text:
What is that blue avi on Twitter?
April 3, 2015 Uncategorizedloganlineberry
Currently the music industry seems to be in an intermediate state. The transition from vinyl to CD to streaming services has transformed just within the last half century. Today, musicians are faced with new challenges such as: not being properly compensated or for a new musician establishing roots in a musical community. Earlier this week Jay z released his plans for a new online streaming service with videos called Tidal. There was a strong presence felt on social media with many musicians from Coldplay to Madonna using the tag #TIDALforALL to represent their feelings towards the proposed move initiated by Jay Z. The roots for this move are coming from the idea that these mainstream musicians are not being properly compensated for their music. Spotify is a huge market, sporting over 60 million listeners, but these listeners often are free listeners with the company profiting off advertisements and the musicians receiving a small portion. Jay Z in Tidal wants the musicians to own the streaming service. He envisions his streaming service to even move into more than just music and has hopes of making it an online community with concert tickets and merchandise following on the cite. The idea is that Tidal will cost a yearly total of either $10 or $20 (based on sound quality) but this money will be better distributed to the artists. I first researched some of the cons of Spotify after Taylor Swift removed her music from the application. Jay Z hopes this trend started by Swift will follow and result in a switch to Tidal.
To me, this is a smart entrepreneurial move from an entertainment mogul like Jay Z. He has the fame and notoriety to make a move this groundbreaking work. Though, I question how the equity within this company will be shared. At the press conference earlier this week, Jay Z was joined by: Madonna, Rihanna, Daft Punk, Beyonce, Jack White, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Jason Aldean and many other large named musicians as scene below.
This to me does solve the problem of the mega stars not making as many millions as they would like but leaves out the little man. In this case, how does a band start out? Is Tidal going to be open to adding smaller name musicians? Based on limited speculations it seems that Jay Z does want to expand the streaming service to all genres, I mean the man had Jason Aldean at the initial press conference. That move shows he wants to branch out in genres. I still do question what the standard will be for musicians on Tidal, if I am producing in my basement a stood up mattress as a sound wall, do I have the opportunity to get my music heard or do I still have to rely on Facebook shares and YouTube? It is my hope that the music app is very open and easily accessible for every music fan. I recall the Beats app attempting to do something similar in creating a music app focused around playlists made by celebrities or certain types of stations, similar to Pandora. This app seemingly fell off the face of the electronic world. I do like the concept behind Tidal and hope that it is branched out for all genres and all musicians, not just the "rock stars" of music. Although this post does not mention bluegrass once, I feel that this topic is extremely important when accessing the change of how society hears music.
March 27, 2015 Uncategorizedloganlineberry
Through the discussion around festivals and the bigger scope of the bluegrass community, I have been thoroughly entertained hearing stories of community from other classmates. This aspect in itself is one of the reasons I enjoy Tech. The university has such far reaching boundaries that you can hear such different stories. The film, Bluegrass Country Soul was a documentary concerning a festival in the early 1970s in Camp Springs, NC. The comradery present at the festival in the film was awesome. People were jamming together that were a couple generations apart, geographically people were from all over the east coast and audibly there was just about any type of pickin' you could imagine. The conversation then led to Robert Gardner's journal article, "The Portable Community." Gardner's article was something new for myself. I had never read a peer-reviewed scholarly journal article about bluegrass. Continuing, the theme of the article was concerned with the idea of a community, specifically why people either purposefully or accidentally join a community. Getting away from the traditional community definition being a neighborhood that waves as you pass one another on the street, Gardner really looks into a community being associative. I have included below a few pictures from Anna's Restaurant in Narrows, Virginia. Every Thursday a small group from the area gets together and jams. It is a very intimate setting with a cozy atmosphere and tons of "southern" cooking. A strong community even these people were from all over the New River Valley.
Separately thinking, I quickly became infatuated with this idea of community. The thought that no matter where you are, there will be someone in which you can easily associate with made me consider the roots of communities. Why do these groupings of people, often so different, come together for one event/thing? What causes people to remove themselves from the daily rut of life to go camp with people they have never met?
To me, the root behind communities is the human need for affiliation. This idea that everyone needs some type of relationship, and that it is physically impossible to keep to yourself is something I first heard in a course on Public Administration. David McClelland was the first scholar that really coined the idea that as a human some types of relationships are mandatory. He really focused around that if we join together then each person will feel this great sense of accountability to others and attainment. Connecting McClelland's theories to bluegrass is not far reached.
When considering the festival crowd in a region, these people rarely see each other if ever. Yet, this scene fulfills something in itself. Moving away from the norm of relationships such as: work, school, neighborhood or marital, the bluegrass community functions differently. Conversation, something that is becoming a lost art with time, is very prevalent in this community. People care and want to communicate what is going on in your life. A personal experience of this comes from some of my late Great-Grandfather's friends. Although I was just a child, these older gentlemen seemed concerned about my life. Even though I would rarely see them and could only sometimes remember names with faces, they would often ask about how baseball was going for myself as they picked on a back porch.
When linking bluegrass to community, I believe the uniqueness is the overarching factor. People want something that is different from every day, and bluegrass festivals, in particular, benefit from not being something that occurs often. These are weekends people use to get away from the rut of every day life. Plus the overall genuineness of people linked to bluegrass play an influence as well.
Music, Place, Identity: What's the Question?
Music unlike many other forms of entertainment has a unique characteristic to take people to a specific time or place. Strangely it seems that this quality of music remains dormant until someone leaves a certain place. For me, as typical as it may seem, I never realized a connection to the song "Country Roads" by John Denver until I left my home state. While a specific example, I believe that many people feel a connection similar after leaving one's area.
It seems almost ridiculous to think that place and music have no relationship. However, historically music has had no boundaries, so why do we still associate music with a place? This broadness is noted in Hunter Thompson's chapter on "New York Bluegrass." Thompson talks of being at a bar in NYC and here come The Greenbriar Boys, a band from Queens, New York. Although there was no link between Kentucky and New York these guys are playing traditional bluegrass. Another interesting fact about this story is how quickly you can see the universality. Bill Monroe emerges in the 1940s and here The Greenbriar Boys are jamming in the early 1960s.
A strong mode of musical transportation from region to region is transferred through festivals. Carlton Haney, who really got the ball rolling for festivals, believes festivals are used to inform people. To me, this information received is a way to almost spider web knowledge of music. The spider web effect causes familiarity to grow rapidly. Focusing on bluegrass, we see that it was originated in western Kentucky but then the first festival being in southwest Virginia, a move into Appalachia. So why do people have such strong feelings about bluegrass being strictly Appalachian? The folk revival in the 1960s, which notably was no surprise to Hunter Thompson, took place all over the country and was strongly rooted in the west. Another important factor of cultural movement was from the radio. A radio allowed people to stay connected no matter location.
So as complex as it is to link music, place and identity, to me, the correlation between music and place tends to be a more personal question than a generalized statement that can be easily recognized. There is a strong example in my hometown. Just because certain people may not live the life of these famed rappers they envy and attempt to imitate, they still have the opportunity to convey their feelings even though it may lack validity. Attempting to wrap everything together, I believe the music has benefitted by not being stuck in one place. When you can diversify the sound and add differing styles it opens up the entire world of music. This diversity comes about from different modes like the radio, festivals or simply branching out from other genres. This new world of music has been seen as the transformations to bluegrass since it was coined as a genre. While scattered brained as this post may seem, I hope it proves that music really has no place with the globalized society that the 20th and 21st century have created.
"Everything is Political"
March 3, 2015 Uncategorizedloganlineberry
Being in the Department of Political Science at Virginia Tech I inherently have a strong interest in politics. John Street makes a connection that I somehow often times insensibly forget to link, the correlation of music and politics. Of course, I was informed on instances where regimes took over radio to build their ideology but never really put it in terms of every day radio. The regime that I was most informed on was the Nazi propaganda during Hitler's reign. Street provides eye opening quotes throughout his introduction such as, "Music does not just provide a vehicle of political expansion, it is that vehicle." This is something I feel may be exaggerated; however, Street has a point. People look to music to express themselves, and it serves as an extension to the common person. Beforehand I considered music to serve as an outlet for people, although music is really serving as an inlet to understanding lives. The song shown below is a prime example of how Darrell Scott and Tim O'Brien characterize problems of daily hardships of into a song:
As the old adage states, "everything is political." Scott and O'Brien produce a song that is an attack at just about everyone, but the story no way stops here. There are entire volumes linking protest movements to political movements. A song that jumps out in my head is "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. This song characterizes how music is intrinsically political. Street would agree that this song fits his definition of when music becomes political. He says that music becomes political when music forms a "site of public deliberation, rather than private reflection." This to me is masterfully asserted. When music is no longer played only in one's kitchen as something to do before bed but is instead played to express the hate for an industry or disliking of a government action then music is political. Street is very smart in his wording saying that he does not believe all music is political. He deems that music must form collective thought for it to be considered political. An instance of this collective thought was Woodstock in 1969. At the time, there was war in Vietnam, women's rights and civil rights, but music acted as a glue for people. This festival and music allowed people to unite during a very hard time for the United States.
Connecting Street's view about music being political, I hope to focus my annotated bibliography on this relationship. I, like Street, believe that "music stands as the epitome" of freedom. I will focus my mix tape on the relation of music in the coalfields as a message of desired changed. I believe that this project will help me better understand the coal industry, but also comprehend the linkage between protest music and political change. Often times coal camps were setup with company towns and in these areas the coal company controlled every facet of one's life. The company provided the shoes you bought, food you ate and the church hymns you sang; however, the company could not control the music that influenced collective thought. Andrew McKnight and Beyond Borders sing in the song below about a company town. I hope to continue to dig into coal, music and politics of southern Appalachia and find more links to better understand the place where I call home. At the same time, keeping Street's ideas of the link between music and politics will help me better plot my journey.
Relationships, Bluegrass, and the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band
February 27, 2015 Uncategorizedloganlineberry
This passed Wednesday it was a great honor to have John Lawless provide our class with commentary about his lifelong journey with bluegrass. Lawless conveyed many exuberant stories of his friends in the industry. One topic he spoke on that interested me was the strain on relationships that attempting to play music professionally puts on a couple. My curiosity next led me to the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band, a married couple that Fred Bartenstein lists under the 4th generation. In Bartenstein's eyes the 4th generation encompassed musicians that were born between 1963-1976 and started recording in 1976 and still continue today. This generation unlike the 3rd generation returned back to the classics of bluegrass that Bill Monroe had made popular a few decades prior.
To better under the story of Kenny and Amanda Smith it helps to understand where their story started. Kenny was born in Nine Mile, Indiana, and Amanda was born in Davisville, West Virginia. Not surprisingly, the love of music is the roots of this relationship. The future couple met at the Milton Opry House in Milton, West Virginia as Kenny was playing with the Lonesome River Band. By the time the couple met in the late 1990s Kenny had already established himself for his flatpicking-style guitarists, winning IBMA guitarist of the year during his spell with the Lonesome River Band. On the other hand, Amanda had been more sheltered, singing in choirs and continuing to sing more locally. It is hard to believe that just a few years later after meeting in a small opry house, the couple released their first album together entitled Slowly but Surely. This album was noted for the intimate setting that Kenny and Amanda created. The album also showed the couples strong faith in their Christian beliefs. Shortly after, in 2003, the Smith's band received the award for IBMA's Emerging Artist of the Year. The band's next two albums continued to solidify them as serious musicians in bluegrass. Finally, in 2007 the band did something that they had been aspiring to do since their formation, an album dedicated completely to gospel music (as seen below).
Connecting the music to their relationship, Kenny and Amanda both acknowledge that their faith has kept them together. This faith is what many people note as what makes their music so true and powerful. The death of Kenny's Father really told the Smiths that it was time to record this gospel album. Looking back, both Kenny and Amanda speak much about how this album not only brought them closer to each other; it brought them closer to the Lord. When you hear the couple sing you cannot only see and hear a relationship with each other, you see a strong relationship with their faith. This is seen in the video below:
Going on about the relationship of Kenny and Amanda Smith, they both mention their trust in each other frequently. Starting out they realized financially it would not be easy; however, they trusted in themselves to produce good music and that they were doing the Lord's work. Both Kenny and Amanda do admit it was tough getting their start with producers wanting past work with the two, but their persistence has stayed true. They are so grateful to be able to continue to do what they love as their "job."
Today, the couple is still producing music. Overall they have now had eight albums together, have been nominated for a Grammy and received a couple of IBMA awards. Before conducting research on this group, I embarrassingly, was unaware of their existence. Now, I agree with many of their reviews. Amanda has unmatched vocals that almost compete with Allison Krauss and Kenny can play his guitar remarkably well. His two Guitarists of the Year from the IBMA are well deserved.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com
http://www.kenny-amandasmith.com
http://www.countrystandardtime.com/
Sam Bush: Father of Newgrass
Sam Bush was born in 1952 in Bowling Green, Kentucky and is noted today for his remarkable ability to play the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar. He also is renowned for his beautiful vocals. According to Fred Bartenstein's Generations Chart, Bush is a 3rd generation bluegrass musician. The 3rd generation is noted for broad geographic regions, careers in several genres, fewer fiddles and taking bluegrass to new directions and audiences. Much like many other musicians we have studied, Bush's family played an imperative role in early childhood musical development. Bush's grandfather played the banjo and fiddle while his father just played the fiddle, respectively. Since there was such a great deal of music around the house, Bush started playing the mandolin at the age of 11 and called it his first love. Likewise, he began playing the fiddle around the age of 13 or 14. Hearing a record of The Dilliards pushed Bush's interest in Texas fiddling. This instrumentation won Bush multiple contests during his youth. Relevant to the material at hand, Bush attended the inaugural Roanoke Bluegrass Festival in 1965. Looking into historical times, around this period rock n roll was becoming popular. Bush was interested in fusing bluegrass and rock n roll.
Sam Bush started gaining his fame in the late 1960s. By 1970 he had played in a couple of bands such as the New Deal String Band and Bluegrass Alliance. Although the Bluegrass Alliance broke up, a few members added a couple new members and formed the New Grass Revival. When Bartenstein mentions that the 3rd generation started taking bluegrass into new directions, New Grass Revival personified this description. Their sound, heard below, planted roots for progressive bluegrass:
Unfortunately, New Grass Revival broke up in 1989, but not before releasing three albums. Also in 1989, Bush joined Strength in Numbers, another newgrass band. Strength in Numbers produced one album and was noted for incorporating more jazz styles characteristic into their music. Since 1989, Bush has recorded some solo. He also released a DVD of a live concert. Most notably, he performed on the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Today, he is considered the "Father of Newgrass" and some even joke that he is the "Mother of Bluegrass." This comparison of being the "Mother of Bluegrass" is an honor to Bush as idolized Bill Monroe. Throughout the years he has been awarded 3 Grammys. Below is my favorite Sam Bush song:
The Bluegrass Reader entry on Sam Bush does a great job hitting on his open mind when it comes to music. The article really shows that Bush was a free spirit who had a passion for music. This passion expanded into his life as well, he is a two-time cancer treatment survivor. Bush is still touring today, and will be performing at FloydFest 2015. He is active on Twitter and has a very informative website: sambush.com.
Radio, Place, Future
February 11, 2015 #bluegrassclassvt15loganlineberry
In Robert Cantwell's article, Hillbilly Music, he goes into great detail about the beginning of Bill Monroe's career along with how the radio influenced cultural identities. Cantwell is not shy to admit that he believes the way people listened to their music in the early 20th century did put a "dust" over the pureness of the sound. He credits this dust to ideas that quickly became associated with bluegrass and old-time music.
Throughout reading this article I continually questioned the idea of stereotypes associated with music. I pondered about the recent Grammy winning songs and what makes them gain their level of popularity in today's world. To me, I use music to take me back to my childhood or bring back memories of my home; however, when listening to today's "popular" music it is simply the same overused topics. I, unlike most, do not consider certain stereotypes to be negative. For example, many people characterize bluegrass music as hick or rural; yet, to me this just states that this genre has a sense of identity. This music is easily identifiable to some. While listening to Sam Smith's music that has gained him much fame I cannot help to feel disconnected. He is a homosexual man from England who has been trained vocally for years, my life and his do not share many of the same roads. I would much rather listen to songs about my region that provoke conversation amongst my family and I about history or outlooks on life. Below is a song that I recently came across that is about a place about 20 minutes from my home in Bluefield, WV. I find much enjoyment listening to this song as it reminds of family as well as past and current hardships people are facing.
Also while reading Cantwell's article I could not help to question the future of bluegrass music. As noted in his article and throughout much of our course, many bluegrass musicians also served as advertisements for certain products during the genre's infancy. Then, the larger acts seemingly started touring and playing at the Grande Ole Opry in about the mid 20th century. Fast forwarding a bit, today it seems that bluegrass often plays second fiddle (pun intended) to country music on the radio. Where does bluegrass music belong today? In my opinion, bluegrass fits well outside the mainstream. Bluegrass flourishes in smaller communities throughout Appalachia whether it be at jams, festivals or competitions. This background personality gives the genre its substance. Helping bluegrass in this current world is technology. This has helped the genre that Bill Monroe start grow into a worldwide community. Defining the future for bluegrass is challenging, but it is my hope that the music continues to keep up with technology. It is my belief that if the genre keeps up with technology it will be able to continue and grow. The idea of keeping up with technology is seen through the websites listed below, these websites allow people worldwide to be informed about festivals:
www.bluegrassfestivalguide.com
www.nothinfancybluegrass.com
www.bluegrasscircle.com
www.bluegrassisland.com
www.tidewaterbluegrass.org
Tommy Jarrell: The North Carolina Fiddle King
February 3, 2015 #bluegrassclassvt15loganlineberry
To begin my research on Tommy Jarrell I thought it would be appropriate to see his most popular song on iTunes. I was shocked to find that his most sold song is "Cotton Eyed Joe," however his version has much more instrumental works along with expanded lyrics from what is heard today. Lucky for me, Les Blank created a short documentary in 1983 about the life of Tommy Jarrell. While this is not a typical documentary that has a deep voice over, begins at the start of a person's life and concludes with the death, Blank creates a more personal feeling for the viewer. During this documentary, Blank and Jarrell talk one-on-one, it is at these points that Jarrell reminisces and the viewer learns of his past. Also the film shows Jarrell playing his fiddle. He gained much fame for how quick he could play the fiddle and was notorious for singing and playing at the same time. This unique style is shown below:
While he is remembered mostly for his fiddle playing, Jarrell also played the banjo. Jarrell talks of how he was a farmer until it got too expensive. A recurring theme throughout the documentary is alcohol. It is mentioned that Jarrell would make moonshine during his young adult years, as it was more profitable than farming. Jarrell also talks how he and his family would go to other family's houses and jam around a bottle of whiskey until the wee hours of the night. These jams may start as a corn shucking or some other type of farming game but would eventually end in a jam. It is also noticeable throughout the film how much family meant to Jarrell. Interestingly, Blank brings in Jarrell's sisters to speak about him, but also speak about their lives during the in the early 20th century. While alcohol is prevalent throughout the film, Blank also shows that Jarrell was religious. To conclude the film, Blank follows Jarrell to a festival where he is a celebrity.
While Les Blank's film was entertaining and put a voice and sound to a face, afterward I desired more factual information about Tommy Jarrell's life. My search then led me to the Old-Time Fiddlers Hall of Fame website to an article written by Thomas Reavis Lyons. The author was very interested in Jarrell so he traveled to his hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina to interview surviving family members about Jarrell's life and legacy. He found that Jarrell was born in 1901 and passed away in 1985. During his childhood Jarrell would often work in the fields with his parents where they would sing songs and tell stories. Jarrell bought his first fiddle when he was 14 for $10, that fiddle now resides in the Smithsonian Museum. Pertinent to Blacksburg, Jarrell married his wife Nina in Hillsville, Virginia. Jarrell recorded seven albums and was even selected for the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship. It is also noteworthy that he was an amateur fiddle player; he worked 41 years for the Department of Transportation. Today, Tommy Jarrell is buried beside his late wife in Mount Airy. To keep his tradition alive, there is a Tommy Jarrell Festival each year in Mount Airy that last a couple of days and has events ranging from a youth competition to workshops and has numerous concerts. The website for this festival is shown below:
http://http://www.surryarts.org/main/displaypage.php?page=news/tommyjarrellfestival.html
Blog 1: Definition of Bluegrass
January 30, 2015 #bluegrassclassvt15loganlineberry
According to Goldsmith, bluegrass is expansive 20th century acoustic string-band music based in traditional styles. Rosenburg tends to agree with Goldsmith as he writes, bluegrass is a music where people accompany themselves with acoustic instruments, rapid tempos, high-pitch and lonesome vocals. While this definitions tend to overlap, the Encyclopedia of Appalachia and Merriam-Webster correspondence tightly. These sources are more simply put that bluegrass is an American music played on stringed instruments with harmony singing and gospel. The film, High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass, puts a more specific example to define bluegrass. The film reads bluegrass as Bill Monroe's sound composed of hillbilly style, high pitch, fast tempos and religion. To me, I combine these definitions. I phrase bluegrass as 20th century American music with fast tempo, harmony, lonesome sound with high-pitch and acoustic instruments. This sound is best shown thrown Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys, and to the ear registers as a fast folk.
September 2, 2013 Uncategorizedloganlineberry
cheap electronic drum set on Blog 1: Definition of Bluegrass
sdorttuii plmnr on "Everything is Political"
Fred Bartenstein on Sam Bush: Father of Newgrass
jllaney on Tommy Jarrell: The North Carolina Fiddle King


On August 2, 2007, at 3:21 am UTC (August 1 at 7:21 pm ADT), a strong earthquake, magnitude 6.7, occurred in the Andreanof Islands region of the Aleutian Islands (red star on the above map). The event was situated 86 kilometers (53 miles) east-southeast of Amchitka and 243 km (152 miles) west-southwest of Adak. This earthquake is the largest to occur in the region since the magnitude 6.6 event on July 8, 2006 (white star on the map).The AEIC located about 270 aftershocks with magnitudes 1.5 and greater through the end of the month (crosses). Of these, fifteen had magnitudes 4.0 and greater. The largest aftershock (M5.3) occurred 3 hours after the mainshock.
We received no reports of anyone feeling this earthquake.
The August 2 earthquake occurred in the area separating the rupture zones of the 1965 M8.7 Rat Islands earthquake to the west and the 1957 M8.6 Andreanof Islands earthquake to the east (approximate extent of the rupture zones is shown in red). The westernmost area of the 1957 fault zone was reruptured repeatedly in the 1986 M8.0 and 1996 M7.9 earthquakes . The eastern portion of the 1965 fault zone was reruptured recently in the M7.7 earthquake on November 17, 2003. While the June 2006 sequence of earthquakes was located near the westernmost end of the 1957 rupture zone, the current event was located across the rupture zone boundary at the easternmost end of the 1965 rupture. All these events ruptured the boundary between the subducting Pacific and overriding North American plates. Within the past ten years, the region shown on the map had on average two magnitude 6 or greater events per year. The Aleutian megathrust, where the two plates are being forced directly into one another, is one of the world's most active seismic zones.


This One Day Training Course will take place on Thursday Dec 5th at Bewleys Hotel, Newlands Cross, Dublin. It is ideal for people that are working with an existing e-commerce site and are hoping to improve their e-commerce performance and sell online more effectively.
Who Should Attend the Sell Online More Effectively Course?
If you are already selling online but feel that you want to learn ways to sell more effectively this is for you. No coding experience is required.
Limited Spaces: This course is limited to a maximum of 12 places.
Follow Up: Course attendees can take part in a 1:1 review session two weeks after the course to discuss progress made since the course took place. There is no additional cost associated with the one on one sessions.
This 1 day course is modular in design and comprises of three specialist units. Each unit is presented by an industry practitioner who brings first hand experience and knowledge of how the learning is applied in practice.
Combining key learnings with practical examples of what works and what doesn't provides a unique insight and roadmap as to how to sell more effectively online.
* Group based workshops covering key concepts supported with practical exercises to enable you to confidently review the performance of your existing e-commerce site and put in place a performance improvement plan to uplift sales and engagement.
* A post course dedicated 1:1 coaching session providing you with an opportunity to review your own e-commerce performance improvement plan with an e-commerce professional.
- SEO and strategies to be avoided.
- Design and implement an e-mail marketing campaign and maximise click through rates.
Ecomevents is Ireland's first dedicated provider of E-Commerce related training programmes and events. We only use industry professionals with a proven track record to deliver meaningful courses which can enable you to achieve more success with your e-commerce business.


text:
/ News / Steve G. Bradbury Becomes Acting Secretary of Transportation
Steve G. Bradbury Becomes Acting Secretary of Transportation
Parul Dubey on January 13, 2021 - in News, People
Steven G. Bradbury became the Acting Secretary of Transportation on January 12, 2021. As Acting Secretary, he oversees the Department's operating administrations and coordinates policies to provide a safe, efficient, and modern transportation system that boosts our economic productivity and global competitiveness. He leads the Department's activities and its more than 55,000 employees and $87 billion budget. Since September 10, 2019, as authorized by President Trump, Mr. Bradbury has been performing the functions and duties of the Office of Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Mr. Bradbury was sworn in on November 28, 2017, as the 23rd General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) after his confirmation by the United States Senate. As the Department's chief legal officer, Mr. Bradbury has the authority to resolve all legal questions concerning the Department's policies and programs and oversees the activities of the Department's lawyers, safeguarding the integrity of the decision-making process and ensuring compliance with applicable laws.
Simpson Strong-Tie Scholarship Applications Now Open
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $766.5 Million Grant Agreement to New Jersey Transit for the Portal North Bridge Project in Hudson County, New Jersey
America the Beautiful Park Bridge
Click here for details and to submit your project!
Roads, Transportation, Video
Video: PennDOT Collaborates with Multiple Agencies In Truck Platooning Trial
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) released this video outlining the truck platooning…
Corporate, Facility Management, Products
NavtechGPS Partners with TRX Systems to Bring Real-Time Indoor Location
NavtechGPS, a distributor of GPS and GNSS precise positioning products and an innovator in providing…
Energy, Featured, Financial, News
Department of Energy Advances $32 Million in Funding for Advanced Technologies
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced up to $32 million in funding…
Corporate, Water
Removing Barriers Improves Great Lakes Fish Migration
MADISON, Wis. — A few years ago, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


While there is loads of information about almost everything, I am told by a number of pregnant and postnatal women that they still didn't know that by 6 weeks post birth, they wouldn't be off and running again.
It's unnerving seeing how there are still so many gaps in our knowledge, but we have placed stepping stones on our website, creating pathways for women who want to learn how to get back into shape after their baby is born, while doing it safely.
Today we simply revisit some of our pathways created to help women, and we hope that you will help spread the word about The Pregnancy Centre and what it has to offer for women who want to know more about safely getting back into shape after the birth of their baby.
Modifying exercise during pregnancy means different things to different women and their fitness professionals. Work to your own level and learn to listen to your body. For women who need more, seek further advice from one of our listed practitioners on our Directory, or find one near you who specifically works in pregnancy health and fitness.
Labour is likened to a marathon run, but often we don't get time to prepare that much for the event ahead and the postnatal recovery needed after the event. Consider things like your "post event" or post labour recovery food and rest plan, in order to optimise your energy levels when learning about caring for your new baby.
Returning to the gym - starting with light weights.
Being involved in the Pelvic Floor First campaign, it is interesting to put it all into practice working with postnatal women getting back into the gym safely. Here are some reminder pointers for you to take and consider, as you get back steadily to your pre pregnancy fitness programs.


Enter the ever-changing fantasy world of Tyria, where you control the story and your actions shape the world around you! Heroes from the five great races - charr, asura, norn, sylvari, and humans - must set aside their differences and unite against the Elder Dragons who have woken from their slumber, reshaping continents and corrupting the land and its inhabitants. Together these champions are the last, best hope for Tyria. Guild Wars 2 is redefining the future of online roleplaying games with intense, action-oriented combat, customizable personal story, innovative dynamic events that have a real and persistent effect on the surroundings, world-class PvP, and no subscription fees. The original Guild Wars® series sold over seven million units across North America and Europe, and continues to enjoy an active, loyal player base. Guild Wars 2 builds on the rich lore and groundbreaking gameplay developed in the original games, but takes players 250 years into the future to a radically different world of Tyria. Guild Wars 2 is developed by ArenaNet® in Bellevue, Washington, USA. This 250-person-strong game studio has a proven record of innovation and accomplishment creating online worlds.


It was only last week we were celebrating Holi - the Hindu Festival of Colours. The idea is to shower everyone in glorious technicolour - powders, dyes whatever. Not something to be done in your designer outfits. At our own temple, we try to keep the participants separate from the spectators, but frankly, you're in more anxiety as an innocent bystander because the likelihood of remaining unscathed is pretty slim. Best to enter into the spirit with full exuberance.
This spirit seems to have been taken up by the political parties this week as they start their electioneering in earnest. They also want to shower us in colours - or at least their own particular hue; whether it be red, blue or orange. Good luck to them all I say, but I do have one big request.
I don't know if I'm alone on this one, but I really cringe when the various politicians say, "We're going to win", or "we won this seat last time". It seems odd to claim credit for victory when you're addressing the very people who made winning possible i.e. the electorate.
It's one thing for the Cambridge boat team to say "We won". But a politician is totally dependant on the grace of the voters. In Hinduism, we would call this Maya or illusion. I think I am the cause of my own success, but I fail to recognise that behind every result, there is someone pulling the strings. It's said that not a blade of grass moves without the sanction of the Lord.
Better we consider by who's power we achieve our aspirations, and since the politicians are meant to lead us, they can start by changing their diction. No more empty bluffing:- "We are going to win"; instead, a thoughtful prayer:- "If you want, you can award us the result".


Minimalist and practical, the SOL Fire Lite Kit gives you the supplies to start up to 20 fires all in a lightweight, waterproof package. In addition to the 20 pieces of waterproof tinder, each Fire Lit Kit includes a Fire Lite sparker and comprehensive fire starting instructions.
Survive Outdoors Longer Fire Lite Kit - SOL.


text:
package cz.siret.prank.prediction.pockets.rescorers;

import cz.siret.prank.features.FeatureExtractor;
import cz.siret.prank.features.FeatureVector;
import cz.siret.prank.fforest.FasterForest;
import cz.siret.prank.fforest.api.FlatBinaryForest;
import cz.siret.prank.fforest2.FasterForest2;
import cz.siret.prank.program.ml.Model;
import cz.siret.prank.utils.PerfUtils;
import cz.siret.prank.utils.WekaUtils;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import weka.classifiers.Classifier;
import weka.core.DenseInstance;
import weka.core.Instances;

import static cz.siret.prank.prediction.pockets.PointScoreCalculator.normalizedScore;

/**
 * Encapsulates prediction of distribution by a model
 */
public interface InstancePredictor {

    static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(InstancePredictor.class);

    double predictPositive(FeatureVector vect) throws Exception;
    double[] getDistributionForPoint(FeatureVector vect) throws Exception;

    static InstancePredictor create(Model model, FeatureExtractor<?> proteinExtractor) {
        Classifier classifier = model.getClassifier();

        InstancePredictor res = null;

        if (classifier instanceof FasterForest) {

            boolean isV2 = false;
            try {
                if (((FasterForest)classifier).isVersion2()) {
                    isV2 = true;
                }
            } catch (Throwable e) {
                // do nothing
            }

            if (isV2) {
                log.info("Creating faster InstancePredictor using distributionForAttributes()");

                res = new InstancePredictor() { // predictor using faster distributionForAttributes()
                    final FasterForest ff = (FasterForest) classifier;

                    @Override
                    public double predictPositive(FeatureVector vect) {
                        double[] hist = ff.distributionForAttributes(vect.getArray(), 2);
                        return normalizedScore(hist);
                    }

                    @Override
                    public double[] getDistributionForPoint(FeatureVector vect) throws Exception {
                        return ff.distributionForAttributes(vect.getArray(), 2);
                    }
                };
            }

        } else if (classifier instanceof FasterForest2) {
            res = new InstancePredictor() { // predictor using faster distributionForAttributes()
                final FasterForest2 ff = (FasterForest2) classifier;

                @Override
                public double predictPositive(FeatureVector vect) {
                    double[] hist = ff.distributionForAttributes(vect.getArray(), 2);
                    return normalizedScore(hist);
                }

                @Override
                public double[] getDistributionForPoint(FeatureVector vect) throws Exception {
                    return ff.distributionForAttributes(vect.getArray(), 2);
                }
            };
        } else if (classifier instanceof FlatBinaryForest) {
            res = new InstancePredictor() { // predictor using faster distributionForAttributes()
                final FlatBinaryForest ff = (FlatBinaryForest) classifier;

                @Override
                public double predictPositive(FeatureVector vect) {
                    return ff.predict(vect.getArray());
                }

                @Override
                public double[] getDistributionForPoint(FeatureVector vect) throws Exception {
                    double p = predictPositive(vect);
                    return new double[] {1d-p, p};
                }
            };
        }

        if (res == null) {
            log.info("Creating WekaInstancePredictor");
            res = new WekaInstancePredictor(model.getClassifier(), proteinExtractor);
        }

        return res;
    }

    static class WekaInstancePredictor implements InstancePredictor {

        private final Classifier classifier;

        // auxiliary for weka
        private final double[] alloc;
        private final DenseInstance auxInst;

        public WekaInstancePredictor(Classifier classifier, FeatureExtractor<?> proteinExtractor) {
            this.classifier = classifier;

            alloc = new double[proteinExtractor.getVectorHeader().size() + 1]; // one additional for stupid weka class
            auxInst = new DenseInstance(1, alloc);
            Instances auxWekaDataset = WekaUtils.createDatasetWithBinaryClass(proteinExtractor.getVectorHeader());
            auxInst.setDataset(auxWekaDataset);

        }

        @Override
        public double predictPositive(FeatureVector vect) throws Exception {
            double[] hist = getDistributionForPoint(vect);
            return normalizedScore(hist);  // not all classifiers give histogram that sums up to 1
        }

        @Override
        public double[] getDistributionForPoint(FeatureVector vect) throws Exception {
            PerfUtils.arrayCopy(vect.getArray(), alloc);
            return classifier.distributionForInstance(auxInst);
        }

    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Global specialty materials company Eastman introduces Eastman Amphora™ SP1621 3D polymer — its first-ever powder-based material for industrial 3D printing. Amphora SP1621 powder will be manufactured in collaboration with Advanced Laser Materials (ALM), a company specializing in material research, development and consultation for industrial 3D printing, otherwise known as additive manufacturing (AM).
Traditionally, AM has been used primarily to make prototypes and low-volume, customizable products. Large-scale manufacturing was hindered by a narrow choice of materials and limited printing technologies. Eastman Amphora SP1621 challenges these limitations.
The polymer is an advanced, production-ready material for laser sintering.
Amphora SP1621 is a high-performing material that enables new product designs from concept to solid 3D objects in a fraction of the time it takes for traditional manufacturing.
The polymer's uniquely tailored properties enable Amphora SP1621 to have superior in-process and postproduction capabilities, including high recyclability, toughness and flexibility, and ease of processing.
After careful research, Eastman chose to work with ALM to offer a material specifically for a laser sintering (LS) process.
Preferred for creating high quality, functional parts, LS employs a laser to sinter powdered material at points in space defined by 3D modeling.
ALM specializes in creating materials designed and optimized for laser sintering.
In collaboration with Eastman, ALM is expanding the types and functionalities of materials available for use in the LS process.
As the market for industrial 3D printing technology grows at an exponential rate, so does the global demand for new 3D production materials. With the introduction of Amphora SP1621, Eastman is at the forefront of this growing market.


The Independent Communications Authority (Icasa) will conduct hearings on a major decision based on South Africa's new Electronic Communications Act (ECA). The proposed regulations will allow carrier pre-select (CPS) for South Africa's telecommunications networks, such as Vodacom and MTN. The proposed regulation, if implemented, would force established operators to carry network traffic on behalf of smaller, third-party operators, enabling MVNOs to compete directly with mobile operators.
One of the companies that might benefit from such regulation is ECN, a leading provider of converged voice and data solutions. The company claims in its representation that the South African mobile market is a duopoly and mobile calls in the region are among the highest in the world.
Commenting on the issue, John Holdsworth, Chief Executive Officer of ECN, said: "In SA, it would be pointless implementing it if not for mobile, because of the dominance of cellular telephony. It's highly negative for the competitive environment if the incumbent operators are able to use their networks as a lever to prevent competition … MVNOs are simply unable to compete if they must build networks that match the scale and capacity of the incumbents. The only way to introduce competition and drive prices down is if CPS is properly introduced, enabling the MVNO market."
However, both Vodacom and MTN have made representations against the proposed regulation and plan to present their cases before Icasa. Graham de Vries, MTN's Head of Regulatory Affairs, commented that the company (MTN) will support any decision by Icasa which is backed with market analysis and offers CPS regulations as the most efficient solution. With MTN being a large player across Africa, a successful SA MVNO on their network could lead to them opening up their networks in other countries too.


From the videos i have seen so far, the maps look really expanded with multiple paths to take and so on. Will this be a bit of metroidvania where you have to find items to unlock new areas, backtracking and so on? Please tell me it will. Please dont tell me this will be another straight forward 2D plattformer. I am really interested in this game but i dont want another 5 hours straight forward plattformer which just looks cool but has no depth to it.
It's actually somewhere in the middle. The game does have discrete levels, it's not a fully connected world a la a Metroidvania, but it's certainly not linear either. But there are a lot of different paths and options, and a lot of choice with the items, playstyles and general approach the player takes. It was absolutely my intention to provide a lot of player choice with both the player's items/abilities and the level spaces themselves.
The level design has a lot in common with Thief or Hitman (or what it seems like Dishonored is looking to do).
Sounds awesome can't wait till I can play it. Might not be at launch but either on PC or once I get another 360.


text:
Home » European Union » Page 9
How the world reacted to US strikes on Syria
United States striked a Syrian air base with missiles in retaliation for the gruesome chemical weapons attack in Syria.
'Gas attack' kills 58 in rebel-held Syria town
The attack in the town of Khan Sheikhun left dozens suffering respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth
Won't punish UK, Brexit a punishment in itself: EU
European Council President Donald Tusk said the the union would not punish the Britain, as the Brexit is a huge punishment in itself.
Francois Hollande says no trade deal with UK before Brexit
"First we must begin discussions on the modalities of the withdrawal, especially on the rights of citizens and the obligations arising from the commitments that the United Kingdom has made," Hollande said.
UK-EU deal 'in all our interests': Theresa May
"We will continue to play our part in ensuring that Europe remains strong and prosperous and able to lead in the world," May wrote in the Irish Times a day after she launched Britain's withdrawal process.
Theresa May signs letter to trigger Brexit
The letter, giving official notification to other 27 European Union (EU) members that Britain has invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, will be delivered to Donald Tusk by British ambassador to the EU Sir Tim Barrow.
British PM makes farewell phone calls to EU leaders, Merkel
A Downing Street spokesperson said the phone calls were aimed to "update them ahead of the letter giving notification of the UK's intention to withdraw from the European Union being delivered tomorrow (Wednesday).
Britain prepares to launch Brexit
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London on Saturday to protest against Brexit, and Scotland's parliament on Tuesday is set to vote in favour of holding an independence referendum.
EU leaders celebrate anniversary of Treaty of Rome
The Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957, creating the European Economic Community, a predecessor to the modern EU, Xinhua news agency reported.
Theresa May to trigger Brexit negotiations on March 29
The UK's ambassador to the EU, Sir Tim Barrow, formally informed EU Council president Donald Tusk of the date on Monday.
Queen authorises British PM to begin Brexit
May has said she will send a letter to the European Council informing them of Britain's decision to leave the bloc by the end of March, following a majority vote for Brexit in last year's referendum.
Brexit a defining moment for Britain: May
May said Brexit would work for the whole of Britain. "We will be a strong, self-governing global Britain with control once again over our borders and our laws."
Queen to approve Brexit bill 'in days': British PM
May confirmed that she expected royal assent to be granted "in the coming days" to the bill granting her the power to begin negotiations with the European Union
Parliament backs Brexit bill as Scotland bids to break away
The prospect of an imminent start to Brexit was enough to push the nationalist devolved government in Scotland into calling for a new independence referendum.
Brexit set to begin as bill enters final stages
Downing Street has played down speculation that May could announce the start of Brexit during a planned statement to MPs on the EU summit on Tuesday.
Tony Blair denies Trump job talks report
Former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair's spokesperson said that he(Blair) has not had any discussions about the American President Donald Trump
British Parliament passes Brexit bill
The draft legislation of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was approved by 494 votes to 122 by the House of Commons after its final debate.
Brexit won't impact Indian students in UK: British Council
Announcing the Council's GREAT Scholarships India for 2017, Ms. Barker said the situation would more or less the same for Indians travelling, working and studying in the UK.
Parliament must start approval of Brexit process: UK Supreme Court
London: The UK Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Parliament must vote on whether the government can start the Brexit -- Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) -- process, the media reported. The judgement meant that Prime Minister Theresa M
British government denies Brexit will destroy Belfast Agreement
An official spokesman for the British government said Adams' comments are totally without any basis in fact.
Trending Hyderabad News
Show your degree first, Prakash Raj asks Modi
Telangana: Collectors directed to declare holidays
Trending Telangana News
Telangana: Two persons killed and three injured in road accident
Campaign ends for 14 municipalities, one corporation in old Karimnagar


Placebos (tax credits, vouchers, Common Core) won't cure educational cancer.
Ruling last week in the long-running lawsuit now known as the Breitenfeld case, the court overturned a ruling by a St. Louis County circuit judge and said a law allowing students in unaccredited districts to transfer is constitutional. It rejected arguments that the law violates the Hancock amendment to the state constitution as well as contentions from accredited districts that they could not handle the expected influx of students.
Citizens from the receiving districts are concerned about financial reimbursement, class sizes and asking what authority school boards possess as even establishing residency requirements for district attendance is superseded by the state legislature. Is this a viable option for failing schools? Or are tax credits and vouchers the answer?
Some education reformers who support tax credits and vouchers label themselves as conservative. But are these reforms actually conservative and is privatization the answer? How do conservatives support tax credits and vouchers when they will be subject to Common Core mandates that create national standards?
The privatization/tax credit question was considered by Van Harvey who writes at Blogodidact.com. The following is reprinted with permission by Van (look for it in the future at his blog). It's a thoughtful discussion on what ails education today, the current reform measures (common core, charter/vouchers/tax credits) and begs the question if teaching what is "good and right and true" is the basis of education delivery or if it is the desire for standardization and preparation for the workforce.
Privatizing Education cannot be our final goal, not if your goal is an America which understands what America means.
Yes, vouchers are better than taxation alone, and tax credits better than vouchers, and local control is better than state control... as stage 3 cancer is better than stage 4, stage 2 is better than stage 3, etc, but as long as what you are aiming at is cancer rather than health... you truly have no recovery in sight.
Yes it is important to reduce the cancer, but don't imagine that that is the same as eradicating it. Privatizing Education, while continuing to accept the same ideas of what an education is, if anything, will result in a more efficient and thorough spread of that cancer which is eating us alive today.
I'll try to be brief... but it is a strain to (as this series of posts will attest)... if you think I can rattle on about the constitution, that's nothing to the forests of HTML I can mow down in discussing Education - after all, the current state of our constitution followed from the 'progress' of our systematization of our method of education.
Nearly universally accepted, Left & Right, is the idea that what our schools are for is to provide our kids with the skills they need to earn a living "and to compete with the Chinese!", and that lesson is the single greatest and most revolutionary success the ProRegressives have achieved, and it has delivered us to the world we have today. That understanding of what the purpose of an education is, is what led to Standardized Testing in the first place, along with the system of school districts, under school boards, under superintendents, embedded within bureaucracies producing textbooks which further them, which we have today.
He knew what he was talking about; when the purpose of getting an education is to acquire useful skills, for the greater good, the inevitable result will be a state which the people belong to, and are shaped by.
The meaning of "Get an Education so you can earn a good living!" is not saying "Get an Education so you can live a life worth living!", but simply get the skills needed to earn a good living, and education is done when they've got those skills that give them more of what they want - and more of what they want is all they want, and 'forget about all that "high falutin'" stuff'.
This view wasn't new in 1909, or 1864, it was the reason why Sam Adams had to struggle for twenty years to get to the point of being able to become the father of the American Revolution, because he first had to wake up the populace that was being overcome by just that sense, that gathering skills and wealth was more important and pleasurable than liberty and virtue. The same sense which our 'Progressive' leaders, of the Left and Right, have for more than a century been proposing as being 'pro Education!', highlighting the fact that 'progressives' are Pro-Regress, and that conception of an 'education' is fundamentally anti-American.
If "American" can be said to have a meaning, it is at least in part the expectation of being secure in your property and able to live your own life, to seek 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness', without fearing the actions of your neighbor, no matter how strange, because they too respect the laws which make that possible.
That view, that understanding, is not the result of acquiring skills to earn a living, but from understanding what makes life worth living, and then acquiring the skills which further it.
The Education our Founders era received (if you can find this book, buy it), was one whose purpose was to introduce students to, and help them reason their way through (teach), the most valuable materials a person needed to know in order to become a virtuous, self-governing person, capable of living in liberty with their fellows in society. Those materials consisted in a small selection of the very best that had been written in literature (secular and religious), history, art & science.
It was understood that a person who possessed that basis for an ever continuing Education, could easily master any skills necessary to live a life worth living, and that life was made even more worth living the more deeply you pursued your education, and a person so educated could achieve a worthwhile life and dazzling successes, because they first understood what was of worthwhile to a good life - the likes of Jefferson & Madison did not spring from nowhere, they can from that idea.
The achievement and culmination of Western Civilization, was the understanding that when what is Good and Right and True is what drives you, then Power is harnessed (though never mastered) and made to enrich the lives of all, and the result of that was America.
"Another defect in our schools, which, since the revolution, is become inexcuseable, is the want of proper books. The collections which are now used consist of essays that respect foreign and ancient nations. The minds of youth are perpetually led to the history of Greece and Rome or to Great Britain; boys are constantly repeating the declamations of Demosthenes and Cicero, or debates upon some political question in the British Parliment. These are excellent specimens of good sense, polished stile and perfect oratory; but they are not interesting to children."
What Webster proposed was that what produced his own education, be traded for "...A selection of essays...", a synopsis of facts, soon to become factoids, that sought to pluck out the fruits of the West without the need to grow the trees they grew upon, which was the basis for that dazzlingly interesting feature of every child's 'education' today (and Cubberly's specialty) - the Textbook.
When was the last time you saw a child willingly lugging one of these grey condensations of pap to the beach to read?
What 'education' can follow from what no one, not even the teachers, have an interest in reading?
"promptitude of classical allusions, a depth of research, a rapid summary of historical events and dates, a profusion of legal authorities, a prophetic glance of his eye into futurity, and a torrent of impetuous eloquence, he hurried away every thing before him"
That child was only able to be born, let alone conceived, because those classical allusions and dates were not simply recognized by those in attendance as trivia to be pursued, but matters which they understood and understood to be vital to the lives of each and every one there, and to their children as well.
Without that understanding, America won't even be stillborn into future generations, having been aborted in ours or possibly the next.
So yes, seeking to do what is practical now is important, and with subsidiarity in mind, the principle that political matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest and least centralized competent authority possible (that being, IMHO, neighborhood parents, and at that level, kept at that level, their being in government is not a problem (though always a danger)) moving towards vouchers and tax credits with as few strings attached as possible is as desirable and necessary as moving from stage 4 to stage 3 cancer. And moving from state run schools to charters and fully privatized schools will be just as useful as moving from stage 2 to stage 1 cancer.
But don't be fooled into thinking that stage 1 cancer is what we should be seeking, if you want America back, that requires at the very least, an Education that imparts the materials and lessons that were necessary for its conception and birth in the first place.
If what Van writes is true, then why are "conservative" lawmakers, pundits and lobbyists embracing privatization and Common Core mandates? These reforms (legislated by the State Legislature) are not created by the smallest, lowest and least centralized competent authority possible. Once again, a larger and centralized authority is dictating to the local districts on how they can/should operate and the school board's power is usurped.
Do "conservatives" such as Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee think they are fooling the citizens into thinking education delivered via vouchers, tax credits and charters are not under Common Core mandates? These mandates are not individualized and state/locally driven. They were not created by the smallest, lowest and least centralized competent authority possible.
Don't be fooled into thinking privatization, tax credits and vouchers are the answer for educational ills. The issue may not be so much where a child attends school but rather, what the child learns, how the child learns and who controls those educational developmental/directional theories. When a system is riddled with cancer (loss of local districts structuring educational practice best for its unique community), the system needs to be radically altered vs treating it with placebos.
What we need is to eliminate all federal interference, divide up the big districts into community-sized districts, and create neighborhood-sized schools.
THAT is the radical cure that needs to be done to eliminate the cancer. See http://www.smallerschools.org/research.php?ref=deregulation-of-public-education.


Camargue has boosted Cornwall's profile as one the best locations in the world for broadband with a campaign that delivered stand-out results nationwide.
Cornwall is second only to Japan in worldwide broadband connectivity. The joint venture in charge of the county's broadband roll-out, Superfast Cornwall, tasked Camargue with putting Cornwall on the map as a great place to work, live and do business.
Camargue's plan focused on creating strong media profile and building advocates for the county's innovation.
Standout results included widespread national media exposure, including multiple broadcasts with BBC Breakfast. Briefings with MEPs resulted in Superfast Cornwall being cited as a success story in the European Parliament and Eddie Copeland, Head of the Technology Policy Unit at influential think tank Policy Exchange, took a keen interest in Superfast Cornwall's success.


The full text of the Indiana proclamation is provided below.
Alabama and Mississippi are the last two U.S. states that have not yet officially memorialized and condemned the Armenian Genocide.
of the United States 242.


contact & office location .
"Dwelling is not primarily inhabiting but taking care of and creating that space within which something comes into its own and flourishes."
The ability to create something that responds to the needs of a unique set of guidelines, unique to each individual, each location and each sun angle gives anyone joy for a project.
What makes a project more than sketches on paper?
Respect for the elements of a project, the needs of an individual, the calling of the land. It's important to formulate with pen and paper to get the first concept straight from the heart and mind and into a visual medium.
What inspires the crafting of structures?
Appreciation for the team is of utmost importance to bridge the gap between theory and reality. Real people with real tools in the real world. Once the paper dreams become concrete, the full admiration for the trades is made.
We all have a basic need for shelter but what elevates this need to a higher level?
Memories, dreams and reflections of experiences are contained within each project. Why just build when you can create and dwell in the experience.
Studio A Architecture, Inc. was founded on a summer day in 2007, but the idea was built upon experience gained through many years working with high end residential and commercial projects from Palm Beach County to Walton County, Florida. Those early years included work on primarily waterfront residential estates in Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, Manalapan, Coral Gables and Miami with at least one ski house in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The latest phase of work has focused on bringing those grand traditions to Santa Rosa Beach and adapting each idea to its location. Collaborating with wonderfully talented architects and owners has been fulfilling and insightful. Working with the local builders and trades is where the projects take shape.
It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I offer my recommendation for Andrea Plunk and her team. I first contacted Andrea when I made the decision to relocate my family and design business to the 30A area. I interviewed several Architects for client projects, as well as, my personal home and found Andrea to be the clear choice for both. Her knowledge of the area, local building codes, and the requirements for all of the communities along scenic Hwy 30A is invaluable. She is also acutely aware of the programs and regulations managed by Florida's Department of Environmental Protection. We have collaborated with Andrea on nearly two dozen project over the last 5 years. She is a highly effective, team player who strives to provide a turnkey product to her clients. Andrea's performance has exceeded my expectations. I believe she would be an outstanding asset to any project. I am proud to know her and I give her my highest recommendation.
"Andrea Plunk is a creative genius! I have never worked with anyone that has such a vision and passion for their work. She connects with her clients and can take their dreams and create them on paper and stops at nothing until it's perfect. She can handle any type of pressure with ease and somehow finds solutions to any type of curve ball that is thrown at her. You want Andrea Plunk on your team!"
"YAY!…every time I get out of our car and look at our house…I think how pretty it is! GREAT job."


text:
Apache County
Pastora Peak
Pastora Peak - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting
Pastora Peak, Arizona 86514, USA
Hotels near Pastora PeakMore Information
About Pastora Peak
Discover More Attractions in Apache County
The Pastora Peak is a mountain peak located to the south of Teec Nos Pos in Apache County, Arizona. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and also trekking is possible.
Attractions Near Pastora Peak
Teec Nos Pos Trading Post16.12km from Pastora Peak
The Teec Nos Pos Trading Post is were the local Navajos shop for their daily needs and sell their unique artistic creations:rugs, silver and turquoise jewelry, kachinas, bead work, and a variety of other crafts. Buckskins and baskets, required for Navajo traditional ceremonies, are bought and sold at our trading post.
Four Corners Monument25.52km from Pastora Peak
The Four Corners Monument marks the quadripoint in the Southwestern United States where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It is the only point in the United States shared by four states, leading to the area being named the Four Corners region. The monument also marks the boundary between two semi-autonomous Native American governments, the Navajo Nation, which maintains the monument as a tourist attraction, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Reservation.
Buffalo Pass36.01km from Pastora Peak
Buffalo Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.610m (8,562ft) above the sea level, located in the Navajo Nation of Apache County, in northeast Arizona, in USA. It's called Indian Route 13. It's a great little curvy road with twists and turns in a scenic panorama of sandstone cliffs and tall ponderosa pines.
Roof Butte37.08km from Pastora Peak
Roof Butte is a peak in the Chuska Mountains in Arizona, United States. Roof Butte is the highest peak of the Chuska Mountains which run in a north-northwest direction across the Arizona-New Mexico border. Roof Butte is a visible butte for miles around.
Massacre Cave Overlook63.98km from Pastora Peak
Massacre Cave Overlook is located off of the North Rim Drive in the Canyon de Chelly (pronounced d'Shay) National Monument. The cave is the site of a rock shelter where in 1805 a group of Navajo had fortified themselves in a battle against a Spanish military expedition led by Lt. Antonio Narbona. With over 80 rooms and three kivas, this is one of the largest dwelling structures in the park. It was named for two mummies that were discovered here by an archaeological expedition in 1882.
Ute Mountain64.72km from Pastora Peak
Ute Mountain is located in Montezuma County, Colorado. The mountain is part of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and has an elevation of 12,721 feet. The mountain is named for the Ute people, who inhabited the area prior to European settlement. Ute Mountain is known for its stunning views and extensive hiking trails. The mountain is home to a variety of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, elk, deer, and black bears. Ute Mountain is a popular destination for camping, picnicking, and sightseeing.
Where is Pastora Peak
Discover More Attractions in Apache County, Where Pastora Peak Is Located
Apache County is located in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Most of the county is occupied by part of the federally recognized Navajo Nation and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, respectively. It also contains part of Petrified Forest National Park. Canyon de Chelly National Monument is entirely within the county and within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation.


text:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 je 4K bezrcalni fotoaparat na tržište izbačen 18. svibnja 2015. od proizvođaća Panasonic.

Specifikacije
Kamera ima 16 MP Live MOS senzor i Venus Engine 9 procesor. Sa svojim micro 4/3 senzorom i 49 zona za fokusiranje slika do 8 slika po sekundi u JPEG, MPO, RAW I RAW + JPEG formatima u JPEG rezoluciji od 4592 x 3448 u prostoru boja sRGB.

Snima 4K video AVCHD ili H.264 formata u 30/24 fps ili 1080p video u 60/30 fps.

Ima ugrađen WiFi ruter preko kojeg postoji mogućnost dijeljenja podataka.

Senzor

 Rezolucija senzora 16 megapiksela
 Vrsta senzora Live MOS
 Veličina senzora Micro Four Thirds (13.0 x 17.3 mm)
 Smanjenje vidnog polja  *2

Osjetljivost (eng. exposure), brzina okida (eng. shutter speed) i white balance

 Osjetljivost ISO 100,200,400,800,1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 25600 i auto
 White balance automatic, custom, presets
 White Balance Presetovi 2500K - 10000K, cloudy, daylight, flash, incandescent, shade
 Maksimalna brzina okida 1/4000 sekunde
 Minimalna brzina okida 60 sekundi
 Domet osjetljivosti EV 0-18 (ISO 100)

Autofokus

 Tip auto fokusa TTL contrast detection
 Zone autofokusa 49
 AE/AF kontrola Face-priority AF, Subject-tracking AF, Touch Area AF
 Značajke autofokusa Depth From Defocus (DFD) technology, Focus Peaking function

Zaslon i tražilo (viewfinder)

 Tip zaslona LCD
 Rotirajući zaslon da
 Veličina zaslona 3" (7.62 cm)
 Zaslon na dodir da
 Značajke zaslona Touch AF, display brightness control, display color control, display contrast control, display saturation control

 Tip tražila Electronički, OLED
 Značajke automatski senzor oka

Bljeskalica

 tip bljeskalice pop-up bljeskalica
 ISO vrijednost (m / ISO 100)  ISO ~ 6.6
 Značajke AF illuminator, flash +/- compensation, Red eye reduction

Veličina i težina

 Dužina 4.9" (124 mm)
 Dubina 3" (77 mm)
 Visina 3.4" (86 mm)
 Težina 360 g

Formati videa
H.264 - 3840 x 2160 p - 25 fps - 100Mbps

H.264 - 3840 x 2160 p - 24 fps - 100Mbps

H.264 - 1920 x 1080 p - 50 fps - 28Mbps

H.264 - 1920 x 1080 p - 25 fps - 20Mbps

H.264 - 1280 x 720 p - 25 fps - 10Mbps

H.264 - 640 x 480 p - 25 fps - 4Mbps

AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 50 fps - 28Mbps

AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 50 fps - 17Mbps

AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 25 fps - 24Mbps

AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 24 fps - 24Mbps

H.264 - 3840 x 2160 p - 30 fps - 100Mbps

H.264 - 1920 x 1080 p - 60 fps - 28Mbps

H.264 - 1920 x 1080 p - 30 fps - 20Mbps

H.264 - 1280 x 720 p - 30 fps - 10Mbps

H.264 - 1280 x 720 p - 30 fps - 4Mbps

AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 p - 60 fps - 28Mbps

AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 60 fps - 17Mbps

AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 60 fps

AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 30 fps - 24Mbps

Ostalo

 Timer 10 sec, 2 sec
 Mjesto za dodatke hot shoe
 Baterija Lithium ion - 1200 mAh

 Ulazi HDMI, micro USB 2.0, composite video/audio

Ostalo
U Njemačkoj, Austriji i Švicarskoj, fotoaparat se zove DMC-G70.

Vanjski izvori
https://www.cnet.com/products/panasonic-lumix-g7/specs/

Fotografija

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Why Every one Is Speaking About Hot Chinese Girls…The Simple Truth Revealed
Posted on 31 December 2020 by Grzegorz Martowski
Although the percentage of illiterate girls decreased significantly from 88 p.c to fifteen %, it's considerably higher than the share of illiterate men for the same age groupings. In 2004 the All-China Women's Federation compiled survey outcomes to point out that thirty p.c of households in China experienced domestic violence, with 16 % of men having beaten their wives. In 2003, the percentage of women domestically abusing males elevated, with 10 percent of familial violence involving male victims. The Chinese Marriage Law was amended in 2001 to offer mediation companies and compensation to those that have been subjected to domestic violence.
Feminism in China — General info, literature, history, and politics in China. Shortly after taking energy in 1949, the Communist Party of China embarked upon a sequence of campaigns that purportedly eradicated prostitution from mainland China by the early 1960s. Since the loosening of presidency controls over society in the early Eighties, prostitution in mainland China not only has turn into more seen, but also can now be discovered all through each city and rural areas.
Hot Chinese Girls – A Detailed Anaylsis on What Doesn't and What Works
According to stories by Amnesty International, household planning officials in Puning City, Guangdong Province, launched the Iron Fist Campaign in April 2010. This campaign targeted individuals for sterilization in an attempt to control population growth.
As a Christian, her religion is important to her which also means that marriage actually does final "til dying do us part." A whole lot of more mature women, even beforehand married ones, are courting foreign men as a result of, with them, they have another chance at love. Following her divorce, Yang was 35 and caring for her 9-yr-old daughter. Her Chinese friends informed her that no Chinese guy would want to date her. Almost all of the ladies I talked with stated that they love that their males get pleasure from life.
The streets were full of individuals operating in each path." Her breathing slows, and turns into harsher. I've forgotten every thing else." Zhang spent the following 20 days a prisoner.
Of course, some issues would possibly seem brazenly bizarre an final, especially for the Westerner, but ladies feels higher and better so long as you deeply emerge into this tradition. But the state of affairs will get fueled by the fact that China lovely a chinese language of magnificence. They all wish to have light you, long legs, honest skin and good hair. Sometimes a Ultimate woman can stunning a real trend sufferer, to the purpose she now not seems like herself. You individuals will really change the face of research with this project!
Although in the past ladies in China weren't granted possession of land, at present in rural areas of the People's Republic of China, girls possess pivotal roles in farming, which permits them control over the area's central sources of manufacturing. Population greatly affects the mode of farming that's utilized, which determines the duties ladies have. Men typically performs plough cultivation, however during times of excessive demand girls pitch in with agricultural duties of planting, harvesting and transporting. Women also have key roles in tea cultivation and double cropping rice. Agricultural income is supplemented by ladies's work in animal rearing, spinning, basket development, weaving, and the production of other varied crafts. Since most divorce disputes are settled at a neighborhood level, the legislation permits courts to review specific conditions and make choices in the most effective curiosity of the children.
The Marriage Law of 1950 empowered women to initiate divorce proceedings. According to Elaine Jeffreys, an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and Associate Professor in China studies, divorce requests had been only granted in the event that they were justified by politically proper causes. These requests have been mediated by get together-affiliated organizations, rather than accredited authorized techniques. Ralph Haughwout Folsom, a professor of Chinese legislation, international commerce, and international business transactions at the University of San Diego, and John H. Minan, a trial legal professional in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and a law professor at the University of San Diego, argue that the Marriage Law of 1950 allowed for much flexibility within the refusal of divorce when just one get together sought it. During the market-based economic reforms, China re-instituted a proper authorized system and implemented provisions for divorce on a more individualized foundation. The first wives in these situations have a hard time and deal with it in several methods.
At the dinner afterward, the dialog at my table turned to career adjustments. A pal surprised everybody by asserting that she would transfer to Shenzhen, a southern city, to look for a new job. Marveling at her courage but involved about her determination, one other classmate asked if she was aware of the "complications" confronted by a childless lady in search of employment in her late 20s. The authors carried out research on breast volume and physique floor anatomy of 125 women.
Corporate China has no scarcity of extremely skilled ladies with the talent, experience, and ambition to run a profitable firm. Given that China is now reemphasizing blended possession corporations and bringing extra non-public capital into SOEs to revitalize the state sector, using the best talent is more essential than ever. Not infrequently we experience the modern Chinese women as nicely educated, self-assured and profitable. In one-third of state-owned enterprises, they continued have even made govt jobs. Although Chinese women are sometimes still seen as the weaker of their traditional position, they're more and more preventing in their modern position because the bearer of half the sky. It is commonly stated that the standing of ladies began to say no within the Song period, just when Neo-Confucianism was gaining sway.
As a end result, a mean breast quantity for Chinese ladies was obtained (325.36 +/- 12.sixty six ml), and a desk with a number of linear equations for calculating breast volume was derived. The authors utilized these results to their scientific work and succeeded in making mammaplasty extra precise in 178 sufferers. Today, the Journals Division publishes more than 70 journals and hardcover serials, in a variety of educational disciplines, together with the social sciences, the humanities, education, the biological and medical sciences, and the physical sciences. The Song dynasty was a time of large financial development, but in addition great social insecurity. In distinction to medieval Europe, beneath the Song emperors, class status was not something inherited however earned by way of open competitors.
Why Every one Is Speaking About Hot Chinese Girls...The Simple Truth Revealed
Why Almost Anything You've Learned About Chinese Girl Is Inappropriate And What You Should Be Aware Of
Indicators on Chinese Girl You Should Know
Why Every Little Thing You've Learned About Hot Chinese Girls Is Inappropriate And What You Ought To Know
Reasons I Really Like Vietnamese Woman
Posted in Sprzedaż piasku.
Humorous Quotes About Siblings
Explanations Why Puerto Rico Women Gets Bad Reviews


The prostate gland produces fluid during sexual arousal/activity. As the gland is stimulated to produce fluid, the level of PSA in the blood stream rises. General rule of thumb is to abstain from sexual arousal/activity for 48 hours prior to PSA test.
There's a list of other, more obvious things which could cause a temporary rise that you would likely have already mentioned to your doctor, or your doctor would know: catheritization, cystoscopy, DRE, needle biopsy, etc.
There is also some "controversy" among the medical community as to whether bike riding, motorcycle riding or horseback riding might also apply pressure on the prostate (in a way similar to DRE) and cause temporary increased PSA production, and an even higher level of controversy about high levels of exercise causing an increase. The "controversy" is simply about whether there is enough statistical evindence to support the hypothesis. The general rule of thumb is still 48 hours.
If you think some of these factors may have influenced your results and if you are planning a follow-up PSA to confirm, best to be sure to avoid these things which might confound your results.