants in fore/background ? could be good for the atmosphere. perhaps a little forest where the fairy lives. so far its an expressive piece of work. rock on!
impressive design and execution whats that word on the pipe means?
I was thinking about doing just some tree trunks but plants could be cool too.
deadline is soon…I hope I'll have time to finish everything.
Very nice concept. Lighting looks excellent:thumbsup:. The small character is too small. Maybe a little more camera zoom in might look good. Also a little foggy atmosphere may work not sure.
Definitely one of my favs. A really funny theme too!
New WIP,I did a test with some trees and Rain just need the steam now.
Perfect:thumbsup:. Rain is adding a lot to the atmosphere and mood. Great job.
Wow, I like the bot with the coat. and the lighting and textures are nice too.
This looks promising when it's done. good job!
Fantastic work!the body of the creature reminds me of an Abyss Fish!Was that the source of inspiration? I think you have a very good chance on winning this chalenge,good luck!
Almost done with the picture.
I love the atmosfer and design,but seem to be the rain kill the detail the main object.
probably the rain is too much(less is better i guess).
i love the mud on the floor in the first picture(without rain),it give a lot of effect.
Without doubt my favourite of the bunch!
Your previous work is so amazing too, you have a very recognizable style, that is just fantastic.
If anything, I would suggest to put a little more focus on the fishing pole. I almost didn't see it, and the line as well. Maybe it can catch some kind of highlight to give away it's position.
Very nice I have two things though: The rain adds too much noise in the picture. Maybe removing some of it and add more dripping effect from the objects instead could help. The fishing pole is almost invisible to me. It needs more focus.
…but the rain really is too strong: it results too noisy to me.


Just a couple of hours ago we tried to predict what NJ Governor Chris Christie would do to fille the Senate seat of the deceased Frank Lautenberg.
Lautenberg, a Democrat and avid anti gunner, had been in poor health in the months leading up to his death and had missed many Senate votes.
Christie, a Republican (RINO?), did appoint a Republican to succeed Lautenberg until a special election is held in October. This gives the Senate Democrats a little less wiggle room in their majority.
Christie has appointed NJ Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa to the seat according to Fox News. Chiesa and Christie have known each other for 20 years and Chiesa served as Christie's General Counsel before taking over as Attorney General.
There is little information readily available about Chiesa's political stances. He will likely be part of an immigration reform vote and may also play a role in a gun contro vote, should that issue be brought back up.
The only thing we can find about Chiesa's thoughts on gun rights is that as Attorney General of NJ he prosecuted several gun cases very aggressively and also organized and oversaw numerous state sponsored gun buyback operations across the state. Not exactly actions that inspire confidence for the new senator's thoughts on gun rights.
That said, it would be hard for Chiesa to be worse than the late Lautenberg, who was vehemently anti-gun.
Christie has long been criticized by the pro gun members of the Republican Party for his seemingly anti gun stances and support of NJ's extremely restrictive gun laws.


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6 Examples of Brands Who Got Multicultural Marketing Right
The face of America is changing – Gen Z is the most multicultural generation to date. We've explained in a previous post why your general market message isn't making the cut (because it fails to include the unique cultures, values, languages, communication styles, and media consumption habits of millions of multicultural Americans). But just because you understand how important a multicultural marketing strategy is doesn't mean that it's easy to create one and land among the best diversity ads out there. To put it all in context, here are a few multicultural marketing examples from brands that got their multicultural marketing campaigns right.
What is diversity marketing?
Diversity marketing refers to any marketing strategy that recognizes the differences within the subgroups of a target market, including: age, gender, disability, religion, ethnicity, and sexual identity.
Multicultural marketing, more specifically, refers to a marketing strategy that recognizes the differences in culture and ethnicities of a target market.
Successful inclusive marketing campaigns aim to break advertising norms by highlighting people or groups that may be under- or misrepresented. Accurate representation allows for your target consumers to feel seen, heard, and understood — and enables them to trust your brand and personally identify with your products.
Read next: African American Consumers Are Driving Change in These 3 Marketers
Adobe - "When I See Black"
Adobe has always prided itself on being the tool for creators, and this 2020 ad focuses on the next generation of Black creators and how they see themselves.
"When I see Black? I see power." The ad highlights the work of twelve Black creators: Esther Luntadila, Crystal Kayiza, Temi Coker, Barry Yusufu, Devin Wesley, Aurélia Durand, Shani Crowe, Yannis GuiBinga, Asia Hall, Lawrence Agyei, Ismail Zaidy and Joshua Kissi. Each respond to the prompt over the soundtrack of Gregory Porter's "Revival". The power conclusion? "Black creativity can't be painted in a single stroke."
In a statement from Adobe, Anne Lewnes, executive vice president and chief marketing officer says, "Seeing creators like yourself, especially for this next generation, is absolutely crucial. We are proud to be celebrating the vibrant spectrum of creativity that exists in the world, because we all benefit when more perspectives are shared."
Coca Cola - "America Is Beautiful"
This 2014 pre-Superbowl multicultural advertising campaign example from Coca Cola provides an excellent example of diversity marketing done well. It features a culturally and racially diverse cast singing a multi-language rendition of "America the Beautiful" to represent the changing face of America.
The ad begins with shots depicting the wide array of areas in America – the Pacific Ocean, Chinatown in New York City, the plateaus of Utah – striking a nostalgic tone as it painted a picture of diverse communities from all over the country. In the background, different voices sing "America the Beautiful" in different languages. Following its launch, the ad became the #1 trending topic on Facebook following the Superbowl.
Read next: Hispanics Spend More Than Other Americans on These 3 Things
Proctor and Gamble - "The Talk"
P&G ads do more than promote their variety of cleaning and toiletry companies – they use their platform to tell powerful stories and spread messages about equality, have difficult conversations, and discuss topics related to diversity and identity.
One of the best advertising campaign examples of their multicultural marketing is the 2018 Emmy-winning ad entitled, "The Talk". Hard-hitting and relevant, the ad (corresponding with P&G's "Black is Beautiful" and "Proud Sponsor of Moms" initiatives) depicts the universal talk African American mothers have with their children about racism. One mother tells her son, "There are some people who think you don't deserve the same privileges just because of what you look like. It's not fair. It's not." Another mother tells her daughter that, "Beautiful for a black girl" is not a compliment. "You are beautiful, period," she says.
The ad ends with text in all caps, stating, "LET'S ALL TALK ABOUT 'THE TALK' — SO WE CAN END THE NEED TO HAVE IT". This ad doesn't shy away from tough conversations – in fact, it opens the door on the closed-door conversations happening in African American families across the nation.
P&G's Global Communications Director, Damon Jones told AdAge in an interview that, "We know that bias is not just an African American issue. It's an issue that takes on many shapes and forms, across gender, race, age, weight, sexual orientation, and more."
Read next: 4 Strategies to Win with Your Year-End Giving Campaigns
Fenty Beauty - "Beauty for All"
Rihanna's brand, Fenty, is all but synonymous with authentic inclusive marketing, created on the foundation that everyone woman is beautiful and should feel included. In 2017, Fenty Beauty launched 40 shades of foundation, and that has since grown to 50. Chaédria LaBouvier wrote in Allure that Fenty Beauty's sheer number of foundation colors is "a statement that women of color deserve complex options".
Rihanna shared that, "It's important to me that every woman feel included in this brand." Once this campaign launched, it had a ripple effect called "The Fenty Effect", a movement calling for brands to challenge the status quo in advertising.
Bumble - "Find Me on Bumble"
You don't have to create a particular story in your multicultural campaign to nail multicultural marketing. Sometimes, a winning multicultural strategy entails showing off your wide range of real-life customers. That's exactly what Bumble's "Find Me on Bumble" campaign did, through highlighting and celebrating a number of their inspiring and diverse users in the New York City area.
The video begins by saying that, "Every connection you make on Bumble is an opportunity to meet someone who can impact your life. Inspiring people are everywhere. We wanted to celebrate them." What follows are short clips of Bumble's highlighted users sharing bits and pieces of their stories, including a political operative, an entrepreneur, an opera singer, and a model/activist. At one point, a dentist says, "I love that there's such a variety of different people here. Living in New York, you still get to meet people from all over the world."
This campaign is a great example of how a brand can market its existing diversity as one of its biggest assets. Instead of relying on stock imagery or models, Bumble highlights the real group of people you can find on its platform.
Read next: The Power of Print in Political Advertising
Adidas "Here to Create"
"Calling all creatives." The Adidas ad cuts to a roundtable of well-known, diverse celebrities including Pharrell Williams, Aaron Rodgers, Lionel Messi, Von Miller, and many more.
"I think what we're all trying to do is leave a mark." In this advertising campaign example, Adidas quite literally brings masters of their crafts to the table to talk about the interplay between creativity and diversity. "We're all creators, related by a mindset. It's not about borders, gender, or race. We're here to create". And that's what Adidas is able to successfully tap into with this digital marketing campaign – the mindset that unites people across industries, gender, race, politics, sexual orientation, age, and ability.
There's a fine line between a multicultural marketing campaign that resonates with and influences your target audience, and one that offends and alienates them. Contact us today for your customized multicultural marketing strategy.
Learn more about multicultural marketing
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Q: Django - Using defaults if query fails I am trying to create a script which will retrieve a user account and at the same time that particular users account 'theme' in one simple query. Here is the code I am using, please note the get_account method:
class AccountManager(Manager):
    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        super(AccountManager, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)

    def get_account(self, slug):
        return get_object_or_404(self.select_related('theme'), status__exact=self.model.ACTIVE_STATUS, slug__exact=slug)

It works nicely, but if for whatever reason the 'theme' object returns null (this should never happen but I want to be sure!), it will redirect to a 404 page. What I want it to do is check if the theme object exists and is valid, and if not, default to the standard theme and carry on.
I would still like the query to throw a 404 if the user account is not valid though. Short of using a bucket load of try/exceptions, is there a nice clean way of doing this? I like to keep my Managers nice and tidy :)
Hope someone can help

A: try:
    account = self.select_related('theme').get(
                 status__exact=self.model.ACTIVE_STATUS, slug__exact=slug
              )
except self.model.DoesNotExist:
    account = self.select_related('theme').get(slug="default_slug")

return account

A: In your example, it wouldn't result in a 404 if the related theme was null as it is not the object being retrieved with get_object_or_404().  It will only 404 if it can't find an Account object that is both ACTIVE_STATUS and a matching slug.
My suggestion to ensure you use a default theme with any valid Account object is:
class AccountManager(Manager):
    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        super(AccountManager, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)

    def get_account(self, slug):
        account = get_object_or_404(self.select_related('theme'), status__exact=self.model.ACTIVE_STATUS, slug__exact=slug)
        if not account.theme:
            account.theme = default_theme_obj
        return account

I'll leave it up to you to determine how you would get default_theme_obj as I don't know your models, caching structure and whatnot.
In the interests of keeping your managers tidy, you don't need the __init__ method either as it doesn't do anything that the default one wouldn't do.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: Azure Functions: Is it possible to subscribe to multiple topics? This is my functions.json:
{
    "bindings": [
        {
            "type": "serviceBusTrigger",
            "name": "message",
            "connection": "ServiceBusConnectionString",
            "direction": "in",
            "topicName": "samples-topic",
            "subscriptionName": "samples",
            "accessRights": "manage"
        }
    ]
}

Is it possible to subscribe to more than one topic for the same function?
Cheers.

A: Multiple topics are not supported, but you can achieve the same results by creating subscriptions to forward messages from the topics you want to use, to a target topic you can use from your function.
Another option is to have multiple functions, but the first recommendation would require less maintenance.


electricity generation » biomass » home biomass - Use of biomass in the home, both to save energy and generate power.
Although you may not be aware of it, biomass is used for heating, cooking and electricity in homes all over the world. Wood pellets and wood chips can be used to fuel boilers in much the same way that gas and electricity can. Biogas, the end product of one of two possible harvesting processes, can be as clean as the normal gas we use on an everyday basis and is particularly useful in rural areas where gas lines and mains electricity may not have reached. Biofuels such as biodiesel, meanwhile, can be used for powering generators or as fuel for cars and other engine-powered machines. For remote communities, farmers and environmentally-aware citizens the reliability and affordability of these three biomass-fuelled technologies has led to a huge surge in interest, with many people now working to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
Biogas is a blanket term used to describe several gases produced from biological matter such as wood, garbage and sewage. There are two processes for creating biogas, anaerobic digestion (which produces carbon dioxide and methane) and the gasification of wood (which garners hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide). Anaerobic digestion is the most commonly used of the two techniques in domestic situations, and this is mainly due to the fact that digesters can be set up easily and can use just about any sort of biological fuel, including manure, garbage and waste water.
A basic digester consists of a concrete-lined in-ground pit (the deeper and wider the pit the more matter it can contain and therefore the more gas it can produce) complete with piping that leads from the pit to the point of use (a stove, a boiler, and so forth). The pit needs to be able to be completely sealed as the main requirement of anaerobic digestion is that there is a lack of oxygen. The pit should be filled with waste and then sealed off, allowing the microbes in the waste to begin the digestion process. A common source of waste for use in the digesters is cow manure - in India the use of cow manure creates what is known as 'Gober Gas'.
Whilst biogas technology is certainly promising there are some limitations to the situations in which it can feasibly used in a domestic setting. Many people do not have the space or the resources to fuel anaerobic digesters.
Fortunately there is another technology that accomplishes the same tasks as biogas but is much easier (and cleaner) to use in the home: wood-chip and wood-pellet fuelled boilers. Pellets and chips can be made from by-products of the milling and construction industries, meaning that they recycle what would otherwise have been sent to landfill. The biomass boilers and stoves which take the wood fuel are manufactured to be energy efficient and clean - the flues contain a number of filters that reduce harmful chemicals and airborne residue from escaping into the atmosphere. The majority of new wood boilers are suitable for use in Smoke Control Areas as marked out by the British government's Clean Air Act.
Moreover, because the boilers can be used for heating both internal space and water and the stoves can be used for cooking the incorporation of both into the average home can cut reliance on mains gas and drastically reduce your annual electricity bill. In the present climate of increasing energy costs, installing a biomass boiler can make a real difference to domestic energy costs.
Both the technologies discussed above, biogas and wood-fuel, can also be used to run generators and engines. Biogas, if compressed to industry standards, can be used in normal gas-fuelled cars. Wood-fuel, meanwhile, can power wood gas generators which, when attached to internal combustion engines, can provide a fossil-fuel free way of running your car. If you are looking for an affordable and reliable way to power your car or generator in an emergency or back-up situation, however, a third option, that of biodiesel, is probably preferable simply because it can be stored easily and used for any diesel-fuelled engine.


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Magic Johnson: Basketball Legend, Entrepreneur, and HIV/AIDS Activist. (Crabtree Groundbreaker Biographies).
Diane Dakers.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2017.
112 pp., pbk., hc. & html, $12.95 (pbk.), $31.19 (List RLB), $24.95 (School RLB).
ISBN 978-0-7787-2610-4 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-2608-1 (RLB), ISBN 978-1-4271-8102-2 (html).
Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13.
Review by Val Ken Lem.
Earvin Johnson Sr. gave his son a basketball when the boy was a preschooler. By the time Junior was six years old, the ball was his constant companion. He even slept with it!
Junior dribbled that ball to school, to the store, and everywhere else he went. Day and night he practiced his dribbling skills:
"I'd run around the parked cars and pretend they were players on the other team, people used to open their windows and yell at me for waking them up. But I couldn't help it. The game was just in me."
Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. grew up in a working-class, African American neighbourhood in Lansing, Michigan. New racial integration policies introduced in the early 1970s resulted in Earvin and most of his siblings being bused to an almost all-white secondary school that had a weak basketball team. Gradually, the white kids on the basketball team came around to accepting their new teammate who already stood six-foot-five (196 cm) and was their tallest player. Despite his height, Earvin was assigned the role of point-guard rather than center by his coach. This proved to be a perfect fit for Earvin. The team began winning games for a change. In his second year, local sports journalists heard about a whiz kid, and one decided that Earvin needed a unique nickname. "Magic" Johnson stuck and proved to be appropriate as the young player was soon being offered college scholarships by basketball recruiters. He announced his choice of Michigan State University in the spring of 1977.
Dakers includes sufficient contextual information that non-sport followers can appreciate this biography. One of many information side stories is the creation of basketball in 1891 by Canadian-born James Naismith. Dakers also provides brief descriptions of some of the positions (notably point guard and center), the role of coaches and players who inspired Johnson and his rivalry with competitors like Larry Bird. During his brief career in the NCAA and then the professional NBA league that he joined at the age of nineteen in 1979, Johnson had a stellar career. He also earned top dollar and endured criticism during his early pro career following a conflict with a coach who was ultimately fired by the team owner. During the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s, Magic Johnson proved to be a great asset to the L.A. Lakers which frequently earned a position in the championship finals. Three times, in 1987, 1989 and 1990, Johnson was awarded the league's coveted MVP (most valuable player) award. The book is heavily illustrated with a variety of black-and-white photographs of people named in the text, team portraits, action shots, informal off-court shots, and magazine covers featuring Johnson.
On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson held one of the most memorable press conferences in American sports history. That day, he announced to the world that he was HIV-positive, and was retiring from the NBA. At the time, the common belief was that HIV automatically led to AIDS—and AIDS was a death sentence. Magic made it clear, though, that he did not have AIDS, and he had no intention of allowing the illness to get the better of him.
Johnson used his celebrity to promote education about HIV and AIDS. Many Americans had come to regard the virus and syndrome as concerns for only the gay community and injection drug users, a demographic that Dakers forgets to mention. Johnson's message was powerful: all sexually active people are at risk of contracting the virus. Dakers addresses in an honest, non-judgmental way the fact that Johnson had sexual relations with many women, not just his longtime girlfriend and then wife. Without dwelling on this, Dakers emphasizes the important role that Johnson had in educating Americans about HIV and encouraging people to get tested and practice safer sex. His Magic Johnson Foundation, created in 1991, initially focused on HIV/AIDS education and research but later morphed to support "minority students" through 16 Community Empowerment Centers across the USA.
Johnson's return to basketball is noted as he came out of retirement more than once, played on the USA's "Dream Team" in the Olympics and briefly coached his old team, the L.A. Lakers. The final chapter focuses on Johnson, the business person. It touches upon some of the numerous ventures that he engaged in, including sports broadcasting, real estate, and sports team ownership. Over the last three decades, great strides have been made in the treatment of HIV so that now it is considered a chronic illness rather than a death sentence. Johnson's role in raising public awareness of HIV and AIDS and ongoing education cannot be underestimated. His success in business, philanthropy and AIDS activism are all noteworthy but it is his place in basketball history that stands out as the main focus of this biography.
As with other volumes in the "Crabtree Groundbreaker Biographies" series, this volume includes a fine chronology, a glossary, index and further information that includes a few books, one being Johnson's autobiography My Life written with William Novak and published in 1992. Also noted are three dvds and a couple of videos from the NBA website. Under websites, Dakers highlights a number of NBA resources and includes some other basketball sites and one educational site dealing with HIV/AIDS for a school audience.
Val Ken Lem is a librarian at Ryerson University in Toronto, ON.


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Exit Numbers
Making a Continuous Interstate
Multi-Agency Collaboration
Previously, I-95 ran from Philadelphia north across the Delaware River at the Scudder Falls Bridge into New Jersey, just north of Trenton, and terminated at the Route 1 interchange in Lawrence, NJ, where it became I-295 south. I-95 then picked up again as part of the New Jersey Turnpike at Interchange 7A in Robbinsville, New Jersey.
To address the gap and make I-95 continuous along the entire East Coast of the United States, Congress passed the 1982 Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA), which mandated the completion of I-95 using the existing Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes via an interchange between I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a portion of which was recently completed.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and various affected transportation agencies worked together to revise the route descriptions for I‐95. The redesignation of the affected interstates was presented to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering and was approved in May 2015.
The approved redesignation included the conversion of about 20 miles of what was originally signed as I‐95, north of the PA Turnpike, over the Scudder Falls Bridge into New Jersey, to the former terminus at U.S. 1 / I‐295. In Pennsylvania, this required 10.4 miles of I-95, from the PA Turnpike to the Scudder Falls Bridge, to be redesignated as I-295 East (toward New Jersey) / West (toward Philadelphia). In New Jersey, this conversion served as an extension of I-295, for 9.2 miles of I-95 from U.S. 1 to the Scudder Falls Bridge, which has been redesignated as I-295 North (toward Pennsylvania) / South (toward Princeton). Exit numbers along the affected roadway segment have been changed as a result of this conversion process. The installation of signing involved with this redesignation began in January 2018 and gradually progressed through Pennsylvania, ultimately concluding on the PA side of the Scudder Falls Bridge in the vicinity of the PA Turnpike.
Redesignation
The approved redesignation also included the conversion of 1.7 miles of the PA Turnpike (I‐276) as I‐95 North (toward New York) / South (toward Philadelphia) from the newly constructed interchange to the Delaware River Bridge midspan. I‐95 continues along the NJ Turnpike North (toward New York) / South (toward Philadelphia) for approximately 15 miles to New Jersey Turnpike Exit 7A, where I‐95 was previously established.
In Fall 2018, the PA Turnpike / I‐95 Interchange flyovers were officially opened to traffic. Any exit numbers that have changed were supplemented with an "Old Exit" sign to mitigate any confusion during the transition period.


OECD descriptor ID: CPGREN01 OECD unit ID: GY OECD country ID: LVA All OECD data should be cited as follows: OECD,"Main Economic Indicators - complete database"Main Economic Indicators(database)http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/data-00052-en(Accessed on date)Copyright, 2016, OECD. Reprinted with permission.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Consumer Price Index: OECD Groups: Energy (Fuel, electricity & gasoline): Total for Latvia [LVACPGREN01GYQ], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LVACPGREN01GYQ, April 23, 2019.


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Rift е дисплей за виртуална реалност, който е идея на компанията Oculus VR. За да може идеята да види бял свят, компанията започва своя Kickstarter кампания с цел осигуряване на средства за разрабортка на техния първи продукт Oculus Rift. В този период компанията си осигурява $2.4 милиона долара за разработка на продукта, както и подкрепата на компании като Valve, Epic Games и Unity. Целта е да се революционизира начина, по който хората преживяват интерактивното съдържание.

Пускането на официалната версия на продукта за масовия потребител е насрочено за 28 март 2016 г.

История
Чрез Meant to be Seen (MTB) ("Направено за да се вижда") форуми, Палмър Лъки, основател на Окулус, развил идеята за създаване на дисплей, който да е върху главата на потребителя, и да е по-ефикасен и евтин от наличните подобни продукти на пазара в този момент.

В същото време Джон Кармак прави свое собствено проучване и се натъква на разработките на Лъки. След създаването на първоначален вариант, Кармак харесал повече прототипа на Лъки и точно преди Експозицията на електронни забавления, ID Software обявили че тяхната бъдеща обновена версия на Doom 3 ще бъде съвместима с дисплей върху главата на потребителя, базиран на прототипа на Лъки, който ползва софтуер на Кармак. Прототипа включвал сензор на измерване на инерцията и 5.6-инчов LCD дисплей с двойни лещи, които са позиционирани над очите за да има 90-градусова хоризонтална и 110-градусова вертикална стереоскопична 3Д перспектива.

На 25 март 2014, Фейсбук обявява че има уговорена сделка за покупката на Oculus VR за 400 милиона долара в брой, 1.6 милиарда долара в акции на Фейсбук и допълнителни 300 милиона долара ако Oculus VR успее да постигне определени финансови резултати в сделки, които се очаква да приключи във втората четвърт на 2014.

Версия за разработчици
През август 2012, Окулус обявяват че техния "dev kit" вариант на Oculus Rift ще бъде раздаван като награда на хора, които ги подкрепят с повече от 300 долара в платформата Kickstarter. Приготвени са и 100 броя, които не са сглобени, и са предназначени за хора, дарили над 275 долара, и ще бъдат получени месец по-рано от сглобените.

Предварителни поръчки за версията за разработчици стават достъпни на 26 септември 2012. Тези комплекти са се продавали по 4 – 5 на минута в първия ден. Към 12 март 2014, Rift DK1 комплекта вече не е бил достъпен за поръчане от Окулус.
За разлика от първите бройки с 5.6-инчов дисплей, версията за разработчици ползва 7-инчов дисплей. Времето за реакция на пикселите е по-бързо, което намалява размазването на картината, когато потребителя си мръдне бързо главата. Запълването на пикселите е по-плътно, което спомага за по-добра и дълбока картина. LCD екрана е по-ярък и дълбочината на цветовете е 24 бита на пиксел.

Седем инчовия дисплей вече не прави възможно за лявото око да вижда част от това, което вижда дясното, и обратно. Полето на виждане по хоризонтала е над 90 градуса, което е повече от два пъти от това на конкурентите им. Резолюцията е 1280х800 пиксела.

Първоначалните прототипи ползвали сензор за следене на движението Hillcrest Labs, 3DoF, с честота 125 херца със специален софтуер, който усилва честотата до 250 херца, за по-бърза реакция. Последната версия ползва собствен сензор на Окулус с честота 1000 херца. Той ползва три-осеви жироскопа, акселерометър и магнитомер, осигуряващи моментална реакция на всяко движение.

Теглото на комплекта е приблизително 379 гр. (13.4 унция), което е повече с около 90 грама (3.2 унция) като тегло поради увеличения размер на екрана, като в това тегло не са включени слушалки.

Регулиращ механизъм на всяка от страните на комплекта позволява регулиране на всеки дисплей чрез придвижване по-близо или по-далече от очите. Development kit-а също включва сменяеми лещи, които позволяват лесно диоптрично коригиране.

През юни 2013, 1080p версия на Окулус Рифт е била показана на Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Целият сорс за Rift DK1 е бил пуснат за разпространение през септември 2014, включително и фърмуер, схемите и механичните компоненти за усторойството. Фърмуерът е пуснат под опростен BSD лиценз, докато схемите и механичните компоненти – под Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license международен лиценз.

Приложение
Гейминг – Oculus Rift първоначално бил предназначен за използване в гейминг индустрията, позволявайки на играчите да играят както никога преди. Слагането на Rift очилата дава на потребителя усещането, че е потопен във виртуален свят в който няма ограничения. Играчите вече могат да изпитат усещане за свободно движение в различни среди, летене, битки и състезания каквото допреди това не би било възможно. Много разработчици на игри закупили developer kit на Oculus започват да правят игрите си съвместими с Rift, разпознавайки потенциала му за обогатяване на гейминг преживяването. Много от съществуващите вече игри не могат да се съчетаят с Oculus Rift поради ред причини: бърза скорост, сюжетни сцени, трето лице, невъзможност да видиш собственото си тяло.

Образование – Oculus Rift е по-добрата алтернатива на онлайн курсовете, давайки възможно най-реалистичното усещане. Вкарвайки участника в среда много по-близка до реалната, спомага за по-лесното усвояване на материала който се изучават. От икономическа гледна точка Oculus Rift спестява финанси на ползвателите, спестявайки им разходи за транспорт и настаняване, и същевременно давайки им възможно най-близкото усещане за присъствено обучение.
Oculus Rift дава възможност на деца в началното образование да изследват 3D модели което драстичното повишава тяхната заинтересованост в изучавания предмет и спомага за по-лесното му усвояване. Редица страни са разпознали Oculus Rift като надеждно образователно средство и са започнали неговата интеграция в учебните програми.

Инженерство и Архитектура – Голяма част от ресурсите вложени в даден проект отиват за разработката и създаването на прототипни модели. Oculus Rift позволява на инженерите и архитектите нагледно да се запознаят с разработвания от тях модел във виртуалното пространство. Разнородни архитектурни моделите разработвани във виртуалната среда могат да бъдат съчетани с 3D принтер което спомага за тяхната до разработка и усъвършенстване. Голям недостатък на Oculus Rift е липсата на прецизност, което е и главната причина тази технология да не е широко разпространена в строителна индустрия.

Симулации – Симулациите са едно по-очевидните приложения на Oculus Rift. Въпреки че вече съществуват подобни много по-усъвършенствани уреди за обучаване в медицината, армията и авиацията, Oculus Rift има предимството че е лесно преносим и е значително по-евтин, което го прави приложим в повече области. Едно приложение на Oculus Rift е лекуване на пациенти с психически заболявания. Поставяйки пациенти страдащи от фобии или стрес в предварително режисирани ситуации спомага за тяхното лекуване. Друга сфера на приложение е симулации на стресови моменти, в които се цели участника да придоби правилното поведение в такъв вид ситуация.

Подобни проекти
Освен по идеята за Окулус, Палмър Лъки също работи по проекта FOV2GO – евтин kit състоящ се от кутия с оптика която ти позволява да сглобиш HMD дисплей използвайки мобилния си телефон. Проектът FOV2GO е достъпен като приложение за мобилните телефони за всеки който иска да си го построи сам.

Екип от Южнокалифорнийския университет работят по проекта "Holodeck", който цели създаването на пълно виртуално преживяване. С използването на Razer Hydra контролери, устройства за позиционно проследяване и Окулус HMDs, те създават илюзията да бъдеш в изцяло нов виртуален свят.

През 2014 на конференцията за разработка на игри, Sony представиха своя проект "Морфей". На конференцията те представиха прототип на продукта им за всички желаещи да го изпробват.

Негативни ефекти
Доказано е че прекарването голямо време във виртуална реалност води до негативни ефекти върху физическото състояние на човека. Типични са чувството за дезориентация, влошена координация на крайниците, гадене, световъртеж, кинетоза (морска болест), трудно пазене на равновесие и др. При ежедневно стоене във виртуалната реалност в продължение на месеци се наблюдава феномена при които мозъка на човек започва да възприема виртуална среда като нормална и често срещани грешки във физиката на виртуалната реалност престават да правят впечатление и се възприемат за нормални. Точно това се случило на екипа от разработчици на Oculus Rift, следователно те не били способни сами да откриват очевидни грешки и трябвало с тази задача да се заемат други хора. Проучвания показват че хора държащи се нормално във виртуалната реалност всъщност имат драстично намалени някои мозъчни функции. Например, 60% частта от мозъка която служи за осъзнаването на позицията на човека в пространството е неактивна, а останалата активната част се държи по нетипичен начин. Компании производители на устройства за виртуална реалност предупреждават клиентите си да не използват продължително време продукта им, тъй като може да бъде упадъчен за здравето им.

Награди
 IGN – Coolest Tech (2013, E3)
 IGN Italia – Best Innovation (2013, E3, Premio all'innovazione)

Източници

Външни препратки
 Сайт на Oculus VR
  Алтернативни приложения на Oculus Rift
  Още алтернативни приложения на Oculus Rift
  Статия за негативните ефекти
  Статия за Oculus Rift
 Oculus Rift с картонена кутия за смартфони
  Сони Разкрива
 (bg) Българско приложение превръща всяка игра в 3D изживяване

Виртуална реалност


The Swedish Association of Public Housing Companies (SABO) is an industry and interest organisation for the municipality owned public housing companies in Sweden. SABO has approximately 300 member companies managing some 802.000 dwellings all together. The public housing sector represents almost 20% of the total housing stock in Sweden and half of the rental sector. Every 7th Swede lives in public housing.
SABO offers support and service to its members through information, competence and the exchange of experience. SABO also work to provide good operational conditions for its member companies and the positive development of rental property. SABO's work concerns housing policy although it is not affiliated to any political party. The board is politically appointed and reflects the overall political majority of the member companies.


There are some voice problems characterized by difficulty pronouncing words properly, making sounds different from what they should normally be.
Aphonia is characterized by a complete or partial loss of voice. This is produced by the impossibility of vibration of vocal cords. Vocal cords need to get into contact (=adduct) one another to vibrate. Once in contact, air flow coming from the lungs strikes them and produces the vibration which is necessary to create sounds.
Vocal cord adduction is produced when the muscles of the larynx receive the proper order to do so through the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Because of different reasons, this nerve signal is interrupted so the necessary order is not given. Consequently, vocal cords fail to vibrate and no sound is delivered. This state of functional disorder of voice is called aphonia.
the most important ones are: Loss of voice, voice is not heard, hoarse voice, low intensity voice, etc.
– Respiratory diseases: Among these, some very well knows are laryngitis or inflammation of the larynx, sore throat or inflammation of the throat, tonsillitis, or inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis), persistent cough, allergies, nodules, tumors, etc.
– Misuse of voice: There are some occasions when voice is forced too much. For example: voices pushing too hard for work reasons (teachers, singers, vendors, public relations, etc.); voices showing anger (loud cries of anger or reprimand); prolonged crying (especially children crying) All these situations can irritate the vocal cords an can be a cause of aphony.
– Ingestion of toxic or irritant products: Smoking, alcohol ingestion of irritants (pepper, vinegar, harsh chemicals, etc.) can produce aphonia.
– Ingestion of foreign objects: They can result in temporary or permanent change of voice.
– Nerve cause (Psychogenic aphonia): This is the reason for some hoarse voices, or also for voices with a different timbre or intensity which appear in certain cases of nervousness. Sometimes this situation produces a husky voice or a sharp and shrilly voice similar to a whistle.
– Handling of the larynx: Certain operations or medical procedures such as polyp surgery, insertion of cannulas for a review of the digestive or respiratory tract (bronchoscopy) may cause hoarseness or voice changes.
– Excessive cold: Cold contact with the throat because of cold weather or when drinking cold beverages or eating cold ice creams can cause a change in voice.
The natural treatment of aphonia involves using a series of natural resources that help to prevent or remedy it.
More information about aphonia natural treatment.


Founding Partner, President & Head of Sales and Sourcing at Bespoke Real Estate.
When it comes to the real estate market, analysts are always concerned with how the industry is repositioning itself to accommodate new buyers. What's the latest technology you're using? What housing market is the hottest right now? Those are some of the most common question, but the reality is that there isn't a single housing market anywhere. The housing market is made up of several markets in many different areas, and within those markets are what we call micro markets.
Micro markets within real estate can be understood as subdivisions between neighborhoods, or localized areas inside an overall housing market with their own defining characteristics. Working as a broker within a micro market allows for pure focus on a specific segment, which requires the highest level of service and articulation. The functionality of the home is dependent on the home's individual characteristics and features, which is also highly dependent on the market where the home resides. In my experience, having a sole focus on properties and projects that are $10 million and above has enabled me to offer unique competitive advantages to clients. For example, specializing in the high-end market allows me to have a holistic understanding of what is available — I see every on- and off-market property within that micro market, and have strategies for pairing the right buyers with the right properties.
So what are the keys ways to dominate sales in your own micro market? Here are three strategies to keep in mind to ensure you're appeasing buyer interests, conducting deals and seeing the highest volume of sales.
The foundation of good real estate comes from understanding who your target buyer is and shaping your messaging, communications and services to fit that mold. It's important to think about the demographics of your typical customer base, which includes age, salary, education, career, etc. Once you've narrowed your focus and understand your buyer's needs and concerns, you can formulate a way to cater to their needs — all before even stepping into a meeting.
Additionally, every property evokes a different essence: Some can be deemed loud and robust, while others can feel simple and modest. It all depends on the purpose the property serves, and every buyer is different. If a home is not portrayed in the correct light, the property will not speak to the right purchaser. As a broker, it's important to bring the right client to the right property and not try to force a match. There's an emotional component for homeowners, and if brokers aren't adept in their micro market, the chances of forming a match are nearly impossible. In that situation, the broker is simply trying to force a deal. Instead, it should feel organic and natural for the buyer.
Details such as design, square footage and number of bedrooms, while important, should not be the first selling points. Instead, look to the function of the property. That's what drives smart development. The property needs to speak to buyers on an emotional level. Take the time to thoroughly understand the property's specific nuances as they relates to its yield and impactful variables. These specific details are highly impactful to the property's intrinsic value within its micro market. For example, representing and selling some of the Hamptons' most notable oceanfront properties requires a deep due diligence on any oceanfront property before selling or purchasing.
Real estate values fluctuate due to local supply and demand dynamics and various other considerations, so do your research, and use a variety of resources. Immerse yourself in every little bit of information relating to that area in order to drive results for your business. Brokers should consistently be looking to unlock quantifiable value for buyers by fully understanding a property's specific micro market.
To make sure your listing stands out from the competition, focus on the lifestyle of your micro market, and sell it. Whether the property is in housing markets such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles or Aspen, the focus should be on the neighborhood and community as well. A property with a certain flair will speak to a specific type of buyer, while a more modest, traditional property employs a different selling tactic — and completely different buyer. Know the lifestyle that you are selling along with the home itself.
A good example of this is the recent influx of mega mansions in Manhattan, specifically the West Village. Buyers in this area are likely interested in the desirable and historically charming streets, and are moving from areas like the Upper East Side to downtown so that they can live in a neighborhood that better suits their lifestyle.
Based on the latest buying trends with luxury homes, properties that do not meet contemporary standards and that are solely modest in their features usually get torn down. New buyers typically erect something new, or at least refurbish some of the features. This move offers a more unconventional lifestyle, but again, it comes down to knowing who the buyer is in that specific market. The most successful agents don't simply sell homes; they sell the lifestyles attached to them.
Property values and varying real estate laws make real estate a highly localized industry. To get the pulse of these smaller micro markets, think of factors such as school accessibility, businesses, inventory, etc. As an agent, being able to go in-depth to understand a property's context within a narrowly focused space brings incredible value. Be smart, pay attention and understand that no two buyers are the same.


text:
Truth be told, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance should have disbanded in the early 1990s after the Russia-led Warsaw Pact dissolved following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But it didn't because it isn't really a "security" alliance as much as it is a globalist entity hell-bent on spreading Western-style imperialism to every part of the globe.
Russia had become a shell of its former self and was completely incapable of making large-scale war in the decade that followed the USSR's collapse in 1991. If the objective was to keep NATO alive, true visionaries would have seen that bringing Russia into the fold as a future bulwark against a then-rising China was the right move.
But no. Instead, successive U.S. administrations further alienated the Russians to the point where a nationalist, Vladimir Putin, was elected to reinvigorate his country and once again make it a major player on the world stage. Inevitably, Russia would have to oppose the most power faction aligned against it: NATO.
In the years since, NATO has been angling for a way to bring Russia into a conflict so that it could finally be destroyed and then managed by a victorious NATO. That effort received a substantial boost when Russia invaded Ukraine; that attack was seen as a "reason" to further expand the alliance and finally bring in Sweden and Finland, which happened last week thanks to the U.S. agreeing to provide 40 modern, upgraded F-16 fighters to Turkey after Ankara initially opposed bringing in the two new countries.
Now the stars are completely aligned against Russia, which is bogged down in Ukraine but still possesses a highly lethal and large nuclear arsenal. World War III is now just a trigger event away from happening.
"The accession of Finland and Sweden will make them (the allies) safer, NATO stronger and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure," an alliance communique said, adding that NATO also agreed a new strategic concept.
The communique went on to characterize Russia as the "most significant and direct threat to the allies' security," a reaction to the massively deteriorated relationship with Russia since its invasion in late February.
Reuters, via France24, reported on some of the latest developments: "The alliance pledged further help to Kyiv and agreed [on] a package of support aimed at modernizing the country's defense sector. At the same time, NATO decided to significantly strengthen its own deterrence and defense."
"Allies have committed to deploy additional robust in-place combat-ready forces on our eastern flank, to be scaled up from the existing battlegroups to brigade-size units, where and when required underpinned by credible available reinforcements, prepositioned equipment, and enhanced command and control," the communique added.
Of course, the communique also noted that China is continuing to become an even bigger threat, having substantially increased the size of its navy and moving its military and foreign affairs poster in similar ways to Japan in the 1930s prior to the beginning of World War II.
But clearly, for now, the bigger threat to global peace is NATO's posturing against Russia.
For one, the U.S.-led alliance is continuing to supply lethal aid to Ukraine, one of the most corrupt governments in all of Europe, at the expense of our own weapons stockpiles.
If that isn't foolish enough, the alliance is moving troops and equipment into NATO members that border Russia. Imagine if a Ukrainian special ops force launched an attack on any of those forces from inside Russian territory — that would be the trigger for Article 5, the provision in the NATO agreement that requires all members to come to the assistance of another member who falls under "attack."
We certainly know that our government as well as those who belong to NATO are capable of staging false flag attacks. We saw it in Syria.
The alliance is no longer a "security" arrangement, it appears to be a mechanism to goad Russia into a war that would be highly profitable for the West's military-industrial complex.
WWIII.news
China, false-flag, finland, NATO, NATO members, Russia, Russian invasion, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, war trigger, world war, World War III
How to permanently correct the broken voting system: Put serial numbers and watermarks on all voting ballots, just like money
By S.D. Wells
THIS IS SERIOUS: Financial wizard Jamie Dimon predicts major recession coming to US thanks to worsening economy under Biden
Top 5 FAKE FOOD BUSTS of 2022


This verse distinguishes between two types of elders. The first type of elder whose main responsibility is serving the Church is called "ruling elder" and is elected from the congregation. The second type of elders are the teaching elders or pastors, (it means "Shepherd") whose main responsibility is preaching and teaching God's word.
We are blessed with fine ruling elders that care for the spiritual needs of the church: We call the leadership board "the session" (from left to right) Mark Paris, Gene Adams, Pastor Christopher Neiswonger, Jerry Lyons, Stan Carroll and Jack Anthony.
The Deacons are also elected by the congregation to serve three year terms and are responsible for the spiritual and physical needs of God's people, the care of the poor, orphans and widows, church finances and the maintenance of the church building as the house of God.
They do their work well and actively serve the Lord on a weekly basis receiving the offerings, opening and closing the building for services and a number of other tasks. The Office of Deacon is vital to the ministry of the Church.
Like the early deacons of Acts 6:1-4 their ministry allows the pastor to focus on the ministry of prayer and the word. We are thankful for these men and their service to the Lord Jesus.
The Deacons for 2019 are Clay Paris, Michael Fredman, Clay Paris, Reed S. and Jay Jones.


Due to staff ratios, it is requested that you inform the centre immediately of any changes to your drop-off and pick-up times.
All parents will be given a copy of the late policy and it will be reviewed by the Supervisor at the orientation. It is recommended that parents arrive a few minutes prior to closing time, to ensure that their child is ready to depart when the Centre closes. The Centre will open and close in accordance with the digital clock located in the main hallway. If a parent is late, he or she will be requested to sign a form acknowledging their late arrival.
At the end of the day staff will attempt to reach the parent/emergency contact until 6:30 p.m. to arrange for the children to be picked up. If at the end of the day staff is unable to reach anyone by 6:30 p.m. at either site they will notify the Supervisor who will contact The Children's Aid Society or Dilico.
In the case of chronic lateness, a meeting with the Supervisor will be arranged. Kinderplace may terminate services if the problem cannot be resolved or if late fees are not paid.


Peter Henry's TechTidBits (Blog) - Why did I move away from Windows Phone-Windows 10 Mobile? 35 reasons!
Back in early 2009, I bought into Microsoft "NEW" mobile strategyMicrosoft "NEW" mobile strategy. It wasn't going to materialize for another year, but that didn't matter. I loved it and thought it was GLORIOUS! Unfortunately the buying public didn't agree with me. Many years later, I've made the hard decision to bail. Here are 35 reasons why!
Why did I move away from Windows 10 Mobile? Oh let me count the ways?
If it's not Microsoft's priority, why should it be mine?
Ok, really, I want an answer from Microsoft!
If he's not going to give it special treatment, uh, why should I? Especially if Android has a dominating market share?!
SurfaceHub is arguably just a big screen desktop, so I WOULD EXPECT UWPs to work on them without issue!
Maps has more than once completely screwed up and although "technically" guided me to the "right" place, arriving on the delivery side of the Montreal airport doesn't quite count as "Arriving at your destination"
Why YES I DID expect to goto the terminal entrance!
Its happened enough that I've noticed my carrier usage goes up and eventually it costs me MONEY! Not cool, NOT COOL!
Progress indicator at bottom is COMPLETELY useless, it just increases until about 90% THEN tries to predict how much is left and slows progress down.
Why oh WHY does going to a new tab, re-load the whole web page? Causes single page apps to completely screw up, or cause you to hit <More news articles> again and again, useless!
BBC Top Gear app is last example, other news sites died on me too like CBC.
Not being excited about poking around the Marketplace is a sign in itself for me, it's not fun when you just assume "that company" doesn't have the app there.
SO?! Who's going to do any UWPs when you can JUST do Xamarin?
Xamarin is a whole other blog series, but my main dysfunction with xamarin is requirement to make multiple forms\pages\Uis, why can't I just do ONE xaml ui to describe a page, then xamarin just figures it out when I compile for the clients I'm deploying on, yes, this is complicated, yes it's hard, but that's what I have tools for, don't force me to do it, cause my comeback is, why would I bother with xamarin, I'll just go native!
Microsoft gives out more "…just wait til next year" promises (ie Surface phone in 2017), sounds an awful lot like the 550\950\950XL announcements last year, and we know how THAT went in the winter (hint, NOT well).
Since originally writing this bullet, Intel has cancelled the mobile Atom chip, WHAT is MS going to do now for the Surface Phone brains?
When was the last time you saw Microsoft bragging about the number of UWP apps on the marketplace?
When was the last time YOU installed a UWP app? And LOVED it?
When was the last time you SAW someone with a Windows phone?
I went to a Microsoft conference in Montreal and I didn't see ONE Lumia (except mine) and that INCLUDES MVP presenters!
they worked in wp7 and wp8, why did you break them in w10m?
what happened to my Smart tiles and glance'n'go?
Microsoft likes to say the app store numbers aren't important, well, you talk to the average Joe, AND THEY DO!
Figure it out! If your buying public says it does, sticking your head in the sand isn't helping your cause!
Ok, TECHNICALLY there IS a difference, but to the Joe-Blow Public, it's all the same thing, and ignoring that only proves Microsoft is out of touch with the people with the money!
I'm not sure what bothers me more, that it didn't even make a ripple in the trade rags or that Microsoft said nothing about it in the news, NOTHING! No acknowledgement, no reasons, no excuses, nothing.
Microsoft's emphasis on Continuum like it's the panacea of all their mobile woes!
Isn't Microsoft selling the Surface and the Surface Book? Don't they want people buying those?
I will go out and spend a grand on a phone that has applications! Just fix the right problems, stop chasing ghosts!
If there is roughly the same number of apps, why do I care to BUY a Windows Phone? No really, I would like an answer!
This has been going on since Wp7 was announced in 2009, wp8, Windows 10 last year, and now AGAIN?
How many kicks at the can DO YOU NEED?
There's an expression "they are throwing diarrhea on the wall and seeing what sticks"
here's an idea, pull a Chen, cut the cord, swallow the 8billion Nokia purchase, throw all those resources behind xamarin, build ONE converter for ALL xaml files so when I compile and deploy it works across all mobiles, isn't that you want anyways? To support all mobile platforms?
Xamarin is not a perfect solution neither now, let's not kid ourselves!
Microsoft has a habit of having a break between major phone releases, then having a BIG OS upgrade and requiring new phone hardware. As a case in point, Microsoft said the 1020 WOULD be upgradeable to Win 10 Mobile, BUT long after release, they said, NOPE! So with current phones, chances are PRETTY good they'll be obsoleted.
Why cant I use my computer to look at marketplace and install apps?
after 2/3/4 times, it's NOT my mistake anymore!
I continue to be surprised when I get texts because the "ringer" never rings for me when new ones come in.
What's that noise you hear in the background? OH YEAH! That's Microsoft back peddling!
Sorry, you missed it? Here it is again.
So, some of these 34 problems are due to Microsoft's mobile strategy, some are bugs that have been allowed to fester and continue to live, and some are just dumbass and ignorant decisions. Yes, I've taken time to do this analysis. I had invested quite a bit of energy and money into WP since Steve Ballmer announced WP7 in Barcelona in 2009. And I can't help but feel upset for Nadella just completely not caring for his OWN platform, instead choosing to just let it atrophy away.
realistically, THIS time, if I jump, it'll have to be moving rapidly into double digits and having momentum to continue!
having a MUCH better marketplace\store story than what is coming out in the news lately! Disappointing what other ISV had to put up with!
So what's the deal now then? Well, I've already ditched my Lumia 550 for a Nexus 5X. I'm learning Typescript, React, HTML5, CSS, Office365 Add-ins, more Visual Studio, TFS, Azure and just generally all around web stuff! I predicted Microsoft would lose the Metro…..Modern…..Universal…..UWP battle as soon as they released the two Nokia X phones. People, including MS employees, said I was being "short sighted." I might have been SHORT sighted, but I had the long game in mind. Unfortunately NOW, the long game I predicted is coming true. Devs HAVE moved away from xaml\UWPs and just don't care anymore. Microsoft makes announcements, but who's listening?
Now that's off my chest, it's time to grab a coffee and get coding!
Windows Hive: Moving Away From Windows Phone: Is This The Story of Most of the tech Savvies?
The Verge: Did Microsoft just give up on Windows Phone?
Re: Why did I move away from Windows Phone-Windows 10 Mobile? 35 reasons!
Here's a another GREAT blog about why MS failed at mobile. Long but fantastic inside look.
Another item I forgot to mention was the SD card in my 550. I REALLY HATED the performance of accessing anything on the media. I didn't follow conventional wisdom of installing the SD right off the bat. Party because I wanted to know what perf was before and after, but also, I didn't receive the SD card in the mail by the time I got the phone, so excitement was greater than need to wait. SO! I did learn, accessing photos, videos, even data for games and apps slowed down, and for how I FELT, I thought it slowed things down WAY TOOOOOOOOO much for my licking. That's my opinion, maybe there's other times specifications out there, but next time I'll be buying a phone that I don't have to expand with SD memory.


With relatively low equipment costs for both the club and the student, and with many students generally training together, karate offers great value for money as a sporting option. However, because it is so rewarding the chances are that brothers, sisters and other relatives of one student will want to join as well! That is why we offer a family discount on monthly membership fees.
There is a discount of £20 per month on the third or more member of the family joining. A family is considered to be parents/children/siblings, although we do have experience of three generations of one family training within the club.
Full details of all the costs involved are set out on our pricing page.


Our client developed the nation's first refresher course specifically designed for drivers who are 50 and older. The driver-training course was sponsored by a major automobile manufacturer that hoped its relationship which the non-profit association would improve its image in the marketplace. The non-profit association retained Stout to determine the economic value of the affiliation with the driver safety program to the automotive manufacturer. Our client used this information to support its request for additional funding from its sponsorship partners.


Spinach smoothie with mint leaves and lemon on table.
It all started with skin. I worked in the skincare industry for years where I experienced firsthand the differences in the health of my client's skin related to their diet and lifestyle, not just having a good skincare regimen. Healthy skin starts with good nutrition, exercise, and a good skin care regimen that is natural and chemical-free.
The nutrition prescription includes a custom skin-boosting diet plan designed to nourish, calm, hydrate and protect. Skincare product and treatment recommendations, and sustainable lifestyle changes. The benefit is a healthy glow from within and you will not only look great, you will feel great!
Put all ingredients in blender and enjoy!


text:
package org.keycloak.models.utils;

import net.iharder.Base64;

import javax.crypto.SecretKeyFactory;
import javax.crypto.spec.PBEKeySpec;
import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
import java.security.SecureRandom;
import java.security.spec.InvalidKeySpecException;
import java.security.spec.KeySpec;

/**
 *

 * Encoder that uses PBKDF2 function to cryptographically derive passwords.
 *

 *
Passwords are returned with a Base64 encoding.

 *
 * @author Bruno Oliveira
 *
 */
public class Pbkdf2PasswordEncoder {

    public static final String PBKDF2_ALGORITHM = "PBKDF2WithHmacSHA1";
    public static final String RNG_ALGORITHM = "SHA1PRNG";

    private static final int DERIVED_KEY_SIZE = 512;
    private static final int ITERATIONS = 1;

    private final int iterations;
    private byte[] salt;

    public Pbkdf2PasswordEncoder(byte[] salt, int iterations) {
        this.salt = salt;
        this.iterations = iterations;
    }

    public Pbkdf2PasswordEncoder(byte[] salt) {
        this(salt, ITERATIONS);
    }

    /**
     * Encode the raw password provided
     * @param rawPassword The password used as a master key to derive into a session key
     * @return encoded password in Base64
     */
    public String encode(String rawPassword, int iterations) {

        String encodedPassword;

        KeySpec spec = new PBEKeySpec(rawPassword.toCharArray(), salt, iterations, DERIVED_KEY_SIZE);

        try {
            byte[] key = getSecretKeyFactory().generateSecret(spec).getEncoded();
            encodedPassword = Base64.encodeBytes(key);
        } catch (InvalidKeySpecException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException("Credential could not be encoded");
        }

        return encodedPassword;
    }

    public String encode(String rawPassword) {
        return encode(rawPassword, iterations);
    }

    /**
     * Encode the password provided and compare with the hash stored into the database
     * @param rawPassword The password provided
     * @param encodedPassword Encoded hash stored into the database
     * @return true if the password is valid, otherwise false for invalid credentials
     */
    public boolean verify(String rawPassword, String encodedPassword) {
        return encode(rawPassword).equals(encodedPassword);
    }

    /**
     * Encode the password provided and compare with the hash stored into the database
     * @param rawPassword The password provided
     * @param encodedPassword Encoded hash stored into the database
     * @return true if the password is valid, otherwise false for invalid credentials
     */
    public boolean verify(String rawPassword, String encodedPassword, int iterations) {
        return encode(rawPassword, iterations).equals(encodedPassword);
    }

    /**
     * Generate a salt for each password
     * @return cryptographically strong random number
     */
    public static byte[] getSalt() {
        byte[] buffer = new byte[16];

        SecureRandom secureRandom;

        try {
            secureRandom = SecureRandom.getInstance(RNG_ALGORITHM);
        } catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException("RNG algorithm not found");
        }

        secureRandom.nextBytes(buffer);

        return buffer;
    }

    private static SecretKeyFactory getSecretKeyFactory() {
        try {
            return SecretKeyFactory.getInstance(PBKDF2_ALGORITHM);
        } catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException("PBKDF2 algorithm not found");
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Nationwide Onion Recall Expanded To Include HelloFresh, EveryPlate
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the onion recall, caused by a salmonella outbreak, to several more brands, including HelloFresh and EveryPlate.
Last week, the FDA had commenced an investigation related to a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections linked to whole, fresh onions. The outbreak has resulted in 652 illnesses in consumers across the U.S.
The salmonella outbreak was first reported last week and initially only included fresh whole red, white or yellow onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico and distributed by ProSource. The recall now includes onions from HelloFresh, EveryPlate, Potandon Produce LLC and Keeler Family Farms.
HelloFresh has recommended its customers to dispose of onions received from July 7, 2021 through September 8, 2021.
Consumers who have symptoms of Salmonella infection are urged to contact their health care provider. Most people with salmonellosis develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. They may also get high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the urine or stool, and in some cases may become fatal.
As the investigation continues, the FDA advises restaurants, retailers and consumers to not eat, sell, or serve the recalled onions or products containing these onions.
Cases have been reported in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.


Destroy various enemies appearing from a magic portal. Take command over a squad of fearless heroes and defend your village. Gather a collection of unique characters in this Android game. Make a strong pack of cards of heroes. Summon heroes to the battle field. Take into account strong and weak sides of each character while developing your strategy. Win the battles, gain experience, unlock new characters. Level up your heroes and improve their characteristics. Fight on the arena against other players.


Braemore are committed to providing a professional service to all our landlords and tenants. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards. If you have a complaint, please put it in writing, including as much detail as possible.
email – complaints@braemore.co.uk, alternatively you can fill out the complaint form on this page.
Braemore will respond in line with the timeframes set out below (if you feel we have not sought to address your complaints within eight weeks, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Property Ombudsman to consider without our final viewpoint on the matter).
Braemore is registered with the Scottish Letting Agent Register (registration number 22174) and is required to adhere to the Scottish Letting Agent Code of Practice which can be found at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2016/133/schedule/made.
Braemore is also a member of the Council of Letting Agents (www.counciloflettingagents.com) and you may invoke their complaints procedure if you remain dissatisfied once the above steps have been exhausted, or if we do not process your complaint within a reasonable timescale.
Braemore is a member of ARLA Propertymark (www.propertymark.co.uk) and you may invoke their complaints procedure if you remain dissatisfied once the above steps have been exhausted, or if we do not process your complaint within a reasonable timescale.
Braemore is also a member of The Property Ombudsman and you may request an independent review once the above steps have been exhausted, or if we do not process your complaint within a reasonable timescale.


Squash is everywhere here in Swaziland. They eat it like mashed potatoes with melted butter and milk. They cut butternut squash into thick slices and drizzle it with butter and sugar and bake it for so long that it melts in your mouth and tastes like heaven on earth. They boil slices of sweet pumpkin for a snack. So when I found a 2 pound bag of butternut squash at the grocery store the other day for only about $1.50, I thought of the bag of apples I had sitting in my room at home and bought them, along with an onion. Later, I pulled these three ingredients out, chopped them up, drizzled some olive oil and spices over them, and left them to do their thing in the oven. I let them bake for about 55 minutes until they were very soft and the juice from the apples was bubbling on the bottom of the pan. You could serve this as a hot side dish, but what I recommend is to chill them overnight and then eat them cold the next day. I don't know what happened in that fridge, but something magical took place and they tasted amazing when I took my first bite this evening. I didn't even bother to warm them up after tasting them cold; I just spooned them into a bowl and ate, and it was wonderful and satisfying. I think that I will try this with a mixture of butternut squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes to go with the apples; you could really use any kind of squash or potato you have on hand and serve it as a potato/squash salad. Or you could heat it up and eat it with rice. It's versatile, so just make it work for what you have!
Chop the onion and arrange on the bottom of a glass baking dish. Chop the butternut squash into equal-sized pieces and chop the apples, and arrange over the onions. Drizzle the olive oil over the whole thing. Add the salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, and oregano to taste and stir to coat all of the pieces. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture. Cover with foil and bake at 375 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, testing for doneness. Add more seasoning or brown sugar according to your own taste. You can either serve immediately when it is hot or chill to serve as a cold side dish.


Just some random thoughts this week, I'm still relaxing from Christmas break.
So, I ordered some things from Amazon. And me, being the cheap, er, frugal person I am, never want to pay shipping so I had to order more stuff to make the required minimum. I think if I did the math, paying the $4.00 in shipping for a $12.00 item is much cheaper than buying additional stuff . . .
Amazon, like all retailers, allows you to track your package. They also send you an email when the package is shipped and another one when package is delivered. Hah! So I get the email that says my package is delivered. It is one of the very cold, wintery nights. I look outside from the warmth of my house and don't see any package. I am reluctant to go outside, but I want the package, so I grit my teeth and go outside. Don't see any package. I checked the side door too.
I immediately send an email to Amazon. Well, not immediately, since it took me fifteen minutes to find the Customer Service Contact information for Amazon. I get a reply that says, "Thank you for contacting Amazon. Please allow 36 hours after your package has been marked delivered for it to show up." What????? Doesn't delivered mean it has arrived at the shipping address?
The Customer Service rep was nice though, she said she would send out a replacement after the 36 hours and I wouldn't have to do anything. For the next few days, I am anxiously awaiting the package. Finally I find it, hiding in the bushes! I want to give the delivery person the benefit of doubt and hope he put it there so it wasn't visible from the street and to potential thieves.
It is a good thing that I thought to look in the bushes though. Otherwise, the package would still be out there and I would be sending more emails to Amazon.
What about you? Have you had surreal customer experience lately?
You are probably right about that. They probably tried to open it too, thinking there was food inside. Once they found out it was just some boring exercise socks, they discarded it in the bushes!
I order a lot of things from Amazon (probably too much), but this is the first time I have had a problem like this.


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