do we have to worry about you!?
I did joined but didn't bother taking screenshots.... thought would be posted already.
I don't think he should be allowed to have a life outside of TopDrives.
Datsun one or 2 then the others!!
Silvia or QX70 for the 2nd off roader? How bad is Silvia on Motocross?
Mazda 6 or RX-7? Which win wet hairpin?
This is probably the first time i can run the 787B and theres atleast 1 dry track on each set but i'm still not running it , feels more important to do well on the offroad tracks.
Gotta take the loss on the hill/moto set surely. Maybe offset by taking 1 datsun and something that can make the hill or moto.
Nissan 240rs mite beat datsun on a few others in the sand , sure the twisty road ... somebody get us some feed back ..
Sure nissan 240 wins all twisty roads.


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Jerry Lawler's thoughts on rejoining Raw Broadcast Team
By Big Daddy Kal, published on 26th September 2019
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler, recently spoke with the Memphis Commercial Appeal and revealed that the return is part of a new agreement with WWE.
Lawler revealed that just received a phone call from WWE TV Executive Vice President Kevin Dunn on Tuesday, and Dunn said the deal would be for however long Lawler wanted to do it.
"I got a call about it Tuesday morning from Kevin Dunn," Lawler said. "He said, 'I've got a proposition for you. It may be good news, and it may be bad news.' He knows I don't like to travel a whole lot anymore, so that was the bad part. I said, 'What's the good part?'
He said, 'We want you back on Raw.'
"He told me it's for however long I want to do it, so that sealed the deal."
Lawler, who has met Joseph a few times but never met Maddin, also revealed that RAW Executive Director Paul Heyman is the one who wanted to put them on RAW. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon didn't want to put the younger commentators on WWE's flagship show without a veteran to back them up, which is when he told them to make the call to The King.
"It was Paul [Heyman's] idea to put Vic and Dio on Raw," Lawler revealed. "Apparently, what I was told, Vince [McMahon] said, 'You can't throw these two new, young guys on our flagship show. Call King.' That's how it happened."
Lawler is confident about his return to the company for Monday's big season premiere from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.
"All I've been able to think about is what Vince told me when I first started over 25 years ago, 'It's live TV — nothing can go wrong,'" Lawler said. "I feel really confident it'll be like riding a bike. I'll treat it exactly the way I always have — like I'm watching the show in my living room with my neighbor. The name of the company is World Wrestling Entertainment. And I've always thought the commentators are an important part of the entertainment."
John Morrison reportedly re-signs with WWE
New WWE Monday Night Raw logo & theme tune unveiled

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Managing a design system is more than designing components. You have to make sure it scales across platforms and devices. You also have to make sure your brand is obvious.
Learn how these Instrucitonal Designers create engaging presentations for sales teams. Learn how to create tutorials, conduct research, and the best tools for technical presentations.
Join Darcy Peters, Happiness Lead at Buffer to discover how she answers customers and provide technical support in the most efficient way.
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Product Managers have to juggle company objectives, product roadmaps, features prioritization, and team management. It gets even crazier as companies grow exponentially faster.
In this webinar we'll discuss The Future of Workplace Communication and Collaboration and how visuals are an important part of any team communication strategy.


Are you a small to mid-sized manufacturing company and concerned that how you currently manage innovation and new product development is not optimized to provide continued growth in revenue and earnings? Or do you want to explore ways to improve an existing process? Innovation Coach workshops offered byNew Product Visions are unique 4-day group workshops focused on improving an existing new product development (NPD) process or implementing one for the first time.
Spend one (1) day every four (4) weeks for three (3) months away from your daily responsibilities and join other non-competitive businesses struggling with similar issues. Alternatively, attend only the day(s) that are of interest. The workshop is built around a combination of presentations, exercises and case studies to encourage a dynamic learning experience, with emphasis on practical tools that any business can implement. Learn the key elements of an effective NPD process and how to apply them to your business. The course is accessible and affordable for small to mid-sized businesses, and a cost effective way to quickly learn how to improve your ability to manage innovation and grow revenue and earnings.
And the benefits? Data suggests that only about 18% of senior managers are satisfied with their ability to manage innovation. That means there are significant opportunities to improve the effectiveness of every organization's abilities to manage innovation, no matter the size of the company. Improving the effectiveness not only means more products to market faster, but just as importantly, choosing and defining more meaningful new products that are more successful when launched.
One metric to consider to benchmark your company, is to look at the % of revenue generated by new products. Typically, this calculation is made by calculating the % of revenue from products introduced in the last (3) years divided by the total annual revenue. Most data suggests that if you are generating 35% of your revenue on products introduced in the last (3) years, you have a robust process. More often than not, this is not the case. If you consider even a small business, and the possibility that just a 1% improvement in effectiveness is possible and a resulting 1% improvement in total revenue above and beyond your normal growth rate, that dwarfs the cost of this course. In addition, there is a 100% money back guarantee so your risk is minimized.
The next workshop starts in mid-November 2014 and concludes in mid-February 2015 at a convenient hotel conference room in King of Prussia, PA. Tentative dates are 11/18/14, 12/16/14, 1/13/15, and 2/10/15. Dates can be adjusted based on attendee availability. This location is ideal for companies located in DE, MD, NJ, NYC, eastern PA, and southern CT.
Click here for more information and a brochure. For additional information or to register contact Jeff Groh at (302) 367-3160 or by email at jgroh@newproductvisions.com.
The Innovation Coach® and Roberts Rules® of Innovation (www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com) are the property of Brands & Company, LLC of Stuart, FL and licensed to New Product Visions. Roberts Rules of Innovation provide the framework for the 4-day Innovation Coach workshops presented by New Product Visions.


• Workforce Development – Support programs and facilities which provide specialized workforce training and development of workers needed in the swine industry and Nebraska agriculture in general, including community college programs and the Lincoln Agriculture High School proposal.
• Livestock and Rural Economic Development – Encourage livestock facility development and value-added processing growth in rural areas of Nebraska helping to increase the tax base and economic activity of our local communities.
• Siting Matrix Promotion – Support the Nebraska Animal Feeding Operation Siting Matrix and encourage its adaption by counties as well as use by producers.
• NDA Budget/Promote Certified Pork from Nebraska – Support current funding levels of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture general fund budget in the areas of animal health, trade promotion, and Nebraska Certified Pork Program development.
• Property Tax – Support proposals and policies that provide significant relief and reform of Nebraska's property tax system as it pertains to agriculture properties.
• Research Funding for Land Grant Universities – Support strong agriculture research programs and funding for basic research at our land grant university and for applied research by our university extension service.
• Beginning Farmer Program – Support a review of the current Nebraska Beginning Farmer Program and evaluate its effectiveness as it relates to swine production.
• Broadband – Support initiatives that bring affordable high-speed internet access to all parts of Nebraska, including areas where swine production facilities are located.
• Sales Tax Exemptions – Continue to support sales tax exemptions on farm equipment that is used for the health and welfare of animals (including fans, curtains and climate control equipment within livestock buildings).
• Presidential Appointments – Encourage the current administration to as quickly as possible fill open cabinet, agency and state department positions, particularly in those areas that Nebraska pork producers rely on for guidance, promotion, and oversite of their industry (EPA, USDA, FDA, Trade, etc.).
• Immigration – Support access to a legal immigrant workforce through a streamlined year-round visa application process and a "common sense" path to citizenship for those workers already here in our country. Support VISA reform pertaining to full-time ag workers.
• Trade – Support free trade agreements that eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers on U.S. pork shipments that result in additional exports and an increase in domestic jobs. Seek ratification for the USMCA trade agreement. Encourage immediate action on bi-lateral trade agreements which open markets for our pork products.
• Transportation and Infrastructure Funding – Support additional resources to expand 10-ton roads and bridges in our farm-to-market transportation system and encourage universal broadband development policies for our farms and rural communities.
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) – Change US DOT Hours of Service rules, to allow that on duty driver/operator time should not be calculated for livestock haulers who remain in their truck during loading and unloading, and the 14 hour "on duty" ELD clock should be paused.
• State Laws and Ballot Initiatives – Support 'No regulation without representation' statutes and rules as it pertains to interstate commerce and ag products.
• Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) – Support 5 full years of funding for the FMD vaccine bank development (year 1 funding authorized in the recent farm bill).
• Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) Regionalization – Support policies that regionalize livestock farms in the event of a FAD outbreak and promote continued commerce.
• Swine Feed Holding Times – Require USDA-ARS to evaluate swine foreign animal disease virus viability in pig feed or feedstuffs and develop feed holding time information as it relates to transport and storage to assist in disease prevention.


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Ray Gun Revival (RGR) was a webzine of space opera and golden age science fiction. The first issue was published in July 2006. Founded by Johne Cook, L. S. King, and Paul Christian Glenn, who call themselves "Overlords", RGR was inspired in part by the (now defunct) Deep Magic PDF e-zine. Some of the same contributors who worked with Deep Magic now work with RGR. It features short stories and serials, and is known for its lavish, science-fiction-themed cover art.

In 2009, Bill Snodgrass of Double Edged Publishing decided to take a step back from publishing fiction and the Overlords announced that the magazine's future was uncertain. This announcement was seen by Jordan Ellinger, RGR contributing author and managing editor of Every Day Fiction. Long a fan of the magazine, Ellinger volunteered to take over publication in a new format under the Every Day Publishing label, subject to the condition that the magazine not publish any work by any member of its staff. He envisioned a new semi-pro magazine that would publish in a weekly format, anchored by at least one pro-author per month.

Early in the magazine's new format, RGR was approached by Mike Resnick as a potential home for his Catastrophe Baker series. To-date, the magazine has published eight Catastrophe Baker stories

RayGunRevival.com was featured on SciFi.com as  "Site of the Week" on June 13, 2007.

Controversy
In August 2007, the magazine found itself caught up in the controversy surrounding SFWA's issuance of overly broad DMCA takedown notices. It had been a policy of Overlord Johne Cook to upload back issues of the magazine to Scribd, an online repository for the exchange of documents, as a way of attracting traffic to the site, and SFWA ordered these issues removed against his wishes. Cook contacted Cory Doctorow, John Scalzi, and Jason Bentley about the notices, and Doctorow quickly published an article on the notices in his webzine Boing Boing. News quickly spread from there.

This incident was one of the issues that caused the future President of SFWA, John Scalzi, to endorse winning candidate Russell Davis over Andrew Burt, head of the ePiracy committee at that time, for President of the organization.

Closure
On 7 October 2012 the magazine announced it was closing, with a headline "Overlords' Lair: One Last Story".

Editors
 Johne Cook, Overlord 2006–2012
 L.S.King, Overlord 2006–2012
 Paul Christian Glenn, Overlord 2006–2012

Authors published in EDF
 Mike Resnick
 Larry Hodges
 Steve Stanton
 Michael Ehart
 Adam Colston

See also
 List of literary magazines
 List of Canadian magazines

References

External links
 Ray Gun Revival (official web site)

2006 establishments in Canada
2012 disestablishments in Canada
Online magazines published in Canada
Science fiction magazines published in Canada
Weekly magazines published in Canada
Defunct magazines published in Canada
Fantasy fiction magazines
Horror fiction magazines
Magazines established in 2006
Magazines disestablished in 2012

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Baghdad I know is a patchwork of memories and faded photographs belonging to my mother and father. It might just be the sepia tone, or perhaps it's the nostalgia that laces their stories, but to me it's a magical, ethereal place with towering palm trees lining long and dusty roads, cool kids with round sunglasses and flares perching on the bonnets of convertible cars (I'm looking at you, dad), and the Tigris and the Euphrates stretching as far as the eye can see.
One of the many stories that add to the magic of Iraq is that of my great grandfather, Jawad. I like to think that although we never met, we would have had a fair bit in common, and could've had some pretty great conversations. In 1903, jido founded Shakarchi Sweets, formally known as Al-Haj Jawad Al-Shakarchi & Sons. It was one of the country's most famous and popular producers of baklawa and other typical Iraqi sweets like mann al sama (a nutty nougat smothered in flour - I used to ask anyone that went to Iraq to bring this back for me!) and zalabiya (sticky, chewy, sugary fritters).
Shakarchi Sweets had outlets all over Baghdad and remained popular for decades. Sadly, it shut down in the early 1990s as a result of sanctions, which caused the price of sugar to skyrocket and made it impossible to keep the business afloat. If one thing is for sure, it's that Iraq hasn't been as sweet since.
Nobody in our family has yet taken on the task of bringing Shakarchi Sweets back to life. Maybe one day I can change that. I know I'll most likely never have a stall in Mansour, or a food truck pitched up on the bank of the Tigris, but maybe my sweets will give this side of the world a glimpse of that magical image of Iraq that my parents passed down to me.
As a foreward to the recipe, I will just say that baklawa comes in many different forms, but for the uninitiated, this is the most typical and the one to begin with. I really do encourage you to try making it. Baklawa has a reputation for being incredibly complicated, but in fact, it's surprisingly simple. Working with filo pastry is always going to be fiddly, but the beauty is that it really doesn't have to be perfect, and once you've got the hang of layering the filo and the butter, you're pretty much there.
You can also play around with fillings and flavours. The most traditional is a mixture of walnuts and pistachios, but pecans are my favourite so I decided to sneak them in too. If there is, however, just one piece of advice I'll give you, it's to leave your baklawa to soak in the syrup for at least 24 hours, or ideally even 48. The longer you leave it, the stickier, sweeter, and more delicious it will be. Just how jido would have liked it.
1. Preheat the oven to 170C, and lightly brush a large baking pan or casserole dish with melted butter.
2. Place the pistachios in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Remove about 50g and set to one side to top your baklawa later on. Add the pecans, sugar, and spices to the mixer, and pulse a few times more until the nuts are chopped and all the ingredients are well integrated.
3. Carefully unroll your filo sheets onto a clean work surface. Whenever you're not using them, always cover the sheets with a damp (but not wet!) tea towel to keep them from drying out. If your filo sheets are too big for your pan, you can easily trim them down with some scissors.
4. Carefully place your first filo sheet into the buttered pan. Butter the top of the filo lightly with a pastry brush, making sure to go all the way to the edges. Repeat this process with another 7 sheets of filo, so you have 8 sheets of filo with butter brushed in between each. It doesn't matter if the pastry wrinkles or tears every now and again, you can always cover it up with the next layer!
5. Now add your first layer of filling. Scatter half of the spiced nut mixture over your top layer of filo, making sure it is evenly spread and goes all the way to the edges.
6. Place a filo sheet over the nuts and carefully brush with butter. Add another 4 sheets, brushing with butter between each.
7. Now add your second layer of filling. Spread the remaining nut mixture evenly over the 5th filo sheet, again going all the way to the edges.
8. Place another filo sheet over this second layer of filling, and brush carefully with butter. Repeat with another 7 sheets of filo, to total 8. Try to be extra careful with your top layer, trying not to wrinkle or tear it, but it doesn't really matter if you do.
9. Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut a series of evenly spaced diagonal lines from one side to the other to create the traditional diamond shapes. You can choose the number of lines you cut depending on how many baklawa you want to make. Bake the baklawa in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until the filo is golden brown all over.
11. Whilst the baklawa is baking, make the syrup. Place the sugar, honey, water and rosewater (if you're using it) into a saucepan and warm over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and leave it to bubble for 10 minutes and until all the sugar is dissolved, being careful not to burn it. Remove from the heat and set aside.
12. Once the baklawa is ready, remove from the oven and carefully run a knife down the lines you cut earlier to make sure the pieces are separated. Pour the prepared syrup over the hot baklawa, making sure to cover the tops of each diamond and pouring between the lines too.
13. Garnish each piece with the remaining chopped pistachios, and leave to soak for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight, or even two days. The baklawa will keep well for about a week if stored in an airtight container.


Is American Funds Growth Fund of America A (AGTHX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
Looking for a Large Cap Growth fund? You may want to consider American Funds Growth Fund of America A (AGTHX) as a possible option. AGTHX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
AGTHX is classified in the Large Cap Growth segment by Zacks, an area full of possibilities. Companies are usually considered to be large-cap if their stock market valuation is more than $10 billion. Large Cap Growth mutual funds invest in many large U.S. firms that are projected to grow at a faster rate than their large-cap peers.
AGTHX finds itself in the American Funds family, based out of Los Angeles, CA. Since American Funds Growth Fund of America A made its debut in December of 1973, AGTHX has garnered more than $93.65 billion in assets. The fund's current manager is a team of investment professionals.
Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 11.31%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 16.25%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.
When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. AGTHX's standard deviation over the past three years is 12.24% compared to the category average of 9.34%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 12.3% compared to the category average of 9.25%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
It's always important to be aware of the downsides to any future investment, so one should not discount the risks that come with this segment. AGTHX lost 48.8% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 0.04%. This might suggest that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a bear market.
Nevertheless, with a 5-year beta of 1.03, the fund is likely to be as volatile as the market average. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. The fund has produced a positive alpha over the past 5 years of 0.12, which shows that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
Examining the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is largely on equities that are traded in the United States.
This fund's turnover is about 28%, so the fund managers are making fewer trades than its comparable peers.
As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, AGTHX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.62% compared to the category average of 1.05%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, AGTHX is actually cheaper than its peers.
Overall, American Funds Growth Fund of America A ( AGTHX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees compared to its peers.
For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Large Cap Growth, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. And don't forget, Zacks has all of your needs covered on the equity side too! Make sure to check out Zacks.com for more information on our screening capabilities, Rank, and all our articles as well.


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Bromham and Stagsden Circular Walk
This gentle walk explores the undulating countryside between the villages of Bromham and Stagsden. It offers contrasting views of the landscape and an insight into some of the local history.
How To Get There By Passenger Transport
Click here for bus and train timetable information.
How To Get There By Car
Bromham is 3 miles east of Bedford. Take the A428 out of Bedford, then turn right on the A6134.
You can park at Bromham Mill's car park during its open hours. The Mill is signposted from the A6134. The following pubs have kindly agreed to allow parking for walkers who take refreshments there - The Swan and The Prince of Wales at Bromham and The Royal George in Stagsden. Please inform the landlord if you intend to leave your car.
Start/Finish Point
Bromham Mill is the suggested starting point and the walk is described in a clockwise direction. However, you can begin at any other point and walk in either direction.
Access and General Information
Distance: 6 miles / 9.5km
Surface Types: You will walk across surface types ranging from hard and firm with no stones larger than 5mm, to hard and firm with some loose, variable sized stones, to grass or uncultivated earth paths with and without ruts and mud.
Linear Gradient: The steepest linear gradient is between 1:6-1:9. There is also a gradient of between 1:10-1:13.
Cross Falls: The steepest are 1:9 or steeper between points 3 and 4.
Width Restriction: See Barriers.
Steps: The maximum step height is 110mm at point 4.
Barriers: There are two 2-way opening gates with a width of 800mm and one two-step stile at point 4. There is also a 'V' shaped barrier at Stagsden Golf Course which has a 240mm opening and a step of 200mm.
Refreshments: There is a shop at Bromham.
Public Toilets: None recorded.
Picnic Tables: Located in Bromham Park.
Seats: None recorded.
Click here to download route description and map.
Bromham Mill
Part of the present mill dates from the 17th century although a watermill has probably occupied the site since before the Domesday Survey in 1086.
Alongside it stands Bromham Bridge. First mentioned in 1224 but extensively altered in 1813 and 1902, its 26 arches span the River Great Ouse that in previous times was rich in eels providing a substantial income for the miller. There was also a blacksmith shop on the site and an apple orchard that supplied hard wood for the gear teeth of the mill. The water wheel and machinery have been restored and there is an art gallery, cafe, craft sales and shop. Current opening times are displayed in the mill yard or Tel: 01234 824330 or visit vvww.bedfordshire.gov.uk/bromhammill.
Water Standpipes
Standpipes were installed in 1935-6 as part of a scheme to supply water to parishes not yet connected to mains water. Look out for examples of the lion head standpipes at Bromham and Stagsden manufactured by Messrs Glenfield and Kennedy of Kilmarnock.
In early summer the verges and banks of the A428 village bypass are a mass of colourful wildflowers. This was the first extensive sowing of wildflowers on new road verges in the county. Sowing was carried out to improve the appearance of the cutting and the variety of wildlife found there. Listen and look out for Skylarks and woodpeckers as well as hares as you cross the fields.
Ridge and Furrow
Ridge and furrow earthworks are clues to past arable agriculture. In medieval times most arable was cultivated communally in long strips, each usually consisting of two or more ridges. The peasants did all the farm work on strips belonging to the Lord of the Manor but also tenanted a few for their own use. Most individuals had their strips scattered across the common fields of each parish where they were intermingled with those of others so that good and bad soil was shared out equally. The ridges are usually reverse 'S' shaped rather than straight as a result of preparing to turn the plough. Ridge and furrow earth works can be seen in Bromham Park and at Stagsden.
Hanger Wood
Hanger Wood is an ancient wood, referred to as far back as 1200. Hanger means 'wooded hill' and it lies right along the Stagsden parish boundary having survived medieval woodland clearance for agriculture. During the Middle Ages, Hanger Wood would have provided timber for Stagsden village. It consists of mainly deciduous oak and ash woodland along with some rowan, hornbeam and aspen as well as a fabulous display of woodland flowers in the spring.
Stagsden
Stagsden is a small village with charming thatched cottages and a 13th century church dedicated to St Leonard. During the 19th century Stagsden was a centre of lacemaking and had two lacemaking schools. By the turn of the century it was no longer economical to compete with machine made lace and lacemaking by hand became a purely recreational pastime.
The route is covered on Ordnance Survey Landranger Series map 153. It is also shown on Explorer map 208. Both are available from local bookshops and some petrol stations.
This is one of a series of circular walk leaflets produced by Bedford Borough Council.


Our time at Uni is a unique opportunity and we really want to tell the good news of Jesus to the people in all Halls of residences, and Hall Group is a great place to start. Hall groups meet up to study the Bible, pray, and to encourage one another to share the gospel. As Hall groups, we also go out into halls of residence and host events, whether they are outreach or not, and use these opportunities to tell the students in the halls about Jesus Christ and our faith.
Find the Facebook group for your hall group and get joining!


text:
[ January 30, 2023 ] 'The Last of Us' proves that TV is better without video games Video Game News
HomePC Games NewsThis fake Pokemon NFT game just wants to take over your Windows PC
This fake Pokemon NFT game just wants to take over your Windows PC
January 9, 2023 admin PC Games News 0
Hackers are utilising the continued popularity of the Pokemon universe and the bizarre rise of non-fungible tokens (NFT) to trick people into installing remote access tools (RAT), take over their devices, and steal any valuables they might find.
Cybersecurity researchers from ASEC recently discovered at least two malicious websites – beta-pokemoncards[.]io, and pokemon-go[.]io pretending to host a Pokemon game that also offers NFT cards that can be traded, eventually for profit.
The websites have since been taken down, but while they were active they had a download button called "Play on PC" that distributed NetSupport.
Distributing NetSupport
In theory, NetSupport is legitimate software. It's built on Windows, and allows cross-platform remote access, giving IT administrators and technicians a way to remotely access various endpoints and fix any potential problems. The program supports Windows, Windows Mobile, Mac, Linux, and Solaris.
In practice, NetSupport is being used by threat actors to gain unauthorized access to target systems. The first signs of activity on this campaign were in December last year. Earlier samples from VirusTotal, the publication also found, showed the same operators pushing a fake Visual Studio file instead of the Pokemon game.
The identity of the threat actor behind the campaign remains unknown.
Non-fungible tokens are part of a wider cryptocurrency market and as such are a major target for fraudsters and hackers. Recent research has shown that the Web3 industry (decentralized internet based on the blockchain, the same tech that powers NFTs) lost almost $4 billion last year to fraud and cybercrime.
As more organizations started building new systems, fraudsters were quick to come out of the woodwork, and now Web3 bug bounty provider Immunefi has claimed exactly $3,948,856,037 worth of cryptocurrencies was lost in the Web3 ecosystem in 2022, to fraud, hacks, and scams. The silver lining, the researchers are saying, is the fact that the overall losses dropped by more than half (51.2%) year-on-year. In 2021, the industry had lost $8,088,338,239.
The constant battle against fraudsters isn't slowing the industry's growth, though. Immunefi expects it to grow from $3.2 billion last year, to $81.5 billion in the next seven years, increasing 43.7% CAGR.
Via: BleepingComputer (opens in new tab)
I'm obsessed with this Nintendo Switch-inspired mechanical keyboard
Transcript: The Path Forward: Video Entertainment with Neil Druckmann
'The Last of Us' proves that TV is better without video games


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Just how big a deal IS Dallas Black Dance Theatre?
by Jerome Weeks 2 Dec 2021 7:40 PM
A recent survey says it's the ninth largest modern dance troupe in the US – that's AHEAD of Pilobolus. So . . . guess who's also on the list?
In terms of budget expenses, the biggest, modern and/or contemporary dance company in the US is, not surprisingly, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It's followed by such notable names as Mark Morris and Bill T. Jones.
But among the top 10, according to the Dance Data Project, is Dallas Black Dance Theatre. The yardstick for this list is each group's annual expenses for 2019, the latest year for which figures were available. So this ranking really isn't about acclaim or even audience draw (although they obviously figure in).
It's a significant measurement, nonetheless, because those top 10 companies collectively spent 68% of all fifty budgets.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre's Black on Black runs Dec. 3-4 and is sold out but is available for online streaming. The company's Academy Espresso Nutcracker has one performance, Dec. 10. Texas Ballet Theater's Nutcracker continues at the Winspear Opera House, Dec. 3-5, and at Bass Hall, Dec. 10-26
In short, one-fifth of the companies spent more than two-thirds of all the money in modern professional dance in the US. That total figure is around $150 million. And Alvin Ailey — alone — accounts for 30 percent of that.
In stark contrast, America's ballet companies had a collective budget of $664 million. That's half a billion more than modern dance. So the tutu and The Nutcracker still rule — by a wide margin. In that classical list, the Texas Ballet Theater is included at #18 (only one rank above Austin Ballet) and, interestingly, the DBDT is also listed at #42. The DBDT, along with Alvin Ailey, Hubbard Street and the LA Dance Project, are the few companies to be included on both lists.
Speaking of The Nutcracker, the DBDT is presenting its Academy Espresso Nutcracker for a single performance Dec. 11, and the Texas Ballet Theater's Nutcracker will continue in Dallas this weekend as well, and in Fort Worth next weekend.
Texas Ballet Theater's "The Nutcracker." Photo courtesy of Texas Ballet Theater.
The DBDT and the Texas Ballet Theater are not the only modern dance and ballet companies in North Texas to be ranked among the top 50 in the US. But only one other troupe is: Bruce Wood Dance comes in at #41 in the top modern dance companies.
It shows how thin dance remains in North Texas that the DDP includes an auxiliary list of the next 70 plus ballet companies they surveyed but did not include in the final results — and there isn't a single North Texas company anywhere. Only one Texas company appears at all: the San Antonio Ballet.
The DDP began as an independent effort to investigate the lack of new female choreographic works, and it's expanded its data collection from that original focus. But the new reports are worth going through because they still have revealing nuggets of information about demographics: Among current directors of the leading modern dance companies, for instance, the gender balance is exactly 50-50. But among the top 10, the ratio is 55% women, 45% men.
One of those, of course, is DBDT's Melissa Young.
Bruce Wood Dance
Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Dance Data Project
About Jerome Weeks
Jerome Weeks is the Senior Arts Reporter/Producer for KERA. Previously at The Dallas Morning News, he was the book columnist for 10 years and the drama critic for 10 years before that. His writing has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Salon, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, American Theatre and Men's Vogue magazines. View more about Jerome Weeks.
Plano Metropolitan Ballet Presents: Aladdin
@ Courtyard Theater
Plano Metropolitan Ballet presents its annual fairytale ballet Aladdin! Alad...
Dance: Ballet
Flamenco with Tamar Ilana
@ Cafe Madrid
Flamenco with Tamar Ilana Flamenco event for our audience following Convive...
Dance: International & Folk Dance
COMING 4FEB 2022
ArtCultivation
@ 723 Fort Worth Avenue
A live outdoor event under the stars in West Dallas featuring musicians, dan...


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Add a little fun to your walks with PetSafe's Easy Walk Chic No-Pull Harness. It discourages your dog from pulling on the leash with a front-chest attachment that helps steer your dog to the side and redirect his or her attention toward you. Constructed with fun and vibrant sublimated patterns, it's easy to fit and comfortable to wear, sure to make walking more fun and enjoyable for both you and your dog.
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RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – December 27, 2013 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Streamline is excited to announce it's signing with MotoConcepts Racing for the 2014 Supercross and Motocross season. Streamline will be the official Levers sponsor for Mike Alessi, Kyle Cunningham, and the soon to be mystery rider.
"I could not be more happy teaming up with MotoConcepts Racing. Developing & testing products with this caliber of racers has taught us a lot this past offseason. The riders input has brought a lot of good ideas to our future product design," said Streamline owner Paul Rivera.
The two new partners look forward to a successful season working together.


text:
Q: Top results in each group using sqlalchemy Is there some good way of expressing queries returning top N results from each group in SqlAlchemy, or do I need to drop into raw SQL?
I mean queries like the one presented in Top Values in a Query by Group
Since it requires manual counting in MySQL for example, it doesn't look like I could use any proper abstraction in the code, but maybe I'm missing something?
I'm looking for a solution that would be compatible with mysql, postgres, sqlite.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It's full steam ahead for Emma Bunton who announced yesterday that she's releasing new studio album My Happy Place on 12th April.
The Spice Girl will release her new single Baby Please Don't Stop tomorrow with the video premiering on YouTube at 8.30am. Emma has posted a teaser clip on her Instagram account showing her performing part of the track wearing a bright pink coat covering a black leotard underneath.
As well as teasing the track, Emma has revealed the cover artwork for the single. Featuring Emma with her trademark blonde Baby Spice hair sat down and wearing a white dress, the cover features two circles of colour that are reminiscent of the My Happy Place cover.
My Happy Place is available to pre-order now in a variety of bundles from Emma's official store at https://emmabunton.tmstor.es/ and from Amazon now.


Last chance to be a speaker/performer at TEDxWellington 2017!
Sacha Copland is no stranger to the stage – after all, she's the artistic director of Java Dance Theatre. As part of last year's TEDxWellington, Sacha spoke about the need to dance.
It was magical to meet so many inspired speakers and I loved finding the connections between our different topics. I have done my TEDx talk in lots of different situations now, from the office of Creative New Zealand, to a theatre in Birmingham, but TEDxWellington was my favourite.
What was the effect of TEDxWellington, professionally and personally?
When you are in a field, like dance, that can seem quite mysterious to many people it is so useful to have a talk online that you can share. Shaping the talk helped me to articulate my choreographic philosophy and also to generate interest from other industries.
What have you been up to since you were on the TEDxWellington stage?
Premiering and touring Java Dance Theatre's new work 'The Creamery' and possibly going to the Next Generation Alumni Programme in South Africa.
What was your one takeaway from TEDxWellington?
The more we can communicate to people beyond our inner circle or 'bubble' the bigger the world becomes.
Today's your last chance to be a speaker/performer TEDxWellington 2017! Don't put it off any longer – applications close 6pm tonight!


Antonio Sera was born in to a middle class family who's father worked as a janitor in a Community College and mother who worked as a secretary in a small law firm. During his childhood his parents worked to give him everything he needed to be a normal child and have the life they never had. Sera Attended the University of Naples Federico II after his time in public schooling and majored in mechanical engineering for four years. Once he graduated he enlisted into the Federation Fleet and upon completion of his training was put onto the UCF-ACF-BC-117 Audie Murphy as a Quarter Master, later to become Chief of Fleet Technicians where he repaired the ship, put out fires and handled the approval or denying of equipment for the Mobile Infantry as a Lieutenant Commander. After the Captain of the Murphy resigned, the new Captain terminated the Fleet Technician Corps and handed responsibility the Combat Engineers of the 112th Alpha company, leaving Sera as a Master Chief of auxiliary control. up until the destruction of the UCF-ACF-BC-117 Audie Murphy.
This page was last modified on 4 January 2019, at 10:39.


text:
CONCERT REVIEW: Our gift: A welcome modern tradition
By Richard Storm , Herald-Tribune
/ Sunday, December 22, 2013
The Artist Series of Sarasota has brought many gifted artists to our community in an impressive continuing series of events.
Their production, in "enhanced concert form," of Gian Carlo Menotti's powerful "Amahl and the Night Visitors" was their appropriate holiday gift to the community, providing both beautiful music and an emotional high as the story of the journey of the Three Kings toward Bethlehem makes a stop at the humble home of Amahl, shepherd boy, and his harassed and harassing mother.
Menotti's music, both accessible and contemporary, is particularly touching in the crisis which animates its final moments: Amahl's mother steals some gold from the gifts carried by the kings in an effort to help her crippled son. When her theft is forgiven by the visitors, and Amahl walks in a miraculous cure prompted by his gift of his crutch to the Christ Child, we are touched in many ways, not the least of which is the forgiveness that is part of this season's message.
The performance, in a semi-staged version, was touching. The vocal and dramatic gifts of Berioli, despite the rather edgy tone she produced, were effective in her role as The Mother, while Andrea Guaita was touching in both the tragic and comic demands of her portrayal of Amahl.
Christopher Culpepper (King Kaspar), Anthony Offerle (King Melchior) and Todd Donovan (King Balthazar) were both amusing and powerful in their renditions of the superb music Menotti provided for them. Their ceremonial entrance and exit were models of vocal skill and dramatic impact, made more significant by the impassive but ultimately dramatic presence of Jose Guaita, as their Page.
Contributions by Mary Jeanne Moorman, piano, and Michael Alegria, flute, were essential elements of the musical picture, as were the projections on the background screen.
At the start of the performance, and later in the finale of the opera, the excellent vocalism of Le Voci de Venezia, part of the choral program at Venice High School, and conducted Stephen Johns, was a crucial part of the wonderful atmosphere we inhaled and loved.
AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS. Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota. Reviewed Dec. 21 at the Historic Asolo Theater.
Last modified: December 22, 2013


"Encouragement offers more potential than cash. The amount of cash is limited, but you have an unlimited supply of encouragement ... encouragement feeds people's souls."
Everyone needs encouragement at one time or another, from the CEO, mother, father, child, or employee, to the professional athlete or performer.
Encouragement means to inspire, incite, foster, or stimulate courage with hope.
As many of us can recall, as children, we sometimes needed encouragement to complete a task. What we can not give to ourselves, we borrow from those around us.
For us as adults, our early situations may have changed but the human condition of needing support has not. At some level, we all need to be encouraged.
Whatever your life purpose and whether your work is in healthcare, education, business, criminal justice, ministry, families, or myriad thousands of other responsibilities, your overall activity should leave others feeling encouraged.
If your life or actions do not include the foundation of encouragement toward others, you need to evaluate how encouragement can become part of your purpose.
Start by giving it away. Encouragement is not something to be saved, collected, or withheld; that approach has little redeeming value. Encouragement is a perishable item best enjoyed in the moment. Once the aircraft has left the ground, an empty seat is a lost opportunity. When you hesitate in offering your encouragement, the opportunity is gone.
A funny thing happens when you encourage others -- you feel encouraged and better about yourself.
Before I encourage each of you reading this article, I want to acknowledge the many encouragements that you as readers have given me.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER underestimate the power of your encouraging words toward any other person! For example, many people seem to think that successful individuals need less encouragement. Don't discount the impact you have or can have with everyone you meet. At any given moment, you can make a difference in someone else's life by encouraging him or her. We need to remind ourselves that while this creates invaluable results, it costs us nothing.
It is important to graciously and thankfully accept encouragement from others. In other words, don't discount your value or their confidence in you.
Finally, be authentic and intentional in your encouragement. Be real but look for opportunities to encourage others. Make it part of your mindset to encourage someone every single day. Give it away -- your act of encouragement can and will affect millions.
The movie Pay It Forward calculated that three acts of kindness given away by one individual, then repeated by each person down the line daily, would, within two weeks, impact 4,787,969 lives.
Here is my challenge to you: before the end of today, encourage at least three individuals and ask them to do the same for three people each. I guarantee you will feel more confident and better about yourself as you do so.
1. Encouragement inspires courage and hope into others.
2. No matter who we are, we all need some level of encouragement.
3. Encouragement is perishable' at every opportunity give it away -- saving it up has no redeeming value.
4. If you are fulfilling and living your purpose. Others should feel encouraged by you and your actions.
5. Be authentic and be real in your encouragement. If you can't authentically encourage others, then don't.
6. Be intentional. Nothing happens by accident. Make encouraging others a part of your mindset; do it every day.
7. Never discount the value your encouragement has to others. No matter who we are or what we do, we all need and appreciate it.
8. Never discount encouragement that is directed toward you from others. Gracefully and thankfully accept it.
9. Take the encouragement challenge. Encourage three individuals every day and ask each of them to do the same to three others.
10. Forward this article to at least three people you care about or who could benefit from reading it.
11. Pay attention to how giving encouragement makes others feel and how it makes you feel. Notice how your feelings of confidence improve because you encouraged others.
12. Remember, it costs nothing and it produces invaluable results.
Until next time, keep "Living on Purpose."
Ken Keis, MBA, CPC, is an internationally known author, speaker, and consultant. He is President and CEO of CRG Consulting Resource Group International, Inc., founded in 1979. Many professionals herald CRG as the Number One global resource center for Personal and Professional Development.


Now that the SIHH 2019 is over, it is time to sit down and to take a closer look at the*dozens of watches that have been introduced.*Overall, it has been a good year in terms of novelties - probably not the best edition ever, but still, there were some pretty interesting things to see, especially in the field of complication. This also means that the "entry-level" or "affordable" categories have been slightly forgotten by some brands. After all, SIHH means Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. Thus, you won't be surprised to see that our selection of the 10 best watches of the show is quite "high-end" focused.


text:
My Book Addiction and More!
Great Books, Giveaways, and more!
Need a Review?
Would you like to review for us?
Bargains, Deals, Free Books and Specials!
Be Featured on Our New Deals Page!
Tag: teens
Posted on April 5, 2013 March 22, 2013
#GUEST POST WITH #GIVEAWAY MELANIE DICKERSON,"MY FAIREST BEAUTY"….
MBA&M PRESENTS….
MELANIE DICKERSON
"MY FAIREST BEAUTY"
Finding The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
The Fairest Beauty is a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs retelling. I knew I wanted to follow the original fairy tale's plot, but I wanted to put my own spin on it as well. I wanted an active hero who would be in the story from beginning to end, not just one who shows up briefly at the beginning, then swoops in at the end to kiss the heroine and take her back to his castle. So I had to figure out a new angle for the hero.
I like to let an idea simmer in my mind for a while before I start writing. I had in mind a hero who was trying to prove himself, Gabehart, the underdog younger brother who feels he'salways overlooked because he isn't as brawny or as ambitious as his big brother, Valten, the jousting tournament champion. Gabe thinks a great way to overcome his reputation for being irresponsible is to rescue his brother's betrothed, Sophie, from the clutches of her evil stepmother. That way, he would become a hero in his family's eyes.
The problem is, Gabe soon falls in love with Sophie. But he knows that this is just the type of behavior his family expects from him. Besides, Sophie deserved a responsible, honorable man. Gabe may be irresponsible, but he is not a selfish brute. Quite the opposite. He is a good-hearted guy who may be a little arrogant, but never mean. He is brave when the occasion demands it, and truly does want to save the damsel in distress, not just for his own glory but for her sake as well.
Gabe was an enjoyable character to write. He is sweet and boyishly handsome, but rugged too, when he had to protect the woman he cared about. He is also positive and optimistic. As he falls deeper in love with Sophie, he becomes more forward-thinking and dependable than he's ever been in his life. Here is a girl for whom it is worth becoming a better man.
As for my heroine, Sophie is a girl who is smartly cautious of others. She knows how to defend herself, and is wise to befriend the other servants who she considers her family. She is tough when she needs to be, but also compassionate to those in need. Most fairy tale heroines are frightened damsels in distress, but Sophie is a tough girl, especially since she has no parents or siblings to look out for her. She might be in distress, but she is also shrewd and courageous.
Sophie has a stepmother who hates her and has berated her all her life. I had to ask myself, how would this sort of abuse affect this character?
Sophie must overcome the lies her stepmother told her, the painful words that are embedded in her mind. She had grown up not trusting people, so naturally she finds it hard to trust Gabe. Sophie's arc becomes all about how she would eventually reject the negative messages told to her by her stepmother, and overcome her lack of trust in others in order to protect herself from emotional harm.
I enjoy analyzing my characters and figuring out how they would react to different situations and problems based on two things: Their personality traits and their past experiences. As I write, I ask myself, What would be the most romantic thing that could realistically happen at each point in the story? What would be the most satisfying way for this book to end? How do I make that happen? Everything has to comply with the characters' personalities and experiences. I always want my characters to grow , both physically and emotionally.
That's my formula for a satisfying story.
What a fascinating story! Thanks for sharing with us and our readers,Melanie!
Melanie Dickerson's 2010 debut novel, The Healer's Apprentice, was named the Best First Book by the National Readers' Choice Awards and was both a Christy and Carol Award finalist. The book also earned the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit and was a Maggie Award finalist. Dickerson's follow-up book, 2011's The Merchant's Daughter, was also a Christy Award finalist and Carol Award winner. Her latest book, The Fairest Beauty, is in stores now. www.melaniedickerson.com
THE FAIREST BEAUTY
Publisher: Zondervan (January 22, 2013)
A daring rescue. A difficult choice. Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe? Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what. When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.
Buy The Fairest Beauty at the following online vendors:
CBD.com
Check out "My Thoughts" on this title.
http://mybookaddictionreviews.com/2013/03/22/review-the-fairest-beauty-by-melanie-dickerson/
~~GIVEAWAY ALERT~~
(Sponsored by the publisher)
*Prize will be mailed directly to the winners from the publisher*
Thank to, Candace, we are offering 2 lucky commenters a print copy of "The Fairest Beauty".(2 winners,1 copy each of this title)
Giveaway will run from today April 5 until April 12,2013.
*Please remember to leave an valid e-mail address,as always we do not save or share e-mail address,except for notification purposes to prize winners*
ENJOY EVERYONE!
~~GIVEAWAY AND SPOTLIGHT: BLÜD AND MAGICK BY PRESTON NORTON…
MBA&M ARE EXCITED TO PRESENT……
YA, AUTHOR….
~~PRESTON NORTON AND HIS "BLÜD AND MAGICK"~~
WE HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY OUR BOOK SPOTLIGHT AND GIVEAWAY
Blud and Magick
"Uncle Ed, I . . . I did that to them," she stammered.
Edwin cocked an eyebrow. "Did what?"
She pointed to the two bodies, impaled by ice.
"You did?" His eyes became wide with concern.
Darla nodded, biting her lip. "Uncle Ed . . . what am I?"
Darla Summer was born from the ashes of the dead Shadow Lord, Remmus Alrad. This left the Seven Sages to deliberate what was to be done with her. Darius, the Sage who slew the Shadow Lord, wants her dead. Another Sage, Edwin, believes she deserves a chance to live. Edwin is granted permission to raise her in the human world under the condition that her true identity not be revealed until an appointed time.
Fourteen years later, Darla has no idea of her magical beginnings or her dark heritage. But when she meets Ash and Cirrus—teenage brothers who are not so human themselves—her world is turned upside down. An organization known as the Shadow Risers is out to collect her, claiming that she is the vessel of their Master, and Darla is forced to fight back. But how do you fight your greatest enemy when he's living inside you?
Title: Blud and Magick
Author: Preston Norton
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25
Vendor: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Imprint: Sweetwater
WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER: http://youtu.be/yNss7wV3JSQ
Preston Norton was born in California, raised in Texas, and is currently a student at Brigham Young University – Idaho, seeking a degree in English Education. He enjoys sushi, rock concerts, and scary movies.
To find out more on Blüd and Magick and author Preston Norton, visit prestonnorton.com
To Follow the tour:
Visit~~ http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/blog-tour-blud-and-magick/
GIVEAWAY ALERT!
(Sponsored by the publisher/author)
We are offering 1 lucky commenter an e-book copy of this title. Giveaway will run from today February 3 until February 10,2013.
Quality General Store
author giveaway
First look Celebration
New Release Alert
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BLOG TOUR * SEARING NEED * TRACEY DEVLYN with #Giveaway + #Excerpt + #Review
Release Day Blitz * Saved by Time * Jennae Vale with #Giveaway + #Excerpt
PROMO + EXCERPT BLOG TOUR~FEELS LIKE FALLING ~ELLE KEATING
"Dance of the Hunter's Moon" By Amanda LeMay Blog Tour with #Giveaway + #Excerpt
Christmas Novellas on sale!! Amelia Grey
MyBookandMore


text:
- Any -Historical context (pre-1948)The early NHS (1948–1979)Thatcher years (1979–1990)Major years (1990–1997)Blair years (1997-2007)Brown years (2007–2010)Coalition years (2010–2015)Cameron years (2015–2016)May years (2016–2019)
Oldest to newestNewest to oldest
Displaying 1 - 9 of 16
Wachter review
The government asked Professor Robert Wachter to review NHS computer systems. The resulting report made recommendations on using IT to improve the NHS.
Sustainability and Transformation Plans (later, Partnerships)
Health and care systems submitted their first 5-year, 'place-based' plans, which aimed to provided joined up, better coordinated care.
Phillip Hammond announced a short-term social care funding boost, the end to private finance initiatives (PFI) and confirmed a new financial settlement for the NHS.
National Audit Office's 'Health and social care integration' report
The NAO found that the Better Care Fund had not achieved value for money in the face of increased demand.
Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View and Accountable Care Organisations
'Next Steps' outlined progress since 2014's 'Five year forward view' and 'next steps' for the NHS, announcing that STPs could become Accountable Care Systems (ACSs).
WannaCry Ransomware Cyberattack
A worldwide cyberattack severely impacted NHS services, highlighting problems with NHS cybersecurity.
The general election resulted in a hung parliament: during the campaign, there was debate over the Conservative Party's social care proposals.
Babylon GP at Hand
As national policy considered how technology could reduce pressures on the NHS, a private provider launched a new model of digital-first primary care.
London Health and Social Care Devolution
Key stakeholders in health and care in London signed a Memorandum of Understanding, intended to transform health and care delivery.


Wiwynn Corporation evolved into a leading cloud services company stemming from development within Wistron Corporation.
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My job content is intensive and the working pace is fast.
Everyone is working for one purpose and the goal is to make our customers satisfied and produce good products.
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I felt Happy and my dream comes true!
Lucky to be part of it, Wiwynn lights up my life! "
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I am proud to be one members of Wiwynn. "
" Very happy to join the Wiwynn big family and co-work with so many outstanding colleagues.
Wish the best for Wiwynn! and keep fighting! "
I definitely will contribute myself to Wiwynn. "
" Wonderful to be able to work in Cloud Business!
Let's discover all the amazing things together in Wiwynn! "
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my R&D substitute services in Wiwynn is so much like walking in the cloud! "


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Thanks for reaching out! There wasn't a report of any widespread outage in the last 24 hours that TestRail support is aware of. The issue could've been localized issue. Regardless feel free to keep letting us know if there are any suspected outages.


Home > Blog > How Do the NLRB Actions Affect McDonald's and Other Franchisors?
How Do the NLRB Actions Affect McDonald's and Other Franchisors?
The National Labor Relations Board Office of General Counsel issued what is considered by many to be a controversial finding on July 29th, 2014. This finding stated that McDonald's could be named a joint employer respondent under the NLRB. For the complete statement, click here. The finding came after the NLRB received charges alleging that McDonald's and its franchisees violated employees' rights when actions were taken against some employees who had actively participated in protests against their employer. The result of the investigation has made waves in the labor and franchise industry.
Between November 2012 and the ruling in July 2014, the NLRB received 181 filings involving McDonald's. Some of these cases were found to have no merit. For the cases that did have merit, the NLRB has filed complaints against some franchisees and franchisor McDonald's USA, LLC as joint employers. By December 19th, 2014, the number of charges filed with the NLRB had increased to 291 at which time the NLRB filed 13 complaints against McDonald's and/or its franchisees. For the complete statement about the complaints, click here.
The complaints filed include charges against McDonald's and its franchisees for various retaliatory and discriminatory conduct and restrictions against employees who participated in union and other protected activities regarding employment terms and conditions. The conduct included cutting employees' hours, discipline, and threats to employees.
In March 2016, hearings began in New York before an administrative law judge regarding whether McDonald's should be held liable as a joint employer for labor violations committed by franchisees. Hearings will also be held in Chicago and Los Angeles. The decision by the administrative law judge can be appealed to the NLRB and then in federal court. It is likely to continue to be a lengthy process before a final outcome is reached.
NLRB attorneys argue that franchisors exert a significant amount control over franchisees and therefore should be held responsible for the working conditions that franchisors help to create. They argue that McDonald's controls the operations of the franchise from the scheduling of responsibilities at the franchise to the software and should be held responsible for the working conditions created.
On the other hand, McDonald's attorneys argue that franchisees are independent and that the franchisor does not control employment conditions such as wages, benefits, or schedules. Franchisees have also provided arguments that franchisees control and run their franchised restaurants and are not required to turn to the franchisor for employment decisions such as pay or hiring employees.
The NLRB ruling is causing a major stir in the franchising community because McDonald's could now be held liable for labor violations on the part of its franchisees.
Previously, franchisors like McDonald's have been safe from the actions of franchisees because franchisors do not control employment decisions. The new ruling groups the franchisors and franchisees as joint employers which means that both parties could be held accountable for how the employees are treated.
In Laerco Transportation, 269 NLRB 324 (1984), a previous NLRB decision, the NLRB found that to be a joint employer "there must be a showing that the employer meaningfully affects matters relating to the employment relationship such as hiring, firing, discipline, supervision, and direction." Extending the definition of joint employer to include franchisors like McDonald's changes who could face liability for labor violations that exceeds the previous definition of joint employers.
If franchisors continue to be recognized by the NLRB as joint employers, the franchise industry could suffer serious effects in the long term. Franchisors may face greater liability and responsibility in labor actions, changing the franchising relationship due to increased legal exposure. Franchisors may also be motivated to relinquish some control over their franchisees in order to reduce the risk of being considered a joint employer and facing further liability.
The trusted Mesa business lawyers at Denton Peterson can assist you with questions pertaining to franchise law, as well as employment law, litigation and more.
If you have questions about the NLRB actions and how they might affect your business, contact the experienced business attorneys at Denton Peterson.


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George Garner, Birth Date: 1 July 1807, Death Date: 31 August 1877,
George attended a Church Conference with Ezra T. Benson in Pottawattamie County, Iowa on 7 April 1849 where there was a discussion about transporting Church property to Salt Lake City.  On 14 & 15 March 1851 he was in a meeting in Salt Lake City with Brigham Young and Ezra T. Benson accounting for threshing machines.  On 14 March 1851 George "enrolled" as a High Priest at Salt Lake.  He sold property in Salt Lake City on 31 August 1851.  A Find-A-Grave entry says that George Garner (b. 1 July 1807; d. 31 Aug. 1877) was a Captain of Ten in an 1850 pioneer company and that he transported thrashing machines to Utah.

George attended a Church Conference with Ezra T. Benson in Pottawattamie County, Iowa on 7 April 1849 where there was a discussion about transporting Church property to Salt Lake City. On 14 & 15 March 1851 he was in a meeting in Salt Lake City with Brigham Young and Ezra T. Benson accounting for threshing machines. On 14 March 1851 George "enrolled" as a High Priest at Salt Lake. He sold property in Salt Lake City on 31 August 1851. A Find-A-Grave entry says that George Garner (b. 1 July 1807; d. 31 Aug. 1877) was a Captain of Ten in an 1850 pioneer company and that he transported thrashing machines to Utah.
Historian's Office Journals, 14 & 15 March 1851.
Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 April 1849, 8.
Salt Lake City Property Index.
Salt Lake County Recorder's Office, Deed book A, 1850-1859.


The steppes of Kazakhstan trembled under the fury unleashed by an International Launch Services (ILS) Proton Briz-M rocket. Liftoff occurred at 4:09 p.m. EST (21:09 GMT) from the Baikonur, Cosmodrome's Launch Pad 24. The payload for today's launch was the Turksat-4A communications satellite which will provide a variety of services to points in Europe, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Turksat-4A was constructed by Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO) using the company's DS2000 standard communications satellite platform (Turksat-4A was the 9th spacecraft to use this design). Turksat-4A has 28 Ku-band transponders, two Ka-band transponders and an undisclosed amount of C-band transponders. It has a communications capacity of some 2084 megahertz (MHz). It will use them to broadcast television signals as well as direct TV broadcasting services. Turksat-4A is designed to provide high flexibility of switchability and connectivity to its customers.
The launch of Turksat-4A is the first of two Turksat spacecraft planned to be sent into orbit this year. After launched Turksat-4B will reside at 50 degrees east.
Each of these satellites has a planned operational life of about 15 years. The duo were planned to be launched in late 2013 and early 2014 respectively; however, this did not take place primarily due to concerns with the Proton launch vehicle.
ILS used its premier heavy-lift booster to send Turksat-4A on its way. Developed by engineers working under Vladimir Cheolmei in the 1960s, the Proton was supposed to be a counter to Sergei Korolev's massive N-1 booster (the N-1 was launched three times – each a failure). The Proton has been launched more than 360 times it is constructed by ILS majority owner Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center.
"We are extremely pleased to be working with our new customer MELCO and look forward to integrating and launching Turksat-4A and Turksat-4B on ILS Proton. We are committed to MELCO in their responsibility to deliver both satellites on orbit on time for their customer, Turksat," said ILS President, Frank McKenna in a release issued when the agreement to launch Turksat-4A on Proton was announced.
For their part, MELCO noted the Proton's record as one of the key considerations behind why the launch vehicle was tapped to provide the Turksats with a ride to geostationary orbit.
"We selected ILS based on their track record of reliability, precision, launch tempo and experience. ILS and Khrunichev's reputation for quality assurance and delivery performance will be crucial to our delivery of the Turksat 4A and 4B satellites. We have been preparing mutual compatibility efforts with ILS for many years, and [we] look forward to preparing to launch on the powerful ILS Proton vehicle, which satisfies the customer requirements," said Hiroyuki Inahata head of space systems division for MELCO.
Mitsubishi Electric has been involved in more than 440 domestic and international satellites as both the primary contractor or as a subcontractor.
The six first stage RD-276 rocket engines in the Proton's first stage loudly roared to life at the opening of the launch window, about three seconds afterward, the rocket begin its ascent to orbit. With 2.5 million pounds of thrust at launch, the Proton Briz-M is capable of hoisting payloads weighing 14,800 lbs (6,700 kilograms) into geostationary orbit. Given that Turksat-4A weighs in at approximately 10,800 lbs (4,900 kilograms), today's mission was well within the launch vehicle's capabilities.
In the days prior to today's launch the Proton Briz-M launch vehicle was rolled out to the Integration-and-Test Facility (IFT) 92A-50 to the Briz-M fueling shed where the rocket's high-pressure tanks were loaded with propellants. After this was completed, the Briz-M was moved back over to the IFT where the processing flow to connect the Turksat-4A spacecraft to the Proton's upper stage. The Breeze M will then be rolled back to IFT for further processing as required for mating Breeze M to the spacecraft. The combined Turksat-4A and Proton Briz-M were placed through a battery of tests to ensure that both were functioning properly.
About a minute into the flight the rocket and its precious cargo were traveling faster than the speed of sound and about to enter the flight's most dangerous point. Known as the region of maximum dynamic pressure or "max Q" – the launch vehicle's speed conspires in a way with the Earth's atmosphere in this region to place the rocket under the greatest amount of stress.
The first three stages of today's launch used a standard profile to place the Turksat-4A payload as well as the Briz-M upper stage on a sub-orbital trajectory. Briz-M took over at this stage of the flight, working to place the satellite in a circular parking orbit, it then proceeded to push it into an intermediate orbit, then transfer orbit and then finally a geostationary transfer orbit. At approximately 9 hours and 13 minutes into the flight, Turksat-4A should separate from the Briz-M upper stage and be on its own.
The Turksat-4A's target orbit will see it approach closest to the Earth (known as perigee) of some (9,673 kilometers) and farthest away from our world (apogee) at (35,786 kilometers). The satellite will have an inclination of 12.7 degrees.
Today's launch was the first use of an ILS Proton this year as well as the first time Turksat has used ILS as a launch service provider. Overall ILS has launched 85 Proton rockets with a wide range of payloads.
Turksat Satellite Communication and Cable TV Operation AS (Turksat AS) is a satellite service provider located in Turkey. Turksat AS provides telecommunications services to a variety of points around the globe. The company offers high-quality digital broadcasting services, flexible satellite cable, wireless broadcasting, high-speed Internet, and direct-to-home broadcasting services.


Phoenix Education was founded in 2008 with the aim of cultivating talent in the fields of media, technology, and management. Through its vocational training programs, Phoenix Education continues to proactively enhance the communication, integration, and development of the media sector in both China and the rest of the world. Similarly, we have been introducing well-developed educational resources to China from abroad while simultaneously combining them with the characteristics of our home country. Through this process, we have planned and developed different curricula that have reached an advanced level on the world stage.
Phoenix Education consists of the Administration and Human Resources Department, the Financial Department, Phoenix Education Academy, Phoenix Colleges, Phoenix International Education, Phoenix Digital Media Education, and Phoenix Art Education.
Phoenix Education Academy focuses its efforts on both planning and developing curricula, and building a team of teachers. The planning and development of the curricula is based on thorough analysis of the characteristics of China's education system, teaching standards, and the job market in this sector. With a top team of educators consisting of front-line supervisors, entrepreneurs, leaders, scholars, experts, and other technical talents of digital media, Phoenix Education Academy can provide the best education resources and technology in its education programs.
Since its foundation in 2008, Phoenix Education has cooperated with many institutions of higher education in China. We have set up four Phoenix Colleges: Phoenix College of the China University of Communication, Phoenix College of South China Normal University, Phoenix College of Soochow University, Phoenix College of Xihua University and also, the digital and media college in Hezhou, Guangxi. The education programs covers different levels, including programs offering students degrees at the associate, bachelor, post-graduate, and PhD level.
Phoenix International Education has been utilizing the bountiful overseas resources of the Phoenix Satellite T.V. Group while working with famous high schools, universities, and research establishments. These relationships have facilitated the exchange of education programs and research. By combining the strengths of both the Chinese and Western education systems, we have created opportunities for students to receive the best education possible in preparation for worldwide job markets in advanced science and technology. Phoenix Education is determined to educate and train promising talents who have both a profound knowledge of their own culture, and a broad understanding of the world. It has provided "Phoenix International Programs" for high school students in exemplary provincial high schools in Yunnan, Guangxi, Shandong, Xian, and North East China. Once graduates of our programs come back to China, they shall propel further the internationalization of China's education system.
Phoenix Digital Media Education has been cooperating with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to establish a "Phoenix Ecosystem of Digital and Media Sectors." This ecosystem includes the involvement of entrepreneurs, colleges, universities, media, and government. It provides institutions of higher education in China solutions to integrating practical application into classroom study. In addition, it aims to train talents who are good at the application of knowledge in the digital and media sectors. Finally, we resolve to build an ecosystem of the digital media sector which includes the education and training of talent, the building of laboratories, the production of media programs, and the provision of services to industrial parks.
Phoenix Art Education focuses on improving youngsters' artistic attainments, developing their aesthetic judgement, enriching their spiritual world, and boosting their creative abilities. Through multiple methods, we hope to help them achieve greater all-round development. Phoenix Art Education has developed all kinds of curricula ranging from enhancing language ability, drama, and media qualifications. PAE also provides opportunities for students to display their artistic talents on their media platforms.
A phoenix tree is the symbol of nobility and prosperity. Phoenix Education always takes the initiative to shoulder its social responsibility and proactively take part in activities of public service. We are fully committed to the development of a "Phoenix Society" which unites our highly motivated colleagues and partners to make contributions to society at large. Together we will prosper and flourish!


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Wayne Coyne offers apology to Arcade Fire
Laura Ferreiro May 5, 2009 6:03 pm BST
The Flaming Lips frontman wants to put an end to the feud
The Flaming Lips' frontman Wayne Coyne has apologised to Arcade Fire for the derogatory remarks he made about the band earlier this year.
Coyne, who allegedly said the band were "pricks" who "treated their crew like shit", admitted he wishes the incident had never happened.
"I didn't necessarily mean it about the people in the Arcade Fire," he told Entertainment Weekly. "I meant it about the guys that were running their stages at a couple of festivals. I wish whatever had been said wouldn't have been taken as such a defiant statement from The Flaming Lips, because it wasn't. I just assumed it was a joke."
When asked if he would like to apologise to the band, he said, "I would. I really feel bad about it. I like enough of their music. The idea that I'm somehow against them… I'm not!"
Meanwhile, The Flaming Lips are working on a new album, which they intend to release in September and have tentatively titled 'Embryonic'.
–By our Los Angeles staff.
[url="/about"] Find out more about NME.[/url]


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Why is research evidence based teaching so important?
Our 34th guest on the Teacher Toolkit podcast is Teach Like A Champion author Doug Lemov. Listen to Ross Morrison McGill speak to Doug across the ocean!
talk about what Doug does to relax.
You can follow Doug Lemov on Twitter and find out more about Teach Like A Champion on the website.


The concept of a person spending an eternity in hell is so grave to me that I do not believe it is intellectually possible for me to fully conceive it. As a matter of fact—I believe that most Christians live as though there is no hell, because if we truly believed its existence, we would do much more to spread the good news of Jesus.
The debate over the existence of hell was just made front and center recently when Pope Francis allegedly stated that bad souls just disappear, and hell does not exist.
"They are not punished. Those who repent obtain God's forgiveness and take their place among the ranks of those who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot be forgiven disappear. A hell doesn't exist, the disappearance of sinning souls exists."
Whether the pope said this or not is not the concern of this article. My main concern is what the Bible teaches about this grave subject (I believe that Scripture trumps church tradition, creeds, catechisms, church confessions, canon law and statements or teachings by popes and other prelates).
Truly, if there is a hell, then a wise person would make a lifestyle choice to avoid an eternity in that place; if there is no hell—or if all people will eventually be reconciled to God irrespective of what they believe—then Jesus died on the cross in vain to save us and or it is not necessary to follow Jesus to reap the benefits of the cross.
"And they shall go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, nor shall their fire be quenched. And they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."
That Jesus believed in the existence of an eternal hell for unbelievers is incontrovertible.
Jesus made it clear there was an eternal state of suffering for unbelievers when He told the story of "the Rich man and Lazarus" (Luke 16:19-21). Although cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, who believe in soul annihilation) wrest the Scriptures and say this was a parable, Luke says "There was a rich man ..." If it was a parable, the New Testament writer would have mentioned it was a parable as they did in other passages (see Luke 18:1; 9; Mark 4:2, 13:30).
In this sober story, the rich man died and went to a place of torment—being fully conscious while suffering in agony in the flames of hell. Jesus also warned followers to remove everything in their life that causes them to stumble or they risked going to hell, into the unquenchable fire where their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched (Mark 9:42-49). He also said to the Pharisees "You serpents! You generation of vipers! How can you escape the judgment of hell?" (Matt. 23:33).
The belief in an eternal hell and judgment was carried over by the apostles of Christ. The apostle Paul warned that "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, which should result in the fear of the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:10,11). The judgment seat for unbelievers is unpacked more fully by the apostle John as shown in the book of Revelation (20:11-15).
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From His face the earth and the heavens fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. Books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to their works as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one by his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).
Notice—there were "books" opened for unbelievers and only one book ("The Book of Life") for believers. Why is this? Because all the sins and acts of disobedience against God are recorded and shown to unbelievers to demonstrate the justice of God before their final judgement; and only one book is needed for (perhaps) billions of Christ followers because their sins have been washed away through faith in the blood of Christ's vicarious death on the cross.
Hence, the only thing recorded in "The Book of Life" are the "names" (not the sins) of those who have received Jesus as Lord of their life (John 1:12,13; Rom. 10:9,10).
Finally, Jesus said that hell was not created for humanity but for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). God is not willing for any (humans) to perish but all to come to repentance because Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it (2 Pet. 3:19; John 3:17).
Consequently, the choice of where a person spends eternity is up to them; believe in Jesus, and you will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).


With the launch of Microsoft's unified communications portfolio, Bill Gates said it won't be long before the PBX is just a fond memory.
After much hype and anticipation, Microsoft Tuesday staked its claim to the VoIP market as Chairman Bill Gates launched the vendor's unified communications portfolio.
Gates at an event in San Francisco heralded what he positioned as a dramatic shift in the business communications paradigm.
"The transformation to software-based communications is going to be as profound as the shift from the typewriter to word-processing software," Gates said.
Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft's Business Division, called the product rollout "a big R&D bet for Microsoft."
"The era of dialing blind, the era of playing phone tag, the era of voicemail jail ... that era is ending," Raikes said.
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft announced the availability of several long-awaited products including Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007, which promises to bring VoIP, presence, instant messaging and conferencing together; the Office Communicator 2007 unified communications client; Office Live Meeting 2007 hosted conferencing; and the RoundTable videoconferencing system.
QUICK POLL The launch marks Microsoft's definitive entrance into the VoIP market, placing it squarely in the path of somtimes-partner Cisco Systems. While initially customers are expected to deploy Microsoft's unified communications offerings alongside their existing legacy or IP-based PBXes to utilize those investments, Gates foresees a future where Microsoft software is all customers will need to control their phone calls.
"Overtime, the lowest cost structure will be to not have the PBX, to simply rely on the software and the Internet connection as the way that communications works," Gates said.
The PBX and the desktop phone have stood out as modes of communication that have not made the leap into the digital world, Gates said.
As a result of deploying Microsoft's unified communications portfolio, customers will see cost savings in areas such as reduced customer service hold times, cutbacks in travel and more efficient decision-making, Gates said.
In addition, customers will be able to take advantage of infrastructure investments they've already made in Microsoft products such as Exchange and Active Directory.
For its part, Cisco is defending its turf by touting its ability to provide multivendor communications solutions.
"We can bring a well-tested solution that [combines] Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Apple and BlackBerry and legacy voicemail," said Richard McLeod, director of unified communications solutions for worldwide channels at Cisco, San Jose, Calif. "It's a superior solution for customers."
During a live demonstration at the event, Microsoft showed how a user could tap into a multitude of its products, including Outlook Voice Access speech recognition interface, Outlook Mobile and Communicator to conduct business from the road. The vendor's click-to-call interface allows users to see the presence of co-workers and other contacts and communicate with them via phone call, IM or videoconference from whatever device they are on.
Setting up a multi-party video call is now as easy as dragging and dropping names from the Office Communicator contact list.
In addition to the product rollout, Raikes also revealed that 800 solution providers have attained Microsoft's unified communications specialization since it was launched four months ago.
Channel partners eager for the launch expect to pull products from a variety of vendors into Microsoft-based unified communications solutions.
Don Wisdom, president of Datalink Networks, a Microsoft partner based in Santa Clarita, Calif., plans to exploit his partnerships with Mitel and Hewlett-Packard's ProCurve networking division to build unified communications solutions.
"This is very exciting for us, as we are one of Microsoft's key partners for unified communications," Wisdom said. "Microsoft and Mitel have a very good working relationship, and we brought Mitel on because Mitel and ProCurve have a good relationship."
Mitel was one of 50 technology and services partners on hand to showcase OCS-ready offerings. The company has plans for a server built around OCS to meet the specialized needs of SMB and vertical market customers, Raikes said.
Nortel Networks, which forged a unified communications partnership with Microsoft over a year ago, rolled out a large portfolio of OCS-compatible products, including Nortel Converged Office, which integrates the telephony features of Nortel's IP-PBX with OCS and Nortel Multimedia Conferencing 5.0, which supports conferencing across a mix of client types, including desktops, analog, digital or IP phones.
Pricing for OCS is $500 for the Standard version server or $2,800 for the Enterprise version. Client support for IM and presence costs $21 per user, while the addition of conferencing and VoIP capabilities costs $97 per user. The RoundTable videoconferencing unit is priced at $3,000.