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A Look Back at Jets Preseason Game One
Things are not always as they seem
By superhuman Aug 10, 2019, 11:12am EDT
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Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The first thing to remember about this game is that it is a preseason game. Any good coach is smart enough to realize that a game like this can do wonders for a team if used correctly unlike Rex Ryan when he put Mark Sanchez back into the game in the 4th quarter to win a contest (with a 3rd string offensive line) only to get his QB injured.
If anyone has ever worked in the restaurant industry, you may have opened a new restaurant. Before they open to the public they have what management calls a "soft opening" or as the wait staff deems it "Hell Night." Basically the restaurant is open to "invited guests" (who are usually friends and family of the wait staff). They are given cards telling them what to order. It is all free. The management wants to stress out the wait staff, giving them almost impossible tasks and backing up the kitchen. This exposes every problem that might happen so management can fix the problems before they open to the public.
You can do the same thing in football, putting stress on your team by putting them in situations that show what each player can do on their own, without the help of a scheming a defensive blitz or stunt to help them. This will uncover flaws in the technique and athletic ability of each player. It is a teaching tool that allows a coordinator and his staff to show (on film) mistakes and the ways to correct them It might also show a coordinator that he needs someone else to replace a player.
The Jets have a lot of new players, and ALL players are new to Adam Gase and Gregg Williams. They need to find out fast what they have. What are these players' ceilings and floors? How tough are they mentally and physically? Who they can count on when times are bleak, when you need to make a play? It has been said erroneously that adversity builds character. In actuality adversity shows your true character.
When we watch the tape of this game it is important to remember this is a new defense and offense for all of these players, but it is especially tough on the rookies. Their heads have been swimming since they signed with the Jets and are probably playing vastly different defenses or offenses than what they played in college with completely different verbiage. It would be akin to handing you a book of French and telling you to learn French in a month (if you don't already speak French).
Not everything is as it seems
When you watch a game you might think certain players have done great or poorly, but even coaches will usually withhold judgement until they watch the tape. The sideline view for a coach or a person watching on TV is not always the best vantage point, yet it is the only one we have. So let's go over the play of a few of Thursday night's participants and see how they really did through the eyes of replay.
Blake Cashman #53
Cashman is a guy I highlighted back in March as a player who I thought would be a great later round draft pick out of Minnesota. The kid is tough with good speed, and he is smart. He worked his way to becoming a team captain in college. He has just superior character, but can he play in the pro game? Cashman I thought had a decent night with a few glitches along with some good plays.
On this first clip Cashman is out of position. He is suppose to cover the fullback Elijhaa Penny who has split out wide. Parry Nickerson is playing the slot receiver and screams for Cashman to get out to his man. The ball is snapped before Cashman can get into position so he is in poor tackling position.
Cashman never gets the chance to break down into quality tackling position and overruns the play. Nickerson actually reads the play very quickly, comes off his man and gains outside leverage as to not allow the runner free access down the sideline, pushing him back inside towards tackling help. Cashman doesn't even slow the receiver down as he cuts back inside him for a 1st down. This is where a first game rookie can make a mistake by not understand his assignments. This is going to happen to rookies. Cashman has been playing more of a WLB in practicem and here he is in Mosley's MLB spot. He has probably very few reps there. It's a learning tool for Cashman, probably a mistake he will never make in the future.
Here again Cashman is playing in the Mosley MLB spot where he is unfamiliar with the nuances of the position. Prior to the snap on this 3rd and 10 play you can see the Jets defense is "playing the sticks" with 4 players standing on the 1st down line. This is further verified as at the snap no one moves from their base position.
This is pure zone coverage where Cashman has the middle intermediate zone from the hash to the numbers on or about the 44 yard line. His job is to stay in the passing lane over the middle to prevent a pass gaining a 1st down just behind him. Yet he is a rookie; a smart kid who thinks he can do more than what is asked of him. He watches the QB's eyes and as the QB looks towards the TE #82 Scott Simonson, Cashman drifts in coverage. He takes a few choppy steps towards Simonsonm and the QB rockets a pass straight behind the area where Cashman vacated. It wasn't much of a drift, and Cashman almost made it back to deflect the pass. It was still a mistake. I can hear Gregg Williams screaming about it in a film session. Cashman will see on tape that Derrick Jones had secure coverage on Simonson so there was no need to drift. Again he will learn from this mistake.
Actually I thought Cashman had a pretty solid day overall considering he is a rookie in his first professional game and playing a position he had few reps in during practice. He seemed to be all over the field. Even though he play a little over half the snaps (55%) he appeared to have played more. Here he is in better position and makes a good play.
The ILB (Cashman and Hewitt) are set in their run fits and playing zone coverage in a passing situation. This is a pistol formation so once the RB #28 Paul Perkins passes the QB the defense knows it is a pass play. Cashman gets back in his zone and is in great position. He is in the passing lane (like he should have been in earlier) which prevents the pass to #13 Reggie White, Jr. so the QB drops off the pass to the RB Perkins. Cashman comes up to make a violent tackle on Perkins. He holds him while Frankie Luvu peels back from his rush to force a fumble with a crushing blow. This is team defense
Neville Hewitt recovers the ball which is good for him because I believe he had a tough day. You can see him on this play (at the snap) race out into the slant lane once he knows it is a pass. He neglected to do this earlier (I will show you later.) and probably got screamed at. Again, it's the first preseason game and a new defense. Plus Hewitt is playing in Williamson's spot who probably got 90% of the reps in practice.
I like Cashman, and I believe he has the makings of a star on defense. He reminds me a little of Joe Schobert who was a 4th round pick out of Wisconsin by the Browns. Gregg Williams turned him from a seldom used rookie in 2016 to a Pro-Bowl ILB in 2017, the year that Williams arrived. They are both smart and instinctive players who are of very high character and give you all they got when they step on the field.
Chandler Catanzaro #7
I do not propose to know anything about kicking (technique wise) in the NFL. When I played football everyone was kicking the ball straight ahead with the toe of the foot. Kickers used to have a special shoe with a square toe like below.
Not until Pete Gogolak in 1964 did field goal kickers use the "soccer style" method of kicking. He was in the old AFL with the Bills and was so successful he was poached from the Bills to the NFL by the Giants who offered him more money.
I can see why the Jets did not re-sign Jason Myers. He kicked three years for Jacksonville who were so impressed with his 81.0% on field goals and his 86.4% on extra points they let him go to the Jets.
He had a career year with the Jets so Seattle signed him to a $15.45 million contract with $5.5 million is fully guaranteed at signing and $7 million guaranteed for injury. If on the roster on the 5th day of the 2020 waiver period $1.5 million of his 2020 salary will become fully guaranteed. That is quite a bit for a guy who has been average at best except for 1 year, but John Schneider is a genius so it must be right (I can never find the sarcasm font).
The Jets showed good restraint on Myers but then signed Chandler Catanzaro to a $1.8 million one year contract with a $500,000 signing bonus. Catanzaro has kicked for 6 years and last year in Tampa was 73.3% on field goals and 85.2% on extra points. Only Macc would give a $500,00 signing bonus to a kicker coming off those numbers. Thanks Macc.
This is what you get for that signing bonus..
This is a straight on, under 40 yard kick which is usually made at over a 90% rate by NFL kickers. I heard that there may have had problems with the holder, but he has probably had the same holder all training camp. I don't understand how there can be a problem. He is the only kicker in camp.
The other problem is it is hard to tell an owner the team gave a half a million dollars to a guy a month or so ago, and now you want to tell him adios. That means the kicker made $500,000 to go through OTAs and a couple weeks of training camp.
Matt Bryant would be the best option probably, but I don't really know. Bryant is a great kicker but is 44 years old and had injury problems last year. How much longer can he keep going? There is also Nick Rose, Matt McCrane, Kai Forbath as options, but how much of an upgrade is that? Kickers are the most mercurial non playing football players there are. Chris Boswell of the Steelers was near perfect two years ago (35 of 38 92.1%), and last year he was horrible and benched (13 for 20 65%) after getting a big contract.
I say let's give him another two weeks to figure it out, but your guess is as good as mine. If they got rid of him tomorrow I wouldn't shed a tear.
Parry Nickerson
Nickerson was ready to be run out of town on a rail because of his play on Thursday night and reporters' assessments from training camp. Yet I will tell you not to jump the gun on Parry because we need DB's in the worst way and I don't always believe what the print media think they see. I will trust my own eyes and Gregg Williams, thank you.
I can tell you right now the rancor of Nickerson was misplaced and outright wrong in most cases. Nickerson actually played fairly well. There are a few plays that are hard to decipher what the defense was doing (because of mistakes), but I think for the most part Nickeson played well. On this play here Nickerson is playing outside shoulder technique in off man coverage.
This is an RPO the offense is running, and Nickerson is pushing the receiver inside because he has ILB helping on the slant. Neville Hewitt #46 takes the fake and steps up into the hole. He jumps the gun and leaves his passing lane wide open. If Hewitt was to be in his coverage zone this completion never happens. You saw earlier on a play later in the game Hewitt raced over into the passing lane at the snap because Gregg Williams probably gave him an earful. Hewitt is playing in Avery Williamson's spot and probably got very few reps there during the week. He will learn.
Nickerson has great closing speed so if Hewitt had done his job Nickerson would have been the receiver's hip pocket all the way downfield. Anytime you see a CB playing off coverage, in the slot and using outside shoulder technique; the slant is not his responsibility. It can't be. No CB in the history of the NFL can cover a slant pattern from that coverage technique; which by the way is called by the defensive formation. If the offense is running option routes you would expect the receiver to run a slant so the defense is daring the offense to run this play. This is the kind of pass that Luke Kuechly would intercept and take back to the house. It can be a trap coverage if played correctly.
This next clip during the same series is much easier to see. This is a straight zone coverage, and Nickerson has the flat including the back out of the backfield. This is where Avery Williamson is a liability to the defense. Williamson is a great two down thumper, but in coverage he is brutal. Williamson's zone is between the hash and the numbers about 13-15 yards downfield; around the Jets 40 yard line.
This is a play action pass, and Williamson takes the bait hook, line and sinker. He exacerbates the problem by taking his time to get back into his zone which is left wide open. Williamson makes the mistake of not reading his keys. Your keys will tell you what to do. None of the offensive linemen are firing off the ball which should scream "pass play" if you are reading your keys. You should be dropping into your zone. Instead he "cheats" by looking into the backfield then stepping up into a run fit. Now all his momentum is going forward which he has to stop and retreat back into the passing lane. By then it is too late. You can see the other ILB reads it perfectly and drops into his zone. The QB just has to wait for the WR to get into that vacant zone and deliver the ball.
An ILB usually has man coverage responsibilities (depending on the defense called) on the RB but also has zone (passing lanes) responsibilities if the RB stays in to block. The ILB will cover the RB on wheel routes and check downs, but the majority of his coverage responsibilities are in zone. He has a lot of area to cover, and that is why speed is so important when you are scouting a LB, even ILB's.
This is the perfect play to run against a vanilla zone coverage as the RB in the flat holds Nickerson in stasis as Cody Latimer gets across the field with depth.
Nickerson plays this actually very well. He even gets a jam on the outside receiver, although he misses the tackle on the dive. He has his eyes on the QB and is in position between two potential receivers. Because he is so close he is assumed to be the player beaten in coverage but that was not the case.
This next play is hard to decipher because someone did the wrong thing, or everyone was not on the same page. Hewitt blitzes the QB, and Cashman takes the fake on the RPO fake and unnecessarily presses the hole. This leaves the entire middle intermediate zone barren from coverage.
Nickerson is playing the inside shoulder on the play. If he knows that Hewitt is blitzing he should be another half step to the inside to force the receiver outside and not allow the slant. So either Nickerson played poor position, or Hewitt blitzed on his own. Gregg Williams will allow his players leeway to change the defense when the feel it is necessary, and with Hewitt being the senior player (Cashman is a rookie.) he would have that power. The receiver Shepherd does take a fake step outside then back inside which causes Nickerson to open outside leaving the inside vulnerable to the slant.
If this defense is played as it was originally called then this TD is on Nickerson for playing poor position and allowing the slant which would be totally uncovered. There could have been a change in the defense that wasn't communicated well, or someone did the wrong thing. It doesn't make sense to blitz a ILB on a play leaving the middle wide open and still have your single high safety so deep. That would be a very high risk defense with little to gain for such a huge gamble Or maybe the point was to put players in difficult situations on purpose to see what they have. Only Gregg Williams knows for sure.
Other than the last play (which is still a question mark) Nickerson played fairly well for the most part. In the next clip you will see Nickerson in great coverage so let's not throw dirt on the kid yet The Jets are in need of secondary help so we will have to keep a keen eye on Nickerson in the next few games; if he makes it that far.
Jachai Polite
Polite has been a polarizing prospect since it seems the moment he was drafted. He has some definite tools to be successful but is lacking in other areas for him to be a true standout performer. Also hurting his cause is a lack of a mentor, a JJ Watt or Von Miller he can watch in practice and learn from. Also just being in a new city, culture, climate and professional atmosphere will take some getting used to. Polite was born and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida and went to the University of Florida.
The best hope for Polite is if defensive line coach Andre Carter takes him under his wing and teaches Polite how to play on the edge and gets him in the weight room to increase his strength. Carter is a former 7th overall pick in the draft way back in 2001 and played in 184 games amassing 80.5 sacks.
There are two clips together on Polite in this last GIF, the first coming with a little less than 10 minutes left in the game. This is a stunt that you can see the right defensive tackle at the snap goes directly at the guard tackle gap. Polite on the play is supposed to loop around left and cut off the defensive tackle's butt to race to the QB by the gap created by the stunt.
Somehow Polite doesn't make it around the DT on the stunt and just ends up floating around the line of scrimmage. Polite looked hesitant like he didn't know what he was supposed to do. In the bottom portion of the screen you can see Parry Nickerson in off coverage and easily maintains blanket coverage on #13 Reggie White, Jr. while Alex Wesley #80 is wide open in the flat. This is a corner blitz along with the Polite stunt so the coverage on the receiver should have been by #23 safety Godwin Igwebuike, but he has been in camp less than a week and may not have known the play call.
In the 2nd play of the GIF Polite is uncovered with an open lane to the QB but is picked up by #28 Paul Perkins who makes a block to keep Polite away from the QB long enough to make the throw. With a full head of steam like Polite had you might expect a better effort, but Perkins plays it well. A counter move by Polite would have been nice.
At the bottom of the screen Parry Nickerson is in of coverage and is glued to #5 WR Da'Mari Scott also #35 Tevaughn Campbell is stride for stride with WR Wesley on his out route. Sadly Dee Delaney #42 gets burned on a poorly run out and up by TJ Jones. Delaney gets turned around on a throw that should have been a pick if played even halfway well.
This is all a learning experience as this team will undoubtedly be evolving over the next few weeks. There is some talent in the starting offense and defense (many did not play), but the depth, especially in the secondary is questionable. Many will learn from this game while other will not, they will not be with us long.
It will be interesting to see how Joe Douglas views this game and what (if any) changes he tries to make to the roster. The injuries seemed to be held to only a few as we wait word on the injury to Brian Winters. Hopefully it is not something severe or of the lingering type.
Maybe these clips will assuage your fear about the Jets and not increase your anguish pertaining to our roster. This was a game that used a lot of rookies and second year men in primary positions for extended periods of time. The result was meaningless, but the experience was priceless.
We all saw a game we will want to and probably easily forget yet these rookies will remember every play they had for years and year. Hopefully they learned from them.
A 2023 New York Jets Offseason Plan Take notes Joe, I'm helping you out here.
New York Jets Flight Connections 1/27/23 Bringing your daily links to the NFL's New York Jets
Updated: Jets' EPA compared to championship weekend teams The New York Jets appear to have a championship caliber defense, but there's still work to be done on offense


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How to advocate for building codes that help stop climate change.
To reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, architects are looking beyond their own projects to make a greater difference in a new way—with building codes.
By 2060, the world is projected to add 2.5 trillion square feet of new building space, doubling the current global stock. Most of this growth will occur in cities, which are responsible for over 66% of worldwide energy consumption and more than 70% of energy-related CO2 emissions, leading to climate change and rising temperatures.
To help slow this trend, architects are creating coalitions and lobbying elected officials to adopt a "zero code"—a nationally vetted framework for designing buildings that create zero net emissions. "It's important for every member of our population—including the most vulnerable—to have access to green construction and a healthier environment," says Anica Landreneau, Assoc. AIA, director of sustainable design at architecture firm HOK in Washington, D.C. "Adopting a zero code is important because then green construction becomes universal."
Designed to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of communities, building codes are essential to addressing the most important issue of our era—climate change. We must reduce emissions from buildings in the next 10 years, which is the remaining window of time to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. To accomplish this, architects are working with communities to advocate for codes that make existing buildings more energy efficient, reduce the embodied carbon of building materials, and ensure new construction produces zero net emissions. "Building codes for cities are like the muscular system for the human body," says Julie Hiromoto, AIA, a principal and director of integration at HKS Architects in Dallas. "As a society, we need our codes to be fit and healthy. And when we set ambitious goals, we'll get there faster together."
This is a challenge.
Across the United States, building codes are overseen by various levels of government, from city to county to state. As a result, establishing guidelines for zero-carbon buildings is difficult. Communities can disagree on their importance, and even if they want to implement zero codes, few municipalities have the resources to create them.
That's why, in 2018, Architecture 2030 created the ZERO Code, a standard for building design and construction that combines efficiency standards with renewable energy to create zero net carbon buildings. In 2019, Architecture 2030 worked with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to get the ZERO Code adopted as a voluntary appendix in the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), resulting in a set of nationally vetted guidelines, the Zero Code Renewable Energy Appendix. Because it's an appendix, jurisdictions that adopt the 2021 IECC can choose for themselves whether to include the Zero Code as the minimum performance level for new buildings, or to combine it with a previous version of the IECC and require new buildings to be zero net carbon.
"Legislation that requires buildings to reduce and eventually eliminate their carbon footprint drives creative design thinking and market solutions," Hiromoto says. "And the ZERO Code developed by Architecture 2030 is a starting point for local jurisdictions to adopt policies that support zero carbon new construction, working toward the ultimate goal of decarbonization that we so urgently need."
In June, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis issued a report recommending that Congress incentivize state and local governments to adopt the ZERO code. While supported by Democrats on Capitol Hill, this recommendation is unlikely to be adopted by the current administration.
In the meantime, architects are creating coalitions of their peers, mobilizing people outside the building community, and urging their elected officials to begin adopting the ZERO Code when their local building regulations are updated, helping to create real change.
"City, county, and state jurisdictions are all saying: I want to meet my carbon commitment, but how do I do that?" Landreneau says. "The ZERO Code is a voluntary appendix they can insert into their own regional code and modify as needed to reduce building emissions. This issue has little support at the federal level, so local leadership is crucial if we're going to meet climate goals. This is a powerful tool to help you do that."
ZERO Code: A standard for new building construction that integrates cost-effective energy-efficiency standards with on-site and/or off-site renewable energy, resulting in zero net carbon buildings. It includes prescriptive and performance paths for building energy-efficiency compliance based on current standards that are widely used by municipalities and building professionals worldwide. Here's how it guides jurisdictions to reduce emissions.
1) Design an energy-efficient building (efficient building envelope, daylighting, passive heating, cooling, ventilation, efficient systems, equipment, controls).
2) Address the building's remaining energy needs with on-site renewable energy and/or off-site renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro, and other non-CO2-emitting sources).
Create Coalitions with the Building Industry
To get the ZERO Code adopted by local, county, or state governments, building coalitions to advocate for them is essential. Architects can find common ground and create a foundation for influencing municipal or state boards by starting a conversation around the ZERO Code with engineers, home builders, building officials, and commercial developers. "Coalition building is essential," says John Nunnari, the executive director of AIA Massachusetts. "It's a much more effective strategy than trying to propose the ZERO Code on your own, and usually the different groups within the building industry can agree on its importance."
"It's important for Michigan to adopt the ZERO Code Renewable Energy Appendix when it updates the state energy code. Appendices are considered optional guidelines. That way, local jurisdictions can adopt it if they choose to, and usually appendices become standard code."
—Jan Culbertson, FAIA, senior principal at A3C architecture firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan
"Architects and AIA chapters telling their building commissions they want to adopt the ZERO Code is having a huge impact. Adopting it also helps improve the ISO rating for the local community, which reduces the insurance costs for residents. So, there's a direct financial impact as well."
—Kristopher Stenger, AIA, assistant director of building permitting and sustainability in Winter Park, Florida
"If cities are required to enhance their buildings' performance, the demand for training, tools, and resources that reduce carbon dioxide will also increase. This prioritization will drive positive change and empower all developers, building owners, and operators to take responsibility and do what's necessary to curb global warming now, instead of depending on a bailout that isn't coming. We have one planet, and humanity's survival depends on it."
—Julie Hiromoto, AIA, principal and director of integration at HKS Architects in Dallas, Texas
Build Broader Alliances
Next, architects must build alliances with people outside their profession. Every community has citizens and environmental organizations that believe in sustainability, but that may not know how building codes can make an impact. By engaging with these groups and explaining the merits of zero codes, architects can enlist others to support the cause and expand the movement beyond the building industry.
"There's a low barrier to entry to getting involved in code development," says Kristopher Stenger, AIA, the assistant director of building permitting and sustainability for the city of Winter Park, Florida. "When architects, building owners, and citizens all push for these things, it really brings it to the forefront for elected officials. You can also reach out to sustainability directors in surrounding communities to make a broader coalition of towns to push things forward."
"The one thing that architects and engineers agree on is that the worst way to draft a building code is through legislation—and the best way to do it is through regulation. Regulators know that legislators are watching them, and if they're not doing the things requested of them regarding energy efficiency, the legislature can force their hand. This is a useful political tool to move the needle for sustainability."
—John Nunnari, executive director of AIA Massachusetts
"When the 2021 IECC code gets published this year, I think you're going to see a lot of cities adopt it. Around 80% of our population is in cities, so I think it's okay if the ZERO Code gets adopted there before the state level. And a great tool for cities that are thinking about the ZERO Code is the 'stretch code' model, in which you phase it in and incentivize early adoption. In Montgomery County, Maryland, for instance, builders get 75% off their property taxes for five years if they design a Platinum LEED building—a pretty compelling deal."
—Anica Landreneau, AIA, the director of sustainable design at HOK architecture firm in Washington, D.C.
Advocate for Adoption
Finally, architects must coordinate their coalitions to communicate their desire for zero codes to the regulators or elected officials who adopt and enforce building codes, as well as those officials' supervisors—ensuring the message is heard at all levels of government. If your state oversees the building code, then reach out to your governor and state code authority. If it's managed by your city, then request a meeting with your mayor and city council and show up as a large group. "If you can hit all fronts at the same time, you can really move the ZERO Code forward in your city, county, or state," Nunnari says. "Instead of simply reaching the board that's writing the building code, you're also going to the officials above them and saying, 'This is important, we need to do this, and here's why.' And that can drive real change."
Four resources to help you advocate for Zero Codes in your area
Your local AIA: There's strength in numbers, and it's important to connect with allies in your area. Your local AIA chapter can help you find groups and organize one of your own.
Talking points: AIA can provide you with custom talking points to use for letters, emails, presentations, and other collateral.
SpeakUp legislative guide: Study the five key elements of conducting a successful legislative campaign in our guide. You'll learn about legislative strategy, message development, fundraising, and organizational growth.
Technical resources and support: Two key resources are the Zero Code Renewable Energy Appendix itself and a webinar that addresses the appendix and how compliance can be achieved.
What Can COVID-19 Teach Us About Climate Change? Experts Weigh In
While the most urgent challenge now facing the global community is stopping the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its impacts, the race to fight climate change continues.
Design Tools to Help Stop Climate Change
In 2008, architect Larry Strain, FAIA, was part of a team designing a town center in Portola Valley, California, when he conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and made a surprising discovery—embodied carbon accounted for half the carbon emissions from his project. "At the time, buildings were getting more efficient, so I'd started to pay… Read more »
Stand with us.
Together, architecture professionals, civic leaders, and the public can transform the day-to-day practice of architecture to achieve a zero-carbon, resilient, healthy, just, and equitable built environment.

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FamilyEdge
Cut the complaining - and be happy
by Thomas Lickona | November 26, 2018
Kindness means thinking of others and acting in ways that contribute to their happiness. Complaining certainly doesn't do that. If you've been trying to make kindness part of your family culture and there's still a lot of complaining, it's time to take further steps to teach and practice gratitude. Here are 6:
1. Discuss as a family what gratitude is and why it matters
Gratitude is the virtue of feeling and expressing thanks for benefits received. It's been called "the secret of a happy life." Grateful people are healthier, more alert, sleep better, and have more positive relationships. A grateful spirit makes us aware of all that others do for us and inspires us to be helpful in return. Frequent expressions of gratitude cost nothing but do a lot to make others feel appreciated and create a loving atmosphere in the home.
2. Share stories about being grateful when life is difficult
When life is difficult, gratitude can be difficult. So it's important to share stories about people who have chosen to be grateful in the face of adversity. In his book, With Love and Prayers: A Headmaster Speaks to the Next Generation, Father Tony Jarvis, an Episcopal priest and head of Boston's Roxbury Latin School for boys for 30 years, shares what he said to the boys about gratitude at a morning assembly:
"If there is a secret to happy living, it is living thankfully. Right now, sitting among you, are boys with alcoholic parents, boys from dysfunctional families, boys living in situations where they are physically and/or psychologically abused, boys living with parents who are dying painfully. A boy whose mother was dying a hideous and painful death a few years ago said to me: 'I'm grateful I can bring her some small comfort by something I do or say each day.' No bitterness. No sense of entitlement to a trouble-free life.
"Life entitles you to nothing. If you want to be happy, you will find happiness not from dwelling on all you do not have in life and feeling bitter about it. You will find happiness by dwelling on all that is good and true and beautiful in your life and being thankful for it."
3. Make thankfulness part of your family culture
Culture shapes character. If we want to raise children who are thankful, we need to create an intentional family culture that prioritizes that virtue. Gratitude rituals are one way to do that; they help thankfulness become a habit. Some rituals to consider:
Start dinner with a round of "gratefuls" ("What are you grateful for today?").
At the end of dinner, thank the cook(s) who prepared it for all the work that went into the meal or for a part you especially enjoyed. Also, thank whoever set the table or will be doing the dishes.
Make it a family practice to sincerely thank anyone who does you a service, such as those who wait on you in restaurants or stores.
Teach your children to thank their teachers and school staff like secretaries and custodians who might not get a lot of appreciation.
4. Take the No Complaints Challenge
A habit of complaining, by kids or adults, is the number 1 enemy of a spirit of thankfulness and happiness in the home. One person's dissatisfaction or bad mood can quickly spread to others. Pose this challenge to the family: Try to go 24 hours without complaining about anything. Keep track of times when you slip but don't stop trying. After the 24 hours are up, discuss:
How did we each do?
Does complaining help us feel better? (It usually intensifies the negative feeling.)
What are more positive ways to deal with stress or disappointment?
5. Gratitude prayers
If you're a praying family, encourage your kids to pray a prayer of gratitude as soon as they wake up. For example: "Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this day. Thank you for the gift of my life. Help me remember to be thankful today." Encourage them to begin their personal prayer time with prayers of thanksgiving. Say a family grace before each meal. As part of bedtime prayers, help kids remember and give thanks for the blessings big and small that they received in the course of the day, so they learn to look at life through the eyes of faith.
If we're truly grateful for all that others have done for us, we'll want to "pay it forward." In that spirit, many families have participated in the tradition of "Giving Tuesday" (the one following Thanksgiving) by contributing money or service to a worthy cause.
As a family, consider the wonderful work done by charitable organizations in your community and around the world to alleviate suffering and improve the lives of others. Decide together what you'd like to support and how everyone will contribute.
Then, in order to make giving a regular practice, set up a system whereby kids divide their weekly allowance equally among three jars: "Spend," "Save," and "Give."
Making gratitude a priority will improve the atmosphere in your home, foster loving relationships, increase happiness, and make it easier to practice all the other virtues that make up good character, including kindness. (For more gratitude ideas, see How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain.)
Thomas Lickona is a developmental psychologist, director of the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs, and the author of How to Raise Kind Kids (April 2018). Republished with permission from Psychology Today.


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News » Celebrity Spotlight
George Michael Checks into Rehab
Singer George Michael has checked into a rehab in Switzerland, with some media outlets reporting that he was smoking 25 joints each day.
The British singer has sold more than 100 million records, including his hit debut, 'Faith.'
Last March the 51-year-old said that he had not used marijuana in over a year and a half, according to an article in the Washington Post.
"I decided to change my life and I haven't touched it," he said at the time.
In 2010, George Michael spent eight weeks in prison after crashing his car into a shop in London while under the influence of drugs.
More from Celebrity Spotlight:
MusiCares Honors Pete Townshend
Comedian Craig Gass is Serious About Recovery
Creed Frontman Discusses Psychosis, Addiction


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ROSARIO L. DADULO, PETITIONER, VS.THE HON. COURT OF APPEALS, OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, HON. FELICIANO BELMONTE, JR., IN HIS CAPACITY AS CITY MAYOR OF QUEZON CITY AND GLORIA PATANGUI, RESPONDENTS.
YNARES-SATIAGO, J.:
For resolution is the motion for reconsideration filed by petitioner Rosario Dadulo of the Decision dated April 13, 2007 which disposed of the case as follows:
WHEREFORE, the petition is DENIED. The Decision of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. SP No. 89909 affirming the March 4, 2003 Decision of the Office of the Ombudsman in OMB-C-A-0470-J which found petitioner Rosario Dadulo guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and imposed upon her the penalty of suspension for six months is AFFIRMED.
Petitioner insists that the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman which found her guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and imposed upon her the penalty of suspension for six months, which was affirmed by the Court of Appeals in the assailed April 13, 2007 Decision, was not supported by substantial evidence and that the implementation of the suspension Order is premature.
We deny the motion for reconsideration.
The factual findings of the Office of the Ombudsman upon which its decision on petitioner's administrative liability was based are supported by the evidence on record. These include the affidavits of the parties to the instant case including those of respondent Gloria Patangui and Jessica Patangui, and the counter-affidavits of petitioner and of the other Barangay Security Development Officers (BSDO).
Respondent Gloria Patangui testified that on September 22, 2002, the construction materials were taken from her house and were brought to the barangay outpost. Patangui was informed by a BSDO that petitioner ordered the seizure.
Jessica, respondent's 9 year-old daughter, testified that she witnessed the actual taking of the construction materials; that she saw two men enter their premises and take the construction materials while a woman was supervising the activity. She later identified these men as the co-accused of petitioner.
Efren Pagabao, one of the BSDO administratively charged with petitioner, admitted that they went to the residence of respondent upon orders of petitioner on September 22, 2002 to verify whether respondent has a barangay permit for the house construction they were undertaking. This established the presence of the barangay officials at the respondent's residence and that they were there upon orders of petitioner.
On the other hand, other than a sweeping general denial of the charges against her, petitioner merely alleged that respondent was a professional squatter. She did not specifically deny any of the acts imputed against her nor did she explain why the construction materials were later found at the barangay outpost.
Thus, contrary to petitioner's claim, there is substantial evidence on record sufficient to hold her administratively liable.
As to the alleged premature implementation of the suspension order, the same is likewise bereft of merit.
Petitioner argues that her appeal has the effect of staying the execution of the decision of the Ombudsman hence, the immediate implementation of the suspension order before it has become final and executory, was premature. She cited the cases of Lapid v. Court of Appeals[2] and Laxina v. Court of Appeals[3] where this Court ruled against the immediate implementation of the Ombudsman's dismissal orders in view of Section 27[4] of Republic Act No. 6770.[5]
As correctly observed by the Solicitor General, at the time the Lapid and Laxina cases were decided, Section 7, Rule III of the Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman was silent as to the execution of its decisions pending appeal. This was later amended by Administrative Order No. 17 and Administrative Order No. 14-A as implemented by Memorandum Circular No. 1 s. 2006. Hence, as amended, Section 7 of Rule III now reads:
Section 7. Finality and execution of decision. – Where the respondent is absolved of the charge, and in case of conviction where the penalty imposed is public censure or reprimand, suspension of not more than one month, or a fine equivalent to one month salary, the decision shall be final, executory and unappealable. In all other cases, the decision may be appealed to the Court of Appeals on a verified petition for review under the requirements and conditions set forth in Rule 43 of the Rules of Court, within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the written Notice of the Decision or Order denying the Motion for Reconsideration.
An appeal shall not stop the decision from being executory. In case the penalty is suspension or removal and the respondent wins such appeal, he shall be considered as having been under preventive suspension and shall be paid the salary and such other emoluments that he did not receive by reason of the suspension or removal.
A decision of the Office of the Ombudsman in administrative cases shall be executed as a matter of course. The Office of the Ombudsman shall ensure that the decision shall be strictly enforced and properly implemented. The refusal or failure by any officer without just cause to comply with an order of the Office of the Ombudsman to remove, suspend, demote, fine, or censure shall be a ground for disciplinary action against said officer.
In the case of In the Matter to Declare in Contempt of Court Hon. Simeon A. Datumanong, Secretary of DPWH,[6] we held that:
The Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman are clearly procedural and no vested right of the petitioner is violated as he is considered preventively suspended while his case is on appeal. Moreover, in the event he wins on appeal, he shall be paid the salary and such other emoluments that he did not receive by reason of the suspension or removal. Besides, there is no such thing as a vested interest in an office, or even an absolute right to hold office. Excepting constitutional offices which provide for special immunity as regards salary and tenure, no one can be said to have any vested right in an office.[7]
Well-settled is the rule that procedural laws are construed to be applicable to actions pending and undetermined at the time of their passage, and are deemed retroactive in that sense and to that extent. As a general rule, the retroactive application of procedural laws cannot be considered violative of any personal rights because no vested right may attach to nor arise therefrom.[8]
Following the ruling in the above cited case, this Court, in Buencamino v. Court of Appeals,[9] upheld the resolution of the Court of Appeals denying Buencamino's application for preliminary injunction against the immediate implementation of the suspension order against him. The Court stated therein that considering that an appeal under Administrative Order No. 17, the amendatory rule, shall not stop the Decision of the Office of the Ombudsman from being executory, the Court of Appeals did not commit grave abuse of discretion in denying petitioner's application for injunctive relief.
Finally, the appeal of the decision of the Ombudsman to the Court of Appeals is through a Petition for Review under Rule 43 of the Rules of Court, Section 12 of which categorically provides that the appeal shall not stay the award, judgment, final order or resolution sought to be reviewed unless the Court of Appeals shall direct otherwise upon such terms as it may deem just.
WHEREFORE, the instant motion for reconsideration is DENIED with FINALITY.
Austria-Martinez, Chico-Nazario, Nachura, and Reyes, JJ., concur.
[1] Rollo, p. 184.
[2] 390 Phil. 236 (2000).
[3] G.R. No. 153155, September 30, 2005, 471 SCRA 542.
[4] Effectivity and Finality of Decisions.—(1) All provisionary orders of the Office of the Ombudsman are immediately effective and executory.
A motion for reconsideration of any order, directive or decision of the Office of the Ombudsman must be filed within five (5) days after receipt of written notice and shall be entertained only on any of the following grounds:
(1) New evidence has been discovered which materially affects the order, directive or decision;
(2) Errors of law or irregularities have been committed prejudicial to the interest of the movant. The motion for reconsideration shall be resolved within three (3) days from filing: Provided, That only one motion for reconsideration shall be entertained.
Findings of fact by the Office of the Ombudsman when supported by substantial evidence are conclusive. Any order, directive or decision imposing the penalty of public censure or reprimand, suspension of not more than one month's salary shall be final and unappealable.
In all administrative disciplinary cases, orders, directives or decisions of the Office of the Ombudsman may be appealed to the Supreme Court by filing a petition for certiorari within ten (10) days from receipt of the written notice of the order, directive or decision or denial of the motion for reconsideration in accordance with Rule 45 of the Rules of Court.
The above rules may be amended or modified by the Office of the Ombudsman as the interest of justice may require.
[5] The Ombudsman Act of 1989.
[6] G.R. No. 150274, August 4, 2006, 497 SCRA 626.
[9] G.R. No. 175895, April 12, 2007.


Winjama: Resting on the Beams - Finally!
Resting on the Beams - Finally!
Friday was our biggest day so far. The house was lowered onto the concrete beams of the foundation - finally! It really didn't take too long either.
The first shot is of the supervisory committee, supervising the goings-on.
Just to make things interesting, the night before (Thursday night), it rained mightily, and as this was the first substantial rain since completing the side fences, we were surprised to find that Elsie had put in a swimming pool over night. Her lot had a good six inches of water on it. This will come into play later on in the day.
On my way over to our property that morning, I almost forgot. Pastor Doug, a couple of weeks ago, asked if I would have Franz get in touch with the Mennonite well drillers and have the one who drilled his well come back as he was having some severe problems with his well.
Low and behold, there they were. I hit the brakes and snapped the picture below of their rig. There is a certain resemblance to the one that drilled my well, except this is much older. This one was built in either 1917 or 1918, whereas, the one that drilled my well was built in the early 50's. I thought you'd enjoy seeing this one.
Also, another side-bar... Dianna and I stopped off at the furniture makers to see how our sectional couch was coming along. At this stage, they're waiting for the fabric to come in from Mexico. the pieces of the sectional are essentially done.
Here's Dianna resisting temptation to give the couch the "nap test". We're also having footstools made for it.
Ok, now to the business at hand. First thing Franz's, or rather his brother, John's crew did was jack it up a smidge with their hydraulic jacks and remove the jack-stands.
Once the jack-stands are out of the way, then they still need to remove the massive timbers. These are some very dense, very heavy wood beams.
I mentioned the hydraulic jacks, here they are. Little 10-ton jobs, I'm guessing.
Part of the process involves removing supporting pieces of timber to get the jack-stands out of the way. It's all heavy, hard work.
Taking down the jack-stands involves removing all the supporting timber then getting the hell out of the way as it falls. And, it doesn't bounce when it hits. It just goes "thud".
And then, you have to put it away. John and his crew must have had another building to move, as they wasted no time loading all their stuff into his van and hitting the road.
Of course, writing about putting it in the van is the easy part. It is no slouch project to get all this stuff into the van - which, when it was all said and done, was seriously overloaded. But, Belize being Belize, that never caused anyone a bit of worry. They did tack an empty red laundry soap bottle (where'd that come from?) to one the timbers that was still hanging out the back end as a safety feature.
I zoomed off to New World Market and got a four-pack of Duracell AA batteries. My camera takes two at a time. Well, each set of batteries lasted for about 4 or 5 pictures before dying. So, I zoomed back to New World and bought a four-pack of Eveready. These didn't even make it to one picture. I'm guessing they got rooked with some counterfeit knockoffs, real POS batteries (A fairly common occurrence down here, unfortunately).
Anyway, I zoomed again, this time to D's Super Store, and bought a two-pack and they were the genuine article. Still going strong!
After getting back, I shot the rest of the proceedings, as you'll see.
Here's one of Franz's crew plastering the inside of the utility room walls. Looking mighty nice.
Our back stairs actually do work. They feel really comfortable going up and down.
The master of the stairs is Franz's finish carpenter, Ruben. He's the one usually wearing the jaunty topper.
Ruben wasn't real happy about doing the stairs, he would much rather be doing the inside trim. But, he said he likes to have fund and does the best job he can - which turned out really nice.
Here's a shot of the Posts for the front stair landing and a shot of the stairs and landing itself.
Stairs involve lots of measuring, and looking and cutting and measuring.
Esidoro and Ruben consulting about a technical issue - either about the stairs or the fence, or perhaps something else entirely.
Here's the trenches for the canal-side fence.
Here's Esidoro also doing a pile of measuring, getting ready for the pour on Saturday (which didn't happen - no mixer was available. It was actually done on Sunday morning).
Remember I mentioned about Elsie's swimming pool? and that I'd have more to say? Well, in one of my dumber moments, I thought it would be a good idea to have the gravel truck with 10 yards of gravel in it, come into the place through Elsie's gate and just drive up onto our fill, turn, back up and drop his load right where we wanted it.
Apparently, the fill right at that particular spot wasn't as firm as I though it was. Everything was working out well till he hit the fill and proceeded to nose-dive into it. At that point, I just about dropped a load!
Stuck But Good... And With A Full Load Too.
Of course, the more he worked at it, the deeper the truck went (again by the nose). Not that the rear end wasn't sinking either. It's just the front was really dramatic.
Dumping the load to lighten the truck really wasn't an option at this point as he'd be doubly stuck then. So, as we jockeyed him back and forth, one of Isidoro's guys jumped into the bed and began dumping buckets full of gravel into the ruts.
Eventually, after a bit more than an hour, we were able to get him free, up another part of the fill that was firm, turn around, and actually dump the load of gravel right where we wanted it, as you can see below.
Now, to get him out without diving into Elsie's pool, meant that he'd have to exit between our new steps and the tree that Dianna really wanted to save. We did have to chop a branch, but, as you can see, he made it just fine.
The clearance isn't much, but it's enough. In fact, Saturday morning, he brought a load of sand and came in the way he'd gone out with no trouble at all.
So, here we are Sunday afternoon. The mixer was available, the pour took place, and all's well, for now.
You may be wondering, if you're the observant kind like me, why Isidoro didn't just use Franz's mixer, which was sitting right there. Turns out, he did ask Franz if they could use it. Unfortunately, it broken. That's why the front stair isn't poured as we speak. It's waiting for a part that is supposed to be in Monday.


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Meryl Streep's Big Little Lies Scream Is the Newest Summer Fad
by Chris Harnick | Tue., Jun. 11, 2019 5:59 AM
What's it like working with Meryl Streep? Shailene Woodley is here to break it down for you.
"I think because she's probably used to people treating her like 'Meryl Streep' instead of just approaching her as a human, she's so wonderfully generous and immediately disarms you with her generosity that you sort of forget for a moment that you're working with a master of her craft. And then the cameras start rolling and she does the thing [snaps] and all of a sudden you go, 'Oh, God. What am I doing? I gotta get my stuff together,'" Woodley told Jimmy Fallon during a visit to The Tonight Show.
Reese Witherspoon & More Big Little Lies Ladies Spill on Season 2
"Because she is so good. She's like a little kid on a set in the sense of, I think, no matter how long she's been doing this and no matter how many accolades and awards she's garnered, she just genuinely loves acting. She loves storytelling…Like, she is a master woman of her craft," Woodley added.
Woodley said her favorite memory from working with Streep was during filming of one of the last episodes and the Oscar winner approached her, Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Zoë Kravitz about two lines in the script that she connected. It blew their minds. "She just reads scripts differently then anyone I've ever known," Woodley. "She gave us an entire beat that all of us had missed."
In the premiere of season two Streep's character, Mary Louis Wright, is mourning the death of her son Perry (Alexander Skarsgård) and lets out a huge scream. See it above. Woodley taught Fallon how to do it.
"Meryl taught me how to do it and it just changed my life," Woodley said. See them practice above.
Big Little Lies airs Sundays, 9 p.m. on HBO.
TAGS/ Big Little Lies , Meryl Streep , Shailene Woodley , Jimmy Fallon , the tonight show starring jimmy fallon , TV , Top Stories , Apple News , Entertainment


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Évènements » Séminaires » Abhijnan Chakraborty - Fairness in Algorithmic Decision Making
Abhijnan Chakraborty - Fairness in Algorithmic Decision Making
Salle de réunion 306 - Bâtiment IMAG
Abhijnan Chakraborty
Abhijnan Chakraborty is a Post-doctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI-SWS), Germany. He obtained his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur under the supervision of Prof. Niloy Ganguly (IIT Kharagpur) and Prof. Krishna Gummadi (MPI-SWS). During PhD, he was awarded the Google India PhD Fellowship and the Prime Minister's Fellowship for Doctoral Research. Prior to joining PhD, he spent two years at Microsoft Research India, working in the area of mobile systems. His current research interests fall under the broad theme of Computing and Society, covering the research areas of Social Computing, Information Retrieval and Fairness in Machine Learning. He has authored several papers in top-tier computer science conferences including WWW, KDD, AAAI, AAMAS, CSCW, ICWSM and MobiCom. His research works have won the best paper award at ASONAM'16 and best poster award at ECIR'19. He is one of the recipients of internationally competitive research grant from the Data Transparency Lab to advance his research on fairness and transparency in algorithmic systems.
Algorithmic (data-driven) decision making is increasingly being used to assist or replace human decision making in domains with high societal impact, such as banking (estimating creditworthiness), recruiting (ranking job applicants), judiciary (offender profiling), healthcare (identifying high-risk patients who need additional care) and journalism (recommending news-stories). Consequently, in recent times, multiple research works have uncovered the potential for bias (unfairness) in algorithmic decisions in different contexts, and proposed mechanisms to control (mitigate) such biases. However, the emphasis of existing works has largely been on fairness in supervised classification or regression tasks, and fairness issues in other scenarios remain relatively unexplored. In this talk, I will cover our recent works on incorporating fairness in recommendation and matching algorithms in multi-sided platforms, where the algorithms need to fairly consider the preferences of multiple stakeholders. I will discuss the notions of fairness in these contexts and propose techniques to achieve them. I will conclude the talk with a list of open questions and directions for future work.


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Hawaiian Electric Offers Advice as Hurricane Season Begins
PC: Hawaiian Electric storm/hurricane response. File photo.
The 2021 Central Pacific hurricane season starts today and Hawaiian Electric is advising customers, both residential and commercial, to be prepared and have emergency plans in place.
Hawaiian Electric crews work year-round to harden the company's five island grids so they are better able to withstand the effects of powerful storms. A major focus of Hawaiian Electric's efforts to build resilience involves reinforcing poles, lines and other equipment. The utility also spent $18 million in 2020 to clear trees and vegetation from around power lines and equipment, resulting in fewer and briefer outages during storms.
Forecasters are predicting two to five tropical cyclones for the Central Pacific in 2021, an estimate that includes tropical depressions, named storms and hurricanes. That compares to a normal season with a range of four or five tropical cyclones, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
Hawaiian Electric's work to boost resilience includes equipment upgrades as well as longer-term planning efforts that will benefit customers well into the future. Here are some examples of the company's ongoing resilience work:
Oʻahu:
Replaced about five miles of overhead line on Oʻahu's North Shore along Kamehameha Highway near Hauʻula Beach Park to Laʻie Beach Park, and along Kamehameha near Hukilau Beach Park to Malaekahana State Recreation Area. The lines needed replacing due to coastal corrosion.
Convened five virtual workshops of the Koʻolaupoko Energy Working Group, engaging key community leaders to advance energy-related action items that will increase resilience along the Winward side from Waimānalo to Kualoa.
Started work with national experts to identify areas on Oʻahu's that are optimal for developing microgrids to achieve a more resilient electric grid as part of the US Department of Energy's inaugural Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project.
Maui and Molokaʻi:
Installed heavier, insulated conductors in tree-dense areas to help prevent vegetation-related outages in areas prone to trees and branches falling during high winds and damaging electrical equipment.
Lānaʻi:
Upgraded the way power is distributed in Lānaʻi City to improve reliability, including the conversion of a 4-kilovolt power line to 12 kilovolts. This is a standardized voltage across the island for a more efficient distribution of energy.
Hawaiʻi Island:
Upgraded and relocated a 10-mile sub-transmission line in the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park area. The work was part of a collaboration to close a 22-mile gap in the island's fiber optic loop and ensure a stable communications network for internet and wireless customers, including first responders and schools.
To prepare for the hurricane season customers can refer to the company's Handbook for Emergency Preparedness. The handbook and a keiki-friendly booklet featuring Maka the Super Safety Hero are available at hawaiianelectric.com/prepare. The printed copies of the handbook are available for pickup at public libraries across our service territory and City Mill stores on Oʻahu. You may also call Hawaiian Electric at (808) 543-7511 for copies of the publications.
Residents should develop their own emergency plans and consider these tips:
Gather emergency supplies, such as battery-powered radio, flashlights, lanterns and batteries. Be prepared to monitor communications over emergency broadcast radio stations.
Store enough water, non-perishable food, medicine and personal hygiene supplies for your family members and pets to last at least 14 days.
Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electric appliances and equipment during a storm or a power outage. When power comes back and is stable, plug in the equipment one at a time.
Shut off your electricity at the main breaker or switch if you need to evacuate.
Consider having a backup generator if you are dependent on an electrically powered life support system. Or, make plans to go to an alternate location where electricity will be available. Be prepared to take your medical equipment and medications with you.
If your business or residence is equipped with a backup generator, learn how to properly operate the device to avoid causing damage or injury.
Prepare a list of emergency contacts including phone numbers for insurance agents, vendors, physicians, or any other important individuals.
If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and dangerous. Stay away from downed power lines – at least 30 feet or more (at least two car lengths).
For updates and alerts, follow Hawaiian Electric on Twitter or via their free mobile app (available on Apple App and Google Play stores).
Zone Manager
Hawaiian Electric Ramps Up Resilience Work as… June 1, 2020
Chef Sheldon Offers Words of Advice to Class of 2021… June 6, 2021
Douglas Becomes First Hurricane of 2020 Eastern… July 21, 2020
Maui Electric Company Prepares for Hurricane Season May 30, 2019
Hawaiian Electric Donates Electric Vehicles to UH… October 9, 2020
Hawaiian Electric Urges Customers to be Prepared as… July 23, 2020


After months of public hearings and appeals, Deschutes County is moving closer to a compromise on a proposed bike park immediately to the east of Bend's urban growth boundary.
On Wednesday, the Deschutes County Commission discussed options for a controversial Bend Park & Recreation District expansion to Big Sky Park, an existing park at Hamby and Neff roads, about a quarter-mile east of Bend's UGB. Commissioners Tammy Baney and Tony DeBone expressed interest in overruling conditions imposed in August by a Deschutes County hearings officer that the park district had appealed, while still being sensitive to concerns from neighbors about lighting and noise from organized cyclocross races.
"What I would not want to see is that this turns into a ballpark," Baney said during the meeting.
The centerpiece of the 49-acre expansion proposed by the park district is a bike park that includes facilities for cyclocross riders and other users. After a series of restrictions imposed by the hearings officer limited where the park district could build trails and hold events — which prompted the park district's appeal — the district and the county began trying to find middle ground.
"We didn't set out to make anybody mad," said Brian Hudspeth, development manager for the park district.
Big Sky Park, which occupies about 96 acres on land zoned for farm use, was approved as a youth sports complex in 1991. Following a series of upgrades that began in the early 2000s, the park hosts large sporting events and provides space on Bend's east side for football, lacrosse, soccer practices, among other high school sports.
The park features a BMX bike track, which will be left alone under the current proposal. Hudspeth said the size and location of the park would make it a good fit for additional cycling amenities.
In a revision to Big Sky Park's master plan last year, the park district proposed 250 additional parking spaces and a large expansion on the northern edge of the park, which would include a dog park and a mix of multi-use trails and slope-style trails for cyclists of all ages and skill levels.
In a decision near the end of August, a Deschutes County hearings officer approved the proposal, but added stipulations requiring fencing and prohibiting the park district from holding large events in parts of the park, installing permanent amplified sound systems and building trails within 250 feet of the edge of the park.
The park district then appealed the decision, criticizing its "excessively broad" definition of organized events and a set of conditions that Hudspeth said didn't meet the county's rules for harmonious development.
After a three-hour public hearing in October when the commissioners heard from residents on all sides of the debate, the park district proposed an alternate set of rules earlier this month. The new rules included limiting the number of mid-sized events to 25 per year and keeping event headquarters and spectator areas at least 500 feet away from park boundaries.
While several details, including parking lot lighting, still need to be ironed out, Baney and DeBone expressed support for many of the compromises, including allowing for portable amplified sound systems that could be used during certain events. Baney added that she wanted to see the event organizers embrace a good-neighbor ethos, working with residents to help mitigate sound impacts.
"I certainly hope that's the culture of this particular park," Baney said.
County planners intend to incorporate the feedback from commissioners into a more formal decision, likely by the end of the year. If there are no more delays, Hudspeth said he expects the park district to break ground on the expansion by next autumn. If all goes according to plan, the new bike park could be open to the public by 2020.
"It's gonna be an awesome park when it's done," Hudspeth said.


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            { enabled: true, name: DaysOfWeek.Fri },
            { enabled: true, name: DaysOfWeek.Sat },
            { enabled: true, name: DaysOfWeek.Sun },
        ],
    },
    is_remote: false,
    error_value: null,
    warn_value: null,
    trigger_type: "rising",
    mute_new_metrics: false,
    alone_metrics: {},
};

type Props = RouteComponentProps & { moiraApi: MoiraApi };

const TriggerAddContainer = (props: Props) => {
    const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState<boolean>(true);
    const [error, setError] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined);
    const [trigger, setTrigger] = useState<Partial<Trigger>>(defaultTrigger);
    const [tags, setTags] = useState<string[] | undefined>(undefined);
    const [config, setConfig] = useState<Config | undefined>(undefined);

    const {
        validationResult,
        setValidationResult,
        validateTrigger,
        updateTrigger,
    } = useTriggerFormContainer(props.moiraApi);

    const validationContainer = useRef<ValidationContainer>(null);

    const handleSubmit = async () => {
        setIsLoading(true);

        const updatedTrigger = updateTrigger(trigger);
        const isTriggerValid = await validateTrigger(validationContainer, updatedTrigger);
        if (!isTriggerValid) {
            setIsLoading(false);
            return;
        }

        try {
            const { id } = await props.moiraApi.addTrigger(updatedTrigger);
            props.history.push(getPageLink("trigger", id));
        } catch (error) {
            setError(error.message);
        } finally {
            setIsLoading(false);
        }
    };

    const handleChange = (update: Partial<Trigger>, targetIndex?: number) => {
        setTrigger({
            ...trigger,
            ...update,
        });
        setError(undefined);
        if (update.targets) {
            const newTargets =
                validationResult?.targets.map((item, i) =>
                    i === targetIndex ? undefined : item
                ) ?? [];
            setValidationResult({ targets: newTargets });
        }
    };

    const handleFileImport = (fileData: string, fileName: string) => {
        try {
            const trigger = JSON.parse(fileData);

            if (typeof trigger !== "object" && trigger != null) {
                throw new Error("Must be an object");
            }

            handleChange(omitTrigger(trigger));
        } catch (error) {
            setError(`File ${fileName} cannot be converted to trigger. ${error.message}`);
        }
    };

    const getData = async () => {
        const localDataString = localStorage.getItem("moiraSettings");
        const { tags: localTags } = localDataString ? JSON.parse(localDataString) : { tags: [] };

        try {
            const { list } = await props.moiraApi.getTagList();
            const config = await props.moiraApi.getConfig();
            setTrigger({
                ...trigger,
                tags: localTags,
            });
            setConfig(config);
            setTags(list);
        } catch (error) {
            setError(error.message);
        } finally {
            setIsLoading(false);
        }
    };

    useEffect(() => {
        document.title = "Moira - Add trigger";
        getData();
    }, []);

    return (
        <Layout loading={isLoading} error={error}>
            <LayoutContent>
                <LayoutRowStack baseline block gap={6} style={{ maxWidth: "800px" }}>
                    <Fill>
                        <LayoutTitle>Add trigger</LayoutTitle>
                    </Fill>
                    <FileLoader onLoad={handleFileImport}>Import</FileLoader>
                </LayoutRowStack>
                {trigger && (
                    <form>
                        <ColumnStack block gap={4}>
                            <Fit>
                                <ValidationContainer ref={validationContainer}>
                                    {config != null && (
                                        <TriggerEditForm
                                            data={trigger}
                                            remoteAllowed={config.remoteAllowed}
                                            tags={tags || []}
                                            onChange={handleChange}
                                            validationResult={validationResult}
                                        />
                                    )}
                                </ValidationContainer>
                            </Fit>
                            <Fit>
                                <RowStack gap={3} baseline>
                                    <Fit>
                                        <Button
                                            use="primary"
                                            onClick={() => handleSubmit()}
                                            data-tid="Add Trigger"
                                        >
                                            Add trigger
                                        </Button>
                                    </Fit>
                                    <Fit>
                                        <RouterLink to={getPageLink("index")}>Cancel</RouterLink>
                                    </Fit>
                                </RowStack>
                            </Fit>
                            <Fit style={{ height: `50px` }} />
                        </ColumnStack>
                    </form>
                )}
            </LayoutContent>
        </Layout>
    );
};

export default withMoiraApi(TriggerAddContainer);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We arrange road freight services to our customers in Saudi Arabian cities and in other Arab countries, including neighboring African countries. We have been delivering high quality services efficiently for the past 30 years. We also provide customs clearance services, insurance services at all stages and export and import services, with a fleet of trucks with different capacities.


AC Industries rear disc brake kit with e-brake. This is a long spline rotor with a 4x130mm stock late model Volkswagen lug pattern using 14mm threaded holes for lug bolts or screw in studs. This kit also comes with a nodular iron bracket that will no..
AC Industries rear disc brake kit with e-brake. This is a short spline rotor with a 4x130mm stock late model Volkswagen lug pattern using 14mm threaded holes for lug bolts or screw in studs. This kit also comes with a nodular iron bracket that will n..
AC Industries rear disc brake kit with e-brake. This is a short spline brake rotor with a 5x130mm and 5x112mm lug pattern using 14mm threaded holes for lug bolts or screw in studs. This is a dual pattern brake rotor with a Porsche pattern as well as ..
AC Industries rear disc brake kit with e-brake. This is a zero offset long spline rotor with a 5x205mm stock early model Volkswagen lug pattern using 12mm threaded holes for lug bolts or screw in studs. This brake rotor has the same offset as the rea..
AC Industries rear disc brake kit with e-brake. This is a zero offset short spline rotor with a 5x205mm stock early model Volkswagen lug pattern using 12mm threaded holes for lug bolts or screw in studs. This brake rotor has the same offset as the re..
One of the best upgrades you can do for your Bug or Ghia is to convert the old drum brakes to disc brakes. AC Industries has now made it easier than ever. This kit is 100% bolt on so no need for modifications. This rotor comes with 14mm threaded hole..
New from AC Industries is this 5x205mm lug pattern disc brake kit with lowered spindles. This kit will fit all Bug and Karmann Ghia's with the 1965 and older Link Pin style front suspensions and will lower the car approximately 2.5″ and maintai..
One of the best upgrades you can do for your Bug or Ghia is to convert the old drum brakes to disc brakes. AC Industries has now made it easier than ever. This kit is 100% bolt on so no need for modifications. This rotor comes with 14mm threade..
AC Industries No Hassle disc brake kits are designed to be the simplest way to convert your drum brakes to disc. This kit has the 5x205mm lug pattern rotors and bolts right on to the stock drum spindles. This kit is designed to fit Bug 1966 wit..
AC Industries No Hassle disc brake kits are designed to be the simplest way to convert your drum brakes to disc. This kit has the 5x205mm lug pattern rotors and bolts right on to the stock drum spindles. This kit is designed to fit Bug 1969–77 with a..
New from AC Industries is this 5x205 mm lug pattern disc brake kit with stock height spindles. This kit will fit all Bug and Karmann Ghia's with the 1966 and later ball joint style front suspensions(modifications needed to fit 1966). This..
One of the best upgrades you can do for your Bug, Ghia or Thing is to convert the old drum brakes to disc brakes. AC Industries has now made it easier than ever. This kit is 100% bolt on so no need for modifications. This rotor comes with 14mm ..
AC Industries No Hassle disc brake kits are designed to be the simplest way to convert your drum brakes to disc. This kit has the 5x205mm lug pattern rotors and bolts right on to the stock drum spindles. This kit is designed to fit Bug 1967–68 ..
One of the best upgrades you can do for your Super Beetle is to convert the old drum brakes to disc brakes. AC Industries has now made it easier than ever. This kit is 100% bolt on so no need for modifications. This rotor comes with 14mm thread..


text:
Interview: Mike Blackman, ISE
Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is the world's largest trade show for professional audio/visual manufacturers and service providers. It attracts over 1200 international exhibitors and 75,000 attendees to a four-day exhibition that takes place in Amsterdam every February (6-9 February 2018). It's a B2B show held in 15 halls at the RAI Amsterdam, supplemented by a wide range of conference and educational programmes largely supplied by its trade association, co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA. At ISE you get a great many attendees that work in the AV 'channel' (manufacturers, distributors, and retailers) plus many end-customers. End-customers tend to work in the markets served by the 'channel', and come from areas such as education, corporate, finance, military, healthcare and many more.
In this exclusive interview with KNXtoday, Integrated Systems Events Managing Director, Mike Blackman tells about the highlights we can expect at this year's show, with a special focus on KNX.
KNXtoday: What is the aim of the show and what are your key messages for 2018?
MB: To provide a fixed 'date in the diary' that sees the ISE exhibition remain as the main destination of choice for the international AV and systems integration business. To remain the primary showcase for new AV technologies and solutions. We also work closely with our association owners to ensure that ISE provides a platform for education and personal development. For 2018, one of the new areas we are exploring is how Virtual, Augmented and Immersive technology and solutions are impacting on our business – both for the 'channel' and 'end user' communities. We feel that this is an area we need to develop as it represents a genuine business opportunity. This will see the launch of The XR Technology Zone. This is a special feature built to showcase companies providing the latest AR, VR and Mixed Reality technology (XR) and B2B solutions. This dedicated area will also feature a XR Hub which will host daily presentations and workshops. Plus, we are introducing the XR Summit ISE. This is a one-day B2B strategy conference focused on the XR industry. Taking place on 6 February it will explore the latest in XR technologies, business strategies, and solutions and how they impact and empower the AV business.
KNXtoday: How is your relationship with KNX developing, what feedback did you get from the 2017 show, and what has it inspired you to do for ISE 2018?
MB: We have an excellent relationship with KNX and one that we have continued to build over many years. Each year we seek to deepen that involvement. Feedback on the last show was positive and insightful. KNX moved to a new location for 2017 and were central to the successful introduction of the Smart Building Hall (9). KNX is once again sponsoring the CEDIA Smart Building Solutions Theatre and will be showcasing 30 speaker sessions on KNX-related case studies, workflows and technology presentations. These are free to attend and no pre-booking is necessary.
KNXtoday: What should those interested in KNX look out for at ISE 2018?
MB: As well as the Smart Building Theatre, the Smart Building Summit takes place on 5 February, the day before ISE begins. This one-day conference will explore smart homes, offices, buildings and cities. A highlight will be the participation from leading architect and inventor Carlo Ratti – who is also giving ISE's Opening Address shortly after the conference ends. There is also the dedicated residential technology zone in Hall 5 and is well worth a visit.
Carlo Ratti is a leading architect, engineer, inventor, educator and director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, Ratti directs the Senseable City Lab, a research group that explores how new technologies are changing the way we understand, design and ultimately live in cities.
KNXtoday: How is the show floor arranged, are there any new developments regarding the visitor experience, and how can KNX-focused visitors best prepare for the show?
MB: ISE is an exhibition that focuses on showcasing commercial and residential AV technology and solutions. Across 15 halls these are broadly placed in seven designated technology zones. These are: digital signage, unified communications, audio and live events, residential, smart building, XR (Virtual and Augmented Reality) and education. A brand new hall (15), situated at the front of the RAI Amsterdam, is being introduced to meet requests from companies wishing to participate in ISE. The new area will provide over 4000 sq. metres of additional space.
The RAI convention centre now has 15 exhibition halls.
KNX-focused visitors will find much that will appeal to them in the CEDIA and AVIXA educational programmes – their largest to date. New for 2018 is an easy-to-use Ticket Shop available through the ISE website. Attendees can buy a full range of CEDIA or AVIXA passes for individual or groups of sessions. There is also the option to purchase a Joint Association SuperPass. The best way to research and find out about the show and all it has to offer is to go to the ISE website where full details on what's on can be found. You can also sign up to receive our ISE Daily newsletters launching in early January 2018 or access the RISE magazine digital edition.
KNXtoday: Which events/activities will enrich the experience of the KNX visitor?
MB: I believe that the Smart Building Theatre sponsored by KNX will be a real draw. Some of the featured KNX member companies taking part include senior executives from: KNX, Metel, Redfish, Proknx, Bemco, GES, ivory egg, Thinka, byNubian and Domonetio. Subjects being covered include home security, debunking KNX myths, KNX residential solutions, KNX solutions for LEED strategies, smart home control using voice and augmented reality and connecting with the IoT. The presenters are often performing on more than one day, so there's plenty of time to catch them.
KNXtoday readers can use invitation code 399680 for free admission to the exhibition.
One of the highlights of ISE 2018 will undoubtedly be the World Masters of Projection Mapping, a new competition with both the final and awards' presentations. It is being produced by Amsterdam Light Festival, ISE and the RAI Amsterdam. ISE attendees will be able to view the finalists' artistic 3D-light displays from canal boats sailing direct from the convention centre to the competition location at the EYE Filmmuseum. The World Masters of Projection Mapping awards showcase will happen on the Friday of the show in the RAI Amsterdam.
KNXtoday: What is your advice to anyone considering coming to the show?
MB: They should definitely come. It will be a stimulating and rewarding experience for anyone involved with KNX. We value the participation and support of KNX and ISE 2018 will reflect this more than ever before.
Mike Blackman is the Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, organiser of Europe's best-attended tradeshow for professional AV and electronic systems integration in the world.
www.iseurope.org
articles, articles sponsor


A werewolf video leaves Micky terrified of dogs. Mum decides the only answer is to get Micky a puppy of his own. To everyone's surprise - including Micky's - he chooses a werepuppy. But Wolfie turns out to be a very special pet - and a real joker.


Nigerian Election: The world's largest countries are becoming more democratic; does that mean democracy's not really declining?
What if Democracy's Not Actually Declining?
Women show their new electoral cards while queuing at a accreditation center in Abuja on March 28, 2015.
Given the daily headlines from the Middle East and the former Soviet Union, it's not hard to conclude, as the New York Times' Thomas Friedman did, that "democracy is in recession" around the world. That impression is largely borne out by data. This year's Freedom in the World report from Freedom House, for instance, found that the number of countries becoming less free outnumbered those becoming more free for the ninth consecutive year.
But there's an equally significant but less remarked-upon trend going on at the same time: The world's largest countries have been getting more democratic.
On Tuesday, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari. This is the first time a sitting Nigerian president has ever been defeated by an opposition candidate. Despite a six-week delay caused by the ongoing insurgency in the country's North and scattered complaints of technical glitches and violence, international monitors say the vote was largely orderly and fair.
The advent of genuine competitive elections is a major development in Africa's largest country, a place that will likely have more people than the United States in a few decades. And it's not just Nigeria: 2014 was a huge year for voting in the world's biggest countries. India held the largest elections ever, in which the party that had dominated its politics for most of its post-independence history was defeated. Indonesia now appears to be a consolidated democracy after its third presidential election since the overthrow of dictatorship in 2008. In October, Dilma Rousseff was elected in Brazil's seventh democratic election since its return to democracy. And in 2013, Pakistan saw its first ever peaceful transfer of power from one civilian government to another.
Now, just because these governments are elected doesn't mean they are particularly effective or even particularly accountable to voters. Nigeria's new president, Buhari, is a former military dictator, and even assuming the best of motives on his part, he faces an unenviable slate of crises, including entrenched government corruption and a Boko Haram insurgency that has left an area the size of Belgium outside the government's control—and in about the least democratic conditions imaginable. The same set of problems—terrorism, armed insurgency, corruption, widespread distrust of public figures—exists in Pakistan. The honeymoon is decidedly over for Indonesia's Joko Widodo, beset at home by corruption scandals and abroad by controversy over Indonesia's use of the death penalty for drug offenders. Thanks to corruption scandals and low economic growth, Rousseff's approval rating is at a dismal 13 percent. And as Matthew Yglesias argues, even America's democratic institutions aren't looking that robust these days.
I've written before that the most worrying trend for democracy around the world isn't government crackdowns, but voters—particularly the educated, middle-class voters who should, according to conventional wisdom, be the strongest supporters of democracy—losing faith in it. It's good news that the citizens of these six countries, a third of the world's population, can now pick their leaders. The next step is for those leaders to deliver the kind of progress, security, and accountability that will keep it that way.


text:
You are here: Home / Cases / State Governors Elect Not to Implement Parts of PPACA
State Governors Elect Not to Implement Parts of PPACA
July 9, 2012 by Wolters Kluwer Contributor
After the United States Supreme Court's ruling last week that states cannot be forced to expand their Medicaid programs to receive federal funding, states are given the tough decision to make whether they will indeed expand their Medicaid rolls as suggested by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (P.L. 111-148).
Thus far, five states have made it clear that as a result of last week's decision, they do not plan to expand their Medicaid programs: Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi and Wisconsin.
All of those five states, which have Republican governors, participated in the lawsuit against the bill, which was the subject of last week's ruling. In addition, six states have publicly raised doubt as to whether they will participate: Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey and Texas. Currently, only ten states have affirmatively pledged to participate in Medicaid expansion, which leaves nearly two-thirds of the states in question.
Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker issued a statement on the same day the Supreme Court released their decision on PPACA, indicating, "Wisconsin will not take any action to implement ObamaCare." (Obama Care is a casual term commonly used to refer to PPACA and its provisions.) Walker emphasized his concerns that the bill would cost his state's tax payers to "pay more money for less healthcare" and that both quality of and access to care would be reduced under the bill. He expressed his hope that this year's elections would ultimately result in the repeal of the bill at a federal level.
Governor Bobby Jindall of Louisiana announced that his state will not be expanding its Medicaid program in response to PPACA; nor will it be setting up private health insurance exchanges called for by the bill. Under the provisions of PPACA, if Louisiana or any other state fails to establish a fully operable exchange by January 1, 2014, the federal government will implement an exchange for that state. Jindall agreed that reform of the health care system is necessary, but that an "expensive, unsustainable entitlement program is not the solution to our problems."
In Florida, Governor Rick Scott similarly announced that his state will neither set up exchanges nor expand its Medicaid rolls to comply with PPACA. Approximately 20 percent of Florida residents are uninsured, however, Scott pointed out that it would cost Florida taxpayers $1.9 billion to add those residents to the Medicaid program. He raised concern over the rapidly increasing Medicaid program in the state, which he said is growing "three and a half times as fast as Florida's general revenue."
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley declared that her state will opt out of expanding its Medicaid program and that block grants, which offer flexibility to states as to how they will use the money, offer the best solution to state-specific problems. She referred to PPACA's changes as a "broken system that further ties our hands."
Lt. Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi "is not inclined to drastically expand Medicaid" as called for by PPACA. He explained that such an expansion, which would add nearly 400,000 residents to the program, would cost the state nearly $1.7 billion over ten years. He maintained that "(t)rue health care reform should look at reducing costs for services not increasing the burden on taxpayers."
HHS Deems Insurance Premium Hikes in 9 States Excessive
Thirteen States, Including IL, FL, CA, See Opportunity to Make Medicaid Cuts
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Filed Under: Cases, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Health Insurance Exchange, HHS, Individual Mandate, Legislation, Medicaid, Medicaid Expansion, News, Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, SCOTUS, State Level Tagged With: Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin