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The Bay Area Should be Hyper Skeptical about Hyperloop
Hyperloop cutaway drawing. Image from SpaceX.
Hyperloop, Elon Musk's pitch for a transportation technology that he says will whisk people from somewhere north of Los Angeles to the East Bay in 35 minutes, was in the news again thanks to a two-day conference held at Texas A&M University. Engineering students from around the world displayed designs for a Hyperloop vehicle.
So what is a Hyperloop? And what does any of this mean for advocates for safe, sustainable transportation?
It shouldn't mean anything, because for now it's just a big experiment. Except that Musk sets the whole thing up as a challenge to California's statewide rail modernization and electrification project, also known as High-Speed Rail (HSR). HSR will bring clean, sustainable mass transit into the realm of city-to-suburb and city-to-city transportation. That's why it's getting funded in part by cap-and-trade proceeds. It will help fund Caltrain electrification and the connection to Transbay. It will replace many short-haul flights and cars for trips to and from Northern and Southern California and the cities of the Central Valley. So Musk, developer of the Tesla electric car and sometimes environmentalist, should be solidly behind it. Instead, here's the start of his introductory paper for Hyperloop:
How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL – doing incredible things like indexing all the world's knowledge and putting rovers on Mars – would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world? Note, I am hedging my statement slightly by saying "one of". The head of the California high speed rail project called me to complain that it wasn't the very slowest bullet train nor the very most expensive per mile. The underlying motive for a statewide mass transit system is a good one. It would be great to have an alternative to flying or driving, but obviously only if it is actually better than flying or driving. The train in question would be both slower, more expensive to operate (if unsubsidized) and less safe by two orders of magnitude than flying, so why would anyone use it?
Basically, everything he wrote about it is empirically false. Of course it's "better" than driving—just using existing HSR tech, in operation throughout the world, trip times from LA to San Francisco will take two hours and forty minutes. Musk's car, the Tesla, can't go anywhere near that fast—legally or otherwise. It also doesn't have enough juice in its batteries to make the trip. And electric cars sit in traffic jams, just like other cars–trains don't. As to subsidies, his companies take billions from the government. And his question, "why would anyone use it?" They already do use the trains, all throughout the world. The safety statement is also misleading poppycock
A little further in, he writes "The key advantages of a tube [meaning his hyperloop] vs. a railway track are that it can be built above the ground on pylons." Has he never seen BART? Conventional trains run on the ground when they can because it's cheaper—there's no reason a conventional train can't also run on a pylon. In fact, there are already some HSR pylons in the ground in the Central Valley. He claims that the Hyperloop can be built for less than one-tenth of California's HSR project. That's another absurd claim, especially considering he doesn't even have a prototype.
It should be noted that, aside from the branding, Hyperloop isn't new–it's a variation on the "vacuum train," first described by rocket pioneer Robert Goddard in 1910. The idea is to run a pressurized pod inside a huge tube that stretches from city to city. Giant pumps pull the air out of the tube, creating a complete or partial vacuum–and permitting jet airplane like speeds at ground level. But it's never escaped the realm of pop science because the engineering costs and complications just make it impractical. And while Musk has proposed some solutions, there's a huge amount of work to be done to see if they have any chance of working.
Unfortunately, as a previous post explained, there's a tendency for publications to simply latch on to anything a creative innovator and businessman of Musk's stature says, skepticism not required. But they should be skeptical: even the genius Nicola Tesla, the namesake of Musk's car company, had some crazy ideas that failed.
Either way, there's been enough misinformation about California's rail modernization efforts–the state doesn't need Musk sowing more of it.
Filed Under: Hyperloop, Transit
Is Your Local Government Falling for the Hyperloop Fantasy?
By Angie Schmitt	| Apr 11, 2017
There are no functional, real-world examples of a Hyperloop, Tesla founder Elon Musk's long-distance transport concept that involves shooting people through vacuum-sealed tubes in pods that travel at up to 760 mph. And yet a surprising number of government agencies are treating the Hyperloop as a serious proposition.
Did Some Political Pork Give a Boost to High-Speed Rail?
By Dennis Lytton	| Apr 17, 2017
It took a bunch of compromises, but Governor Brown passed his $52 billion transportation bill, which included a gas tax increase. To make the political math work, Brown had to get the vote of one Republican. That Republican was Anthony Canella from Ceres, who was promised $500 million in local spending. $400 million of that is […]
"Hyperloop": Not Quite Shovel-Ready
By Angie Schmitt	| Aug 14, 2013
The "Hyperloop," a conceptual high-speed transport plan from Tesla founder Elon Musk, received attention yesterday from almost every major news outlet. The reception wasn't exactly critical, and it turns out there are a few holes in Musk's plan to whisk people through underground tubes between San Francisco and Los Angeles at speeds as high as […]
Rail Resilience Highlights Need for Skepticism About New Transit Tech
By Roger Rudick	| Mar 8, 2016
Yesterday's evening commute turned into a nightmare for passengers on the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) train, when–according to the latest reports–a mudslide sent a tree onto the tracks and caused a major derailment. The incident happened at 7:15 p.m., when train number 10 derailed in Niles Canyon, about a mile west of Sunol. According to […]
This post is supported by GJEL Accident Attorneys	STREETSBLOG CALIFORNIA
Biden Is Good News for High-Speed Rail
By Roger Rudick	| Nov 9, 2020
The President-elect loves rail, but he still needs the Senate to get it funded... and that may come down to results in the Peach State
City Hall Pushes Caltrain to Move the 4th/King Railyard
By Aaron Bialick	| Mar 8, 2013
The various public agencies shaping the plan to bring high-speed rail into downtown San Francisco disagree on what should be done with the Caltrain railyard at the 4th and King Street station. Officials from San Francisco's Planning Department and Mayor's Office say it's time for the railyard — along with the northern spur of the […]


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Interview with Mike Guijt
An enormous amount of tasks, but no love
Little Mike was given too much responsibility by his parents, but not enough love. His mother was afraid of the streets and Mike Guijt was more or less alone. At 37 he turned out to have ADHD and that changed his world. The biggest change? Slowly he got a grip on himself and learned to love his sons. The love he had missed himself, he could now pass on to his sons.
Let's start with Mike's childhood. The relationship between Mike and his parents was mediocre to say the least. The little boy was not encouraged to make a living, his parents were emotionally absent, he wasn't part of any sports and other hobbies or interests were not stimulated either. He did have to do a lot of chores at home. The reason? His mother was terrified of the street. Mike had to do many tasks while classmates played around. That went without saying, but he never experienced gratitude or love for all he did.
Mike was a special person, but he had never been diagnosed. He had a wife, 2 sons, but until they were 6 or 7 years old, he couldn't be there for them. At home, Mike was always tired and had to sleep. Sleeping a lot. He never played with his children, his children had an absent father. At the age of 37 he was diagnosed with ADHD and that changed a lot. The diagnosis even changed his life.
Mike started using speed to get himself under control. In retrospect, his substance use was a form of self-medication. The effect? Instead of a working and sleeping dad, his kids saw a different version. An active father. Someone who played. A father who gave love to his children and played sports with them. For the first time in his life, his sons said they loved their father. Yet drug use also had its disadvantages, because it would not be healthy in the long run. Fortunately, a doctor eventually gave him medication, which allowed him to be an active father, but not to use drugs. This doctor assured him that he was not alone.
Unfortunately, life had another nasty surprise in store for Mike. He had an affair, which he later deeply regretted, but this resulted in a divorce. He was bullied at work, he lost his job. His divorce and job loss caused a lot of stress. Financial and emotional problems caused him to lose his home. He let his ex-wife live in their house with their sons, but he lost everything himself. His job, his new girlfriend and therefore a roof over his head. He had lost everything.
Homelessness was a fact in December 2018. He sought help from authorities, but ran into a wall of bureaucracy. He had to sell his car, in which he slept, but they told the municipality to sell it. But how could he get to his children, the youngest of whom has had severe diabetes since birth? The bureaucracy drove Mike crazy. He was desperate. Homeless shelters were not given to him, but an alternative was not given either. For example, Mike dragged himself from frustration to setbacks for 9 months and lived in his car.
At the height of his homelessness, he had no money to buy food and drink. In desperation, he stole something from a gas station. His problems got bigger and bigger. Mike didn't want to live anymore and wanted to end his suffering. He made 2 suicide attempts.
Yet eventually there were also bright spots. As a distraction he threw himself into his new own company: making wooden logos. A passion. There was also a limited income and shelter. He was tolerated in a business building, so that he slept safely and dry again.
How's Mike doing now? The most important thing for him is that his relationship with his sons has remained good. He enjoys little things in life, such as taking pictures and or a trip to the forest with his sons. He loves his sons and those feelings are reciprocated. He considers the mother of his children a good friend. He has cleaned up his past. He repaid his debt to the entrepreneur where he stole something. The man wouldn't take the money at first, but Mike insisted. A deal is a deal with Mike because he has his heart in the right place.
Mike says he enjoys seeing his children and is happy with what he has now. Although his situation is far from rosy. His faith in fellow human beings has also taken a serious blow. "As a homeless person, I was on my own. Nobody could or would help me. It seems as if no one has time for someone else, that has hurt me a lot. I wanted so badly to get out of the pit, but no one helped me. I was on my own, no one had time. That gave an incredibly bad feeling "
The Everyday People Foundation sees that more and more people like Mike reside within the Netherlands. The number of homeless people has doubled in the last 10 years. That is a shocking figure. Of course, every person has a responsibility to take care of himself and his family. But when life goes against the grain, due to a combination of illness, divorce and debt, we have to be there for people. In the form of shelter, but also by offering concrete help and perspective.
We are all human. And when everyday people experience unusual problems, they deserve our love and support
This is also the reason that Mike is now a sponsor for Everyday People. We are very grateful to Mike for this. For every product that Mike sells, he donates 25% to the foundation.
Check out Carved Art for the products. Will you help?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On March 13, 2014, the State Board of Education (SBE) approved not to calculate the API for local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools for the 2014 and 2015 academic years. As a result, the 2014, 2015, and 2016 API reports will not be produced.
The SBE and the California Department of Education (CDE) are in the process of developing a new accountability system to replace the API to better measure our State's educational goals.
On September 8, 2016, the SBE approved key elements of a new school accountability system.
State accountability results focus on how much schools are improving in year-to-year academic growth. The Academic Performance Index (API) is a major part of the state's academic accountability requirements. Its purpose is to measure the academic performance and growth of schools.
Because the API measures a school's academic growth, it is reported annually in terms of a base score and the next year's growth score. The Base API, reported after the start of each calendar year, and its corresponding Growth API, based on the following year's test results and reported the following August, constitute an API reporting cycle. Base API reports include API scores and growth targets. Growth API reports include API scores and show whether the school met its growth targets. A school's Base API is subtracted from its corresponding Growth API to determine how much the school grew in a year. API results focus on schools showing year-to-year growth in achievement.
Since the first Smarter Balanced assessment results in English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics will be available in the summer of 2015, the Base API reports and corresponding growth targets will be produced for schools and released by spring 2016.
Schools must meet annual schoolwide targets and targets for each numerically significant student group to meet state API growth targets. The growth target is the amount of improvement a school is expected to make in its API score in a year. It is calculated as 5 percent of the difference between a school's Base API and the statewide performance target of 800. The minimum schoolwide growth target is 5 points until the API approaches 800. A school with an API of 800 or more must maintain its API of at least 800.
In addition, each numerically significant student group must show API growth of at least 5 percent of the difference between its Base API and the statewide target of 800. Student groups with API scores at or above 800 must maintain an API score of at least 800.
In response to legislative mandates, the API is being revised. Therefore, the following content provides information about both the future of the API as well as the past.
California Education Code (EC) Section 52052(H) states it is the intent of the Legislature that the state's system of public school accountability be more closely aligned with both the public's expectations for public education and the workforce needs of the state's economy. Therefore, Senate Bill (SB) 1458, California EC sections 52052(a)(3)(F)(i) and 52052(a)(3)(H) require that by 2015–16, the results of statewide assessments shall constitute no more than 60 percent of the high school API and that the remaining 40 percent must encompass other indicators such as graduation data and pupil preparedness for college and career.
The Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) Advisory Committee is now considering indicators of pupil preparedness for college and career. In June 2013, the Advisory Committee recommended to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) a methodology for incorporating graduation data in the API. All new indicators must be approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) at least one year before they are incorporated into the API.
The API has been a numeric index (or scale) that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. A school's score or placement on the API has been an indicator of the school's performance level. The current statewide API performance target for all schools is 800. A school's growth has been measured by how well the school is moving toward or past that goal.
For the Base API Report, schools received a Base API score, statewide and similar schools ranks, and growth targets. Ranks were established by deciles. Deciles are ten categories of equal size from ten (highest) to one (lowest). The statewide rank compared a school's API with those of all schools of the same type statewide (i.e., elementary, middle, or high schools). The similar schools rank compared a school's API with those of 100 other schools (i.e., elementary, middle, or high schools) with similar challenges. Local educational agencies (LEAs), schools in the Alternative Schools Accountability Model, and student groups were not ranked.
Effective July 1, 2013, Assembly Bill 97, Chapter 47, Statutes 2013, California EC Section 52056(a) requiring API ranking of schools was repealed. As a result, for 2014 and beyond, statewide and similar schools ranks will no longer be produced.
The API is used to meet state requirements under the PSAA and federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements for elementary and middle schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Under state requirements, if a school meets participation and API growth criteria, it may be eligible for state and federal award programs. Under federal ESEA requirements, the API is one of the indicators for AYP.
The API is used as a measurement tool to meet both state and federal accountability requirements for elementary and middle schools, but the criteria differ.
Under state requirements, an elementary or middle school must increase its API score by 5 percent of the difference between the school's Base API and 800 or maintain a score of 800 or above. Additionally, each numerically significant student group must increase its API score by 5 percent of the difference between the student group API and 800 or maintain a score of 800 or above.
Under federal requirements in 2014 and beyond, a school or an LEA must have a minimum API of 800 or have at least 1 point growth in the schoolwide API in addition to the other federal AYP schoolwide and student group targets (participation rate, percent proficient, and graduation rate).


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Description Weave through mines and avoid projectiles while making it to the end of each level. Instructions Arrows to move, mouse to shoot.


The month started pleasantly as the Southeast took one of its rare and short breaks offering a chance to go after a GT right on the 01st. One of the early casts produced a miss and at the next spot another GT chased the popper right to the boat but was despite several attempts either too blind or too stupid to grab it or both. Light jigging around noon was unusually slow with just a few small fish. Managed to hook a Tuna out of a passing school on popper but it came off and later another GT missed the lure in most ridiculous fashion. Total disappointment. Elsewhere the fish had been much more unerring as I learned in the evening: some boats like Edwin`s Dan Zil caught Tuna in good numbers trolling while Greg picked up a good handful on poppers at the Drop Off along with a Sailfish.
Next morning the wind was a bit livelier again but I had to make up for something. Four hours of intense popping at different GT spots raised absolutely nothing though. Jigging was a bit better and this time the sort of daily Tuna stayed on. Not huge but better than none.
At 108cm fork length and roughly 27kg an average specimen but of course most welcome. Will dispose of the textbook though and just keep a note that luck is all that matters. The next day the wind was back and apart from a few trolling trips that produced the odd Sailfish and good amounts of smaller gamefish, mainly Tuna, not much happened. Those though are around in such numbers that they are being caught as usually only the Bonitos. Mervin (Divinity) and a guest in just three hours and only a couple of miles offshore got a dozen on casting lures.
And a few days later again in that same area he bagged another 14. Would have loved to pop there but it was far too rough and thus dangerous for going out alone. Had a small technical issue to sort out on top and when done did a test run with a bit of tackle of course. First few popper casts in the La Digue channel raised a large silver fish but it did not come close enough to the surface to tell for sure it was a GT. But have no clue what else it could have been. Several drifts with the light jigging gear produced a great mix of fish about everywhere. Nothing really big as a few good ones came away in the strong current but after four hours it had been around 40 fish from impressive 14 different species.
At last also something better turned up in the shape of this not bad at all Golden Trevally. Suspected it actually to be a bit bigger along the fight but this one used the current well to its advantage. Not well enough though.
As every year by mid of September hope started to rise that the Southeast might falter early and better fishing conditions might bless us but this went down the drain. Literally more or less as on top of pretty steady 20 knots of wind we got lots of sometimes heavy rain. Must have been tough enough even on the large 9G but the team braved the conditions and returned with interesting news: after tagging a Sailfish in the morning they caught and tagged again that same fish about six hours later. Twice it could not resist a trolled Ballyhoo. Of course not all fish are the same but interesting and very convincing proof how little harm a competent release causes. Great stuff.
Only around last weekend the wind dropped again a little and things came back to life. Julien reported one Marlin out of three and the large sailing cat Costa Rica two out of four Sailfish. Out of Mahe the boat Stripper cleaned out a Wahoo nest catching about 30 of good sizes along two consecutive days.
On the 25th Mervin had a half day trolling and returned with a very good mixed bag of smaller Gamefish mainly consisting of Tuna again but a Dorado and a Wahoo in the mix made an Offshore Grand Slam. In those few hours Mervin said they raised about 10 Sailfish but these were all just window shoppers. The following somewhat calm day he tried jigging at the Drop but along several hours of hard work they only got a Black Trevally and a Jobfish so trolling and again the Tuna had to save the trip. Same time Bruno and Sandro fishing on Aura also caught plenty Tuna, some Wahoos and a Marlin. On the 27th I tagged along with Mervin and German trolling newbies Jannis & Thomas. The wind had returned full strength so getting to the Drop was already tough. Waves got very high around noon as the current shifted into the wind and the biggest one was easy 3.5 meters high. But the two anglers coped well sharing two Tuna, Dorados and Wahoos each among them.
That had not been all though as around noon a Black Marlin of about 120kg took but sadly came away a few minutes later. The disappointment did not last too long as later three Sails showed up in quick succession with the last one hooking up. Was of course released after this quick foto.
Yesterday it was a bit calmer again and Greg went once more. No Sails seen in the area fished but 8 Dorados, 4 Wahoos and 2 Tuna made an entertaining day. The Sails must have been further north as JD (One Love) hooked up with five along his trip losing them all when leaping around. The nice chap was probably not in the best of moods that evening. Not much to tell about fly fishing this time. Went a few times but conditions were at best unfavourable and most of the time all useless. Saw a Bonefish after a long time again on the flat but just for an instant. Visibility is simply too poor to keep anything in sight and sneak into a casting position. The only place offering reasonable conditions at this time of the year remains the bay off my place but it remains hopeless there. Not just all murky by the rain washing soil into the sea but also due to the massive amounts of drifting weeds simply impossible to fish.
The strange thing is that this unusual kind of fluffy weed keeps coming in here for months now depsite the offshore wind. So all hopes on October. If all goes normal the Southeast should start to come apart in the course of the month. With a bit of luck this might happen rather soon looking at the big picture forecast. Would be nice to see and enjoy more fishing and doing bi-weekly reports again ideally spiced with some proper popping and jigging stuff.
For the preceeding reports check the archive.


Avalon TV is developing an American version of Shane for CBS. The sitcom's writer and star, Frank Skinner, has been paired up with Michael Shipley and Jim Bernstein (American Dad) to adapt the script for an American market.
Shane is about a wise-cracking minicab driver who is going through a mid-life crisis. Shane is bored with his marriage and annoyed by his teenage kids. They are equally disappointed in him. The seven episodes of the comedy were first shown in the UK in 2004 on ITV to average, but not great, reviews.
Avalon are currently perusing a number of new commissions over the pond. Their other comedy projects include a brand-new single dad sitcom titled Mad, Bad and Dangerous (also for CBS) and Honeymooned (for Fox) which is about two pals who wind up on a prepaid honeymoon after one of them is jilted.
In other development news, ABC is moving ahead with a pilot based on the ITV hit comedy drama Footballers' Wives and have some how persuaded Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman) to direct the pilot.


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Apple is planning to hold a media event on Wednesday, September 9 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California.
This year's iPhone-centric event is expected to see the debut of the next-generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which, according to rumors, will include a reinforced body constructed from stronger 7000 Series aluminum, Force Touch, an A9 processor, 2GB RAM, and an improved camera.
Rumors have also suggested Apple will use the event to unveil the next-generation Apple TV, a major update from the existing set-top box. It will include a redesigned chassis with an A8 processor, more storage space, and a touch-based remote control, along with a new software system that includes Siri support and a full App Store.
We'll also get an update on the launch dates of iOS 9 and watchOS 2, and shortly after the event ends, we may see golden master software releases for the two software updates ahead of their final public launch.
Apple will be live streaming the media event on the web for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and PC users.
This entry was posted in iPhone and tagged 6s. 6s plus, apple, iphone. Bookmark the permalink.


If you have done your research on maintaining an aquarium for your finned friends, you have maybe figured out that you need to add water conditioner to the tank! Conditioner makes your chemically treated tap water safe for your little fish to swin and breathe in! Choose from our big selection of water conditioner from brands as N.T Labs, Fritz, JBL, Seachem and other!
Friendly Bacteria to Kick Start Your Filter.
A live culture of "friendly" bacteria for your filter. These bacteria help breakdown fish waste and prevent the build up of toxic ammonia and nitrite. Add to a new aquarium to help activate the filter, when adding new fish, after a filter clean/water change or after using a disease treatment. Suitable for tropical and cold water aquariums.
A chlorine remover is the first additive used in your aquatic environment. ATM - Barrier Classic brings you this standard sodium thiosulfate formula that neutralizes chlorine and chloramine as well as heavy metals. ATM - Barrier Classic also contains aloe vera, which replaces slime coat on fish to reduce stress and aids in attachment of ATM Colony nitrifying bacteria.
ATM - Colony Marine contains all natural, live bacteria in a special freshwater preservative solution. These bacteria are proven to utilize ammonia and nitrite as a primary energy source, resulting in the removal of these harmful substances. Aquarium Cycling has been an ongoing issue in the aquarium hobby and industry.
ATM - Outbreak Freshwater is a high-powered biological sludge remover that consumes decomposing organics, leaving aquariums clean and free of waste that can cause problems for biofiltration. Regular use of ATM - Outbreak Freshwater improves water quality and leaves aquariums looking their best. Specific freshwater formulation.
ATM - Outbreak Marine is a potent biological sludge remover that effectively consumes decomposing organic materials. It contains a concentrated special blend of billions of bacteria and enzymes which break down organic waste including decaying uneaten food, plant and animal waste, etc. Regular use of Outbreak! improves water quality and leaves aquariums looking their best.
ATM - Paradigm, the only all natural water conditioner and dechlorinator on the market utilizes Vitamin C to neutralize chlorine and chloramine while adding immune system benefits.
Unlike traditional water conditioners, Paradigm utilizes the awesome power of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to create the most hospitable environment possible for your fish and other aquarium inhabitants. This unique and innovative formula instantly neutralizes chlorine and chloramine while simultaneously boosting the immune system of fish to make them less susceptible to disease and illness. Paradigm also contains aloe vera and Vitamin E, which promote natural healing in fish.
Multivitamin Complex in JBL Acclimol assist fish in acclimatising to their new environment, while reducing stress from catching and handling.
Effective removal of Algae without plant damage.
Conditions tap water, converting it into biotope aquarium water.
Leaves water crystal clear. Avoids cloudiness by removal of natural and chemical discolouration and particles.
Ideal to activate filters, setting up aquariums, for water changes and for re-establishing bacteria after fish diseases.
Removes Chlorine & Heavy Metals.
Tap Water Safe removes chlorine and other halogens, chloramine and heavy metals found in tap water which are toxic to fish. Tap Water Safe also contains special protective coating that reducess stress that may be caused by transportation of newly introduced fish.
Provides all Trace Elements Needed by Plants.
Plant Boost is a plant food which provides all the trace elements which are taken out of the water by growing plants, especially iron which is most important for healthy growth of aquarium plants.
In addition, Plant Boost contains plant growth hormones to stimulate and encourage even sickly plants into healthy growth. Plant Boost does not contain algae promoting nitrates or phosphates. Suitable for tropical and cold water aquariums.
Green water/Algae or cloudy water caused by over feeding and fish waste is unsightly in an aquarium and can be dangerous as it may alter the pH and oxygen levels in your aquarium.
Algae Gone is a single dose plant friendly treatment that will clarify the green or cloudy water in your aquarium. It works by clumping the minute particles together enabling your filter to strain them out.
This pack contains the two products needed to get your aquarium up and running and safe for fish.
Tap Water Safe removes chlorine and other halogens, chloramine and heavy metals found in tap water which are toxic to fish. Tap Water Safe also contains special protective coating that reducess stress that may be caused by transportation of newly introduced fish.Filter Starter provides a live culture of "friendly" bacteria for your filter. These bacteria help breakdown fish waste and prevent the build up of toxic ammonia and nitrite. Adding to a new aquarium helps activate the filter.
Seachem Equilibrium establishes ideal mineral/electrolyte balance in planted aquariums.
Clarity is the ultimate clarifier for both fresh and saltwater.
A complete and concentrated conditioner for both fresh and salt water. It should be the first choice conditioner when setting up a new tank, adding, or changing water. Prime removes chlorine, chloramine and ammonia. Prime converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tank's biofilter.
Stability will rapidly and safely establish the aquarium biofilter in freshwater and marine systems, thereby preventing the 1st cause of fish death : new tank syndrome.
Aquavitro shrimp start is the complete conditioner for freshwater shrimp aquarium.
- Shrimp start removes chlorine, chloramine and ammonia.
- Converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tank's biofilter.
- May be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrate toxicity and allows the biofilter to more efficiently remove them.
- It will also detoxify heavy metals found in the tap water.
- Non-acidic and will not impact pH. Use at start-up and whenever adding or replacing water.


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text:
World & Policy/
Senators Approve Temporary Spending Measure While Continuing Immigration Talks
Senate Votes to Fund Government
Congress will have three weeks under a Senate deal to come to some terms on the so-called Dreamers or risk another potential government shutdown in after Feb. 8. (DTN file photo)
By Chris Clayton
Jerry Hagstrom
DTN Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The U.S. Senate voted early Monday afternoon to end the three-day federal government shutdown and fund the government through Feb. 8.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the three-week funding extension would give senators time to continue negotiating on a possible immigration deal. Schumer said if no deal is reached by Feb. 8, then he had been assured by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that the Senate would vote up or down on a specific provision to decide the fate of the youth involved in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.
"While this procedure will not satisfy everyone on both sides, it is a way forward," Schumer said.
The vote was 81-18 to invoke cloture on a measure to approve the short-term package. McConnell's comments on the Senate floor suggested he believed Republicans had won the stare down.
"So long as the government remains open, it would be my intention to take up legislation here in the Senate that would address DACA, border security and related issues as well as disaster relief, defense funding, health care and other important matters," McConnell said.
Of course, while the Senate may choose to advance some immigration legislation, there are no assurances the House of Representatives will take it up. That happened in 2013. Any deal would also have to satisfy President Donald Trump.
Most of the federal government was closed on Monday, but Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Friday outlined a wide range of essential services that would continue to operate under a shutdown.
Through his Twitter account, @secretarysonny, Perdue also sent out a series of tweets on each of the services that will remain open.
USDA issued both a news release summary and detailed plans that had been sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Perdue's statements were couched in the terms of what would happen if a continuing resolution were not passed.
"USDA is committed to safeguarding life and property through the critical services we provide -- and should the government shut down, we will continue to do just that," Perdue said. "I am proud of each USDA employee for everything they do to benefit the farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers who depend on our services. It is their mission each day to fulfill our USDA motto, 'Do right and feed everyone.'"
Some of the biggest problems for farmers would be finishing up or closing a loan tied to direct USDA funding or a loan guarantee. Loans would start to get processed again once funding is established, but farm programs and loan activities would be put on hold.
The same goes for loans under agencies such as USDA Rural Development. Borrowers would not be able to secure loans or make payments. "The unavailability of servicing actions not deemed excepted could have a negative impact on the financial stability of customers and mortgage lenders' financial operations.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has announced that the House would accept a continuing resolution that extends only until Feb. 8. The House-passed CR extends until Feb. 16, but Democrats are putting pressure on the Republicans to deal with issues such as a resolution of the undocumented youth known as "Dreamers" who are protected from deportation under the Obama administration's DACA program.
The House was scheduled to go into session at noon Monday.
McConnell thanked Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine for "working across the aisle to help resolve the impasse we find ourselves in." Those senators were working in Collins' office with Democratic senators including several from states that voted for Hillary Clinton and are up for election this year.
The Washington Post reported Sunday that Republicans had sent out email blasts in the states of the Democratic senators up for election, saying that because the House bill would reauthorize the children's health program known as CHIP, the Democrats in resistance were putting undocumented immigrants ahead of American children.
The targets of the attack included Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Jon Tester of Montana and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. Other senators who were subject to the attacks included Bill Nelson of Florida and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.
Democrats, who knew the attacks were coming, have responded with videos and online ads that point to President Donald Trump's 2013 and 2017 quotes about how a shutdown might be good for Republicans, the Post said.
USDA has a website to inform employees of USDA's operating status: https://www.dm.usda.gov/…
Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com
Follow him on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN
(AG)


text:
Even After Refinancing a Loan, A Borrower Can Rescind That Loan for TILA Violations
April 27, 2006 in Articles
On April 27, 2006, the California Court of Appeal ruled that a borrower's right to rescind the transaction for a Truth In Lending Act violation survives a refinancing of the offending loan.
In the case of Pacific Shore Funding v. Zoran Lozo, et al., the borrowers attempted to rescind their original loan transaction on the grounds that the lender had failed to comply with the disclosure requirements of the Truth In Lending Act. Nearly three years had passed since the original loan transaction had occurred.
The Lozos had obtained a non purchase-money loan for $28,000 from Pacific Shore at a rate of 13.375 percent. Pacific Shore charged origination, funding, processing and settlement fees in excess of $2,800, amounting to more than ten percent of the loan. Accordingly, this "high-cost" loan was subject to the disclosure requirements of TILA and Regulation Z. Two years after this loan, the Lozos obtained a second loan from Pacific Shore for $71,600, a portion of which paid off the first loan to Pacific Shore and the prepayment penalty.
After the refinance, the Lozos made a demand to Pacific Shore Funding to rescind their original loan. Pacific Shore Funding refused and sued the borrowers for a declaration that the loan agreement was valid. The borrowers cross-complained, alleging violation of TILA and seeking damages.
The borrowers' claim for rescission rested on the grounds that 1) on the Notice of the Right to Rescind, Pacific Shore had failed to include a date or deadline for which a notice of rescission must be delivered by the borrower and 2) Pacific Shore had failed to provide two copies of the consumer disclosures of the interest rate, monthly payments, and borrowers' right not to complete the transaction, along with a notice that borrowers risked losing their home if they failed to keep current with their loan.*
Pacific Shore did not dispute the TILA violations, instead admitting the violations had occurred but that as a matter of law, the borrowers had no loan to rescind. At the lower court level, Pacific Shore was successful on a summary judgment motion with the court finding that since the Lozos had already refinanced their first loan, there was nothing left to rescind and following an earlier Ninth Circuit decision. The matter went up on appeal, and the California Court of Appeal overturned the decision.
On appeal, the Court declined to follow an earlier Ninth Circuit decision that went in favor of the lender. The earlier decision in King v. State of California (1986) was a situation where the borrowers had been in bankruptcy, thus creating a transfer of the residence to the Trustee, effectively cutting off the borrower's ability to rescind under TILA. However, in the present case, the Lozos still held title to the property and the plain language of Regulation Z states "[i]f the required notice or material disclosures are not delivered, the right to rescind shall expire 3 years after consumer, [1] upon transfer of all of the consumer's interest in the property, or [2] upon sale of the property, whichever occurs first."
Once the Court interpreted that the language Regulation Z did not address a refinance situation, the Court also went on to point out that even with a re-finance, the borrower was entitled to rescind and demand the interest, fees, penalties and charges paid.
The twist was that while the borrowers had three years to rescind the loan, they had only one year to seek damages for TILA violations. The Lozos had waited nearly three years and so could not seek damages under TILA. However, the borrowers also cross-complained under Business & Professions Code 17200, the UCL. This provision provides separate relief for any acts that fall within the meaning of unfair competition as defined by the Code, and has a four-year statue of limitations. The Court pointed out that while the borrowers could not seek money damages under the UCL, the borrowers may be entitled to disgorgement of any fees and penalties wrongfully obtained by the lender.
Most importantly, the UCL provides for injunctive relief to halt the deceptive advertising or practice being engaged in by the defendant. The Court noted that Pacific Shore did not provide any evidence that it was unlikely to repeat the deceptive advertising or practices, thus subjecting them to a claim for injunctive relief from the borrowers.
Ultimately, it did not matter whether or not the disclosures were intentionally left blank or intentionally withheld from borrowers. Any violation of the disclosure requirements of TILA, even if the disclosure may have been substantially completed, was strictly construed against the lender and provided the borrower with a three year time frame to rescind the loan. Furthermore, in conjunction with the relief sought under California's Unfair Competition Law, the TILA violation gave rise to another claim for relief to the borrowers.
In reading the decision, it was evident that the Appellate Court looked at Pacific Shore Lending and found the surrounding circumstances between the lender and borrower inequitable, noting that TILA was designed to protect against "unscrupulous lenders with a means of laundering their TILA violations in the initial loan by refinancing it with a second loan, while forever preventing borrowers from recouping their wrongfully paid finance charges, downpayments and other fees." Clearly, no lender wants to be grouped in that category with Pacific Shore Lending.
The lesson to take away for lenders making high cost loans is that errors or omissions on disclosures can be costly. A blank on the disclosure can be as fatal as not providing the disclosure at all. In the close relationship between the broker and the lender and in some cases, the escrow officer, it may be tempting to pass the buck on whose responsibility it is to get the loan documents and disclosures to the borrowers. However, there is no substitute for a thorough review. Furthermore, if a demand for rescission is made by a borrower, that is not a time to play hardball with them. Pull the files and engage an outside professional to comb through the documents for any possible omissions or defects in the documentation. Compromising with the borrower prior to litigation is a far less costly solution.
* Actually, it is unclear from the case decision, but may be possible that Pacific Shore did actually supply the disclosures, but either neglected to supply two copies to the borrowers or neglected to supply the disclosures within the required three days prior to the execution of the loan documents.


Featuring hands-on instruction to service hybrid A/C systems, Dave Hobbs walks you through essential diagnostics and provides critical safety precautions in this course (LBT-228 Mastering Hybrid HVAC Systems with Dave Hobbs). Key to understanding the system is the hybrid data PIDs including the evaporator fin thermistor, solar sensor, engine coolant temp sensor, air mix servo pulse, electric heater current and compressor speed. Hobbs uses Toyota's factory scan tool — the Tech Stream — to illustrate good versus bad data readings.
Hobbs' safety discussion includes safety tips for evacuating and recharging the A/C system with an emphasis on the importance of using a J2788 compliant recovery machine to stabilize critical charge systems. Also, he demonstrates how to remove harmful PAG oil from the recovery machine and its hoses to avoid contamination.


Lace Front Wig Cap Designs?
"What are the different lace front wig cap designs?
Find the right lace front wig cap construction can seem daunting, but it needn't be. We've put together a guide covering all of the main lace front cap constructions and in this article we'll provide an overview of some of the more frequently found designs.
All of the following cap constructions are available in French lace more durable (due to slightly smaller holes) and Swiss lace more fragile (due to larger holes).
Lace front wigs traditionally came with adjustable straps at the back or an elasticated perimeter at the back and possibly a clip at the back as they were normally worn with the use of adhesives.
This is a really easy lace front cap construction to use and is a great option for those who are new to wearing lace wigs (lace front or full lace wigs) as well as being popular with those who have worn them for some time.
Equally, the adjustable straps can reduce the overall circumference by up to four centimetres (approximately 1.5 inches).
This means that if your measurements are slightly smaller than the standard 22.5 inch lace front cap, then you'll be able to adjust it to make it smaller.
There are variations on this including choosing thin skin at the front or silk top (4"x4" silk base) at the crown.
Check out the detailed guide about this cap construction that shows more variations and whether this option is suitable for you.
The open wefts through the middle and reaching the back of the cap means there is no integral solid cap - this wig is sometimes referred to as "capless".
There is a common variation where there is a stretch lace mesh at the material at each side whilst the majority of the open wefts are from the crown to the back (see image of blonde lace wig).
Usually the lace colour for standard stock lace wigs is medium brown, but typically if the hair on the lace wig is blonde the lace is light in colour as in the image to the right.
The colour of lace you choose for your lace cap wig or full lace wig will be the colour that is seen when your hair is parted. However you can wear a cap underneath that matches your skin tone if you'd prefer.
The general rule to follow if you're unsure of which lace colour to choose, is to go for a colour that's the same or lighter than your skin complexion (as the scalp is typically lighter in colour than the skin tone on the face) and you can find out more about that here.
The term glueless refers to whether a lace wig requires adhesive (glue or tape) in order to be worn as historically lace wigs were secured to the head by the use of adhesives.
The glueless lace cap wig has lace at the front (between one and five inches), the rest of the cap contains variations of the following: open wefts, closed wefts or stretch lace (hand tied hair, no wefts); adjustable straps at the back or whole perimeter; clips or combs (or both) that can be located at the back, crown, sides (sometimes on tabs located near the ears); and you can find out more details in glueless lace cap wig guide.
That's the forward march on lace front wig cap constructions but if you're considering full lace wigs, then there's a similar overview on the frequently found full lace wig cap constructions.
If you'd like more information you can peruse the Lace Wig Q&A section or if you'd like to be first to read new guides and articles, why not join our blog - it's super easy to do and doesn't require any personal info!


Nali, based in Italy, was founded in 2006 after forty years experience in the ladies accessory market. Nali has a strong reputation for affordable premium designs in fun and modern on-trend looks. Their use of materials to create these beautiful designs include metal, resin, glass, and natural stones. Shades and shapes changing season to season, this collection of jewellery will complete your outfit by adding that much needed statement.


Dec. 13--MOULTRIE, Ga. -- John Benning DAR will join with Wreaths Across America (WAA) to lay wreaths on the graves of veterans across the country on Saturday, Dec. 15, beginning at 2 p.m. at Pinecrest Memorial Gardens on South Main Street.
More than 1,200 locations in all 50 states and overseas will be laying wreaths at this time. The local DAR chapter collected sponsorships for more than 180 wreaths.
According to Susan Turner, DAR Service to Veterans chair and coordinator of this project, "This is the first time this event has been held in Moultrie and we are overwhelmed by the support of the community. But then, this community has always supported our veterans."
First Baptist Pastor Wayne Woods, who served as a pilot in the U. S. Navy, will open the ceremony with prayer. Veterans from the five branches of the military will place wreaths at the granite markers representing each of the five branches. Veterans laying wreaths include Meg Bishop, U.S. Army, assistant principal at Cox Elementary; Dr. Rob Bartosh, U.S. Navy, orthopedic surgeon; Andrew Christensen, U.S. Air Force, director of the Colquitt County Food Bank; and Art Ellis, U. S. Marines, retired FBI agent.
Once the service wreaths have been placed, volunteers will be invited to assist in placing wreaths on the graves in the military section and other veterans' graves that have been marked in Pinecrest. Wreaths may be placed on veterans' graves in other cemeteries but the donor must pick up the wreath after the ceremony on Dec. 15 and be responsible for placing the wreath.
Wreaths will also be placed at the Eternal Flame on the Colquitt County Courthouse square remembering those who were killed in action.
This annual event seeks to further the WAA mission of Remember, Honor, Teach, ensuring that the memory of those who served our country endures.


text:
Finlands advokatförbund grundades år 1919 i Åbo och fick år 1959 en laglig rätt att reglera verksamheten för advokater i Finland. Förbundets huvudkontor är beläget i Helsingfors, på Simonsgatan 12 B 16. För perioden 2016-2020 är Styrelseordföranden EM Jarkko Ruohol (advokat, vicehäradshövding) och viceordförande Hanna Räihä-Mäntyharju (advokat, vicehäradshövding).

Till Finlands Advokatförbund hör cirka 2 100 advokater. Endast en medlem i Advokatförbundet får använda titeln advokat.

Styrelsen för advokatförbundet väljs med tre års förordnande och omfattar en ordförande och en viceordförande samt åtta styrelseledamöter. De åtta ledamöterna skall utgöras av advokater från olika delar av Finland, samt de olika språkgrupperna.

Historik
I Finland och Sverige organiserades yrkesmässig advokatverksamhet redan på 1600-talet, men det var först år 1919, efter Finlands självständighet från Ryssland, som Finlands advokatförbund formellt bildades. År 2019 firade advokatförbundet sitt 100-årsjubileum, detta under parollen "Advokaten tryggar rättsstaten"

Källor

Noter

Intresseorganisationer i Finland
Juristorganisationer
Organisationer bildade 1919

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
info@skillset.co.uk
Tailored eLearning
Off-the-Shelf eLearning
Instructor-Led Learning
Software Training Support
elasticLearning
Website migration and hosting for college website
Delivered for SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COLLEGE
Migration of existing website to Amazon Web Services.
Monthly patching of the website.
Daily backup of the website.
South Lanarkshire College is a modern, forward-thinking institution, which takes great pride in the quality of its programmes and the success of its students. The college provides excellent education in outstanding facilities, delivered by well-qualified, highly trained staff.
The college welcomes more than 3000 fulltime students each year. It is, therefore, essential that the college's website is effective in supporting both current and prospective students.
South Lanarkshire College issued an invitation to tender, seeking to appoint a single supplier for the provision of hosting and support services for the college website.
The requirements included a dedicated server within the UK, with cPanel access, compliance with GDPR regulations, and excellent uptime with regular backups.
SkillSet were subsequently successful in winning this invitation to tender.
SkillSet employed an agile approach to the migration project using sprints, stories, and tasks. All of these could be tracked by the college on a shared Jira board.
The existing WordPress site was migrated onto Amazon Web Services with a MySQL database in Amazon RDS and a multi-zone deployment to ensure high availability.
The project was completed in only 15 working days. The college website can be found at:
https://www.south-lanarkshire-college.ac.uk/
South Lanarkshire College rated SkillSet 10 out of 10 for communication, value for money, and user satisfaction.
After completion of this initial migration project, South Lanarkshire College has since commissioned SkillSet to make several improvements to the site, which we continue to support and maintain.
OUR CLIENT'S FEEDBACK
"I have been hugely impressed with the way that SkillSet have managed the migration of our website from the incumbent supplier to a new server. Customer service has been excellent, communication has been outstanding, downtime during the switchover was minimal due to prior testing and bug fixing. The team was proactive in monitoring the site in the period immediately following the handover and has made suggestions for improvements, which will be of great benefit to the college, our students, and users of the website. Emails are responded to very quickly. All in all, I am absolutely delighted with the service that has been provided by SkillSet to-date."
Lucy Flynn, Marketing Manager & International Officer, South Lanarkshire College.
©2022 SkillSet Ltd
SKILLSET LTD
(part of Latitude 91 Ltd)
Basing View
RG21 4EB
Tel: +44(0)1252 810 061
E: info@skillset.co.uk


Posted by QualResearcher_9 on May 05, 2016. Brought to you by tripadvisor.
Good location. Good service. Comfortable rooms. Awful pillows. Super-noisy. Terrible climate control - rooms fluctuate between freezing cold and painfully hot. Would stay here again if that could be fixed, though (or maybe we were just doing it wrong).
Posted by Brendan F on May 05, 2016. Brought to you by tripadvisor.
Posted on March 15, 2019. Brought to you by skoosh.
With Blazing 100 Mbps Internet Speed, Our Always-Buzzing Hotel Is Steps From The Colorado Convention Center And The 16th Street Mall. The Hotel Boasts 1,100 Sq. Ft. Of Meeting Space.
Posted on September 25, 2018. Brought to you by pointcom.


text:
WATCH TONIGHT:
Randall Akee, EconoFact Randall Akee, EconoFact
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-covid-19-is-impacting-indigenous-peoples-in-the-u-s
How COVID-19 is impacting indigenous peoples in the U.S.
Nation May 13, 2020 6:14 PM EST
The issue:
There is emerging evidence that many disadvantaged communities in the United States are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Native American communities share some of the characteristics of other disadvantaged communities that might make them susceptible to greater impacts, but they also face unique challenges. Difficulties inherent in studying small population groups as well as differences in access to testing for COVID-19 present challenges to understanding the full impact of the epidemic on these communities. However, there are indications that some Native American populations are facing a disproportionate brunt of the COVID-19 epidemic with higher infection and mortality rates than the overall U.S. population. Understanding how the disease is affecting these communities is important to mitigating the damage. Specific measures that address water infrastructure in some reservations and language or communication barriers may be warranted.
Some Native American populations are facing disproportionately high COVID-19 infection and mortality rates.
Many disadvantaged communities in the U.S. are at higher risk for COVID-19 infection than the general population, though national race-disaggregated data is lacking. Analysis from Dr. Lisa A. Cooper at Johns Hopkins University, for example, shows that "while Black Americans represent only about 13% of the population in the states reporting racial/ethnic information, they account for about 34% of total COVID-19 deaths in those states." There have been several likely mechanisms identified that may play a role in the disproportionate incidence and high death rates for COVID-19 for these disadvantaged communities. Dr. Hill Golden cites several conditions and obstacles for African-Americans, including: living in crowded housing conditions, working in essential fields, inconsistent access to health care, chronic health conditions, and higher levels of stress. Especially in the U.S., minority communities have been continually subject to these harms.
Historical inequities in public funding, in areas like healthcare and infrastructure, have also contributed to health disparities that put Indigenous peoples and other minorities at higher-risk in the COVID-19 crisis. For instance, handwashing has been emphasized as an important measure to prevent contagion in the pandemic. However, because of historical imbalances in infrastructure projects, race is an important predictor of indoor plumbing access in the country; Indigenous peoples, African-American and Latinx households are more likely than white households to lack access to complete plumbing. The persistence of health disparities for American Indians is also evident in ways that could affect their susceptibility to COVID-19, such as the fact that they are three times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than whites.
There is a wide range of COVID-19 rates among different American Indian reservations, but a handful of reservations have many-fold greater infection rates compared to the general U.S. population. Verified COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are over 1.3 million, as of May 12, 2020, which means that the rate of verified COVID-19 infection per 100,000 individuals is around 400. Current verified COVID-19 cases on U.S. American Indian reservations range from 0 to 3,300 per 100,000 individuals; the average rate is about 32 per 100,000. However, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Ho-Chunk Nation, the Navajo Nation, the Pueblo of San Felipe, and the Pueblo of Zia have astonishingly high reservation-based COVID-19 rates per 100,000 at 500, 800, 1100, 1400 and 3300, respectively (according to COVID-19 impact data from Indian Country Today and population estimates from the U.S. Census ACS 2018 1-Year Data). This variation may be attributable to differences in rates of testing, but also likely reflects the differential access to resources of different reservations.
Examining the characteristics of different reservations — such as access to running water and English proficiency — may help explain some of the disparities in COVID-19 rates. In new research, forthcoming in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, we examine average reservation-level characteristics and their association with on-reservation COVID-19 cases as of April 10, 2020. We find that COVID-19 cases were more likely to occur in tribal communities with a higher proportion of homes lacking indoor plumbing, even when taking into account other characteristics like household size, age, and income. Lacking complete plumbing is defined as missing any or all of the following: flush toilet, hot and cold water, and a tub or shower in the American Community survey. While American Indian households on tribal reservations are 3.7 times more likely to lack complete indoor plumbing relative to all other households in the United States, this average obscures differences among reservations with some experiencing much higher rates of incomplete plumbing facilities, such as the Navajo reservation (18%). We also find that COVID-19 cases were less likely to occur in tribal communities where households spoke English-only. This was true even after taking into account differences in socioeconomic characteristics. This association suggests that access to relevant public health information in Indigenous languages may play a key role in the spread of COVID-19 in some tribal communities.
There are some signs that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are also disproportionately affected. In California, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) make up approximately 1% of all cases in the state as of May 7, 2020 according to California state data. However, NHPI make up only 0.3% of California's population; this means that their cases are more than three times their population proportion. They also have a disproportionately high mortality rate from COVID-19, which is approximately three times their population proportion as of May 8, 2020. The NHPI rates in Hawaii, however, are only slightly more than proportionate to the NHPI proportion in the state. In Alaska, American Indians and Alaska Natives are approximately 15% of the state's population, however, they accounted for 6% of all cases and approximately 20% of all deaths related to COVID-19 in the state, as of May 8, 2020. This indicates that while the AIAN population in Alaska is less likely to catch COVID-19, they are more likely to die as a result. Potential explanations for this high mortality rate could be higher pre-existing conditions, lack of testing, or quality of healthcare, but more research is needed in this area.
Indigenous peoples throughout the world have been subjected to viral epidemics for centuries. In the Americas, the rate of population decline was upwards of 90% based on best estimates over the course of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The lack of immunity to novel viruses brought to the Americas decimated these populations. Native Hawaiians experienced similar population decline over the course of the 19th century with imported diseases such as measles and smallpox. The COVID-19 pandemic is reminiscent of these historical experiences, albeit at much lower rates than those previous eras.
What this means:
Small population race and ethnic groups must be identified and counted during public health epidemics. There are continuing issues and concerns that American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) individuals are being mis-categorized as Latinx or Hispanic based on surnames or appearance in certain state counts. In many state health departments, AIAN individuals are simply classified as "other." If this is the case, then there will be an undercount of the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in certain communities. A better understanding of how the pandemic is playing out in these communities might help provide better-targeted, context-specific policies. There is emerging evidence that the lack of complete plumbing facilities is related to disproportionately high COVID-19 cases on American Indian reservations. This may necessitate the provision of water supplies in the future if and when additional waves of infection start again. Effective communication of public health warnings and directives may need to be translated into more languages than simply English.
This article was republished with permission from EconoFact. You can find the original article here.
Left: A road sign outside Bloomfield warns Navajos to stay home during their nation's 8pm to 5am curfew to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), New Mexico, U.S., April 7, 2020. Picture taken April 7, 2020. Andrew Hay/Reuters
Small tribes seal borders, push testing to keep out virus
By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
How health care inequity could make the COVID-19 crisis worse
By Isabella Isaacs-Thomas
U.S. Treasury to begin distributing virus relief money to tribes
By Felicia Fonseca, Associated Press
COVID-19 worsens the role environmental injustice already plays in marginalized communities
By Katherine Bagley, Yale Environment 360
'The grief is so unbearable': Virus takes toll on Navajo
By Felicia Fonseca and Tim Sullivan, Associated Press
Randall Akee is an associate professor of public policy at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Navajo Nation, hit hard by COVID-19, comes together to protect its most vulnerable
Nation Apr 24


text:
package com.airbnb.aerosolve.training

import com.airbnb.aerosolve.training.CyclicCoordinateDescent.Params
import com.airbnb.aerosolve.core.util.Util
import com.airbnb.aerosolve.core.{Example, FeatureVector}
import com.typesafe.config.{ConfigFactory, Config}
import org.apache.spark.SparkContext
import org.junit.Test
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory
import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals

import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer

class CyclicCoordinateDescentTest {
  val log = LoggerFactory.getLogger("CyclicCoordinateDescentTest")

  @Test def quadraticTest: Unit = {
    val iterations = 5
    val initial = Array(0.0, 0.0)
    val initialStep = Array(1.0, 1.0)
    val bounds : Array[(Double, Double)] = Array((-10.0, 10.0), (-10.0, 10.0))
    val params = Params(0.1, iterations, initial, initialStep, bounds)
    def f(x : Array[Double]) = {
      (x(0) + 5.0) * (x(0) - 3.0) +
      (x(1) + 2.0) * (x(1) - 7.0)
    }
    val best = CyclicCoordinateDescent.optimize(f, params)
    assertEquals(-1.0, best(0), 0.1)
    assertEquals(2.5, best(1), 0.1)
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


United Nations Statistical Office reported that import of live domestic fowls weighing not more than 185 grams barely rose by 2.22% in comparison with the prior year. Import of live domestic fowls weighing not more than 185 grams grew negligibly from 1 340 656 to 1 370 463, contrarily to the previous year when it diminished by 57.77%. The overall changes for the prior 18 years attained a decline of 78.11%. Likewise, it has attained a negative compound average annual growth rate of 0.17 percent during the 5 years with a marginal overall fall since the start of observations. It averaged 2 813 320.17 from 2000 to 2017 and it hit its all-time high of 6 261 187 in 2000 and record low of 1 340 656 in 2016.


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Sen. Amy Klobuchar announces she is cancer-free
By KEYC Staff
Published: Nov. 17, 2021 at 7:07 PM CST
NORTH MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) — U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) announced Wednesday that she is now cancer-free.
Klobuchar tweeted the health update Wednesday.
Six months ago, Klobuchar revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram. She said it was in an early stage and had not spread beyond a small area.
Good news to share: I got my results back from my first 6-month post-cancer exam & everything was clear. I'm so grateful to be healthy and thankful for my family, friends, and the incredible doctors and nurses who have helped me.
And don't forget-- schedule that mammogram today!
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) November 17, 2021
Klobuchar underwent surgery and radiation treatments.
In her tweet Wednesday morning, she also thanked medical staff, family and friends for their support.
Copyright 2021 KEYC. All rights reserved.


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Did you know that many of the largest inland lakes, rivers and water systems in the entire world are located in Ontario Parks? We think that's pretty cool and on top of that, Ontario Parks also offers park locations with gorgeous sandy beaches, including the world's longest freshwater beach at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. You'll also find lovely white sand beaches at Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario, where beautiful Outlet Beach offers shallow waters and a gentle drop off – this is the perfect beach for families to with young children to enjoy. Remember parents, even in the shallow waters at Outlet Beach, you and your kids should be wearing lifejackets while enjoying the water. Many Parks have the PARKsmart Lifejacket Lending Program in place – you can borrow a lifejacket from the Park Office for free! Look into this before you go!
The choice of water venues in Ontario Parks is pretty remarkable! If your family enjoys recreational water activities, like fishing, boating, paddling, swimming or stand up paddling, you should definitely make plans to visit an Ontario Park this summer!
If you want to go boating on a waterway located in a park, be sure to check out the park activities before you go. Some Ontario Parks restrict the use of motorized boats. It's very simple to check, just visit the Ontario Parks website, choose your park from the handy drop-down menu and look at the list of activities for your park. If 'boating' is listed there, it means you're permitted to launch a boat and hit the water!
Here's what we suggest: If you're boating in a motorboat, go cruising along the gorgeous Lake Superior coastline at Lake Superior Provincial Park (and don't forget your fishing rod)! Or if you're a paddler, go explore the route options available at the spectacular Wabakimi Provincial Park (and don't forget your camera)! Want to stargaze by boat? Head up to Mississagi Provincial Park, just north of Elliot Lake where the night skies are spectacular – up there you'll be off the hydro grid and away from development. Sit on a pontoon boat or next to a fire on shore and see the night sky like never before!
If you're an avid boater, you should consider touring the Trent Severn Waterway system. Both Balsam Lake Provincial Park and Emily Provincial Park are located on this historic waterway route and are access points for boaters!
So, who needs a boating license? In Canada, boaters are required to obtain and carry a Pleasure Craft Operator Card or have proof of competency, if the boat they're operating is motorized (this includes boats with electric trolling motors). Although a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (or boating license) is not required for paddlers, a boating safety education is an invaluable resource for everyone who will be enjoying the waterways. Understanding capsizing risks, preventing the risk of hypothermia and knowing the rescue procedures for saving someone's life are the same no matter which type of watercraft you're operating. It's important to educate yourself about water safety by taking a safety course – even if you'll just be fishing from a dock or watching your kids build sandcastles on shore. If you'll be enjoying the water, you should know how to stay safe when on or near the water.
Be aware of the effect your wake has on other small boats, wildlife, swimmers and the shoreline.
Always keep a proper look-out, operate your boat at a safe speed and practice situational awareness at all times.
Visit BoatSmartExam.com today to take the BOATsmart!® Boating Safety Course to become a certified boater and to learn how to stay safe on the water. Use the promo code OP2015 to receive a $10 discount on your course!


Le Temps des médias n°13, Hiver 2009-2010, p. 86-104.
Turkmenistan is a Central-Asian dictatorship in which there is strictly no freedom of the press. This article studies evolution of its national television since the country's independence - the control and censorship over the medium, its use by the state, its programming and its role in the bulding of the power in place - under the presidency of Niyazov (1991-2006) and Berdymukhamedov (since 2007).


Rachel uses Arkon Mounts a TON. From her smartphone (the Galaxy S8) to her webcam (the Logitech 920), she needs the flexibility and stability of making sure her device is right where it should be.
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Rachel uses Repurpose.io to automatically upload her podcast and livestream show to the Really Social YouTube channel. Considering the time already spent in preparing and recording the shows, removing the added steps of adapting and uploading the media content to YouTube is a lifesaver.
Click here for Rachel's referral link to try Repurpose.io for your media workflows.
Rachel uses SiteGround to host and manage her websites (really.social and unpauseit.com). Their customer service is instant (mere minute via online chat or their helpful ticket system), customizing emails for domains is a snap, and SiteGround automatically updates CMS like WordPress for you!
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Take video like a pro with the SMOVE smartphone stabilizer! I got mine to use for covering conferences, and now I don't leave home without it when I know I need to capture epic video. Plus the SMOVE app lets you do a Facebook Live in landscape mode!
Click here for Rachel's referral link to get your own SMOVE stabilizer!
There are right and wrong ways to grow your Twitter brand. The follow-then-unfollow-once-followed method is the wrong way, and Twitter (along with a ton of Twitter users) will penalize you for it. What if you could follow accounts which align with your profile's focus and build a solid follower/following list?
Rachel has used Social Quant for targeting and following the Twitter users which match up with her brand's goals, leading to valuable engagement and partnerships.
Click here for Rachel's referral link to try SocialQuant for your Twitter profile growth.
Got a tool you'd like Rachel to try, test, and share if it passes muster? Email her today!


How should we interpret the Bolshevik Revolution, in the light of later events? Michael Lynch explains the issues with which we have to grapple and gives tips on how to impress the examiners.
Many have seen the Restoration of the monarchy, which took place on 29 May 1660, as inevitable. Yet what is most surprising is its unexpectedness.
William Doyle discusses traditional and revisionist interpretations of the downfall of the Kings of France, arguing that notions of a 'desacralised monarchy' are inadequate to explain what happened.
Peter Clements assesses why two nations which seemingly had so much in common at the beginning of the 1930s were at war with each other by the end of the decade.
Stewart MacDonald introduces the humanist scholar whose writings made him one of the most significant figures of 16th-century Europe.
Richard Wilkinson argues that, for all his faults, a case can be made for the aloof aristocrat at the Foreign Office in 1900-1905.


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Fast growth can be bad, be good to your neighbors, and the movie industry needs disruption.
MoviePass was named as the No. 1 most fearless company of 2018 by Peter Csathy, the author of Fearless Media. In the book, Csathy lists his "Fearless Five" companies that made the most audacious media moves in 2018.
MoviePass beat out more established disruptors like Netflix (which is investing big in original content) and Amazon (which is investing big in everything--from Alexa to original content to your local Whole Foods grocery store).
Much of the audaciousness can be attributed to MoviePass's CEO Mitch Lowe (formerly CEO of Redbox and a founding executive of Netflix). In a bold plan for market share in Aug. 2017, he reduced the subscription price for all you-can-see movies to $10 a month. Despite the well-publicized missteps of the company--constantly changing movie pricing plans, falling stock prices for parent company HMNY, and disgruntled subscribers--Csathy called MoviePass a daring experiment. MoviePass's new model defined a completely new way to see movies and forced movie theater chains and distributors to rethink movie going in our streaming age.
Lowe is not only a bold innovator and CEO but also a friend. Now that he's stepped down from his day-to-day duties as CEO, we had a short chat about the lessons he learned from his experiment in disruption.
Most companies want to grow exponentially. But too much fast growth can be just as bad as slow growth for the company. With the new all-you-can-view plan, MoviePass grew to 1 million subscribers in four months and then added another million in six weeks.
Lowe said MoviePass ran into multiple challenges from the scaled growth. The company needed loans to cover the cost of movie attendance. Their technology teams had to deal with connecting to all theaters. There were also problems with how to keep people using the system honestly: for example, scalping tickets or purchasing food from the concession stand using the company's money. And new users were watching too many movies. So MoviePass had to change the availability of watching new releases, which dissatisfied many subscribers but was necessary for the long-term survival of the company.
How you handle growth, just as you handle lack of growth, Lowe said is what determines your long-term company survival. In this case, the idea was to treat these missteps as experiments in order to learn the right model that would work for all concerned.
MoviePass hadn't laid the groundwork with all stakeholders when Lowe first lowered the subscription price. He knew the low subscription price wasn't sustainable without buy-in from all stakeholders. The plan was to support the low subscription price by entering into agreements with movie theater chains for subsidies or sharing concession sales, to earn income by marketing movies to consumers directly through the app, and to sell the usage data of their customer base.
Instead of acceptance, MoviePass found resistance from theater chains for the new plan. AMC famously threatened not to honor the card. Deals for sharing revenues from concessions did not materialize. And MoviePass came under scrutiny with how it would use customer data, so Lowe had to issue a public explanation that MoviePass wasn't tracking customer movements.
The takeaway, Lowe said, in order to succeed you need to be a good member of the ecosystem.
If there is one lesson Lowe learned, it's that the movie theater experience is still ripe for disruption. Most people see five movies a year, but MoviePass showed people would go to the theater more often if the price was right. Tickets sales increased by 9.9 percent.
The service attracted over three million subscribers and many people were going to movies multiple times per month. The plan was so successful in enticing people into the theater that rival plans emerged from AMC and Sinema.
While MoviePass hasn't gotten all movie lovers on an all-you-can-view for one low price option like Netflix yet, it did get people thinking it should be an option. I've been a very happy member for over a year.


text:
Latest News: Development of Artificial Intelligence takes advantage of Human Learning research
Home Stories & News Service Latest News: Development of Artificial Intelligence takes advantage of Human Learning research
Latest News: Growth hacking – Using neuroscience to create ads that sell
Latest News: How attitudes to games is transforming
Stories & News Service June 15, 2016	 June 15, 2016
eLearningworld News from US
One of the most acknowledged theories about human learning was first published in 1995 and it states that learning is the product of two complementary learning systems. The theory is developed from David Marr, a British computational neuroscientist, research and it claims that the first system gradually acquires knowledge and skills from exposure to experiences, while the second stores specific experiences for effective integration into the first system. The second system e.g. is required for learning new things that could contradict already acquired knowledge. Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind co-founder and also a co-author on the Review says: "In my view the extended version of the complementary learning systems theory is likely to continue to provide a framework for future research, not only in neuroscience but also in the quest to develop Artificial General Intelligence, our goal at Google DeepMind." Source: EurekAlert!
AI | Artificial intelligence | learning skills | machine learning | neuroscience


Women's T-shirts are a great choice of attire because they can be worn with almost anything. You can put on shorts, trousers, skirts, just about anything with them. They are cool to wear during the summer, yet can be covered up with a cardigan or a coat during the colder months of the year. Basically any woman that invests in one of our women's cheap t-shirt on the site will be making a wise decision! All of them displayed here are of the highest possible quality and our staff have carefully selected each and every item to make sure that when you receive it, it is perfect! You will be very happy with any of the woman's cheap t-shirts that we have on offer, and there is nothing better than that proud feeling of stepping out in clothes that look and feel great! Make sure that you hurry up and order one of the cheap women's t-shirts here on site though, because stock is moving fast and we would not like to disappoint you! Since the site was founded, the majority of stock seems to sell within a few weeks of being displayed! We are forever changing the stock, so when you see something you like, the best thing to do is pick it up there and then!


In period from March 2012 to March 2013, EELC carried out a project "Information and counselling campaign "Know how to participate"". The project seeked to achieve better decision-making in environmental matters – one where citizens and NGOs participate with relevant statements at an appropriate stage, enabling the environmental decision-makers to consider their interests. The aim was to reduce conflicts and litigation in environmental matters and to improve the quality of decisions.
practical online/web-based guidelines with instructions on how to participate in spatial planning and environmental permits proceedings were drawn up; these were introduced to the public in autumn 2012.
The project was financed by Environmental Investment Centre; the budget was € 19 458.


Finding low cost homeowners insurance quotes for Pittsford, does not have to be difficult. Our website is designed to help consumers like you to compare multiple providers. Enter your Zip Code in the form above and get a quick look at the top-recommended options for your area.
Very few people that get Pittsford homeowners insurance actually end up finding the best rates available. They will typically go with what their current insurance provider has for them, usually bundling that in order to get a discount. However, you can find several different New York companies that will charge far less than what your existing insurance policy actually offers. In fact, they may even give you more coverage for less money, but you have to obtain home insurance quotes on the web that can lead you to these exceptional deals.
The speed at which the policy will go into effect is usually quite fast. If you are coming up on your next payment with your current insurance provider, it will likely start on the same day so that you do not lose any coverage. Also remember that discounts can also be achieved by paying your premiums annually instead of making monthly payments. These are just a few other things to consider if you are looking for a way to save money on your Pittsford, New York homeowner insurance policy.
A whole lot of renters will not get renters' insurance coverage. Renter's insurance coverage covers your personal belongings. You want to get your possess coverage to protect your things in the event of a fire, flood, or even burglary.
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One late summer evening when I was a boy, my family and cousins family were walking back from a pub in the English Lake District to our camp site. It was dark. Very dark. As we followed the windey country road up the hill towards our tents we were chatting animatedly on various topics. It was then that my cousin heard the faint sound of a galloping horse from behind us. "Listen,' she said, suddenly concerned that this horse rider might not see us in the road, 'let's move aside, a horse is coming.' We all stepped aside onto the grassy verges. Sure enough, there was the sound of a horse galloping getting louder. We all waited.
In the field to one side of the road, we all watched as a huge shadow passed by. It was dark but the shadow was darker. A huge stallion and rider. The rider was dressed flamboyantly in a large wide brimmed hat and strange clothes… although it was difficult to tell in the dark I will admit. We all watched mouths agape as this shadow horse rider rode by us not 20 meters away. The noise from its hooves was thunderous in the silence of the night. And then…. it was gone. The shadow, the sound. It simply disappeared.
We continued our walk home quietly. All contemplating the fact that, whatever we had seen and heard that night, it wasn't something normal ….a ghost rider in the night.


Santastique from To Øl, the Denmark brewery is Belgian Blonde Ale that is more of a spiced or herbed beer. It has an ABV of 5.6% and considered somewhat of a winter type ale, this was an interesting beer to check out. Highlighted by items designed to give a Christmas feel around the beer, it did make a nice presentation although for me there wasn't as much pizzazz with it. The citrusy feel and spices do come through, although on the nose they were lighter than expected but did come through in the taste. Check out the video to see and hear more of my thoughts on this one, and if you have had this one before then leave a comment to let me know what you think of it.


Who needs psychics to reveal future lottery numbers when you can hack into the state lottery association and tamper with it? That apparently was the reasoning of Eddie Raymond Tipton, 51.
Prosecutors believe Tipton inserted a thumb drive into a computer—the one that spits out random numbers for the lottery, says an article in the Des Moines Register, according to a report at arstechnica.com.
At the time of this purported crime, Tipton was head of security for the Multi-State Lottery Association. Surveillance caught him buying a ticket that was worth $14.3 million (not smart enough to wear a disguise, eh?).
Coincidence? Not according to the prosecutors, who say he programmed computers that generate the numbers. This shouldn't even be possible.
Supposedly on November 20 of 2010, Tipton went into the "draw room" where he altered the time on the computers. The settings of the room's camera were changed, so that Tipton's activity inside the room would not be recorded.
Prosecutors say that of the five people who are capable of changing the camera's settings, four said they did not change them. Of course, the fifth person is Tipton. What a sly duck: resetting the camera so that it recorded only one second out of every minute, to miss detecting him inserting the thumb drive.
But he pled not guilty, even though he was identified as the man in the surveillance purchasing the golden ticket. Even if there'd been no tampering, Tipton would be barred from receiving the prize because employees of the association are banned from claiming lottery prizes.
For about a year, this particular ticket went unclaimed. But through a New York attorney, a company in Belize tried to claim the ticket at the last minute.
Somehow, authorities smelled a rat and focused on Tipton. Prosecutors also say that he had a fascination with root kits, which is in line with quickly installing the thumb drive. A root kit can be installed fast, carry out its orders, then self-destruct without leaving a trace.
The scales of justice are not tipped in Tipton's favor especially because a witness plans on testifying that shortly before December 2010, Tipton told him he had a rootkit—a self-destructing one.
The trial is set for July 13.
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