Yesterday, the government announced a vaccination programme to help combat an outbreak of the deadly W strain of meningococcal disease in Northland. Good, but the programme faces an uphill battle. As the school year ends, the window to use schools as the ideal location for delivering the vaccine is fast closing. The vaccine also requires repeat visits – three injections in all – to be effective. Reportedly, there is also a strong anti-vaccination lobby active in Northland.
The target groups for the vaccination programme are the under fives, and teenagers aged 13-19. The vaccination drive comes in the wake of a recent outbreak of 29 cases of the disease nationwide, seven of them in Northland. Three of the six deaths reported nationwide have occurred in Northland. Despite high international demand for the vaccine, Pharmac and the Health Ministry have managed to locate 20,000 doses so far, with more (potentially) to come – especially if and when the outbreak spreads. At yesterday's media briefing, Health Department officials confirmed that the eradication of the disease is the goal of the vaccine programme, and not merely the minimisation (and slowdown) of its spread.
Eradication though, seems a highly ambitious goal, given that the same officials are expecting a take-up rate of only 80% of the population at risk. Obviously, this is better than nothing but – if experience with other contagious diseases are anything to go by – it would not seem to be high enough to eradicate the threat from the population at risk. Vaccination programmes are crucial to directly reducing the risk of disease to individuals, but they also do so by developing and promoting what is commonly called "herd immunity" within the population at large.
The proportion of the population which must be immunised in order to achieve herd immunity varies for each disease but the underlying idea is simple: once enough people are protected, they help to protect vulnerable members of their communities by reducing the spread of the disease. However, when immunisation rates fall, herd immunity can break down leading to an increase in the number of new cases. For example, measles outbreaks in the UK and pertussis outbreaks in the US have been attributed to declining herd immunity.
Basically… if herd immunity is not achieved, the disease can still find enough vulnerable victims to enable it to linger on and spread to unprotected groups. Therefore, for contagious diseases known to thrive when lots of people are living together in close proximity, a high take-up rate is desirable. Yet it is precisely among people experiencing deprivation and social exclusion that under-immunisation commonly occurs, thus leaving the most vulnerable at greater risk from what are, in essence, vaccine-preventable diseases.
On the upside though, the job has been done before in Northland. Vaccination programmes against earlier strains of meningitis have been successfully carried out in the past, and one can only wish this current effort every success. The vaccinations will begin at selected schools and community centres from December 5 onwards, and will continue until December 21, seven days a week. The take-up rate, especially among those socio-economic groups most at risk in the age ranges that are being targeted, will be crucial.
So British PM Theresa May has finally achieved a deal setting out the terms of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, and that deal is headed for almost certain defeat in the British Parliament on December 11. At which point the financial markets will panic, and amidst that turmoil May – if she still remains the leader of the Conservative Party and PM by that point – will almost certainly bring the deal back into Parliament for a second vote. Paradoxically, the more momentous the December 11 vote can be made to seem, the greater the panic will be afterwards when it loses, thereby making its eventual passage that much more likely. Welcome to the banana republic that is Britain, 2018.
The deal on offer is a total humiliation for Britain. How could it be otherwise when it has essentially written for Britain by EU lawyers. May herself had been too busily engaged in managing the rifts within her own party to concoct and promote a deal that even remotely resembles what the British public thought they were getting when they voted Brexit into existence. Instead, this deal renders Britain subject indefinitely to many of the most deeply loathed aspects of EU membership, yet without any ability now to sit at the EU table, and help determine what form those regulations will take.
Plus ca change. The Conservatives could, of course, treat the December 11 defeat as an opportunity to rid themselves of the deeply unloved Theresa May, and thereby use that second, steadying vote as the launch platform for the nation's next Tory leader. But that could be too much turmoil – Brexit vote lost, PM toppled, sterling in a death plunge, markets in a frenzy, new leader installed etc – for one smallish country situated off the coast of Europe to bear, all in one fortnight.
Emmanuel Macron has said the UK will be trapped in a customs union after Brexit unless Downing Street offers European fishermen full access to British waters during the coming trade negotiations… Macron said the EU's demands on fisheries needed swift resolution after 29 March 2019 or the talks on a wider trade deal would fail leaving the UK in the "backstop" customs union envisioned in the withdrawal agreement.
Oh, and to get her wretched deal over the line, May has also effectively given Spain veto rights over the future of Gibraltar. You'd have to go back to 1066 to find a more comprehensive victory for Europe, over Britain.
In previous times of trial for the Mother Country over the past 100 years, New Zealand has rushed to Britain's aid. Not this time. Uncertain times lie ahead for us too though, post Brexit. At best, it could be 2020 before we will finally have to cope with the reality of life beyond the sheep and beef quota access to UK/EU markets that effectively bequeathed to us as Britain's entry terms when they joined the EEC in 1973. A "no deal" Brexit would expose us to those chilly new winds as early as March next year. Both the EU and the UK want a clean break from their obligations to us.
Right now, the only deal on the table is an offer to split our EU/UK quotas between the two markets according to the historical patterns of trade. We don't like that prospect one bit.
Ah, free trade. It is always so bracing.
In most histories of indie music the Velvet Underground tend to get treated as the origin myth. (Not many early fans, but all of them formed bands etc) Yet in tracing the evolution of the drone from John Cale and the VU through to punk, shoegaze, EDM and beyond, it is easy to overlook the Germans (Can, Faust, Neu! and Kraftwerk) who can equally claim to the source of the Nile in that music history story.
Neu! were formed in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after they'd split from an early incarnation of Kraftwerk. (Conny Plank, their producer was also as crucial to their work as Martin Hannett later was to Joy Division.) Arguably, you can trace Neu!'s 'motorik' beat onwards to Berlin-era Bowie ("Heroes was directly inspired by Neu!'s track "Hero") and to Brian Eno, Joy Division, New Order, Sonic Youth, modern EDM, Daft Punk and shoegaze. Also, those 1960s/70s German bands were a major influence on early hip hop, from Kraftwerk to Arthur Baker, and onwards.


text:
America's Best Shops Vollmer Midlakes
1/30/2020 | 11:00 PM CST
By Dan Miller , Progressive Farmer Senior Editor
Midlakes Custom Services shop (Progressive Farmer image by Mark Moore)
When a younger Greg Vollmer built his shop 10 years ago, he felt like it was about all he could bite off at the time -- honestly, he thought it was more than he could bite off.
But, he soon found the shop too small. That shop got full very quickly, he says. By 2017, he added two additional work bays, a three-office business center with meeting space and laundry, and 70 feet of cold storage.
One regret: Vollmer wishes he had made the shop 80 feet wide instead of 66. We have seven semitrucks, and it's hard to pull them in and still close the doors.
Greg, a seventh-generation farmer, with his wife, Jennifer, operates Midlakes Custom Services, near Hilbert, Wisconsin. Their business is forage, and Midlakes sells to a large customer base of dairies. The business, with eight full-time employees and 20 part-time and seasonal workers, custom-harvests alfalfa from 15,000 acres and corn silage from another 4,500 acres. Vollmer produces both on his own farm of 700 acres.
The new Morton Buildings structure is key to the operation. Its overall purpose is maintenance, Vollmer says. We need to get our equipment in and out fast. When you have that [harvest] window, you have to hit it. The bays are a vital tool in themselves. Vollmer's crew has the space now to tear down equipment and still perform normal maintenance functions all inside. Even when it's midnight, we have to get up and get going, he says.
Midlakes operates a large line of forage harvesters, semi's and tractors to maintain. We do a lot of maintenance in-house, and we need a place to do it, Vollmer continues. Especially in winter, when temperatures drop down to minus-20ËÅ¡F and more.
The following are key pieces -- and good ideas -- from Vollmer's shop:
The shop is accessed from the front by six 16-foot-high overhead doors. One door is 24 feet wide, and it leads to another 24-foot-wide door that steers traffic through the back side of the shop. This lane includes a below-floor maintenance pit. The remaining doors are 28 feet wide.
Vollmer's shop features a large air exchanger. It is an appliance that cleans the shop air of welding and paint fumes and dust.
The shop has an abundance of compressed-air drops. They are not expensive to install, and Vollmer values them highly. They are a hot commodity. Hotter than electricity, he says.
A three-zone in-floor system provides heat for he shop. Vollmer says the heating system is efficient and produces a comfortable heat.
Floor space is lighted by six banks of LEDs, 45 fixtures in all. They throw a highly visible clean light onto the work floor.
Vollmer works to stage his work bays with all the tools needed for the work at hand. That means his workboxes and benches are mounted to wheels. Wheels bring the tools to the work, he says.
(c) Copyright 2021 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.
Dan Miller

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We recommend either the S/Y Philippine Siren, run by the excellent Siren Fleet with their worlwide fleet of dive boats, or Atlantis Azores, run by the excellent Atlantis Resorts in Damuguete and Puerto Galera.
With such a variety of dive sites and seasonal variations, both boats offers different itineraries at different times of year. They rarely converge, with the exception of March, April and May, when both boats can be found to the south, in the Sulu Sea, around Tubbataha National Park, the only months of the year that this area is open for diving.


How do I use your tracks in my video?
Why are there different file types? And which one should I use?
You will see 2 different file types offered for almost all of our tracks, .mp3 and .WAV. We offer these 2 file types to let you choose between speed/simplicity on one hand and the best possible audio on the other: .mp3 files are small and ideal for using if you have a slower internet connection or limited hard drive space and need to deal with small files. .WAV offers you the highest quality, and is considered the "standard" for professional video use. Both files will sound great on most speaker systems, but the .WAV will sound a little better on large speakers such as you'd have in many places of worship. So .mp3 if you absolutely need small files, but we recommend .WAV overall.
Why don't you have hundreds of thousands of tracks like the other royalty-free libraries I have seen?
Our tracks are all less than 2 years old. That means you are getting current-sounding tracks when you sign up, and we will be adding new tracks every month in order to stay current. The "100,000 track" sites often fill their library with music that is 5, 10, or 15 years old because older music has less value commercially and can be obtained for less money.
We created our tracks with the church in mind. If you need a 1970's bell-bottomed disco music track, then you might need to look to another site; but if you need music for your VBS highlight video, child dedication video, announcement video, countdown video, promotional video, or a powerful track specifically made for a video that tells a story of life-change in Christ, we have tracks that were created JUST for those needs.
Fewer tracks saves you time. We're guessing you don't have 10 hours blocked out to select a music track for your video project. Rather than having you rummage through hundreds of tracks to find what you need, we offer you a Simple Track Search that will give you a few great options, or you can just go straight to the album that matches the type of video you're creating. We think you'll find a great track for your video in minutes rather than hours.
Is it really worth $99?
With your Missional Score membership, you'll have complete access to all our of our tracks. With other royalty-free sites charging $49 for a single track, we think Missional Score is an exceptional value for churches.
What are the "packages" that some tracks offer?
Great question! We are really excited about the flexibility and ease-of-use of our packages offered in select albums. The package feature allows you to download 4 separate files and customize the track to the length that works for your video. If you've had a decent amount of experience with video and audio editing, the way these work will come pretty naturally to you. If you're newer to the video creation game, give yourself a little extra time to learn and explore how the files in a package work together to give you the perfect length for your project. The way the Announcement/Interview packages and the Life Change packages work are explained in detail in separate questions below. And remember that ALL of our tracks have a version that is 100% ready to go, just drop it into your timeline, if you find that easier.
How do your Announcement/Interview packages work?
Our Announcement/Interview packages offer 4 files.
Basically, you start with the "Intro/Verse" file, end with the "Chorus/Outro" file, and place the verse and chorus loops in between in whatever order you'd like to create a custom length. Just download the files and drop them in the timeline of your video creation software and they will sound like one continuous track. (We only offer these packages in .WAV format because .mp3 creates gaps between files that will cause stutters.) You can also download any of our Announcement/Interview tracks as a single file…it may work fine for you that way instead of using the package feature.
How do your Life Change packages work?
We are extremely excited about these tracks being available as packages! We have found that most testimony videos fall into a certain general pattern: The problem (which we call Hurting), the transition (Hoping), then the life change part (Healing). We have created these tracks to fit that pattern, and also allow you to easily custom-create the length for "Hurting" section and also "Healing" section. The package for these tracks will include a simple, quieter loop for "Hurting" (Section 1), a longer section, which includes parts of "Hurting", all of "Hoping" and the transition into "Healing" (Section 2), a loop of the "Healing" section that can be used to extend the length of that part if needed (Section 3), and finally a satisfying ending (Section 4). So you'll use Sections 1 and 3 as many times as you need to fit your video, and Sections 2 and 4 you will use just once each. A typical listing of the Sections for a project, therefore, might look like this: 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4. (Alternatively, you can download the entire track as a single file, and it may work well for you just the way it is without using the package feature.) Once you try these, we think you'll see what a great resource they are.
Why do some of the tracks seem repetitive or simple?
We don't think our music tracks need to be "the star of the show." The story that you are telling through video needs to be the star…whether it's an announcement video or a powerful and heart-felt testimony video. We think our music should stay out of the way and support your story, not distract from it. Simplicity and repetition are often great ways to keep the music out of the way of the story, whereas complexity and constant change will tend to distract from the story being told. Put another way, the music should add to the vibe that your story is already creating, not set a vibe of its own.
Many years creating videos has shown us that people won't pay attention to a long promo video or highlight video. Rather than hear and remember, they will actually end up tuning out and forgetting. So the length of these tracks is intentional, to allow you to create a video that is effective and memorable. We highly recommend that you use either our 1 or 2 minute tracks for your promo and highlight videos, and make the content fit into one of those lengths.


Hot & Spicy Hosting You will get 3 Months of Free High Speed Website Hosting with this Website. A $45 Value!
Buy a WordPress Website Design for only $49.99 & we will give you 1 Domain Name & 3 Months of High Speed Hosting absolutely Free.


text:
Local Industrial Strategy
Profitable & Ambitous Businesses
Leading the Circular Economy
Circular Yorkshire
Skilled & Inspired People
Successful & Distinctive Places
A Well-Connected Economy
A64 Growth Partnership
All Funding
Funding to Grow Your Business
Skills Capital Funding
Growing Places Funding
Local Growth Funding
Open Funding
Closed Funding
Governance & Transparency
York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership The Lodge
2 Racecourse Lane
North Yorkshire DL7 8AH
Copyright York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership
Inspiring and Empowering People Inspiring and Empowering Others
Thursday 27th September marked the day of the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership (LEP) 'Inspired People' Skills event. Representatives from skills organisations across the region packed the room at The Hilton hotel to review and celebrate the skills interventions and investments made across York, North Yorkshire and East Riding this year and the invaluable outcomes this has had for the people and communities they support.
David Kerfoot, Chair of the Enterprise Partnership, kicked off the day with a powerful welcome speech. He outlined the importance of the work the LEP does across the region and celebrated those who drive it. He said "Getting the right skills in the right places is so important to the people and places we serve. Skills drive productivity. It is vital that we as a LEP help people achieve their goals; there is a lot of good that comes from giving somebody a chance."
Annabel Jelley, Head of Skills team at the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership, outlined the numbers detailing how people are benefitting from the £30+ million of European Social Fund investment at the LEP has made across the region. Through 87 different skills projects, 7500+ people were supported, 1200+ businesses were supported, 2412 people progressed into jobs and learning and 5000+ qualifications were achieved across the region. Looking into the future is also a major strategic thread for the skills agenda, improving careers advice in schools by launching the careers guidance toolkit and winning a national bid for one of 20 Careers Hubs to be hosted in our region. Alongside this there was investment in support for learning facilities to address current labour market requirements and the removal of barriers to employment for those furthest from the job market, to name a few of the instrumental impacts the LEP and its partners have contributed to across the region.
Delegates heard from a number of inspiring speakers whose organisations and customers have reaped the benefits of direct funding, or partnership working delivered by the YNYER LEP. Some of the highlights of the day included Sam Alexander, CEO of Your Consortium and LEP Board Member and Jacob Hill, Founder of OffPloy.
Sam Alexander led an excellent and interesting talk about Action Towards Inclusion, a three year £7million project managed by Your Consortium and funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund. Action Towards Inclusion supports people in North Yorkshire to achieve their goals. The York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership identified the necessity for skills projects to be tailored to the locality. Action Towards Inclusion works with over 50 local organisations to deliver these projects, helping the LEP deliver wider workforce interventions and investments tailored specifically to the needs of the locality supporting those most distant from work, training or education, whilst also combatting social exclusion barriers such as poverty, financial issues, mental health issues and more.
Jacob Hill held the room with not only an honest and humbling personal account of his conviction and the 28 months he spent in prison, but also about his motivation to turn his life around and his passion for supporting ex-offenders on the outside. Upon his release, Jacob started his own company, OffPloy, which works to support businesses in taking on ex-offenders. He stressed that re-offending is reduced by 20-40% when ex-offenders are in employment. Jacob not only combatted stereotypes of what an ex-offender is, but also highlighted the importance of giving people like him a second chance, something with resonates very well with the LEP's ambition to support those with additional barriers to accessing work and the focus of our upcoming ESF Projects to support businesses with widening their workforce practices. OffPloy is a shining example of an organisation who are trying to turn around the way businesses look at employing ex-offenders and the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership will continue to support the recruitment of people with criminal convictions in future strategy.
Hannah Beever highlighted the YNYER LEP's understanding of the skills employers across the region needs and the projects which are responding to those needs. Jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) are set to grow at double the rate of other occupations between now and 2023 and the LEP are focused on inspiring the future workforce to progress into STEM jobs and to fund programmes which strive to break down barriers in order to allow women in STEM, who are currently heavily underrepresented, to progress in their careers. NYBEP and WISE, two of the organisations delivering projects, demonstrated the impact of engaging female STEM Ambassadors to inspire students in schools. They also showcased the importance of developing lesson resources for teachers which link the national STEM agenda to opportunities in our local area and inspire students about companies on their doorstep which offer amazing career progression in STEM roles.
Thought provoking input from one of YNYER LEP's Enterprise Advisors, Phillipa Bogle, who works with schools to address careers advice, and from Deputy Head at Millthorpe School, Tim Gillbanks, demonstrated the importance of careers education in linking schools to local employers. The LEP celebrated a number of their projects which are delivering on their priority of ensuring young people understand all the career options and local job opportunities available to them. These projects include the Careers Enterprise Company, delivered in partnership with NYBEP and the LEP, and a project by Prospects which is supporting schools to achieve a quality award in good careers guidance. Over 40,000 students have benefited from these investments. Louise Lunn, from the LEP, also announced that the successful work done so far is only set to increase with the launch of a York & North Yorkshire Careers Hub which will support schools with more intensive support and sharing of good practice.
The event clearly demonstrated the YNYER LEP's commitment to supporting employers and individuals with their skills needs. It was encouraging to hear that through their Skills Support for the Workforce programme, managed by Calderdale College, YNYER LEP is uniquely placed, amongst LEP's nationally, in securing capacity to invest in and deliver research and development projects with a clear focus on supporting employers and responding to their future skills needs. Philipa described Outward Academy in Ripon, a school she works closely with, as 'striding forward magnificently,' a phrase that can be applied to the skills team and their work in the region over the last few years. With 4 years of strategic investment behind them, the LEP skills team's work is coming to fruition. The opportunity is for young people and those experiencing social exclusion to look towards a future that offers fulfilling careers, social inclusion, good growth and economic prosperity for everyone.
YOU CAN VIEW THE 2018 SKILLS BROCHURE HERE
York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership
Askew Brook


CLAREMONT, N.H.- Claremont Speedway opened its doors to the 2018 season on a chilly May 4 night with Aaron Fellows, Super Street,; Chris Riendeau, Street Stock; and Josh Rondeau, Wildcat, each earning a stop in Daddy's Pizza Victory Lane.
While none of the trio would hoist a championship trophy 21 weeks later, all three would be back in the winner's circle again, Ascutney's Riendeau scoring an astonishing 11 feature wins before all was said and done. Fellows, despite running only an abbreviated schedule for the Richardson Racing team, would lead his division with five feature victories.
The third-mile oval staged an improbable table-running season of 21 completed events in 21 weeks, twice using its new next-day rain date policy and once running double R.E. Hinkley Super Street features when late-show showers forced the night's final feature to be postponed. After losing seven events to rain a season earlier, the 21/21 campaign was refreshing.
Pepsi Street Stocker Bryan Town, the division's king a decade earlier won on week two, as did Mark McClay in the Super Streets and Rondeau, again, in the Wild Cats. The speedbowl's defending 2017 champs had yet to get untracked.
Zach Lyn, the defending Wildcat king, scored his first victory of the summer on week four. Ricky Bly, who'd earned his career-first Super Street championship in 2017 had yet to tame his new ride, while it's notable that Dylan Bodreau – wheeling Bly's champ car from the previous summer – would take his first of three victory laps on week seven.
Bly finally put it all together on week 11, topping the Mike Richardson Memorial segment race and, although it was a non-points event, the Sunapee speedster showed all on hand that the king was back. At the half-season mark, Town and Riendeau were firmly locked in a battle for the crown vacated by Tyler Janovsky last September. It was an epic back-and-forth that would continue until the final lap of the season.
When the 20th event of the season was completed on September 21, Lyn – with six feature wins under his belt – had already clinched his second consecutive T-Bird Mini Mart Wildcat championship. Bly and Town held slim leads in their respective points chases, with both Bodreau and Riendeau hoping for big things in the season's 21st and final night of racing.
Both would score feature wins in the finale, but Bly and Town each earned runner-up trophies to end their hard-fought campaigns as track champions.
Bly earned his second title by a slim, 911-904, margin when 21 weeks of racing had been completed. Town's 2018 championship summer was even more of a nail biter, as the hometown pilot edged Riendeau by only two markers, 1,015-1,013. Had he dropped a single position in any of the season's 21 feature races, he and Riendeau would have ended the summer tied.
Bly, Town, and Lyn will each celebrate their championship season when the third-mile speedplant holds its annual awards banquet. Feted as Rookies of The Year will be Matt Sonnhalter, Super Street; Robbie Streeter, Street Stock; and Kyle Templeton, Wild Cat. Templeton, a four-time 2018 feature winner, finished second to Lyn in the points parade.
Other significant feature winners during the 2018 speedway season included Grantham's Mike Willis Jr., who won a 100-lap Tri-Track Modified Series event in late May, Nutmeg State open-wheel star Ronnie Silk, the winner of two extra distance, big money Modified shows, Maniac Jacob Dore, victorious in the Granite State Pro Stock Series biggie, and Emerson Cayer, who pocketed more than $3,000 for his win in the NEMST Four-Cylinder Nationals race in September.
Another notable September achievement was the presentation of $2,000 to the Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center from the Claremont Speedway family, an annual endeavor of the third-mile oval's management, competitors, and fans.
SUPER STREET: Aaron Fellows (5), Ricky Bly (4), Dylan Bodreau (3), Mark McClay (3), Ben Poland (2), Hayden Scott, Joe Brown, Craig Smith, Ryan Bell.
STREET STOCK: Chris Riendeau (11), Bryan Town (6), Dave Greenslit (2), Lenny Silver, Kenny Thompson Jr.
WILDCAT: Zach Lyn (7), *Kyle Templeton (4), Josh Rondeau (3), Kodi Sabins (2), Kyle Buck, *Victor Branch, *Jon Alden, *Cody Schoolcraft. * Denotes rookie driver.
SUPER STREET: Ricky Bly, Dylan Bodreau, Ben Poland, Craig Smith, Mark McClay, Alex Poisson, Tyler Lescord, Ken Fowler, Tyler Searles, Joe Brown.
STREET STOCK: Bryan Town, Chris Riendeau, Lenny Silver, Dave Greenslit, Robbie Streeter, Briana Akusis, Kenny Thompson Jr., Chris Colburn, Nick Little, Mike Salois.
WILDCAT: Zach Lyn, Kyle Templeton, Kyle Currier, Raven Streeter, Chris Carver, Jim Carley, Victor Branch, Jon Alden, Haydon Grenier, Seth Melcher.


Jeanne Bergeron Receives ABWA CCC's President's Certificate of Merit.
Community Business Finance is pleased to share a recent accolade for Jeanne Bergeron, our Business Development Director – Louisiana. Jeanne was the May recipient of the President's Certificate of Merit from ABWA Crescent City Connections Express Network. Jeanne was honored for her contributions as a charter member of the chapter, offering her time and services to help the organization grow.
Read more about Jeanne Bergeron Receives ABWA CCC's President's Certificate of Merit.
You may not realize how much money your business is losing every year simply by leasing your office space. It is not just the annual rent increases or the rising utility costs of aging building systems. By not owning your business property, you are forfeiting substantial financial benefits that could significantly impact your business.
At Community Business Finance, we offer both popular SBA loan guarantee programs: 504 and 7(a). While there is some overlap, these programs were designed for different business needs, with different goals in mind. The 504 loan is intended for economic development; therefore, its use is restricted to real-estate and fixed asset purchases, as these could promote job creation. The 7(a) loan can be used for working capital for almost any business expense. The 7(a) loan can also be used for real-estate loans, but the 504 loan is clearly better suited for this need.
Bill Ebersole explains how Community Business Finance can help borrowers when they are considering a business loan in Texas or Louisiana. Lenders do not always present all the available loan options to borrowers. This is where Community Business Finance can help. We will explain all of the loan options, help you find a suitable lender, or assist your chosen lender in structuring SBA loans properly.


Fröhlich has more than 20 years of professional experience in space and security systems. Prior to leading WORK Microwave, he held engineering, project management, and executive positions for the Airbus Group in Germany and France. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. in engineering from the Technical University of Munich.


Mercedes CLS hit a kerb?
Mercedes Forum: Mercedes CLS hit a kerb?
I hit a kerb yesterday when parking (as the road is narrow and I needed to mount the kerb), I think I was doing 5-10mph max, as I was slow, and then mounted the kerb at a slow speed, the driver side wheel made a noise when mounting. After I drove off again on my journey, the car now makes a noise between 25 - 40mph which sounds like I am running a flat tire and it is coming from the wheel, almost a rotating sound which I can feel under my feet. I called out the AA who said there was no puncture or damage to the wheel, but advised me to get my wheel's aligned. I took it to Kwik Fit this morning and got them aligned, the mechanic said they were out, but this has not fixed the problem, and after that wheel alignment, I think my car is veering to the left. I don't know what it could be. My steering wheel does not vibrate at all, it simply sounds like I am running a flat.
Any idea's what this could be as I recently bought the car (2 weeks ago) and am really upset, that a stupid mistake has ruined my weekend! Any thoughts on what it may be will be appreciated.


Time to time there once in a while, a person who comes along who has such a major impact on the world that change the course of history like Jesus, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and many others.
Gautama Buddha was an Indian religious teacher, philosopher and historical founder of Buddhism. He is known as super being and human spiritual teacher.
Gautama Buddha lived between 563 to 483 BC at famous place which is known as the Indo-Nepalese region. He was born as Siddhartha Gautama in the northern India near the town of Kapilawaththu but after seven days of his birth his mother died. Most of the people believe that when he was only seven days old then he was able to walk and talk.
In his childhood days he dwells on the great religious question and at the age of 29, he made a bold love. His father worried about the problem of Buddha that is the death of injustice so, he built a separate place for him that surrounded with distracting things like luxury goods in order to prevent him.
After the age of 29 he began a searching to the answer of those questions that bothered him. Gautama tried to do an experiment for seven years but most of the people not accept that thing.
In a great night of deep meditation, he deals with the real question of his life those about the religious, death, injustice… This incidence confirmed the truth of his insight and that point he became "The Buddha".
Some people believed that, at the moment of Buddha's education he was entitled to its instant rewards. It means that his teaching would never have been made known to other. After some time Buddha has decided to bring some massage to other out of his love and concern to all people. Its shows the formal teaching was just the beginning.
His education all about the future hopes. He taught that every human being need to through his own effort to obtain control of himself to his ideas and passion or his destiny, regarding of his social position or past life.
The main thing about Buddha that, his caring for other people, love and none-jury to living creature and he always promote friendship and peace. His teaching helps universal standards of behavior and improving the relationship or social order.
He started his missionary work soon after a handful follower and offering the teaching to all of them who want to listen and understand. Due to this his followers grew and his community Sangha become more organized and gain more popularity.
Probably good number of basic institutional had set by the time of Buddha death, at the age of 80.
Buddhism is founded by Buddha Shakyamuni who lived and taught in India more than 500 years ago. He revealed the pure spiritual that followed by millions of people around the world.
Buddhist tells about how to live life with peace, loving kindness and wisdom is just as relevant today as it was in ancient India.
Mahatma Buddha play important role in Buddhism, he explained all states of mind or our problem like suffering arise from our negative state of mind and confused mind or all our happiness and good fortune arise from positive state of mind.
By his teaching, he told about all methods to gradually overcoming our negative mind like anger, confusion, jealously and other or developing from our positive state of mine like love, peace, wisdom and other….through that we will come and feel lasting peace or happiness. These method works for all people in all over the world.
Meditation is the way of life and method for understanding the working of our own mind. We first learn to identify the negative energy or states called delusion after that we learn about how to develop peaceful and positive mental states that called 'virtuous minds'.
Now We try to overcome our delusion by becoming familiar with the virtuous mind. In meditation we try to maintain the virtuous minds even we have solved the problem of daily life by use wisdom.
If our mind becomes more positive then our action become more constructive and our experienced of life become more satisfying and helpful to other.
Any person can learn basic meditation techniques but to get progress beyond basic meditation needs faith in three jewels Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
Here is the inspiring and motivational story about Buddha life. Hope you enjoyed it!!!


text:
Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea by train
Travelling from Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea by train
Fast trains from Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea take around 3 hours and 57 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 195 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between Stoke-on-Trent and Swansea.
1. Are there direct trains from Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea?
Journeys between Stoke-on-Trent and Swansea usually involve one change of train.
We usually find around 27 departures on the route from Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea every weekday that leave enough time to change trains without waiting around for longer than necessary.
2. How long is the train journey from Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea?
The Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea train travel time is normally about 3 hours and 57 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.
3. What are the Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea train times and schedule?
On weekdays the earliest train to Swansea is usually scheduled to depart Stoke-on-Trent around 06:07 and the last train is around 22:47. At weekends the first train of the day leaves Stoke-on-Trent around 06:08, and the last at 22:41.
When to book Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea train tickets?
Trains in the UK usually open for booking around 3 months in advance. If booking is not yet open for your dates then you can set a booking alert to receive an email on the day that the cheapest tickets are released for your journey from Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea by train.
Which train companies operate between Stoke-on-Trent and Swansea?
More than one train company operates on the route from Stoke-on-Trent to Swansea, so you'll be travelling with one or more of the following rail operators:
Swansea to Stoke-on-Trent by train
Other journeys to Swansea View all journeys to Swansea
From Cardiff From $6.79
From Newcastle From $127.02
From Bridgend From $11.67
From Newport (South Wales) From $8.14


Why do these kind of players insist that they dont cheat?
Not true. I have modded my chair with furr that you use for car seats if you go for a crack ***** look.
10/10 gaming chair, no dxrazer or whatever can compete.


I wish Cliff had stayed away.
Christophe told me that he would like to buy a new bicycle.
I told Jagath I was going out.
I think Russell lied to us.
Timo owns a few very valuable paintings.
Myron wants me to coach him.
We all knew Hamilton wasn't bluffing.
Morris is the cutest boy in our class.
Andries is a guy's guy.
Do you think it could be the same Jacob Jackson?
Loren works in the State Department.
Wendell studied French last night until midnight.
Kuldip just wanted to be neighborly.
Johann knitted Aaron a sweater for his birthday.
Some Westerners no longer believe that their soul exists and that they have eternal life.
Lois has nothing to be ashamed of.
I think about Kyung sometimes.
Adrian and Loukas are extremely close.
Amos was pardoned by the governor.
I need to know why you lied to Page.
Tell Suzan I don't know where he parked his car.
Kinch may not be the only one who doesn't know Thomas.
Dion sat down next to someone he didn't know.
Glen has breakfast at the local coffee shop every day.
George's missed at work. Without him it just isn't any fun.
This is the first time I've ever made Darren cry.
Merton is pretty bad off.
Did you see a wedding ring on Ramesh's finger?
Bertrand might still be close by.
God is the poet; men are but the actors. The great dramas of earth were written in heaven.
Todd's friends tried to cheer him up.
Cristi certainly gets a nice sound out of that old bassoon.
I don't know how much Pierre makes.


Carpenter Morse Group offers an array of critical services to meet your retirement plan administrative needs. For more detailed information on our services, we encourage you to contact us directly.
Plan Design Consultation every year.
Daily & annual assistance with calculating and allocating appropriate deductible contributions. Actuarial consultants on staff for Defined Benefit calculations and required reporting.
Timely completion of annual non-discrimination testing.
Trust accounting and proper allocation of investment gains and losses.
Annual calculation of Plan's Top-Heavy status and minimum funding requirements.
Employee Benefit Statements and all required participant reporting.
Full Service Distribution / Loan processing and 1099-R preparation.
Timely Preparation of required annual IRS filings, Form 5500, Form 5558, Form 5330, etc..
An annual or semiannual meeting with Fiduciaries of Plan to ensure Plan is operating in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
IRS and DOL Audit Assistance.


text:
Q: I need to removeClass when hitting the back button on a browser once it reaches the homepage I have hasher.js on my site, I don't fully understand it, but here's any reference used in my javascript file.
function activateKeyNav()
    {
        // Description: register keypress event on document object
        jQuery(document).on('keydown', function(event) {
            switch(event.which)
            {
                case 27: // escape
                    hasher.setHash();
                    $('body').removeClass('projectLoaded');
                    $('#arrow-nav').removeClass('slideIn');
                    $('#backtoprojects').addClass('is-hidden');
                    $('#project-close').addClass('is-hidden');
                    break;
            }
        });
    }
function goToNextProject()
    {
        if(projects[currentProject].rght)
            updateHash(projects[currentProject].rght);
    }

    function goToPrevProject()
    {
        if(projects[currentProject].lft)
             updateHash(projects[currentProject].lft);
    }
function updateHash(project)
    {
        hasher.setHash(project);
    }
$('#backtoprojects a').on('click', function(){
        hasher.setHash();
        $('#backtoprojects').addClass('is-hidden');
        deactivateKeyNav();
    });
$('#project-close').on('click', function(){
        hasher.setHash();
        $('#project-close').addClass('is-hidden');
    });
$('[data-type="projectLoader"]').click(function() {

        var proj = $(this)[0].getAttribute('data-project');
        // loadProject(proj)
        $('#arrow-nav').addClass('slideIn');

        updateHash(proj);
        return false;
        // return loadProject(proj);

    });

crossroads.addRoute('/{project}', function(project) {
        console.log(project);
        loadProject(project);
        currentProject = project;
        deactivateKeyNav();
        activateKeyNav();

    });

    crossroads.addRoute('/', function() {
        $('#backtoprojects').click();
    });
    crossroads.routed.add(console.log, console);

    function parseHash(newHash, oldHash) {
    crossroads.parse(newHash);
    };

    hasher.initialized.add(parseHash); //parse initial hash
    hasher.changed.add(parseHash); //parse hash changes
    hasher.init(); //start listening for history change

I don't think any html is necessary since it has to do with the browser and backspace.
When I'm in a project it adds the /#/project-name to the url. When I hit backspace or in the browser press back it takes away "project-name" but you still remain in the project. It should load the homepage back.
Is it possible to do a document ready? Or a removeClass? If I could do $('body').removeClass('projectLoaded'); this would kill the project and bring you back to the homepage.
Here's a live example.
UPDATE #1
This worked for the backspace key. How could I combine to make case 27 and case 8 to do the same thing without having to dupe the code? code 27 && code 8? I still need a solution for the back button in browser.
case 8: // backspace
    $('body').removeClass('projectLoaded');
    $('#arrow-nav').removeClass('slideIn');
    $('#backtoprojects').addClass('is-hidden');
    $('#project-close').addClass('is-hidden');
    break;

UPDATE #2
window.history.back();
window.history.go(-1);

These couldn't work, I realize now. I could be 4 projects deep into the history. I don't know how to target this.

A: Messing around with the js I got this to work. I don't need to target the backspace button either.
crossroads.addRoute('/', function() {
        $('#backtoprojects').click();
        $('body').removeClass('projectLoaded');
        $('#arrow-nav').removeClass('slideIn');
        $('#backtoprojects').addClass('is-hidden');
        $('#project-close').addClass('is-hidden');
    });

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Today and all month long, I am celebrating my birthday at Sentimental Sundays.
Yes, my birthday is actually on Monday, but I have started the celebration a day early.
So for the month of October, the challenge each week will be "Happy Birthday", but there will be an additional elements that need to be followed.
Just LOVE how this all came together!!
Love that little doily too!!
Had to take a close up of the cluster flowers.
So come by and join us this week....We have a HUGE line up of sponsors.
Thank you for taking a close up so I could spy the butterflies! This is just so pretty!! Thank you for playing along with my Flutter By Wednesday Challenge!
This is so outstanding! I adore the bright colors you used!!
Wow, that card is beautiful. Love the patterned paper and the mix of papers in the banner. The black and white really pops! The flower cluster is so pretty set on that tiny doily, oh my! thanks for joining us at Cardabilities.
Pretty card! Love your colors! Thanks for joining us at Cardabilites!
so glad you joined us on Cardabilities!!
oh this is Gorgeous! love all the details on it!!
Lovely! I love the flourish background and all the warm colors! Thank you for joining us at Cardabilities and can not wait to see more of your creations!
Your card is fabulous! And may I say that my birthday is also in October :) Thanx for playing along with us on Cardabilities and see you soon!


Canned Emails is a minimal site with prewritten emails, useful for people who prefer easy way of doing things.
The upper right-hand corner of Gmail, then choose Settings.
Click the Labs tab, find Canned Responses, click the Enable radio button to enable Canned Responses, scroll down and click Save Changes.
Compose an email message you'd like to use over and over again, and then click the arrow in the lower right-hand corner of the message window.
The next time someone emails you something that warrants the canned response you created, reply to the message and instead of typing your response, click the arrow button in the lower right-hand corner, select Canned Responses, and then under Insert, choose the canned response you created in the previous step. You'll then see your response appear in the body of your reply.
Canned Emails is a website where you can find pre-writtem emails, originally by @dwmerriman at cannedemails.com.


The following is a list of about half of the posts.
Am I standing still with the scenery flying by...?
February sun, coffee stains, etc.
"And 'cause I was a gazillionaire and I liked doin' it so much, I cut that grass for free."
How Can I Go Exercise If My Gym Pants Won't Come Up Past My Knees?


text:
{{Ficha de estación
| nombre = Atalaya
| línea1=Sin funcionamiento
| inicio1=Estación La Plata (Roca)
| anterior= Empalme Magdalena
| siguiente= Terminal
| pk = 115,8 (desde Constitución)
| altitud = 8
| línea = Roca
| inaugurada = 1900
| clausurada = 1980
| uso =
| andenes = Tres
| operador =
| dirección =
| imagen =
| tamaño de imagen=
| piedefoto=
| localidad = Atalaya
|mapa_localización=
}}Atalaya''' es una estación ferroviaria de la localidad homónima, en el Partido de Magdalena,  Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Servicios
La estación correspondía al Ferrocarril General Roca de la red ferroviaria argentina. Fue clausurada por la dictadura militar en 1979.

Véase también
Ramal La Plata - Las Pipinas - Magdalena - Atalaya

Referencias

Atalaya
Atalaya
Atalaya
Partido de Magdalena

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Lee County Track Club was founded in 2014 with only 3 athletes. Without a clear vision for the future, we grew into the premier youth track and field club in Central North Carolina. As we enter our fifth season of competition, we want every athlete and parent to enjoy the sport and enjoy their time with the team. Our goal is to help establish a healthy lifestyle as well as educate and promote this lifelong sport we love. We encourage our athletes to understand that track and field is a competition against yourself. We must continue to run faster, jump higher or throw farther than before.
Head Coach Duncan Riddle
Coach Duncan Riddle has been with the team since it started in 2014 at the age of 16. Coach Duncan is originally from Lee County. He ran track at Lee County High School and then became the manager of the team under Coach Jacob Ashworth. Coach Duncan completed his USA Track & Field Level 1 Coaching Certification in 2016.
Coach Duncan is currently a student at East Carolina University in Greenville and is an Assistant Coach of the East Carolina Cross Country and Track team, He is pursuing a degree in Construction Management. He enjoys coaching and teaching youth about the sport and pushing them to do there best.
Assistant Coach Tristan Johnson
Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps
Coach Johnson was a standout football and track athlete at Lee Senior High School. While at Lee Senior, he served as the team captain of the track team, Johnson was a 2007 regional qualifier in long jump and 4x1 relay, 4A 3x Tri-Eight All conference, 2007 Tri-eight All conference relay team champions. 2007 & 2008 Field Event MVP. He Graduated in 2008. While playing football he was an All-conference DIII-prospect at the defensive back position. After graduation attended Methodist University where he ran track for a brief period. Tristan went on to play semi-professional football. While playing semi-professional football he become a 5x All-Star at the semi-professional level. Johnson also played All-Star football with Team USA where he traveled to Mexico and Costa Rica. Coached the men and women in long jump, triple jump, sprinting and relays at Lee Senior High where he sent four athletes to regionals as well as coached the Lee County Parks and Recreation track team where he coached his Daughter Tiara Johnson who became team MVP for back to back seasons.. Tristan looks forward not to only teaching the youth about track & field but also showing them that sports can lead to healthy and productive lifestyle. By the start of the 2018 season will have my USA Track & Field Level 1 Coaching Certification.


Media-Ocrity #76 – 'Karate Kid', 'Sea of Thieves', 'Movies that Made Us Cry'!
Media-Ocrity #73 – Bryan performs Kung-Fu!
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 24th, 2018 at 6:18 pm	and is filed under News, Podcast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
« Film Review: 'The Seagull'!


text:
Home » Haitian Times Morning News Roundup » Where do Haiti's imported cases of coronavirus come from?
Haitian Times Morning News Roundup
Where do Haiti's imported cases of coronavirus come from?
People conduct commerce at the Jimani border with the Dominican Republic prior to Covid-19 pandemic. Photo/Garry Pierre-Pierre
A few days after the country's borders reopened, cases imported from the new coronavirus almost doubled, going from 57 to 99.
"The majority of cases come from the Dominican Republic and the United States," two worthy sources told Le Nouvelliste. faith in the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) who reveal that the first 11 cases came from regular flights from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
"The cases that I know of have gone home to quarantine their homes. The Ministry of Public Health follows up. But I cannot guarantee you whether people stayed at home or not, if they respect the barrier gestures, "said one of the sources.
Between July 1 and 4, the Ministry of Public Health and Population recorded 42 new imported cases of coronavirus. According to the 94th MSPP bulletin published on Sunday July 5, 86% of these cases landed in the country of thefts from the Dominican Republic and 14% from the United States. Le Nouvelliste tried in vain to find an official source to gather additional information on the subject.
"This is a sensitive issue. Health Minister Gréta Roy Clément is expected to give a conference on Tuesday on the subject. "" The conference has been postponed, "said MSPP communications director Samson Jean Louis, contacted on the phone on Tuesday.
By the time scheduled flights resumed, a Covid-19 outbreak had been recorded in several countries, including the United States where Florida became onof the epicenters of the disease.
Texas, Florida and California have daily records of the number of cases recorded. Worried, Dr. Serge Mistivar, a Haitian doctor who works at a hospital in Collier county, Florida, expressed his concerns on the Panel Magik show on July 3. Mr Mistivar believes that the country is at very great risk.
"Asymptomatic infected people pose a great danger to those around them since they can spread the virus without even realizing it," said the doctor. In the same vein, doctors on the front line against the Covid-19 in Haiti contacted by the newspaper on July 6 say they are puzzled about the situation. They wonder if "indeed the health authorities have the means of their policy to give appropriate answers." Continue reading.
Coronavirus COVID-19 Haïti MSPP
Jamie Vardy gives Arsenal painful reminder of what they almost had
Haiti: Living in an unsustainable country
Covid-19 impact leaves major European football clubs with €1bn loss |
Ruler of the ranch: the rise and fall of Yves Jean-Bart, Haiti's king of football
COVID-19 testing on hold until kidnapped lab employee is released


Apologies for the protracted absence and enforced downtime due to server corruption. Hopefully the site is now back in the land of the living and I will soon be actively blogging once more.
BBC News – Audio slideshow: Human Planet. Simply stunning photographs from Timothy Allen. Thanks to Mavis Ord for pointing me towards Tim's photography. How I'd love to take images like this!
Success for Rob Birrell at the Annual North East BIPP Awards!


text:
'Star Wars' Anthology Includes Stories Told From the POV of a Mouse Droid and Dead Obi-Wan
Andrew LaSane
Friday, 15 September 2017 - 11:25AM
Image credit: Lucasfilm
There is no shortage of Star Wars stories out there for hardcore fans who aren't satiated by the movies alone, and that reading list just got a little longer and a lot more interesting. A new anthology book titled Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View combines 40 stories from the perspectives of characters not named Skywalker or Solo, and casts a new light on A New Hope.
The roster of authors includes comic writer Paul Dini, Rogue One screenwriter Gary Whitta, Chuck Wendig, Fate of the Jedi writer Christie Golden, and many more, each one writing from the POV of a droid, a Cantina bartender, Stormtroopers, Lando, Mon Mothma, and more. The book is available to pre-order through Penguin Random House for an October 3rd release, but a few details about the stories have been revealed on Twitter. Here are some of the more intriguing takes we've seen so far, in the words of the authors:
Cavan Scott - "Time of Death"
(From dead Obi-Wan's perspective) "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi and I am dead. I know how that sounds. Crazy old Ben with his crazy old stories. But this isn't crazy. This is happening. At least, I think it is."
Chuck Wendig - "We Don't Serve Their Kind Here"
(From the perspective of Wuher, the Cantina barkeep) "Wuher always told people: If you have a drink in your hand, you don't need me for nothing."
Paul Dini- "Added Muscle"
(From Boba Fett's perspective) "I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the whispers of surprise when I walked onto the scene. That's right, boys. Fett's here."
Rae Carson - "The Red One"
(From the perspective of R5D4, the droid with a bad motivator) "More than anything in the galaxy, he wanted to be sold. Escape the sandcrawler. Fulfill his programming by serving a new master-someone who would clean his joints once in a while, offer a few drops of lubricant, give him a purpose. But time was running out. He was lonely, and he was dying."
Alexander Freed - "Contingency Plan"
(From Mon Mothma's perspective) "Mon Mothma can't actually see the future. She used to know people who could, but the last of them is dead now, too."
John Jackson Miller - "Rites"
(From the perspective of the Tusken Raiders) "It takes more than courage to lead. It takes eyes that are open!"
Even with such short snippets from the stories, this book sounds amazing! Imagine each of these stories as an episode of a cartoon or live-action anthology series? That will probably never happen, but the book did happen, and it's worth clearing a spot on the bookshelf for.
Jedi Master Mace Windu Returns in a New 'Star Wars' Comic Series
'Star Wars' Villain Captain Phasma Gets the Spotlight in New Comic Series
Darth Vader Comic Will Reveal the Origin Of His Red Lightsaber
Spoiler Review of the 'Rogue One' Novelization + 15 Things That Are Not in the Movie
USA Today Releases Exclusive Excerpt from "Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel"
Star Wars Is Coming Out with a Young Adult Novel About Jyn Erso


text:
Cellfina in Morgantown West Virginia
304.777.2352 to book your complimentary consultation!
A Cellulite Treatment
Finally, there's a solution to cellulite! You no longer have to worry about embarrassing and stubborn cellulite. At Willow MedSpa, we offer Cellfina in Morgantown West Virginia for the most effective solution to feel confident in your own skin.
Cellfina is a cellulite-busting procedure that uses a small, needle-sized device to "snap" the cellulite-causing connective bands beneath the surface of the skin. Cellfina in Morgantown West Virginia treats the primary structural cause of cellulite for a smooth and healthy look that gives patients the confidence to wear a bathing suit and higher hemlines.
Cellfina is the only FDA-cleared, minimally invasive procedure, that is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite—for at least three years. According to Cellfina, at three months, 85 percent of patients were satisfied, at one year 94 percent were satisfied, after two years, 96 percent of patients were satisfied and after 3 years, 93 percent of patients were satisfied.
What It Treats
45 Minute Procedure Time
No anesthesia
Minimal Side Effects
Same Day Procedure


text:
Snowshoeing in the Methow
Share this Page: Facebook Twitter Email
January is Winter Trails Month! Learn more about its origins and how it went from a day to a weekend to a month, starting in the Methow Valley.
Tom Cushing
Mountaineers snowshoe leader
by Tom Cushing, Mountaineers snowshoe leader
I became a big-M Mountaineer somewhat late in life. My daughter Fiona and I joined the club when she was only fifteen and I was fifty-seven. We took the Alpine Scrambling Course with the Seattle Branch in 2003 and bracketed the class — she was the youngest and I was the oldest. It came easily to us. I had been doing self-taught solo trips in the mountains for nearly thirty years and involved her from infancy.
We returned the following year as instructors for both Scrambling and Navigation and participated in numerous scrambling trips together before she went off to college.
My first exposure to snowshoes was on winter scrambles. I was a long-time Alpine and more recent Nordic skier so the transition to another set of strange things on my oversized feet came easily to me. My mentor Johnny Jeans, who was Chair of the Seattle Scramble Committee when Fiona and I joined, pulled me into the Snowshoe Committee. Already a Scramble Leader by then, I began instructing and leading snowshoe trips as well.
In the fall of 2014, Chris Ensor sent out a call that he was looking for volunteers to lead snowshoe trips for something called "Winter Trails Day." I discovered Winter Trails is a national program that offers children and adults new to snow sports the chance to try snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Chris was the lead person in the Seattle Mountaineers to sponsor a weekend-long event. It would include cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but Chris was organizing complementary activities as well. And it was to be held in one of my favorite towns: Winthrop, Washington.
Charming Winthrop
Winthrop has a special charm that I've never found anywhere else. Picture a town in the Old West, complete with covered, boarded sidewalks, and false storefronts on places named Pardners Market, Duck Brand Hotel & Cantina, and Three Fingered Jack's Saloon. You might even see Kit McLean Cramer, a local wrangler, driving her horse team through town.
Someone told me recently that, while passing through Winthrop, she was surprised to discover there were TWO "fake" towns in Washington. While that may apply to Leavenworth, which was the solution contrived by local merchants beset by economic hardship, Winthrop is legitimate. Originally settled by farmers, ranchers, miners and loggers, Winthrop evolved naturally into the town you see today. The mines and logging have faded, with recreation and tourism taking their place, but there are still plenty of farmers and ranchers, with horses a-plenty.
Kit McLean Cramer is a fourth-generation local, and has been a wrangler since her teens when she led pack trips into the mountains. She also managed the trail ride concession at Sun Mountain Lodge until recently and is still active in the horse business. Winter Trails Day would provide a good excuse to visit her and her husband Hank, a folksinger friend of mine.
Winthrop sits in the middle of the Methow (MET-how) Valley between Mazama and Twisp, and is the primary eastern destination on the scenic North Cascades Highway/US-20. As a result, there's lot of through-traffic during the summer. However, the road closes in the winter due to snow avalanches thundering down onto the roadway. This made for bleak times for area merchants who had to make the majority of their profit during the summer, or else.
The History of Methow Valley Trails
In 1977, a handful of valley residents envisioned and inspired cooperation among private landowners and various agencies to form the Methow Valley Family Sports Club. This grew to become the Methow Valley Trails (MVT) of today. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit MVT is now the nation's largest cross-country ski area, maintaining and grooming more than one hundred-twenty miles of cross-country ski trails in the winter months. The trails have become a central attraction and contributed to both the near-term and long-run economic stability of the valley.
Few of the MVT trails in the valley are open to snowshoes though, so when I decided to lead a snowshoe trip for Winter Trails Day, I had to find locations that were (1) available, and (2) easy enough for beginners to manage with some coaching. US-20 closes in the winter about 14 miles west of Mazama, leaving many miles of avalanche-free roadway available for recreation. A check with my mapping program revealed two potential destinations westward of the closure. Cedar Falls was too distant and steep for beginners, but the closed USFS Klipchuck Campground would be perfect.
First Year Snowshoeing Winter Trails
It's a four-and-a-half hour journey from Puget Sound to Winthrop, half of it on snow-covered roads, so we were uncertain what the 2015 Winter Trails turnout would be. As it turned out, we didn't need to worry. Both my snowshoe trips filled up, as did Chris' cross-country listings.
It was the first Mountaineers trip for five of my snowshoers. For two, it was the first time they'd put on snowshoes. We did introductions and a gear checks to make sure everyone was dressed properly and carried extra clothing. Next was fitting those with new or rented snowshoes.
Initially getting into snowshoes can be one of the most frustrating aspects of the sport. Some models display an octopus-like tangle of binding straps that can confuse engineers. More modern versions resemble downhill ski bindings and are easier to use. Once the snowshoes were securely on everyone's feet, and after a little instruction on how to walk in them, we were ready to explore the trails.
We started out slowly to allow the newbies to adjust and fine-tune fitting their bindings. We also adjusted our pace to make sure everyone was comfortable and no one was overexerting themselves. With people new to snowshoeing, it is especially important to take a break and remind them why they're there — to look around and enjoy their environment.
A Weekend Adventure
The Forest Service road we took was mostly untracked, so on Saturday, we practiced some cross-country snowshoe travel. We learned to "build a road" by traveling single file, with the lead person breaking trail, the next stepping where the first didn't, the next smoothing it out, and so on. Those in the back have it made. Before the lead person tires, she rotates to the back, and the former number two takes over the lead. And so it goes.
Along the way, I demonstrated the basics of map and compass navigation. I wanted to show the group it's not magic and to point out that, with study and practice, you gain the capability go anywhere that your technical capability allows — a true freedom of the hills.
We stopped for lunch at the campground, then turned around for the three-plus-mile trip back to the cars. Along the way, we made plans for the evening. Since the Seahawks had a playoff game that night, I suggested dinner at Three Fingered Jack's with its multiple big screens. Nine of us gathered there to enjoy camaraderie and to cheer the Hawks on to victory.
Sunday, we drove up to Sun Mountain Lodge to start the next day's adventure. Sun Mountain is a resort on a hill, with cross-country ski and snowshoeing trails that are also maintained by MVT. After parking, we filed into the activities shop to buy our Methow Trails day passes ($5), then headed westward to find Horse Trail.
Horse Trail becomes the View Ridge Trail after about 0.6 miles, and it lives up to its name. To the south lies Patterson Lake snuggled between hills, to the west rise craggy peaks of the North Cascades. View Ridge descends to the pioneer Hough Homestead, where one gains an appreciation of what life was like in that place more than a hundred years ago.
The return section of the loop ascends the north side of the ridge with sweeping views of the upper Methow Valley from the Kraule Trail. The total loop is only 2.5 miles around, so we were back in time for lunch in the Wolf Creek Bar & Grill and still allowed plenty of time for the 4.5-hour return to Pugetopolis.
In 2016, I repeated the same two trips for Winter Trails Weekend, and another leader provided a third snowshoe trip. Each year gets a little better as I listen to the advice of my snowshoe groups and make adjustments for the following year. I hope to see you there!
Winter Trails Day is now Winter Trails Month! Learn more about it here.
This article originally appeared in our Winter 2017 issue of Mountaineer magazine. To view the original article in magazine form and read more stories from our publication, click here.
Tags: Magazine, Winter Trails Day, Snowshoeing
Log in to add comments.
Create an account or join
Also In the Blog...
Search *all blogs*
What Are The Ten Essentials?
2022-2023 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
Top 5 Beginner Ski Tours
How To: Train for Your Next Hike
New Course: Emotional Safety in the Outdoors
How To: Make an Efficient DIY Boot Dryer
Meet Philip Henderson and Steve Swenson at the 2023 Gala
Retro Rewind | The 1934 Silver Skis Race


The new Gucci is contracted and generous fashion. Not "heart" design, unique design of many hearts make bags look don't innovative! Retro fit complete a bag!, Gucci Men Slippers Sandals Black is a part of the collocation is very important in the body, have a practical joker tide flavour is dye-in-the-wood bag again, even mundane is dressed up, also increase the bright spot., Gucci bright-coloured colour collocation embossing process and concise design, both retained the girl's childlike, more mature female temperament, elegant and mature, but does not lose youth again.The gucci men Slippers sandals black is one collection of this famous brand which has been to produce the best quality luxurious slippers. It has been crazily sought after many people for they are with unique design, latest style and gentle oriented. Gucci Men's Slippers have a magic absorbing ability that once you own one pair, you will never thinking of getting rid of them. These Men's Gucci Slippers all features a smooth leather upper with Gucci signature logo on the heel or the vamp as well as a durable and comfortable rubber outsole. These stylish and comfortable slippers are all suitable for an all day long wearing. This is not only a luxurious brand but also a brand which can provides you with the most fashionable slippers you desire to own.


A: We have an unlimited number of 3-Day and 3-Day PLUS badges available for purchase before the event and 3-Day badges at-the-door. However, all of our sponsor badge tiers have limited quantities and high demand—once they sell out, they're gone for good. Iif you're interested in purchasing one, act quickly!
Q: What are your accessibility accommodations??
A: You can head to Registration or any info booth to get an Accessibility Pass. These passes will allow individuals who have difficulty with long lines and crowds to enter events in Mane Events Hall 20 minutes before doors open, provided they arrive 20 minutes early. Details will be written on the pass. Lines for other spaces will be much shorter and will pass quickly.
A: Yes, if you pre-registered we encourage you to pick up your badge in the afternoon on Thursday, July 26 (exact times TBA). This lets you skip the long registration lines on Friday morning.
Q: Who is eligible for the discounted Service Member 3-Day Badge?
A. Any military, fire, police, and EMS service members with valid member ID available at badge pickup. This discount also includes dependents with appropriate service member ID.


Draculaura has her very special dreams about her wedding. The girl has come up with several options of wedding dresses, veils and even the design of the bridal bouquet. It remains only to determine who exactly she would like to see as the groom, and wait for a marriage proposal!


I haven't used the cloth feature in LW for a very long time, and it looks like it hasn't improved much since it was introduced many years ago. Y'know, back when it was a plugin from Japan that Newtek bought and kludged into LW.
I tried a simple, 2-D, tripled, flat planar object, set as thick cloth with self collision, and added a flat, horizontal planar collision object for it to collide with. Did an "IKB Calculate", and it crashed.
Anyway, is it just me ?
I've never done cloth before, but I'd like to get into it. However, I get - like you - constant crash to desktop whenever I hit the Calculate button. I'm on LW 64-bit.
Oh, and the Abort rarely seems to work. And often the calculations go off into never-never land and you can't stop it unless you kill the Layout process.
Same as it used to do many years ago.
Y'know, this is just crazy. I'm certainly not a LW newbie, as I've been using it on and off since the Amiga days. But how the heck can Newtek expect to get anywhere with this if it can't make a simple cloth simulation a little more bulletproof for the average user?
Maybe I'm doing something goofy, since I haven't been at this lately, and as we all know the cloth interface is ridiculously non user-intuitive. But if they can't clean this up a bit after all these years they might as well give up.
I was trying to get a simple rectangular cloth object (like a towel) to fall and collide with a basket. Tried it first in LW, and the solution either crashed, or when it worked I tried numerous times to get the cloth settings so everything solved nice. And it never worked. I could never get the cloth to hang on the basket, it always fell thru and flew off to never never land.
So on a hunch I fired up Poser, loaded the exact same objects, and did an identical simulation, and VOILA !! Worked first time, every time. Solid, no crashes, and the solutions were MUCH faster than what I was getting in LW.
Cloth doesn't crash very often for me. You have to remember that poser got cloth simulation more recent then LW so it should be alot better, you can also use blender for cloth if you can't handle LW cloth.
If you post your objects I can do a quick test and maybe solve it for you.
I've always had a problem with Poser's cloth sim - if I do anything even vaguely complex, it fails. Doesn't crash, or give me an error, or anything useful, it just stops. Really annoying.
But then, when I try and do the same sim in Lightwave, it usually just does a couple of frames and then grinds away endlessly with no obvious result.
I think it's something like: Newtek is making incremental changes to an old, primitive cloth sim system, while Poser started with a more modern and advanced cloth sim system. Not sure how much sense that makes :) Could be entirely reasonable, but my brain's not working well just now.
Do you follow the logic that a new car built in 2008 is much better in all areas compared to a car build in 1920?
The dynamics system is newer in poser compared to LW, this doesn't have to mean anything but in this case it seems like it does. Blender is free and have cloth dynamics as well, surely better than Lw's clothFX. ClothFX in LW is not very good but works most of the time if you know what you're doing.
In your case with a towel colliding with a basket then cloth FX should work just fine.
Yeah, I suppose, but that's a whole 'nother argument of marketing over substance. I just don't think it's appropriate logic to use with LW.
My guess is that Newtek bought the cloth plugin from (geesh, I can't remember the name of the group from Japan who was writing dynamics plugins for LW years ago...) and the folks working on LW now don't have intimate knowledge of the zillion lines of code comprising the cloth/softbody stuff. And I think this has been the case ever since they bought it, since it is still a pretty poor excuse for cloth dynamics, and its user interface, which was pretty horrendous at inception, hasn't changed much.
I would think that over the years the LW folks would have finally figured out the code and made substantive changes/improvements, as opposed to brand new code which can take years to de-bug, especially something so complex as cloth.
It may be a user error or some other odd error, can you show some pics of what kind of effect you're after? maybe I can help you to make it in LW. ClothFX works most of the time for me, you just have to think in a simplistic way when working with it.
...maybe I can help you to make it in LW.
Thanks for the offer Ztreem. But it's a lot easier for me to just do it in Poser. It seems like there are some built-in default parameter settings in Poser that somehow work first time without a lot of tweaking. My experience with LW is that you end up spending lots of time tweaking settings that you don't really understand.
1. Use Collision primitives instead of polygon collisions if you can. Hugely faster, but friction doesn't behave as well to my experience.
2. Load your cloth object into Modeler. Turn off sub-divisions and save. Then turn on sub-divisions and save as an alternate object. Do your cloth calcs with the non-sub-D version and you will get MUCH BETTER RESULTS. Then save the calculation's .MDD file. Replace the object with the sub-D version.
3. Make sure your collision object is tripled (no quad-polys), and avoid sharp corners. Round out those sharp edges and your life will become easier.
4. Don't use the Calculate button on the ClothFX interface. Open the FX_Browser panel and use that one. Much easier to abort calculations with that.
OK, that's fine. Use the tool that works best for the job.
Thanks for the tips, Carm. It's kinda funny that LW wants tripled polys, and Poser wants quads.
Poser didn't seem to have any problems whatsoever with collisions with a fairly complex object, so I think I'll stick with it. And it's FAST !!!!
I never use tripled polys with cloth and it works just fine, subpatched objects also works just fine. Would be fun just to see what you're doing, if you don't mind showing I would love to see a pic.


text:
Home>World>Alejandra Guzman Shows An X-Ray And What Her Hip Looks Like After Falling
Alejandra Guzman Shows An X-Ray And What Her Hip Looks Like After Falling
alejandra guzman She is set to resume her concerts after she fell on stage last week and can no longer finish her performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, where the 35th Hispanic Heritage Gala in the United States was being held .
The singer, who has two hip prostheses, and has undergone multiple surgeries since 2009 to remove a substance called methyl methacrylate, which was injected when she wanted to increase the size of her buttocks, has been praised by her fans. shared with us how she is shown hips after the incident on stage.
After what happened, it was revealed that the 54-year-old interpreter had dislocated her hip and for this reason she could no longer appear on Latin billboards, however, hours after the incident, Guzmán said via an audio She was in great health and asked her fans not to worry; It was not on the billboards because of the complexity of finding Hurricane Ian and the flights.
Alejandra Guzmani's state of health
The singer posted an X-ray of her pelvis, where her prosthesis can be seen, and wrote: "Everything in its place."
5 PHOTOS OF JENNIFER LOPEZ SHOWING HOW HER NEW LIFE WITH BEN AFFLECK AND HIS CHILDREN
VIDEO: Maya Nazor impresses with baile de TikTok en escotado mini negro dress
Camila Sodi accompanied Diego Luna to pay tribute to her father; Pedrito Sola criticized his attitude
Marc Anthony and Shannon De Lima: 'Flor Pallida' Music Video Is Where They Met and Fell in Love
So far, Sylvia Pinal's daughter hasn't canceled her appearances; In October it will take place on the 22nd in Palenque de Pachuca; It will be presented on the 27th at the Teatro Morelos in Toluca, Mexico state, while in the United States in November.
On 16th, 18th and 19th of that month he will be at the Venetian Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada, while on December 1st he will perform at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California, and on the 3rd he will be at Besame Mucho Fest. , in Los Angeles, California.
Frida Sophia, the daughter of the interpreter of "Eternally Beautiful", was questioned about the accident that happened to her mother, but Frida, far from being moved, confessed that for a long time she did not care that What happens to her mother, like she doesn't care that her sister Natasha Moctezuma recently died: "What can I tell you? When my sister died she didn't even talk to me He doesn't exist anymore for me."
Annette Cuburu: From bikini to flirty neckline, the riskiest looks of a driver
Yellin La Mas paralyzes the network with viral fitted catsuit
Aracely Arámbula shakes up the weekend with a flirty minidress
Horoscope for December 17: Mahony Seer tells you what awaits your zodiac sign this Saturday
Andrea Legaretta reveals her secret to producing collagen and having porcelain skin at age 50
From a beautiful landscape, Jessica Giraldo, sister of Karol G, falls in love with her followers


Harlem Park to Park's mission is to support this dynamic upper Manhattan neighborhood by promoting the dining, shopping, nightlife, history and culture it offers. On April 16, the organization takes its mission outdoors for a family-friendly Earth Day celebration in Morningside Park, featuring arts and crafts, live performances, yoga, bicycle rides and local vendors—all to create awareness of environmental issues, including recycling, clean air and green energy use. This year marks the introduction of a triathlon and an associated "Pre-Race Carb Load Dinner." For more information, visit harlemparktopark.org.


By Ian Pollard in News and Views, Uncategorized on 30th January 2017 .
Filtronic FTC traded strongly in the first half and returned to profitability as revenue leapt from £4.5m to £21.6m and turning last years half time loss of £4.1m into a profit of £1.8m. Increased sales of its main antenna product, and strengthening of its Wireless sales team were responsible for the turnaround. The Chairman went overboard with praise referring not to the company's growing opportunities but to its growing opportunity pipeline so he has obviously done his bit by attending company speak classes.
Torotrak TRK warns of a material reduction in the mass market for its V charger in passenger cars following the recent shift towards electrification and the move away from diesel engines. This appears to mean that t he company is going to basically have to re-invent itself which includes managing its resources prudently and focusing on KERS. Engineering resources will have to be consolidated.
Hydrodec HYR expects revenue from its core refining business to have risen by 100% for the year to the end of December following the recommissioning of its Canton plant which enabled the company to become EBITDA positive in the last quarter, a situation which is expected to continue throughout 2017. Utilisation of plant increased to 73% as unscheduled plant stoppages declined. Recent changes in the operating environment also impacted the company positively.
Pure Circle PURE has received the happy news that it has been removed by US Customs from the Withhold Release Order and can now resume sales to the US which represented a third of its annual sales.


The deepening humanitarian crisis in Somalia is demanding greater humanitarian intervention; which is limited due to access and medical support restrictions. Continuing insecurity hampers United Nations operations in Somalia by limiting freedom of movement for United Nations staff and contractors. Efforts to increase the humanitarian footprint increase risk to traumatic injury due to targeted attacks or accidental injury.
An extensive analysis of the capacity available to humanitarian staff identified critical gaps; these gaps weighed against the risk presented highlights an urgent need to improve medical support to humanitarian staff. This proposal clearly justifies the need to improve emergency medical support available to humanitarian staff and advocates a two-pronged approach aimed at addressing the immediate needs (employing emergency medical professionals through a commercial service provider and equipping trauma stabilization centers based in UN compounds all integrated with the services of a dedicated aircraft capability) and a longer term sustainable solution of developing the capacity of national medical facilities. It is hoped this will improve humanitarian access and provide in the longer term improved medical treatment to the Somali population.
The operational concept of the project is to base an advanced life support paramedic in each of the 5 stabilization centers in Somalia (Hargeisa, Bossasso, Garowe, Galkayo and most probably Berbera (to be confirmed by UN Security Management Team) and one emergency physician providing technical backup based in Hargeisa forming a medical emergency response team. In the event of an accident or injury, humanitarian staff will receive advanced life support treatment in the stabilization centre in a secure environment within the UN compound. The stabilization centers will be able to stabilize up to 10 mildly/moderately injured casualties and provide stabilization for a severely injured casualty for up to 18 hours. This emergency medical response capacity will be highly mobile and be able to respond to emergencies in Somalia within an acceptable time frame. Due to the access restrictions (security and infrastructure) and time constraints of medical emergency assistance, a dedicated aircraft is a paramount part of the project.
This project will involve placement of a flight paramedic at each of the main hubs of Hargeisa, Bossasso, Garowe, Galkayo and possibly Berberra with a floating medical officer based in Hargeisa that will be responsible for technical support and quality assurance.


text:
repair, replicate, replace
The visual character of conservation areas is under threat from unsympathetic replacement windows and doors. In most conservation areas nothing is done to stop the tide of PVC-u replacement windows, while elsewhere Conservation Officers and Building Inspectors argue over the authenticity of single-glazing versus the energy and acoustic efficiency of new high performance wooden windows. This conflict can be resolved by specifying traditionally detailed, high performance timber replacement windows that meet the current Building Regulations while incorporating traditional sightlines.
Conservation areas and what they mean
Since 1967, some 9,300 conservation areas have been designated across England, giving the local authority extra controls over demolition, minor developments (such as certain types of cladding, inserting dormer windows and putting up satellite dishes visible from the street) and the protection of trees. Under legislation introduced in 1995, local authorities can make further restrictions on the kind of alterations allowed, depending on how these might affect the key elements of buildings in the conservation area. Examples include putting up porches, painting a house a different colour, or changing distinctive doors, windows or other architectural details. The local authority has to take account of public views before doing so. These restrictions are called Article 4 Directions
Character and Value of a building
Windows are one of the most important design features of a building. Even small changes have a significant effect on its appearance. The position of the window in the opening, the proportions of the sashes, the arrangement of the opening lights, the thickness and profile of glazing bars and rails, the joints, the frame material, even the glass itself, all have an effect on the appearance of the window and its appropriateness.
A well-presented home is worth more than one that shows signs of neglect or an inappropriate 'make-over'. A national survey of Estate Agents carried out by English Heritage found: 'Unsympathetic replacement windows and doors, particularly plastic/PVC-u, are the single biggest threat to property values in conservation areas.'
CHECK IF YOU NEED PLANNING PERMISSION
Timber Windows can still be economically manufactured
Accoya Timber ensures windows and other external joinery has a guarantee of at least 50 years.
Detrimental changes to one property can visually harm neighbouring properties.
The investment of reintroducing original features into period properties will always pay back as it will considerably increase the value and marketability of the property.
Stained and leaded glass can be repaired and is still manufactured by many companies today.
The Council will take enforcement action against owners who carry out works without planning/listed building consent. This could involve removal of works and prosecution.


text:
feature from Policy & regulation
Is Greece Cracking Down on Tax Evasion or Taxing Anonymity?
Dec 11, 2019 at 09:00 UTC Updated Dec 11, 2019 at 15:00 UTC
Credit: Creative Commons
Greece's plan to curb tax evasion by mandating digital receipts shows a fundamental dilemma of modernization: Economic policies rarely address corruption without sacrificing civil liberties.
The Greek prime minister's chief economic adviser, Alex Patelis, told The Telegraph on Sunday that in 2020 Greek citizens will need to produce digital receipts for spending 30 percent of their annual income. Citizens who fall short of this documentation requirement – for example, only having credit card purchases and bank transfers for 20 percent of their income – will be fined with a 22 percent tax on the remaining amount (the remaining 10 percent, in this example).
When it comes to Greece, this drastic policy shows nation-states can mandate that citizens rely on banks. Credit cards and bank transfers – and their incumbent surveillance features – are no longer payment options for Greek citizens, they are obligations. And while bitcoin experts say cryptocurrency likely won't be much help in this situation, they have been quick to pick up on the policy's broad implications.
"I've never heard of anything like this before. It's the most aggressive move to eradicate cash that I've seen in any country," said British-Greek bitcoin advocate Andreas Antonopoulos, who grew up in Greece and still has family there.
However, economist Nicholas Economides, whose previous advisory clients include the Bank of Greece in 1993, disagreed that this policy represents a dramatic shift. To the contrary, Economides said, the Greek government has required digital receipts for tax deductibles for more than five years. If citizens are unable to show bank records or credit card statements for deductible bills, paper receipts no longer suffice. As such, he argued this is merely another modernization push.
"When you have widespread cheating, there has to be a way to make people stop cheating, to pay [taxes]. One way might be this extensive banking surveillance," Economides said.
This policy aims to curb tax evasion. But, ironically, the middle class appears to be the most frequent taxpayers. Local media reports indicate that 5 percent of Greek taxpayers earning between €24,000 and €100,000 are paying half of all income-tax revenue. Basically, the remaining 95 percent pay as much as the above-mentioned 5 percent, implying the vast majority of citizens don't pay their full income taxes.
"The violence of this law will impact all people, mainly our parents who are not familiar with... e-banking services," Athens resident and bitcoin enthusiast Argy Xafis said. "My privacy is also invaded."
Economides said he hopes the government will make exceptions for the elderly, but added this mandate may not impact the unbanked poor, as citizens below the poverty line don't pay income taxes.
"People who don't have debt or credit cards may have a hard time," he said. "The government should create exceptions for people who don't have such financial instruments."
Cash Economy
From Economides' perspective, tax evasion is a widespread cultural norm in Greece, across income levels.
Yet Georgios Konstantopoulos, an independent cryptocurrency consultant from Greece, said tax evasion isn't the primary reason so many Greeks rely on cash for their daily transactions.
Konstantopoulos said it's common for local businesses to offer a different price in cash compared to a transaction with an official receipt, even among hospitals, courts and other heavily regulated entities. Antonopoulos agreed cash bribery is the standard local practice.
"Every single medical procedure that is supposedly covered by the national healthcare in Greece involves a cash envelope," Antonopoulos said. "You go into any hospital in Greece and they give you a blank envelope at the reception."
As such, Konstantopoulos said this new policy will be difficult to enforce for waiters, construction workers and other laborers who generally rely on day-to-day cash payments – unless these low-income workers pay their rent with a bank card.
"The people who earn €500 a month, of course, will tax-evade because otherwise they cannot survive," Konstantopoulos said. "Literally every young person who wants to do things in their life is looking for ways to work abroad. ...Generally, salaries suck; there are high taxes and fixed fees, pension or insurance, so a lot of shops and restaurants tend to have employees who work 'undeclared,' paid daily in cash."
Antonopoulos said this policy will make it more difficult for middle-class households and business owners to pay such workers in cash, since the culture of bribery won't "disappear" overnight. Instead of jeopardizing healthcare and legal services, Antonopoulos said, the policy may push low-income workers into poverty and food insecurity because their services will be seen as comparably expendable.
"Pretty much every Greek I know who has even the slightest means to travel has a bank account in Germany," Antonopoulos said, referring to how many Greeks skew their income reports and banking limitations. "It's all for show. [This policy] is not a meaningful effort to curb tax evasion."
Bitcoin doesn't fix this
Stepping back, the cash-centric Greek "shadow economy" reportedly accounts for more than 21 percent of the nation's total GDP, according to a 2017 study by the Institute for Applied Economic Research.
The government previously curbed the cash economy by limited bank ATM withdrawals, a policy that started with a €60 ($70) daily limit in 2015 and finally lifted for domestic withdrawals in 2018. According to CNN, Greek bitcoin trades shot up when the banking restrictions first when into effect in 2015. Yet Konstantopoulos said the domestic bitcoin scene hasn't surged since then to facilitate significant volumes. Antonopoulos agreed, describing the Greek bitcoin community as "small," "isolated" and "risk-averse," because people with the resources to buy bitcoin generally prefer foreign bank accounts.
"This isn't about surveillance, this is about pushing people into poverty," Antonopoulos said, explaining his criticism of the new tax policy.
According to an academic working group paper last revised in 2016, Greek professionals from industries such as law, medicine and media were most likely to be involved in tax evasion. As such, Antonopoulos said banking limitations primarily impact the middle class, because households with expendable income simply use foreign bank accounts instead.
It's hard to say definitively how many Greeks are misrepresenting their taxable income because statistics are further skewed by the high percentage of self-employed and unemployed Greeks, each respectively estimated to represent over a third of the nation's prospective workers. There is a popular perception that government corruption contributes to such economic woes, even without studies to quantify that impact. The nonprofit Transparency International gave Greece a failing integrity grade of 45 percent for "perceived levels of public sector corruption" in 2018.
Despite bitcoiners' distrust of the government, Greek policies aren't uniquely draconian. Reuters reported in August 2019, the central bank removed the €4,000 daily withdrawal limit for Greek citizens abroad as well. Furthermore, the Mediterranean nation is hardly the first to use banking surveillance to try to curb tax evasion. India conducted a comparable measure in 2016 through demonetization, forcing citizens to swap old bills for fresh ones in order to curb black-market dealings.
Whether these measures work is a different question altogether. Two years after demonetization, The Hindu reported tax revenue increases were on-par with previous years of economic growth, indicating the measure may not have been worth the hassle.
In support of Antonopoulos' concern, economist Kaushik Basu wrote that Indian demonetization hurt low-income workers and small business owners while hardly inconveniencing the bulk of tax evaders, who hold assets in "gold and silver, real estate and overseas bank accounts."
Generally speaking, tax evasion appears to be a social issue that economic policies alone fail to impact at scale.
"The people who are conducting the egregious tax evasion are in the government," Antonopoulos said. "The hypocrisy of pushing measures through like this ... by people who know they'll just switch to using their German bank accounts, is just disgusting."
PrivacyCashGreeceBitcoin