Wolf Trap is best known for its summer festival of performances at the Filene Center—a distinctive outdoor venue located in a national park, just outside of Washington, D.C. Within a beautiful natural setting maintained by the National Park Service, Wolf Trap's summer season offers more than 80 shows annually, including top artists from every genre.
Some arts lovers know Wolf Trap as the place to see their favorite returning artists each summer. Others come looking for something new, knowing that anything they choose will be high quality and in a setting like no other.
Artists at Wolf Trap are as diverse as audiences in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, as well as the tourists who come from across the country to enjoy America's national park for the performing arts. Our lineup includes legends and top artists from every genre—classical, pop, rock, jazz, opera, folk, and dance.
Families know Wolf Trap as a place to discover all types of performing arts in a casual setting. That can be on the lawn at the Filene Center. Or across the meadow at the Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods—a small stage tucked among the trees, where kids enjoy music, dance, puppetry, and storytelling.
Opera lovers know Wolf Trap as having one of the finest residency programs for young singers in the country. Wolf Trap Opera alumni can be found at top opera houses around the world.
Aficionados love seeing works from the popular repertoire in Wolf Trap's non-traditional setting, as well as having the opportunity to spend an evening with opera's rising stars. And budding fans discover opera for the first time at Wolf Trap, attracted by the casual setting and magnetic young performers.
Wolf Trap Foundation offers fall, winter, and spring performances at The Barns at Wolf Trap—an intimate, 382-seat venue just up the road managed by the Wolf Trap Foundation.
The Barns are exactly that—two 18th century barns brought from New England and rebuilt in Virginia as a unique performance space.
The venue houses more than 80 shows annually, in addition to serving as summer home to Wolf Trap Opera.
Local concert-goers know The Barns as an incomparable night spot to hear everything from jazz greats to chamber musicians to legendary folk singers.
Thousands of young students, teachers and parents across the nation know Wolf Trap Foundation as the organization that brings arts to the classroom. The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts trains teachers to use arts-based tools to help kids ages 0-5 improve literacy, science, math, and basic life skills.
Interns know Wolf Trap as one of the best programs in the country to prepare them for a competitive job market. Many have gone on to be influential leaders in the arts and business communities, improving strategy, funding, and innovation.
For many tourists, Wolf Trap is a must-visit destination. And each year, more and more arts lovers right here in the DC area discover Wolf Trap for the first time as they look for ways to escape urban noise and experience music somewhere other than on their digital devices.
Regardless of who you are, Wolf Trap offers community. A casual, bring-your-own food and wine park setting, where you can share the arts with family and friends. An 18th-century barn where the bar is open and the artists appear up close and personal. And ground-breaking arts education programs helping kids, parents, and teachers in classrooms across the country.
The Wolf Trap experience is ready and waiting for everyone.


Each year, Nurture to Nature cares for hundreds of animals after receiving phone calls from concerned citizens that have found an animal that needs help. Each animal receives exactly what it needs--proper food, appropriate living space, medical attention, etc.--but we can't do it without your help. We are a 501(c)3, non-profit organization.
You may make a financial contribution by donating using PayPal.
We are now a part of the Kroger Community Rewards Program! Below are the instructions to set up your account so your purchases at Kroger can also support our efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and release Kentucky-native wildlife.
-We encourage you to register online at krogercommunityrewards.com.
-Be sure to have your Kroger Plus card handy and register your card with our organization after you sign up.
-If you don't yet have a Kroger Plus card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger.
-If you are a new online customer, you must click on SIGN UP TODAY in the 'New Customer?' box.
-You will then get a message to check your email inbox and click on the link within the body of the email.
-Click on My Account and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step.
-Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number.
-Update or confirm your information.
-Enter NPO number 90496 or Nurture to Nature, select organization from list, and click on confirm.
-To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see our organization's name on the right side of your information page.
-REMEMBER, purchases will not count for our group until after you register your card.
-Do you use your phone number at the register? Call 800-576-4377, select option 4 to get your Kroger Plus card number.
Another way you can help is by checking out our Amazon Wish List. Here you can see items that we use regularly and ways that they're used for different species. If you place your order with Amazon, they will ship it directly to us! However, if you'd prefer to not shop online, we encourage you to check out the list, see what we are needing, and then shop where you feel comfortable. Feel free to contact us here with any questions you may have.


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Home » CDC study finds Legionella DNA in 84 percent of cooling towers across the U.S.?
CDC study finds Legionella DNA in 84 percent of cooling towers across the U.S.?
Report tested 196 cooling towers across the country, revealing that 84 percent tested positive for legionella DN
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they found the Legionella bacteria prevalent in cooling towers throughout the country.
Water from 196 cooling towers representing eight of nine continental U.S. climate regions were screened for Legionella DNA using multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction. Samples positive for Legionella DNA were cultured. Resulting Legionella isolate species and serogroup were characterized using PCR, antibody testing, and gene sequencing.
The researchers found that 84 percent of the cooling towers from every region of the country tested indicated positive for Legionella DNA – in other words, that the bacteria were either present or had been there at some point.
Overall, they found live Legionella bacteria in 79 cooling towers – half of which had more than one type of Legionella – in most regions of the country.
Overall, 144 unique Legionella isolates were recovered; 76 (53 percent) were Legionella pneumophila and 51 percent of these were Lp sg 1, the most commonly detected cause of Legionnaires' disease. Sixty-eight isolates (47 percent) were non-Lp spp., including L. anisa (50 percent), L. feeleii (12 percent), and L. rubrilucens (6 percent), all of which cause the disease.
The rate of reported cases of Legionnaires' disease increased 286 percent in the U.S. between 2000 and 2014.
Cooling towers are known to be a major source of outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease. The CDC study is the first to show how widespread Legionella may be in these devices across the country, its authors said.
Dr. Anna Llewellyn presented the study last April at a CDC conference in Atlanta and said it would be published in a peer-reviewed journal this summer.
"Legionella DNA is ubiquitous in U.S. cooling towers," Llewellyn, a fellow at the pneumonia response and surveillance laboratory at the CDC, told The Wall Street Journal in a story published May 3, who called the findings "surprising." That "highlights the potential for cooling-tower-related outbreaks to occur anywhere in the U.S."
Llewellyn, however, added that just because a cooling tower has Legionella doesn't necessarily mean it is spreading disease. The researchers plan further research to determine what factors contribute to a cooling tower's risk of becoming a source of an outbreak.
Business Codes & Standards Commercial Contractors & Installers Engineers & Specifiers Engineering Health Care Hydronics/Radiant Industry Community News Infrastructure Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Plumbing Residential Safety Trends Water Quality Wholesalers & Distributors
Delta Cooling Towers Launches line of Cooling Towers with Anti-Microbial Resin
Spartan Bioscience Announces World's First On-site Legionella DNA Test
Study Says $9 Billion in Medicare Costs for Infections Linked to Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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LUMÍR DOKOUPIL. Z DÍLA HISTORICKÉHO DEMOGRAFA
Tags: Aleš Zářický, Ostravská univerzita
← Aleš Zářický, Michaela Závodná (edd.): CREATING AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PARADIGM USING THE EXAMPLE OF MODERNIZATION IN A REGION (AUSTRIAN SILESIA)
Karel Jiřík, Stanislav Knob: Život a dílo Petra Cingra (1850-1920) / Ostravská univerzita →
[návrh obálky, grafická úprava, sazba, předtisková příprava]
660 stran, graficka úprava navazuje na publikaci Milan Myška. Z díla hospodářského historika (Ostravská univerzita, 2010)
K vydání připravil Aleš Zářický a kol.
Vydala Ostravská univerzita v Ostravě,
Dvořákova 7, 701 03 Ostrava
Tisk a vazba Tiskárna Grafico, s.r.o.,
U Panského mlýna 33, 747 06 Opava
LIFE AND WORK OF PROFESSOR LUMÍR DOKOUPIL
The book we are submitting to a wider group of readers offers older studies by a renowned Czech historian Lumír Dokoupil and it maps his contribution to the fi eld of historical demography. These older studies are not easily accessible at present. They were not preserved in an electronic form and some of them have not been published at all, e.g. two research reports from the 1970s which were written for a project solved by the Pedagogical Faculty in Ostrava and the Silesian Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Opava. Despite the fact that some analyses were later published in magazines and in collection of works, this research has never been published in a coherent form. Other studies were selected with the aim to complement Dokoupil's fundamental contribution towards historical demography prior to 1989 and slightly beyond. The articles were published in various Czech, Slovak and Polish magazines and collections of work and also translated into foreign languages in Historická demografi e (Historical Demography). The texts were translated back into the Czech language knowing that these translations will not be an ideal version of the studies and they will not compensate for the author's personal style of writing. Since the studies were collected in one monograph, this enabled to quickly compare individual fi ndings which are still valid in many respects.
Two reminiscences of Lumír Dokoupil and of the co-operation with him open the book. Their authors are his close colleagues Prof. Eduard Maur and Doc. Ludmila Nesládková. Historical demography in Czechoslovakia was constituted as an independent fi eld on the border of history and demography and it was based upon Henry's methods in the 1960s when two research centres were established in Prague and Ostrava. Eduard Maur lead the research in Prague and he closely co-operated with the Ostrava centre whose central fi gure Lumír Dokoupil was and who was soon accompanied by the student and later also the long-term colleague Ludmila Čermáková – Nesládková. Therefore, the reminiscences were composed by his closest co-workers, colleagues and friends.
An interview by Martin Jemelka, professor Dokoupil's former student, with Lumír Dokoupil is placed in front of the studies. Its character is mostly biographical, the questions are directed towards his childhood in Hrabová, his experience from the Second World War, university studies in Olomouc, infl uence from professor Ladislav Hosák, teaching practice in the Hlučín region and his move to the Pedagogical Institute in Ostrava. Private and work-related reminiscences, mainly those focused at his orientation towards historical demography, intertwine here. A lot of diploma works aimed at historical demography were written under Dokoupil's guidance at the Pedagogical Institute and later at the Pedagogical Faculty between the 1960s and 1980s. He himself conducted numerous excerpts and analyses. In the 1990s, Lumír Dokoupil stood at the birth of Biografi cký slovník Slezska a severní Moravy (Biographical Dictionary of Silesia and North Moravia) and he has been its executive editor to this date. He succeeded in publishing 24 volumes of this biographical work in two series and he edits its supplements even nowadays. The interview by Martin Jemelka with professor Dokoupil is closed with photographs which provide iconographic documents about Dokoupil's life.
In this publication, the studies are divided into thematic blocks and these blocks can overlap in various issues. The fi rst block is called the Demography of the Ostrava Industrial Area before the First World War. So far unpublished research can be found here since it focuses mostly at the population development of the Ostrava industrial area at the turn of the 19th and the 20th century, i.e. at the era of the most rapid industrialisation, which was a key research topic for the Ostrava centre of historical research lead by Milan Myška. The historical and demographic research focused at using data which had been processed by Austrian statisticians, at excerpts from modern censuses until 1910 and church registers from the same time. When obtaining the data from the registers, Lumír Dokoupil and his colleagues strived mostly for research into a more distant past which was connected with the genesis of industrial areas, however, the gist of the studies is at the era prior to the First World War. A methodological study published in 1975 in the Slovak collection of works Forum metricum Slovacum opens the chapter. This is followed by an extensive study on the development of numbers of inhabitants in the Upper Silesian industrial area (Zabrze, Katowice, Bytom, Tarnowskie Góry) and then by the above mentioned research reports observing development of the natural change and composition of population in the Ostrava industrial area.
The second block under the title Population Development in the Ostrava Industrial Area (mostly) until 1879 contains studies which focused at the genesis of the industrial area and in which Lumír Dokoupil attempted to understand the demographic picture of the Ostrava region prior to the onset of industrialisation. He excerpted church registers mostly between the Josephine reforms and 1870, he used various topographic works to fi nd numbers of inhabitants and he paid a thorough attention to an important phenomenon which affected the whole area – the great famine crisis of 1848 – 1855. He published an article on this topic in the Sborník prací Pedagogické fakulty (Collection of Works from the Pedagogical Faculty in Ostrava) which opens the whole block. This is followed by analyses of population of Moravian Ostrava, Vítkovice and the wider industrial area including its hinterland. Towards the end of the block, Dokoupil's key study Obyvatelstvo ostravské průmyslové oblasti do sčítání 1869 (Inhabitants of the Ostrava Industrial Area before the Census of 1869) is placed. This study was published in the series Spisy Pedagogické fakulty v Ostravě, vol. 57, 1986 (Writings of the Pedagogical Faculty in Ostrava). The study considerably enlarged the fi rst monograph entitled Demografi cký vývoj ostravské aglomerace (Demograpic Development of the Ostrava Agglomeration) which was published in Spisy Pedagogické fakulty v Ostravě, vol. 6, 1967 and which in its way concluded Dokoupil's long-term research of the population of the wider Ostrava region prior to 1869. It was complemented with two specifi c studies which researched the issue of ageing population and social structure in the Ostrava industrial area.
The last block entitled the Population Development in Wider Territorial Units and in Older Periods is an interesting indicator of a certain diffusion of Dokoupil's historical and demographic interests into a wider territorial sphere and into a more distant past. Despite the fact that the research team focused on research until the 19th century, soon they tried to research the period of the 16th to the 18th century which Louis Henry, founder of main research methods for historical demography, described as a protostatistic era. It was important for Henry, that this era compensated for the lack of statistical resources by using church registers which can be processed statistically although they were not created for this purpose. Although a dynamic division of the region into a progressive part and the part lacking behind was not applicable in traditional societies of the 16th – 18th century, Lumír Dokoupil together with his female colleague Ludmila Nesládková outspread the research also into the territory of the whole of North Moravia. This later lead into a co-operation with forefront representatives of the Prague centre for historical demography Ludmila Fialová and Eduard Maur and into a joint authorship of the book entitled Přirozená měna obyvatelstva českých zemí v 17. a 18. století (Natural Change in the Population of the Czech Lands in the 17th and 18th Century) which was published in 1999. This book can be easily accessible but it was not incorporated into the edition whose aim was to show a lengthy journey towards this outcome. Also studies about the evolution of the natural change in the population of North and North-Eastern Moravia were included into the chapter and development of mortality including the specifi c categories of child mortality was highlighted.
The edition of selected works by Prof. Lumír Dokoupil was prepared by his students and colleagues to express their gratitude on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
Translated by Marie Sandersová
Rozhovory Typografie editor Pavel Dominik typography Caroline Murphy Erich Mendelsohn Vladimír Šlapeta kurátor Ben Fehrman–Lee Ita Heinze-Greenberg Okrášlovací spolek Za krásnou Ostravu Opava photo Boris Podrecca Rafi Segal Zvi Hecker Recenze Yonatan Cohen Tadeáš Goryczka Ohlas v médiích MAW Janusz Kapusta Martin Strakoš Piráti Plakáty Televize Alfred Neumann Malby Radovan Lipus Damjan Prelovšek Milan Pitlach Kabinet architektury Setkávání / reference Ostravská univerzita Protimluv Design výstav a kurátorství fotoreportáže Radovan Charvát Webdesign GVUO Jakub Szczęsny Jerzy Ilkosz Výstavy Fiducia


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WATCH: Evra trolls Man City as he belts out his own remix for Oasis' 'Don't Look Back In Anger' after Man Utd's derby win
Hal Fish
21:24 SAST 2023/01/14
Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra mocked Pep Guardiola and Co. with a unique Oasis cover after the Manchester derby.
Man Utd beat local rivals
Closed gap in the league
Evra not holding back with celebrations
WHAT HAPPENED? The Red Devils managed to beat Manchester City 2-1 with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford sealing the turnaround victory after Jack Grealish had opened the scoring. The equaliser may have come in rather controversial fashion but that didn't seem to bother Evra as he celebrated his former side moving within one point of their rivals.
Indeed, in a video shared to Instagram, he could be heard singing his own lyrics to Oasis' mega-hit "Don't Look Back in Anger": "You ain't ever gonna shut my mouth. Soo City can wait. They know it's too late, we're back on fire. Their soul slides away. But don't look back in anger I heard you say." Famously, Oasis vocalist Liam Gallagher is a huge City fan.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: City thrashed United 6-3 at the Etihad when the teams met earlier in the season and, until today, the Red Devils had actually failed to win the derby at home since the 2019-20 season. In his career, Evra played against City 22 times, winning 11, losing 10 and drawing just once (though not all of those games were as a MUFC player).
WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD? Erik ten Hag's men have now lost only one of their past 19 games in all competitions and will feel as though they are now in a title race sitting just a point behind City and six behind Arsenal.
Done Deals: Confirmed transfers by PSL clubs in January 2023
Kaizer Chiefs: Saile assessment, eight things learnt from Royal AM win
Does this little Bimenyimana-Basomboli detail prove Kaizer Chiefs unity?
PSL transfer news: Latest rumours from Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns & all PSL teams
Copyright © 2023 Goal (South Africa) All rights reserved. The information contained in Goal (South Africa) may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Goal (South Africa)


This manual provides documentation of the valves, around 150, shipped with PhenixID Server.
A valve is a small highly specialised block of logic. By putting valves together in a chain, called a PIPE, PhenixID server enables high level of customization.
Every valve has it's unique set of configuration, which is documented here.


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Biografia
Ha rappresentato la  ai Giochi olimpici estivi di  nel torneo di pallanuoto.

Nel 1955 smise di fare sport e si stabilì definitivamente a New York dove la sua famiglia era già immigrata. Suo nipote era Kosmas Stampoulis, campione greco di nuoto e detentore del record

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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In this section you will find a list of the last four Ataxia UK Annual Reports & Financial Statements.
You can download our whistleblowing policy here or read ahead.
Ataxia UK is committed to the highest standards of openness, probity and accountability. In line with that commitment, the charity has implemented this policy to cover any genuine concerns that a trustee, member of staff, or volunteer may have about suspected wrongdoing within the charity.
In demonstrating this commitment Ataxia UK encourages its trustees, members of staff, or volunteers who have serious concerns about any wrongdoing within the charity to come forward and express their concerns. It is important that any fraud, misconduct or wrongdoing by staff or others working on behalf of the charity is reported and properly dealt with. This policy sets out the way in which individuals may raise any concerns that they have and how those concerns will be dealt with.
This policy additionally reflects the requirements of the Code of Fundraising Practice introduced by the Fundraising Regulator regarding fundraising practices.
It is not necessary for you to have proof that such an act is being, has been, or is likely to be, committed – a reasonable belief is sufficient. You have no responsibility for investigating the matter – it is the charity's responsibility to ensure that an investigation takes place.
If you make a protected disclosure you have the right not to be dismissed, subjected to any other detriment or victimised because you have made a disclosure. We encourage you to raise your concerns under this procedure in the first instance.
Everyone should be aware of the importance of preventing and eliminating wrongdoing at work. Staff and others working on behalf of the charity should be watchful for illegal or unethical conduct and report anything of that nature that they become aware of.
Any matter raised under this procedure will be investigated thoroughly, promptly and confidentially, and the outcome of the investigation reported back to the person who raised the issue.
The identity of the person raising the concern will not be disclosed without their consent. However, in situations where concerns cannot be resolved without revealing the whistleblower's identity (for instance because their evidence is needed in court) this will be discussed with the person raising the concern and a decision reached on how and whether Ataxia UK can proceed.
No employee or other person working on behalf of the charity will be victimised for raising a matter under this procedure. This means that the continued employment and opportunities for future promotion or training of the worker will not be prejudiced because they have raised a legitimate concern.
If misconduct is discovered as a result of any investigation under this procedure, our disciplinary procedure will be used, in addition to any appropriate external measures. Maliciously making a false allegation is a disciplinary offence.
An instruction to cover up wrongdoing is itself a disciplinary offence. If told not to raise or pursue any concern, even by a person in authority such as a manager, you should not agree to remain silent. You should report the matter to the Chief Executive or the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Ataxia UK recognises that a trustee, member of staff or volunteer may in exceptional circumstances decide to raise concerns with an appropriate external body such as the Charity Commission or the Fundraising Regulator or the Independent Fundraising Standards and Adjudication Panel for Scotland, as the case may be and depending on the nature of the concern. Ataxia UK will work honestly and openly with any such external body to resolve the concern.
This procedure is for disclosures about matters other than a breach of your own contract of employment, which should be raised via the grievance procedure.
In the first instance, any concerns should be raised with the Chief Executive, who will arrange an investigation of the matter. The investigation may involve you and other individuals involved giving a written statement. Any investigation will be carried out in accordance with the principles set out above. Your statement will be taken into account and you will be asked to comment on any additional evidence obtained. The Chief Executive will take any necessary action, including reporting the matter to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and any appropriate government department or regulatory agency. The Chief Executive will also invoke any disciplinary action required. On conclusion of any investigation, you will be told the outcome and what the charity has done, or proposes to do, about it. If no action is to be taken, the reason for this will be explained.
If you are concerned that the Chief Executive is involved in the wrongdoing, has failed to make a proper investigation or has failed to report the outcome of the investigations to the relevant person, you should escalate the matter to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Chairman will arrange for a review of the investigation to be carried out, make any necessary enquiries and make their own report to the board.
Implement and communicate the procedures on whistleblowing to trustees, staff and volunteers of Ataxia UK.
Create a culture that reflects the values and professional standards of Ataxia UK.
Ensure that trustees, staff and volunteers understand that Ataxia UK will not tolerate harassment or victimisation and will ensure that support is in place if an individual raises an issue.


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'It's a wake-up call' - U's boss McGreal
PUBLISHED: 06:00 17 December 2018
U's boss John McGreal. Picture: PAGEPIX
Colchester United boss, John McGreal, believes that Saturday's 4-0 trouncing at Carlisle United could end up being a blessing in disguise for the U's.
McGreal felt that the humbling defeat at Brunton Park could be a "wake-up call" for his ambitious young side, who have been occupying the third and last of the automatic promotion places in recent weeks.
The U's defence has been rock-solid in the last couple of months, having kept five clean-sheets in the previous eight league matches, but they were brought back down to earth with a jolt on Saturday.
"I didn't see it coming, and I don't think the fans saw it coming either," explained McGreal.
"Maybe it's a wake-up call for us, and sometimes these sort of results can help you (in the long term). There are peaks and troughs in any season – obviously we have hit a trough today and it's a heavy defeat.
"We didn't do the fundamentals right, even defending set pieces. To get something from a match you want at least seven players performing, but today only about 20% performed to any level.
"We made a couple of changes (substitutes early in the second half), and tweaked the system, but then we got caught on the counter from our own corner, which is disappointing. You haven't seen us do that before.
"There were some indifferent decisions on the pitch today, but maybe we needed this wake-up call.
"Our standards and our habits weren't there today, although the first half was very tight. But we let ourselves down in that second half.
"You are going to get disagreements on the pitch, when things are not going well and aren't working out for you. They are expressions of views, which I'd rather see than players not caring.
"Looking ahead, there's no better game than to play at MK Dons next weekend," added McGreal, with reference to next Saturday's trip to the second-placed Dons.
Saturday was the first time that the U's had shipped more than three goals in a league match this term.
McGreal continued: "It is a game to forget, after analysing it.
"But we can't get too disheartened with what has happened. These results do spring up in this league, from time to time."
John McGreal


text:
PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (AP) - It was a very busy, very lucrative weekend for Hillary Clinton in the summer playground of the East Coast's moneyed elite.
She brunched with wealthy backers at a seaside estate in Nantucket, snacking on shrimp dumplings and crabcakes. A few hours later, she and her husband dined with an intimate party of thirty at a secluded Martha's Vineyard estate. And on Sunday afternoon, she joined the singer Cher at a "LGBT summer celebration" on the far reaches of Cape Cod.
By Sunday evening, Clinton had spoken to more than 2,200 campaign donors. But what she told the crowds remains a mystery.
Clinton has refused to open her fundraisers to journalists, reversing nearly a decade of greater transparency in presidential campaigns and leaving the public guessing at what she's saying to some of her most powerful supporters.
It's an approach that differs from the Democratic president she hopes to succeed. Since his 2008 campaign, President Barack Obama has allowed reporters traveling with him into the backyards and homes of wealthy donors to witness his some of his remarks.


text:
A text alignment algorithm inspired by ..soap operas?
Ted Benson
Most problems in computer science can be reduced in some part to one of a few hundred or so classic problems. There are the Dining Philosophers, the Chinese Restaurant, the Traveling Salesman, the Byzantine Generals, and so on. Last week I ran into a fun one I hadn't seen in a while — the Stable Marriage Problem — so I thought I'd write a bit about it.
The problem that needed solving was re-ordering the pages of out-of-order legal contracts so that we can compare their content to the original. The solution turns out to be very simple and based on the rough metaphor of a cast of singles trying to find love.
Before you can analyze the "before" and "after" version of a document, you have to make sure you have the pages aligned correctly. But in the real world of fax machines and photocopiers pages often go missing or get mis-ordered.
Problem setup: Imagine you're a busy lawyer..
You send people 40-page contracts all day. Usually they send these contracts back signed and unchanged, but sometimes somebody crosses out a line or adds a margin note before signing. The contract they signed is now different than the one you sent them! To detect this, you're stuck re-reading 100% of incoming contracts to see which have changes and which don't.
You like your billing rate, but this is not how you want to spend your time. So you write a computer program to automatically analyze pairs of pages, <outgoing_page, incoming_page>, to detect any signatures and pen marks that have been made on the incoming page.
You run the program. It works wonderfully! But it also fails catastrophically sometimes, producing bizarre results. Inspecting these errors, you realize that some of these contracts haven't just been marked up with a pen, they've also been shuffled around and had pages lost. The errors result from your algorithm trying to compare outgoing_page 2 with some badly matched incoming_page 4.
Ways a document can be "out of order"
Let's frame our problem as being about two documents we'd like to compare:
A, the outgoing contract, and
B, the incoming contract
Document A has pages a_1, a_2, ... a_n and document B has pages b_1, b_2, ... b_m. We know A and B are the same documents, but b_1 .. b_m deviates from A in a few inconvenient ways:
Pages have been removed
Pages have been added
Pages have been reordered
What we'd like to find is a match between A and B. A match is a set of pairings between the elements of A and B, like this: [ <a_1,b_1>, <a_2,b_2> … <a_n,b_n> ] . Specifically, we want the match which results in <a_i, b_j> pairs that are most similar to each other.
That's simple to say but complex to do: what constitutes the set of most similar matches? Should we optimize for the average match strength (which skews for passion)? Median match strength (which skews for settling)? Should we always make perfect matches when possible (might leave some elements woefully undermatched)?
Stable Marriage Matching
A stable marriage match is a great matching framework for finding matches between populations of different size. (Note: If you follow that hyperlink, Wikipedia will tell you stable marriage matching is for populations of equal size. Just ignore that.)
It optimizes for the following global property, which we call a "stable match":
No element in a match will have a better viable option.
Here's that sentence expressed in terms of a test you can apply to some match (a, b) to see if it's stable:
for all mates (a,b):
if a would rather be with c than b:
if c would rather be with a than c's current match:
(a,b) is unstable! (a,c) deserve each other!
same rule for b
The counterintuitive observation here is that match (a, b) is considered stable even if a and b both prefer other mates…as long as those secret crushes don't crush back. Elements a and b are each other's best viable compromise when factoring in everyone else's preferences. This strategy also results in the guarantee that if there does exist some mutually in-love Romeo and Juliet, they will be matched together.
(a, b) form a stable match even if a prefers c as long as c doesn't also prefer a over his current match d.
The other great part of Stable Marriage Matching is that the solution is simple and well understood — just look up the Gale–Shapley algorithm. You can implement it in an hour and be on your way.
OK. So let's assume that we now have some function match that produces the following output:
match(A, B) -> { matches: [<a,b>], additions: [b], deletions: [a] }
The match function takes an outgoing document A and an incoming document B and produces a set of page-to-page matches, along with a list of added and deleted pages. If |B| > |A| we'll call any unmatched b added, and if |A| > |B| we'll call any unmatched a deleted. This isn't addition/deletion strategy isn't perfect — there are better strategies involving match strength — but it will do fine for many cases.
The only thing left is to define some measure of attraction that helps us decide which pages a get married to which pages b .
"Chunky Jaccard" as a measure of document attraction
Attraction really means similarity here. And just like matching, document similarity is simple in concept but more nuanced to actually define. Are two things similar if they have the same letters? The same words? The same words in the same order? The same words in the same order and font styling?
In general, you can define a spectrum of text similarity measures that go from coarse (Jaccard) to strict (labeled "Extremist" below). In the below figure, A and B are the sets of tokens in two pages, and a_i and b_i are the i^th tokens of those pages.
A spectrum of coarse to strict similarity measures for documents. We're using different notation than the rest of the post here: capital letters are pages and lowercase letters are tokens.
Jaccard Similarity is a coarse measure of document similarity. It looks at two documents as bags of words and returns the measure of how many words were the same divided by how many existed in total. If the documents are perfectly equal, J(A,B) = 1.0, and if they are perfectly disjoint, J(A,B) = 0.0
What I labeled as Extremist would be to take the opposite approach from "bag of words" and compare the i^th word of each document to each other. On the one hand, I understand the extremism — after all, documents aren't bags of words. Word order matters! But on the other hand, this is extremely brittle in the presence of errors. What if the OCR of a document inserted an extra word? That single, off-by-one index shift would cause the similarity score to plummet by 0.5 on average.
"Chunky" Jaccard Similarity represents a balance between the bag-of-words model and the extremist variant. We take some chunk_size, which is expressed as a percentage, and then carve up the document into N segments, each one chunk_size percent of the document. When chunk_size approaches zero, Chunky Jaccard is the same as the extremist measure. When chunk_size = 1, Chunky Jaccard is the same as the bag of words version.
So that's really it. Pick one of the two Jaccard variants, implement it, and use that as your measure of attraction in the Gale-Shapley algorithm.
Matching made simple
Once we implemented the above, our document analysis errors disappeared completely. On top of that, we had a more complete analysis to show our users, including pages added and removed in addition to page-level modifications.
It turns out that in our dataset, the document shuffling was almost entirely caused by Page 1 of the initial document going missing. The cover letter that accompanied the initial contract had been omitted in the signed response.
Strong visuals make things easy to remember
This is one of those problems where if you had to come up with a solution yourself, it would take a while to devise an approach that was straightforward to implement and also lacked any nasty edge cases.
I think the colorful metaphors for classic algorithms are so useful because they make it easy to remember when you can pull a standard solution out of your bag of tricks. In general, humans are terrible at remembering numbers but fantastic at remembering stories.
So don't dismiss the stories behind these algorithms as metaphor abuse. Ham them up! Visualize ridiculous re-enactments of them in your mind so that they'll be easier to recall when you need them most.
PS: Come solve interesting problems at Instabase
If solving high-impact problems with real world data sounds like a good way to spend your day, reach out and say hello. Instabase is hiring strong CS generalists, as well as specialists in systems, machine learning, NLP, and web front-end.


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Academics › Schools › School of Business › Faculty › Melissa A. Varao, Ph.D.
Professor Melissa A. Varao is the Associate Dean for the School of Business. During her time at Lasell, Professor Varao has developed three new hospitality majors, a minor, and a Master's degree concentration, and has been involved in the continuous development and revision of School of Business undergraduate and graduate curricula. In addition, she has created many strong industry partnerships in the Boston area for the benefit Lasell students. Professor Varao has also developed several new courses including HEM 214 Ecotourism, which includes a week-long service learning expedition for students to such locations as Belize and the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. She held the position of Faculty Connected Learning Organizer for four years in which time she assisted faculty in course and project development related to Lasell's Connected Learning philosophy and coordinated and executed the bi-annual Connected Learning Symposia.
Dr. Varao is a member of several organizations, including the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Education (ICHRIE), the International Live Events Association (ILEA) and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). She has served as the Marketing Director for the Northeast North America (NENA) Chapter of ICHRIE. Professor Varao has co-authored several publications, including A Comparison Study of U.S. and Non-U.S. Education Internationalization Practices of Hospitality and Tourism Programs in the Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism (2011), Defining Visitor Satisfaction in the Context of Camping Oriented Nature-Based Tourism - the Driving Force of Quality! In the Journal of Vacation Marketing, (2010), and Attachment Style and Emotional Intelligence and its Relationship to Leadership Success in the Twelfth Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research in Hospitality and Tourism Conference Proceedings (2007). Most recently, she authored a textbook chapter called Service Quality, Brand Loyalty, and Wine Tourism. Varao regularly guest lectures for Hospitality programs both locally and abroad.
Professor Varao has traveled to Belize, Brazil, and Nicaragua with Lasell students as part of various ecotourism and international service learning trips; she has also studied and directed programs abroad in Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, Great Britain, Costa Rica and more. Professor Varao is known to lead domestic educational trips including Napa and Sonoma Valleys to study wine tourism and New York City to introduce students to the International Hotel Experience Tradeshow and Conference.
Prior to earning her Ph.D., Professor Varao worked in both the lodging and event management sectors of the hospitality industry. She has extensive experience in hotel front office operations and in planning weddings and special events for both luxury resorts and as a small business owner.
While completing her education, Dr. Varao was competitively selected as a 2008-2009 Future Faculty Fellow at Auburn University based on her demonstrated academic excellence and interest in academic careers and was the recipient of many additional honors and awards, including the 2008 Jeanne M. Preister Fellowship at Auburn University and the 2005 Graduate Student of the Year for the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Department at the University of South Carolina.
What is important for your students to take away from your classes?
"It's important for me to know that my students are not only getting a well-laid educational foundation in liberal arts, business, and hospitality, but are also gaining knowledge from experience working in their particular fields of the hospitality industry. Clearly students need to understand the terms and practices in any field, but I find that most people can't fully appreciate and understand this information until they have actually used it in real-life situations. I incorporate working experiences into every course that I teach. For example, it would be nearly impossible to teach a student about the event planning industry without having them plan actual events. Generally, these experiences involve meeting and working with other professionals in the industry, allowing students to make several strong industry connections by the time they graduate."


In the next 6 Blog Posts, I'm passing on 6 TIPS on how to create a CONNECTION with your potential customers, so they want to interact with, follow, support and ultimately buy from you. Use these tips to plan your visual marketing campaigns using the images from your 'Artisans' Storytelling Photoshoot'.
POST 1: SHOW HOW YOUR PRODUCT IS BORN. Capture their imaginations with behind-the-scenes images of what's involved at the start of your product's creation, from the raw materials to the specialist equipment or the creative space where the magic happens. Get them on board at the start of the journey.
Older PostAre you keeping your brand voice, style and identity consistent?


text:
package leetcode;

import org.junit.Test;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;

/**
 * https://leetcode.com/problems/power-of-four/
 */
public class LC342PowerOfFour {
    public class Solution {
        public boolean isPowerOfFour(int num) {
            if (num <= 0) return false;
            double value = Math.log(num) / Math.log(4);
            return value == Math.floor(value);
        }
    }

    @Test
    public void test_16() throws Exception {
        assertEquals(true, new Solution().isPowerOfFour(16));
    }

    @Test
    public void test_5() throws Exception {
        assertEquals(false, new Solution().isPowerOfFour(5));
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
MVSer, COSA walk road to healing with sexual offenders
Download high-resolution photo
Jordan Zickafoose and Claire Ann Ruth-Heffelbower work together at Circles of Support and Accountability in Fresno, Calif. (Photo by Hannah Heinzekehr)
FRESNO, Calif. (Mennonite Mission Network) – John* used to be afraid to participate in community beyond the four walls of his home. A registered sex offender whose parole ended last summer, John is cautious to avoid situations where he might be tempted to re-offend, but this cautiousness also led him to avoid making friends and participating in the world outside his home. John's life changed when he became a part of the Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) program in Fresno, Calif.
Once a week for two and a half years, John has met with a community of volunteers who serve as mentors and friends for him. These volunteers have walked alongside John, providing support and accountability as he seeks to re-create his life.
Today, John is still careful, but he's found healthy ways to re-engage society. He serves as a volunteer in several circles for other offenders and has begun volunteering alongside Mennonite Voluntary Service participants at a local food pantry.
Formed as a ministry of the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies at Fresno Pacific University, COSA has been walking alongside sex offenders like John as they seek change and rehabilitation since 2007. Today, with their funding in jeopardy, it's unclear how COSA will continue.
Clare Ann Ruth-Heffelbower, director of COSA in Fresno, first encountered COSA (a rehabilitation model that is commonly used throughout Canada) when she attended a training on the model in 2006. At a career transition point and seeking direction, Ruth-Heffelbower decided to attend on a whim and found herself deeply drawn to the model. Upon her return to Fresno, Ruth-Heffelbower applied for and received a grant from the California Department of Corrections, and COSA was born.
Mennonite Voluntary Service participant Jordan Zickafoose, of Lima (Ohio) Mennonite Church, has been volunteering with the COSA program for two years. MVS, one of Mennonite Mission Network's Christian service programs, invites adults like Zickafoose to spend one to two years serving and living in community in locations around the country.
Zickafoose is a part of several circles, and through his work, he says he has learned much and seen many people change.
"When I tell people what I do, sometimes they wonder why I'm involved with this work. They think sex offenders can't change, but I believe everyone deserves a chance to be rehabilitated and to change," said Zickafoose.
In the three years COSA has been operating, none of the offenders involved in circles have re-offended.
"The key to this model is community. Community offers our core members (offenders) a place to learn social skills, to feel accepted, to be open and honest, and to find accountability and support. Isolation is a very dangerous place," said Ruth-Heffelbower.
However, despite this positive track record, the grant from the California Department of Corrections has run out, and COSA is running on reserve funds from the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies and volunteer labor. They are actively pursuing new grants.
And COSA is not just changing the lives of core members; it's impacting volunteers as well.
"We often get to hear core members talk about how COSA has affected them or been instrumental in their lives, but volunteers also talk about their learnings as well. They are not only there to provide support and accountability, but the core members are giving back to us, too," said Zickafoose.
One long-term core member, Mike*, died tragically in a car accident one year ago. Zickafoose and other members of the circle helped to plan Mike's funeral, and Zickafoose wrote and sang a song commemorating his life. Several members shared stories of ways that Mike's life and his witness to a person's ability to change served as an inspiration to them. He taught them lessons of patience, unconditional love, and joy.
"There are so many places where we have seen incredible progress," said Ruth-Heffelbower. "And often, relationships become so strong the groups continue to meet even when it seems the need is not as great anymore."
The COSA program in Fresno is the largest of its kind in the United States. Recently, Religion and Ethics News Weekly, a PBS original program, filmed a feature on COSA in Fresno and several of its circles.
*Last name withheld for confidentiality.


1971 Activity as a graphic designer and photographer. Publications in Germany, France and Italy.
at the Internatinales Theater Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main.
Marina Medina-Art Consulting at Lexus Forum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main.
2016 Paysages Photographique - Group Exhibition - Gallery La Corbata Rosa, Angers, France.
2015 Art fair Art3f in Nantes - Stand of the Gallery La Corbata Rosa, Angers, France.
2015 Arbres et forêts - Gallery La Corbata Rosa, Angers, France.
2014 Collectif 9/14 - Group Exhibition - Gallery La Corbata Rosa, Angers, France.
2014 Paysages Photographique - Group Exhibition - Gallery La Corbata Rosa, Angers, France.
2014 Paysages, couleurs et matières - Solo exhibition at the Gallery L´Autrelois, Angers, France.


text:
Home | Articles | Support Organizational Innovation with the Innovation Equation
Support Organizational Innovation with the Innovation Equation
What Makes Innovative Companies Different? They Understand the Innovation Equation
Innovate or die — everyone says it, but few organizations really know how to make innovation happen.
We've heard the cautionary tales. Blockbuster missed the opportunity to innovate around streaming video rentals and lost their once-cornered market to Netflix. Kodak, the former leader in the film industry, filed for bankruptcy in 2012 because they struggled to adapt to the world of digital photography — a technology that they invented.
And more recently, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, swaths of industries from restaurants to retail were crippled by social distancing rules that rendered existing business models temporarily obsolete. Hanging on required companies to reinvent their offerings. Those who were already struggling, especially if because of a failure to adapt to changing customer preferences, are finding it was just too late to begin organizational innovation.
Read our white paper Turning Crisis Into Opportunity: Preparing Your Organization for a Transformed World to learn the importance of taking bold actions to push toward reinvention.
Experts note the following organizational innovation trends:
Organizational innovation is one of the top 10 trends affecting business and leadership.
Executives cite creativity as the #1 leadership skill needed for dealing with an increasingly complex future.
Creativity and innovation are essential requirements for organizational success.
Willingness to rapidly prototype early versions of innovations is one of the top 10 leadership skills needed for future success.
Despite the consensus around the importance of organizational innovation, it continues to be an area in which leaders and organizations struggle. Given that leaders and organizations seem to care a great deal about being innovative, what's holding them back? Why aren't companies as innovative as they want to be?
How Companies Can Foster Organizational Innovation
In order to better understand how innovation works in organizations, we asked 485 people from organizations around the globe to share their experiences with innovation in the workplace. Their responses offered insights into how organizations encourage innovation — as well as common roadblocks they face when trying to implement innovation.
Our survey revealed the following 5 key differences separating organizations that are effective at innovation from those that are not.
Leaders encourage innovation.
Nearly a third of people surveyed from ineffective organizations selected "leaders don't encourage innovation" as one of their 3 main roadblocks, compared to only 9% from effective organizations. By definition, innovation is strange and different, and without the risk tolerance to experiment, prototype, and pilot new concepts, leaders' actions speak louder than any hollow words of encouragement.
Organizational Innovation Leadership Tip: Rather than using innovation as a buzzword, demonstrate behaviors that actively encourage innovation. (As a leader, be sure you know how to encourage innovation, not unintentionally sabotage it, and understand how to foster an innovative mindset at your organization.)
The culture fosters innovation.
More than half (56%) of respondents from ineffective organizations selected "culture that does not support innovation" as an innovation roadblock. In contrast, only 11% of respondents from effective organizations thought that organizational culture was a roadblock to innovation in their organizations.
Organizational Innovation Leadership Tip: Think of organizational culture as "the ways that things really get done" (versus official processes). Culture change takes years, yet by looking at what's working in the culture that can be leveraged — as well as what overtly blocks innovation — organizations can begin to create a culture that sustains innovation. (Find out how to create a culture of innovation.)
There's a formal innovation strategy.
When asked whether their organizations had a formal approach to innovation, 66% of respondents from effective organizations said yes, compared with 20% of respondents from ineffective organizations. Many of these ineffective organizations are relying only on informal efforts.
Organizational Innovation Leadership Tip: Develop a formal strategy for innovation — unique to your organization — and outline the best ways to communicate that strategy to your employees. (Learn the 3 practices that will help drive innovation in your organization.)
There's money in the budget.
Innovative organizations have funds dedicated to innovation. Of the people surveyed, 90% of respondents from effective organizations said their organization has an innovation budget, while only 58% of respondents from ineffective organizations said the same.
Simply put, organizational innovation requires resources. Many organizations that are effective at innovation put in place innovation venture capital funds to build and run experiments that determine viability of concepts.
Organizational Innovation Leadership Tip: Remember that creating and implementing something new and valuable is not cheap, and should be viewed as a critical, long-term investment.
Leaders set the direction for innovation.
Innovative organizations have a clear direction for innovation. While only 17% of respondents from effective organizations selected this issue, 39% of respondents from ineffective organizations selected "no clear direction" as a major roadblock.
We've found that your role in innovation depends on where you sit in the organization, and that the responsibilities for innovation vary by leader level. Whether you're an executive who leads the entire organization through innovation, a functional leader who is responsible for directing and promoting that innovation, or a manager who advocates for innovation, remember that innovation is a means to an end, not the end itself, and requires constant facilitation.
Organizational Innovation Leadership Tip: Start with a clear statement of purpose for innovation, with objective measures of success. This helps to align efforts within the organization and ensure that work toward that goal is focused on the desired outcome.
The Innovation Equation for Organizational Innovation
Some leaders believe that all they have to do is hire creative people and innovation will just happen. And organizations do need leaders with the ability – and willingness – to think beyond short-term needs and to resist the temptation to cut back on the resources that feed innovation.
Other leaders believe that innovation is all about organizational processes – that all employees will prove to be equally innovative under the right circumstances and with the right organizational (and compensation) structures encouraging them.
But the most creative person in the world is unlikely to innovate effectively in a company that does not support innovation, and even the most innovation-supportive companies in the world will not reach their innovation potential without creative people in place to do the work.
The bottom line is that organizational innovation is a simple innovation equation. And the innovation equation isn't about either having creative people or creating a workplace that fosters innovation – because for organizational innovation, both must be present.
The innovation equation is: People + Context = Innovation.
Build a culture of organizational innovation and help your people understand the innovation equation. Our Live Online Custom Leadership Training can be tailored to to your organization's challenges. Available topics include Innovation & Breakthrough Thinking, Leading Through Change, and more.
Creating a Culture of Innovation: Focus on These 3 Factors
How to Foster an Innovative Mindset at Your Organization
How the Innovation Process Works and How to Lead It
How Leaders Can Encourage Innovation Instead of Sabotaging It
The Essence of Innovation: 5 Principles
Creating an Environment for Innovation
Desperately Seeking Innovation
How to Stop Ignoring Good Ideas
Boundary Spanning Leadership Workshop Kit
Positive Turbulence: Developing Climates for Creativity, Innovation, and Renewal
Making Creativity Practical: Innovation That Gets Results
Boundary Spanning Leadership: Six Practices for Solving Problems, Driving Innovation, and Transforming Organizations
How to Manage Paradox


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Knowing how a comfort system works can save you energy dollars and help you make informed decisions.
Technology has come a long way, and the future is bright for more efficient and earth-friendly systems. Read about where we've been and why we're here.
Here are some pointers on selecting the right contractor for the job. Don't speak hydronics? Here's a Glossary of terms you may hear from your FloPro contractor.
Use the sun's energy to heat your hot water while saving money. Taco's solar systems are the most efficient and reliable on the market.
There's a Taco FloPro qualified home heating professional in your area. FloPro team members know the importance of a job done right.
"Hot Stuff" at the Tap!
Harness the earth's energy in the most advanced comfort system available.


text:
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CheckMyCon: Travel to Conventions in 2018 by Bus and Save Money!
Posted on August 21, 2018 August 29, 2018 by CheckMyBus
If you're a fan of anime, video games, comics or Japanese culture, then you should consider going to one of the many conventions put on throughout the UK each year. It's a great chance to see special guests, shop for unique merchandise, meet other members of your favourite fandoms, and of course show off your cosplay! Don't have a costume? That's perfectly fine as well since seeing so many characters brought to life is an experience in and of itself. Whether you've missed this summer's biggest conventions or are just looking for a fun trip, here are some more events to get you through the rest of the year.
Going to a Convention by Bus? Some Quick Tips!
Travelling by bus is often a cheaper alternative to rail, so you can spend more money at vendors and on your cosplay!
Consider whether or not you can wear your costume on the bus. Is your costume bulky, glittery or could appear threatening to other passengers? Probably best to wait until you arrive to get changed!
Have you bought any weapons or something that may be banned on the bus? Best to check with the regulations of the bus provider you're travelling with. Typically if it's stored in the right kind of container it should be ok.
J-Con 2018
Where: Derby
When: 24 – 25 August
How much: £20.00 for Friday and Saturday, £10.00 for just Friday, £15.00 just for Saturday
A true con experience, J-Con offers live music, anime screenings, skits, and an Otaku bring and buy with all the anime, comics and video games you can take in! Special guests include Bentley Jones, singer and songwriter of Sonic the Hedgehog fame, as well as Team Four Star member Makakox, who worked on both the Naruto and DragonballZ abridged series on youtube.
Connections to Derby:
Bus from Leeds to Derby, National Express, from £6.20
Bus from Manchester to Derby, National Express, from £10.00
Bus from Birmingham to Derby, National Express, from £8.60
Alcon 2018
Where: Leicester
When: 2 September
How much: £44.00 for all 4 days, £19.00 for Thursday, Friday or Sunday, or £25.00 for Saturday
Alcon offers more activities than you can cram into the weekend with a talent show, numerous panels, cosplay events, workshops, a pub quiz and even a glow stick rave. Special guests at the convention include voice actress Kira Buckland, known as the voice of Falke from Street-fighter as well as 50 other anime and video game characters, and Martin "LittleKuriboh" Billany, who is famous for his work on the Yu-gi-Oh abridged series and various internet parodies.
Connections to Leicester:
Bus from London to Leicester, megabus, from £4.13
Bus from Liverpool to Leicester, megabus, from £5.03
Bus from Newcastle to Leicester, National Express, from £11.10
Cosplay Culture 2018
Where: Burton-upon-Trent
How much: £3.00 at the door
With 80 percent of the proceeds from tickets going to the Derby Hospital Children's Ward, Cosplay Culture is a good time for a good cause. The event features several cosplay and anime themed activities as well as panels about Japanese culture.
Connections to Burton-Upon-Trent
Bus from Birmingham to Burton-Upon-Trent, National Express, from £13.20
Leicester to Burton-Upon-Trent, National Express, from £6.10
Bus from London to Burton-Upon-Trent, National Express, from £15.10
Yorkshire Cosplay Ball
Where: Sheffield
When: 16 September
How much: £11.00 or £8.80 if booked online in advance
Ever dream of going to a masquerade as one of your favourite characters? The Yorkshire Cosplay Ball is the perfect opportunity to do so at the Holiday Inn. Attendees must be at least 15 years of age due to the more mature atmosphere of the event, and alcohol will be served. The dress code requires either a costume or semi-formal attire, so be sure to dress the part!
Connections to Sheffield
Bus from York to Sheffield, National Express, from £8.00
Bus from Manchester to Sheffield, National Express, from £2.90
Bus from Edinburgh to Sheffield, megabus, from £10.10
Nottingham Comic Convention
Where: Nottingham
When: 20 October
How much: £8.00 for Adults (13 and over) and free of charge for Children 12 and under
The Nottingham Comic Convention will feature seminars guest Q&A panels, an animated film programme, and live music from local bands. This year's special guests will include comic artist Marc Laming, who worked for DC and Marvel comics on Wonder Woman, Captain America, Star Wars, X-Men and many others, as well as Christian Wildgoose, who worked on DC's Batgirl as well as the acclaimed Porcelain series.
Bus from London to Nottingham, National Express, from £2.00
Bus from Birmingham to Nottingham, National Express, from £3.00
Bus from Manchester to Nottingham, National Express, from £5.10
Hibanacon
Where: Milton Keynes
When: 2-4 November
How much: £55
Connect with other members of your favourite fandoms at Hibanacon with its own cosplay ball and masquerade, a party, live performances, and panels. Enjoy a special performance of The MMORPG show from the actor, comedian and director Paul Flannery, who is best known for the stage show Knightmare Live.
Connections to Milton Keynes
Bus from Leicester to Milton Keynes, National Express, from £7.40
Bus from Manchester to Milton Keynes, National Express, from £5.00
Bus from London to Milton Keynes, megabus, from £3.00
Doki Doki 2018
Where: Manchester
When: 10 November
How much: £12.50 if bought in advance, £15.00 on the day
Celebrate both Japan's modern and traditional culture at Doki Doki 2018! The event includes panels on Japanese pop culture, calligraphy demonstrations, Japanese etiquette lessons, language activities, food and drink samplings and a cosplay competition judged by well-known cosplayers. Special guests include Andrew Osmond, author of "100 animated feature films," as well as other books on anime subjects, and Akemi Solloway, a member of an old samurai family and lecturer on Japanese culture.
Connections to Manchester
Bus from Glasgow to Manchester, National Express, from £7.40
Bus from London to Manchester, National Express, from £5.00
Bus from Bristol to Manchester, megabus, from £8.50
YCC Geeky Christmas Market
How much: £2.20 for advance rates and £3.00 at the door
What better way to close the year and celebrate the holidays than to go back to Sheffield for a geeky Christmas Market? Not only does the event offer the typical convention experience but is also the perfect opportunity to do a bit of holiday shopping for your loved ones.
Bus from Bristol to Sheffield, megabus, from £7.01
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Here you see a 1950's GEC Z9451 with 90 watt SOX Lamp, as used for Main Road Street Lighting. This Street Light has No Gear as the Ballast etc. is normally mounted in the Base Compartment of the Lighting Column (Lamp Post).
Originally this Lantern would have used a 140 watt SO/H (Dewar), SOI/H (Integral) Sodium Lamps before SOX lamps were introduced in the 1960's. by then the Z9454/64 Street Lanterns replaced these.


» Brand New Samsung Gear S3 Frontier Watch Available In Store.
Brand New Samsung Gear S3 Frontier Watch Available In Store.
The Gear S3 has the esthetics of a truly premium watch with advanced features built right into the watch design.
Thats why its so easy and effortless to use the Gear S3.
Its also built for you to go days without needing your phone or to recharge.
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The syrup, seasoning, oils and general food market consists of sales of syrup, seasoning, oils and general food by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that produce flavouring syrup and concentrate, seasonings and dressings, vegetable oils and general food products. The companies in the industry package and distribute their products through various distribution channels to both individual customers and commercial establishments.
Major players in the global syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food market include The Hershey's Company, Kerry Group, Tate & Lyle, Monin Inc., Concord Foods.
The syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food market size is expected to reach a double digit figure by 2022, significantly growing at a CAGR of around 6.9% during the forecast period. The growth in the syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food market is due to increased demand for artificial flavourings and rapid urbanization, and shifting consumer preferences in both developed and developing countries.
However, the market for syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food is expected to face certain restraints from several factors such as health awareness and changing regulatory environment.
The global syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food market is further segmented based on type and geography.
By Type - The syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food market is segmented into flavouring syrup and concentrate manufacturing, seasoning and dressing manufacturing, fats and oils manufacturing, syrups, molasses, sweet spreads, jam, jellies, preservatives, savoury spreads, seasoning, dressing, fats, oils.
By Geography - The global syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food is segmented into North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Shift towards the use of natural ingredients instead of artificial colours and flavours, introduction of healthier alternatives like canola oil, organic vegetable oil, trans-fat free soybean oil and olive oil are the major trends witnessed in the global syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food market. Potential Opportunities in the Syrup, Seasoning, Oils, & General Food Market With the shift from artificial to natural bases of syrups and, the scope and potential for the global syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food market is expected to significantly rise in the forecast period.
The bottled water industry includes establishments involved in purifying and bottling water. Companies in the bottled water industry are primarily involved in purifying water, packaging, marketing and distributing it in the form of bottled or canned water. The bottled water products are further sold to either distributors or end user outlets. Distributors in the bottled water industry further charge commission on the products depending on several factors such as availability, pricing and relationship between the two entities. The end users of bottled water products include institutions and retail customers. Institutional customers cover establishments such as restaurants, offices and hotels. They purchase bottled water from wholesalers or distributors.
The alcoholic beverages manufacturing market consists of sales of beverages that do not contain any alcohol by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that produce beverages that do not contain any alcohol. The companies in the alcoholic beverages industry process raw materials into alcoholic beverages, package and distribute them through various distribution channels to both individual customers and commercial establishments.
The non-alcoholic beverages manufacturing market consists of sales of beverages that do not contain any alcohol by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that produce beverages that do not contain any alcohol. The companies in the non-alcoholic beverages industry process raw materials into non-alcoholic beverages, package and distribute them through various distribution channels to both individual customers and commercial establishments.
The bakery and confectionery manufacturing market consists of sales of bakery and confectionery by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that produce bakery and confectionery products. The companies in the bakery and confectionery industry process raw materials into bakery and confectionery, package and distribute them through various distribution channels to both individual customers and commercial establishments. Some of the examples of bakery and confectionery products include breakfast cereals, breads, cookies, chocolates, gums, sugar confectionery and others.
The frozen fruit and vegetable market consists of sales of frozen and canned fruit and vegetables by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that produce frozen and canned fruit and vegetables. This market does not include unprocessed fruit and vegetables which are part of the agricultural market. The companies in the industry package and distribute their products through various distribution channels to both individual customers and commercial establishments.
The dairy market manufacturing consists of sales of dairy products by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that produce dairy products from raw milk and processed milk products, produce dry, condensed, concentrated and evaporated dairy, and/or produce some dairy substitute products. The companies in the industry package and distribute their products through various distribution channels to both individual customers and commercial establishments.
The meat, poultry and seafood market consists of sales of meat, poultry and seafood by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that produce and process meat, poultry and seafood. The meat, poultry and seafood industry includes establishments engaged in animal slaughtering and processing, poultry processing and seafood product preparation and packaging. The companies in the industry package and distribute their products through various distribution channels to both individual customers and commercial establishments.


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Eoreuma loftini, the Mexican rice borer, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1917. It is found in the southern United States, where it has been recorded from California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana and Florida. It is also found in Mexico.

The wingspan is about 12 mm. Adults are light tan. The forewings with a small black central dot and two faint, blackish longitudinal streaks.

The larvae feed on various grasses, including sugarcane and rice. They bore into the stem or stalk of their host plant. The larvae are whitish with a light-colored head. Pupation takes place inside the stem or stalk.

References

Haimbachiini
Moths described in 1917


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Corrado to step down after expanding mission and reach of city's Department for the Aging
Donna Corrado
Few New York City agencies are as prepared to meet the challenges of the future than the Department for the Aging, thanks to the steady leadership of Commissioner Donna M. Corrado, who was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014.
During her five-year tenure, the city increased its budget for senior citizen services by nearly 50 percent, expanding senior centers and elder abuse, caregiver, home care and mental health service at a time when the population of older New Yorkers is growing steadily.
"It was the city making the investment of more than $90 million that went to personnel, like pay increases that staff hadn't seen in years," Corrado said. "No one does it alone. We had the City Council and great advocates helping us and a good economy. We were able to leverage that and of course I have to give the Mayor and the First Lady credit as well. They made a commitment to destigmatize mental health and expand mental health services."
The growth of DFTA comes at a time where the city's senior citizen population is expected to grow from the current 1.64 million to 1.8 million by 2030.
"The number of seniors will outnumber school-aged children by then and one in five New Yorkers will be 60 years or older," Corrado said. "Every day 10,000 people turn 65 and we needed to make investment in senior services and I think we're well poised to take the agency and its services into the future. We have built the capacity to expand all services that will be commensurate with the changing demographics and he have a roadmap for future service delivery."
City Hall announced Nov. 19 that Corrado would step down as commissioner at the end of the month. Under her leadership, DFTA relentlessly pursued its mission to combat ageism and provide resources to help meaningfully improve the quality of life of the city's older population.
"New York's seniors have been well served with Donna at the helm," de Blasio said. "Donna's strength of character and dedication to public service is admired across the city. I am deeply grateful for her years of service."
Corrado reflected on her half-decade at the post.
"This has been such a wonderful opportunity and a great learning experience for me," she said. "I will remain committed to serving older adults."
Corrado was not sure if that would be in the public or private sector. "Let's just say I am preparing for my encore career," she said.
While Corrado is a Brooklyn resident, she is well known in Queens after her 23 years at Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens where she served as chief executive officer before she was named DFTA commissioner.
"As a member of the NYS Senate Aging Committee, I truly appreciate not only Commissioner Corrado's work towards assisting our senior population, but also her willingness to visit senior centers and related community meetings to hear directly from our seniors about their concerns," state Sen. Joseph Addabbo said.
City Councilman Paul Vallone worked closely with Corrado when he served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Senior Centers.
"I wish her the very best in her future endeavors and look forward to continuing to work for our seniors with her successor, " Vallone said.
Citymeals executive director Beth Shapiro called Corrado a staunch supporter of New York City's seniors since the earliest days of her career.
"She showed great leadership as Commissioner for the City's Department for the Aging and a strong commitment to Citymeals on Wheels as a partner in nourishing the homebound elderly," Shapiro said. "She will be missed. We are confident that the Mayor will name a replacement who cares deeply and respects the value of older New Yorkers."
The Mayor said Deputy Commissioner of External Affairs Caryn Resnick will assume the role of acting DFTA commissioner effective December 1.
"I am pleased that Caryn resnick will bring decades of experience and leadership to the role as she takes the reins while we search for a permanent commissioner," de Blasio said.
Resnick was appointed to her role as Deputy Commissioner at DFTA in 2002.
"It has been an honor to work with Commissioner Corrado," Resnick said. "She is an inspirational leader whose efforts to enhance the aging services network will be felt for years to come.


We believe that beautiful hair starts with healthy hair and OUAI was born to return hair to its optimal state. When hair is in good condition, styling is simpler and you don't need to fight against your natural texture. We believe that life is hard—looking good should be easy. We make products for girls who work hard and want to have fun, too. The 'OUAI girl' is grounded, effortless, smart, and cool. Does that sound like you? That's the idea!
The big idea behind OUAI is to be a "breath of fresh hair"—a line for real life, for real women. We love the idea of luxury products that are simple, affordable, and classic in a world full of loud noise. At the same time, we want you to feel involved in the process because in order to be the brand we want to be, we know we will have to evolve with you, our customers, as we grow and you grow.
We love hearing all your comments and are constantly in conversation with stylists and hair professionals - feedback is everything so keep it coming! If you haven't been following our journey so far, start now! We like to share, and hear your ideas for the products that would complete your routine. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat (@theouai) for the inspiration you make the most of your hair. New things are happening all the time and we don't want you to miss it!


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xmlns:tx="http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx"
    xmlns:context="http://www.springframework.org/schema/context"
    xmlns:mvc="http://www.springframework.org/schema/mvc"
    xmlns:aop="http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop"
	xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans
	http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-3.0.xsd
	http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx
	http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-3.0.xsd
	http://www.springframework.org/schema/context
    http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-3.0.xsd
    http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop
    http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-3.0.xsd
	http://www.springframework.org/schema/mvc
    http://www.springframework.org/schema/mvc/spring-mvc-3.0.xsd"
    >

	<!-- 配置connectionFactory ,使用连接池更加高效PooledConnectionFactory-->
	<bean id="jmsFactory" class="org.apache.activemq.pool.PooledConnectionFactory"
		destroy-method="stop">
		<property name="connectionFactory">
			<bean class="org.apache.activemq.ActiveMQConnectionFactory">
				<property name="brokerURL">
					<value>tcp://127.0.0.1:61616</value>
				</property>
				<property name="useAsyncSend">
                     <value>true</value>
                 </property>
			</bean>
		</property>
		<property name="maxConnections" value="100"></property>
	</bean>

	<!-- Spring JMS Template -->
	<bean id="jmsTemplate" class="org.springframework.jms.core.JmsTemplate">
		<property name="connectionFactory">
			<ref local="jmsFactory" />
		</property>
		<property name="defaultDestinationName" value="spring_topic_test" />
		<!-- <property name="defaultDestination" ref="queueDestination"></property> -->
		<property name="receiveTimeout" value="60000"></property>
		<!-- 区别它采用的模式为false是p2p为true是订阅 -->
		<property name="pubSubDomain" value="true" />
	</bean>

	<!-- 声明ActiveMQ消息目标,目标可以是一个队列,也可以是一个主题ActiveMQTopic-->
	<bean id="queueDestination" class="org.apache.activemq.command.ActiveMQQueue">
		<constructor-arg index="0" value="spring_queue_test"></constructor-arg>
	</bean>
	<!---->

	<!-- 发送消息的目的地(一个队列) -->
	<bean id="topicDestination" class="org.apache.activemq.command.ActiveMQTopic">
		<!-- 设置消息队列的名字 -->
		<constructor-arg index="0" value="spring_topic_test" />
	</bean>

	<!-- Spring JMS Template -->
	<bean id="topicSender" class="com.demo.jms.activemq.spring.Producer">
		<property name="jmsTemplate" ref="jmsTemplate" />
		<property name="destination" ref="topicDestination" />
	</bean>

	<!-- Spring JMS Template -->
	<bean id="consumer" class="com.demo.jms.activemq.spring.Consumer">
		<property name="jmsTemplate" ref="jmsTemplate" />
	</bean>

	<!-- and this is the message listener container -->
	<bean id="jmsContainer" class="org.springframework.jms.listener.DefaultMessageListenerContainer">
	    <property name="connectionFactory" ref="jmsFactory"/>
	    <property name="destination" ref="topicDestination"/>
	    <property name="messageListener" ref="messageListener" />
	    <!-- <property name="sessionTransacted" value="true"/> --><!-- 事务支持 -->
	</bean>

	<bean id="messageListener" class="com.demo.jms.activemq.spring.MyMessageListener">
	</bean>

	<!-- 消息监听
	<bean id="listenerContainer"
		class="org.springframework.jms.listener.DefaultMessageListenerContainer">
		<property name="concurrentConsumers" value="10" />
		<property name="connectionFactory" ref="jmsFactory" />
		<property name="destinationName" value="subject" />
		<property name="messageListener" ref="messageReceiver" />
		<property name="pubSubNoLocal" value="false"></property>
	</bean>

	<bean id="messageReceiver"
		class="com.demo.jms.activemq.spring.QueueConsumer">
		<property name="jmsTemplate" ref="jmsTemplate"></property>
	</bean>
	-->
</beans>


Oh, video game horror characters: what are you like? Name the one thing you should never do on the anniversary of a dearly departed pal if you're a rowdy, randy teen stuck in their own fright flick. That's right – absolutely bloody anything. Don't pop out to the greengrocers for milk. Don't decide tonight would be a really lovely time for a stroll down Murder Alley. And definitely don't vacation with seven other equally rowdy, randy teens in a creepy cabin in the woods. Really, every character here deserves to be ruthlessly butchered by old Clown-Faced McGee peering out at the top there.
If it's not entirely clear by now, Until Dawn absolutely loves Saw. While its killer may be more Pennywise-meets-Michael Myers than Jigsaw, the premise of a terrorised group enduring sadistic life-or-death traps is pure 'Cary Elwes hacking off his own foot' 101. With the likes of Heroes' Hayden Panettiere and Brett Dalton from Agents Of SHIELD on board, Supermassive's horror at least has a bit of Hollywood heft behind it. Yet the game is never far from courting the schlocky side of The Force with a (perhaps deliberately) corny script and a cast of characters who really should peg it for the nearest door, rather than cower under the duvet.
Actually, that last point isn't a hypothetical. During our most recent hands-on with Until Dawn, we control a ten-minute sequence that starts with Panettiere's Sam soaking in a tub and ends with her desperately fleeing the deranged killer while being forced to make on-the-fly fateful decisions every 20 seconds or so. Toss a lamp at the killer or flee for safety?
Try to force open a door that doesn't have a knob or tip over a wine rack to halt your pursuer? Hide from Joe Stabsalot The Third or crack him over the skull with a plank? Each fork in the road choice has to be decided on within seconds and neither option is ever instantly identifiable as more 'right' than the other.
In many ways, Until Dawn is heavily indebted to Heavy Rain. Characters move with the same sort of turning circle that would make parallel parking the QE2 look a breeze in comparison; you can pick up and admire painstakingly detailed objects; action sequences are directed with a visual flair that's become a David Cage staple and so on. The game also picks up the fat precipitation baton of Madison in the sense that each of the game's eight stars/potential victims can pop it at almost any point in the story.
In Heavy Rain, attempting to bump a character off was all sorts of hard. Unless you play games wearing oven mitts, the chances you'd duff up the four or five consecutive QTEs required to see Ethan and co perish were slim. That doesn't seem to be the case here.
Of our three demo playthroughs, two end with Sam meeting a grisly demise because we choose an option that sees the killer catch us. With Supermassive claiming there are no redos if you let one of the heroes cark it (the story continues on regardless), you could be looking at a scenario where it's possible to get everyone killed within the first few hours.
Of course, the demo merely offers a microcosm of the overall experience. Our guess would be there are specific pockets of action sequences where it's possible to be killed at any time – think Alien: Isolation's more procedurally-generated encounters – and then large parts of the game are padded out with 'safer' puzzles sections. This would ensure you don't clock the end credits in 20 minutes because you mucked up a few QTEs.
That's what makes Until Dawn so fascinating: the mystery of how it will play out over several hours. We wondered the same about Alien, and that turned out pretty damn well. At any rate, the non-linear sense of choice and consequence here is ripe for scares. Now for God's sake run!


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Sun Jiahui (孙佳慧)
China's middle-aged actresses are speaking out about age discrimination
When Song Dandan appeared on variety show The Birth of a Performer in 2017, the beloved actress discussed her decade-long absence from the screens: "After I got to 35, nobody wanted to cast me anymore," the then 56-year-old Song lamented.
Song, a veteran of CCTV's Spring Festival Gala, was renowned for her roles in the groundbreaking 1990 sketch "Excess Birth Guerilla" and 1994 TV series I Love My Family. Her troubles, though, started in middle age. After she played a re-married mother in the hit 2005 sitcom Home with Kids, Song discovered that there were only two types of roles she could find: meddling mothers, and meddling mothers-in-law. "I was anxious [about my career]," she told Chinese Business View. "But the anxiety lasted so long that I got used to it."
In 2017, Song grayed up for a new role—meddling grandmother in the series Wonderful Life. This time, her character's son was played by Zhang Jiayi, an actor just nine years her junior. As 47-year-old actress Tao Hong once complained in an interview with Sina Entertainment, "Not only in China, but all Asian cultures, there is a preference for 'youthful girls.' At my age, it's rarer and rarer for me to be offered interesting roles."
Actress Zhou Xun
It's a tale as old as showbiz itself: the actress who find herself "aged out" of the business before she even reaches her 40s. A lack of older female representation on screen has always been a problem, but the situation is particularly dire in China, where a youth-obsessed entertainment industry vastly prefers young actresses over middle-aged ones. Those at the prime of their craft are often dismissed as visually unattractive by casting executives.
To add further insult, the industry's "midlife crisis" mainly affects female performers. Women face the double discrimination of ageism and sexism, stuck in domestic roles while aging male actors enjoy parts as "charming uncles" or older lovers to besotted starlets: 41-year-old Julian Cheung romancing 23-year-old Fu Mengni in 2012's Born to Love You; 50-year-old Wu Xiubo's partnering with 29-year-old Yang Ying in 2018's City of Desire. Meanwhile, the 2015 historical drama Nirvana in Fire cast 39-year-old actress Liu Mintao as the mother of a character played by 33-year-old Wang Kai.
As Taiwanese actor Wu Qilong, 49, once said to his female peers semi-jokingly during a press conference: "You may have played my younger sister in the past, then started playing my girlfriend or my wife. In a few years, you may be playing my mother."
Globally, male actors' careers peak around 46, while for women, the pinnacle is usually 30, according to a 2015 analysis of 6,000 actors by TIME magazine. Now, Song Dandan's remarks have led a legion of Chinese actresses to publicly express their frustration with the industry's rampant, sexist age discrimination.
Actresses are increasingly pigeonholed into domestic roles after middle age
After taking a break to have children in 2013 and 2016, actress Yao Chen, struggled to find work, as she said at a talk held by Tencent last year. Though Yao is one of China's best-known stars—winning acclaim for her role in March's family drama All Is Well, and being named as the face of the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival—the 40-year-old is uneasy about her career. "This is supposed to be the mature period for an actress," she said, "but in the market…all the stories are about young boys and girls. I'm not ready to play a mother to them yet."
As in other fields, marriage and motherhood often derail a woman's career. After finding phenomenal success in the TV series Empresses in the Palace, Lan Xi, 36, left showbiz for two years to raise a family, and struggled to find work afterward. "You can never really balance life and career," actress and mother Ma Yili has said in an interview with ifeng.com. "I don't believe anyone can handle both roles as a successful professional and a good mother at the same time."
Remaining single or in work is no panacea to the problems of a lack of scripts for middle-aged actresses and ruthless competition for younger roles—not to mention, derision from society. When 44-year-old actress Zhou Xun played the protagonist of costume drama Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace—a role that spans about 40 years in the character's life—audiences accused her of looking "clumsy" and "unnatural."
Similarly, 40-year-old Chen Qiao'en was accused of "looking too old" for her role in Sui dynasty show Queen Dugu. "Since when has the only angle through which people view an Eastern woman been whether she looks young?" Chen sighed on Weibo, where phrases like "pretending to be evergreen (装嫩)" and "chick religion (丫头教)" are routinely used to denigrate older actresses for daring to act younger than their age.
Actress Yang Rong is often mocked for "pretending to look young"
Cosmetology High actress Yang Rong, who has been targeted by these comments online, wrote a passionate Weibo essay last year in which she confessed she was afraid to be defined as a "middle-aged actress." This label, argued the 38-year-old, translates to "very famous, but with no roles to play": "It's not because I am afraid of aging…but the current industry environment makes actresses afraid of aging. Actresses in their 30s, like me, have to try very hard to maintain our image as young girls."
Many in the industry argue that the situation is a matter of audience preference. In 2015, actress-director Zhao Wei, 43, told ifeng.com that the market is saturated with dramas "about young people crying after being dumped." "How can such stories have any depth?" Zhao asked. "They have a market, though."
But now echoing actresses' complaints is a growing audience of mostly female viewers, calling for more middle-aged women to play leading roles in entertainment. Last year, a poster for an alleged TV show called The Lady (《淑女的品格》) went viral online, featuring four middle-aged actresses—47-year-old Yu Feihong, 41-year-old Chen Shu, 42-year-old Zeng Li and 41-year-old Yuan Quan—playing an elegant designer, acerbic teacher, philanthropic businesswoman, and poker-faced doctor respectively.
The show turned out to be wishful thinking, but, "I'm begging investors, screenwriters, directors, and producers to cast more women over 40," the creator wrote on Weibo. "The poster is fake, but my wish is real."
It's clear that there's an appetite for stories featuring mature, powerful women: The Lady's hashtag acquired over 190 million views, promoted by Chen Shu and Zeng Li themselves, and new fan-made trailers and posters followed in rapid succession: "Let's see whether the market dares to make some room for [them]," observed one popular Weibo comment.
Such was the enthusiasm, that production company Easy Entertainment declared last May they had contacted the creator of the original poster, and planned to make the TV series a reality. A year has passed, however, and fans are still waiting.
"Mid-life Crisis" is a story from our issue, "The Amusement Issue". To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine. Alternatively, you can purchase the digital version from the iTunes Store.
SEXIST AGE DISCRIMINATION MIDLIFE CRISIS MIDDLE-AGED ACTRESSES GENDER DISCRIMINATION CHINESE ACTRESS CAREER CRISIS AGE DISCRIMINATION
Sun Jiahui is a freelance writer and former editor at The World of Chinese. She writes about Chinese language, society and culture, and is especially passionate about sharing stories of China's ancient past with a wider audience. She has been writing for TWOC for over six years, and pens the Choice Chengyu column.
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