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November-December 2021 | www.packagingnews.com.au | CIRCULAR ECONOMY
used the PREP tool, ensuring that all packaging displaying the ARL has been designed for recyclability in the mar- kets where the products are to be sold."
From a circular economy perspec- tive, Garofano says, "The ARL helps designers address CE principles one and two, while also delivering sus- tainable packaging, as per APCO's Sustainable Packaging Guidelines."
Planet Ark's role in the partner- ship is to help educate the community (households, school students, indi- viduals) about the ARL. Since the end of 2019, the education campaigns have been viewed on social media, on television, and within schools. The messaging around the ARL on social media is ongoing, with the television campaign running from the end of 2020 into early 2021.
Schools have benefitted from the development of ARL lesson plans, from Foundation to Year 10, reaching some 80,000 students since first launched. Planet Ark has recently launched a unit plan specifically for the ARL including eight lesson plans for Years 5 and 6. A new digital media campaign is being launched ahead of National Recycling Week, taking place between 8 and 14 November 2021, where a range of activ- ities will be promoted and encouraged.
A second action that will see Planet Ark help to encourage behaviour change with packaging and the adoption of principle two of a cir- cular economy is with the Coffee Capsule Product Stewardship Scheme (CCPSS). Planet Ark is one of 20 organ- isations to receive project funding from the Federal Government's Product Stewardship Investment Fund. The Fund forms part of the Australian Government's $167 million Australian Recycling Investment Plan and National Waste Policy Action Plan to increase Australia's recycling rates, tackle plastic waste and litter and halve food waste by 2030.
CCPSS Project technical manager, Dr Sean O'Malley says, "The scheme is being developed in partnership with Nespresso and Woolworths Group and will address the capsules available on the domestic market in Australia." O'Malley explained that to ensure
widespread engagement in the scheme, the project team is working with a range of other stakeholders including retailers, coffee brands and local and international manufacturers.
The CCPSS will include alumin- ium, compostable, plastic and hybrid capsules. The project will not only determine the fate of the packaging, but also of the coffee grounds them- selves, providing some innovative alternatives to disposal to landfill.
Coffee drinkers will need to wait until later in 2022 to start participat- ing in the scheme. However, with the interest already shown through the stakeholder consultation conducted to date, there will be positive oppor- tunities for improved recovery for all brands across the range of systems.
ACE HUB
The latest major initiative from Planet Ark, the Australian Circular Economy Hub (ACE Hub), provides an umbrella for the future of circular economy related activities in Australia with a focus on government and industry. Dr Garofano says, "Planet Ark is facilitat- ing the transition to a circular economy in Australia by providing a focal point for circular economy knowledge and inspiration in Australia. Since the launch of the ACE Hub in November 2020, we have been working with stakeholders to provide information and connections to raise awareness of the circular economy and to showcase those already on their CE pathways."
ABOVE: Paul Klymenko, founder and CEO of Planet Ark, addresses media and stakeholders at the ACE launch.
Garofano says the end of 2021 will see the launch of several reports and events, including the 2021 Circularity in Australian Business Report. "We know that Australian business lead- ers believe the circular economy will be important to the future of their business. We also know that business leaders need information and knowl- edge to take action towards a circular economy. Providing this information and knowledge is a core focus on our 2022 activities. Watch this space to learn more!" she says.
For packaging, Garofano says, there is much to applaud and much to achieve. "We are seeing significant shifts in the design of packaging, as we saw with this year's PIDA Sustainable Packaging Category awardees. Many designers are already making the transition to a cir- cular economy. But there is much more to do – not only to design out waste and pollution, but to innovate in packag- ing decisions of how packaging can be reduced in the first place. This will always be the first goal and one that will take innovative engineers ready to take brave steps into shifting the paradigm of packaging globally," Garofano says.
No single community, company, industry, government or country can transition our world economy. The cir- cular economy needs to cross borders, cross sectors, and work with all to make this important shift.
Planet Ark is looking forward to supporting this transition – for now and the future. ■
ABOUT PLANET ARK
PLANET ARK Environmental Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit environmental organisation that was founded in 1992. It aims to create simple, powerful and positive actions that help people, governments and businesses reduce their impact on the environment. Its
vision is to create a future where people live in balance with nature. Planet Ark has an almost 30-year history of leading or participating in collaborative projects with industry, government at all levels, product stewardship organisations and other not-for-profits.


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Jamie Dimon says coronavirus crisis is 'wake-up call' for a more inclusive economy
Posted on May 20, 2020 by nhadmin
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said Tuesday in a memo that the coronavirus crisis should be used to build an economy that offers opportunities for "dramatically more people."
"It is my fervent hope that we use this crisis as a catalyst to rebuild an economy that creates and sustains opportunity for dramatically more people, especially those who have been left behind for too long," Dimon said. "The last few months have laid bare the reality that, even before the pandemic hit, far too many people were living on the edge."
The memo, issued ahead of his bank's annual shareholder meeting, served as an update to the New York-based bank's response to the pandemic. Dimon detailed the steps his firm has taken to support customers and employees since the crisis began two months ago, as well as his thinking about returning employees to work sites.
"Unfortunately, low-income communities and people of color are being hit the hardest, exacerbating the health and economic inequities that were already unacceptably pronounced before the virus took over," Dimon said.
"An inclusive economy – in which there is widespread access to opportunity – is a stronger, more resilient economy," he added. "This crisis must serve as a wake-up call and a call to action for business and government to think, act and invest for the common good and confront the structural obstacles that have inhibited inclusive economic growth for years."
Read the full memo here:
An Update on JPMorgan Chase's Response to COVID-19
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to reverberate within our neighborhoods, workplaces and homes and throughout our economy. In my annual letter to shareholders last month, we described the actions our firm is taking to support our employees, customers and communities. Things are changing quickly, so I wanted to update you on our recent efforts. I also want to share how we are thinking about and preparing for not only the safe re-opening of our economy, but also laying the foundation for an inclusive recovery that unlocks economic opportunity for more people.
From the outset, our priority has been to continue to provide uninterrupted service to our clients and customers, while supporting and providing a safe work environment for our employees and helping those communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Responding to the needs of our customers and clients
To help customers who have told us they are struggling financially, we have made it easy to enroll in a payment assistance program. To date, we have provided assistance to over 1.5 million customer accounts, including delaying payments and refunding fees across our business banking, home lending, credit card, deposit and auto lease and loan accounts. And, we are quickly and prudently putting our capital and liquidity to work to help our clients – large and small – weather the crisis, pay their workers and bills, and provide the essential goods and services on which we all depend.
Included in this, are hundreds of thousands of homeowners we've helped by delaying their mortgage payments for at least three months. They won't be charged a late fee or penalty during this time. We are also available to discuss extensions for many customers who need more time to recover, and upon request and if eligible, we can add the option to move missed payments to the end of their mortgage term.
In March and April, we approved more than $45 billion in new credit for our clients impacted by COVID-19. This included more than $6 billion to hospitals and healthcare companies, educational institutions, nonprofits and state and local governments. For example, we worked with NewYork-Presbyterian Health System – which has seen a significant increase in overnight patients as a result of COVID-19 – to increase their line of credit so they could acquire vital medical supplies and equipment and bring on additional staff.
We've also assisted our corporate clients in raising capital, including many in industries that have been hard hit by the pandemic, from healthcare to travel and transportation. Year to date, we've helped clients raise $664 billion in investment grade financing, and also provided $104 billion of high yield financing.
Additionally, during the first 60 days of the crisis, we extended $950 million in new loans for our small business clients, such as Kids Klub Child Development Centers, which offer preschool, daycare and after school programming. The Los Angeles-based company was in the middle of constructing a new location in Seattle when the crisis hit. We worked with them to accelerate access to critically needed funds to finish construction and continue paying their 200 employees while they closed down and revamped their centers to provide care for children of essential workers. We've also worked to help as many of our customers as possible receive loans through the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). For example, we helped the Jupiter Hotel in Portland, Oregon maintain its workforce as they converted 81 rooms into a shelter for homeless individuals with underlying health conditions or respiratory symptoms but who have not tested positive for COVID-19. We also helped the South Florida Cancer Association keep drivers on their payroll who transport underprivileged people to their radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
Since the beginning of PPP, we funded a total of more than $30 billion to over 250,000 businesses, helping to support more than 3 million employees. The average loan amount was roughly $122,000 and half of those loans went to companies with fewer than 5 employees.
Helping the most vulnerable in our communities
We are using data-driven solutions to help some of the hardest hit communities get through the pandemic – and to help them recover when it's over. So far, this includes a $250 million global business and philanthropic commitment to support vulnerable and underrepresented communities, existing nonprofit partners and underserved small businesses.
We know that many small businesses are at risk of being locked out of the resources they desperately need to stay afloat – that's why $200 million of our commitment is to help underserved small businesses and nonprofits access low-cost capital through community partners. For example, this includes $50 million to Grow America Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution, so they can help small businesses in underserved communities cover expenses such as rent and employee salaries.
We are also providing $50 million in philanthropic support to nonprofits working to help communities and people hit hardest by this public health crisis. For example, we provided support to enable the Healthcare Advancement Program (H-CAP) to implement new training programs focused on crisis care and infectious disease preparedness. Our firm has partnered with H-CAP over the last several years to train workers for jobs in the healthcare sector, and now these new training programs will prepare workers in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and other cities across the U.S. to fill the shortage of clinical care professionals needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
And we're also finding other ways we can help in our communities. For example, we are collaborating with Marriott and others to provide up to $10 million worth of hotel stays for healthcare professionals fighting COVID-19 in the United States. The initiative is providing free rooms to first responders in locations such as New York City, New Orleans, Chicago and Detroit.
Supporting our employees as we move toward re-opening our economy
Our employees' safety and wellbeing is a top priority, and we've taken extensive steps to support them during the crisis, including extra time off for all and expanding access to medical resources, internally and externally. As we continue to address the immediate health and humanitarian impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public and private sectors are developing longer-term plans to re-open our economy. Protecting people's safety is important, which is why we must look to public health officials to guide the timing and sequencing for lifting restrictions. Securing the proper amount of equipment, testing and monitoring, hospital capacity and other tools and processes in place will be essential in giving people confidence they can safely return to work, school and other public spaces.
As we develop our strategy for returning more employees to working on-site, the two principal considerations driving our approach are using the latest data and information to do it at the right time – which may differ by region, state and country – and prioritizing the health and safety of our employees. We are working to identify what changes may be needed to achieve this objective, including reviewing our current office configurations and protocols. We are also coordinating with and seeking guidance from government entities and health authorities.
Rebuilding a more inclusive economy
In the midst of today's uncertainties and the acute impacts – with unemployment high and little economic activity – it's hard to plan for the future. Yet to lay the foundation for the kind of recovery we need, it is critical we do so. It is my fervent hope that we use this crisis as a catalyst to rebuild an economy that creates and sustains opportunity for dramatically more people, especially those who have been left behind for too long. The last few months have laid bare the reality that, even before the pandemic hit, far too many people were living on the edge. Unfortunately, low-income communities and people of color are being hit the hardest, exacerbating the health and economic inequities that were already unacceptably pronounced before the virus took over.
An inclusive economy – in which there is widespread access to opportunity – is a stronger, more resilient economy. This crisis must serve as a wake-up call and a call to action for business and government to think, act and invest for the common good and confront the structural obstacles that have inhibited inclusive economic growth for years. From the re-opening of small businesses to the rehiring of workers, let's leverage this moment to think creatively about how we can mobilize to address so many issues that inhibit the creation of an inclusive economy and fray our social fabric. We look forward to sharing more ideas soon for how to do this. By doing the right thing during times of crisis, we can emerge stronger and more cohesive in its wake.
Finally, we are proud that our firm has been well equipped to quickly step up and provide significant resources and support because we entered this crisis in a position of strength. This is a direct result of the actions and investments we've made over many years to build a strong, resilient company. We believe it's our responsibility to be there for the people who rely on us in times like this. This is precisely why we work so hard to be that kind of company.
Jamie Dimon
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
9 financial resources for women and minority business owners affected by the coronavirusThe HEROES Act may allow you to undo this required withdrawal from your retirement account

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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if your intelligence keeps you awake.
through the fields of a world so richly endowed.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, "Italian Journey"
I recently watered the Wren. I did not intend to do so, but like most things we human being do that turn out all wrong, intent is not the issue. My wife had seen the Carolina Wrens up in the tree beside our house for a couple of weeks. The male always had a mouthful of nest-stuffing in its beak. Try as I might, I could not find where it was building a nest. I checked all the trees nearest to where we had seen them as well as in the woods just to the south and all the little compartments around the house. You just never know with a Wren.
As I have mentioned before in these articles, we have hanging plants around our porch. We used to have potted plants on the porch, but our two pups have shown way too much fondness for biting off blooms, then extricating the whole plant from the planter, to go to the expense or effort of doing so this year. No, we had a great idea: hanging plants. This would certainly foil their evil proclivity.
Because the weather has been so unbearably hot, I have started watering the hanging plants everyday. It is part of the morning ritual. First, put out the dogs and let the cats in.
Second, feed the cats and make a pot of coffee.
Third, turn on computer and step outside to smoke the first cigar of the day.
Fourth, come back in, see if the cats are finished, toss out the coffee grounds, and pour my first cup of coffee.
Fifth, if the cats have finished, I shoo them outside and let the dogs in. While the pups are finishing the remains of the cat food (the gravy is all gone from it), I fix their dose of "wet" food.
Sixth, I lure them outside and put their bowls on the lawn in front of them, Truffles to the right, Sadie to the left.
Seventh, I put my computer in "dial up" mode for my server and take my first sip of coffee.
Eighth, when the message comes up that a failure has occurred to connect my server, I try again and take another sip of coffee. This step is usually repeated three-four more times before I finally get on-line.
Twelfth, I connect to Oklahoma Data and record in my journal the high temperature, low temperature, time each occurred, the record of the current rainfall (we are over five inches behind right now), wind speed, sunlight, and average relative humidity.
Thirteenth, I click on the New York Times website.
Fourteenth, while the New York Times is loading, I go outside to fill all the bird feeders and to water all the plants and domesticated animals (I include the two cats in this but they do not see themselves as such).
My usual practice on this last step is to turn on the water, take the hose, and put it into the hanging planter until water starts to roll out of its sides and through the "drip" hole. One by one, I went down the line of plants until I came to the Begonia at the south end of the porch. When I put the hose over the edge of the planter, the female Carolina Wren flew out (very wet, by the way) and landed in the oak tree nearest the porch. The scolding that ensued was quite vociferous. Within a few seconds, the male Wren joined her. I do not speak "Carolina Wren," but I did pick up on a few slurs that sounded distinctly like aspersions on my parentage.
I felt horrible. I should have known. Carolina Wrens are notorious for building nests in the most unusual but humanly connected social places. I cautiously peeked over the edge of the planter and saw the nest with four eggs in it. I finished watering the other plants and filled the birdbath. The episode with the Carolina Wren still weighed heavily on me.
The Carolina Wren is a small bird. I have thought about how to describe it and could certainly use the bird guides to do so, but to really get the image I would rather offer, picture Danny Devito in feathers. Small, portly, and operating on way too much sugar content. Often you will find this bird taking the moths off your porch or garage eaves early in the morning. It does not seem to mind the presence of people. It just goes about its activities as if humans were not present. I can sit on the porch during the morning and watch the pale brown bird with long curved beak and gregarious personality "work" the contours of insect havens.
I watered her. I do not kid myself into believing that she forgave me and just went on about her business of tending the nest. She knew I was still there. The occasional scolding told me so. I surreptitiously checked the nest every morning. In it sat the female, a permanent scowl on her yellow-beaked face.
I watched the next few days as the male brought her food. He did not stay long. If I were around within viewing distance, he would always use the subterfuge of landing in three or four spots before entering the plant from the rear. Almost as soon as he was in, he was out again and on his way to search for food to satiate the female appetite.
Twelve days after the initial watering episode, I checked the Wren's lair to find a small, downy-clad nestling looking out at me. Three eggs surrounded it like the eight ball on a well-played pool table. A day later, one egg had transformed itself into a second nestling.
My wife and I conferred about the situation. The problem was simple to ask, but complex to answer. "How do we keep the plant alive with the nest encompassed within it?" I told her I thought I could sneak the long plastic nozzle of a watering can over the edge and pour in just enough moisture to keep the plant alive but not disturb the nestlings. Both of us tried it. The female flew out in nothing less than a fit of fury. If she had been any bigger, we would have feared for our lives.
"Just let it go," Sue Ann finally said. "Maybe they will fly out before the plant dies. I've never liked Begonias that much anyway."
We have other fledglings out of the nest and about this week. A Cardinal, three Painted Buntings, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, and a White-breasted Nuthatch. There are telltale signs on each that identify them as young, but the overpowering characteristic is their fearlessness. They are nearly always larger than their parents since the adults spend so much time searching for insects in the hot weather to satisfy the hunger of the well-nestled fledges in the nest. By the time they leave the nest, they may not have the colorations of the adults but they do look healthy.
While the adults are always on the lookout for predators and competitors, the fledglings evidently feel themselves to be invincible. They arrive at the feeders and instead of furtively relegating themselves to the edges, they land in the middle, scatter the seed, and take on all comers. The Painted Buntings, which are not feeder attendees, work the lawn. The Bermuda grass now has long windmill-like grass heads growing from the sun-scorched mat of pale green tendrils. There are three Painted Buntings and they "ride" the grass heads to the ground until they pick them clean. The colorful male often sits on the power pole highwire and watches. To me, he looks worried at their lack of caution.
Quincy, our male cat, also watches. Shortly after we got him, he displayed his reprehensible nature of going after the birds. He was rewarded for doing so by the loss of his front claws, emasculation, and the humiliation of wearing a collar with two bells on it, the sound of which resembles the approach of an ice cream truck. This has solved the Quincy/kill-the-bird problem. Until now.
The fledglings disregard his presence just as they do us, other predators, and other species competitors. In the last week, Quincy has caught two Painted Bunting and one White-breasted Nuthatch fledglings. My wife and I successfully saved them each time, but he is definitely "grounded." During the day, he has to stay inside unless one of us is outside with him. If he makes any movement toward the "bird smorgasbord" around the feeders, he is immediately taken up in our arms, brought inside, and isolated to the easy chair in the living room. It may be hard to see this as punishment, but he definitely sees it that way and responds by knocking items off the windowsill and "running" the roll of toilet paper in the bathroom. It is a small price to pay for offering the possibility of avian adolescence to translate into adulthood.
This past week was also an occasion of real mystery. Monday and Tuesday were "heat alerts" which means that the combination of temperature, humidity, and lack of wind make for a situation dangerous for human beings to spend long periods of time outside. If a person does so, the result could be that he or she ends up looking like a thin hamburger on the grill at a 4th-of-July picnic.
I ventured outside both of these days to take a gander around. Both days, I witnessed quite a marvel. The two Oak trees shading the south side of the house had Katydids lined up and down their trunks. The first day there were 66 on one tree and 56 on the other. The second day, there were 65 on one tree and, again, 56 on the other. They were in the semblance of a line, but bunched up at several junctures. By the middle of the week, the "heat alert" had been removed and the Katydids made no further appearance on the trunks of the trees. Reason would suggest they just got too hot up in the tops of the trees and sought the cooler environs of the shaded trunks. But the real mystery is, "how did they know a 'heat alert' had been issued?" There has not been one since and they have not assembled on the trunks of the trees again, either.
During the evening, the Katydids and Cicadas serenade us with the din of insect symphonic. It is quite a remarkable performance. I picture Dimitri Shostakovich directing them, except that instead of tuxedo, he is adorned with long antennae and an armored thorax.
Either way, it is music to our ears and the birds eat well. At least, that is the way we see it here at Edge of the Earth Rd.


Home»Channels»Transit»BUSRide WebinarPLUS: Are Alternative Fuels Really Going to Save Me Money?
BUSRide recently conducted a webinar for our readers with Todd Mouw, president of ROUSH CleanTech. He discussed propane autogas as a fuel alternative and its implementation process, and fielded questions about where it will help agencies and operators save on operational costs.
Tell us a little about ROUSH's background.
We were formed by Jack Roush, our founder. He's still our majority shareholder. We're privately held and based in Michigan with about 4,200 employees, and the majority are engineers. Within Roush Enterprises, Roush Industries is the technical arm that gives our world order, so that's where the OEM involvement is with companies like Ford, GM, Chrysler, and engineering prototyping and design.
Jack Roush has built the business the last four decades. Our wheel of services includes everything from concept design and styling, body engineering, powertrain development, noise, vibration, harshness, technical communications, sales, distribution, and customer service. These are all in-house capabilities here at Roush.
How did ROUSH CleanTech come about?
ROUSH CleanTech is one of our divisions. We incubated within ROUSH Performance in 2006 and formally founded the company in 2010. During that 2006 – 2010 period we invested close to $50 million in building a robust foundation. That's the technology itself, the manufacturing process, and the supply chain. Our mission is dedicated to developing quality alternative fuel solutions. Our goal is to help fleets make the transition away from gasoline and diesel to something cleaner, lower-cost, and domestic. Everything we do is certified in all 50 states, both EPA and CARB, so we can deploy this technology across the country.
Through our growth in the past year and because of increasing costs of traditional fuels and complexity, we know that we've just scratched the surface regarding where this technology will go in the next decade.
We have more than 18,000 vehicles on the road with well over half a billion miles. We have about 1,100 individual customers in the United States and Canada.
Why is propane a good fuel alternative?
Propane is clean, domestic, plentiful and safe. There is a low cost of infrastructure, which is much easier to integrate than say a natural gas station because of the high-pressure nature of that fuel. Propane is low-pressure with a narrow flammability range. The tanks are 20 times more puncture-resistant than traditional fuels. It's 105 octane. From a performance perspective, it allows the vehicle to do the job it needs to do.
The beauty of propane is that we can customize the platforms to put tanks in the right locations so there is little impact in how you do your business today, which is transporting people safely. We can give you comparable range to the chassis and the engines you're used to running.
Why do you think propane is fitting for paratransit?
We're fans of all the different technologies. It's going to take a combination of all the different emerging fuel types and propulsion technologies to get us away from gasoline and diesel. We analyzed different fuel options in their ease of adoption, energy independence, reduce in NOX, infrastructure, cost of ownership, range, maintenance, how scalable is it, and how it operates in cold weather. Some emerging technologies like electric vehicles (EV) have a lot of benefits from an emissions perspective. With propane, when you're talking specifically paratransit operations, we can provide 300 plus miles of range, low NOX emissions, relatively free or low-cost fuel infrastructure, and a lower total cost of ownership because the fuel is much cheaper than traditional fuels. We thought propane was a huge win in this space, in the Class 4 – 7 vehicle range.
What makes Roush a unique company?
The magic sauce goes back to our relationship with Ford for the past 40 years. Ford gives us access to their calibrations. We're one of a few qualified calibration modifiers as well as a qualified vehicle modifier for gaseous fuels. What that means is Ford preps the vehicle for propane by hardening the valve seats, then turns it over to a company such as Roush, they approve, and then we develop the fuel system and still maintain the base OEM warranty.
We offer medium-duty Ford trucks, chassis cabs, cutaways, and stripped chassis; and Blue Bird Type A and C school bus.
Everything is Ford-factory maintained. That's unique to Roush, the OEM Ford endorses what we do and maintains the base warranty. When we change it from gasoline to propane we then warrant the components we modify, but the base Ford factory warranty is intact. There is no change in horsepower, torque, or towing capacity of the vehicle, so you're not compromising how the vehicle would operate. It's very serviceable with existing diagnostic equipment.
We're also EPA- and CARB-certified. We have gone through Altoona testing on the E-450 and the F-550.
What is the technology on the vehicle like?
For the E-450, there is a cutaway chassis and a stripped chassis, although the primary focus for the paratransit audience is the cutaway. We support the 2018 model year and newer vehicles. We've had certification since 2011 on this chassis. It's the 6.8-liter V10 2-valve. We support all the different wheelbase configurations from 158 to 176 as well as the stretched wheelbase applications. We offer two different fuel tank options. One's a 41 usable gallon capacity, and there's an extended range option of 64 usable gallons. The 41 usable gallon option comes with a five-year, 60,000-mile warranty. The extended range option comes with a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Later this summer we are launching the E-350 single rear-wheel and dual-wheel cutaway with the 41 usable gallon tank.
We're basically taking the gasoline components off that Ford builds and replacing them with purpose-built propane components. It's a one-piece blue aluminum fuel rail, fuel rail pressure control module, special fuel injectors, stainless steel fuel lines, fuel fill, and the tank. There aren't a lot of moving parts and pieces in this technology.
Absolutely! We will bring in our team in to help train you. We have a very robust online training program when you're starting out that gets technicians comfortable with what propane is and how our technology integrates into the vehicle. Then once the vehicles hit the ground, we send our technicians to train your technicians. That's free of charge.
The relationship with Ford makes a big difference. As far as the peer to peer part of it, having a lot of customers and a lot of data to share makes that transition easier for the companies that haven't done propane yet.
What are some successful propane integrations that you have enacted?
We started with DART in Delaware in 2014 with a five-unit pilot. It's now grown to 165 E-450 cutaways. Those are pretty powerful numbers when you talk about DART's $11,000 weekly fuel savings. Obviously, there is a reduction in carbon dioxide. They believe in the technology. As they're replacing their cutaways, they will go to 100 percent propane by 2020. Again, it's an exciting story that started with five. We had one location with a thousand-gallon tank. Now it's grown to the full fleet with four locations that will have fueling infrastructure with significant savings both on the cost and emissions side.
Another example is Flint, Michigan, which is the one that started everything for us in the transit market. Their former Maintenance Director Lynn McLean was the first one to say, "I think we should look at propane for our paratransit fleet." He helped educate us on the process as well as introduce us to our sales lead in this market, Randy Veenhoven, our Executive Director of Transit. Flint started with a handful of vehicles and has migrated to 146 units. You can see again by the numbers they're saving significantly in fuel costs. They save about $70,000 per vehicle, so it's almost paying for a new bus in lifetime fuel cost savings.
Prior to making a commitment to transitioning from vehicles to propane autogas, what kind of steps should an agency consider or take?
I would let our team come in to understand how the fleet operates, the number of vehicles, the types of vehicles, and the duty cycle. Typically, we would bring in a propane company with us at that time just to look at the location, so they can understand how infrastructure can be put on the site. That's usually an hour-long meeting where we'll go through total cost ownership, answer some technical questions, talk about training and support, and do a fuel site analysis of your location. Again, that's an easy way to start.
Once propane vehicles are in deployment are there any kind of considerations they should make to make sure it's a smooth transition and there's not any loss of service?
I think we've learned a lot over the last decade in regard to providing the level of service that allows you to keep your business the way you've been doing it. Again, I think making sure we understand ahead of time how you service your vehicles is very important. Some agencies do all the service in-house. Some use third parties. Some use Ford. Those will be questions early on in that first meeting. We'll ask, "How do you get service done? How can we support you? Is there anything unique about your operation that we should be aware of?" Ultimately, we want to make sure all the homework's done ahead of time and there are no surprises once these vehicles start operating.
Can you explain the benefits of a dedicated system versus bio systems?
We believe if you give a driver the choice to switch back and forth between gasoline and propane, human nature will take over and they will stick with what they know. Our belief has been in developing a robust technology, which we have, and giving you enough range so you can run that lower cost and cleaner fuel 100 percent of the time. We can give you 300-plus mile range on an E-450. With plenty of range, plenty of capacity, and a robust technology, you should take that option away from your drivers to drive change within your organization.
What are the best financing resources for agencies looking to make a transition to these types of vehicles?
FTA funding is an option. We have a team that's dedicated to helping find grants and incentives for our customers and our partners. In some cases, we have propane companies such as Amerigas that have a rebate per bus. They will give you a rebate back by signing a fuel contract with them. There are multiple ways for an agency to finance that incremental cost between gasoline and propane. Although, we would argue that the number of miles that are run leads to the investment being paid off relatively quickly, especially with FTA funding in place.
Are there any concerns for running propane autogas vehicles in hot or extremely hot weather?
We're talking about liquid propane technology. Liquid propane absolutely loves the cold. We've seen it work all the way down to negative 60 up in Alaska. We want to keep it in its liquid state, so when it gets really hot, especially on an E-450 cutaway, the fuel wants to vaporize, which causes a rough run type of condition. Four or five years ago we developed a chiller system which chills the return fuel going back in the tank. We started with a school district in Mesa, Arizona, where obviously they're operating at 110 degrees plus for a significant portion of their day. This chiller system alleviates that concern. Yes, if it is in high heat, you want to make sure when you're looking at propane that you have some sort of technology like our chiller system in place to ensure that vehicle runs the way it should.


A Twisted Tube as a conceptual single family house. The classical programme of three bedrooms, a studio and a living room with open kitchen is wrapped into a folded spatial configuration.
Inside or Outside? The inner space of the Twisted Tube is empty. The outer space is folded inside and it creates a internal outdoor space - or is it an external indoor space ?
The internal space of the Twisted Tube is completed to an box-like Volume. The interspace is filled with the individual rooms. The spatial potential is gained by this differential geometries: The Blob and the Box. Effects of Translucency. After the transparent 20th century we are facing the decade of translucence. Walls and ceiling of the blo-b-ox are made of translucent glassmembrane, filtering the sunlight and the artificial light.
Digital structure. The complexity of the geometry is contrasted by its simple structure. Wooden frames, shaped by numerically controlled machines are covered by a glasfibre-membrane like a raincoat.


text:
Tom Raworth, Kevin Killian & Gabriela Jauregui
Thursday, September 24 2009 at 8:00pm
@ The Poetic Research Bureau
3702 San Fernando Blvd
Reading starts at 8:30pm
$5 donation requested
Tom Raworth has been writing to amuse himself for half-a-century: the random threads from this hedonism have led him this year to China and the North Eastern Tibetan plateau, now to L.A., and to Mexico in November. In Italy two years ago he was awarded the Antonio Delfini Prize for "lifetime career achievement" though he is not yet dead. His Collected Poems was published in 2003 by Carcanet, who will publish a book of poems since that collection in 2010. His Collected Prose appeared from SALT this year. He has occasionally taught in the UK , the USA and South Africa; and has read his work in more than 20 countries. His graphic work has been exhibited in Europe, the USA and South Africa, and he has collaborated with musicians, painters and other poets. His children, grandchildren and a few friends keep him awake.
Kevin Killian has written two novels, Shy (1989) and Arctic Summer (1997), a book of memoirs, Bedrooms Have Windows (1990), two books of stories, Little Men (1996) and I Cry Like a Baby (2001) and two books of poetry, Argento Series (2001), and Action Kylie (2008). With Lew Ellingham, Killian has written often on the life and work of the American poet Jack Spicer [1925-65] and with Peter Gizzi has edited My Vocabulary Did This To Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer (2008) for Wesleyan University Press. For the San Francisco Poets Theater Killian has written thirty plays, including Stone Marmalade (1996, with Leslie Scalapino), The American Objectivists (2001, with Brian Kim Stefans), and Often (also 2001, with Barbara Guest). New projects include Screen Tests, an edition of Killian's film writing, and Impossible Princess, a new fiction collection forthcoming from City Lights Books in November. A new novel Spreadeagle will appear in the spring.
Gabriela Jauregui (b. Mexico City, 1979) is the author of Controlled Decay (Akashic Books/Black Goat Press, 2008). She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UC Riverside and an MA in Comparative Literature from UC Irvine. Her critical, creative and collaborative work has been published in journals and anthologies in the US, Mexico, and Europe, including, most recently in New American Writing, Eje Central, and forthcoming in Mandorla. She is a member of the sur+ publishing collective in Mexico. Gabriela is a Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Literature at USC and a Soros Fellow. She lives and works in Los Angeles and Mexico City.
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Upcoming PRB EVENTS @ 951 Chung King Rd
January 18: Nik De Dominic & MC Hyland
January 25: Suzanne Stein & Claudia La Rocco
January 26: @SEA #20: "DOMINION" (w/ Juan Pablo González, Mina Kim Fitzpatrick, Anthony McCann, Roy Scranton)
January 31: Kate Ingold, Fred Schmalz, Chad Sweeney
February 1: Bruna Mori, James Sherry & Ross Goodwin
February 7: Demeter Appel-Riehle + others
February 13-16: PRB @ Frieze LA (Divya Victor, Alli Warren, Prageeta Sharma, Jibade-Khalil Huffman)
Help us keep the lights on!
About the Bureau
The Poetic Research Bureau is a valise fiction and portable literary service in Northeast Los Angeles.
Our living room at 951 Chung King Rd in Chinatown hosts an extended community of autodidacts and guessworkers caught up in language, inquiry and the unguarded arts. Just as it is: a community free school by day, and by night, a non-professional public forum for presentations, readings, screenings and sundry intellectual exchanges.
As an out-of-pocket California milk-crate boosterist enterprise, the PRB also serves as the irregular literary umbrella for projects such as occasional poetry journal The Germ ('97-'05), edited by Andrew Maxwell and Macgregor Card; and art-lit mag Area Sneaks, edited by Rita Gonzalez and Joseph Mosconi.
As a research bloc, the Bureau attempts to cultivate composition, publication and distribution strategies that enlarge the public domain. It favors appropriations, impersonations, 'compost' poetries, belated conversations, unprintable jokes and doodles, 'unoriginal' literature, historical thefts and pastiche. The publication emphasis is on ephemeral works, short-run magazines and folios, short-lived reprints and excerpts in print-on-demand formats, and the occasional literary fetish objects of stupidly incomparable price and value.
Several reading series are hosted at 951 CKR, and we welcome writers whose work lacks the 'commercial tendency' while harboring the bright, high-minded intentions that often lead to broad panic, righteous perversions, improbable arguments, and the ill-served cul-de-sacs of genius. The series are coordinated by the aforementioned Messrs Maxwell and Mosconi. If you're sympatico, passing through town, or need a megaphone, 50 seats and a big blank space, give us a write.
contact: directors@poeticresearch.com


Dan Shapiro with a premium sheet of game pieces.
Dan Shapiro created the game Robot Turtles out of scissors, clip art, and a printer to offer asymmetric play: kids and adults can play together and both can enjoy the experience. He brought it to Kickstarter to sell a few hundred copies, and wound up selling over 25,000. In his workshop, Dan explains how the game developed, the Kickstarter proceeded, and he's fulfilling it.
We're also sponsored by Audible. Audible is the leading provider of downloadable audio books, and listeners of the New Disruptors can get a free audiobook and a 30-day trial by visiting audiblepodcast.com/disruptors.
Visit Audible for a free book and a 30-day trial. Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks.
View a set of photos and videos I took while visiting Dan, including shots of his 2D laser cutter at work.
Candy Land "is a crippled Markov chain coupled to a push-pop stack." Dean Putney, who I have now referenced a million times, was a guest on the show in November 2013. I just received my copy of his book and it is fantastic! Huge and wonderfully printed. Fulfillment by Amazon lets companies store their stuff in Amazon's warehouses and have them manage shipping stuff to your customers.
Dan's friend Joe Heitzeberg (with his friend Ethan Lowry) created Poppy, which is an apparatus that turns an iPhone into a 3D camera and viewer. It went into commercial release a few weeks ago and can be purchased at Poppy's site. Joe is working on Kickmailer, a back-end processing system to help Kickstarter projects manage fulfillment.
Posted in Crowdfunding, Games, Podcasts.
January 23, 2014 by Glenn Fleishman.


Welcome to Winery Friends Date!
Winery Friends Date is a totally free Wine loving singles dating site. There are no games, no credit cards required, so it's just completely free Wine lovers dating. Find your ideal Wine Aficionados match here.
Consider it as your Wine Loving singles community where you can use your mobile phone or desktop and truly Wine Loving singles with no hassles or games.
What stands about Winery friends date, is when you join you become part of the largest network of niche dating sites in the world meaning more chances to meet eligible Wine Loving singles. It's completely free Wine Lovers' dating that is mobile, simple to use, and fun!
Winery Friends Date is a part of Friends Date Network group, which offers a revolutionary concept in the online dating world. We offer completely free dating services to eligible singles throughout the world. Our mobile dating sites are based on popular locations of the World, hobbies, passion, zodiac signs, special interest to name a few. The best part is when you Sign Up and Join, you get access to all our communities.
Wines are consumed around for centuries together now. A good wine always has a better aftertaste, similarly, a good friendship can bloom a better relationship. So as out Winery Friends date, which gives you a platform to hunt you're your perfect match for life. Go on a wine tasting date with your friend from Winery Friends date, share facts about winemaking. Get a chance to taste the best European wine specially processed from France or Italy and Spain.
Toast your wine and get a new relationship started. We bring you the completely free Wine Loving singles dating on your mobile devices. Remember there is no trial period or hassle of giving your credit card details. It is truly a free platform for browsing eligible Wine Aficionados singles nearby you and just at which part of the World you are.
Browse Wine Loving singles by joining us, initiate chats by sending messages free of cost, initiate a friendship, share your likes and dislikes, plan your date and find your perfect partner. We take utmost care in confirming users to our dating community. And our ears are always there to hear your valuable opinions, feedbacks, and improvements.
Overall you would go through a fun, exciting way of finding your perfect match. To add a cherry on top, we constantly work on additional features for improvements in user-friendliness and find you a real and perfect match for you. Sounds Interesting, Isn't it!
Toast your love with Winery Friends Date.


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Sandlot Baseball: How to make practice fun.
The sandlot baseball practice reminds me of one of my favorite movies...The Sand-lot. The movie brings back the times when neighborhood players would muster up and have a pick-up game at a local playground or open area.
The days of pick-up style sandlot baseball games have largely disappeared. Mostly because organized youth baseball has really taken over.
Youth Baseball Players are now conditioned to only play when they are with their own team and have a formal baseball uniform shirt in organized baseball.
The other reason is that parents are not able to take their eye off their kids like they once did a couple generations ago. There are so many evil creeps out there lurking around playgrounds.
The old days of gathering up the buddies and riding your bikes to the ballfield and playing ball for three hours are mostly gone. Parents mostly cannot let their kids go off on their own and trust they will be safe.
We know players are rarely able to play baseball sand lot style. So we have to bring pick-up style to our practices and baseball camps.
Players in all sports want to scrimmage. Basketball players want to have apick-up game. Three on Three, four on four, and any number of playground games.
Football players want to scrimmage. Hockey players the same. Soccer players, volleyball players, softball players, and the sports go on and on. All the sports have their own versions of pick-up, sand lot style scrimmage games.
Bring sand lot-style pick-up scrimmages to your baseball practice.
Athletes naturally want to compete against each other. They want to play for something.
On non-game days bring scrimmage competition to your practices. The three-team template is the best way to organize it using pick-up style baseball games.
I have conducted dozens of baseball camps over the years in various areas of the country.
What do you think is by far the favorite part of the camp? You guessed it. The sand lot scrimmage during the last hour every day.
The second favorite part of the camp is the Kit-Kat- Catch game. This is another competition that centers around catching and throwing skill development.
Do you want to really kill a practice? Then have your players spend hours of practice on several skill developing drills. Boring.
Short and sweet. Get a few good reps in and move on to transition to another practice drill or practice competition. Bring competition to baseball practice plans disguises the drudgery and boring nature of the baseball drill. Sandlot ball ramps up the fun meter.
Keep your instruction to a minimum: Direct teaching and long lectures are fruitless. You will lose them. Get your point across and get the sandlot games or practice plan competitions going.
Keep the lines short: Too much waiting in line breeds off-task behavior. Keep the drill moving fast, do not stop to instruct too much and keep the lines moving.
Use a large bucket of baseballs: Have at least two dozen baseballs in your buckets (four dozen is your goal). Have an extra bucket to drop the baseballs in so you don't have to wait as long between fungo hitting.
More on Drills Kill Skills: Remeber, kids want to PLAY baseball just like the old days in the school yards and sandlots. Let the kids play baseball in simulated game conditions.
Do you want to create enthusiasm with your players?
Bring practice drills competition with pick-up style scrimmages to your practice. The Three-Team-Template gives you the blueprint.
Your players cannot wait to come and will not want to leave.The Three-Team-Template gives you the blueprint. Your players cannot wait to come and will not want to leave.


text:
"""Tests for the Backup integration."""
from unittest.mock import patch

import pytest

from homeassistant.components.backup.const import DOMAIN
from homeassistant.core import HomeAssistant

from .common import setup_backup_integration

async def test_setup_with_hassio(
    hass: HomeAssistant,
    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
) -> None:
    """Test the setup of the integration with hassio enabled."""
    assert not await setup_backup_integration(hass=hass, with_hassio=True)
    assert (
        "The backup integration is not supported on this installation method, please remove it from your configuration"
        in caplog.text
    )

async def test_create_service(
    hass: HomeAssistant,
) -> None:
    """Test generate backup."""
    await setup_backup_integration(hass)

    with patch(
        "homeassistant.components.backup.websocket.BackupManager.generate_backup",
    ) as generate_backup:
        await hass.services.async_call(
            DOMAIN,
            "create",
            blocking=True,
        )

    assert generate_backup.called

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Gdal raster translate and wrap I am trying wrap my raster with GCP control points using gdal_translate and gdalwrap tools. I've read at gdal mailing list about wrap with affine transformation, so I thought it is easy to done using GCP control points and TPS transformation.
I've Tif file with tfw file in WGS_84 coordinate system.
First I've create template vrt file using my orginal file like this:
gdal_translate orginal.tif temp.vrt -of VRT

Next, I've edited vrt file, where I added as a elements inside VRTDataset element code that is shown below:
<GCPList Projection="EPSG:4326">
 <GCP Id="1"     Pixcel="5650959.808031" Line="4432086.318384"   X="4432215.141964" Y="5650933.901849" />
.
.
</GCPList>

where I wrote gcp with this scheme:
<GCP Id="unique number etc. 1, 2"    Pixcel="x_source" Line="y_source"   X="x_target" Y="y_target" />

EDIT: For x_source, y_source, x_target, y_target  I use geographic coordination  x, y value source or target
In next step I similarly as at linked post I've used gdal_translate again:
    gdal_translate temp.vrt out.tif
Finally, I try execute gdalwrap using:
gdalwarp src.tif out.tif -tps

but this process are aborted with error code:
ERROR 1: Unable to compute a GCP_TPS based transformation between pixel/line and georeferenced coordinates for out.tif

I want to wrap my image using control points, as a result which transform using gcp control points. What should I do to get wrap image with georeference?
Note: Moreover, If easy solution is algorithm I may can write  C++ code

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Award-winning fund manager PM Capital has launched a new generation listed investment company. Go 2025. The company founder and chief investment officer, Paul Moore, explains what the fund is all about and what PTrackERS are.
1. Why are you launching a new global equities LIC?
PM Capital chose to be the investment manager for a new global equities LIC because we felt that investors would benefit from the combination of an experienced global equities manager, with a structure that we think tilts the landscape in favour of investors.
2. What's different about it?
PM Capital is a strongly performing global equities manager. With this investment company, however, you get more than the management. Its major innovation is that PM Capital GO 2025 is issuing a first of its kind security called 'PTrackERS', which stands for Portfolio Tracking Exchangeable Redeemable Security.
It's a first in the Listed Investment Company (LIC) space. We believe PTrackERS represent a real step forward for investors looking for a global equities exposure.
3. How is it different from the usual LIC?
On a look-through basis, PTrackERS represent your investment exposure to an underlying portfolio held by the Company – like a LIC – but with the benefit of allowing you the option to exit your investment based on NTA as at 30 June 2025 (hence 'GO 2025').
PTrackERS are the next generation of (LIC) securities and have been developed to improve LIC investor outcomes and choice.
4. Can you explain the benefits of the PTrackERS?
LICs regularly trade on the ASX at discounts to their Net Tangible Assets, a negative for traditional LIC investor returns. While PTrackERS may also trade at a discount or premium to NTA, the ability to redeem at a known date based on NTA provides investors access to the underlying portfolio performance and should help market prices trade closer to NTA than would otherwise be the case.
Investors can sell their holdings any time on market. However, if PTrackERS investors want to realise their investment on 30 June 2025, they have the choice of redeeming based on NTA, selling on the ASX, or, if not redeemed or sold, PTrackERS will be automatically exchanged for fully-paid ordinary shares of the PM Capital Global Opportunities Fund (PGF).
It is in effect a redemption safety net, with investors having three choices, rather than what they get with other LICs, which is to just sell on market no matter if at a deep discount.
The ability to sell or redeem makes us highly accountable for investment performance and communication, as clients can redeem if unhappy.
PM Capital is paying for all costs of the offer and that means every dollar invested will be generating investment returns from day 1, and the NTA at the listing date will be equal to the issue price.
We're targeting a distribution yield of 3-4% a year, plus franking where franking is available.
5. What kind of returns have you produced?
For both Financial Year 2017 and Calendar Year 2017, PM Capital's managed funds and mandates appeared as #1 ranked for fund performance over 5, 7 and 8 years compound returns in their Morningstar peer group of over 140 peers.
The PM Capital Global Companies Fund is in its 20th year of operation. As at 31 May 2018, the PM Capital Global Companies Fund had generated compound annual returns DOUBLE that of the MSCI World Net Total Return Index after all fees and expenses. Fund returns have been 9.0% pa vs the index of 4.5% per annum.
6. How will the fund be invested?
PGF's and GO 2025's Investment Strategy will be managed in the same way as PM Capital's unlisted managed investment scheme, the PM Capital Global Companies Fund.
7. Is this a good time to be buying global equities considering all the political uncertainty at the moment?
Yes. It is almost impossible to pick where macro situations like political uncertainty will end up. But there are many opportunities out there at the moment.
We're looking for anything where the earnings are underpinned, have the ability to grow from here, but that that earnings power is being underrepresented in their price.
A classic example is the domestic banks – not in Australia or New Zealand, but in Europe and the US like Bank of America and Wells Fargo. They've got their capital in order after the GFC and you're starting to get into a sweet spot in the US economy.
If you adjust for the excess capital they're on about 9-10 times earnings with an effective yield of 9-10%. There are opportunities out there.
8. What are the fees and why is there no performance fee?
The management fee is equal to 1.50% pa with no performance fee, giving clarity. PM Capital is paying for all the offer costs.
9. Why should New Zealand investors consider investing in the fund?
We've been investing for New Zealanders for 6 years and we've increased our efforts to give more information about global markets and how we're investing for them. We think New Zealanders are underweight global equities, so we think there is a clear case for increasing their exposure to that part of the market.
At the manager level we've shown the ability to produce attractive returns over long periods and were awarded the Fund Manager of the Year 2018 (long/ short equities) by Money Management/ Lonsec. We're experienced – we're now into our 20th year of investing in global equities.
At the security level, the PTrackERS innovation means investors get more control and choice. Along with the benefits of other LICs, GO 2025 goes a significant step further by offering the ability to redeem based on NTA, rather than having to sell on market no matter what discount the security is at.
We think it's a compelling offer that produces a fairer outcome for investors.


As the opening day of the 2012 Olympic Games nears, IT teams in the U.K. are busy expanding their companies' security policies and reviewing their security contingency plans. They are preparing for 17 days of Games, which will surely produce crowded transportation systems, overloaded Internet connections, and employees whose attention may be diverted by swimming relays and equestrian events.
The Olympics provide a good opportunity for companies in the U.S. and around the world to review their security policies and plans, too. Security pros can watch how their peers in the U.K. handle the pressures and disruptions caused by the Olympics, and consider how they would handle such an event if it occurred in their city.
Security contingency plans, which are similar to disaster recovery plans or business continuity plans, lay out the steps IT should take as soon as a disruptive event occurs. The idea is to make important decisions in advance, and have the necessary resources already in place, so the team can react quickly to maintain the security of their company's data and other IT assets. Yet, according to our application security expert Michael Cobb, many companies' security contingency plans are either unrealistic or woefully out-of-date.
Could your company continue operating securely in a chaotic environment — whether that chaos is caused by a scheduled event, such as the Olympics, or by an unplanned natural event? The 2012 Olympics serve as a reminder for all firms to review and revise their security contingency plans in light of current concerns and resources.
The relatively quiet summer months may be a good time to set up components of your security contingency plan. One of the most important components to handle in advance is widespread telecommuting. During a major event, more employees may have to work from home. You can prepare now by having all employees sign a remote working policy agreement, test the security of the Internet connection in their home, and receive training on topics, such as securely filing sensitive documents from their home office.
The Olympics also provide a hook for continued security awareness training. The IT department could send out an email educating users about Olympic ticket scams, providing a helpful lesson for any too-good-to-be-true email offer. Or the IT department could run a summertime security contest, posting a short information security quiz on the company's Intranet and awarding gold, silver and bronze medals to the employees or departments who score highest on the quiz.
Even if the Olympics are not held in the U.S. until at least 2024, there is bound to be a significant event that will affect your company's security posture in the near future. Prepare and practice now so your security team can execute flawlessly and take home the gold.


text:
Call For A Consultation Toll free: 800-568-2267
Your First Meeting
Mikal J. Stole
Scott R. Reich
Gregory B. Jumbeck
Timothy J. Reeb
Brian M. Wojowski
Divorce, family law and appeals representation in Joliet, Illinois
A Respected Legal Team With The Resources You Need
A reputation for excellence in complex divorce, family law and appeals
A way to split retirement plans in divorce
On behalf of Reich, Jumbeck & Stole, L.L.P. on Thursday, August 1, 2019.
You and your spouse have been busy making plans, including retirement plans. A divorce means you must now think about unmaking those same arrangements.
The good news is that many have been down the same road. Divorce is a legal procedure, and even in a stressful and less-than-amicable split, divorce courts have a tried and true way to do just about everything.
When a QDRO makes sense
In practice, it's not often called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order but is usually instead referred to as a QDRO, often pronounced "cue-dro" or "quah-dro."
Regardless, it's a court order that approves an agreement to split retirement and/or pension plans between divorcing partners.
Retirement plans involving employee benefit packages or pensions are regulated by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), so the splitting up of such plans requires somebody who is duly authorized to approve any arrangement for divvying up a retirement plan.
For example, transferring funds out of a retirement account usually means an early-withdrawal penalty. An approved QDRO authorizes the division to go ahead without such penalties.
How a QDRO works
The key to how a QDRO achieves this division seems simple enough. The court officially recognizes an "alternate payee" who has certain rights to receive all or some of the benefits in the plan. Legally, only a spouse, former spouse, child or other dependent of the plan's benefit recipient can be recognized as an alternate payee.
For the QDRO to be approved, it will need to be specific about what will happen to the assets. The specifics need to be negotiated in advance by the plan's original benefit recipient and the alternate payee, presumably with the help of their respective attorneys.
The information should include the percentage or the dollar amount (or the method that will ultimately be used to determine the dollar amount) paid to the alternate payee. The plan will also need to give the specific number of payments or the specific time period that will be ordered by the QDRO.
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The Environmental Politics and Policy (EPP) Standing Research Group holds its annual meeting at the APSA conference held in Australia in September each year. The EPP Group was launched in the Secretariat Room at Old Parliament House on Tuesday 27 September at the 2011 conference hosted by the ANU in Canberra.
See the draw-down menu for individual conferences.


text:
Nelson Mandela's Family Partners with Michael Sugar to Launch Mandela Media
Tameka Brodie
The family of the legendary political activist and former president of South America, Nelson Mandela, is teaming up with Michael Sugar's Sugar23 and ad agency DMA United to launch Mandela Media, in his honor.
Sugar23 and DMA will be responsible for content development (both long-form and short-form), production, branding, and initiatives pertaining to creative business development, per The Wrap.
"Nelson Mandela is an international icon who dedicated his life to changing laws and minds," Sugar, founder, and CEO of Sugar23 said. "We are honored to partner with Mandela Media alongside Nelson's family and carry on his legacy, inspiring a new generation with content that highlights the many causes he steadfastly stood for and the many people he tirelessly fought for."
Sugar won an Academy Award for best picture in 2016 for "Spotlight." He has also signed TV and feature deals with Netflix.
Makaziwe Mandela, the daughter of the anti-Apartheid revolutionary, also released a statement on the new partnership:
"My father spent his life fighting for freedom and equality. My family and I are very excited to partner with Sugar23 on Mandela Media. Sugar23 and DMA United not only believe in my father's values but are also incredibly passionate about sharing those beliefs with people across the world through art, culture, and entertainment."
Mandela made headlines across the world after he was unjustly imprisoned for 27 years for fighting apartheid. He later served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 and died in 2013 at age 95 from a prolonged respiratory infection.
Martin Luther King Jr's family home sold; Will be open to the public
By Tameka Brodie
Family of Panamanian detainee who hung himself is suing ICE
Deceased Veteran returned to family with organs missing
Michael Jackson's children reportedly preparing lawsuit against his accusers
Trevor Noah slams Phoenix police for pulling out guns on Black family
Michael Jordan Delivers Thanksgiving Meals to Hurricane Florence Survivors
Family of Stephon Clark files $20 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Family Wants Justice for Man Murdered by Police


L.A. Dreamin'® Hydrangea will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.


WIN 51711 and WIN 52084 are structurally related, antiviral compounds that inhibit the replication of rhino (common cold) viruses and related picornaviruses. They prevent the pH-mediated uncoating of the viral RNA. The compounds consist of a 3-methylisoxazole group that inserts itself into the hydrophobic interior of the VP1 beta-barrel, a connecting seven-membered aliphatic chain, and a 4-oxazolinylphenoxy group (OP) that covers the entrance to an ion channel in the floor of the "canyon." Viral disassembly may be inhibited by preventing the collapse of the VP1 hydrophobic pocket or by blocking the flow of ions into the virus interior.


The former actress and now a blogger announced the sad story of her life today! Rica Peralejo posted on her blog the sad news about her and the supposedly soon-to-be born baby.
Rica suffered a miscarriage on Thursday, March 3. Peralejo wrote on her blog that she lost her 6-week-old baby. She was became pregnant in January this year but they found out that her baby has no longer heartbeat.
The title of her article is "Pain and Peace," as she captioned her photo with, "It was good while it lasted, it was good even when it ended. God is good all the time."
"One of my biggest fears has been realized…I lost the baby in my womb.
For those who don't know, I found out I was pregnant sometime in January, announced it last Sunday to the public, and on Tuesday found out that my baby no longer has a heartbeat.
The long explanation for the cause is that it is most probably a developmental problem. An abnormality with the baby that is not compatible with life so it didn't allow my baby to progress any further. My doctor said that nothing could have altered this, even if I rested, stayed home, etc. My first ultrasound showed heartbeat and my second didn't anymore. The size of the baby also remained the same despite the 6-week-gap.
Now that's the long of it and here's a short one: God gives and God takes away.
I believe that there is nothing I could have done to keep the baby, or to lose the baby, if it isn't aligned with God's good, pleasing and perfect will. So many stories attest to this, like some moms who don't want their babies and do everything to rid of them, still get to keep them no matter what. On the other hand, many fit women out there happen to miscarry or lose babies for unknown reasons. I actually know three women who have miscarried and lost a number of babies in their womb, all who are very dear to me, and they serve as inspiration and hope for me at this time. We'll never understand it all, why this happened to them, to me, and not to others, but one thing enters my mind right now: God knows what he is doing.
Basically, that's the tension of pain and peace that I feel right now. I know the baby really is supposed to be where he or she really is, but I also long to be with him or her so much. As in so much.
I think I have a long way to go to heal. Right now I can already feel fear seeping into my bones, traumatized by silent dopplers and all. That is something I know I'd have to deal with in the days to come.
I am not sure if I will [publicly] write about it again, but I am doing what I can now to inform people who care. Many celebrated with us when we announced the "twin pregnancy" – of my sister and I getting pregnant at the same time. So I feel it is only apt to inform you guys of the sad news, to honor the joy you shared with me. (In other news, Paula is in great shape! She and her baby are doing just fine, praise God!)"
Rica Peralejo was married to a Pastor named Joseph in year 2010. By then, Rica ended her career in showbiz and focus her life to her own family.
You may read Rica's whole article on her official website here and give her thoughts and comments.
Comments or suggestions about "Former actress suffers miscarriage" is important to us, you may share it by using the comment box below.


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This article was published more than 1 year ago
Rep. Mondaire Jones, one of the first Black openly gay members of Congress, has become the role model he'd never had
By Vanessa Williams
February 12, 2021 at 12:35 a.m. EST
About US is an initiative by The Washington Post to explore issues of identity in the United States. Sign up for the newsletter.
Having never seen a member of Congress just like him — Black and openly gay — Mondaire Jones drew on qualities that he admired from several sources as he summoned the inspiration and courage to run for the House of Representatives.
His role models were Black and White, straight and LGBTQ, male and female, politicians and entertainers. Their achievements and activism gave him the confidence to come out nearly a decade ago, and to run for Congress last year. He was elected to represent New York's 17th Congressional District, serving Westchester and Rockland counties, and became one of the first openly gay Black members to serve in Congress. The other is Rep. Ritchie Torres (D), also from New York.
Jones, 33, grew up in Rockland County, N.Y., raised by a single mother who worked multiple jobs and relied on Section 8 housing and food stamps to make ends meet. He became active with the youth chapter of the NAACP while he was still in high school and graduated from Stanford University. He worked in the Justice Department during the Obama administration, then earned a law degree from Harvard University.
All the while he was building his impressive résumé, Jones wasn't open about his sexuality. It was Frank Ocean's album "Channel Orange," released in 2012, in which the singer and songwriter opened up about being queer, that Jones said gave him the "confidence to not just come out around the same time to my friends and family, but years later to then run as an openly gay person for the United States Congress."
We talked to Jones about making history and what he hopes to accomplish in his new role.
This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
How does it feel to be a historical figure, a first?
To grow up Black and gay is to not see yourself anywhere. That's why representation matters — if I had seen an openly gay Black person in the halls of Congress when I was growing up, it would have been living proof that things really do get better. I'm so happy that I can help increase representation for LGBTQ+ people of all races, and I'm grateful to the people of Westchester and Rockland for sending a powerful message to LGBTQ+ people around the world that your community will accept you regardless of who you love. I'm always inspired to hear from members of the LGBTQ+ community who are excited that I'm living and running as my authentic self, and how that's giving them the confidence to do the same.
To the LGBTQ+ people reading this who are struggling with coming out: You belong. You are loved. We will be here to support you, whenever you're ready.
Where and in whom did you find inspiration to run for Congress, because there had been not been anybody who looked like you there before?
I certainly had Black role models, like Barack Obama, for example, who similarly defied conventional political wisdom and won a very difficult race and expanded people's imagination of what is possible in the process. But of course, there had never been someone who was openly gay and Black in the United States Congress. And so I had to draw from people like Bayard Rustin and Harvey Milk.
But perhaps surprising to many people, most of all, it was seeing sort of my life projected back at me through "Noah's Arc," which was the first time that I had seen openly gay Black men in authentic loving relationships. "Noah's Arc" was a TV series on the Logo Network, written by Patrik-Ian Polk.
Who is your favorite historical figure and why?
My political role model is attorney and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. He made it his life's work to desegregate our public institutions, and succeeded. His story is one of moral clarity and persistence: He set out his ambitious goal and spent nearly 20 years strategically, deliberately chipping away, culminating in the seminal Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.
I owe my life to the success of Thurgood's work. Thurgood himself was denied admission to University of Maryland Law School because of the color of his skin. But thanks to Thurgood, I did not suffer the same fate. I attended Spring Valley High School, an integrated public high school where I received a quality education, and went on to Stanford University and Harvard Law School. I hope to continue his legacy of fighting for racial justice.
The Fix: A more millennial Washington take shape
A lot of people focus on marriage equality as if it's the be-all, end-all of the fight for LGBTQ rights, but what does full equality look like to you?
Full equality means equity and not just equal treatment under the law, through legislation like the Equality Act. We have to go beyond protecting people from discrimination to address the systemic injustices that are pervasive for members of the LGBTQ+ community. I'll give you a few examples. LGBTQ+ people on average have $16,000 more in student debt, largely because their families are more likely to disown them and not provide the kind of familial financial support that other people receive. We also know that LGBTQ+ youth are twice as likely to become homeless as their heterosexual cisgender counterparts.
And so for me, full equality looks like forgiving student debt and implementing tuition-free public colleges and universities, while also ensuring that housing is treated as a human right in the richest nation on Earth.
And of course, that the inequities that I described are further compounded if you are Black and queer. We are more likely to live in poverty and face violence than our White counterparts. And indeed, experience discrimination in the form of racism even within the White LGBTQ+ community.
What did it feel like having your workplace violently attacked by U.S. citizens during your first week on the job?
On January 6th, I was in the House chamber — on the House floor seated with the Democratic leadership team of which I am a part — during what historically had been a routine election certification process.
Then, after some commotion, there was an abrupt announcement by security personnel that the Capitol had been breached by the mob outside, and that we would need to lock the doors to the House chamber from the inside. Minutes later, there was a very loud banging sound at one of the doors behind me from that mob of domestic terrorists that you all saw on TV. We were told to look under our seats and to pull out gas masks in case tear gas needed to be used. I've never used a gas mask before. We were also told to prepare to lie down on the ground in the event of gunfire. My life literally flashed before my eyes. Thankfully, with moments to spare, we were evacuated through tunnels to a more secure location.
I have said before that most people would quit their jobs if, on Day 4, they almost died while at work. But for me, the events of January 6th have only strengthened my resolve to have a government that works for the people, and that delivers for my constituents in Westchester and Rockland.
What are your top legislative priorities?
Right now, my top priority is covid-19 relief. We must crush the virus, deliver relief for working people and small businesses, and fully reopen our economy. But [President Biden's] $1.9 trillion stimulus package should be the minimum floor — not the ceiling. We cannot afford to go small — the only fiscally and morally responsible option is to provide the financial relief that families need now. The $1,400 check is a good first step, but we need $2,000 monthly checks for the duration of the pandemic to really make a difference in the daily lives of working people in this country, especially in my district where the cost of living is so high.
The next, and most immediate priority, has to be fixing our broken democracy. The insurrection I lived through on January 6th started with the myth of voter fraud, which the GOP is using to lay the foundation for another decade of suppressing the votes of people of color, working people and young people.
To fix our democracy for the future, we must pass the For the People Act (or HR 1). The bill would end partisan gerrymandering, establish small-dollar public financing for congressional campaigns, and enact automatic voter registration. Together, these reforms will help ensure that the movement the insurrection represented can never again threaten our democracy.
I don't want to sound like a HR person, but I did want to know what do you see yourself doing 10 years from now. Will you run for president one day?
I do not want to run for president one day. I want to continue serving the great people in Westchester and Rockland Counties. It is the honor of a lifetime to be in this role. It is a role that only in the past couple of years I imagined being possible for someone like me, because growing up poor, Black and gay, I never imagined that someone like me could run for Congress, let alone get elected. So, I am still focused on leading in this role.
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The DePauw men's and women's track teams did not disappoint this past Saturday as they competed in the DePauw Indoor Classic at the Hollensteiner fieldhouse.
Both the men and women took another step in preparing for the outdoor season by finishing in second place out of nine teams respectively.
The DePauw men totaled 89 points, which landed them right behind Wabash College's 115 points at the Indoor Classic. Sophomore Zach Batt led the Tigers by collecting a first place finish in the mile in 4:19.59. Another strong performance brought by the Tigers was the men's 4×400 relay. The Tigers won with a time of 3:31.75. Sophomore Johnny Miller was second in the 400 meter in 51.56 seconds, racking up 10 points after also placing seventh in the 200 meter with a time of 23.69. Junior Nate Baker also totaled 10 points with third in the shot put of 13.47m/44-2.5 and a fifth in the weight throw, with a distance of 14.51m/47-7.25.
Another third place finish was from first-year Jordan Booker in the 200m with a time of 23.47. Booker totaled 10 points after placing fifth in the 400m as well, with a time of 52.23.
Meanwhile, the women finished with 80 points, 11 points behind Bellarmine University. DePauw earned two individual wins in the process of finishing in second place in the Indoor Classic. Two senior distance runners gave DePauw an enormous boost. Senior Lois Miller won in the 5000 meter run with a time of 19:18.65, and senior Claudia Monnett won in the one-mile run with a time of 5:07.01. Miller blew away her components by finishing 12 seconds ahead of second place.
Senior Amanda Weber placed second in the 200m dash with a time of 27.74, and sophomore Kaitlyn Daanen recorded a third place finish in the 60 meter dash with a time of 8.10.
This was the final home indoor meet of the season for the Tigers. Before the conference meet, they compete in the Fred Wilt Invitational next Saturday at the NCAC Indoor Championships at Oberlin on March 3.