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Review: Spy (2015) — Bending Genres and Stereotypes, Spy is Surprisingly Full of Cultural Relevance and Laughs
Popular director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat) tackles the spy genre with the aptly titled Spy, which sees Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) as a desk-jockey for the CIA, working as a liaison for one of the agency's super-spies Bradley Fine (Jude Law). Cooper is a terrific analyst, but an underachiever and a joke to her fellow operatives, but when Fine is apparently killed in action by mob queen Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), and the identities of many top CIA agents are compromised, Cooper must leave the safety of her desk and go undercover to expose the plot of Rayna and her arms dealer associate (Bobby Cannavale) before it's too late.
Both serious and in comedy, the spy genre is already loaded — the freaking sequel to Cars was a spy movie! — and 2015 alone will see the release of new instalments of James Bond and Mission: Impossible films, amongst others. The question is whether Spy contains anything to make it stand out from an already crowded sub-genre. The answer is yes, Spy does hold it's own in many ways, but it may not be what you were expecting.
Because people who look like this are funny, get it? That's the joke.
What makes Spy stand out is it's gender politics. Director Paul Feig and frequent collaborator Melissa McCarthy have a history of making films centred on strong females, but Spy also includes strong critiques on workplace equality and even the portrayal of female action stars. The fact that Susan Cooper was one of the best graduates in the CIA academy, yet took a lowly position as an analyst in a dishevelled CIA basement at the behest of a male-dominated hierarchy surely has to resonate with the female workforce. Even when Cooper takes the plunge of putting herself into the field, a dangerous position that requires skill and wits to survive, she is presented with the cover of 'lonely cat-lady' and her secret agent devices — a favourite spy staple — consist of a rape whistle blow-dart and poison antidote disguised as stool-softening tablets. She's treated this way due to the way she looks.
Apart from her supporting role in Bridesmaids, I have yet seen a Melissa McCarthy role that I have enjoyed. Thus far, I have found her schtick irritating and on-the-nose, but the potential was always there with the right role, and Spy is her best performance yet. She's funny without being self-deprecating — she's actually one of the most competent agents in the CIA –it's the other characters constantly condescending and underestimating her. She's well aware how good she is, but has relegated herself as a perpetual doormat, towing the line and content with a life of mediocrity. Fully realising her destiny as kickass spy is her character arc, as she overcomes her own self-doubts as well as the doubts of others.
The surprise is that McCarthy isn't that much of a goof this time around; playing it relatively straight while it's everyone around her that is incompetent, and this is preferable. The shocking revelation of this movie is that despite years of contrary evidence, McCarthy is solid at carrying a movie without being a goofball, and it is Jason Statham who excels at being the bonehead.
Some of the best moments are reserved for Statham's spy Rick Ford; basically a send-up of his big-screen tough-guy persona. His ridiculous machismo hits the perfect level of hilarious before it becomes gratuitous. Whether it's spouting a laundry-list of accomplishments (read: action-movie stunt tropes), or claiming he's 'done this before' while hanging from an in-flight helicopter (he has!), Statham's comic timing as the alpha-male lacking self-awareness is great! This Statham is more Clouseau than Chev Chelios, and it may be my favourite kind of Statham.
The Spy Who Loved Boobs
The supporting cast is also a blast to watch. Rose Byrne nails it as the blunt, crass, mob queen Rayna Boyanov. They didn't share much screen time in Bridesmaids, but McCarthy and Byrne's comic timing and chemistry is on-point and their back-and-forth barbs at each other are a definite highlight. It's odd seeing Jude Law playing a super-spy, yet acting with an unnatural American accent, but otherwise he is as suave as you can imagine. Peter Serafinowicz has a nice role as a bumbling Italian agent, and Allison Janney is great as the no-nonsense CIA boss. The only drawback of the cast is comedian Miranda Hart, playing Cooper's CIA associate. Every single joke of Hart's fell flat and her character grew irritating quickly; a minor blemish in an otherwise stellar cast.
No spy movie is complete without an elaborate opening credits sequence (more movies need to embrace opening credits, as I've noticed credit sequences are increasingly relegated to the closing credits; but that's for another time). I'm admittedly a sucker for a classic Bond-style theme song, and "Who Can You Trust" by Ivy Levan, and the 007-style graphics during the opening credits gave the movie a great head start and a big thumbs up!
On paper, you wouldn't expect a movie like Spy to be anything more than a forgettable action-comedy, but the truth is Spy is consistently funny, has solid action sequences, and enough social commentary for long-lasting depth and popularity. Melissa McCarthy's best performance and top ten all-time spy comedies.
– Jason Statham's bumbling Rick Ford.
– McCarthy and Byrne's chemistry.
– Shockingly competent and exciting action.
– Spy. This title stinks in it's laziness. I hate it.
– Miranda Hart. Not a single funny moment. Get in the bin.
– Bridesmaids (2011)
– Diamonds are Forever (1971)
– Get Smart (2008)
– Pineapple Express (2008)
Directed by: Paul Feig Written by: Paul Feig Produced by: Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Jude Law Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Run length: 120 minutes Australian Release: Out now in all major cinemas
by Luke Miksa on June 4, 2015 • Permalink
Posted in Film Reviews
Tagged Jason Statham, Melissa McCarthy, Paul Feig, Spy, Spy Movie
Posted by Luke Miksa on June 4, 2015
https://sorryimlate.com/2015/06/04/review-spy-2015-bending-genres-and-stereotypes-spy-is-surprisingly-full-of-cultural-relevance-and-laughs/
Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) — All The Eye-Popping Spectacle You Want, No Strings Attached
Get in the Bin!: The Localised Product Placement in San Andreas


Matt and Curt Gillen, White Lake, S.D., bought Lots 14, 80, and 98.
Louis Genereux, Bartlett, Neb., bought Lot 30, at $14,000.
Mogck & Sons Angus of Olivet, owned by Charles and LeAndra Mogck and their children, Christy, Chase, and Ty, hosted a big crowd for their annual production sale held at their ranch.
The Mogck family made several changes to their marketing program this year. The first was a brand new sale barn. This beautiful new building is as nice as it gets. The second was the sale date. They moved the sale up into February to make the sale more convenient for their customers. Finally, this was the first year that the bulls were sold by video screen. Although the bulls did not physically enter the sale ring, they were all penned outside, giving bidders plenty of time to look at the bulls before the sale. The catalog gave much information to aid in the final selections.
This was another outstanding set of bulls, and they were readily received by this good crowd. Some of the top bulls caught the eyes of purebred breeders.
Top selling bull of the day was Lot 10, Mogck Bullseye 674, selling for $18,000 to Varilek Angus, Geddes, South Dakota. This son of the $192,000 Mogck Bullseye was out of a daughter of MCC Daybreak, who had ratioed 104 on two calves. His EPDs were CED 7, BW 2.3, WW 72, MILK 29, YW 124, MARB 0.61, RE 1.08, SC 1.39, and $B 118.61. Weaning at 815 pounds, he had a yearling weight of 1,370 pounds.
Lot 7 sold for $15,500 to Mohnen Angus, White Lake, South Dakota. Sired by Mogck Bullseye and out of another daughter of MCC Daybreak and Mogck Jilt 84, he had EPDs of CED 12, BW 0.1, WW 72, MILK 28, YW 124, MARB 0.48, RE 0.77 and $B 103.70. With an 82 pound birth weight, he weaned at 853 pounds and grew to a yearling weight of 1,349 pounds.
Jeff Anderson, Pierce, Neb., became the new owner of Lot 3 when he raised his hand for the final time at $14,500. He was sired by Mogck Bullseye and out of a daughter of Connealy 5050 611B. He hit the ground at 87 pounds, and then he just grew—reaching a weaning weight of 912 pounds and a yearling weight of 1,514 pounds. His 43 cm scrotal measurement was complemented with a 16.9 square inch ribeye and an IMF of 5.11 percent. His $B scored was 123.76.
Louis Genereux, Bartlett, Nebraska, chose Lot 30 at $14,000. Here was a son of Mogck Whispering Wind 48 who was out of a Daybreak daughter. Weaning at 885 pounds, he reached a yearling weight of 1427 pounds.
Lot 19 sold for $13,500 to the Hoyt Angus Ranch, McHenry, North Dakota. This son of Mogck Sure Shot was a recommended calving ease bull.
The good herd of Dennis and Mark Gant, Geddes, South Dakota, chose Lot 2 at $12,500. This was a calving ease son of Mogck Bullseye.
The top selling bred heifer went to Askdal Angus Farms, Minneota, Minn., after selling for $14,000. Lot 112 was a Mogck Sure Shot daughter bred to Styles Cash R24.
The top selling bred cow was Lot 130, another Mogck Sure Shot daughter, selling for $9,500 to Points West Angus, Barnesville, Minn.
Give Mogcks a call. I'm sure they will gladly help you find the right genetics to increase your profitability.


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Malone Petroleum Consulting
Exceptions and Discounts in an Oil and Gas Interest Report
Joint Venture Audits
Oil and Gas Audits
Profit Consultant
Contractor Audits for Oil and Gas
Internal Audits for Oil and Gas
Joint Interest Audits
Operating Agreement Control
Overhead Rate Negotiation
Partnership Audits for Oil and Gas
Salt Water Disposal
Suspense Account
Tenant In Common
Vendor Audits for Oil and Gas
Audit Rights Denied
Confidentiality Agreement Forced
Contractor Audits
Don't Sign That Contract!
Mouse and Rat Hole
IADC Daily Drilling Report
Daily Drilling Report
Oil and Gas Check Detail
AFE Checklist
Reasons for an Oil and Gas Audit
Procedures for Oil and Gas Audits
Drilling, Completing and Producing a Well
Operators that Refuse Good Exceptions
Profiting on Non-operators
Copas Overhead Adjustments
Joint Venture Review Compliance
Oil and Gas Audit Report
Reviewing Non-Participants
Operating Treatment of the Joint Interest Report
Oil and Gas Department Job Functions
Vendor Audits
Per Joint Interest protocol, a formal report, copies of all review memos with detailed schedules, references, and copies of related documents to support exceptions will be provided to the Operator's representative during and/or after reviews to enable the retrace of proposed exceptions for the timely adjustment of the joint interest account, unless temporarily delayed by personal client review.
Although a Non-Operator might not be in all wells within a report, he is greatly encouraged to read the report in its entirety. The total information can give the reader a more significant understanding of the items which may pertain to their current and future investments. The Non-Operator is encouraged to share some of the information, as a by-product of this report, we developed with other departments, e.g., Engineering, since many times there is limited information available on outside operated properties.
Operators receive free review services, and in some cases receive most of the benefits and recoveries when the Operator has the largest working interest, e.g., contractor's responsibility, duplicate payments, vendor overcharges, coding errors to the wrong working interests, and other items which can and do occur. Only when credits are unusually large or important to the Operator, we request the Operator to consider, per the COPAS Accounting Agreement, crediting the Joint Account with the Operator's fair share of beneficial review costs, especially since the overall intent of the operating agreement is to equally share costs according to the working interest percentages.
In some cases, there are exceptions which we do not write since they would: be considered by some to be immaterial, have resulted in costs exceeding potential benefits, and/or have caused undue extra work on the part of the Operator.
One of the intents of our review is to clear up open and unresolved questions or problems and to give the Non-Operators the necessary assurances concerning their investments in a fair and professional manner, so they may continue to make additional investments with the Operator which will result in profits for all parties.
The exceptions that are included in the reports, in most cases, reflect common occurrences normally observed when reviewing the records of other operators. Large dollar amounts or quantities of exceptions are not considered a reflection against any operator; it is a representation of the exceedingly complex nature of oil and gas industry activities, combined with years of experience, expertise and tedious review procedures.
Although recoveries normally exceed review expenses in an active review program, the objective should not necessarily be limited to obtain recoveries of money from the Operator. More importantly, valuable information can be made available to the investors about the Operator; the investor can better determine which Operators are making the best attempt to deal fairly with the investors.
It should be noted that standard oil and gas industry practice and procedures bear a significant relevance to our overall review scope. Also, if a contractual clause is found to be contradictory and/or to the disadvantage of the client Non-Operator and/or the Operator, information which we consider to be most essential and beneficial will be reported in either a direct formal exception or included in the body of a letter. In many cases, this indicates a need for an extended investigation in the oil field and/or a review of the vendor(s) to assure the results of the joint account as a whole are fairly presented. Vendor reviews help keep honest vendors honest.
Substantial discounts have been available from most vendors since early 1982 in order to be more competitive. Discount information can be difficult to obtain since the Operator can only compare discounts within their own company; whereas we are able to document these discounts for the same, or like, vendors in different companies. Discounts are not limited by the size of the vendor or Operator. The final result can mean that the drilling of every future well can be for less than price list costs. Operators who pay invoices late, will receive fewer discounts from vendors - Operators may take a temporary interest gain, but will no longer receive favorable discounts from some vendors on future wells drilled.
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The State Department's internal watchdog has "initiated an inquiry" into whether the contractor Foggy Bottom used for a draft environmental analysis on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline had a conflict of interest.
The move is a response to allegations from several outside groups, Doug Welty, a spokesman with the State Department Office of Inspector General, told The Hill on Friday.
The development raises the possibility of another redo of the analysis assessing Keystone's environmental impact.Several green and left-leaning groups have claimed the consultancy State picked to conduct the draft environmental review had financial ties to Keystone builder TransCanada Corp. and the American Petroleum Institute, a Keystone supporter.
Bloomberg first reported news of the inquiry. Welty explained that an "inquiry" is more of a fact-finding mission than an investigation, which is reserved for criminal matters.
The Canada-to-Texas pipeline is currently under federal review at State. TransCanada needs a cross-border permit to complete the project's northern leg.
The draft State analysis in question said Keystone wouldn't significantly exacerbate carbon emissions. It found that demand was great enough to bring oil sands to market even without the pipeline.
Pipeline opponents have questioned the results of the draft review, which State released in March. The Environmental Protection Agency also criticized its conclusions.
Those concerns make up some of the 1.2 million comments submitted on the draft review that State is currently addressing.
The inquiry comes as Keystone detractors have pressed President Obama and State to go back to the drawing board for the environmental review.
They want the pipeline's greenhouse gas emissions impact to be given more weight in light of Obama's June comments that he'd oppose the pipeline if it "significantly exacerbates" carbon pollution.
Keystone's supporters in industry, labor unions and Congress have pointed to the draft State review as proof that the pipeline wouldn't have a substantial impact on emissions.


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Home » Posts tagged with "BRADFORD"
Maximum Loan Limits for Loans Originated in Fiscal Year 2011-Pennsylvania-PA
Editor Loan Lenders- Loan advices May 1, 2017
42 001 ADAMS 23900 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 003 ALLEGHENY 38300 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 005 ARMSTRONG 38300 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 007 BEAVER 38300 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 009 BEDFORD 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 011 BERKS 39740 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 013 BLAIR 11020 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 015 BRADFORD 42380 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 017 BUCKS 37980 PA $420,000 $537,650 $649,900 $807,700
42 019 BUTLER 38300 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 021 CAMBRIA 27780 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 023 CAMERON 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 025 CARBON 10900 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 027 CENTRE 44300 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 029 CHESTER 37980 PA $420,000 $537,650 $649,900 $807,700
42 031 CLARION 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 033 CLEARFIELD 20180 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 035 CLINTON 30820 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 037 COLUMBIA 14100 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 039 CRAWFORD 32740 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 041 CUMBERLAND 25420 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 043 DAUPHIN 25420 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 045 DELAWARE 37980 PA $420,000 $537,650 $649,900 $807,700
42 047 ELK 41260 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 049 ERIE 21500 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 051 FAYETTE 38300 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 053 FOREST 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 055 FRANKLIN 16540 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 057 FULTON 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 059 GREENE 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 061 HUNTINGDON 26500 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 063 INDIANA 26860 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 065 JEFFERSON 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 067 JUNIATA 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 069 LACKAWANNA 42540 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 071 LANCASTER 29540 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 073 LAWRENCE 35260 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 075 LEBANON 30140 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 077 LEHIGH 10900 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 079 LUZERNE 42540 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 081 LYCOMING 48700 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 083 MCKEAN 14620 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 085 MERCER 49660 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 087 MIFFLIN 30380 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 089 MONROE 20700 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 091 MONTGOMERY 37980 PA $420,000 $537,650 $649,900 $807,700
42 093 MONTOUR 14100 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 095 NORTHAMPTON 10900 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 097 NORTHUMBERLAND 44980 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 099 PERRY 25420 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 101 PHILADELPHIA 37980 PA $420,000 $537,650 $649,900 $807,700
42 103 PIKE 35620 PA $729,750 $934,200 $1,129,250 $1,403,400
42 105 POTTER 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 107 SCHUYLKILL 39060 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 109 SNYDER 42780 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 111 SOMERSET 43740 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 113 SULLIVAN 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 115 SUSQUEHANNA 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 117 TIOGA 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 119 UNION 30260 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 121 VENANGO 36340 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 123 WARREN 47620 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 125 WASHINGTON 38300 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 127 WAYNE 99999 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 129 WESTMORELAND 38300 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 131 WYOMING 42540 PA $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
42 133 YORK 49620 PA $425,000 $544,050 $657,650 $817,300
Maximum Loan Limits for Loans Originated in Fiscal Year 2011-Florida
12 001 ALACHUA 23540 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 003 BAKER 27260 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 005 BAY 37460 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 007 BRADFORD 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 009 BREVARD 37340 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 011 BROWARD 33100 FL $423,750 $542,450 $655,700 $814,900
12 013 CALHOUN 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 015 CHARLOTTE 39460 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 017 CITRUS 26140 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 019 CLAY 27260 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 021 COLLIER 34940 FL $531,250 $680,100 $822,050 $1,021,650
12 023 COLUMBIA 29380 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 027 DE SOTO 11580 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 029 DIXIE 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 031 DUVAL 27260 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 033 ESCAMBIA 37860 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 035 FLAGLER 37380 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 037 FRANKLIN 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 039 GADSDEN 45220 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 041 GILCHRIST 23540 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 043 GLADES 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 045 GULF 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 047 HAMILTON 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 049 HARDEE 48100 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 051 HENDRY 17500 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 053 HERNANDO 45300 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 055 HIGHLANDS 42700 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 057 HILLSBOROUGH 45300 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 059 HOLMES 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 061 INDIAN RIVER 42680 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 063 JACKSON 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 065 JEFFERSON 45220 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 067 LAFAYETTE 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 069 LAKE 36740 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 071 LEE 15980 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 073 LEON 45220 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 075 LEVY 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 077 LIBERTY 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 079 MADISON 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 081 MANATEE 35840 FL $442,500 $566,450 $684,750 $850,950
12 083 MARION 36100 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 085 MARTIN 38940 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 086 MIAMI-DADE 33100 FL $423,750 $542,450 $655,700 $814,900
12 087 MONROE 28580 FL $729,750 $934,200 $1,129,250 $1,403,400
12 089 NASSAU 27260 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 091 OKALOOSA 18880 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 093 OKEECHOBEE 36380 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 095 ORANGE 36740 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 097 OSCEOLA 36740 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 099 PALM BEACH 33100 FL $423,750 $542,450 $655,700 $814,900
12 101 PASCO 45300 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 103 PINELLAS 45300 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 105 POLK 29460 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 107 PUTNAM 37260 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 109 ST. JOHNS 27260 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 111 ST. LUCIE 38940 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 113 SANTA ROSA 37860 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 115 SARASOTA 35840 FL $442,500 $566,450 $684,750 $850,950
12 117 SEMINOLE 36740 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 119 SUMTER 45540 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 121 SUWANNEE 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 123 TAYLOR 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 125 UNION 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 127 VOLUSIA 19660 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 129 WAKULLA 45220 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 131 WALTON 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950
12 133 WASHINGTON 99999 FL $417,000 $533,850 $645,300 $801,950


This year, SWF announces the departure of one long time Board Member, Rachel Yates. Her contributions and dedication to the organization will be missed, and we wish her the best as she moves on to other endeavors. We welcome Dr. Angie Bukley to the SWF Board of Directors. Dr. Bukley is the Director for Program Formulation and Partnerships in the Space and Technology Directorate at The Aerospace Corporation, and previously served on SWF's Advisory Committee.
SWF is also pleased to welcome Ms. Laura Delgado López to SWF's Advisory Committee. Ms. López is a Policy Analyst at the Strategic Integration and Management Division of the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and the Editor-in-Chief of Space Policy, a peer-reviewed publication focused on the interdisciplinary study of space policy. Most recently at Harris Corporation's Space & Intelligence Systems, Ms. Delgado Lopez brings forth a diverse set of experience to contribute to the expertise of the Advisory Committee.
SWF also thanks Mr. Richard DalBello, Vice President of Business Development and Government Affairs at Virgin Galactic, for recommitting to another term on the advisory committee.
We deeply appreciate the support and guidance provided by all members of our board and advisory committee as SWF continues to work toward collaborative solutions for space sustainability. Advisory Committee members are nominated by the Board, current advisors, and staff. They are chosen by the Board of Directors on an annual basis, and begin their 3-year term at the Annual Advisory Committee meeting in August. SWF is pleased to be able to work with such distinguished and committed advisors.


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Nebullam: Indoor farming
Lettuce that was grown and harvested last Friday from inside the Nebullam model farm near Nevada. Photo courtesy of Clayton Mooney
For the founders of Nebullam, they hope 13 is a lucky number.
What started seven years ago as a way to address food security, production and sustainability led to 13 different prototypes and a model farm near Nevada. And if all goes according to plan in 2018, Nebullam will have a second model farm near Ames and additional capital to help send a product to market by 2019.
The Ames-based agtech startup pairs high-pressure aeroponic technology and software to grow different types of leafy greens indoors.
The company was founded by Clayton Mooney and Danen Pool, who first met while attending Indian Hills Community College. They stayed in contact and three years ago, Pool contacted Mooney to run a business idea by him.
"He started tinkering on hydroponic systems which led into aeroponic systems," Mooney said of Pool. "He was very intrigued by the early research NASA had done on aeroponic systems back in the 80's. Throughout the first half-dozen prototypes, he (Pool) was able to grow tomatoes, basil and lettuce varieties. One winter, he took tomatoes into his coworkers and got great feedback."
Aeroponics is a method of growing plants in a water-based, nutrient-rich solution without using soil. And when those tomatoes—that were grown indoors—tasted like they were from the garden, a business idea formed.
It was no longer a hobby.
"We thought our original business model was to go around Iowa, set up in warehouses, grow leafy greens and get them into grocery stores," Mooney explained. "The more feedback we received, it really came back to the technology and that was more interesting to scale than just the production side."
Mooney said along with Pool and third co-founder Mahmoud Parto, they realized the industry needs to be automated.
"Eventually you need an indoor, vertical farm producing at full capacity without any human interaction," Mooney says. "We are trying to bring it to the forefront so if we have to trail blaze a little bit, we're ready."
To fund Nebullam, Mooney said they raised a "friends and family" round of investment last year and received some funding from through the Iowa State Ag Startup Engine last year when they were going through the program. Nebullam also received a $25,000 loan from the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
This year Mooney said they hope to raise $1 million by the end of June.
Fewer parts, fewer problems
With high-pressure aeroponic expertise and startup experience, Nebullam was looking for a partner who had a background in software and automation.
Mooney said that's when Nebullam welcomed Parto, who has helped implement software and automate as many of the processes between germination and harvest as possible.
"From there we've considered ourselves a 50 percent hardware and 50 percent software company," Mooney says.
In total there are six employees working for Nebullam in some capacity, with interns to be hired this summer. Mooney said the team should reach ten people.
Nebullam partnered with LongView Farms in Nevada to create a 300 square foot model farm.
"Hardware is tough and the more pieces you have in a product, the more that can go wrong," Mooney explains. "In our model farm location, we have just under 5,000 parts total. And that's across four growing units."
But Mooney said they've streamlined the process to get it to 2,000 parts.
"For the 13th prototype that was our entire focus, how do you reduce the required labor?" Mooney asks. "We think we've figured that out. We see ourselves as a technology provider to new, indoor growers."
He said the hardware, software and inputs such as nutrients and seeds are bundled into a monthly price. And over an 18-24 month contract, the grower pays off the hardware and reoccurring revenue comes from seeds, nutrients and an annual licensing fee for the software.
Mooney said they are in negotiations for a second model farm that would be nearly 1,500 square feet and serve as a showcase for potential customers.
"Do we see corn and soybeans being grown aeroponically? Not at this time," Mooney says. "But leafy greens, herbs, micro greens, flowers and cannabis, we feel pretty good about those segments."
Previous coverage
Ames: Top 10 happenings of 2017 with a 2018 preview – Dec. 26, 2017
Startups receive funding from Iowa Economic Development Authority – Nov. 20, 2017
ISU Ag Startup Engine announces pair of investment – June 12, 2017
Clayton Mooney hits the ground running and never stops – March 21, 2017
When a side hustle turns full-time…
Next Level Ventures leads $1.3 million investment in LenderClose


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Retail Liquor Permits FAQ
What communities have retail liquor permits available?
The availability of additional liquor retail permits depends on the population of a community and the number of existing permits. If a permit is available and interest in that permit is expressed the opportunity will be advertised and an online auction process will determine who receives the permit.
What is the population criteria?
Communities must have a population base of at least 500 in order to be eligible for a retail liquor store (if one is already operating, however, another permit will not be allocated). A breakdown of the permits available by population is included in the News Release & Backgrounder.
What if communities with a population less than 500 already have one or more retail liquor stores. Will they continue to operate?
Yes. The minimum population of 500 only applies to the allocation of any future retail liquor store permits.
I'm interested in obtaining a permit. How can I proceed?
The first step is finding out if there is an available permit in the community you are interested in. To do so, individuals or businesses can contact SLGA by email. Please specify the community you are inquiring about.
SLGA will provide information about whether a permit is available. If one is available, the opportunity will be advertised and an online auction will be held to determine the recipient of the permit. The first step, however, is determining if a permit is available in the community.
How will the auction work?
The auction will be conducted online by an independent third party and be open for 10 calendar days. Auctions will initially be held on a quarterly basis if interest in a permit occurs.
If I'm successful in the auction, do I automatically receive a permit?
No. The successful bidder must also meet the requirements of obtaining a commercial liquor permit. This includes completing the formal application paperwork, passing good character check, advertising, etc.) before they receive the permit and can begin operating.
When are the additional permits available?
The new policy is effective now. If interest is expressed in a permit we expect the first auction will be held later this year.
I still have questions. Where can I get more information?
You can email SLGA.


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Category: NATION-BUILDING
Hong Kong crackdown: extradition law would extend Beijing's 'coercive reach'
A U.S. congressional commission fears that a proposed new extradition law in Hong Kong could extend China's "coercive reach" into the financial hub and create serious risks for U.S. national… Read more »
Analysis, Asia, Authoritarianism, China, Civil Society, Communist regimes, Democracy Assistance and Promotion, Democratic Governance, Democratic institutions, Dictatorships, Dissidents, Freedom of Expression, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Human rights, NATION-BUILDING Bernice Chan, Brian YS Wong, Founding chairman of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, Hong Kong Civil Hub, James To, Jung Hoon Lee, Just Asia, Lee Cheuk Yan, Mak Yin-Ting, MARTIN LEE, Nathan Law, National Endowment for Democracy (NED)., New Threats to Civil Society and the Rule of Law in Hong Kong, Richard Wong Yue-chim, the Philip Wong Kennedy Wong Professor in Political Economy, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
Will Hamas's 'Hezbollah model' scupper Palestinian reconciliation?
DemDigest October 3, 2017 November 2, 2018
Hamas' supreme leader says his group will not give up its weapons, a vow that is sure to complicate reconciliation talks with the rival Fatah movement, The Washington Post reports:… Read more »
Analysis, Authoritarianism, Civil Society, Gaza, Ideology, Islamists, Middle East/North Africa, NATION-BUILDING, National Endowment for Democracy, Palestinian Authority, Political Islam, West Bank and Gaza Ben Lynfield, Elliott Abrams, Hamas, Hezbollah, Mohammed Daraghmen, Muhammad Shehada, National Endowment for Democracy, Palestinian Authority, Rethinking Political Islam
Mosul highlights 'post-conflict bipolar disorder'
DemDigest October 31, 2016 March 4, 2019
What the Mosul operation should be making obvious is that whoever gets to the gaps in governance and civil society first and best will win the epic struggles of identity… Read more »
Analysis, Civil Society, Democracy Assistance and Promotion, Democratic institutions, Iraq, Middle East/North Africa, NATION-BUILDING, National Endowment for Democracy "post-conflict bipolar disorder, ", Col. (ret.) Christopher Holshek, Mosul, Nadia Schadlow, National Endowment for Democracy, Soft Power on Hard Problems: Strategic Influence in Irregular Warfare, Zalmay Khalilzad


This dataset provides statistics on the social background of parents of grammar school students in Helsinki by academic year 1896/97-1968/69. Please refer to the Finnish metadata for a complete description of this dataset.
Source: Social background of parents of grammar school students in Helsinki by academic year 1896/97-1968/69. The maintainer of the dataset is Helsingin kaupunginkanslia / Kaupunkitutkimus ja -tilastot. The dataset has been downloaded from Helsinki Region Infoshare service on 22.04.2019 under the license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.


Cryptographer and PhD in Information Security Dr. Pavel Kravchenko shares his insights into the nature of crypto and non-crypto assets, and explains why it's critical to understand the difference between them.
Current situation on the digital currency market is both: extremely advanced and unbelievably comical. In short, incredible demand provokes the appearance of a great abundance of cheaters. In order to bring matters to a head, let's contemplate on one very short example.
In some time, we'll be passing through the period when fuel cars will no longer be in fashion because new models of electric vehicles will be much more efficient, that said faster and even cheaper. E-vehicles will be the new trend to which everyone would strive. By this time, you'll be able to find a lot of market offers, when something quite distinct from an e-vehicle is presented as nothing more than it.
An old push-bicycle introduced as a 'Tesla-killer' is very similar to how many 'enthusiasts' today try to present something which is nowhere near cryptocurrency as the very one.
So, in today's highly speculative market, one could either make a big time or fall very short of their expectations. Whilst the failure is mostly contingent on the lack of knowledge and a number of misconceptions about the concept of cryptocurrency. Let's consider what's what.
The definition of cryptocurrency is exceptionally simple. It consists of three basic keywords.
Issuance. New coins in the system are to be issued according to the algorithm that's based on the determined upfront monetary policy.
Transaction validation. Anyone can participate in the transaction validation process.
Availability. The system is opened for use for all (it has no registrations or permissions).
Data storing. Data is available for everyone, that said, everyone is able to store and verify it, which makes transactions irreversible. You cannot fool anyone when you're in the public eye.
Audit. Everyone can synchronize with other nodes and verify the accuracy of the transaction history.
Governance. No one holds the ultimate reigns of making decisions, rather, they are made mutually through discussions on forums.
Needless to say, that the initial code and specification of a cryptocurrency should be in the open source. Eventually, all the properties we have just considered can only be possible in case of a sufficiently big and open community: Even if you copy the initial code of Bitcoin, which is kind of designed for a decentralized digital currency, and launch your own — it won't be a cryptocurrency if there won't be a fairly big and open community around it, eventually.
As you can see, it is specifically decentralization the main attribute of every cryptocurrency. If at least one of the above-mentioned processes takes place in a centralized manner — it's not a cryptocurrency, because it's no more independent.
Bitcoin, Litecoin, Monero — these are good examples of cryptocurrencies, where all the above stated processes are decentralized, which makes them as much independent as possible.
Having analyzed the Ripple (XRP) currency, you'll see that transaction validation in it is not really decentralized (only a limited number of parties can validate), while the process of emission is totally centralized because creators are in full control of how the coins are issued and distributed. So, it's fundamentally wrong to call Ripple a cryptocurrency. But it is not good or bad, it's just the way it is. Because Ripple aims to solve other problems.
It's important to understand that token is never a currency, while its definition is extremely vast and even abstract. So that in each particular case it can undergo certain contextual changes.
You could've never known, but you've already dealt with tokens. For example, the subway token that grants the right to using the subway service. Another example is American dollar at the gold standard times. It was a token that presumed the right to a certain amount of gold.
This term is much more narrow, so it's easier to give it a clear and comprehensible definition.
Cryptocurrency coin is a cryptographic token, but it's never the other way around, meaning that not all cryptographic tokens are cryptocurrencies.
Right for a service, etc.
For example, agribusiness company can tokenize its grain receipts, so that seeds are situated in the warehouse, while the tokens are being easily traded.
Most commonly, the accounting of cryptographic tokens is realized with the aid of the blockchain technology, while the access to them is carried out through special e-wallets that use the digital signature schemes.
The last thing we're going to do is puzzle out this, at first sight, complicated scheme. In reality, it's a piece of cake.
Non-auditable digital currency. Commonly, a centralized payment service with which you can transfer certain digitized assets and/or currencies. No one can verify the database, but only trust the honesty of the service.
Complementary digital currencies. Basically, it's the same thing, it's just that the safety mechanism implies the use of cryptography. The circle intercepts with 'cryptographic token'.
Auditable digital currency. It's a digital currency that's not yet cryptocurrency because some of the processes are not decentralized, though the database can be audited by any or some external parties (which significantly distinguishes it from non-auditable digital currency, where it's all based on trust and confidence). That's where many people get frequently confused because they think that it's a cryptocurrency, but it's actually not. Ripple and Stellar are good examples.
Cryptocurrency. Totally decentralized and independent digital currency (issuance, validation, audit, decision making, etc).
Sometimes people find it hard to distinguish what is cryptocurrency and what's not. We aimed to show that it's not that difficult when you have your main focus on the criteria of independence and decentralization. Because it is specifically they that define the true freedom of the currency and of those who own it; they that triggered a tiny (or maybe even not) revolution of the accounting systems; revolution in people's minds.
P.S. At the same time, it's important to be objective and understand that cryptocurrencies are only the part of the game, because there's the blockchain technology that is applicable for both: open (public) and private (corporate) systems. The workability field is so broad that triggers a vast flow of thoughts that we usually love to share on our blog.


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Publicity photo via Bandcamp
Sunn O))) Revisit the World of 'Life Metal' with 'Pyroclasts'
The companion piece to Sunn O)))'s masterful Life Metal completes the most organic and minimal chapter in the drone masters' journey.
By Spyros Stasis / 8 November 2019
Pyroclasts
Southern Lord
Despite its seemingly static form, the drone domain is an amorphous entity ready to be molded at the beholder's hands. Throughout their career, Sunn O))) have understood that better than most, and their investigations into the plethora of possibilities granted by majestic soundscapes and endless feedback have bared fruits. The raw essence of their early days, the blackened investigations of Black One and the avant-garde glory of Monoliths & Dimensions stand as monuments to time, forever displaying the dark and oppressive music that Sunn O))) have been awakening.
Sunn O))) always drew energy from a primal, primordial place. Additional flourishes on top of this dominant foundation have expanded their sound to great extents, resulting in works of multifaceted glory, be it in Monoliths & Dimensions or the band's exquisite collaboration with the legend that is Scott Walker. Yet, in 2019 Sunn O))) decided to take a step back with Life Metal, returning to their place of origin. The record saw them at their most minimal, stripping away much of their additional instrumentation in favor of their roaring guitars. That nostalgic retreat worked perfectly in combination with the change in the production helm. The band this time recorded with the great Steve Albini, a move that provided Life Metal with its distinctly organic quality. It was a bright moment within the abyssal landscape that Sunn O))) have been painting, a move away from the chthonic and into the astral.
Pyroclasts now arrives as a companion piece to Life Metal. The four tracks collected in this work were produced during the recording sessions of Life Metal and were primarily performed as a meditative exercise. At the beginning or end of each recording day, Stephen O'Malley, Greg Anderson, and collaborators Tim Midyett, Hildur Gudnadottir, and T.O.S would venture into a magical journey to attune their individual creativity to the grand scheme of Life Metal. The sessions clocked in at about 12 minutes, therefore not allowing this practice to venture too far into unknown territories, yet the four resulting pieces are covering much of the key points of the band's latest album.
Pyroclasts oozes with the same bright quality of Life Metal. The piercing start to "Ascension (A)" melts within the heavy feedback of the impenetrable guitars. That is not a simple wall of sound effect, but an all-encompassing, encircling experience. It is a moment of asphyxiating meditation that Sunn O))) invoke, as the sparse guitar strums slowly transform the soundscapes with brilliant colors. It is the guitar tonality and the distortion flavors that Sunn O))) have picked in this case that allow their ideas to evolve through a kaleidoscopic palette of colors instead of the typical monochrome aspect of drone music. The dissonant parts of "Ampliphaedies (E)" arrives with more traction and intricacy through this choice, as the subtle presence of Gudnadottir beneath the layers of feedback gives rise to a whole different dimension with delicate undertones.
This companion chapter does not see Sunn O))) breaking new ground, but it recaptures the spark of Life Metal. The dominant overtures of "Kingdoms (G)", with their sharp leads and the distant, echoing samples make you feel at the presence of something truly exalted. Similarly, the elation into ethereal, glacial sovereignty with "Frost (C)" explodes the drone aesthetic, creating an existential journey through abstracted forms. It is a work that re-affirms Life Metal and reminds everyone of the potent quality of Sunn O))).
RATING 8 / 10
TAGS black metal dark ambient drone metal experimental metal heavy metal music review noise rock review southern lord sunn o)))
Scott Walker and Sunn O))): Soused - PopMatters
Sunn O))): Life Metal (album review) - PopMatters
Sunn O))): Monoliths and Dimensions - PopMatters
Sunn O))): Black One - PopMatters
Sunn O))) Meets Nurse with Wound: The Iron Soul of Nothing ...
Sunn O))) + Phurpa: London - 18 August 2015 - PopMatters
Sunn O)): Kannon - PopMatters
Sunn O))) – Pyroclasts – SUNN O)))
Pyroclasts | SUNN O)))
Sunn O))) - Home | Facebook
Tsuge's 'The Man Without Talent' Is a Perfect Manga Parable on Capitalism's Failed Dreams
Bersarin Quartett Create Stunning Forward-Looking Ambient with "Wenn wir nur wollen" (premiere)


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General administrative law
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Alternative Financing
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Partnerships in Tech
Working at Van Doorne
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Van Doorne
Van Doorne is an authority in the field of property transactions and it offers a combination of high-quality legal knowledge, personal commitment and an excellent understanding of the Dutch property market as well as the working method and investment objectives of foreign investors.
Property transactions in a state of flux
The practice of property transactions is in a state of flux. Our team closely follows all changes and trends and is aware of all innovations. We always take it one step further, we dig deeper and make the difference.
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Our transaction practice has a large and diverse circle of clients. Our specialists advise and assist (international) private equity funds, institutional investors, housing corporations, (international) banks, healthcare and educational institutions and (semi-public) organisations, among others. Every case is dealt with at the highest level, while accessible and balanced legal assistance is the key theme.
Our multidisciplinary and integrated approach is seen as a distinguishing factor: our civil-law notaries, lawyers and tax consultants work closely together in order to assist our clients in all facets of property transactions imaginable, such as in the field of immovable property law, taxation, tendering, tenancy law, environmental law and administrative law. We advise, assist, contract and litigate when the situation demands it.
Find out about what we can do for you. Please contact us without any obligation. The details of our contact person are listed on this page.
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Top rankings Van Doorne in The Legal 500 2019
Van Doorne is once again top ranked in the newest "The Legal 500" rankings. The rankings are based on interviews with our clients. We highly appreciate the positive feedback of our clients.
M&A Awards 2018: Best Deal to acquisition Akzo Nobel Chemicals
At the 19th edition of the M&A Awards on Thursday 13 December, the 2018 Best M&A Deal award went to the acquisition of Akzo Nobel Chemicals by the Carlyle Group and GIC. Van Doorne, led by Onno Boerstra and his team, advised the board of directors and management of Akzo Nobel Chemicals.
Using a prejudgement attachment to collect claims
If a debtor owns assets in the Netherlands a creditor may safeguard recovery of its claim by obtaining a prejudgement attachment on the debtor's property. The prejudgement attachment can serve as a simple, fast, inexpensive and effective solution for the creditor to secure his claim. This is an overview of the possibilities provided by Dutch law.Download the article (pdf).
Technology M&A in the Netherlands 2019 A Van Doorne / Getting the Deal Through publication on Transactions M&A in the Netherlands
With the steady emergence of new technologies and disruption of traditional industries, the technology M&A sector is poised to continue to grow and the demand for technology-savvy legal advisers is set to rise. The purpose of this first edition of the Getting the Deal Through - Technology M&A 2019 guide is to provide an overview of the various factors affecting technology M&A transactions.
Entwicklungen und Besonderheiten auf dem niederlandischen Immobilienmarkt
Der niederländische Immobilienmarkt erfreut sich unter den Investoren und Geldgebern aus dem In- und Ausland noch immer großer Beliebtheit. Die niederländischen Banken sind nach der Krise erneut aktiv geworden und auch verschiedene Parteien aus der City of London, darunter nicht nur Banken, sondern auch Kreditfonds und Versicherungsgesellschaften, haben Aktivitäten entwickelt.
Investors in the telecom industry are forced to divulge their acquistion plans
Parties seeking to invest in the telecom sector might soon have to alert the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. A proposal to that effect was submitted to the Council of State by state secretary Mona Keijzer on 18 April 2018. According to Keijzer's proposal parties that wish to gain control over a telecommunication party must first notify the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. Although the details of the reporting obligation have yet to be divulged to the public, it goes without saying that the proposal has potentially far-reaching consequences for investors in the Telecom and IT sector.
Mega deals are blurring the boundaries of the TMT industry
The year 2017 was yet another vibrant year for M&A in the TMT industry. Although the deal volume, 1,188 recorded deals, was only slightly higher than 2016 we've come as long way since 2013 when "only" 831 deals were recorded. The ever increasing appetite of the industry for everything Digital and Tech has spearheaded the market towards record breaking deal volume. The total deal value however has not grown as much as the deal volume, there's even a slight dip to be seen here of almost 17%.
Our London office is equipped with a team of experienced partners with a broad range of expertise including those in the areas of insurance, corporate/M&A, finance, real estate and tax. The team is backed by more than 185 lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax lawyers in our Amsterdam offices.
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I always joke that the reason that I take Astro pictures is that I have run out of things to shoot on earth. The actual fact is that for me Astro photography is the next frontier. Like an astronaut I want to go where no man has gone before, but I will do it with my pictures. From stars, the Milky Way, Northern Lights or meteors if you see some strange looking person outside at night with a camera it is probably me.


There will be a guided tour of the 140-year-old synagogue in Vercelli, in northern Italy's Piedmont region.
A colloquium honoring the work of pioneering Jewish heritage researcher Eugen Bárkány.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked in many countries with a wide variety of events and initiatives, ranging from meetings, concerts, and publications to educational programs and organized visits to Auschwitz.
January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945.
The UMass Amherst Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies hosts a daylong symposium honoring the work of James Young, Distinguished Professor emeritus of English and Judaic and Near Eastern studies and founding director of the institute.
The symposium, "Edges, Textures, Stages: James Young and the Field of Memory Studies," will be followed by a reception until 6:30 p.m. The symposium and reception are free and open to the public.
Young, an important figure in the field of memory studies, taught at UMass Amherst from 1988 until his retirement in 2018. He also has consulted with municipal agencies in developing memorials and was a jury member for the National 9/11 Memorial competition.
Daniel J. Walkowitz, author of The Remembered and Forgotten Jewish World and "a Jewish heritage tour guide like no other," investigates the politics of the heritage tourism industry in a conversation with Eszter Susán, Museum of Jewish Heritage Prins Fellow.
As of Feb. 3 — only the March 31 date is still available! Feb. 24 is sold out!
During the 18th and 19th centuries London's Islington borough had one of the largest Jewish populations in England. Discover the borough's Jewish history.
The tour includes important sites of the historic Jewish community, including where the North London Synagogue once stood. You will find out about a wide range of characters, where they came from, where they lived, where they worshipped, and what happened to them. A rich cast of politicians, founders of business empires, inventors, mathematicians, artists, architects, writers, eccentrics, and villains is promised – not forgetting the many people with more ordinary lives who made up the community.
Meeting place in Islington will be provided on booking.
Lecture by Daniel Walkowitz, author of The Remembered and Forgotten Jewish World: Jewish Heritage in Europe and the United States (Rutgers 2018). The book combines a family history with analyses of heritage tourism in thirteen cities in eight countries, in search of the history of a Jewish socialist narrative represented by his paternal grandmother in whose footsteps he always imagined himself walking.


the grass is always greener. always.
Aaron envies those who can stand to be awake this morning, and those who don't have to.
Aaron is greeting the day as best he can. "Hello, day!" he says. The day pointedly ignores him. Cold.
Aaron has dull eyes and a scraggly tail.
Aaron regrets not pressing the "snooze" button. or destroying the alarm clock.
Aaron is ready to acknowledge that he needs to leave for work now, but he's not quite ready to actually leave.


– Meaning: Having no one else present; on one's own.
+ She knew her mother wouldn't approve of them spending an evening at home alone together.
+ There were a lot of opportunities for them to be alone together discussing her graduation project.
+ Once they are alone together, Harry is surprised to find himself drawn to Erica for all the right reasons.
+ We hit the streets of L.A. to do nothing but shop and spend time alone together – that was the plan.
+ Even as very young children they would sit quietly alone and talk together.
+ After nearly two months we were finally alone together again but he made no effort to kiss me this time.
+ It was going to be up to me to see that Patty and Folsom weren't ever left alone together.
+ That sounds very much like a bribe, but Pearson insists that adults need time when they can be together alone.
+ That winter the two writers were alone together for the first time, but it was not an idyllic experience.
– Meaning: A vehicle equipped for taking sick or injured people to and from hospital, especially in emergencies.
+ We assume all duties which are carried out by our ambulance service are emergencies.
+ I received the phone call, jumped into a taxi and followed the ambulance to the hospital.
+ An emergency room with no more beds will close to ambulances and divert them to another hospital.
+ Otherwise if the ambulance service gets an emergency elsewhere they may not be able to go to it.
+ Six ambulances removed the injured to hospital, while a number of people were treated at the scene for shock.
+ Even in the ambulance and in hospital the medical teams were fighting all the way to bring him back.
+ The authors concluded that unnecessary use of emergency ambulances would decline if alternatives were provided.
– Meaning: A person who ranks below a senior person.
+ He has years of experience as an assistant manager and is very eager to take the next step.
+ There are also a dozen editorial assistants, three data managers and six freelance readers.
+ It will be a closed project with a full-time project manager and two full-time assistants.
+ The assistant director quit because he didn't believe that the film could be made.
+ To restart the project we had to formally request permission from the assistant director.
+ He's signed other strikers and there's an assistant manager who will have his own views on things.
+ Sub-managers and senior assistants flashed about the store in all directions seeking cash.
+ I find that the assistant manager or floor supervisor is a good person to pick on in large or chain stores.
– Meaning: Able to be used or obtained; at someone's disposal.
+ The cash will be available to local authorities, charities and disability groups.
+ It wants to expand to make sure tennis is available to any level of player, from beginner to advanced.
+ This information seems to have been obtained from file notes which were not made available to us.
+ Adam also highlighted worries that the drug might not be equally available to all sufferers.
+ This option is only available to those able to pay an initial consultation fee.
+ All it has to do is be available to subscribers in places where other access is expensive or exclusive.
+ The plans, which also include a club house, are now available to view at Telegraph House.
– Meaning: Very bad or unpleasant.
+ Not only does it look awful but it smells dreadful.
+ The speeches can sometimes be awful but his was very amusing.
+ Such were the things I told myself to get through that awful speech.
+ Sure, the acting is laughably awful and the dialogue is unintentionally hilarious.
+ Laughably awful dialogue is liberally slathered onto the stock adventure setup and the characters' true natures are obvious from the start.
+ The wider one's sampling of a genre, the more abysmally awful stuff one encounters.


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Discover our selection of books on the state of Pennsylvania.
Viewing Pittsburgh's Trolleys and Inclines
Viewing Pittsburgh's Trolleys and Inclines is a photographic essay covering Pittsburgh's trolley car system that under Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRC) operated about 600 miles of trolley car lines that linked...
Abandoned Eastern Pennsylvania: Behind the Boards
Have you ever driven past an abandoned building or house and wondered what was inside? Who left, where did they go, and why? Abandoned Eastern Pennsylvania: Behind the Boards gives...
Schenectady: Trolley Hub of Eastern New York
The story of electric rail transportation in Schenectady mirrors the development of urban transportation throughout America in many ways, but it also has its own peculiar local characteristics. Most notably,...
Abandoned Pennsylvania: Remains of the Keystone State
Abandoned Pennsylvania: Remains of the Keystone State provides readers a glimpse back to times left behind. A once-booming state, which played a central role in the American Revolution, is now...
Abandoned Philadelphia: The Birthplace of America
What became our nation's first capital, Philadelphia is a city full of history that is vital to the development of the United States of America. It is a city full...
West Chester Railroad
West Chester Railroad is a photographic essay of the railroad that linked the borough of West Chester, Pennsylvania, via Media to Philadelphia. West Chester (25 miles west of Philadelphia and...
Abandoned Pennsylvania: Ruins of the Family Dream
The cities of Pennsylvania are littered with the redundant relics. Behind closed doors and hidden deep in forests, there are decaying secrets waiting to be discovered. At the start of...
Golden Panthers: Pitt's Ten-Year Affair with Football Prominence (1973–1982)
From 1973 through 1982, Pitt had one of the nation's most successful football programs, including a national championship in 1976. From 1976 through 1982, no team in college football won...
Absalom Hazlett: A Loyal Soldier in John Brown's Army
Hazlett was a lieutenant in John Brown's provisional army. He was introduced to Brown when he was fighting in the "Border Wars" with another American rebel, James Montgomery. Hazlett proved...
From Mother Divine to the Corner Swami: Religious Cults in Philadelphia
Religious cults have marked every society since the beginning of time. Some have an audacious presence, like Anton Szandor LaVey's Church of the Process, whose black-caped "missionaries" used to walk...
Abandoned Ruins of Eastern Pennsylvania: Remnants Lost in Time
Scattered throughout Eastern Pennsylvania are remnants of history being reclaimed by nature. Join author and photographer Kathleen Butler on a journey to discover the little-known history of ruins deep in...
New Jersey's Trolley Heritage
New Jersey's Trolley Heritage is a photographic essay of trolley cars that once served Atlantic City, Ocean City, and Wildwood, plus the modernized Newark City subway, along with the new...
Philadelphia's Suburban Red Arrow Trolley Heritage
Philadelphia's Suburban Red Arrow Trolley Heritage is a photographic essay of suburban Philadelphia's Red Arrow system and operation by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). By 1899, the Philadelphia &...
By Great Rivers: Lives on the Appalachian Frontier
By Great Rivers: Lives on the Appalachian Frontier tells the story of people who shaped events during a period of rapid political and social change in the Appalachian region of...
Abandoned Pennsylvania
Wid Scalpel and Shillaleh: The Life of William Hudson Daly
Daly was born in Western Pennsylvania and spent most of his professional life as a leading medical practitioner in Pittsburgh. He served on both sides in the Civil War, hunted...
Philadelphia's Streetcar Heritage
Philadelphia's Streetcar Heritage is a photographic essay of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, streetcar system. The first electric streetcar line in Philadelphia opened in 1892 and quickly replaced horsecar service by 1897....
Gettysburg's Most Hellish Battleground: The Devil's Den, July 2, 1863
During the crucial three days of combat at Gettysburg, the most nightmarish place on the entire battlefield was appropriately named the Devil's Den. This jumble of huge boulders situated at...
Along the Lines of Devotion: The Bloodstained Field of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863
Many unpublished dispatches between high commands Contains many photographs and unpublished first-hand accounts Explanations in the events that took place The fighting on July 1 1863 built the foundation to...
Physician-Soldiers at the Forks
The earliest physicians arriving in Pittsburgh had their roots in military service. The legacy of these physician-soldiers extends from pioneer days through modern times. The involvement of military contingents, physicians...
Franz Kline in Coal Country
Franz Kline, one of the most celebrated painters of the twentieth century, once described his hometown as a "little Dutch settlement wrapped up in a cloud of coal dirt ......
Abandoned or Forgotten: Overlooked Corners of Eastern Pennsylvania
Eastern Pennsylvania, with its river valleys, mountains, and forests, is just as diverse historically as it is geographically. Hidden throughout the varied landscape are ghost towns, forgotten cemeteries, and other...
Relics of Anthracite in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Anthracite coal was mined in Northeastern Pennsylvania throughout the nineteen and twentieth centuries. The industry was a major employer in the region. It has been fifty to sixty years since...
The Synagogues of Eastern Pennsylvania: A Visual Journey
With the sixth largest Jewish population and the fourth oldest organized Jewish community in the United States, Pennsylvania has hundreds of synagogues, past and present, and they come in all...
Abandoned Pittsburgh: Gears and Ghosts
Does a building have a soul? And once it is empty of people, does it still have a story to tell? Abandoned Pittsburgh: Gears and Ghosts continues the series that...
Abandoned Pittsburgh: Steel And Shadows
Pittsburghers are slow to give up their ghosts. Rusted skeletons of industrial mills and rail depots line the rivers, corroded reminders of a city's past forged in steel; churches built...
America's Pioneer Jewish Congregations: Architecture, Community and History
The United States has the second largest Jewish community in the world with a wealth of history and architecture spanning 363 years. From the earliest Jewish congregations established in the...
Texans at Gettysburg: Blood and Glory with Hood's Texas Brigade
Many of the accounts have not been published since the early 20th century in newspaper articles Previously unpublished photographs and vivid personal accounts Dramatic paintings of Hood's Texans and other...
The Synagogues of Central and Western Pennsylvania: A Visual Journey
Pennsylvania has one of the largest and oldest organized Jewish Communities communities in the United States. Jews of Sephardic origin settled in what was to become the "Keystone State" in...
Spring City and Royersford Through Time
From the early 1800s there was a need for people to travel between the two settlements that were separated by the Schuylkill River. In 1839, the opening of the railroad...
Girard and Lake City Through Time
In 1832, a new township was formed from land given by the Elk Creek, Fairview, and Springfield Townships. At the time, Stephen Girard lived in Philadelphia; he was a businessman,...
Westminster College Through Time
Using archival photographs and information obtained from old college records, this book shows the evolving, distinctive story of Westminster College. The photos and picture-captions help give the reader some insight...
St. Marys Through Time
St. Marys was founded as a religious commune. The commune quickly became outdated and the German-Catholic first settlers became self-supporting. However, they never lost the tight knit aspect of their...
Scranton Through Time
Take a trip back in time and stroll the same streets as Scranton's pioneers. The coal mining town was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution with the birth of...


Today's Petrol price in Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) is Rs. 72.33 per Litre. Last change in Rampur petrol price was on April 19, 2019 and it was increased by +0 rupees. In addition, we bring you the most recent petrol price changes in Rampur city. The petrol price is inclusive of Uttar Pradesh state taxes.


This week we have been celebrating everything that we love about Friendship, in lots of different ways. Everything kicked off on Monday when we pulled names out of a hat in our class. This was our Secret Buddy and it was our mission to be a super friend to them all week, without them realising. This meant we had to be extra nice to everyone around us, so it wasn't too obvious.
Each day we have had games running during our lunch time. These have helped us to make friends with people that we wouldn't normally meet and to talk to people in a supportive and kind way. We have done things like steer our blindfolded partner around an obstacle course, untangle a human knot, identify what we love about our friends, find out what we have in common with new people and play a version of musical chairs which saw, at one point, nine children sat on one chair.
We also completed a PSHE lesson in which we read a story about the consequences of bullying. We worked hard to understand how both characters would be feeling, practising our sympathy and empathy skills.
This week ended with a celebration assembly in which all of these new friendship skills were applauded.
What a lucky school we are, to have so many wonderful friends!


This technology tests the robustness of a given voice-matching algorithm by providing the algorithm with variants of a digital file. The testing done against the original voice sample could include time-reversal, segmented re-arrangement, or a mixture of both time-reversal and segmented re-arrangement. This approach produces a larger corpus from fewer files, allowing for realistic testing under controlled conditions. It also reduces the Equal Error Rate (EER) i.e., the rates of false acceptance and false rejection, increasing performance in voice comparison methods.
This technology processes spoken sounds, independent of the language used, and translates them into text. Using a unique, universal alphabet comprised of phonetic sounds from approximately 15 languages, this technology enables the ability to train speech recognition systems to recognize sounds from different languages. Speech processing applications rely on their corpora for translation—that is, their internal database of text that aids in translation. Multi-lingual speech processing applications typically require corpora from each language to be merged into one large corpora. This is problematic, as the applications can sometimes produce inaccurate or unintelligible results. This technology's built-in corpora, or database of writings, allows speech processing applications to identify sounds from multiple languages without the need for manual checking or outside databases.
Click to view PDFs of these patents on the US Patent and Trademark Office website: 7,430,503, 7,406,408.
This technology is a combination of three patents that remove noise and interference from speech signals. Unlike previous noise and interference removal methods, this technology is able to preserve phase information contained in a signal, which is critical for reconstructing the waveform after noise removal, and adequately identify and separate the signal and non-stationary interference components.
This invention provides the ability to initiate roundtrip courier services without including supplemental supplies or complex procedures. The technology provides couriers a tamper-indicating bag that can be reused while still maintaining a characteristic level of confidentiality and security.
The dual-seal characteristic of this container allows items to be outbound couriered, the primary seal inspected and certified by a recipient, and a return trip initiated using the container's secondary seal.
This bag closure has multiple tamper-indication features so that a user can easily verify if the package has been tampered with or compromised. Multiple bag closure options also allow the bag to be used in several different ways in order to meet specific transport needs. This tamper-evident bag closure is defined by a lid with multiple hasps and a base with knobs that attach to the bag.
This technology can be used to maintain a chain of custody to provide the user with the assurance that the content being protected has not been compromised.
This technology is designed to protect cargo shipments from tampering, theft, counterfeiting, and introduction of hazardous or other unwanted material. A hasp closure secures access to containers like bulk cargo containers or storage building doors, and a reusable, serialized tamper-indicating seal provides easy visual tamper indication.
This invention enables labels to be mounted on surfaces that normally do not work well with pressure-sensitive labels like concrete, unfinished wood, or slick surfaces. The reusable, tamper-indicating label fixture is a scalable unit designed to provide a disposable, smooth surface upon which to affix tamper-indicating labels. The fixture consists of two base units with disposable blank labels in each.
This reusable tamper-indicating tube can be used to securely transport large drawings and other documentation without damaging or distorting them.
The tamper-evident tube comprises an outer tube with cap, an inner tube with cap, an inner tube locking mechanism, and an outer tube locking mechanism that is affixed to the peripheral surface of the outer cap. This device provides a high level of security and is tamper evident.
This technology replaces standard logic components for more energy-efficient digital logic. To execute digital logic operations, devices use gates—typically irreversible gates whose functions cannot be inverted. By using reversible gates, the logic operations of these gates can be inverted, allowing for more efficient physical processes. The method's novel gate design uses flux solitons to compute the gate results, providing a dramatic improvement in energy efficiency.
This invention measures similarities between sets of data. The data could be natural-language documents or articles, product descriptions, queries, computer code, metadata, or measurements from any real-world objects or processes. The technology is able to determine similarities between data sets without needing to know how they interact. Omitting duplicate pieces of data allows the technology to provide more accurate results. Additionally, this technology can provide patterns over time of the data entered. This invention takes a holistic view of the data to make recommendations that are more accurate than commonly used methods. Critical for managing and sorting through immense quantities of data, this capability can enhance big data analytics in multiple fields including online shopping, social media, genetics, and law enforcement.


text:
Mid-Year FDA Regulation & Guidance Review
In Consulting, FDA, Regulatory by Kristy Katzenmeyer-Pleuss June 21, 2018
It is often difficult to stay abreast of the many regulatory changes occurring within the medical device industry, not to mention what they may mean in practice for global manufacturers. To assist with this mission, provided below is a mid-year review of noteworthy U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory updates and guidance releases thus far throughout 2018.
FDA Guidance*
To date, the FDA has released several guidance documents pertaining to medical devices and combination products. Listed below is a summary of select FDA guidance documents published in 2018 for medical devices and combination products. Many of these were issued in response to the 21st Century Cures Act, which is "designed to help accelerate medical product development and bring new innovations and advances to patients who need them faster and more efficiently."
*Simply click on the Guidance titles below to be linked directly to the guidance document.
In addition to the below information, the FDA's website serves as a valuable resource for draft and final guidance documents that the regulatory agency intends to publish for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2018. Also included is a list of older guidance documents that are intended to undergo retrospective reviews to determine future updates.
Date Issued Guidance Title Draft or Final Notes
May 2018 Institutional Review Board (IRB) Written Procedures: Guidance for Institutions and IRBs Final Harmonizes differences in human subject regulations under HHS and FDA. Guidance includes a Written Procedures Checklist to assist in preparation and maintenance of written procedures.
January 25, 2018 Payment and Reimbursement to Research Subjects – Information Sheet Final Brief guidance for IRBs and clinical investigators
January 17, 2018 Public Warning and Notification of Recalls Under 21 CFR Part 7, Subpart C Draft Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff Draft Related reading:
FDA Press Statement
FDA Blog
June 13, 2018 Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) Program – Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff Draft Open for public comment until August 13, 2018 under Docket No. FDA-2014-D-0223. Guidance was issued to explain the criteria the FDA uses to assess probably benefit and risk for an HDE application, provides interpretation of the term "appropriate local committee" to approve the use of a Humanitarian Use Device (HUD) at a healthcare facility and to "answer common questions about the HDE program, including FDA actions on HDE applications, post-approval requirements and special considerations for devices marketed under the HDE program."
June 7, 2018 Feedback and Meetings for Medical Device Submissions: The Q-Submission Program Draft Open for public comment until August 6, 2018 under Docket No. FDA-2018-D-1774. Draft released in response to the goals within the 2017 Medical Device User Fee Amendment (MDUFA IV) and intended to replace the September 29, 2017 Final Guidance.
May 31, 2018 Recommended Content and Format of Complete Test Reports for Non-Clinical Bench Performance Testing in Premarket Submissions Draft Open for public comment until July 30, 2018 under Docket No. FDA-2018-D-1329. Explains the FDA's current expectations regarding the content and format of test reports for bench performance testing into a formal guidance (no new changes).
April 27, 2018 Multiple Function Device Products: Policy and Considerations – Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Draft Open for public comment until June 26, 2018 under Docket Number FDA-2018-D-1339.
Clarifies that FDA will not regulate the functions of multi-function devices that do not meet the definition of a medical device or that are currently subject to enforcement discretion.
April 12, 2018 Expansion of the Abbreviated 510(k) Program: Demonstrating Substantial Equivalence through Performance Criteria – Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Draft Describes an additional optional pathway for specific well-defined device types in which the new device can be demonstrated to meet FDA-identified performance criteria.
FDA intends to publish a list of applicable device types on their website along with the applicable performance criteria, which will be identified in an accompanying guidance document.
Substantial equivalence to a predicate device must still be demonstrated as well.
February 21, 2018 Acceptance of Clinical Data to Support Medical Device Applications and Submissions: Frequently Asked Questions – Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff Final Communicates FDA's policy requiring that clinical studies conducted outside of the United States (OUS) must be conducted in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
January 30, 2018 Refuse to Accept Policy for 510(k)s – Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff Final Replaces previous "Refuse to Accept Policy for 510(k)s" guidance issued August 2015 and now included questions on whether the product is a combination product containing an approved drug under exclusive marketing rights.
January 30, 2018 Acceptance and Filing Reviews for Premarket Approval Applications (PMAs) – Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff Final Replaces previous "Acceptance and Filing Reviews for Premarket Approval Applications (PMAs)" guidance issued December 2012.
Previous Filing review requirements are now split into a new Acceptance Review (completed by FDA within 15 days of PMA receipt) and the Filing Review (timeline unchanged; completed by FDA within 45 days of PMA receipt).
Manufacturing section now to be included with the PMA; FDA will no longer allow for a 90-day delay in submission of the manufacturing section.
Additional questions related to combination products that contain an approved drug have been added as well as additional clarifying language related to ClinicalTrials.gov certification, Pediatric use, etc.
January 19, 2018 Laser Products – Conformance with IEC 60825-1 Ed. 3 and IEC 60601-2-22 Ed. 3.1 (Laser Notice No. 56) – Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff Draft Summarizes FDA's expectations for using conformance to specified IEC standards to meet FDA's performance standards for laser products found in regulations under 21 CFR 1040.
January 16, 2018 Unique Device Identification: Policy Regarding Compliance Dates for Class I and Unclassified Devices – Immediately in Effect Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff Final Establishes dates of enforcement for UDI labeling, GUDID data submission, standard date format, and direct marking requirements for Class I and unclassified devices between September 24, 2020 up to September 24, 2022
March 21, 2018 Compliance Policy for Combination Product Postmarketing Safety Reporting Final Guidances issued to discuss FDA's compliance policy for and how to comply with the final rule on postmarketing safety reporting requirements for combination products issued on December 20, 2016 (81 FR 92603) and codified in 21 CFR Part 4, Subpart B.
March 21, 2018 Postmarketing Safety Reporting for Combination Products Draft
February 14, 2018 How to Prepare a Pre-Request for Designation (Pre-RFD) – Guidance for Industry Final Clarifies FDA's existing policies for informal inquiries to the Office of Combination Products (OCP) regarding preliminary jurisdictional assessment and establishes the process under what will now be called the pre-RFD program
IN VITRO DIAGNOSTICS (IVD)
April 13, 2018 Use of Public Human Genetic Variant Databases to Support Clinical Validity for Genetic and Genomic-Based In Vitro Diagnostics – Guidance for Stakeholders and Food and Drug Administration Staff Final Related reading:
FDA Press Release
April 13, 2018 Considerations for Design, Development, and Analytical Validation of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) – Based In Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs) Intended to Aid in the Diagnosis of Suspected Germline Diseases Guidance for Stakeholders and Food and Drug Administration Staff Final
FDA RESOURCES
I. Webinars
The FDA frequently hosts online webinars that are complimentary to the public. The purpose of these events is to review new guidance and policy documents, or to discuss other scientific topics of interest to the medical device community. Not only do attendees have the opportunity to directly ask webinar presenters questions at the close of each online event, but these webinars are available on-demand should you be unable to attend the live event. Accessing these materials is often a good way to keep updated on the FDA's current thinking on proposed or newly implemented guidance documents and specific areas of medical device development.
Below is a summary of archived webinars held in 2018, which include presentation slides and transcripts. Click on the links below for more information and/or archived webinar materials for each topic. A full list of medical device webinars for 2018 as well as archived webinars from 2016 and 2017 can be found on FDA's website.
January 10, 2018: Technical Considerations for Additive Manufactured Medical Devices
See NAMSA's blog post on this topic here
February 27, 2018: Custom Device Annual Reporting|
April 30, 2018: Orthopaedic Sensing, Measuring, and Advanced Reporting Technology (SMART) Devices
May 10, 2018: User Session – Digital Health Software Precertification (Pre-Cert) Pilot Program
II. Public Workshops and Meetings
A full list of public workshops and meetings for 2018, as well as archives for years 2014-2017, can be found on FDA's website. Listed below are upcoming workshops that may be of interest to U.S. medical device manufacturers.
August 13-14, 2018: Public Meeting – Pediatric Medical Device Development
Location: FDA White Oak Campus (Silver Spring, MD)
September 12, 2018: Public Workshop – Patient Engagement in the National Evaluation System for health Technology (NEST): Lessons Learned and Best Practices Workshop Announcement
Location: University of Maryland (Baltimore, MD)
May 22-23- 2018: Public Workshop – Accreditation Scheme for Conformity Assessment (ASCA) of Medical Devices to FDA-Recognized Standards
May 9-10, 2018: 11th Annual FDA-AdvaMed Medical Devices and Diagnostics Statistics Conference
April 30, 2018: Public Workshop – Orthopaedic Sensing, Measuring, and Advanced Reporting Technology (SMART) Devices
April 16, 2018: Public Workshop – Study Design Considerations for Devices Including Digital Health Technologies for Sleep Disordered Breathing in Adults
January 30-31, 2018: Public Workshop – Fostering Digital Health Innovation: Developing the Software Precertification Program
III. Online Learning Portal
If you're new to the medical device field, per perhaps just wish to obtain a clearer understanding of the FDA's regulatory requirements, a valuable resource is FDA's online learning portal called the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDHR) Learn. Modules are available in the most relevant areas of medical devices in English, with select courses available in Spanish and Chinese. Below is a summary of select new CDRH Learn modules for 2018 to date:
General Topic Course/Module Title Course Materials
How to Study and Market Your Device
Clinical Studies/Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) FDA Categorization of Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) Devices to Assist the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with Coverage Decisions
Printable Slides
Cross-Cutting Premarket Policy Combination Product Updates for "Acceptance and Filing Reviews for Premarket Approval Applications" and "Refuse to Accept Policy for 510(k)s"
Specialty Technical Topics
Custom Devices Custom Device Annual Reporting
Technical Considerations for Additive Manufactured Medical Devices
IT and Software Digital Health Software Precertification (Pre-Cert) Pilot Program
PreCertification (Pre-Cert) Pilot Update
Reprocessing Webinar – Duodenoscope Sampling and Culturing Presentation
Pediatric Information for X-ray Imaging Device Premarket Notifications
In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Devices
Final Guidances on Next Generation Sequencing-based Tests
CLIA Waiver Applications Draft Guidance Documents
In January 2018, the FDA issued a statement that they would "seek additional time to reassess rule that would have changed longstanding practices for how the agency determined the 'intended use' of medical products." This will be an important area to watch as to how it transpires due to its implications.
A new Medical Device Development Tool (MDDT) for cardiovascular products was qualified by the FDA; the MDDT Qualification Decision Summary for the "Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire" (MLHFQ) tool can be found here. For more information on the FDA's MDDT program, visit the FDA's website.
The FDA has recently started posting online performance metrics for accredited third party reviewers of 510(k)s and plans to publish the reports every quarter; the performance reports for the first two quarters of Fiscal Year 2018 can be found here.
The FDA has released a summary of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) 2016-2017 Strategic Priorities and results (spoiler alert: FDA states that each of their targets were met or exceeded) as well as a summary of priorities for 2018-2020. A full list of the results for the 2016-2017 CDRH Strategic Priorities can be found here, while full details of the 2018-2020 priorities can be found here.
For more FDA news, including FDA press releases on new device types or significant medical device clearances or approvals, see FDA's News & Events page.
Want to Stay Updated on FDA News?
The FDA offers subscriptions to various mailing lists so you may stay updated on changes as they occur; visit their website to subscribe to the CDRH mailing lists.
NAMSA Resources
NAMSA has several resources available related to n various FDA-related topics, including the following:
NAMSA Webinars
On-Demand Webinar: S. FDA Advisory Panel Meetings – Strategies to Maximize Success
On-Demand Webinar: Understanding the FDA/CMS Parallel Review Process and How to Reduce the Gap Between FDA Approval and Payer Coverage
NAMSA Blog
Blog Post: FDA Issues New Draft Guidance Document for Pre-Submissions; Some Feedback Timelines Reduced from 70 Days to 21
Blog Post: Obtaining Actionable FDA Feedback – How to Develop Targeted Questions for Pre-Submission Meetings
Blog Post: The Value of Randomized Pilot Studies in Demonstrating Patient Safety and Efficacy
Blog Post: Why Regional Reimbursement Strategies Could be Right for MedTech
How can NAMSA Help?
Navigating the international regulatory landscape can be overwhelming for any medical device manufacturer. That's why having the right partner, at the right time, can be invaluable in achieving reimbursement requirements and market success.
NAMSA is the industry leader in driving successful regulatory outcomes through effective interactions with the FDA. In fact, our internal teams of medical device development experts communicate with the FDA nearly every day. From Pre-Submission meetings – to Pre-IDE preparation – and FDA inspection preparation, our teams are the most experienced in industry at accelerating regulatory submissions and approvals for device manufacturers. This expertise has been proven to save medical device organizations up to $17M in costs and 23 months in development timelines (read our most recent case study here).
If you are interested in speaking with us about FDA-related activities or other global regulatory strategies, please contact us at: communications@namsa.com or 1-419-666-9455. You may also visit our regulatory consulting webpage here.
Kristy Katzenmeyer-Pleuss
Kristy Katzenmeyer-Pleuss, Ph.D, is a former FDA medical device reviewer and currently a Senior Medical Research Manager, Regulatory at NAMSA. She holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Washington and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her experience includes developing high-level regulatory strategy and policy, facilitating communications and meetings with regulatory agencies, and drafting premarket submissions and deficiency responses. Kristy has experience with a variety of medical device types and combination products, including general and plastic surgery, wound care, dermatologic, cardiovascular, orthopedic, neural, ophthalmic, ENT, dental, respiratory, infection control, general hospital, digital health, etc. She is also a subject matter expert in biocompatibility and reprocessing (reusable and reprocessed single-use devices).


Did the author consider an opposing view to her/his argument and did she/he present any evidence to support the opposing view?
What is the main point of the article? What is it that the author is attempting to persuade the reader is true?
Which type of reasoning, inductive or deductive, did the author use? Make sure you provide evidence from the article to support your answer.
Identify at least one assumption you think supports the author's argument. Do you think the assumption you selected is valid and reliable?
What evidence did the author use to support their argument and do you think the source of any evidence used is creditable?
Identify the ambiguous word/phrase you selected.
Did the author define how he/she was using the term?
Do you think the author used the term objectively to support the argument being made or to evoke an emotional response in the reader?
Did the author make any emotional appeals to the reader? If, yes, provide at least one example.
Review the conclusion of the article. Identify at least one inference that you think can be drawn from the conclusion.
Did the author present an evidence-based argument or did the article rely upon emotional appeals to persuade the reader?
Briefly describe your reaction to the article. Did the author's argument influence or change your position on the topic? If so, why, if not, why not?


if you want to jailbreak your iOS device, do it now.
Apple is poised to release iOS 8.1.1 which also fixes one of the exploits used in Pangu jailbreak. Once they release 8.1.1 the signing window of 8.1 will close, meaning that if you miss that deadline, you cannot upgrade your device or restore it to 8.1... and thus have no JB.


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The Actis acquisition of Compuscan was named the Catalyst Private Equity Deal of the Year 2014 at the prestigious Annual DealMakers Gala Awards Dinner last night.
Actis, the pan-emerging markets investor, established CSH a buy-and-build credit and information services platform with a US$100m commitment. CSH's first investment was to acquire Compuscan, the largest independent credit bureau in Africa. The buy-and-build approach allowed management of Compuscan to invest alongside Actis in CSH, while continuing to manage the business (a model which is replicated for follow-on investments). Actis holds 60% of CSH and former FNB CEO and digital banking pioneer Michael Jordaan is Chairman of CSH.
This announcement followed a careful evaluation process which unusually saw two Actis deals being shortlisted for the trophy: Actis' investment in Tekkie Town (42.5% acquisition) was also nominated for the Private Equity Deal of the Year Award.
This is the second time in four years that Actis has bagged the Award after having won it in 2011 for the Tracker acquisition.