text:
Internships and volunteering are possible in Al-Razi Kindergarten, Tamra.The kindergarten is located behind the primary school of the same name, where the children who attend Al-Razi kindergarten subsequently go to.
The building of the kindergarten is divided into two parts: there are two large rooms for kindergarten children - each room has a bathroom, kitchen, play corners and a wardrobe. In front of the building there is a playground.
Each group has around 35 children, who attend the kindergarten Sunday to Thursday from 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. under the supervision of two female educators. From time to time, active citizens visit and do activities with the children, such as storytelling or sports.
As a volunteer/intern you will support the educators with their work. With the children you can play, do handcrafts, paint, dance and do other activities. Everyone who loves to be with children will love this placement, which is also possible without any knowledge of Arabic.
If you want to do activities with primary school age children (playing, dancing, handcrafts, and assisting with homework) you can be at Nowaideai (see "Primary and Secondary Schools").
Location: Tamra/Galilee, Israel
Minimum Duration: 2 Weeks
Further Languages Of Advantage: Arabic
Room in apartment with family
Qualification Of Supervisor: Educator, Teacher
Minimum. Qualification Of Intern:
Accommodation in Tamra
Shared Accommodation in Tamra:
In Tamra, our participants usually live in two adjacent houses on the hillside, overlooking Tamra and the plain of Acre, Haifa. There is direct access to the garden with olive and lemon trees between the two houses. In the floors of the two houses, there are modern and spacious studios. Eachh have a private bathroom and kitchenette. Each studio can comfortably house 2-3 participants. The owners, local couples, live there and provide necessary additional rooms on the upper floors. In the case of several participants in Tamra at the same time, we also organize accommodation in other homes of similar standards in the city.
Information about and Assistance with the Arrangement of your Visa (if required), but not the official government fees for it (See costs below)
Pick-up and Transfers from/to Akko or Haifa train station on arrival and departure (you can easily reach these train stations from Tel Aviv Airport)
Orientation and Introduction in Tamra/Haifa
Accompanying you to your placement on your first day
50 USD Contribution to your project
Local SIM Card with 30 Shekel air time
Cost for the seedlings of 10 indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
Travel to/from Israel (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
Official fees for Visa, if applicable (see below)
All rates in Shekel!
(32-365 Days)
In Tamra
Room at shared house
(Single Room) 100 Shekel/Day 75 Shekel/Day*
(Twin Room) 70 Shekel/Day 60 Shekel/Day*
In Haifa
Room at Halls of Residence 1 Person
(Single Room) - 1500 Shekel/Month*
(Twin Room) -
1500 Shekel/Month*
In Tamra: Incomplete months of your stay are paid propotionally per day.
In Haifa: You can only book/pay full months!
For most nationals no visa costs for a stay of up to 180 days. In case of stay of 181 or more days, first 3 months 680 Shekel, then 190 Shekel for any 3 months' extension (subject to change). Long-term visa costs include health insurance.
Meals around 150-200 EUR (180-250 USD)/Month (estimate)
Small local expenses (e.g. local transport): around 30-60 USD/Month (Estimate)
Insurances around 30-50 USD/Month
Tamra is part of the metropolitan area Haifa-Akko-Tamra . These three cities are located only 15-30 minutes drive away from each other, and are accessible by buses, train (Akko-Haifa) and taxis. One can easily move between these three places and should look at the three locations as a common metropolitan area.
Tamra (25,000 inhabitants) is located on the hills which rise behind the plains of Akko. With clear weather, from Akko you have a fantastic view over Akko and the Mediterranean Sea. For this reason, Tamra is a popular town for short trips for people from the neighbouring cities, who enjoy Tamra's attractively priced traditional Arabic restaurants.
The town is dominated by Arabic Israelis living in extended family clans. Arts, culture and community are highly valued in Tamra; many citizens are highly educated and have studied abroad. They are particularly friendly and open towards foreigners and it is easy for our participants to get integrated into the town community.
Tamra is also famous for its extravagant weddings. There are several locations where weddings are celebrated. During the "wedding season", from May to October, Tamra hosts 7-10 large weddings every day.
The historical port town of Akko (also: Akkon) has around 50,000 inhabitants. Its old town atmosphere is very oriental. Akko has been mentioned in the bible's Old Testament; Alexander the Great, the Romans, Sultan Saladin, and the Crusaders have all been to Akko. Napoleon didn't succeed to conquer the city though. The old town of Akko as a UNESCO World Heritage site is part of every Israel round trip. During the summer, Akko's beach is very populated, and Akko's Arabian market is a popular location for tourists and locals alike.
Haifa (270,000 inhabitants) is after Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel's third largest city. It is a city full of life as there are more than 40,000 students studying at Haifa University and numerous colleges. For that reason, Haifa has a wide selection of bars and clubs. During the summer, the beaches behind Mount Carmel are populated at day and night by young people.
Between Haifa, Akko and Tamra there are not only olive and pomegranate plantations, but also the so-called "Krayots" which are several villages belonging to the wider area of Haifa. They have modern entertainment facilities such as multiplex cinemas, bars and bowling allies.
Recreational Activities in Tamra/Akko/Haifa
There are numerous ways to spend leisure time in Tamra, Akko and Haifa. All cities are full of cultural life. During the hot summer, you can go to the beaches; Tamra also has a public swimming pool.
Day trips in Israel, which can be done from Akko/Tamra/Haifa, include visiting mystical historical sites such as Jerusalem, Nazareth, Safed, the Sea of Galilee and Magito, where, according to the prophecy of Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, the final battle of "Armageddon" will take place. In the nature of the hilly north, it is possible to hike, mountainbike and even ski in the winter time.
Getting To Tamra
You book your flight to Tel Aviv (TLV). Look for different airlines, including low cost airlines such as Easyjet, Air Berlin, German Wings, Pegasus Airlines and flyniki. Tip: Search also for nearby Airports in neighboring European countries.
At the airport of Tel Aviv, you can find the train station; the train departs hourly to Akko (also the whole night). From Akko train station, you will be picked up and taken to your accommodation in Tamra.
Please note that from Fridays 4.00 p.m. to Saturdays 4.00 p.m., and on Israeli holidays, no trains run, making it difficult to get from Tel Aviv airport to Akko. You should not book a flight that lands on Fridays after 2.00 p.m. or leaves on Saturdays before 9.00 p.m. We even recommend completely avoiding Saturdays for arrival and departure.
On other days of the week, your flight should not arrive after 7.00 p.m., as the Akko train station pick-up service from 11.00 p.m. – 8.00 a.m. is not possible. If you cannot book your flight otherwise, you would have to spend a night in Tel Aviv, before you continue traveling to Akko.


One of the things that surprises me every fall is how maple trees don't turn color all at once. Instead, one day while walking Jack, I'll notice a splotch of brilliant orange. And a day or two later, maybe that whole side of the tree is orange. And so on. It's amazing. Although I filtered the above image because I like filters, this IS really what the color distribution is.
And here's my first draft. This one fell out on my screen and felt right.
Good Thursday Morning Laura & Poets. I spent yesterday morning thinking it was Thursday and thought the photo prompt (poem sketch, actually) was extra challenging. Oh, my. My brain is carrying too many marbles this week.
Like so many writers, I'm fascinated with the personification of trees. Trees hold so many lessons for us, I think. I miss summer so much! I knew the details of the school year would just crash in as they have. But, the only way to another summer is three more seasons….so, I will sweep up the ashes and stay strong through the winter with an image of your firework, Laura!
There's no rhyme for orange.
Unique – just like orange!
I love this, Linda. Comparing wordplay with season Play Feels just right somehow. And how you describe getting through the seasons to get to summer is pretty much just how I feel about fall. Always good to hear from someone with a different point of view. Happy Thursday!
Linda I love summer too, but fall has a special place in my heart, perhaps it's because I was born in the fall. Excellent poem.
Good morning! I love coming here to start my day with poetry. The orange flash and flare is a beautiful gift of fall. We have little color change here in the south south. There will come a day when I won't be teaching and I can travel to see some colors.
Of course you've got us dancing into fall! Almost makes me forget what's coming!
I love all your w sounds, Margaret. They make the poem itself feel like it's dancing!
Colorful leaves, and wispy winds, what a wonderful fall dance…so beautiful.
That sun needs to be more careful! This gives a nice visual!
Oh, Amelia. This poem feels suspended in time. It also reminds me of one of my favorite poems by Lilian Moore. At least, I think it's by her. I'm out walking right now, but when I get home later today I'm going to look for it and share it here. Thanks for this moment of beauty.
That title is spectacular….ties all the lines together perfectly.
That's beautiful! Thank you for finding and sharing it!
Oh, those firestarters…..ignite, light, ablaze…..great words in this short poem.
I had started some poems on just this topic, and snapped a few pictures of trees just starting to burst into flame. It's a perfect prompt for this week, as the edges and centers of trees are just catching on now… Your poem captures it perfectly! Love those ashes – well, not in real life.
Donna, this made me laugh, because I've often thought of trees and how they compare to kids. And the maple, my absolute favorite in Fall, would probably be the popular girl, with all the other girls feeling like they are being outshined. Which they are. In general, I'm not a fan of the popular girl, but I will take every single glorious Maple that I can and admire it! PS I don't know why my voice to text capitalizes certain words.
In the picture that spruce just seems to be looking in awe at the maple – so like humans!
How we love to admire beauty! You really captured the feeling.
Oh, I really like this…..it's a perfect story: beginning, middle and end. Very well done with that twist at the end.
Good morning. Our leaves are beginning to show off their colors here in western NC. I have a black gum tree that allows one branch of leaves to turn fiery red, beginning in late August, and only when those leaves are completely yellow and ready to fall will we begin to notice a change in the other leaves on that tree. And, it's the exact same place on the tree year after year. Makes me think of the pace car in racing.
Martha, I love that metaphor of that first Branch as the pace car in a race. And it fits so perfectly because Autumn seems to rush by so quickly every year. Probably just because it's my favorite.
This reminds me of the race "light tree" when race cars take off….they see the red, red, red, green! Great image.
Thanks Linda. Fall is my favorite season.
Laura I absolutely love the fall season, the changing leaves, the smells in the air. You're picture is so beautiful, and your poem captures the sense of how fall alights so quickly, leaving summer in its dust. Fall colors are so passionate and were the inspiration for my poem.
spreading from limb to limb.
Passions explode in fiery, crimson hues.
I can feel the emotion!
I love this, Jean. It feels like the manifesto for a civil rights movement or something. I especially love that middle line!
Loved your poem, Laura. This one came quickly for me, too. Flash fire of poetry!
Oops I hit send too soon. I really love that you used bloom in a poem about fall, which is so unexpected!
Your camera filter turns that maple into a dancing flame–making this tree even more magical!
Haha! It's the entire transition from Summer to Winter in four short lines. Nicely done!
This brings back such lovely memories of tissue paper art and of fingers dyed all the different colors from when the glue got on the tissue paper!
I love these, Matt. It does look like soft serve in the image! But then in that second one I love all those un and en and on and om sounds. They seem to echo and build, just like a fire. And, sure, please feel free to share photo and link!
Thanks, Laura! I love alliteration and internal rhyme, so I'm glad you noticed those sounds…I wanted to create a sort of meditative quality to the words. I've been so caught up with 'Flashlight Night,' I had no idea what I was going to post for Poetry Friday tomorrow – and then I came across your photo!
Oh, I love the turn this takes. The first line is a bit ominous, but you relieve the tension right away with "sheltered…" And then those delicious descriptions. Swoon.
What a great picture, Laura! I love a maple in the fall and am happy to HAVE to write something about one!
I love how you have the whole year here, Rebekah. That speaks to me, because a tree often seems to hold all of time inside of it somehow. Love your alliteration, too!


This was a recent Quora question and it keeps puzzling me.
Is reality subjective or objective? If it is subjective is every interpretation of it correct?
It is not that difficult to reject this question as what it is: an assumption supported by an argument that has not really been thought through: Why should reality be subjective? And why should that make all our interpretations right?
Reality is neither "subjective" nor "objective". Statements can be, and people who make these statements may be labelled as more or less subjective or objective.
This is the image of a real table (I guess they would not sell it for the sum of €4,280.84 if it was not real). Now, what will be the test to find out whether this table is objective or more subjective? What would a "subjective table" do – and an "objective table" never ever do under the same circumstances?
You buy a liter of milk with the funny feeling that this beverage carton is strangely light. At home you measure the content and it is only 875 ml, not the defined liter of 1000 ml.
But how can I know whether you see things with my eyes?
I don't. We are talking here about statements and their verification.
You know what is the case if this table has a height of 27 inches or 69 centimeters. You know what a dendrochronological expertise would tell you if this table were produced in the late 18th century in France of walnut wood.
The measures of the table can be right or wrong. The reasons why they might be wrong can be banal: a misreading of the yardstick, a copying mistake, a fraudulent interest to let it appear bigger than it is.
The falsification of a subjective statement has other dimensions. You say you "like this table subjectively" whilst you find it rather repulsive – a (polite) lie if you are eager to support me in my delight. Other subjective sensations are wrong because they fool our visual apparatus and again others are wrong since our nerves are designed to mislead us (touch someone with the tips of two pencils an inch apart anywhere between his shoulders and ask him or her how many tips he or she is feeling – "just one" will be the usual answer since too many nerves are running here in channels that merge the separate sensations).
If the shopkeeper says this is his "subjective liter" or his "subjective count of twenty items", you will call this declaration evasive. We have a consensus of how we count to twenty. You will insist on the "objective" measure and the ensuing debate will be about all further legal procedures that will bring the objective view of experts into this conflict.
You enter a room and admire the architecture as "light, liberating, pleasant". People around you are wondering how you can say this. This is "brutalist architecture" in their eyes. You may add that this is your "subjective view" in order to gain control over the ensuing debate. Once you have called it your "subjective perception" you can speak about your past, about other houses that gave you a similar feeling, about architectural details that give you such a feeling. The new debate will be to some extent about the object but more so about what it does with you, personally and maybe with nobody else.
allow subjective statements since subjects will defend individual perceptions beyond that as simply their personal perceptions.
The very word objectivity is rather new. The OED has thus far note its first English usage in an Edinburgh Review article of 1803. A first French usage is noted with an 1801 source. Lorraine Daston and Peter Galison wrote that wonderful book on objectivity that gave us insight into the puzzling cultural evolution of the concept with all its irreconcilable paradoxes.
This is a 1670 reproduction of a 1624 painting of a radish from the Miscellanea Curiosa, the first German medical journal (see Fabian Krämer's "Faktoid und Fallgeschichte: Medizinische Fallgeschichten im Lichte frühneuzeitlicher Lese- und Aufzeichnungstechniken", in: Die Sachen der Aufklärung, Hamburg 2012 for more information on the image). We will immediately doubt its objectivity. Odd radishes do exist. But the way this radish is looking at us betrays a secret yearning (on the side of the painter or the engraver) to be the object of this charmingly female sight. This is just no image a camera would have taken.
This, however, should be an objective picture of a similar radish – of a radish humans will perceive as somehow humane. Cameras show what is to be seen at a defined moment in history from a certain – objective – vantage point. We would still not use this image in the Wikipedia 'Daikon' article, since we would feel that the encyclopaedia should offer "a more objective image", and here we are all of a sudden in the middle of cultural conventions. The objective image of a radish is one that helps us to identify almost any radish as a specimen. The objective image should depict a "normal" radish for that purpose. We are looking for something like a Platonic or Kantian image, an image of the object as it is when it is not influenced by other factors and rarer twists. But what exactly is the image of the radish as it "naturally" is? – as it is without individualising aspects… It will need some individualising aspects to appear real. We will rule out the polished geometrical shape since we will never find a radish without any spots or irregularities… If we have 20 pictures of 20 different radishes and ask 20 people to pick their image of the "typical" radish, they will offer us a dozen of different personal choices of the normality they are experiencing.
Our notions of objectivity are eventually influenced by the technical means we have at our fingertips to create this objectivity – so Lorraine Daston and Peter Galison: It is naturally difficult to draw an objective image of a drop splashing. The splash happens in a milliseconds. Researchers gave, so the later realisation, highly subjective views of what they thought they had seen, as long as they had to depict the image they "remembered". The first camera images ended this subjectivity. The question was now: what is the objective image among hundreds of different splashes? One that is neither too regular nor too irregular?
Reality is neither objective nor subjective. Our depictions of reality will be either or. Our perceptions of reality are indeed almost by definition subjective – that, however, does not mean that our statements have to be entirely subjective, nor does it say anything about the "correctness" of our interpretations.
You are standing on top of Petrarch's Mont Ventoux in the Pyrenees. The sun is rising in the east and setting in the west, you see it moving across the sky as the day passes. Earth, so your perception, is stable, unmovable in the centre of the universe; the sun is – apparently – moving on a predictable course.
This is a subjective interpretation and we know it is wrong. We are observing the solar system from a rotating planet – verified with Foucault's 19th century experiment. Being part of the planet's rotation we can no longer sense it. It is proven then, that subjective perceptions and all our interpretations of these perceptions can be wrong.
We can prove an interpretation to be erroneous, faulty, and imprecise, a lie. The thing we cannot do, is prove that an interpretation is actually correct. We operated with the geocentric world view with all the success we needed for thousands of years. the subjective interpretation allowed precise predictions of solar eclipses. We were using maps of our planet assuming that we were living on a plate – and yet we were reaching our destinations as predicted. Our proofs of theories show us that they do the required job, in our lives and in the experiments we are conducting as proofs. Our interpretations and theories are nonetheless doomed to be only historical victories – so our experience thus far, and so the 19th-century realisation of the philosopher.
9 | But the original question did not sound all that wrong – did it?
That is eventually the intriguing thing to explain (in a different post).


By fancy, I mean nuts that are lightly glazed and roasted. Oh, and that are exciting enough to make me look forward to them as a mid-morning snack.
Spicy cajun almonds and Gramercy Tavern bar nuts have been favourites around here, but after Christmas, I felt like the new year deserved a new nut recipe.
I found this: Ina Garten's chipotle and rosemary spiced nuts. I had a little bag of fresh rosemary in the fridge and so it felt like fate.
I adapted the recipe to suit my nut tastes (and budget) and I feel particularly pleased about the pistachios I added. They are like little gems of concentrated flavour nestled around the bigger cashews and pecans.
On first glance, the recipe looks a bit odd: chipotle, rosemary, orange juice? I know. But trust Ina here. They are a trio I am now very glad to meet.
So here you are – a new nut recipe for the new year. Feel free to adapt it for the nuts you find in your cupboard.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and get out a sheet pan or two regular cookie sheets.
Brush the pan(s) a bit of neutral oil. Get out a very large bowl and mix up the cashews, pecans, almonds, pistachios, maple syrup, brown sugar, chipotle powder, orange juice, rosemary, oil and 1 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt.
Spread the nuts out on the pan(s) as evenly as possible and slide into the oven. Roast for 25 – 28 minutes, stirring twice, until the nuts look glazed and golden brown. Put the pan(s) on a rack to cool and toss with the other 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt.
Stir sometimes as they cool to help prevent the nuts sticking together – although they will anyway. Don't fret: you can break them up later when you put your precious nuts in an airtight container to store. Keep them at room temperature, all the easier to snack upon.


Backing up is critical at any level of computing, and dozens of backup/recovery technologies and products are in use to address this need. Solutions can be as simple as the tar and gzip utilities in the Linux/UNIX world or as comprehensive as Microsoft Data Protection Manager for Windows environments. Unfortunately, many legacy solutions are more expensive to maintain and operate than to replace, and many backup products adopted without careful planning fail to deliver the availability and protection a business really needs. Progent's extensive team of IT experts can provide affordable online support to help you manage or deploy popular backup/restore products for all major operating systems and any network topology.
In addition to offering small and mid-size companies ProSight Data Protection Services for low-cost and fully managed cloud backup, Progent can also provide online access to IT engineers with expertise in a wide range of products and technologies for backing up Windows, Apple, and Linux/UNIX servers and desktops as well as laptops, iPads, and smartphones. Progent can help you design, enhance, or troubleshoot backup systems for a variety of architectures including local, edge to datacenter, across premises, cloud-based, or hybrid. In addition, Progent's certified VMware consultants, Hyper-V experts, and Citrix specialists can show you how to follow leading practices to deploy virtualization technology for continuous transparent backup and ultra-fast recovery. Progent can also help you migrate from a legacy backup solution to a state-of-the-art system that can save you money while reducing or eliminating scheduled downtime and accelerating recovery.
Barracuda Backup incorporates technology developed by Intronis, a company Barracuda acquired, to provide a flexible backup solution for on-premises, virtual, cloud-hosted, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environments. For disaster recovery, Barracuda supports data replication to the Barracuda Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), or any private site you designate. Progent is a Barracuda partner and can help you design, deploy or troubleshoot a Barracuda backup environment, or Progent can provide end-to-end managed services so you can outsource your entire backup and disaster recovery solution. For more information about Progent's support services for Barracuda Backup, see Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting.
Altaro VM Backup offers onsite backup, offsite replication with WAN acceleration, granular restore, cloud-based management, and automated backup verification. You can backup VMs as frequently as every 5 minutes for an optimize4d Recovery Point Objective (RPO). Augmented Inline Deduplication reduces backup storage requirements and delivers industry-leading speed for backups and restores. Progent is an Altaro partner and can help you plan, configure or troubleshoot an Altaro backup system. Progent also offers comprehensive managed services so you can outsource your entire Altaro backup/restore solution to Progent's certified experts. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Altaro VM Backup, visit Progent's Altaro VM Backup consulting and management services.
DoubleTake Software, which has been acquired and rebranded by Carbonite, offers a line of economical products that allow small organizations to protect critical Windows-based applications such as Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, and SharePoint. DoubleTake products work with Windows Hyper-V and VMware and also support Windows Server clusters to increase network availability and reduce recovery time. DoubleTake Backup lets you perform on-demand recoveries to server hardware that is different from the original server, or between virtual and physical servers. DoubleTake Availability, now called Carbonite Availability, allows you to configure failover clusters without shared storage or geographic restrictions, reducing the vulnerability of Windows-based clustering to single-point failure. For more information about DoubleTake and to find out how Progent can help you deploy and maintain this platform, see Progent's Double-Take consulting services.
Backup Exec from Symantec has evolved for three decades and is among the most popular backup solutions for home and small business environments. The current version of Backup Exec provides disk or tape backup and can restore files, folders, individual emails, or entire servers. Special agents are available for point-in-time recovery of Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle databases as well as SharePoint and Active Directory applications and virtual guests based on Windows Hyper-V or VMware. Backup Exec also supports Linux, UNIX, and Mac clients. An easy-to-use administration console simplifies the process of setting up backups, managing backup policies, performing restores, and deploying virtual machines for fast disaster recovery.
BackupAssist is a low-cost software package for scheduling, managing, and monitoring backups of Microsoft Windows Server and Windows Small Business Server (SBS) products. Designed for small and midsize businesses, BackupAssist allows local or remote backups of complete servers or individual files and supports physical and virtual environments. Supported storage includes Windows-compatible tape, Iomega REV devices, internal or external hard drives and optical disks, NAS and SNAP network storage, and any remote machine that can act as an FTP server. BackupAssist includes a restore console with an easy-to-use search feature for recovering files. Snap-ins are available for Exchange Server, SQL Server, Hyper-V, and Rsync.
HP Data Protector (previously called Openview Storage Data Protector) is an enterprise-class backup/recovery solution that supports physical, virtual and cloud-based environments powered by Windows, Unix, and Linux. Virtual platforms supported include VMware, Windows Hyper-V and Virtual Server, Citrix XenServer, and HP Integrity Virtual Machines. Advanced federated data deduplication reduces storage costs, improves performance and availability, and conserves bandwidth for multi-site architectures. Used in conjunction with the HP StoreOnce backup appliance, Data Protector can deduplicate to any application source, backup server, or target device independent of operating system. With the Granular Recovery Extension (GRE) for SharePoint 2010, Microsoft SharePoint administrators can restore an individual or an entire folder without leaving SharePoint.
CrashPlan offers free entry-level software for on-premises backup as well as a line of affordably priced web service packages for continual or scheduled online backup for Mac, Windows, and Linux environments. CrashPlan is designed primarily for households and small office environments and is especially popular in the Apple Mac market. In a Windows environment, CrashPlan can transparently back up locked and in-use files via Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy technology. For Mac environments, CrashPlan allows you to back up any networked drives accessible from the Desktop.
Mozy is a web backup service operated by VMware that focuses on the home and small office markets by providing automated online backup and on-demand data recovery for Mac and Windows systems. MozyPro is the advanced version of this online service and offers small businesses centralized management of multiple systems via a web-based administrative console. MozyEnterprise includes Active Directory integration. Mozy is particularly popular in the Mac market and offers an application for iPhone and Android smartphones that allows you to send files protected by Mozy as an email attachment or view any protected files that are in a format supported your smartphone.
Acronis Backup and Recovery is designed as an affordable and easy-to-use solution that provides small businesses with entry-level backup and disaster recovery capabilities for Windows and Linux servers and workstations. Disk-based storage provides fast recovery, and an Online version supports automatic offsite backups. The Virtual Edition of Acronis Backup and Recovery supports major virtualization platforms including VMware vSphere/ESX/ESXi, VMware vCloud Director, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.
Retrospect for Macintosh builds on a 20-year history of affordable Mac backup and now offers network backup of Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. Current versions of Retrospect feature data deduplication to cut storage costs and bandwidth utilization plus cloud-based storage capability for any Internet-connected storage configured for WebDAV access. A 64-bit Mac client supports OS X and provides enhanced security with 256-bit AES encryption, reportedly doubles the performance of previous versions, and allows users to run on-demand backups from their desktops. Integrated Growl notifications alert users when backup operations are initiated or finished.
Time Machine is an automatic backup utility included with Apple's Mac OS X from the Leopard (10.5) version onward and works with Apple's wireless Time Capsule device as well as with directly-connected hard drives or partitions. Time Machine transparently archives hourly backups for a day, daily backups for a week, and weekly backups for as long as there is space. When the backup volume is full, Time Machine automatically deletes the oldest weekly backup. In order to conserve storage and bandwidth, Time Machine copies only files that have changed since the last backup. Users can perform point-in-time system recovery or file-level recovery.
VMware Data Recovery (VDR) is VMware's first-generation backup solution for small businesses. A VDR backup appliance supports up to 100 virtual machines (VMs), operates transparently, and offers deduplication to remove redundant data. Integration with VMware vCenter Server enables centralized scheduling and allows virtual machines to be backed up when they are moved using VMware VMotion or DRS. Backups can be stored on any virtual disk supported by VMware ESX/ESXi including storage area networks (SANs), network attached storage (NAS) devices, or Common Internet File System (CIFS) based storage such as SAMBA. vSphere Data Protection (VDP), which replaces VDR, is a backup/recovery solution based on EMC Avamar technology. VDP offers more efficient deduplication and permits agentless VM backup.
For enterprises environments, Progent offers the support of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consultant and VMware NSX network virtualization expert to help plan, configure and manage a secure, world-class disaster recovery/application mobility solution for private cloud and hybrid-cloud deployments.
Solaris FLARs backup/restore technology allows you to create system snapshots known as Oracle Solaris Flash archives (FLARs). These snapshots can include the operating system, updates, and application software. Oracle Solaris FLARs can be rapidly deployed or restored to any server as long as it has the same processor architecture. Because of the speed with which they can be deployed, FLARs are a popular way to install Oracle Solaris from a pre-built image as well as for implementing patches or performing disaster recovery. Current versions of Oracle Solaris support the ability to install from a ZFS Flash Archive as well as a UFS FLAR.
Progent's nationwide team of online support engineers includes consultants with expertise in Windows, Linux/UNIX, and Mac environments and familiar with popular backup applications and services, including many legacy products which no longer have vendor support. Progent can help businesses of any size objectively evaluate the effectiveness of their existing data protection solution, provide technical support for their current system, build the business case for moving to a new platform or modifying their backup architecture or procedures, and plan and manage upgrades or migrations. Progent can provide the services of world-class network experts, such as Cisco-certified CCIE engineers, to help you build and maintain an efficient network infrastructure for your backup/restore solution, and also offers the help of certified CISSP-certified cybersecurity consultants and disaster recovery/business continuity planning experts to help you design a backup/restore solution that meets your business needs and stays within your IT budget.
Because of the diversity of technologies involved in various backup/recovery products, many of them proprietary and/or outdated, moving to a new system can be complex and requires the breadth of knowledge available only from an IT support firm with extensive experience in a wide variety of platforms. Progent has the experience and technical scope needed to help clients understand the technical risks and business benefits of migrating to a new backup platform and can help you plan and execute a move to a solution that adds significant business value to your information network. Progent's experience with mixed-platform environments can be especially helpful for companies whose backup systems have evolved piecemeal over the years or who are undergoing consolidations, acquisitions, or operating system upgrades.
Progent's disaster recovery planning professionals can show you how to design a business continuity strategy in order to resume IT operations in the event of an information network catastrophe. Progent can assist you to define a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy that incorporates periodic disaster recovery evaluations and testing. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-certified professionals can also help you build an affordable, zero-downtime system architecture that takes into account reliability issues covering a broad range of infrastructure technologies and procedures. For details, see Disaster Recovery Consulting Services.
ProSight Data Protection Services offer small and mid-sized businesses an affordable end-to-end solution for secure backup/disaster recovery (BDR). For a low monthly cost, ProSight DPS automates your backup processes and allows rapid recovery of vital files, applications and virtual machines that have become unavailable or corrupted as a result of hardware failures, software glitches, disasters, human mistakes, or malware attacks such as ransomware. ProSight Data Protection Services can help you back up, retrieve and restore files, folders, apps, system images/, plus Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware images/. Important data can be backed up on the cloud, to an on-promises storage device, or mirrored to both. Progent's BDR specialists can provide world-class support to configure ProSight DPS to be compliant with regulatory requirements such as HIPPA, FIRPA, and PCI and, when necessary, can help you to recover your business-critical information. Find out more about ProSight Data Protection Services Managed Cloud Backup.
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery/business continuity experts can help you to design a disaster recovery system based on Microsoft's most advanced Failover Clustering technologies such as Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade for non-disruptive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for zero-data-loss recovery, Storage Spaces Direct for enterprise-class network-attached storage using commodity equipment, VM Load Balancing for enhancing the speed and resilience of Failover Clusters while reducing capital investment and management overhead, and Cloud Witness for fast, affordable creation of a failover cluster quorum arbitration point. For more information, visit Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Consulting.
Windows Server 2008 R2 introduced world-class availability and system recovery to Microsoft's failover clustering solution. Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 builds on this foundation and delivers significant new and enhanced features offering increased expandability, better storage uptime for server applications, simpler administration, quicker failover, and additional options for architecting clusters. For details, see Windows Server 2012 Clustering Consulting Services.
VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is an extension to VMware vCenter that allows you to specify, automate and verify a repeatable workflow for recovering services quickly following a breakdown. Site Recovery Manager provides centrally managed and automated disaster recovery, application mobility, plus transparent site migration, failback and site re-protect. SRM also enables non-disruptive testing for site recovery, upgrades and patches and can produce audit reports to verify complete service recovery, validate Service Level Agreements and prove DR compliance. Progent can provide the skills of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consultant to assist you to plan, configure, test and maintain a disaster recovery solution powered by VMware SRM.
NetApp MetroCluster is a high-availability and disaster recovery software suite that uses failover storage clustering along with synchronous replication to deliver fast, zero RPO disaster recovery between sites that are up to 185 miles apart from each other. Progent offers the skills of a NetApp MetroCluster expert who can assist your business to design, deploy, administer, update, test and repair a disaster recovery solution built around NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can help you to choose an architecture for your MetroCluster deployment that meets your functional requirements and budget. Progent can ensure you adhere to best practices for installing your MetroCluster solution by providing help with tasks like assigning shelf IDs, determining aggregate and plexes layout, setting up FlexVol volumes, setting up NetApp Snapshot, installing switches, implementing a tiebreaker, designing a configuration replication network, and testing your disaster recovery solution to verify compliance with information assurance standards and regulatory requirements.
Progent provides high availability load balancing support covering system load balancing, load balanced applications, LAN/WAN backbone routing, and content dispatching technology such as F5 Networks 3DNS. High availability load balancing solutions for which Progent can provide consulting expertise include Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Server Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Access Suite and Access Gateway, Cisco CSS, Cisco Distributed Director and LocalDirector 400 series, and F5 Networks 3-DNS. For more information, see Fault Tolerant Load Balancing.
Progent's Data Center consultants can help you find high availability data centers that match the particular requirements of your company. High availability collocation sites are especially appealing to small and mid-size organizations because of their affordability and convenience in comparison to taking a do-it-yourself strategy. Attempting to design an on-site data center with even a basic level of fault tolerance is too expensive for the majority of small companies. Progent is ready to help you reap all the advantages of high-availability colo sites by offering a full array of engineering and maintenance services. To find out more, go to Fault Tolerant Internet Data Centers Solutions.
Progent's multi-site network infrastructure consultants can help companies achieve non-stop branch office connectivity by means of fully redundant networks featuring transparent failover. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE engineers can plan and deploy ultra-reliable Inter-office connections supported by fault tolerant EIGRP network routers or non-stop OSPF deployment of Cisco routers. Progent can show you how redundant connections and transparent fail-over can provide affordable 24x7 interoffice networking. To learn more, go to 24x7 Interoffice Connectivity.
Progent's Cisco-authorized IT consultants can help you create an economical, fault tolerant Internet connection solution that can achieve 24x7 Internet connectivity via a wide array of high availability Internet network solutions including fault tolerant BGP, automatic fail-over, and redundant ISPs. Progent can provide Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert consultants to show you how to utilize the most advanced techniques for high availability Internet connectivity to build a cost-effective, completely redundant Internet interface with automatic failover and other capabilities to create non-stop Internet access. To find out more, go to Fault Tolerant Internet Connectivity Architecture.
Progent's certified Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager consultants can assist you to create a practical disaster recovery plan, implement a cost-effective fault-tolerante network infrastructure, deploy a Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager-powered backup and recovery solution, thoroughly validate your DPM system, train your IT personnel or regular service providers how to maintain Microsoft SCDPM, or provide extensive information technology outsourcing including remote housing of virtual or physical SCDPM servers in Progent's world-class data center facility. To find out more, visit Microsoft SCDPM Consulting Services.
Barracuda Backup is a low-cost, subscription backup/restore service for small and mid-size businesses. A Barracuda Backup solution can incorporate a purpose-built hardware storage device built by Barracuda or a software-based appliance with comparable features but which uses your own storage infrastructure. Barracuda Backup protects vital business data generated on-premises, at one or more remote sites, or in the cloud. For disaster protection, you can replicate data to the Barracuda Cloud, to Amazon AWS, or to any site with a Barracuda Backup appliance. Progent is a Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consultants can provide a broad array of consulting services to assist your business to plan, configure, manage and troubleshoot a backup and disaster recovery solution built on Barracuda technology. For more information, see Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.
Altaro VM Backup software provides small and mid-size businesses a reliable and affordable platform for backing up and recovering Hyper-V and VMware-powered virtual machines (VMs). Altaro VM Backup can be deployed in on-premises, remote, multi-site, and cloud architectures and also supports low-cost backup to Microsoft Azure storage. Top features include state-of-the-art inline deduplication to cut backup storage needs, Continuous Data Protection (CDP) with backup spacing as low as five minutes for reducing your Recovery Point Objective, military-grade encryption, granular restore capability for specific files and emails, support for Windows Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) and VMware vCenter for handling larger deployments, and support for Microsoft VSS technology to back up online VMs with zero downtime. Progent is a certified Altaro partner and can provide a wide array of consulting services to assist you to plan, install, manage and troubleshoot a backup/restore system based on Altaro VM Backup. To learn more, go to Altaro VM Backup Consulting Services.
Double-Take offers a family of tools designed to deliver small and midsize companies a range of affordable alternatives for backing up and recovering business-critical workloads such as Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, RIM Blackberry, and Microsoft SharePoint. Progent's disaster recovery planning experts have in-depth experience incorporating Double-Take products into small business information systems to achieve a high level of availability and disaster recovery readiness at a budget-friendly cost. To learn more, go to Consulting Services Double-Take Software for Backup.
The CRISC certification program was initiated by ISACA to validate an IT professional's skills to design, deploy, and maintain information system controls to reduce network risk. Progent offers the expertise of a CRISC-certified engineer to assist your company to create and carry out a workplace continuity or disaster recovery plan based on leading practices identified by CRISC and geared to match your organization's risk tolerance, business goals, and IT budget. To learn more, visit CRISC-certified network risk mitigation experts.
Since Progent is a Microsoft Partner and offers specialized application expertise for a broad variety of business applications, Progent can assist customers to arrive at comprehensive information technology solutions that maximize the business value of your IT network. As a Registered Partner with Cisco, Progent can provide the expertise of certified consultants and specialists with expertise in designing, implementing and troubleshooting networking environments built on Cisco products. The breadth of Progent's IT experience and Progent's sensitivity to the requirements of small and midsize companies make Progent the ideal resource for creating and maintaining an affordable, fault-tolerant network.
In order to contact Progent about technical assistance for business continuity solutions, phone 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.


text:
Modelling at PML
Research sectors
Predicting change
ERSEM
Physical models and couplers
Climate change, and associated phenomena, is one of society's key concerns. Understanding what may or may not happen under future climate scenarios, and thereby identifying adaptation and management strategies, is of prime importance. We have pioneered the development of climate forced regionally downscaled ecosystem models. Our models allow us to assess the impact of climate change at different scales from global oceans over regional seas to coasts and estuaries, applied in a variety of ways to explore impacts of ocean acidification, changes in ecosystem habitats, eutrophication and impacts of benthic trawling.
Climate response
We use our models to project the future evolution of marine systems under a changing climate in order to understand the extent of these changes and quantify potential impact on society.
The increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resultant connected changes, such as temperature rise, are expected to drive substantial alterations in marine ecosystems by affecting the physical and biogeochemical state of the ocean. Our models suggest that this will lead to considerable changes in marine systems with a general shift of warmer waters towards the poles resulting in a reduction of biological productivity across the marine food web. These changes are expected to have substantial knock-on effects on essential ecosystem services provided by the ocean, such as fisheries, tourism and carbon sequestration.
Our interdisciplinary team includes scientific experts in a variety of fields ranging from sea-water chemistry and cell physiology, ocean physics and marine ecology to fisheries and socio-economics. Applying our unique suite of model systems along with advanced statistical analysis tools, machine learning and neural network techniques we can develop understanding, assessment and quantification of the impacts of climate change at all levels from biogeochemical cycles over the marine food-web to the impacts on human activities.
Please contact: Yuri Artioli
Chust et al. 2014. Biomass changes and trophic amplification of plankton in a warmer ocean. Glob Change Biol 20, 2124–2139, doi:10.1111/gcb.12562
Holt J, Butenschön M, Wakelin SL, Artioli Y, Allen JI. 2012. Oceanic controls on the primary production of the northwest European continental shelf: model experiments under recent past conditions and a potential future scenario. Biogeosciences 9, 97–117, doi:10.5194/bg-9-97-2012
Holt J, Allen JI, Anderson TR, Brewin R, Butenschön M, Harle J, Huse G, Lehodey P, Lindemann C, Memery L, Salihoglu B, Senina I, Yool A. 2014. Challenges in integrative approaches to modelling the marine ecosystems of the North Atlantic: Physics to fish and coasts to ocean. Progress in Oceanography, North Atlantic Ecosystems, the role of climate and anthropogenic forcing on their structure and function 129, Part B, 285–313, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2014.04.024
Fernandes JA, Cheung WWL, Jennings S, Butenschön M, de Mora L, Frölicher TL, Barange M, Grant A. 2013. Modelling the effects of climate change on the distribution and production of marine fishes: accounting for trophic interactions in a dynamic bioclimate envelope model. Global Change Biology 19, 2596 – 2607. doi:10.1111/gcb.12231
Show more publications
Evolution of the biogeography of the North Atlantic under unmitigated climate change. The biogeography is represented by areas of distinct environmental conditions also referred to as biomes.
Note the extension of the less productive sub-tropical biome towards mid-latitudes (light green) and the reduction of the productive subpolar biomes (orange and yellow).
EURO-BASIN
Marine Ecosystem Evolution in a Changing Environment (MEECE)
Vectors of Change in Oceans and Seas Marine Life, Impact on Economic Sectors (VECTORS)
Ocean Acidification (OA) refers to the increase in acidity of seawater as a result of the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The consequences on marine organisms are not fully understood yet, however there is clear evidence that some species will suffer, particularly small shelled organisms such as crustacean and bivalves. Changes to ocean chemistry can damage their shells with resultant effects for the whole marine food and potential consequences for human activities (e.g. fishing and aquaculture). There is also evidence that some phytoplankton may benefit from increased CO2 whilst some may not. The resulting change in community structure and phenology is likely to have impacts the filter through the whole system.
Modelling how the acidity of the ocean will change and resulting biological impacts, especially at regional scales, allows us to better understand the consequences of Ocean Acidification. This is vital in order to assess its impact on the human society and plan potential adaptation strategies.
Please contact: Yuri Artioli or Jerry Blackford
EPOCA (European Project on OCean Acidification)
UKOA (UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme)
Artioli Y, Blackford JC, Nondal G, Bellerby RGJ, Wakelin SL, Holt J, Butenschön M, and Allen JI. 2014. Heterogeneity of impacts of high CO2 on the North Western European Shelf. Biogeosciences 11:601-612.
Queirós AM, Fernandes JA, Faulwetter S, Nunes J, Rastrick SPS, Mieszkowska N, Artioli Y, Yool A, Calosi P, Arvanitidis C, Findlay HS, Barange M, Cheung WWL and Widdicombe S. 2015. Scaling up experimental ocean acidification and warming research: from individuals to the ecosystem. Global Change Biology 21:130-143.
This video shows the difference in pH (the indicator of the level of acidity, a decrease in pH corresponds to increase in acidity) in the North Western European Shelf as projected for the end of the century by models in use at PML.
Scaling climate response
Climate change is expected to drive substantial environmental changes across the entire planet. These changes have been extensively investigated and reported at a global scale by the use of Earth System Models e.g. in the Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In contrast, comparatively little information is available at regional and local scales. Information on changes at these smaller scales has become increasingly important to help understand the underlying mechanisms of change and to deliver specific guidance on the development of strategies to address and mitigate climate change at international, national and regional levels.
We aim to address these issues by maintaining a cascade of models that allow us to assess the impact of climate change from global oceans over regional seas to coasts and estuaries.
MEECE (Marine Ecosystem Evolution in a Changing Environment)
VECTORS (Vectors of Change in Oceans and Seas Marine Life, Impact on Economic Sectors)
Barange M, Merino G, Blanchard JL, Scholtens J, Harle J, Allison EH, Allen JI, Holt J and Jennings S. 2014. Impacts of climate change on marine ecosystem production in societies dependent on fisheries. Nature Clim. Change 4, 211–216. doi:10.1038/nclimate2119
Holt J, Allen JI, Anderson TR, Brewin R, Butenschön M, Harle J, Huse G, Lehodey P, Lindemann C, Memery L, Salihoglu B, Senina I, Yool A. 2014. Challenges in integrative approaches to modelling the marine ecosystems of the North Atlantic: Physics to fish and coasts to ocean. Progress in Oceanography, North Atlantic Ecosystems, the role of climate and anthropogenic forcing on their structure and function 129, Part B, 285–313. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2014.04.024
Wakelin SL, Artioli Y, Butenschön M, Allen JI and Holt J. 2015. Modelling the combined impacts of climate change and direct anthropogenic drivers on the ecosystem of the northwest European continental shelf. Journal of Marine Systems 152:51-63. doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2015.07.006
This animation shows the different levels of detail included in the PML model suite.
© Plymouth Marine Laboratory 2021

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The project featured a series of events, plus online discussion and collaborative activities.
How can the creativity of interested communities be unlocked for maximum benefit? To what extent can the creativity of enthusiasts be channelled and organised to achieve specific goals? What is the role of the professional producer as they find themselves in a community of enthusiast producers, fans, and other practitioners?
How can communities create new business relationships which work towards sustaining the community, rather than sustaining any given business model or relationship? How do we deal with the profound challenges to ownership rights across the cultural industries, which have been created by digital transformations in the roles and relationships of creators, curators, sponsors and audiences?
Digital platforms enable communities to aggregate and curate content created by a wide range of professional, semi-professional and amateur participants. Design makes a real difference: why is it, for instance, that members of the knitting network Ravelry tend to have a much higher quality of supportive conversation than the remarks on YouTube? How can we build sustainable cultural production and support creative curation?
This was followed by Henry Jenkins talk and discussion in the evening, at University of Westminster.
How can we use digital tools to explore knowledge in new ways, and translate ideas and materials into digital arenas in order to gain new understandings? How can communities of digital participants transform their own learning, and that of others? What are the uses and implications of this for museums, schools, and universities? How can learning in the arts and humanities be enhanced by online creative participation?
Photo by Flickr user marcus_jb1973. Some rights reserved under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0 licence.


text:
Pompeo to meet Taliban in Doha in effort to revive peace talks
Apr 11, 2020 • by admin
Mike Pompeo has flown to Doha to meet senior Taliban officials after talks with the Afghan government in Kabul as part of a mission to salvage a .
The US secretary of state's decision to make the trip despite the state department's warning to all Americans to avoid foreign travel reflects the importance the administration puts on saving the 29 February , which was meant to lead to talks between Kabul and the Taliban on Afghanistan's future.
Pompeo, who faces over the state department's handling of the pandemic, was to meet the chief Taliban negotiator, Mullah Baradar, after spending nearly nine hours on Monday in the Afghan capital with the incumbent president, Ashraf Ghani, and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who is disputing Ghani's official victory in last year's elections. Both men have held their own separate inauguration ceremonies.
Morgan Ortagus, the state department spokeswoman, said Pompeo was meeting Baradar "to press the to continue to comply with the agreement signed last month".
The rift in Kabul and the breakdown of a planned prisoner exchange with the Taliban have stalled progress towards peace talks following the agreement of the temporary ceasefire, under which the Taliban said it would not attack US troops as they withdrew from the country.
US and allied troops have begun their withdrawal, but Taliban attacks on Afghan targets have and there is no immediate prospect of political negotiations between the insurgents and government officials that were supposed to start on 10 March.
The two sides held talks via Skype on Sunday, but there was no sign of a breakthrough on the core disagreement. The Afghan government wants a staggered release of prisoners, but the Taliban are demanding that Kabul free 5,000 of its fighters at once, as the US agreed in February – apparently without full consultation with the Afghan government.
The official number of coronavirus cases in stands at 34, but testing there is limited and the disease is expected to be much more widespread, posing dangers of an epidemic among prisoners in particular.
"Everyone clearly understands the coronavirus threat makes prisoner releases that much more urgent," the US special envoy for Afghan peace talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, said in a tweet.
Pompeo staked his diplomatic reputation on , which he signed in Qatar on behalf of the US. He took the decision to fly at a time when face-to-face diplomacy has been reduced to a minimum. The state department has urged US citizens not to travel abroad.
Press reports have quoted US diplomats as complaining that they have not received clear guidance from the state department on how to handle the crisis, leaving embassies to come up with their own procedures. There has also been criticism over delays in repatriating US citizens trapped abroad. On Monday, the state department said it had brought more than 5,700 Americans home from 17 countries.
The first confirmed coronavirus case at state department headquarters in Washington was confirmed on Thursday, and department officials told congressional staff on Friday that fewer than 10 foreign service officers had been confirmed as Covid-19 positive. Most Washington staff are now working from home, but have been told that any time spent on childcare will be deducted from their pay.
"We're trying to get clarity," a US official said. "We don't have enough information, frankly, from the leadership, and we're looking for more transparency and more information about what's going on."
"What we're asking for is basically facts and figures," the official continued. "We still don't know exactly how many members of the foreign service have been confirmed positive."
Eric Rubin, president of the American Foreign Service Association, said: "Our foreign service colleagues serving around the world are anxious for details about the spread of the virus and how it has affected Americans serving their country overseas.
"We have called on the leadership of our agencies to provide maximum transparency, and to share as much information as possible with our colleagues, while respecting confidentiality concerns. No one is asking for zero risk, and in fact our foreign service is committed to serving in dangerous and unhealthy situations when it is necessary to defend our country and its interests.
"At the same time, our people need to know that their leadership has their backs, and will do everything possible to keep them informed and supported in this difficult time."
Diplomats deemed to be at high risk from the disease have been told they can leave their posts, but it has been left unclear which jobs, if any, they would be returning to, .
Pompeo did little to allay claims of absent leadership during the health emergency when he posted personal tweets over the weekend of his family .
"Pro tip: if you're missing the beach, just throw on Top Gun!" he said.
Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo)
Come down from my office only to find that Susan and Nick have almost finished without me! ��
#Pompeo #Taliban #Afghan #Kabul #Americans
US to cut $1bn of Afghanistan aid over failure to agree unity government
Afghanistan braces for coronavirus surge as migrants pour back from Iran
'It has rarely been more dangerous to be working in the field of aid'
Taliban refuses to talk to Afghan government's negotiating team
Test submit content from hatforrent
Refugee artist's blank postcards send message about attitudes to asylum seekers
19 Police, 7 Soldiers Killed in Taliban Attack in Helmand
12 schoolgirls trampled to death in Afghanistan earthquake
AFGHAN CYCLES - DOCUMENTARY ABOUT WOMEN'S CYCLING TEAM
Russia hosts talks between Taliban and Afghan peace council Konstantin Kilimnik: elusive Russian with ties to Manafort faces fresh Mueller scrutiny


Upset stomach? Bloated Buddha belly?
No one likes that! Here's the remedy… and it actually tastes good too. The combination of these powerful healing herbs make will make your belly very, very, very happy!
Mint: Known to help IBS symptoms, most forms of lower intestinal digestion issues and may boost brain function.
Lemon balm: A member of the mint family, it eases stress, anxiety, insomnia, cold sores, high cholesterol, heartburn and indigestion.
Lemongrass: High in anti-oxidants, it also has a cooling energy which helps to soothe the belly and keep digestion running smoothly. Lemongrass after a meal is an ancient Chinese medicine remedy for most stomach issues related to digestion.
Calendula: High in anti-inflammatory properties especially related to the gut, but also for issues like ear infections, diaper rash, dermatitis, ear infections, ulcers, sore throats and more. It's anti-spasmodic, anti-viral and anti-microbial. This is a very under utilized and under valued herb!
Fennel: The classic remedy for wind or as its also called: flatulence or indigestion. It also is known to boost immunity, boost brain function, regulate blood pressure and may reduce heart disease.


DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 30 (Reuters Life!) - The global elite, dining on Norwegian lobster and reindeer at the end of the World Economic Forum on Saturday, felt pretty chipper despite growing concerns about the inequality of the economic recovery.
While they believe the global financial and euro zone debt crises are abating, the real world intruded with a different and much more acute crisis in Egypt that made their debates about inequality and food security less theoretical than anticipated.
This year's four-day talkfest in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos was a fragmented affair.
The issue expected to dominate discussion, the euro zone debt crisis, turned out to be a relatively damp squib, with a growing consensus among bankers and policymakers that a resolution of the issue may be near.
If there was one common strand in Davos this year it was growing divisions — whether between fast-growing emerging markets and sluggish developed world economies, or between rich and poor within countries.
As residents in Cairo and Alexandria counted the cost of a further night of clashes between protesters and police on Saturday, politicians and business leaders urged Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to start a dialogue with his people.
The corporate world is nervous.
Egypt has, after all, been one of the darlings of African and Middle Eastern investors, and the world is stepping into unknown territory with the rapid spread of unrest from country to country, propelled by the Internet and mobile technology.
"The lesson from Egypt is clear: people will no longer accept oppression, particularly when oppression is married with rising food prices, a lack of employment and the destruction of hope for a young generation," Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, told Reuters.
Yet the mood among 2,500 business leaders and policy-makers in Davos was still predominantly positive, albeit tempered with caution after the worst economic slump in 75 years.
"Compared to last year and the year before, there is certainly much greater confidence about stability, more optimism about the global economic outlook," said the International Monetary Fund's first deputy managing director John Lipsky.
For many CEOs and bankers, there is simply the reassurance of having put yet another year's distance between themselves and the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, which brought the world economy to the brink.
As a result, the panicky mood evident at the last two annual meetings in Davos has evaporated and business bosses are starting to look again at spending the trillions of dollars of cash sitting on their balance sheets.
"It is quite obvious that the mood has changed. Everybody is much calmer," said Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg.
As ever, this year's Davos was an eclectic mix, covering everything from macroeconomics to geopolitics to management theory to science.
But there was no single, dominant theme — and Adair Turner, chairman of Britain's Financial Services Authority, reckons that, perhaps, is the most encouraging sign of all.
"It is a thoroughly good thing because when the world gets gripped by one big theme it usually either means there's a big disaster or else people are getting in the grip of some new irrational exuberance," he said.


A classic Cream Ale brewed with 2-row barley, flaked wheat, oats, and crystal malt. We add just enough Saaz and Cascade hops to provide a touch of hop flavor and aroma. The result is an easy drinking ale with a crisp, clean finish.


David is weeping reading this. Yes, this is an entire Triple Tangent Twednesday dedicated to cats. I am an 80 year old cat lady stuck inside a 24 year old's body. Help me.
1. My parents and I often go to a trivia game at a nearby restaurant on Wednesday nights. The game always follows the same basic format - it's a three part game, and in the last part, the final question is a "lightning round" question. Usually, it consists of quick glances at several pictures in a row, all of the same category, and each team has to identify the picture. For example, one particularly difficult lightning round consisted of 5 pictures of female singers, all from their high school yearbooks. So you had to look at a picture of some 18 year old girl and try to figure out who she was. I remember that one because I'm still bitter about not being able to identify Ke$ha.
The point is that every single time we go, I always say that the lightning round should be about cats, because it's almost always something that I know nothing about, and if it was cats, I would prove invaluable to my team. Because... I love cats and know way too much about them. Well, tonight, we got to the lightning round and the host announced that the category was CATS. I almost peed myself I was so excited! I started talking about how awesome I was going to be and how nobody else stood a chance! Then he corrected himself and said that the category was cartoon cats. Um... I identified one of them and was not so helpful at all.
Thank goodness I knew who you were, Marie, or I would have had to hide under the table in shame.
2. One of the reasons that I would be an invaluable resource if the lightning round ever was about cats (actual cats, not this cartoon nonsense) is that I seriously loved cats when I was a kid. My family has had many cats over the years, and we actually fostered a couple litters of kittens when I was young. I still have very fond memories of all the feline friends I have known. But I didn't just love my cats, I loved all cats, and cat pictures, and cat stories, and cat books... one of my favorites was a whole encyclopedia of cats, which I swear I read cover to cover 100 times as a child.
Seriously, my life really has always been this interesting.
3. On top of my childhood knowledge, I also have three other people to thank for my cat obsessed brain. During my second Disney internship, three of my roommates were friends from Wisconsin, and all three owned and loved cats. We would share cat videos and cat pictures, and they got me hooked on one of the most addicting shows ever (well, addicting if you, like me, are an old cat lady): Cats 101.
Cats 101 is a wonderful show on Animal Planet that is honestly all about cats. Each episode discusses several different breeds, and highlights the characteristics of the breed, some of its history, and other important details. This show is why I can tell you all about different cat breeds. This show is why I am obsessed with the Oriental Shorthair and Munchkins. This show is why I must have a cat in the near future. This show is also why David is slightly terrified to continue our relationship, because he is allergic to cats and I don't care. I will buy him lots of Kleenex. I will get my cat.
Watch. Have your mind blown. You will thank me.


text:
Lindsay Lohan in Silver
Lindsay Lohan really knows how to sparkle. So to speak. Or literally. Depends on how you look at it.
Rating: 4.2 / 5.0 (10 Votes)
Fame Pictures
Lindsay Lohan Photos
Best of Lindsay Lohan Fashion: Ankle Monitor Style
Lindsay Lohan Nude For 6126 Handbags: Coming Soon, Possibly With Ankle Monitor!
Lindsay Lohan Biography
Lindsay Lohan is a troubled actress that hasn't starred in a mainstream movie in years. The star has been arrested for drug possession... More »
Lindsay Dee Lohan
Lindsay Lohan: I'm Moving Back to America and Re-Launching My Career!
Lindsay Lohan: Did She Just Shade Miley Cyrus & Cody Simpson?
Lindsay Lohan Is Nude on Instagram & Fans Don't Know What to Think
Lindsay Lohan Quotes
Tell him he's f*cking amazing, and I want to meet him.
Lindsay Lohan [on Michael Phelps]
Permalink: Tell him he's f*cking amazing, and I want to meet him.
I just want to live a happy, healthy year and continue on the path I've been on and be with the person I care about and my family.
Permalink: I just want to live a happy, healthy year and continue on the p...
Lindsay Lohan Videos
Lindsay Lohan In a See-Through Dress
Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club Recap: Jonitta Smacks Gabi
Lindsay Lohan: I Never Slept With Jax Taylor!


casting was most appropriate even though it was quite random with many laughs from Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother. After the results of the quizzes, there was a raffle for 'Secret Santa' prizes.
The early part of next year will revert to more regular monthly meetings.
Our December meeting had about it a festive air.
helpers. Transport is provided, businesses donate ingredients etc and a couple of chefs spend their Christmas cooking for everyone. The whole event is enjoyed by all - helpers and guests alike.
Over the last month, one meeting was reduced to only three players so instead of bridge, canasta was the order of the day. This brings to the end of the first full year of this group.
Meeting Point and Time: - Lutterworth Recreation Ground car park at 09.25 to leave at 09.30.
The walk is approx. 5½ miles long and takes in the Great Central walk, Clifton and the Dow Bridge on the A5.
anticipated annual Christmas Lunch at the Queens Head.
We were very fortunate on route, as the temperature rose to see the hoar- frost drop from the bushes and trees like a snow flurry. Quite amazing to see it fall.
The food, welcome and service were much enjoyed by all, so much so that a walk in this vicinity is being sought in readiness for our Christmas Lunch in 2011.
giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed!
discovers a strange new plant which seemed to appear just after an eclipse of the sun! Nurtured by Seymour the plant starts to grow at an alarming rate and attracts a lot of interest – but then he discovers his plant has a rather strange appetite!
dentist, a beautiful blonde with a decidedly tacky taste in clothes and a rather unusual plant called Audrey II! 'Little Shop Of Horrors' will have audiences singing all the way home – but gardening will never quite be the same again"
This show will run from the 18th August until the 11th September 2011 and the cost per seat is around £25.
Not being sure as to the level of interest for this show I have decided, for now, not to make an advanced reservation. If, therefore, you would be interested please let me know a.s.a.p. and I will take the matter from there.
18 members visited the RSC and 13 were first taken up the Tower. This is a new attraction added to the main theatre that allows visitors to enjoy spectacular views over Stratford and the surrounding landscape.
All 18 were then taken in two groups first to see the Swan theatre inside what is left of the old 19th century building, and opened in 1987.
latter has been reduced to a third of its size as a pleasant little café.
The dreaded Balcony seats which, though cheaper did not allow you to hear the plays properly, and were squashed and uncomfortable, have now gone. There is a very up to date lighting system which should be put to good use.
The tour ended by looking at the changes to the front of the theatre complex. Much more of Elizabeth Scott's art deco design have been preserved as her building was a listed grade 11.
The group were very impressed by what they saw, and hope to be able to go to the productions which begin in February with King Lear in the main theatre and Hamlet in the Swan.
brilliant story of love, history and change. Not everybody liked the book and some felt the ending somewhat abrupt, whist others saw this as an opportunity to extrapolate beyond the time frame covered by the book. But all agreed that the descriptive and scene setting elements were well drawn. The characters being particularly believable.
Ten members met for the final group meeting of 2010.
We enjoyed a game of 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' , U3A style.
The group split into teams of two, selected by drawing lots, and each team answered questions from a 'Millionaire' game book.
Sylvia Wilson and Angela White won hands down, only failing on the very last question. Perhaps they should try entering the show for real! Unfortunately for them, no £500,000 was available. However they did both go home with an individual Christmas pudding as a prize.
at School Room, URC, George Street, Lutterworth.
Sue Jones, Gordon Jones,Glenys Peverley and Carol Harrington.
and Win by just 2 points. Well done.
The Winning team won a bottle of nice wine each.
The runners up team, Pessimists from Wycliffe u3a, were Alan Foster, Jean Foster, Dave Smith and Collette Smith.
The Optimists, captained by Eunice Mays, took the *booby prize* of a box of chocolates each.
All participants had a most enjoyable evening and look forward to next year.
There was a surplus of £20.00p, giving a donation of £10.00p to the Social fund of both U3A's.
Thank you everyone for your support. See you all next year.
Ullesthorpe Court Golf Club, tee times from 10 o'clock. The format for the day will be similar to the previous Golf Day at Hinckley G.C.
Full details will be given in the February edition of the Bulletin.


text:
Supreme Court says no to urine sales
WASHINGTON ó A U.S. Supreme Court decision will not dissuade a Marietta, S.C., businessman from continuing to sell from his Hendersonville office kits to fool drug tests. But because of the ruling the kits must lack one particular ingredient ó urine.
Kenneth Curtis lost a Supreme Court appeal that asked for permission to sell his urine, part of a business that caters to people who are trying to beat drug tests.
A 1999 South Carolina law made urine sales illegal, and it was Curtis' challenge of the law that justices refused to review Monday.
Curtis has already figured out a way around the ban, moving his enterprise to an office in Hendersonville. He still has about 500 gallons of frozen stock, which he called, "liquid gold," at his 502 W. Allen St. office.
His lawyer, Robert C. Child III, said in court filings the former pipefitter is simply selling a natural product and is not responsible for how it is used.
"Our government does not require those who sell alcohol to ask their customers if they intend to get drunk and drive, nor do they require those who sell bullets or guns to ask their customers if they intend to kill someone," Child wrote.
For $69, Curtis sells his drug-free urine, along with a small pouch, tubing and a warming packet.
His Web site promises buyers "can use our kit in a natural urinating position ... and you cannot be detected even if directly observed." The site includes a cartoon of a man lowering his pants, then urinating on a police officer's shoes.
Curtis started the sales in 1996. He moved his business, Privacy Protection Services, from Greenville, S.C., to Hendersonville pending the outcome of the challenge.
The South Carolina Supreme Court already rejected his claims that the law was vague, violated his freedom of expression rights and infringed on interstate commerce.
"A statute making it unlawful to defraud a drug test furthers the public purpose of ensuring a drug-free workplace," South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal wrote. "Furthermore, the public purpose of creating safety in the workplace outweighs any legitimate interest, if any, of Curtis in doing business."
The law makes it illegal to give away or sell urine to be used to defraud a drug or alcohol screening test. First-time offenders can be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
In a separate case, the Supreme Court is considering whether schools may give drug tests to nearly any student involved in after-school activities without evidence the student or the school has a drug problem. Arguments in that case are today.
Curtis maintains his service is needed for people who are being forced to submit to unconstitutional tests.
He said the business is actually more of a soapbox from which to air his views rather than a money-making venture.
"Being in business has never been the real business," he said Monday. "We're trying to get South Carolina legislators to do away with urine tests and implement a noninvasive testing procedure."
The case is Curtis v. South Carolina, 01-875.
This story also contains information from the Associated Press.


text:
Q: Make 3 phase motorcycle stator as engine starter I've been studying this for more than a year. I want to make a BLDC controller to start a motorcycle engine, where the power source from a 12 V battery is input into the BLDC driver and then input to the 3 phase stator of the motorcycle which will turn the crankshaft and start the engine.
On several types of motorcycles in my area (Indonesia), they have this feature embedded in the ECU.
Normally when this driver is run it draws around 40 A @ 12 VDC.
When the driver is run for a while at 71 kHz, the gate driver IR2101 always crashes which causes the MOSFET to crash as well.
Can someone correct my schematic below?

 void setup() {
      // INPUT DIGITAL SENSOR A
 pinMode(3, INPUT);
      // INPUT DIGITAL SENSOR B
 pinMode(4, INPUT);
      // INPUT DIGITAL SENSOR C
 pinMode(5, INPUT);
      // OUTPUT DIGITAL PHASE 1 (-)
 pinMode(6, OUTPUT);
      // OUTPUT DIGITAL PHASE 2 (-)
 pinMode(7, OUTPUT);
      // OUTPUT DIGITAL PHASE 3 (-)
 pinMode(8, OUTPUT);
      // OUTPUT PWM PHASE 1 (+)
 pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
     // OUTPUT PWM PHASE 2 (+)
 pinMode(10, OUTPUT);
      // OUTPUT PWM PHASE 3 (+)
 pinMode(11, OUTPUT);
    }
     void loop() {
  TCCR1B = (TCCR1B & 0b11111000) | 2; //frequensi 3.9kHz
  TCCR2B = (TCCR2B & 0b11111000) | 2; // frequensi 3.9kHz

 //step pengaman
if (digitalRead(3)==HIGH){
if (digitalRead(4)==HIGH){
if (digitalRead(5)==HIGH){

digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
                analogWrite(9,0);
                analogWrite(10,0);
                analogWrite(11,0);}}}

 //step pengaman
if (digitalRead(3)==LOW){
if (digitalRead(4)==LOW){
if (digitalRead(5)==LOW){

digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
                analogWrite(9,0);
                analogWrite(10,0);
                analogWrite(11,0);}}}

 //step1 (0)(-)(+) MAJU
if (digitalRead(3)==HIGH){
if (digitalRead(4)==LOW){
if (digitalRead(5)==LOW){

digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,HIGH);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
                analogWrite(9,0);
                analogWrite(10,0);
                analogWrite(11,250);}}}

 //step2 (+)(-)(0) MAJU
if (digitalRead(3)==HIGH){
if (digitalRead(4)==LOW){
if (digitalRead(5)==HIGH){

digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,HIGH);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
                analogWrite(9,250);
                analogWrite(10,0);
                analogWrite(11,0);}}}

 //step3 (+)(0)(-) MAJU
if (digitalRead(3)==LOW){
if (digitalRead(4)==LOW){
if (digitalRead(5)==HIGH){

digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,HIGH);
                analogWrite(9,250);
                analogWrite(10,0);
                analogWrite(11,0);}}}

 //step4 (0)(+)(-) MAJU
if (digitalRead(3)==LOW){
if (digitalRead(4)==HIGH){
if (digitalRead(5)==HIGH){

digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,HIGH);
                analogWrite(9,0);
                analogWrite(10,250);
                analogWrite(11,0);}}}

 //step5 (-)(+)(0) MAJU
if (digitalRead(3)==LOW){
if (digitalRead(4)==HIGH){
if (digitalRead(5)==LOW){

digitalWrite(6,HIGH);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
                analogWrite(9,0);
                analogWrite(10,250);
                analogWrite(11,0);}}}

 //step6 (-)(0)(+) MAJU
if (digitalRead(3)==HIGH){
if (digitalRead(4)==HIGH){
if (digitalRead(5)==LOW){

digitalWrite(6,HIGH);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
                analogWrite(9,0);
                analogWrite(10,0);
                analogWrite(11,250);}}}

}// loop ends

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


There are a total of n/a public schools, n/a private schools and n/a post-secondary schools in Folsom. Using the proficiency score averages, the average test scores for Folsom, LA schools is 78%. The average student to teacher ratio is n/a. In Folsom, LA, an average of 77.7% of students have completed 8th grade and an average of 74.7% have completed high school.
To customize your list of Folsom schools, you can start by sorting the list of schools by proficiency test score, school name or student to teacher ratio. Then you can select the grade levels that you would like to see, these include preschool, elementary, middle school and high school. Next, select the school type from the following options: charter, magnet, title I and title 1. Finally, you are able to filter your results by average proficiency score. Simply select the minimum proficiency score that you would like to see and only schools with that proficiency score or higher will appear on your list of Folsom, LA schools.


The bench also sought response from FIPB,DIPP,DGCA,Jet Airways and Etihad Airways.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on a PIL filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging the Jet-Etihad Airways deal.
A bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Ranjan Gogoi decided to seek response from the Union Government's Finance,Commerce and External Affair Ministries on Swamy's petition alleging that the deal had been allowed by giving a go-by to all rules and norms.
"We have to consider your petition. We will issue notice. Let the other side file their response," the court told Swamy.


text:
New Diagnostic Data From an Old Symptom?
JAMA. 1965;193(6):27-28. doi:10.1001/jama.1965.03090060149039
The cough is one of the most common physiological indicators, yet it has only limited and incidental diagnostic value.
This is due, at least in part, to the lack of an objective, quantitative means of evaluating the cough, says Robert G. Loudon, MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas.
Dr. Loudon, who has spent almost five years studying various aspects of coughing, believes that despite numerous technical difficulties, it should be possible to make a quantitative study of the cough, and perhaps enhance its diagnostic value.
"I think the approach to cough, so far, has been to regard it as a symptom, something of which a patient complains, rather than as a sign, that is, something which a physician can observe," Dr. Loudon told The Journal.
"When you can translate some manifestation of disease from the category of symptoms to the category of signs then you have gained something
New Diagnostic Data From an Old Symptom? JAMA. 1965;193(6):27–28. doi:10.1001/jama.1965.03090060149039


text:
How to deal with the Craig Kelly in your life: a guide to tackling coronavirus contrarians
Matthew Nurse 12/02/2021 10/03/2021 No Comments on How to deal with the Craig Kelly in your life: a guide to tackling coronavirus contrarians
Mike Bowers/courtesy of The Guardian
Australians love a fiery contest, whether on the sporting field or in the corridors of Canberra. Which is why this week's spat between Tanya Plibersek and Craig Kelly, which played out in front of cameras still rolling from the former's media conference, blew up into a big story about the latter.
Plibersek was busy taking Kelly to task for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, and calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to stop him doing it, when it became apparent Kelly was standing just metres away.
In the ensuing three minutes, the two accused each other of spreading misinformation, misrepresenting the science, and failing to protect the Australian community from the COVID pandemic.
Just for the record, Kelly is in the wrong about a lot of the science. During the pandemic he's become a prolific Facebook spruiker of unproven coronavirus treatments such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, while casting doubt on COVID vaccines.
But we're not here to mark report cards. Instead, we want to ask: was Plibersek's approach a sensible way to deal with misinformation?
Win-win for the combatants, but not for science
In political terms, both protagonists scored a win of sorts. Kelly, who is battling to retain his seat, got to look like a fighter who sticks up for his beliefs (which are presumably sincerely held but are way out of step with the science). Plibersek, meanwhile, landed an indirect blow on Morrison, who reacted to the scuffle by briefing the media that he had finally hauled Kelly into line.
Read more: View from The Hill: Craig Kelly set to face preselection reckoning – without prime ministerial protection
Plibersek has no doubt seen how QAnon-inspired conspiracies have divided the US Republican Party, and presumably relishes the chance to sow similar division among the Coalition. (She also pointed out her mother lives in Kelly's electorate, and as such would be vulnerable to the effects of misinformation on his constituents.)
But it's hard to see how any of this really helps the wider public, who need timely and relevant information to help negotiate the pandemic.
As researchers who investigate the intersection between science, communication and politics, we know many of the scientific "debates" prosecuted by Kelly and his fellow contrarians aren't actually aimed at getting to the truth.
As we saw during the interminable climate policy wars, these debates are often matters of personal pugilism rather than objective consideration of the evidence.
Here are some pointers, informed by the evidence, on what to do next time you're faced with a COVID contrarian on your Facebook feed, at a family barbeque, or while roaming the parliamentary press gallery (OK, the latter is probably fairly unlikely).
First, ask yourself whether there's any point engaging at all. While misinformation can be dangerous, especially in a pandemic, some people just aren't open to changing their mind.
Falling on deaf ears? Some people just refuse to be convinced. Shutterstock
Check yourself. We all fall for misinformation sometimes. So before critiquing other people's claims, audit what you think you know to see whether the evidence and the experts back your views. Look at the evidence like a scientist, not a barrister. Barristers are great when you need someone to back you up in court, but their approach typically involves gathering all the evidence to support a particular claim. Good scientists, in contrast, look at all the evidence first, come up with a hypothesis, then test it by looking at all the evidence against it. If this sounds like a lot to manage by yourself, you could see whether the claim has already been fact-checked by a trustworthy source, or ask whether a scientist will check it for you.
Have a specific behavioural objective and tailor your approach accordingly. Are you trying to get someone to wear a mask in crowded places? To get vaccinated? To stop posting false claims on the internet? Having a specific outcome in mind will help you focus your efforts and measure success.
Don't play misinformation whack-a-mole. You could spend years trying to debunk the dodgy claims about COVID-19. Instead, familiarise yourself with the common themes, and learn to recognise the techniques and cognitive tricks that can make misinformation appealing to some people .
Don't just hit them with facts. Facts, while crucial for good policy, are less persuasive than you might think, as any exasperated climate scientist will confirm. Instead, show them how much you care about the issue and focus on earning their trust, which can be far more potent than expertise at changing someone's mind.
Read more: Facts won't beat the climate deniers – using their tactics will
Admit when you don't know something. Don't pretend you're an expert on every facet of the pandemic — nobody is. Instead, use one of the most powerful phrases in science: "I don't know. Let's find out together".
Show you're really listening. You might be surprised to learn that listening can make you more persuasive. Be open to finding out new things, even if all you learn is where your crazy uncle gets his wacky ideas. And ask questions — research shows even this simple act can encourage people to adopt more healthy behaviours.
Keep politics and personal insults out of it. Calling people Sheeple or Karens doesn't win hearts or minds. Treat it as a dialogue, not a slanging match, and be aware things can rapidly become adversarial on social media (and in Canberra corridors).
Read more: To get conservative climate contrarians to really listen, try speaking their language
Don't be impatient. Changing people's behaviours is hard. Otherwise the world wouldn't be in this pickle. It might take a few attempts over the course of a few weeks, or months or years. Or, you know, you might never get there.
Finally, have a pre-prepared exit strategy. If you've realised you're butting your head against a brick wall, bail out gracefully. Honestly, life's too short.
Matt Nurse, PhD researcher, Australian National University and Will J Grant, Senior Lecturer, Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University
Communication misinformation, science, science communication
» Scared of stats? Try Jamovi


text:
Q: what is the best way to combine different JAVA classes in one single class? I have 3 different JAVA classes named as A, B, C . All these classes contain either each other's reference object or a list of objects. My main aim is to combine all these classes into one single JAVA class (A). Please find below the structure:
public class A {

    private B b;
    ...

}

public class B {
    private List<C> c;
    ...

}

public class C{
    private TreeMap<int, int> t;
    ...
}

Since I am new to JAVA , I am not sure how would I combine these together into one single class 'A'? Experts please help me in this case.

A: Here's the class combined [single Java class (A)]:
public class A {
    private A b;
    private List<A> c;
    private TreeMap<Integer, Integer> t
    ...
}

Now, for a little OOP best practices rant. You need to think of each class as having a single responsibility (single responsibility principle). If you say, "this class does this and that". Then it has too many responsibilities. The key word is "and". It implies multiple responsibilities. If you can safely say, each one of these classes share a single responsibility, then I guess it's okay to join them together. However, I'm doubting this is the case. It seems to make more since to keep them split.

A: First of all, your code will not compile, we don't use TreeMap<int, int>, colections only use Objects, it's Javadocs:

A collection represents a group of objects, known as its elements.

Otherwise. your code seems to be good enough, regarding your comment:

simple exercises with JAVA collections and finding out the best
  practices for the same. This problem seems to be list of maps but I
  want to know whether that is the most optimized way of doing it or
  not?

your question has nothing to do with optimized use of collections, but if you are not willing to use class B and class C in other classes, then you can use inner classes like this:
class A {

   private B b;

   class B {
       private List<C> c;
       ....
    }
    class C {
       private TreeMap<Integer, Integer> t;
       ....
    }
}

More informations about how use inner classes, could be found here.


Supply chain manager Gerrit van Keulen has gained years of experience in outsourcing activities in the Netherlands and abroad.
The first contacts with machining companies in central Europe date back to the 90's. During the following period a huge network was built with reliable and high-quality suppliers in the metal industry.
GvK Supply Management offers a solution for the above-mentioned problems. We are equipped with a great variety of selected trustworthy production companies. Not only companies in Central or Eastern Europe, but also in the Netherlands. We provide solutions for companies whom only want single pieces but also for business that are in the small and medium-sized enterprises. Whether it is about big or small components, inclusive or exclusive material, inclusive or exclusive material certificates, inclusive or exclusive surface treatment, inclusive or exclusive transport, GvK Supply Management will arrange it all for you at a sharp price! We will adopt your concerns and accompany the entire process from the beginning till the end, so you will be able to focus on your core business.
GvK Supply Management guarantees the production of high-quality compartments and constructions with short delivery times and lower prices then you are used to.