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Another Restructuring Exercise – HomeShop18 Fires 200 Employees
Aparna Mishra
28 Feb'17 2 min read
Noida-based television home shopping network and online marketplace, HomeShop18 has reportedly laid off close to 200 of its staff.
The layoffs include employees across levels and were done in an effort to bring down the cost of operations.
In an email response a Homeshop18 spokesperson said, "Homeshop18 is continually looking at its business approach and periodically restructuring to move towards the path of profitability with continued focus on TV shopping space. To be able to achieve its goal, Homeshop18 has focussed the business in selected areas and reorganised the company to make it leaner and more focussed. This will position the business for longer term success and profitability. We are building a more sustainable and profitable business and have restructured to attain our goals and all this will add up to significantly enhanced value for our customers, vendors, partners, and employees".
Media group Network18 had launched HomeShop18 television channel in April 2008 and its online marketplace HomeShop18.com in January 2011. It is backed by PE firm SAIF Partners with funds managed by OCP Asia. it also counts South Korea's GS Home Shopping as a strategic investor.
According to the latest available financial statement, Homeshop18 posted losses of about $12.6 Mn (INR 84.2 Cr) for the period ended March 2016, compared with about $26.2 Mn (INR 174.9 Cr) in FY15. The company saw a 13% drop in revenues to $58.5 Mn (INR 390.4 Cr) in FY16 against $67.27 Mn (INR 449 Cr) in FY15. It recorded over 22 lakh transactions for the quarter ended September 30, 2016.
The process of laying off employees started about two weeks ago. A source close to the development said, "The company employs 600 people in all, and is looking at reducing the staff strength by about 40%."
Earlier this month, Snapdeal fired about 600 employees. The company in a statement confirmed that it will be 'rationalising part of its workforce' on its way to becoming a profitable entity in the next two years. The management had also sent an internal mail, communicating that the founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal have conveyed their intent to take a 100% salary cut.
Earlier this month, Bengaluru-based Indian homestay network Stayzilla also suspended its operations.
Business Ecommerce Employees Entrepreneurs Founders HomeShop18 Investment Investors Layoff Network18 Startups


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Premarket stocks: Bitcoin's plunge is another sign of market angst
What's happening: The cryptocurrency at one point plunged more than 20% on Saturday. It's now trading at roughly $48,600, down from about $57,000 at the beginning of December.
"We're seeing that continued fear of the Omicron variant," said Marcus Sotiriou, sales trader at digital asset broker GlobalBlock.
Proponents of bitcoin have often touted the possibility it could serve as a safe haven asset that trades independently from stocks, bonds and commodities, giving it a potential role for investors looking to balance their risks.
Yet the drop in bitcoin, which analysts linked to a broader pullback in sentiment, is a sign that the biggest cryptocurrency remains closely correlated to other parts of the market, especially as more institutions boost their exposure.
When markets pull back, investment managers offload their riskiest assets first. That makes bitcoin vulnerable, Jeroen Blokland, founder of research firm True Insights, told me.
"Bitcoin has done what you would expect it [to do] as soon as equity sentiment goes down," he said.
The sell-off was largely driven by institutions taking profits on bitcoin before the end of the year due to a spike in uncertainty, according to Sotiriou.
"This crash in the market definitely shows us that bitcoin isn't fully decoupled from the global markets," he told me. "It hasn't gotten to that stage yet where it's big enough to hold its own."
Step back: The CNN Business Fear & Greed Index, which tracks market sentiment, remains in "extreme fear" territory. Just one month ago, it was showing an "extreme greed" reading.
But questions about the Omicron variant have spooked investors and caused many big players to try to lock in gains for 2021. The S&P 500 has dropped more than 3% over the past two weeks, but is still nearly 21% higher so far this year.
Blokland said he doesn't think this spells the end of the Covid-era bull market. One reason for bitcoin's slump, he added, was thinner trading on weekend days.
"I don't think the whole sentiment-driven rally has ended," he said.
But the sell-off serves as a reminder to professional investors that bitcoin isn't insulated from market fears, Blokland continued. In fact, it can be more susceptible, since the asset class is three to four times as volatile as stocks.
"The higher the volatility, the higher the drawdowns will be," he said.
Evergrande shares plunge to new record low
Before the Bell readers may be wondering: Are investors still worried about Evergrande, the heavily-indebted Chinese real estate developer whose potential default came under the microscope a few months back?
Shares of the company plummeted to a new record low on Monday as the firm once again indicated it's in deep trouble, my CNN Business colleague Laura He reports.
This just in: The company, which has about $300 billion in total liabilities, warned late Friday that it might not have enough funds to meet its financial obligations. It faces an immediate test of its ability to repay creditors on Monday with the expiry of a 30-day grace period on interest payments on its dollar-denominated bonds.
In a raft of seemingly coordinated statements, three Chinese regulators — the People's Bank of China, the banking and insurance regulator, and the securities regulator — said that any spillover risk from Evergrande to the property market, homeowners and the broader financial system can be controlled.
The verbal intervention appears aimed at limiting broader contagion — a longstanding concern given the outsize role of China's property sector in its overall economy.
Still, the collapse in Evergrande shares and other property stocks weighed on Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Monday. It dropped 1.8%, hurt also by big losses in Chinese tech stocks, which slumped Friday in New York following Didi's abrupt decision to quit Wall Street just five months after it went public there.
One Wall Street bank makes an Omicron call
There's still lots of uncertainty about the effects of the Omicron variant on public health and the global economy. But one Wall Street bank is making a call: It thinks it's going to hurt the recovery.
Goldman Sachs had outlined various scenarios for how it could play out, including one "false alarm" scenario where Omicron doesn't significantly impact global infections, and one "upside" case in which the variant is more infectious but causes much less severe disease, actually boosting the economy.
Yet it now sees the "downside" option, in which Omicron spreads more quickly than the Delta variant but "causes similarly severe disease," as most likely. Over the weekend, Goldman economist Joseph Briggs said this was the new base case and downgraded the bank's expectations for US economic growth.
The latest: Goldman Sachs now predicts the US economy will grow by 3.8% next year, down from a previous forecast of 4.2%.
It sees the Omicron variant having three main effects. It could slow the reopening of the services sector "if state governments implement policies to control virus spread or if consumers become less willing to engage in normal economic activity." It could exacerbate supply chain problems. And it could slow the labor market comeback.
But Briggs doesn't think the arrival of the variant will cause the Federal Reserve to change course, and still expects the central bank to announce a faster pullback of its bond-buying program at its meeting next week.
Earnings from AutoZone (AZO), Toll Brothers (TOL) and Stitch Fix (SFIX) arrive Tuesday.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Triangulate the triangle with edges identified Consider the closed triangle (simplex) $ \Delta = [(0,1), (0,0) , (1,0)] \subset \mathbb{R}^2 $, ie, $\Delta$ is the convex hull of the points $v_1 = (0,1)$, $v_0 = (0,0)$ and $v_2 = (1,0)$ in $\mathbb{R}^2$, with the usual (euclidean) induced topology from $\mathbb{R}^2$. Identify the points to form the quotient topology like this: all the points of the interior of $\Delta$ are identified just with themselves, ie, form the classes $\{p\}$ for $p \in int \Delta$. On the boundary of $\Delta$, identify sets of 3 points starting on the vertices and going along each edge counterclockwise, ie, form the classes $\{ (0,1-t) , (t,0) , (1-t,t) \}$, for all $t \in I = [0,1]$, ie, for $0 \leqslant t \leqslant 1$.
The quotient space formed is $\Delta$, the triangle with edges identified.
The questions:
(1) There exists a triangulation for $\Delta$? Ie, there exists a simplicial complex homeomorphic to $\Delta$?
(2) How to compute the homology groups of $\Delta$? Here I can use CW-complexes, but I don't know if I performed this correctly.
Thanks in advance

A: Taking the second Barycentric subdivision of the triangle (ie. divide it into six, and then divide each of those into 6), and then quotienting, should give a simplicial complex. You could then use simplicial homology, but there are a lot of triangles. In practice I would calculate as if the single triangle did give a simplicial complex.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This book explores how IT can help people with learning and communication difficulties increase their independence, communicate in more direct ways and express themselves as part of society. It examines common problems, and shows how IT can help solve them.
Information technology (IT) has great potential to be an effective and empowering means of communication for people with communication difficulties. Getting IT explores how IT can help such people increase their independence, communicate in more direct ways and express themselves as part of society.
Authors Dinah Murray and Ann Aspinall examine common problems faced by people with learning and communication difficulties - being judged on appearances, encountering impatience from communication partners, problems identifying and understanding key information and difficulties communicating decisions. They show how IT can help solve these problems: for example internet search tools for accessing information at home, typing and email as socially neutral, universally acceptable modes of expression, anonymous, non-judgmental internet chatrooms and discussion forums. Three central case studies illustrate how IT improved the lives of Kumar who is on the autism spectrum, Marie who has dementia and Irene who is almost completely nonverbal. The book also provides practical guidance on how to use common IT programs including Powerpoint and gives an overview of the technology available for people with specific difficulties. Useful resources and organisations are supplied at the end of the book.
Getting IT shows the power of IT to help people with communication difficulties satisfy the universal human need to communicate. This book will inspire carers, teachers, psychologists, parents and other professionals to use IT with people with communication difficulties, and will expand the skills and knowledge of those who already do.


Using an innovative approach involving five case studies, the project consortium of international non-governmental organisations and universities worked to identify and document the many benefits of preserving ecosystems. The objective was to raise awareness of the role and function of ecosystems as protective barriers and as contributors to reducing climate-related risks. Intact ecosystems not only counter the consequences of climate change such as rising sea levels, they also contribute to carbon storage and safeguard livelihoods. On the basis of their findings, the project partners provided knowledge and expertise on ecosystem-based practices to reduce risk in selected countries. These approaches were also disseminated among relevant actors through networks, forums and workshops.
All pilot projects have been defined and implemented in the six target countries.
The project's common research and learning framework has been developed and is being used by all partners for implementing the pilot projects and documenting the results.
Based on the experiences gained in the project, IUCN (together with Japan) was able to influence a COP decision within the framework of the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to the extent that experiences gained with ecosystem-based approaches and the associated potentials for disaster preparedness will now be collected and evaluated.
Six multi-stakeholder dialogue (MSD) platforms, comprised of government bodies, NGOs and civil society were established in the target countries and used to inform and influence policy.


And now they're back for a brand new edition of Carpool Kareoke. The full sequel comes out tomorrow, but the preview video below shows that the two haven't lost any of their love for eachother.
And the dancing is still top notch.


United Airlines Flight UA1550 connects New York, United States to Seattle, United States, taking off from New York Newark Liberty International Airport EWR and landing at Seattle Tacoma International Airport SEA.
The flight distance is 3855 km / 2395 miles and the average flight speed is 653 km/h / 406 mph. In the last 30 days, the average delay of the flight was 57 minutes and the flight was on-time 60% of the times. The average flight time is 5 hours and 54 minutes.
This United Airlines flight can also be referenced as UAL1550, UA 1550, UAL 1550.
UA1550 Flight Delay Compensation up to 600€!


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Experimental Therapeutics, Molecular Targets, and Chemical Biology
Capsaicin, a Component of Red Peppers, Inhibits the Growth of Androgen-Independent, p53 Mutant Prostate Cancer Cells
Akio Mori, Sören Lehmann, James O'Kelly, Takashi Kumagai, Julian C. Desmond, Milena Pervan, William H. McBride, Masahiro Kizaki and H. Phillip Koeffler
Akio Mori
Sören Lehmann
James O'Kelly
Takashi Kumagai
Julian C. Desmond
Milena Pervan
William H. McBride
Masahiro Kizaki
H. Phillip Koeffler
DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-0087 Published March 2006
Capsaicin is the major pungent ingredient in red peppers. Here, we report that it has a profound antiproliferative effect on prostate cancer cells, inducing the apoptosis of both androgen receptor (AR)-positive (LNCaP) and -negative (PC-3, DU-145) prostate cancer cell lines associated with an increase of p53, p21, and Bax. Capsaicin down-regulated the expression of not only prostate-specific antigen (PSA) but also AR. Promoter assays showed that capsaicin inhibited the ability of dihydrotestosterone to activate the PSA promoter/enhancer even in the presence of exogenous AR in LNCaP cells, suggesting that capsaicin inhibited the transcription of PSA not only via down-regulation of expression of AR, but also by a direct inhibitory effect on PSA transcription. Capsaicin inhibited NF-κ activation by preventing its nuclear migration. In further studies, capsaicin inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α–stimulated degradation of IκBα in PC-3 cells, which was associated with the inhibition of proteasome activity. Taken together, capsaicin inhibits proteasome activity which suppressed the degradation of IκBα, preventing the activation of NF-κB. Capsaicin, when given orally, significantly slowed the growth of PC-3 prostate cancer xenografts as measured by size [75 ± 35 versus 336 ± 123 mm3 (±SD); P = 0.017] and weight [203 ± 41 versus 373 ± 52 mg (±SD); P = 0.0006; capsaicin-treated versus vehicle-treated mice, respectively]. In summary, our data suggests that capsaicin, or a related analogue, may have a role in the management of prostate cancer. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(6): 3222-9)
Novel antitumor agents
Genitourinary cancers: prostate
Steroid hormones and receptors
Effectors of apoptosis
Note: A. Mori and S. Lehmann contributed equally to the manuscript.
Received January 13, 2005.
Revision received November 15, 2005.
You are going to email the following Capsaicin, a Component of Red Peppers, Inhibits the Growth of Androgen-Independent, p53 Mutant Prostate Cancer Cells
Cancer Res March 15 2006 (66) (6) 3222-3229; DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-0087
Decitabine Sensitivity in Testicular Cancer
Drug-Induced Regulation of FA/BRCA Gene Expression
Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab: Enhanced Antitumor Activity
Show more Experimental Therapeutics, Molecular Targets, and Chemical Biology


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US tornadoes: Homes, businesses, and many lives all gone as Kentucky town devastated by storm
No one had prepared for such an intense weather phenomenon. There were multiple tornadoes across six states and one is thought to have travelled for 200 miles at ground level.
US correspondent @Stone_SkyNews
Sunday 12 December 2021 10:23, UK
'The destruction is breathtaking'
On the drive into the small town of Mayfield, we're given no hint of what's to come.
Tornadoes are among the most frightening of weather phenomena but they are also so localised. They are cruelly selective.
The edge of the town in Kentucky is unscathed. We even questioned if we were in the right place. But then, as we turned onto 6th Street and then onto Broadway, we saw what this storm had done.
The destruction is breathtaking: homes, businesses, and many lives all gone. It is the sustained strength of the storm system that's so remarkable.
Image: The storm has been described as the deadliest ever to hit the state of Kentucky
It's power brought down brick buildings. The huge tower of the town's courthouse was toppled. And all around, vehicles are upturned and churned up. They must have been carried by the wind for some distance.
There was some warning that a storm was coming. Across America, extreme weather warnings - via local radio, text message and online - are sophisticated and effective. And here in "tornado alley", storm sirens are a key part of the early warning systems.
But no one had prepared for such an intense weather phenomenon. There were multiple tornadoes across six states and one is thought to have travelled for 200 miles at ground level.
More on Kentucky
Former Louisville detective pleads guilty to Breonna Taylor shooting cover-up
Hundreds still unaccounted for after Kentucky floods leave at least 37 dead
Image: The tornadoes brought down brick buildings in Mayfield
At the fire station in Mayfield, we found firefighters who had just finished their shift now repairing their own premises. The roof had been ripped off.
The fire chief, Jeremy Creason, had asked his team to stay as the storm hit. They did, and they now wonder how they survived.
"The building was shaking, the lights were going off, there was debris flying everywhere," Mr Creason said.
'Mayfield is wiped'
Had he ever experienced anything like that before, I asked.
"Never in my life. It was one of the scariest few minutes of my life."
Up the road, the local candle factory had been full with night shift workers meeting the Christmas demand. Among those trapped for hours was Kyana Parsons Perez.
Image: Fire chief Jeremy Creason asked his team to stay when the storm hit
"The lights went out and then we did a rock, rock, rock. Boom," she told reporters.
"Everything fell down on us."
Many of her co-workers are still unaccounted for.
"We're committed to serving our community and we're not going to stop until everybody is accounted for and everybody that we can help is helped," Mr Creason said.
There are many communities which have been hit like this. Across several states from north to south, the length of the country, this series of tornadoes has ripped apart life and livelihood.
And it all comes at a time when so many have been struggling so much already.


text:
Energy related studies
HOMER Market Insights: Phillippines Executive Summary
s3.amazonaws.com/homerenergy-s3-ue1-p-public/mir_executive_summaries/HOMER_MIR_Executive_Summary%20%28Philippines_June2018%29.pdf
PHILIPPINES RENEWABLE ENERGY OUTLOOK <s3.amazonaws.com/homerenergy-s3-ue1-p-public/mir_executive_summaries/HOMER_MIR_Executive_Summary%20%28Philippines_June2018%29.pdf>
OVERVIEW In 2011, the Philippines set a renewable energy target to raise installed generation capacity by 2030 to almost three times its 2010 level. This was established in the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), which serves as the blueprint for the implementation of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. The Renewable Energy Act of 2008 mandated that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) provide required facilities for the interconnection of renewable energy-based systems such as solar microgrids. Subsequent feed-in tariff (FIT) rules gave renewable energy projects, such as microgrids, connection priority. Both on-grid and off-grid solar PV-based microgrids are expected to be the largest components of the NREP. There are two types of microgrids in the Philippines: off-grid and grid-connected. Off-grid microgrids are encouraged by the Philippines Department of Energy's Missionary Energy Development Plan, created in 2012. As part of this plan, off-grid projects are provided with two generation-based support schemes: the universal charge for missionary energy (UCME), which covers the difference between the local cost of generation and the tariff, and the 50% cash incentive for off-grid renewables that covers half of the UCME. 1790 30th St., Suite 100, Boulder, CO 80301 USA | 720-565-4046 | www.homerenergy.com HOMER MARKET INSIGHT REPORT: PHILIPPINES 4 PHILIPPINES RENEWABLE ENERGY OUTLOOK • Between 2015 and 2020, installed electric capacity in the Philippines is expected to increase by 35 percent, growing from 18.8 to 25.4 GW. • Between 2015 and 2020, total electricity generation is expected to increase by 32%, growing from 79 to 104 TWh. That represents a 5.7% average annual growth rate. • Twenty percent of new additions will come from grid-tied solar and wind power projects. Installed solar capacity is expected to grow from 520 to 1,570 MW over the forecast period. Wind power capacity is expected to increase from 340 to 1,430 MW. Both of these sources will exhibit strong growth from a small base. • Traditional renewable power sources such as hydropower, geothermal and biomass will exhibit modest growth. Traditional renewable power additions will account for 10% of new installations between 2015 and 2020, collectively growing by 600 MW. These sources are mature and increasingly constrained.
Honouring $100bn/y climate-finance pledge key to catalysing developing country energy transitions
The five steps Meridian says South Africa should take in the next 500 days to future-proof energy sector
'New normal' of elevated renewables deployments outlined in new market update
Right policy changes' could ignite R150bn in electricity investment by private firms
[Distributed Energy Resources]RMI's New Non-Wires Solutions Implementation Playbook
Rethinking the governance of energy infrastructure: Scale, decentralization and polycentrism


In the United States alone, over 80% of Americans will experience some kind of back, hips, shoulder, or neck in pain within their lifetime. Often times, people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars with no result. We see hundreds of patients who have done countless X-rays, MRIs, Injections to the sight of pain, and even multiple surgies.
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Whether it's a routine checkup or emergency surgery, you shouldn't have to worry about how to get the best medical care. That's why we're pleased to accept the CareCredit healthcare credit card. CareCredit lets you say "yes" to recommend treatment and pay for it in convenient monthly payments that fit your budget.
*No Interest if Paid in Full within 6,12, 18 or 24 Months* on qualifying purchases of $200 or more made with your CareCredit credit card account at enrolled provider locations. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional purchase is not paid in full within the promotional period.
• Purchases of $2,500 or more are eligible for a 60 months offer with a 16.90% APR. CareCredit can be used at over 189,000 enrolled practices nationwide so you can find a provider near you.


Answered by Founder of The Content Brand, Lucy Fuggle.
The Content Brand is made with love in a small mountain town in Switzerland.
Our background is in travel and tech, but we also love social enterprises and startups. Have a look at our client portfolio to see a sample of who we've worked with.
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Do you know what is happening this weekend? A Fire Full Moon in Sagitarius on Friday, June 9th 2017. That means everything you say and do will have a more intense effect. So as any good Pitta would do, I have written out a plan for success during this astrological opportunity that is upon us.
I teach people to teach Ayurveda and Yoga. Teaching someone to be a teacher means to teach them how to manage energy so that they can bring the knowledge through in the most digestible way possible. This weekend I have a class of 25 students and I will be talking for a good part of 22 hours over the course of the 3-day weekend. It takes a tremendous amount of preparation and courage to put myself out there in a such a way (I am actually an introvert). As I prepare for my June weekend, I am struck by the fact that there is a Full Fire Moon in Sagittarius with powerful astrological transits during our weekend class. I was shaking in my Ayurvedic Yoga boots when I realized this. Although I believe I have been preparing for many lifetimes to do this job and that it is my dharma, it still takes me days of building power and organizing myself to get ready for our immersion weekends. But the June weekend will take even more preparation as there will be a lot of intense energy to work with because more energy will be coming through. Please see my plan for navigating the Fire Full Moon below.
What does the astrological weekend look like?
Saturn can turn into "constriction" or "structure that works." It just depends on how we manage the energy.
Mars can turn into "aggression" or "strong flow." It just depends on how we manage the energy.
Pluto is transformation, but it could bring "death" (meaning metaphorical death, i.e. death of a belief system or a story that no longer serves us, etc.) or just "depth." It just depends on how we manage the energy.


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The Senate Spin Cycle
Oct. 29, 2018 , at 6:00 AM
Two partisans give us their rosiest take on the midterms.
By Clare Malone
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY FIVETHIRTYEIGHT / GETTY IMAGES
With a week to go until Election Day, the political universe is in full horse-race obsession mode. Who's up, who's down? Does fundraising matter? Who's going to turn out on Nov. 6? What popular narrative that's snaking its way through Twitter is the right one? WHO'S GONNA WIN???
FiveThirtyEight relies on forecast models to give a sense of where a race stands, and we base those forecasts on polls and what we call fundamentals — historic factors that help us predict the way voters will act. But even with the model, elections can be difficult to get your arms around. The Classic version of our model currently gives Democrats a 1 in 6 chance of winning the Senate1, but events in the last couple of weeks of the campaign and a lack of polling in some places leave our model with a couple of blind spots.
This lack of certainty in the last few days of campaigns means that partisans work overtime to slick the highest sheen of gloss onto races. They want the Twitter and media narratives to go their way — they want their party's spin to work magic. With that dynamic in mind, I thought I'd ask a couple partisans to give us their best spin on the Senate map. Republican Josh Holmes, former chief of staff to Sen. Mitch McConnell and who now runs his own political consulting firm, and Democrat Lauren Passalacqua, the communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, obliged.
What follows are their takes on a few key Senate races as the campaigns come down to the wire. Their remarks have been edited and condensed for clarity, and I've offered some fact checks and clarifications in the footnotes where appropriate.
FiveThirtyEight projection: 2 in 3 chance the Democrat, Sen. Joe Donnelly, beats Mike Braun to win re-election
Holmes (R):
Obviously after what happened in 2016 with Evan Bayh, it's more of a red state than it used to be, but it's still very competitive. I think Joe Donnelly has run, up to this point, one of the better Democratic Senate campaigns, but I think he's got his work cut out for him. I think it's just a tight race. Who knows. In 2016, it broke very late and decisively toward Republicans.
Passalacqua (D):
There's early voting already in Indiana. They're already turning people out in the places we need them to be turning out in great numbers — Indianapolis, Marion County. We're also seeing enthusiasm on college campuses. But what you're seeing, too, is Joe Donnelly running just as a middle-of-the-road Hoosier — "I'm going to Washington to get stuff done. All that bickering back and forth, that's not what I'm a part of, that's not what Indiana wants to be a part of, so I'm just going to work with whoever I can to do the job that Hoosiers expect."
FiveThirtyEight projection: 4 in 7 chance the Democrat, Sen. Claire McCaskill, beats state Attorney General Josh Hawley to win re-election
Claire McCaskill spent the better part of 2018 with the good fortune of an in-state governor scandal that she tried to muddy the water with and tie her opponent to. But once that was in the rearview mirror, there was an awful lot that went with it. In about June, Josh Hawley sort of hit his stride in engaging with McCaskill and started playing a lot of offense. I think that race now is in a very strong position. It's one of the two that has broken [towards Republicans] most obviously since Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings.
This is another place where we've seen the public polling neck and neck, which is what we expected, especially in a state that does trend more conservative. Certainly we've seen the attorney general back on his heels a bit with the kind of advertising he's had to rely on, which fights back on this idea that he won't protect pre-existing conditions, but obviously that ad is undermined by the lawsuit he's on [challenging the Affordable Care Act].2 So what we see is a debate unfolding on the issues where Claire does have the upper hand.
FiveThirtyEight projection: 2 in 3 chance the Republican, U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer, beats the incumbent, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.
I've said since the middle of August I thought North Dakota was done with Heidi Heitkamp. It has become a much more conservative state in recent years, and, interestingly, Trump's economic message resonates perfectly with the kind of historical prairie populism we've seen in places like North Dakota. And she finds herself down double digits pretty durably now, going on a couple months.3 Of the races where Republicans are playing offense, I would say it's the only one where it's totally off the board.
I do think it's closer than people expect. It was always going to be one of the toughest states for Democrats. That's historically a state that's hard to poll. I think everyone remembers that famous photo of her with the newspaper that declared her opponent the winner.4 She has an advantage in spending on advertising5 and we know Republican groups like the Senate Leadership Fund continue to spend there, so that still, in our mind, is a place where we're monitoring it and Heidi is closing it out.
FiveThirtyEight projection: 5 in 7 chance the Democrat, Sen. Bill Nelson, beats Gov. Rick Scott to win re-election
This race is a little bit of a black box to election observers, because of the hurricane and because it's such a large and diverse state that you have a little bit of everything in terms of political-environment factors. The governor's race has an interesting component, we'll have to see. Democrats will tell you they're hopeful that demographics that were inaccessible to Bill Nelson become accessible because of gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum [Gillum is black]. I don't know if that's true or not. Particularly in southwest Florida, there could be a whole bunch of retirees who are just getting down there who may react to the idea of governance that's more liberal than they're comfortable with.
Florida folks were very bullish on Gov. Scott because he brings a blank check and it's an expensive state. It's one of those places where you've seen the Scott playbook before: Spend a ton of money, get elected. When you dig a little further, there are a couple problems for Scott. His previous races were in 2010 and 2014, which were really good Republican years for Florida, yet he barely won by a single point both times and he underperformed the Republican ballot. I think the thing that works to Nelson's advantage is that he's a workhorse. He is someone who will keep his head down.
FiveThirtyEight projection: 5 in 8 chance the Democrat, U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, beats U.S. Rep. Martha McSally to win
Sinema has taken on an awful lot of water in the last couple of weeks. She was very successful at using a Republican primary to rebrand herself as a moderate. And I think it has taken more effort than maybe Republicans would have thought to dislodge that. She has one of the worst oppo files in the Democratic recruiting class, and I think there were an awful lot of folks who thought that it would speak for itself. [Sinema's past has been in the news — some reports have cast doubt on her stories of childhood hardship and some have questioned remarks she made as an anti-war activist during President George W. Bush's administration.] Now, maybe it will, but it's still a very tight race. Republicans, to a person, feel like we have a superior candidate with better credentials and a better fit ideologically for the state.
This is also an exciting race because this is the first election cycle where you're seeing a lot of resources pulled into the state. Democrats closed the registration advantage that Republicans had. I read the reporting like everyone else, and what she said is what her parents said: She grew up in tough circumstances and they have helped shape who she is and how she approaches her work.
FiveThirtyEight projection: 3 in 4 chance the Republican, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, beats former Gov. Phil Bredesen to win
The electorate just isn't the same as it used to be — it's not in an elder-statesman mood. It's in a change, drain-the-swamp, fight, represent-us type mood, and it's just tough for guys like Bredesen who are in the middle of an electorate where there is no middle.
This is very much a pure toss-up, it's incredibly competitive. Gov. Bredesen has run a race that's solely focused on Tennessee. "Forget the noise, let's talk about Tennessee." In every one of his ads, in the events he holds, he's applying for the job, and that's really refreshing at a time when you're overwhelmed by the punditry on television.
FiveThirtyEight projection: 4 in 5 chance the Republican, Sen. Ted Cruz, beats U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke to win re-election
I think Beto is a hell of a political celebrity, and if you're running an underdog race in 2018, he's laid out a perfect blueprint for how to get attention, how to raise money, how to become a national superstar. But I don't think he's given us a blueprint to win a red state. We're living in an age of political celebrity, and there's no question he's become that, but in terms of putting votes in a box, he's got positions that are far, far outside the mainstream of Texas.
I don't know if there's anyone who's run up as many miles on a car driving around a state the size of Texas as he has. This comes back to something that we've seen is so important in all these states: Who's showing up, and who's listening? I think something has been a little shortchanged about Beto: He is putting in the work. I think this is going to be a high-turnout election, and I think that's good. When more people vote, that's good.
CORRECTION (Oct. 29, 2018, 10:00 a.m.): An earlier version of this article misstated FiveThirtyEight's forecast in the North Dakota race. Kevin Cramer is favored, not Heidi Heitkamp.
All odds were curren through 4 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2018.
As attorney general, Hawley signed his state on to a lawsuit that seeks to strike down the ACA.
The last two polls in the state were released in October and show Heitkamp down double digits, but September polls only showed her down by single digits.
The newspaper headline actually just said that her opponent had a 10-point lead.
As of Oct. 17, Heitkamp had raised $21,623,000 in individual contributions; Cramer had raised $3,452,000.
Clare Malone is a senior political writer for FiveThirtyEight. @ClareMalone
2018 Election (356 posts) 2018 Senate Elections (128)


Black sweatshirt with embroideries and decorations, golden zip, hood and side pockets.
The inserts and details of this sweatshirt give an elegant and refined touch even to what is in effect a sporty look item.
The ideal, therefore, is to combine this beautiful clothing with a black sheath skirt up to the knee, wearing a white blouse with bow and contrasting black embroideries, for a classic yet modern look.
The perfect shoes to combine are black court shoes, with a thin heel and floral embroideries; the most suitable jewels, on the other hand, are all in yellow gold.


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Category Archives: Community Service
I'm translating her advice into my words: better to do something more than you should, than to not do enough.
And so I blame Kelley, in part, when I perhaps did again –more than I should have.
Because it's still good advice.
I've been warned to the contrary.
Kelley and I both have been scolded for being "too nice."
Sometimes -maybe.
Not such a horrible moniker, though, is it?
Kelley is also one who tells me frequently that I'm doing just what I was meant to do. Finally. With the whole writing thing, of course, but also at the little college where I play life coach and tutor to semi-adults trying to navigate through their lessons and their lives. And it's in this setting where I inch too close to that more-than-you-should.
I can handle the consequences of too-much much better than I can the what-ifs which arise from not doing enough.
My guess is that the roots to the philosophy go pretty deep.
Our holiday dinners offer apt metaphor. You might see it all as too much food; I see it as always enough. No chance of us running out of anything –ever.
And you gotta love the leftovers.
Maybe human interactions can also result in the spillover of thoughtfulness, with ample to share.
So when I do for my students –even if admittedly more than I should- I don't look for payback in reciprocal reward. I don't really require return on an investment of kindness.
Maybe what I hope for, though, is a sharing of leftovers.
Paying it forward.
It wasn't a literary gem or a blockbuster movie. But what a blockbuster message. And so simple.
But the concept was ingrained in me as ideology long before the book's publication. I think because there was always that lesson of reciprocity. You were given a gift, you gave one in return. You were invited to dinner, you invited in kind.
But when the deed was immeasurable –and the thank you a trifle for its intended worth, the return impossible, how to repay?
So then to the answer of paying it forward.
Not a bad responsibility with which to shoulder a younger friend.
Or legacy to leave in the corner of one's life.
So if I do for them, perhaps they'll do for someone else –some day.
I get a lot from these young adults I've come to know too well.
I'm not entirely sure what.
I know I teach them a bit, too.
I wonder, though, if they'll understand the lesson of leftovers if I leave it to instinct instead of instruction. When they're out in the world, as real grownup adults, will they intuitively sense an ongoing obligation when it's their turn to act in kind, and in kindness?
academic counselors Adolescents adolesence adult children advice advisors challenges change the world chaperones childhood Children coaching college college kids communication Community Service emerging adults family friendships gifts Girls holiday food honesty intergrity Kids kindness leftovers life life coach life consequences life lesson life lessons life philosophy mentor metaphor obligations Parenting Parents Pay it Forward paying it forward peers reciprocal rewards relationships students teachers Teaching the next generation thoughtfulness tutor writing	Leave a comment
When It's Theirs to Give
Encouraging volunteerism in our young people is a great idea. Unfortunately, like so many good ideas which came before it, I think the execution of it has missed the mark.
Several years ago, when the notion of making community service a requirement for graduation was still in its infancy, I attended the commencement exercises of a small high school in an affluent town north of us. Very small. There were 85 students donning caps and gowns.
The ceremony was beautifully touching, belying the intimacy of kids who had known each another their whole lives. The feel of it all was more reminiscent of family than formality. And these students' comfort level with one another and with themselves offered a glimpse of all that could be right with an educational experience. Bright futures for all.
But in a right-minded idea, the high school had decided that all of these privileged children should give back. That they should have an idea and appreciation of what it means to volunteer. So they insisted that they do just that.
My guess is that the new policy was well-received, quickly approved and met with acquiescence by all.
All but one, as it turned out.
It seemed that the class valedictorian, who had actually done quite a bit of unprompted community service on his own, didn't like the oxymoronic bent of forced volunteerism. Emphasis on moronic.
He refused to participate in the new requirement.
Even with the threat of a withheld diploma, he stuck to his principles.
And so on graduation day, when the classmates with whom he had shared twelve years of school and life shook their principal's hand and received their diplomas, he did not.
Volunteering is such a good idea. It's a shame we've allowed it to become just another peg in the light bright picture of that perfect package being built for college admission. Too many students (and lets face it, their parents) look at every move and moment in high school with their eyes on transcripts that will be eyed by admissions officers. It's become less about doing good and more about looking good.
In addition to the misplaced motives of indentured servitude in the guise of community service, there's also something disquieting about the price tag that comes attached to some of these volunteering opportunities. It seems giving is its own thriving industry. But it's not really the kids who are doing the giving.
Sure, they're likely a great help to that far-flung village or orphanage or hospital. But c'mon, who among us would pass up free travel and full life exposure for a little work among the downtrodden? Particularly when it's not junior who's footing the bill for his foray into famine, it would seem that there's more of a nod to self than selfless in these volunteering expeditions.
Something's off kilter.
Have we so perfected the art of hypocrisy that we can't see that it's not volunteering if they have no choice? We cry foul at the tricks played on us from atop Capitol Hill and in the shadows of Wall Street, but then allow our kids to begin resume padding in middle school. I think the reason Adam Wheeler's Harvard scam went so far is because we've let all of our children go a little too far in the build-up of their bios. Instead of being met with an awe of disbelief, his well-packed Phillips Academy transcripts, perfect SAT scores, and 4.0 MIT GPA were likely greeted with a ho-hum hyperbole that had him standing alongside a lot of other outstanding scholars. I read that if someone, somewhere along Wheeler's conned path had taken a moment to do a bit of math, it would have been pretty evident that there simply weren't enough hours in his academic days to do what he claimed to have done.
But it seems that over-the-top is the new norm. So included in all those resplendent resumes are now hours and hours of saving-the-world work by kids who are somehow still maintaining grades, playing sports and musical instruments, and socially mingling with their four thousand friends on Facebook.
Hmm. How many hours are in their days?
And why is it that so few of these altruistic adolescents are opting to pull up their sleeves and do a bit of hard work at the most local of levels -at shelters and food pantries? When was the last time that a kid shoveled out his neighbor's drive without a community service form and pen in hand? Sure, they'll be good citizens. As long as they get credit for it.
Nice message.
Maybe it's time to repackage the message, then. Time to get back to basics a bit. Instead of sending them off with the sense that there's a whole lot of free out there, maybe it's time to make it clear that not much is. Before they give, maybe they need to earn. A part time job teaches a whole lot about effort and value. Then, if they choose a worthy cause to support, it can come from their pockets instead of mommy's pocketbook. And if they decide to give up a Market Basket shift and its corresponding pay to serve meals because they want to rather than have to, they'll likely have a better notion of what service is all about and what it really means to be a part of a community.
Adolescents Community Service Competition family Grades High School Kids Middle School Parenting resume students	14 Comments


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My Father , Myself , Family charged for murder , robbery over Chieftaincy tittle, politics ,says Wike
in Featured, Politics
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, says himself , father and other family members were charged for murder but we're rescued by Emmauel C. Ukala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, to the legal profession in the country.
Wike also added that while he declared his intention to contest the office of the Chairman, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area in 1998, some callous politicians in his constituency ganged up and conspired with the police to frame him up for armed robbery.
Wike showered encomium on Ukala as his children, relatives and friends celebrated the legal luminary on his 65th birthday on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
The governor, who was accompanied by his wife, Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, stated that before he proceeded to then Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University, to study Law, Ukala had been his family's lawyer.
According to him, Ukala not only intervened and secured his release, but also defended him from the tribunal up to the Supreme Court when some vested interest in the council desperately attempted to prevent him from being sworn into office as chairman.
"Throughout my chairmanship matter in 1998, when we had election down to April 4, 2000, when the Supreme Court finally decided my matter, he (Ukala) never took a dime, not one naira," the governor stated.
Wike stated that when the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal annulled the 2015 governorship poll, which he won convincingly, he contacted some lawyers to defend him and they demanded as much as N300m to N600m as their legal fee, but when he approached Ukala, whom he described as mentor, he was offered free legal services.
"Then my governorship election, most people may not believe it, from governorship tribunal down to the Supreme Court, he (Ukala) never collected one dime," Wike stated
Wike recalled that while studying Law at the university, a chieftaincy dispute occurred in his community, which led to the arrest and detention of his father, uncle, brothers and himself on trumped up murder charge, adding that it took the intervention of Ukala as their lead counsel for them to be discharged and acquitted.
"There was a time that the entire family was charged for murder and every male was taken away. We only had women left in the house with children between the ages of one and five. As of that time, I was reading Law at then Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University," he stated.
The governor disclosed that Ukala, in whose law firm he worked after leaving the Nigerian Law School, took his family's ordeal very personal and did his best to ensure that they got justice.
The governor, who described Ukala as a refined and disciplined lawyer, applauded him for being a worthy mentor to him and his wife when they started their legal practice in Port Harcourt.
He showered encomiums on the children of the celebrant for deciding to honour their parents, Emmanuel and Dr Kate Ukala, in appreciation for the sacrifices they made in ensuring that they become responsible citizens.
Gunmen Kill District Head, Four Others, Abduct Many In Zamfara
FG raises panel to stop fresh ASUP"s strike
FG raises panel to stop fresh ASUP"s strike


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David Laurie (b.Netherton 1833 - d. Brussels 1897) -  was a distinguished 19th century violin collector (known worldwide, as  good friend of  J. B. Vuillaume).

Born in 1833 in Netherton, Kinross-shire Scotland, he was an only son of John Laurie laird of Drunzie, Kinross-shire. He married and had six children with his first wife and then after her death married again and had twelve more children.

He was an oil merchant, as well as an amateur violinist, though his passion was fiddle collecting  which eventually changed to his livelihood.
His personal violin was the "Alard" Stradivari of 1715, which he bought from Alard in 1876 (upon his retirement). Prior to that, in the mid-19th century the instrument  was bought  by a banker from Belgium in Florence and subsequently  passed to  J. B. Vuillaume in Paris who gave it to his son-in-law M. Delphin Alard a professor of violin at the  Paris Conservatory.
Mr. Laurie   once  was offered £2,000 for the "Alard" Strad  which he refused.

He amassed a great collection of the finest string instruments in the world. Among the many great instruments which passed through him were:

Antonio Stradivari (STRADIVARIUS) violin(s) of  1684 "Wilmotte", 1688, 1701, 1702, the "Dancla Stradivarius (1703)",  the "Lafont"  of  1708, the "Ernst"of  1709, 1710, 1712, ex- "Marquis de Sayve" of  1713, "Cremonese" now known as the ex-Joachim of 1715, the "Alard" of 1715, 1717, another ex- "Joachim" of 1722, 1726,  The 1734 "Gibson" Viola as well.

Also Stradivari cello(s) the "Gore-Booth" of 1710, and the  "Bass of Spain" of 1713.
Del Gesu "Il Canone", "King Joseph"  Guarnerius Del Gesu, the d'Egville of 1735 and the "Leduc" of 1743/5 Del Gesus, as well one c. 1744.

Other instruments include  an Amati violin of 1688,  Nicolò Amati violin 1645 (sold to J. Joachim), Bergonzi tenor, Bergonzi cello, Lupot violin, Ex- Garcin J.B. Vuillaume of   1868 violin (which he bought from Garcin), and another   Vuillaume violin of  1874 which  showcases inlaid ebony fleur-de-lys designs and is one of the last instruments to come out of Vuillaume's workshop, made a year before his death.
"Made  for the famous violin dealer David Laurie, it's a copy of a Nicolò Amati violin originally belonging to Prince Youssoupoff (a Russian aristocrat and pupil of Henri Vieuxtemps). Only six copies were made."

He conducted his business from his home 36 Lansdowne Crescent, Glasgow. David Laurie died  in Brussels, 1897.

Quotes
"...I will now relate the purchase and sale of a grand Stradivarius violin, which while giving me a good deal of trouble one way and another, also brought me fame as a reliable expert.

To be a good expert requires three important gifts, which must be inborn and yet require to be developed with much study. These three gifts are an unerring eye, a good memory, and a good ear. The first two are absolutely essential to distinguish the work of different makers, and also the work of the same maker in instruments of widely different appearance and of different periods of his life. Instruments by the same maker have invariably certain characteristics of his handiwork, which while unnoticed by ordinary folk, reveal them at once to the expert.

The third gift is not considered by any means necessary to the making of an expert, yet I think I am justified in saying that a good ear plays an important part in the work and is a valuable gift, which ought to be cultivated and developed to its utmost, if it were for nothing else than to be able to distinguish one tone from another and to decide which has the best carrying power and which is in most repute with the majority of musical folk, artistes and amateurs alike.

For after all, to the great majority of concert-goers the tone of a violin is the most important part of it, and they neither know nor care who the maker is so long as the player delights them with its music. In this purchase which I am about to relate I put my ear to a severe test in judging whether a fiddle was likely to be worth purchasing or not and it did not fail me."
  - The Reminiscences of a Fiddle Dealer was  published three times.  First edition published  in 1900, Third edition was published  by Harold M. Chaitman in 1977.

In discussing violin set up with his clients, David Laurie stated: "Take your violin to a reliable man, and get it mounted and let the mountings alone. Just so surely   as you begin altering this or that you alter the
tone, and undo the work of some experienced man  who knows his business." If you love your violin, follow this advice and you will not regret it."

References

Bibliography
The Reminiscences of a Fiddle Dealer by David Laurie
Violin Fraud: Deception, Forgery, Theft, and Lawsuits in England and America By Brian W. Harvey
The Voller Brothers: A colour preview - Andrew Fairfax
Published in The Strad magazine Vol. 104 No. 1233  Jan. 1993
 Les Edition Montparnasse
Les Luthiers Parisiens aux XIX et XX siecles Tom 3  "Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume et sa famille : Nicolas, Nicolas-François et Sébastien"   by Sylvette Milliot  published by  Edition les Amis des la Musique 2006
Jost Thöne: J.B.Vuillaume, Bildband mit originalgrossen Abbildungen, Bocholt 1998.
Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume - Violins and Violinists Series of Violin Makers  published by William Lewis and Son
Les Trésors de la Lutherie Française du XIXe siècle", Paris c 1992
The Henry Hottinger Collection, Rembert Wurlitzer, Inc., New York, 1966   Henry Hottinger Collection
Stradivarius - Guarnerius Del Gesu / Catalogue descriptif de leurs instrument -  Charles-Eugene Gand

 Walter Hamma, Meister Italienischer Geigenbaukunst'', Wilhelmshaven 1993,

Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesú, Carlos Chiesa, John Dilworth, Roger Graham Hargrave, Stewart Pollens, Duane Rosengard & Eric Wen, Peter Biddulph, London, 1998.
Tarisio and 'Le Messie' : Antoine Vidal, Bowed Instruments (Vol. I)
W.E. Hill & Sons, Antonio Stradivari: His Life & Work, monograph on the "Salabue" Strad and finally Farga, Violins & Violinists.
On Old Violins - Lucien Greilsamer, Jay C. Freeman and Theodore Baker
The Hill Collection – David D. Boyden
Antonio Stradivari – Henley
1690 &1716  Tuscan & Le Messie – Hill
Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari -  Hebert K. Goodkind
How Many Strads – E. Doring
Antonio Stradivari - Charles Beare
Italian Violin Makers – Walter Henley

1833 births
1897 deaths
English collectors
Violin dealers
Businesspeople from Glasgow
19th-century Scottish businesspeople

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I had been waiting months for it to begin. The Brits had been preparing its city for years. Everyone waited anxiously for the Olympics to begin, an event that not only showcases the world's best athletes but also the culture of the host city and the history and tradition of the Games, which dates back to their origin in Ancient Greece. It is a few weeks during the summer – once every four years – in which dedicated and determined athletes put forth their best efforts across a variety of events, representing their nation and heritage on the largest possible scale.
Despite the excitement and anticipation, when the games actually began, I found myself experiencing the Olympics in a much different way than I ever once thought. We are now nearly two weeks into London 2012 and hundreds of medals have been awarded to athletes from across the globe and the amount of time I have spent watching the Olympics can be counted in mere minutes. I have seen one swimming event, three minutes of the USA vs. Nigeria basketball game, and even shorter fragments of gymnastics and beach volleyball. I missed the much-anticipated and heralded Opening Ceremony and perhaps the highlight of the Olympics so far: Usain Bolt dominating a star-studded pack of phenomenal sprinters (as well as Andy Murray and Jess Ennis representing their host nation in golden style). As an avid sports fan who greatly admires the athletes that devote their lives for one shot at glory on the international stage, I must admit, I am somewhat ashamed of my lack of Olympic viewing.
There are several culprits behind this travesty of affairs: the time zone difference, the dubious coverage by NBC, perhaps my lack of time management, and our constant access to endless amounts of information. There is nothing I can do about the Atlantic Ocean and I am pretty sure NBC will keep sending Bob Costas out there to amuse his audience with bizarre commentary, but it is the last villain – information and its abundance – that has forever changed our perception of history.
Information is constantly invading our lives from all different angles. We are so attached to our smartphones that they may as well be another appendage. Quick bursts of updates, news, and facts infiltrate our brains from Twitter feeds, Facebook posts, text messages, and mobile applications. Before I can even search ESPN.com for the time when the 100 meter dash will air, it is already showing the results from London – Usain Bolt cruising through the finish line to a gold medal in an Olympic Record time. Oh well, guess I won't be tuning in for that one later tonight!
However, before I am condemned for these blasphemous acts in the world of sports, let me re-assure you that my interest in the Games (and everything they represent) has far from waned. In fact, I have not been more interested in this year's Olympics in London for a variety of reasons: the Games are situated in the premier metropolis of Europe, there is the return of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt as well as the emergence of the second "Dream Team," the competitive medal chase among China, USA, Russia, and Great Britian, among many other fascinating plotlines. The main difference has been how I have experienced these historic events.
Although I have not witnessed any of these Olympic events live in London and barely seen any of them televised, I still feel as though I have experienced each storyline as if I had seen it with my own eyes. Within seconds of each event, the world engages in a conversation that dissects and analyzes what just transpired, sharing views, emotions, and perspectives with a global audience. Perhaps, that "villain" isn't so bad after all; rather, the abundance of information is simply allowing for a different type of experience.
About a week ago I read a captivating article (Keeping Danny Boyle's Secret) about one person's thoughts on the Opening Ceremony and what it meant for London, and Tuesday I came across Bill Simmons' tweet featuring his article, The London Chronicles, Vol 4: Great Britain Lives Up to Its Name, which described this past incredible weekend in London as the stars shined in front of huge passionate crowds. The former made me feel as if I were there in London, having witnessed all the preparation for the Games and then finally watching the months of practice culminate in a memorable Opening Ceremony. The latter put me in a seat 20 rows up from the track to watch Jess Ennis fulfill the dreams and hopes of all Brits one night, and then to watch Usain Bolt sprint his way to an unthinkable gold medal the next. This illustrates both the power of writing and expression but also the modern capability to easily share these pieces with the world.
These Olympics have further reinforced the fact that we are an intricate community, brought together by social media, and one that seeks feedback and commentary just as much as the inherent value of an experience. Nothing can replace the awe-inspiring experience of witnessing something incredible with your own eyes. However, the ability to share that experience with the world and partake in that global conversation which spreads the emotions and thoughts of the experience to others is an incredible substitute and a modern phenomenon. Perhaps I will get the chance to watch more of the Olympics before they conclude, but if not, I know I will be a part of the conversation that ensues, the creation of a powerful story that will far outlive the actual event.


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Special Publications / March 24, 2019
A Loved One's Role in Addiction
By Ashley Mowreader
Art by Bethany Wilson
Watching his father stagger home one night when he was young, freshman Carson Vandermade said he didn't realize his father was drunk until an argument exploded between his parents. It wasn't until later in his life he fully understood that his father suffered from alcoholism.
"You don't understand it, because you're a kid, so it's not like something that's real," Vandermade said.
Sixteen million people in the U.S. had alcohol use disorder in 2016, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and 21.5 million adults had a substance abuse disorder in 2014, according to American Addiction Centers. But these people are not the the only ones affected by substance abuse.
A 2017 Pew Research Center survey found that 46 percent of U.S. adults have a family member or close friend who is or has been addicted to drugs. In 2012, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services found over 7 million children in the U.S. lived with alcoholic parents.
Alcohol and drug abuse can create long-lasting effects not only on the addicts themselves, but also on their loved ones. Through recognizing the negative habits of addicts and receiving help through counseling and support groups, friends and family can overcome the hurt in their lives caused by addiction.
Being in relationship with an addict
Substance abusers can become focused solely on obtaining and using the substance, which can damage relationships, according to American Addiction Centers. Addiction can make people more secretive, have trust issues and more prone to anger and abuse.
Freshman Zoe Walsh said her mother's alcoholism made her feel like she had to be responsible for her.
"It became a pattern of watching her binge-drink and not be able to control herself," Walsh said. "I felt like I had to parent her or look out for her and feeling like she just in general wasn't in control of herself."
Vandermade said he also felt responsibility for his father's alcoholism, especially in terms of his parent's relationship.
"As the relationship between my mom and my dad becomes more dynamic through me being able to understand [his alcoholism] better as I grew up — I was more of a mediator between my mom and my dad," Vandermade said. "Where there was resentment between them, I had to meld. I felt a responsibility for their relationship and for my dad's safety as well."
Substance abuse can also cause problems like issues at school or work, money problems, domestic violence, child abuse and/or arrest and prison time, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Being in a relationship with an addict can also develop into codependency. Codependency, as defined by Mental Health America, is "an emotional and behavioral condition that affects an individual's ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship." Codependency is also known as "relationship addiction," as those in codependent relationships form abusive and one-sided relationships.
People who are codependent are more likely to enable and cover up addiction, as they feel insecure or avoidant of the problem, according to Mental Health America.
Loved ones of an addict can also feel isolation, fear and resentment, said Mona Dougherty, senior communication specialist for Al-Anon — an anonymous support group for friends and family of alcoholics.
"When people are affected by [alcoholism], they feel like they're alone, or that they're by themselves [and] no one else can understand what they're going through," Dougherty said.
Walsh said she is also more likely to "overreact" when it comes to her loved one's drinking habits, as it makes her uncomfortable.
"Someone having a drink may not seem like that big of a deal to most people, [but] if it's my mom having a drink, it can cause panic and a lot of discomfort and very adverse reactions," Walsh said.
What to do if you think your loved one may be an addict
If a person believes their loved one is an addict, Pepperdine counselor Sparkle Greenhaw said they should first educate themselves on what addiction looks like.
Greenhaw said a loose definition of addiction is someone who abuses a substance without regard to consequences and/or is unable to moderately use a substance. A person may be more prone to addiction if they have family history of addiction or have developed a tolerance to a substance.
Symptoms of drug addiction in adolescents include being withdrawn, sleeping more, depression, hostility, changes in eating habits and deteriorating relationships, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Risky or dangerous behavior, negative effects on grades and/or health, being in trouble with the law/campus officials or getting angry if others comment on habits can also be symptoms of alcohol or drug use, according to the Pepperdine Health Center.
Walsh said her mother's pattern of binge drinking and being unable to quit drew her to the conclusion that her mother was an alcoholic.
"I kind of discovered it for myself because my family was really uncomfortable with those labels [of alcoholism] and since then, she has admitted to it," Walsh said.
The next step is to let the addict know that you care. If a person chooses to confront a friend or roommate about an addiction, Greenhaw said to "stick to the facts," like missed classes or probation.
"If you share a judgmental opinion, that's something people can argue with and that tends to not be as helpful," Greenhaw said.
If it becomes a safety concern, Greenhaw continued, a person should tell an authority figure or someone who can help.
"As a roommate or a friend, you may see more of it and you have a more accurate picture," Greenhaw said. "Unless you let someone know who can help, they may not know what's going on. There's a limit to how much someone can do."
For Pepperdine students, the Counseling Center, Housing and Residence Life staff and the Office of the Chaplain are all people who can help, Greenhaw said. However, only the Counseling Center and Office of the Chaplain are required to stay confidential (so long as no one is in immediate danger).
How to help (and how you can't)
A person who wants to help an addicted loved one should first set boundaries.
"I think it's important in [relationships] for the person to set boundaries: emotional boundaries and boundaries in how much they're going to take on," Greenhaw said.
Walsh said loved ones of addicts should use compassion to define boundaries in the relationship.
"Try to understand where they're coming from, and then use that understanding and that knowledge to recognize where you need to have a little bit of separation," Walsh said. "Help them recognize that unless something changes, your relationship might not be as close as it could be."
Behaviors loved ones should avoid include: assuming the responsibilities of the addict, preaching or lecturing, feeling guilty or responsible and joining or enabling the user, according to the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). Loved ones also should not try and cover up or lie about a loved one's addiction.
"Sometimes silence is actually contributing to the problem because they're pretending like there's not an issue or problem," Greenhaw said.
Vandermade said it's important to take the relationship day by day.
"A piece of overarching advice is: let love dominate your relationship with the person," Vandermade said. "It's easy to fall into resentment or be bitter about certain things, but you [have to] recognize it as a disease and treat that with compassion and recognize that they're not in control."
Walsh said those in a relationship with an addict should not take the addict's actions personally.
"Understand that the person they are as an addict is a reflection of their inner turmoil rather than your relationship with them," Walsh said. "You are still a good loved one and family member no matter how they lash out."
Ultimately, it is the addict's responsibility to change and overcome his or her addiction, Greenhaw said.
"You can only do so much," Greenhaw said. "You can't make anyone do anything."
Resources for loved ones of addicts
For loved ones of addicts, there are many different resources available.
The Pepperdine Counseling Center offers free, confidential counseling for anyone who wants support. Greenhaw said the Counseling Center is nonjudgemental, and students can talk about their own substance abuse or someone else's substance abuse.
"We take the approach that we want people to help themselves," Greenhaw said. "We would talk with them about what's going on, what's not going well [and] how can we keep you safe."
Walsh said she has attended counseling both at home and at Pepperdine.
"I think it can be really beneficial to have that be a tool [and] to have someone else make sure you're dealing with things healthily," Walsh said.
Another option for loved ones of substance abusers are support groups. Groups like Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are anonymous support groups for friends and family of people with alcoholism and drug addiction. Both groups follow a 12-step process, which helps members recover from the effects of being in a relationship with an addict.
Al-Anon is anonymous and available to all ages and people who are looking for support from their loved one's alcoholism, Doughtery said. Al-Anon, like Nar-Anon, is centered on supporting the loved one of an addict and helping them overcome the effects of alcoholism or drug abuse in his or her life, Dougherty said.
"There's no restriction on what kind of Al-Anon relationship," Dougherty said. "It's not about that person, it's about how you feel. Alcoholism is a disease, and it affects families regardless of whether it has been acknowledged as such. The effects on families are long lasting."
Dougherty said those impacted by alcoholism and who are looking for support can try an Al-Anon group, but she hopes they will look until something fits.
"There's no replacing the feeling of support, acceptance and encouragement that they can get from a group," Dougherty said. "It's all about finding that right group for you."
Greenhaw said it is important for loved ones of addicts to get support for themselves, whether that's talking to the Counseling Center, HRL staff, a friend or family member.
Walsh said she has encountered people throughout her life whom she was able to talk to about being affected by alcoholism.
"It's a surprisingly common thing — people with addict parents or loved ones," Walsh said. "That's one of the most beneficial things is hearing things like, 'You're not crazy, you're not being a bad person for having this off-relationship with your parents; it's not your fault.'"
Walsh recommended practical steps for those in a relationship with an addict such as getting involved in a new activity, finding ways to stay grounded, exploring creative pursuits and journaling.
"Journaling is a really great way of processing your experience without it having to be verbal and outspoken," Walsh said. "You can still externalize it."
Using faith for support
The Office of the Chaplain at Pepperdine is another alternative for those looking for confidential aid, as they offer counseling for anyone looking for spiritual support or guidance.
"Our goals in spiritual care include helping people with their prayer lives, vocational discernment, getting involved in ministries and engaging God in numerous ways," Chaplain Sara Barton said. "Sometimes addiction or other challenges present themselves during spiritual care, and in such cases, we partner with the Counseling Center and Student Care Team to support student health. We encourage students to seek us out, and we can help them understand services available to them."
Dougherty said the 12-step program of Al-Anon includes reference to a higher power, but members do not have to be religiously affiliated or believe in God to participate.
"The individual puts their own definition on what that higher power means to them to help them achieve physical, emotional and spiritual serenity and growth," Dougherty said. "It's not something that's going to be pushed on you one way or another. We do have people who are atheists and agnostics."
Barton said if a student has a faith system, she would encourage investment in intergenerational relationships, which can be found in churches, synagogues and other religious gatherings.
"A friend or mentor who has lived through life's challenges can offer helpful advice and direction," Barton said.
Walsh and Vandermade both said they recommend relying on one's faith, as they are both Christians.
"If you can find peace [in religion], that's awesome, too," Walsh said. "Having counseling in God can be helpful if you're not in the place where you feel comfortable talking about your experience with other people."
Vandermade said his father's alcoholism forced him to grow up, not literally, but in a spiritual sense, as he relied on his faith.
"I think having a faith is what got me through it and why I didn't need to seek more practical ways of coping," Vandermade said. "Knowing that no matter what happens for that one night that's really [bad], it doesn't matter; I'm a child of God. I have one Father that I can depend on for anything, and He won't let me down."
Tags: Ashley Mowreader Counceling Center Drug Abuse drug addiction Drugs sparkle greenhaw substance abuse
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Photo by Milan LoaiconoModeled by Isabel Klein Nineteen-year-old Emily Taylor* enjoyed her childhood in Malibu: learning...


If you have been following my Demystifying vSphere Replication posts, you will remember that to achieve the maximum VMs replicated through vSphere Replication you need to provision additional vSphere Replication Servers, VRS, to spread the load.
So, let's see how to add more VRS to your environment.
Wait until the deployment finishes.
Bada bing, bada boom.... you have a new vSphere Replication on your environment !!!
obs: obvisouly you must have a vSphere Replication Management Server already implemented, I'm not covering it. There's a bunch of blog posts about it, but basically it's a OVF deployment, just follow the wizard and , it's done.


text:
Prince Harry, Meghan's home renovations cost taxpayers $3 million
Fixtures, fittings and furnishings at the Victorian-era structure were paid for by the royal couple.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's home was renovated with 2.4 million pounds ($3.06 million) of taxpayers' money, royal accounts revealed Tuesday.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's residence near Windsor Castle, called Frogmore Cottage, underwent major work to turn five properties back into a single home for the couple and their baby son Archie. Fixtures, fittings and furnishings at the Victorian-era structure were paid for by the royal couple.
The figures were part of the release of the royal family's accounts, which showed that the British taxpayers spent 67 million pounds ($85.2 million) on the monarchy during 2018-19, a 41% increase on the previous financial year.
"The property had not been the subject of work for some years and had already been earmarked for renovation in line with our responsibility to maintain the condition of the occupied royal palaces estate," said Michael Stevens, the keeper of the Privy Purse, who is responsible for the monarchy's accounts.
"The building was returned to a single residence and outdated infrastructure was replaced to guarantee the long-term future of the property," he said. "Substantially all fixtures and fittings were paid for by Their Royal Highnesses."
Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic questioned why so much money was spent on the renovations at a time when public services are under financial pressure.
"It is particularly galling that they're allowed to get away this whilst public services need money," said group spokesman Graham Smith.
Overall, spending rose primarily because of higher levels of expenditure devoted to critical renovations for Buckingham Palace in London. The iconic structure is in the second year of a 10-year project after a Treasury report concluded the building's infrastructure was in danger of a catastrophic failure.
The total Sovereign Grant, which funds Queen Elizabeth II and her household's official expenses, was 82.2 million pounds, or 1.24 pounds per person in the U.K. That figure includes 15.2 million pounds ($19.3 million) set aside for future phases of the palace renovation.
The palace says the royal family took on 3,200 official engagements during 2018-19 and welcomed 160,000 guests to royal palaces and events.
The Queen is Looking For a Royal Chef and it Pays Rs 18 Lakh Annually
Former WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella confirms relationship in latest post
myKhel
Princess Diana's Reincarnation? 4-Year-Old Boy in Australia Claims to Be Rebirth of Princess of Wales
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PM Narendra Modi World's Most Admired Indian Followed by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, Check Full List of World's Most Admired Persons
Cheaper Netflix, Sacred Games 2 & Baahubali for a Million Eyeballs


text:
Q: Installing Emacs Emulation keybindings -- Invalid VSIX package I'm trying to install the extension for Visual Studio 2012 that allows emacs key-bindings.
I'm following through the steps here:
Emacs Keybindings in Visual Studio 2012 or 2013
I'm up to step 5:

Run the vsik file as administrator. This is required so the extension
  can write Emacs.vsk into the program files folder. I wasn't sure the
  best way to do this so I ran a command prompt as admin and then
  executed start emacsemulations.vsik from the prompt.

So, running emacsemulations.vsix from an administrator command prompt,
I get the following error "This VSIX package is invalid because it does not contain the file extension.vsixmanifest at the root."
I'm not changing any of the file names inside the package.
I'm thinking this may have something to do with how windows zips up the file -- I'm able to recreate the problem simply by unzipping and rezipping the EmacsEmulation.vsix file without changing the contents of the vsix package.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to fix, or even better, the actual updated vsix file itself, I'd be very grateful!

A: The issue you have relies on the way you are zipping your file, what you should do is zip all files inside the folder you created (in this case, "EmacsEmulations") when you unzipped it.

*

*Step into the EmacsEmulations folder.

*Select all files.

*Add to .zip

*Rename the .zip output to EmacsEmulations.vsix

I'm trying to get this extension to work too, so good luck!


Can anybody please elaborate on QGIS' topology considering shared vertices of the type depicted in my screen cast?
The polygon in the picture is the same feature, with one node being shared at exactly the same position, without overlapping, leading to an intersection of the line-segments.
I assume this is supposed to be an invalid geometry, however I think it shouldn't.
How to get around this, if I want to retain the position of both vertices??
You have ring self-intersection at POINT ( 70349.5 248978.25009999983).
Some software do not agree with this interpretion, though. I think that for example Oracle does accept if outer ring is touching itself at one point. However, PostGIS considers it as invalid and this query returns "false"
By looking at your geometry, the clean way to correct it is probably to digitize a narrow corridor where the ring is touching itself.
ogr2ogr input.shp output.shp -dialect sqlite -sql "SELECT ST_Buffer( geometry , 0 ),* FROM 'input'"
...will fix the topology (see How to Identify and Delete duplicate vertices?)! This can be done within QGIS' [OGR] Geoprocessing "Buffer vectors"!
I checked the resulting geometry with the Topology checker - it's well formed! Thanks @user30184 for sorting things out!
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged qgis topology vertices or ask your own question.
Displaying Vertices and Nodes in ArcGIS Desktop when editing?
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It's interested and make you have an idea to design your room? Get your idea with picture from Basketball Logo Clipart, If you inspiration dont forget to email or contact us when you're happy. Basketball Logo Clipart was posted in July 16, 2017 at 3:34 pm and This Basketball Logo Clipart has viewed by 461 users. Browse all of Free Clipart. You may found another Basketball Logo Clipart better design ideas.


St Matthew's Collegiate School in Masterton has a proud history of academic achievement and excellence. In 2018 we are offering a range of scholarships for prospective boarders to encourage and reward academic excellence, to attract and retain preference students, and to assist high-achieving students who will benefit from financial support in their transition to boarding. Existing day students who wish to become boarders are welcome to apply for scholarships.
Awards do not require application. Awards are decided by an academic panel.
Only use the application form for scholarships.
The "To The Stars" Grant is for the daughter, niece or granddaughter of an Old Girl. The Old Girl must be a fully paid SMOGA Member and have attended St Matthew's Collegiate School for a minimum of two full school years.
The "To The Stars" Grant will be awarded to a girl who shows all round participation in her school life and who will contribute to St Matthew's in all aspects during her schooling years.
In order to meet the "To The Stars" Grant application requirements, the daughter must already have a position confirmed, as a daygirl or boarder, for the year of the application.
It has a current value is currently $2000 per year.
The scholarship is valued at $2000 per year.
The St Matthew's Collegiate School Old Girls' "Endeavour" Grant aims to financially assist an old girl, or the widower of an old girl, to send their daughter to St Matthew's Collegiate School. The Grant is for the daughter of an Old Girl who attended St Matthew's Collegiate School for a minimum of 2 full school years. The Old Girl must be a fully paid SMOGA Member.
The Grant's Terms and Conditions require that the daughter must already have a position confirmed, as a daygirl or boarder, for the year of the Application.
The Grant will only be awarded in years when there are sufficient funds in the St Matthew's Collegiate School Old Girls "Endeavour" Grant Fund.
These awards are presented to existing students who achieve at the highest levels.
There are two awards available – one at Year 7 and one at Year 9 – based on entrance exam results. The award is for the student's first year of schooling to the value of $500. An academic panel will determine the recipients of these awards.
Entrance exams take place in October, usually on the first Friday of Term 4 during our Orientation Day. Both girls who are enrolled to start at the beginning of the next year and existing students will sit these exams. They provide us with a 'snapshot' of where the girls are at this stage in their academic life.
The Prelude Art Award is presented to a student in recognition of the Centennial Celebration which saw the creation of the Prelude Sculpture by renowned artist Virginia King. The award is to a student who has demonstrated promise and excellence in visual art.
The award is valued at $500.
One scholarship is available each year for prospective boarders who have great sporting talent and a demonstrable record of sporting achievement. Recipients will be expected to excel in their chosen sport and make a broader contribution to sport at St Matthew's. Existing student who wish to become boarders are invited to apply.
Scholarship value is $1500 for one year.
One scholarship is available each year for prospective boarders who have great artistic ability (in for example visual art or painting) and demonstrate record of achievement. Existing students who want to become boarders are invited to apply.
One scholarship is available each year for prospective boarders who have great ability in their chosen cultural activity (which could include musicianship or stage performance etc) and demonstrate record of achievement. Existing students who wish to become boarders are invited to apply.
The closing date for all scholarships for 2019 is November 9 2018.


How to begin my first post on the environment?
It's been nearly seven years since I completed my BA in environmental studies, yet I feel like I haven't contributed to making this world a better, healthier place to live. I've debated going back to school to obtain a Master's degree in environmental policy in a region that, according to my observations, supports strong environmental policies.
That region is, of course, Scandinavia. The country: Sweden. The program: Environmental Management and Policy at Lund University.
Being able to work on a local, national, or international stage to foster environmental protection and sustainability by promoting eco-friendly companies and living a more sustainable lifestyle.
This year's theme for Earth Day is to end plastic pollution. But that is not the only campaign they are working on including green schools, climate change activism, and biodiversity.
Last night when I was stumbling through writer's block regarding this blog post, I saw this post by conservationist Bindi Sue Irwin, the daughter of famed crocodile hunter Steve Irwin.
We should want to protect and preserve the environment for future generations.
What are your thoughts on Earth Day?
Would you change your lifestyle to protect the environment?
Thank you for sharing! Education is very important to changing perspectives.
Check out The University of Portsmouth. Professor John McGeehan and his team have discovered a plastic eating enzyme!
That's cool to hear! I'll definitely try to check it out.


There are some glaring similarities between illegal drug use, and food addiction. Certain food are actually designed to make you crave them again and again. As a society, we have no qualms condemning drugs as dangerous and reckless. Shouldn't we start adopting a mindset that condemns dangerous foods that contain addictive and damaging properties?
Here are seven similarities between drug addiction and food addiction that must be recognized.
One thing that's evident about junk food and sugar is that the more you eat, the more you seem to want to eat. You can do an experiment at home and eat food that contains high sugar. Even if you don't crave more right away, chances are your body will crave more later on. After a while you will feel sluggish—and maybe even a little guilty—resulting in the desire to eat more sugar.
The sugar in food increases serotonin in the brain (a hormone that makes us feel happiness and comfort). This same hormone is aggressively stimulated by hard drugs. The problem with over stimulation of serotonin is that at some point, your brain hits a low because of depletion. The only way to get that 'high' back is by eating more of the same foods that caused the stimulation in the first place.
There are two different types of enjoyment when eating.
The on is the satisfaction of hunger. Your body gets hungry for certain nutrients that it needs, and you satisfy the hunger with nutritious food. This in turn helps you to enjoy your food and feel good about eating.
The other is eating because of the way the food makes you feel. It tastes good, and therefore makes you think you are satisfying your hunger.
The problem with the second type of enjoyment is that it can easily override the natural feeling of hunger. Basically, you are feeding yourself with food that is satisfying a craving, but not the actual hunger. This results in a nutrition deficiency and if unchecked, full blown food addiction.
Drugs work in very much the same way as the second form of eating. Your brain tells you that it needs the chemical, but in actual fact your body is being damaged by it. When you crave sugar or junk food, your body doesn't need it at all. The chemical is fooling your brain into thinking you do.
That brings us to the third similarity. The very food that is triggering your brain's serotonin is actually causing very real damage to your body. Like drugs, if you continue to eat unhealthy food, you will incrementally damage your health and cause irreversible side effects.
In addition to the dangerous chemicals entering your body, you are also depriving your body of the nutrition it does need. This of course causes further damage.
If a habit is formed where eating in a certain way becomes the norm, then breaking out of that habit is extremely difficult. Because of the chemicals involved, the brain will continue to signal for more of the substance.
Now to be fair, for some, breaking off a food addiction is relatively easier than breaking off a drug addiction; but the science remains the same. There has to be a cold turkey effect—a breaking off of the substance in order to replenish balance.
A scary part about food addiction is that is can consume you as much as any other substance abuse problem. In a sense, the food addict lives for his or her next 'fix'. The only thing some people look forward to is their next meal or snack.
This can lead to a serious lack of drive and ambition. Instead of working on their careers or achieving their goals, they develop an obsession with eating. This of course is not due to the eating itself; it stems from the chemical reaction certain foods have on the brain.
There is a strong emotional attachment to junk food binging as well as drug use. Many people who struggle with their weight are ashamed to eat in public. Why? Because actively partaking in the action that is causing the problem creates a sense of guilt.
Drug use is also done in secret. The association we have with a drug user is someone who locks themselves in a dark room and partakes of their guilty pleasure. Food binging is no different.
As many therapists will tell you, the best way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a new one. When it comes to food addiction, good habits like exercise, healthy eating, self confidence, etc. can become strong motivators in curbing destructive behaviour.
These similarities are actually quite frightening. It shows that we have come to a point where we must unapologetically view sugar as a drug. If you have recognized these symptoms in yourself or anyone you know, it may be time to confront binge eating for what it really is: An addiction.
Everybody's doing it—blogging about their passion, their business, their travels. If you've created a blog you'll appreciate how tough it is to stand out from the crowd. There's a lot of competition out there. Creating trust with your audience starts with creating a blog that looks professional.
Ever come out of the mall and forgotten where you parked your car? That's how your readers feel when they're looking for a post you wrote a while back.
Don't let that happen. Put a search bar in your header or sidebar and make it easy for them to find what they're looking for.
This is the perfect way to keep your readers engaged. Adding links in your sidebar to your most popular posts will keep readers on your blog devouring your content.
Another clever trick is to include links to other posts you've written in the body of your article. Let's say a visitor is on your blog reading about the hottest hairstyles for 2016. At some point in your post you could include a link to another post you've written about hair colour trends. Ensure that your links are on topic and you'll see how engagement improves.
Not all of your readers want to leave a comment on your blog. Some people prefer to interact via social media because it's easy for them. So give them the option of getting in touch with you using social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
Don't rely on a blurry selfie for your bio or About page—get a professional photographer to take the shot instead. It will make a real difference to the way your readers perceive the quality of your blog and the content you offer.
A compelling image helps capture attention and draw your reader in. Place it near the top of your blog post for maximum effect. Alternatively, you could include a photo in the middle to break up your text.
Images are essential for social sharing. If someone likes your post enough to share it on Facebook, the link will include your image and make it stand out.
Even if you're an amateur blogger, your blog doesn't have to be. All of these tips take less than 10 minutes to set up. But they'll leave your blog looking more polished and professional. Try them out and let us know how they work for you.
Since she was a little girl, Olivia has always had her nose in a book. Her curiosity knows no bounds and she spends her time collecting stories. Her greatest wish is to become a sought-after copywriter. Fingers crossed!


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I have a 90 gallon tank and I am wanting to put nothing but frontosa's (Hope that I am spelling that right) in it. I am wandering how many would be a good number for that tank. I know the 1inch of fish per 10 gallons but if that was true Id have to get rid of about have of my africans. But if someone could give me a little ideal it would be great. To tell you a little about the tank if it helps it has a sump filter and it measures 18x24x48. I had a oscar in it but decided to get rid of him because he wouldnt let anything else in the tank. Hope someone can help.
the guidline is actually 1" per gallon. Also as some others have mentioned, try not to exceed 3/4 of the width of your tank (13") fish length.