Coalition argues for laws guaranteeing that products sold in the EU do not cause deforestation and human rights abuses in Brazil.
An international coalition of NGOs – including a group representing more than 300 Brazilian indigenous groups – has called for the European Union (EU) to end its complicity in the assault on indigenous rights and the destruction of the Amazon, on Jair Bolsonaro's one-hundredth day in office.
Since President Bolsonaro became leader of the world's fourth largest democracy on 1 January, his government has dismantled environmental protections, incursions by armed invaders on Indigenous Peoples' lands have surged, and deforestation rates in the Amazon have risen.
The EU provides a huge market for Brazilian soy and beef, which drives deforestation and human rights abuses in Brazil on a vast scale. The EU is also Brazil's second largest trading partner, and together its Member States are Brazil's largest source of foreign direct investment.
Nicole Polsterer, Forests and Consumption campaigner at Fern, the forests and rights NGO, said: "The EU already has laws to stop illegally logged wood, illegally sourced fish and conflict minerals entering its markets.
Sônia Guajajara, coordinator of Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil (APIB ) which represents more than 300 Brazilian indigenous groups, reinforced this call for EU action: "The first 100 days of Bolsonaro's presidency are the latest chapter in a long war of attrition against Brazil's Indigenous People.
The international call for EU action coincides with the release of a new Fern briefing, 100 Days of Bolsonaro: Ending the EU's role in the assault on the Amazon, which details the dizzying speed at which environmental laws have been eroded, and land grabs and attacks on indigenous communities have accelerated in the first three months of Bolsonaro's presidency.
In January 2019, deforestation in the Amazon reportedly rose by 54 perent compared to the same month in 2018.
The report calls for a new EU law preventing commodities being sold on the EU market which have caused deforestation or the violation of human rights. It also calls the EU to use its economic leverage to protect Brazil's forests and Indigenous Peoples by suspending its talks for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the Mercosur trading bloc - of which Brazil is the largest and most powerful member – until Brazil renews its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement, and the deal's Sustainability Impact Assessment is released publicly and its findings taken into account.
The Mercosur deal should also include binding, enforceable provisions to end deforestation and respect customary tenure rights.
The report also argues that the European External Action Service (EEAS) should strengthen the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy and include more proactive consultation with Brazilian civil society organisations.
The EU should also monitor and respond to human rights violations and strengthen human rights defenders' protection mechanisms.
For those most at risk, including Indigenous Peoples and environmental defenders, the EU should provide direct, urgent support where required, including through political representations.
Perrine Fournier, Fern's Trade and Forests campaigner, said that signing the Mercosur trade deal as it stands, would exacerbate an already dangerous situation: "The EU says it supports values based trade. Bolsonaro is the litmus test for this.
Marianne Brooker is content editor for The Ecologist. This article is based on a press release from Fern.


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Home / News / SASSCAL March 2019 Newsletter is here!
The first SASSCAL Newsletter for 2019 is here. In this Newsletter, our SASSCAL Executive Director, Dr Jane Olwoch, discusses "SASSCAL at the centre of Science Diplomacy", we provide an overview of the year 2018 for SASSCAL, we celebrate the successes and work conducted by SASSCAL-funded Master and PhD students and we report back on other SASSCAL engagements.
To browse through the Newsletter, you may open the Flipbook or download the entire Newsletter as PDF.


text:
Pelexia polyantha är en orkidéart som beskrevs av Rudolf Schlechter och Rudolf Mansfeld. Pelexia polyantha ingår i släktet Pelexia och familjen orkidéer. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Orkidéer
polyantha

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: ABAddressBookCopyArrayOfAllPeople wrong on device - right on simulator I have the following code:
NSMutableArray *contacts = [[NSMutableArray alloc]init];
CFErrorRef *error = nil;
ABAddressBookRef addressBook = ABAddressBookCreateWithOptions(NULL, error);
if (error)
}
NSArray *arrayOfPeople = (__bridge_transfer NSArray*)ABAddressBookCopyArrayOfAllPeople(addressBook);

It works on the simulator and gives me the expected results - however on the device the number of contacts is 0 and there is no error (the app strangely does not ask me for permissions to access the address book - I even deleted  and reinstalled the app)
Any Ideas ?
Thanks in advance

A: On ios 6 you need get access to the Address Book.
Call ABAddressBookRequestAccessWithCompletion() to get the permission.
see this and AddressHelper
CFErrorRef error = nil;
ABAddressBookRef addressBook = ABAddressBookCreateWithOptions(NULL, &error);
ABAddressBookRequestAccessWithCompletion(addressBook, ^(bool granted, CFErrorRef error) {
    if (error) {
        NSLog(@"error %@", error);
    }else if (granted){
        // Do what you want with the Address Book

    }else{
        NSLog(@"permission denied");
    }

    CFRelease(addressBook);
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Are you one of the 50 million people who go to the doctor or emergency room every year for a migraine headache? If you are, then you know that doctors have little or nothing to offer patients other than drugs. Infuse Skin and Body now has a holistic way to manage migraine and headache pain of all kinds using aromatherapy and cold marble stones. Migraines are most often looked upon as a neurological or a vascular issue. This treatment takes care of both. Most migraines fall into one of four types; food allergies, environmental agitation, stress/caffeine addiction, and hormonal imbalances. With the right aromatherapy, one can actually alter a headache physiologically by calming the brain.
Our new service, Migraine Miracle, uses four blends of essential oils.
Food Blend will be used for clients triggered by food allergies.
Environmental blend is used for clients who are triggered by inside or outside environmental agitaion. Anything that irritates your brain and body such as pollen, air pollution, loud noises, strong odors, etc.
Stress triggers 80% of migraines. Blend of essential oils are used to calm the brain, change the physiology of the coming migraine and help stop the migraine in its tracks.
Hormones play a major role in migraines. 70% of female migrainers get their headaches about 24-36 hours of their cycle. This comes from the fluctuation and drop of estrogen. The Hormone Balance blend will help balance the hormone levels to avoid a migraine.
Migraine Miracle® treatments take about one hour. During that time, you will be relaxing in a low light environment with quiet music. After the appropriate essential oil blend has been determined for your liking, the feet will be wrapped in warm towels and a customized trigger point release massage will be performed. Aromatherapy will used at different pulse points along with inhalation of the oil blend by the client. After completion of the pressure point massage, cold marble stones will be strategically placed on the clients forehead, orbital area, sinuses and neck, followed by rest/sleep of 15 minutes.
Migraine sufferers benefit greatly with cold therapy by reducing swollen blood vessels and the aromatherapy alters the headache physiologically by calming the brain. If you suffer from these debilitating headaches, sinus headaches or stress in general, come in for a treatment. Head off the migraine before it gets you "down".
Migraine Miracle® treatments may be scheduled with Rhonda Mock or Shannon Thrasher.
Cost is $65.00 for the hour service.
Receive $10.00 off your first Migraine Miracle® treatment during the month of April.


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A Mother's Movement Against Bullying
December 4, 2020 December 4, 2020 thesophiefund
Jane Clementi is the founder of the Tyler Clementi Foundation, which works to end online and offline bullying in schools, workplaces, and faith communities. She started the advocacy organization in 2011 to honor her son, Tyler. He died by suicide at age 18 in the first month of his freshman year at Rutgers University. Among the foundation's programs is the Million Upstander Movement, in which enlistees pledge to stand up to bullying and treat others with kindness, respect, and compassion. The Sophie Fund's Anna Moura spoke to Jane Clementi via Zoom on October 28, 2020.
Tyler and Jane Clementi [Courtesy Jane Clementi]
THE SOPHIE FUND: What drove you to create the Tyler Clementi Foundation?
JANE CLEMENTI: It was in the wake of my son's death. He died by suicide in the fall of 2010 after he had been just started his freshman year. His roommate live-streamed him in a sexual encounter with another man. And then, as he read the comments and quotes on social media, his reality became twisted and distorted, and he made that permanent decision to a very temporary situation, and he died by suicide. It was to honor his legacy.
There were several high-profile deaths in the fall of 2010, but Tyler's seemed to rise even up to the top of those and his story held national headlines for several weeks after that. Several noted celebrities continued to talk about Tyler over the course of time. As my fog lifted from the extreme distress that I was in after Tyler's death, I realized that there was a lot of good positive conversation that was happening, and that those conversations were helping to create change, to make life better for other LGBTQ youth as well as just other marginalized youth that were being targeted.
I wanted to make sure that the world knew more about Tyler and the kind, caring, resourceful young man that he actually was. I also have come in years since to realize how distressed he truly was as well. I recently moved, within the last six months, and I came across more writings that Tyler had documented some of his pain and sadness and anger. It was someone I didn't even recognize. I had no idea. So not everyone exhibits symptoms of their pain.
THE SOPHIE FUND: How do you define the problem of bullying?
JANE CLEMENTI: I think it's a complex issue with a complex array of solutions. I think it's helpful for us to share our stories so that people are aware of the great consequences and harm that can be caused from bullying behavior. I like to make sure people know that not all bullying situations end in the same devastating way that Tyler's story ended. But with that said, all bullying hurts when it is happening, and it often leaves lifelong scars, whether physical or emotional, psychological scars.
I also think it is an issue that needs our constant attention and immediate attention. I don't think it's "kids just being kids." I don't think it magically disappears when someone turns 18. It's behavior that goes on uncorrected and unchallenged. We have to identify that behavior early—the earlier, the better—to make change. Legislation is important, but I think it's just a small component of creating change. I think most legislation sets the boundaries, which I think is key and important, but after that once the boundaries are crossed, it is very punitive. It mostly deals with punishment or suspension. I don't think that that changes the behavior. I think we need to implement more behavior modification, and maybe reward positive behavior and call out positive behavior as part of the solution.
We are working preventing bullying online and off, as well as in schools, workplaces, and faith communities. Because I think it happens not only to youth, and not only in schools, but also through legislative inequalities as well as religious dogma that targets especially those in the LGBTQ community. We can go further down to the root of the cause and that will help prevent it for other people.
THE SOPHIE FUND: What can we really do to make an impact on bullying behavior?
JANE CLEMENTI: We have a few initiatives ourselves with the Tyler Clementi Foundation that we think will impact that behavior. First of all, we think it's important to realize that there's more than just the target and the aggressor in a bullying situation. But there are bystanders. Almost all situations have bystanders, people who see what's happening. And those are bystanders because they're passive and remain silent. That is like condoning and supporting the aggressive behavior. So, we want to empower those bystanders, and we call them "upstanders" once they become empowered. We think that there are many ways to do that.
You can intervene and interrupt a situation if you feel comfortable and if you know the people involved. Because we never ever want anyone else to come into harm's way. Sometimes it's as easy as, if you know the people and maybe think they are using racial slurs or homophobic slurs as jest or some type of humor—which they are not—and calling it out and saying that this isn't funny.
It might even be as simple as coming beside the person being targeted and calling them away and pulling them physically out of the situation, saying, "Come with me, I want to show you something I saw outside, or down the hall," or whatever.
If you don't feel comfortable in that situation, or if the behavior doesn't get changed, it's about reporting it to a trusted adult or a youth. Or reporting it to the proper people if it's happening in the workplace, up your ladder, your chain of command, your human resources department, something to that effect.
If you have someone's best interest at heart, it is not tattling, or telling on someone. It's about finding them the right support, which takes us to the third easiest way. That is to reach out to the target. I think that that is important. I think if someone had reached out to Tyler, it would have made all the difference for him. Making sure they know where their resources are. Tyler had resources at Rutgers, and he had resources at home. But no one made sure he knew how to reach out. And when you're in a really dark place, and I learned personally, you don't often see your resources. You just see the pain and the bleakness. So reaching out to the target, making sure, sometimes it's just about making sure they know you're there, you're a friend. I think those are key elements of being an upstander.
We also believe that its more than just a one-on-one but about creating safe communities as well. We believe that someone, if they say on a first day of a group meeting together, whether it's a sports team, or a club, or a classroom, or an entire school, having a person of authority set the boundaries, and say that we value everyone here, we will not accept anybody being targeted or humiliated for any reason. And then calling out and enumerating the reasons. Such as body shape and size, or abilities, or what language they speak at home, or their sexual orientation, or their gender identity, or whatever else makes somebody special and precious.
We do think people are targeted because of their differences, and we need to enumerate those differences so people understand that, and then get an acknowledgement back from the group that, yes, they understand. It is not a magic wand. The aggressor needs to hear where the boundaries are sometimes. It is also a huge message for someone who is marginalized to hear, to know that they are welcome and included in this space regardless of whatever makes them special.
THE SOPHIE FUND: Tell us about the "Upstander Pledge"?
JANE CLEMENTI: We started it several years ago. We wanted to reach a million people with our upstander pledge by October of 2020, and I'm pleased to say that we did just reach a million people. We're really thrilled about that announcement, but we also know that a million people sounds like a lot, but it still needs to reach more. So we are going to continue our message. It is also a message that needs to be heard over and over again.
Every time you are faced with a situation, it's not like, "Oh, I signed the pledge, I'm good." You have to really think about it. One of the things I've learned is that there is something called the bystander phenomenon. The more people that see an incident happening the less likely that somebody is to stand up to that incident. That's why we need to have it fresh on our mind: "Wait a minute, nobody is saying anything. That's me. I need to be that person that stands in the gap. I need to be the person to be empowered enough, and to have the courage enough, to stand up here." And then hopefully you'll be the leader to create a wave of people that will stand up to that.
THE SOPHIE FUND: How does the foundation's work specifically impact LGBTQ youth?
JANE CLEMENTI: Our mission is broad in that it speaks to anyone's difference. With that said, I think that allows us to speak specifically where we go and where we are invited in to talk. We are not quite as problematic for some schools or for some businesses that might not be able to or want to invite, say, GLSEN, or GLAAD, or HRC. And yet, for us, that is a huge focus of our work because that is part of Tyler's story. Tyler was a gay youth, so we can speak to that. We have a gentle way of bringing that conversation to the organization that we are speaking in.
THE SOPHIE FUND: How do you view the problem of cyberbullying?
JANE CLEMENTI: With Covid we are spending so much more of our time in the digital cyber world, so the incidences of cyber-attack or bullying are so much greater. We have to be sure and think about the words that we're using, and say the words that are building other people up and not attacking their character. I think it's important that we see the humanity behind something and being willing to back up whatever we say by saying it to someone's face, not saying it just through words on a screen.
THE SOPHIE FUND: Can you talk about the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act?
JANE CLEMENTI: A little history. It was created and introduced into the Senate initially by the New Jersey's senator at the time, which was Senator Frank Lautenberg. He realized a truth which I still see today, that there is no federal anti-bullying legislation at all. Since Tyler was a college student, he initiated the bill to speak to colleges and universities, higher education institutions, to create policies and programs to protect all their students.
In 2010, in the fall, there were very few state laws for anti-bullying. I think New Jersey instituted one of the first. New Jersey's law is called HIB—Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying. That passed shortly after Tyler's death. At this point, all 50 states have some form of anti-bullying legislation. Which also means each state has a different definition of what bullying is. There are 50 different definitions out there. And so I do think we do need a federal law.
There are several that are out there. The two that are most known are the Safe Schools Act, which would be K-12, and that is supported by the Human Rights Campaign, and several other organizations. And then there's theTyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act. That is also supported by HRC and a few less organizations than the Safe Schools Act. But it does not seem to get passed legislatively. Maybe with the new Congress we can get that moving forward.
THE SOPHIE FUND: What do you think is needed specifically in higher education?
JANE CLEMENTI: One of the things with LGBTQ support is that many colleges and higher education institutions do not have a resource person or an LGBTQ center on their college campuses. Out of 6,000 institutions, only less than 10 percent had a resource person, one FTE employee who was in charge of the resource center. So, I think that there needs to be more resource availability available through a center through a place where people can gather together and receive the support that they need.
Most institutions also need policies in place to protect all students and calling out and enumerating classes including LGBTQI+ students as well. With those policies they should have trainings for staff as well as for students. Those are components of Tyler's bill also. Having not only policies in place but trainings for staff and students.
THE SOPHIE FUND: Can you talk a little bit about the Tyler Clementi Center at Rutgers University?
JANE CLEMENTI: We have a Memorandum of Understanding with Rutgers that created the Tyler Clementi Center at Rutgers. It falls under the inclusion and diversity chancellor. They are working towards having research and symposiums. For all marginalized students, but the last two symposiums have been specific to LGBTQ, creating safe LGBTQ spaces on the college campus. They just did a web conference, the topic was "Out of The Closet." It was discussing the safety aspect of being in the closet against the harm of being in the closet, which usually outweighs the safety. It was about not forcing people to come out before they were ready to come out. But how to rather encourage people to see the positive aspect of being out, and the better emotional mental health of it.
The Clementi Family at Tyler's high school graduation 2010 [Courtesy Jane Clementi]
THE SOPHIE FUND: How do you view bullying in the context of today's divisive political scene?
JANE CLEMENTI: We never will agree with everyone completely on solutions. But I do think it is key that we learn how to have those conversations respectfully and to talk about the issues and solutions to the problems without attacking someone's character or the person. I think that's one of the things that we haven't achieved very well in our political system right now. As a nonprofit, we don't endorse any candidate at all, but we certainly need leaders that will exemplify and model good behavior for us and not call out and target and attack a person's character but have those respectful conversations.
Until we do, I think it definitely affects youth today. You might dismiss it, but there was a research project out of the University of Virginia that talked about the last political campaign for the last election. It showed that bullying behavior increased among youth after certain political leaders exhibited it on the television screen or their news media screen, and visualizing someone calling out news reporters for their disabilities, or calling out other people and attacking their personality.
THE SOPHIE FUND: Why did the foundation reach out to the 2020 presidential candidates to take the upstander pledge?
JANE CLEMENTI: They were going to occupy so much of our time through news, we thought it was important that the candidates, all of the candidates, would take our pledge and to live out our pledge in their campaign. We reached out in a bipartisan way to everyone running at the time, and we posted them on our website.
It is multi-faceted the answer as to why some people did not take the pledge. Obviously, it was interesting to me that all the candidates were from the Democratic Party that did sign our pledge. But even within that Democratic Party, there were some that did not take it. Some responded that they don't sign pledges, and they don't put their name to things that they don't have control over. And I accept that. But we got most of the top contenders who were running which I think speaks volumes. If someone actually engages in bullying behavior, I would imagine that they wouldn't want to sign the pledge.
THE SOPHIE FUND: How do you assess the "Be Best" initiative of First Lady Melania Trump? People have accused President Trump of engaging in bullying and not setting a "Be Best" example.
JANE CLEMENTI: I concur. I don't think he would be the best example. I don't think her initiative is as robust as it should be either. I see very little about it. Maybe I'm just missing it in my news area. I do know that she had one conference and I know some people who attended the conference. I didn't even know that it was happening until after the fact. I think it was shallow at best, and I think she could have had a larger and stronger voice in this area. Although it's very difficult when you are trying to reap change for good and one of the people involved on the other side and is occupying so much media attention is actually being the aggressor in many situations. and being the aggressor without knowing that he even is the aggressor. I have to have a good view of everyone. I can't imagine someone wants to be an aggressor or wants to inflict cruel pain on someone else. I think sometimes it is just not even in their consciousness that they are being that type of an aggressor.
—By Anna Moura
Anna Moura, an intern at The Sophie Fund, is a Class of 2021 Writing major and Psychology minor at Ithaca College
[To learn more, check out local, state, and national resources on bullying at https://thesophiefund.org/bullying]
bullying, LGBTQ, suicide, suicide prevention, Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force, youth mental healthThe Tyler Clementi Foundation, Tyler Clementi
November 22, 2020 November 22, 2020 thesophiefund
Seventeen-year-old Autum tended to describe herself as introverted, closed off, and with a lot to say but not always the opportunity to say it. She often found herself struggling to find her voice and to interact with people.
The Village at Ithaca changed Autum's outlook completely. Today, a sociable proactive high school senior, Autum goes through her days speaking up for what she knows is wrong and what needs to change. She is outgoing and collaborates with peers and adults alike. As a summer youth employee, Autum became a founding member of the Village's Girls of Color female empowerment group. She is the student coordinator of the Stolen Joy Project, a social media initiative that shares stories of racism and oppression experienced in public school by students of color.
"Through the Village at Ithaca, I have found a safe space for me to be my true, authentic self," said Autum, explaining how she had the opportunity to meet peers who have felt misplaced and share stories strengthening their bond.
Founded in 2002, the Village at Ithaca is a non-profit organization that advocates for education equity for black, brown, low income, and other underrepresented and underserved populations. Designed to meet family needs, the Village provides wraparound support services such as academic tutoring, family advocacy, and emergency food and financial support. The Village is committed to actively listening to families and designing programming based on community needs. "We as an organization, as a community can always do more and do better for our children and families," said Executive Director Meryl Phipps.
The Village's Student Success Center is one of the many programs that focuses on improving students' understanding of their course material to create a solid foundation. Each student is paired with an Achievement Coach who works one-on-one with them to first "affirm, inspire, encourage, instruct." In this current climate of pandemic schooling, the Student Success Center has evolved to include virtual tutoring as well as daily in-person academic support during the school day for middle and high school students struggling to navigate remote learning.
Another important Village service is the Family Advocacy Program, which helps both students and families ensure they have all the resources provided to them to excel in school and their home life. Family Advocates attend school meetings to support caregivers and students in making their voices heard. They also join caregivers of students with disabilities at Committee on Special Education meetings, and advocate for students in disciplinary proceedings.
The Village is open to students of all ages. The organization has supported some young people from elementary school all the way through college. "We take our name very seriously," said Phipps. "Once you reach out and want to be a part of our village, we will follow you all the way."
The Village operates with Phipps as the only full-time employee and three part-time employees. Phipps finds herself with her hands full, writing grant proposals one day and tutoring biology the next. She is a 2009 graduate of Cornell Law School, and practiced family law in Ithaca before joining the Village. "I was frustrated by the challenges of working with kids in an oppressive system that wasn't serving the needs of vulnerable people," said Phipps. "I've always been more interested in policy work and in thinking outside of the box to create solutions to historically rooted problems—this all has been liberating."
Anna Moura, an intern at The Sophie Fund, is a Class of 2021 Writing major and Psychology minor at Ithaca College.
[The Village is the recipient of $1,018.00 in donations collected in The Sophie Fund's 2020 Cupcake Button Fundraising Campaign, which is held annually to aid local nonprofits supporting mental health and wellness. The Sophie Fund thanks the following student organizations for participating in the campaign: At Cornell University, Cornell Minds Matter, Alpha Phi Omega Gamma Chapter, Phi Sigma Pi honor fraternity, PATCH (Pre-Professional Association Towards Careers in Health), and Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service (BOSS); Active Minds at Ithaca College; and Active Minds at Ithaca High School. To learn more about the Village at Ithaca, or to become involved in its work, visit the Village on social media, at http://www.villageatithaca.org, or e-mail contact@villageatithaca.org.]
Active Minds at Ithaca College, Active Minds at Ithaca High School, Alpha Phi Omega–Gamma Chapter, Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service, Cornell Minds Matter, Ithaca, Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest, Patch, Phi Sigma Pi, The Sophie Fund, wellness, youth mental healthVillage at Ithaca
Ithaca Cupcakes 2020: Special Awards
October 25, 2020 thesophiefund
Contestants in the 5th Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest (Virtual Edition) delivered spectacular performances with their photos, videos, and stories —congratulations to the winners of Special Awards!
Nostalgia Award
Alli Arndt
Home for the Holidays Award
Anastasia Kreisel
Four-Out-of-Five Opticians Recommend Award
Angela Li
Spirit of Fall Award
Anna Whitten
Pretty in Pink Award
Bella Nevarez
Breakfast Club Award
Brenna Hanratty
Monster Banana Split Award
Dina S.
Oh Gourd, They're Good Award
Village at Ithaca
Cupcake on a Budget Award
Emma Moulton
Best Cookies and Cream Award
Hailey Whitten
Most Intoxicating Award
Somewhere Over the Rainbow Award
Henry Bowes
Mid-Autumn Festival Award
Rooted in Tradition Award
Juno Parreñas
Whoopee! It's Pumpkin! Award
Katy Holloway
Improvisation Award
Lei Lei Wu & Sophia Zhang
Cuckoo for Coconut and Chocolate Award
Lillian Bulman
Mental Health Message Award
Mariah Meads
Ode to Applefest Award
Mary Sever-Schoonmaker
Halloween Spirit Award
Molly Smith & Tyler Rodriguez
Please Wear a Mask Award
Hudson and Patti Meyers
Doggone Cutest Award
Sam Suk
Holiday Excite-mint Award
Shayla Combs
Time Lord Award
Silas Suk
Best Co-Worker Award
Summer Saraf
Cutest Creatures Award
Natalie McCaskill-Myers
Most Homegrown Award
Madelyne Myers
Alli Arndt's Nutella Fluffernutter Cupcakes
Anastasia Kreisel's Apple Cider Cupcakes
Angela Li's Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Anna Whitten's Sunflower Foliage Cupcakes
Bella Nevarez's Sweet Pink Cupcakes
Brenna Hanratty's Maple Buttermilk Pancake Cupcakes
Dina S.'s Banana Split Cupcakes
The Village at Ithaca's Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes
Emma Moulton's Spooky Cupcakes
Hailey Whitten's Oreos Cupcakes
Heather Williams's Kahlua Me Krazy Cupcakes
Henry Bowes's Carrot, Pineapple, and Coconut Cupcakes
Judy Zhu's Matcha Cupcakes
Juno Parreñas's Roots Cupcakes
Katy Holloway's "A Few of My Favorite Things" Cupcakes
Lei Lei Wu and Sophia Zhang's Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Lillian Bulman's "Triple-C" Cupcakes
Mariah Meads's Semi-Colon Cupcakes
Mary Sever-Schoonmaker's "It's Fall Ya' All" Apple Crisp Cupcakes
Molly Smith and Tyler Rodriguez's Halloween Cupcakes
Hudson and Gamay's "Feel Better" Cupcakes
Sam Suk's Blue Dog Cupcakes
Shayla Combs's Double Chocolate Cupcakes
Silas Suk's TARDIS Cupcakes
Summer Saraf's "Kitchen Sink" Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Natalie McCaskill-Myers's Wewe Bears Cupcakes
Madelyne Myers's Garden Cupcakes
Active Minds at Ithaca College, Active Minds at Ithaca High School, Alpha Phi Omega–Gamma Chapter, Alternatives Federal Credit Union, Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service, Cornell Minds Matter, Greenstar Natural Foods Market, Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest, Patch, Phi Sigma Pi, The Sophie Fund, Well Said Media, youth mental health
Ithaca Cupcakes 2020: Honorable Mention Awards
October 24, 2020 October 24, 2020 thesophiefund
This year's Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest went online due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, but that didn't stop local bakers from strutting their stuff.
The judges again had an impossible task, but besides the top winners they selected 10 bakers to receive Honorable Mention Awards. Bravo and thanks to all 44 contestants—you were amazing!
All Honorable Mention awardees were presented with $25 gift certificates from the Downtown Ithaca Alliance.
Active Minds at Ithaca High School
Audrey Greene and Simon LeRoux
Aušra Milano
Bella McClintic
Della Keahna
Devan Accardo
Pamela Crossno
Reflect at Cornell
Tamarynde Cacciotti
Active Minds at Ithaca High School's Black Lives Matter Cupcakes: Tiramisu ladyfinger cupcake with a coffee cream center and a sweet ricotta cream cheese frosting
Audrey Greene and Simon LeRoux's "Matthew and Mae's" Cupcakes: Cinnamon caramel-filled cake and cinnamon-spice frosting decorated with a candy waterfall
Aušra Milano's Waffle Cone Cupcakes: Chocolate covered cupcakes with meringue raspberry frosting, in waffle cones
Bella McClintic's Black Cat Cupcakes: Devil's food cupcake with dark chocolate Oreo crumbles and buttercream frosting, topped with fondant to create a cute black cat
Della Keahna's Maple and Blueberry Cupcakes: Gluten-free maple cupcakes with blueberry buttercream and blueberry chia filling
Devan Accardo's "The Chai-id" Cupcakes: Chai-spiced cake and vanilla and chai frosting decorated as Baby Yoda from Star Wars
Hannah S.'s Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes: Vanilla cupcake filled with a macerated strawberry, topped with a red butter cream rose and multi-color fall leaves
Pamela Crossno's "Fall" Into Nostalgia Cupcakes: Apple drizzle cupcakes and salted caramel frosting decorated with milk chocolate Ghirardelli chunks and pretzel
Reflect at Cornell's Frankenstein Cupcakes: Chocolate cupcakes covered with green-dyed vanilla frosting, with M&Ms, chocolate chips, purple sprinkles, and Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal thrown in for decoration
Tamarynde Cacciotti's Fond Memories Cupcakes: Dark chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow Filling and whipped dark chocolate buttercream frosting with chocolate cats on top
Active Minds at Ithaca College, Active Minds at Ithaca High School, Alpha Phi Omega–Gamma Chapter, Alternatives Federal Credit Union, Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service, Greenstar Natural Foods Market, Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest, Phi Sigma Pi, The Sophie Fund, Well Said Media, youth mental health
Ithaca's Best Cupcakes 2020
Zoë Dubrow won 1st Place with her Summer Garden Cupcakes in the 5th Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest organized by The Sophie Fund. Inspired by the vibrant flowers in her own backyard garden, Dubrow's cupcakes consisted of a chocolate and pistachio cake formed to resemble a terracotta pot topped with icing made from raspberry panna cotta, raspberry mousse, and pistachios.
Zoë Dubrow (with roommate) and her prize-winning cupcakes
"They have a lot of components and were a bit challenging to make," said Dubrow, who won the Grand Prize for the third consecutive year. "But, like growing a garden, baking them was a good reminder that dedicating time and focus to something you love can be very rewarding and, in this case, delicious!"
Zoë Dubrow's Summer Garden Cupcakes
Rachel Allison won 2nd Place with her Fall Foliage Cupcakes designed to highlight the brilliant colors of autumn and golden afternoon light. The matcha and ginger cupcakes were decorated with a walnut praline spread garnished with gold-dusted chocolate leaves, gold leaf, and gold dragées. "This cupcake is a fusion of the all the best parts of fall," said Allison. "The flavor is inspired by my favorite cool-weather drink, a matcha latte, blending earthy matcha with creamy ganache and buttercream."
Rachel Allison's Fall Foliage Cupcakes
Candice Mahadeo took 3rd Place with her Pistachio and Chocolate Cupcakes, using a personal recipe that was 10 years in the making. "I always had friends and family joyfully agree to be my testers all along the way," said Mahadeo. "These cupcakes can be the crowning glory of your party contributions, as they were mine. They are the perfect decadent comfort food to satisfy your sweet tooth."
Grace Mahadeo's Pistachio Chocolate Cupcakes
Elanor Harris with her Cauldron Cupcakes, inspired by the year-round Halloween decorations adorning her home, won the prize for Best Video. "The story of my cupcakes is, unfortunately, not a spooky fairy tale," Harris said. "It is merely the story of a girl who loves both Halloween and baking and wanted to honor those two loves with the cupcakes she created."
Elanor Harris's Cauldron Cupcakes
Tabitha Gray won the Youth Award for cupcakes inspired by an unlikely source: Twister, her pet rooster. Gray's lemon pop cakes with lemon frosting were decorated with a rooster head and feathers made of fondant and food coloring. "A couple weeks ago, I heard a bird scream and saw all the birds were there except my rooster," said Gray. "I went into the woods and saw a fox run away. Then I saw Twister. We didn't think he'd make it through the night but now he's walking again. He's still slowly getting better."
Tabitha Gray's Rooster Cupcakes
The Best Story Award went to Ivy Stevens-Gupta, who submitted Hidden Treasure Cupcakes in memory of her daughter, Cach'e Dallas Pelletier. The tropical-themed and rum-flavored vegan cupcakes contained a treasure inside consisting of Pop Rocks representing precious jewels. According to Stevens-Gupta, Cach'e died by suicide five years ago at age 29, having suffered from anxiety and an opioid addiction due to pain caused from a car accident.
Ivy Stevens-Gupta with cupcakes and Cach'e
"My goal in creating these cupcakes was two-fold: to honor the memory of my daughter, and to bring about awareness of the need for better mental healthcare, drug addiction, and suicide prevention programs," said Stevens-Gupta. "May we all be kind to one another and to animals."
Ivy Stevens-Gupta's Hidden Treasure Cupcakes
This year's contest, moved entirely online due to Covid-19 coronavirus social distancing guidelines, produced cupcakes with diverse themes including fall foliage, Halloween, backyard gardens, farm animals, TV heroes, family memories, mental health, and a certain black cat named Bagel.
The winners were announced at a Facebook Live Event on Saturday hosted by The Mighty Mickie Quinn and Kitschy Scofflaw. The event celebrated the 44 contestants who baked cupcakes and then shared photos, stories, and even some videos of their delicious creations.
The Mighty Mickie Quinn and Kitschy Scofflaw
"I am unbelievably impressed by this year's entries," said Quinn. "Having the contest in this format allowed us to learn more about the contestant and the love they put into their creation. And, we're all here for the love! Thanks to all for coming together to celebrate our bakers and support The Sophie Fund."
Judging the finalists were professionals from Ithaca's great culinary community:
Yuko Jingu of Akemi Food
Ashley Case of Case Sera Sera
Racquel Riccardi of the Sinfully Delicious Baking Co.
Melissa Kenny of Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shop
Judging the 5th Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest
The 5th Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest was sponsored by GreenStar Food Co+op, Alternatives Federal Credit Union, and Well Said Media.
The contest was supported by the Active Minds chapters at Ithaca College and Ithaca High School, and with several student organizations from Cornell University: Cornell Minds Matter, Alpha Phi Omega, Phi Sigma Pi, PATCH, and Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service.
The contest is organized every year by The Sophie Fund, which was established in 2016 in memory of Cornell University art student Sophie Hack MacLeod to support mental health initiatives aiding young people.
Sophie's passion for baking cupcakes inspired the launch of the first Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest in 2016. At the time of her death by suicide at age 23, while on a medical leave of absence from Cornell, Sophie was active in Ithaca's vibrant culinary scene. According to her family, she hoped to open her own bakery after completing her Cornell degree.
Top Winners (receiving Downtown Ithaca Alliance gift cards accepted by more than 100 local shops and restaurants):
1st Place & Grand Prize ($250): Zoë Dubrow
2nd Place ($100): Rachel Allison
3rd Place ($50): Candice Mahadeo
Best Video Award ($250): Elanor Harris
Best Youth Award ($100): Tabitha Gray
Best Story Award ($100): Ivy Steven-Gupta
(The list of Honorable Mentions and Special Award recipients will be posted soon!)
Active Minds at Ithaca College, Active Minds at Ithaca High School, Alpha Phi Omega–Gamma Chapter, Alternatives Federal Credit Union, Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service, Cornell Minds Matter, Greenstar Natural Foods Market, Ithaca, Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest, Patch, Phi Sigma Pi, Sophie Hack MacLeod, suicide prevention, The Sophie Fund, Well Said Media, youth mental health

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Prevalence of Gout Reportedly Higher in Black Patients
Despite gout being largely associated with White men, new data suggest gout and hyperuricemia impart a larger burden on other demographic groups, including Black men, Black women, and White women.
A nationally representative race- and sex-specific study of adult patients in the United States reported that gout was more prevalent in those self-reporting Black race when compared with White participants. Investigators believe these differences may be explained by sex-specific differences in diet, as well as social determinants of health and clinical factors, according to results published in JAMA Network.1
"Gout has historically been considered a disease of White men who overindulge in gamey meats and other rich foods," investigators explained. "However, emerging data suggest gout and hyperuricemia (its causal precursor) impart an even larger burden on other demographic groups, including Black men, Black women, and White women. Indeed, the global frequency and disability burden of gout among women have been rising disproportionately relative to gout among men, with gout among women characterized by a higher frequency of obesity and related cardiometabolic sequalae."
The cross-sectional analysis used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2007 and 2016. During in-person interviews, demographics, including race and ethnicity, education level, medical history, income, body mass index, alcohol consumption, and use of diuretics were collected. The main outcome was the prevalence of any race- and sex-specific of gout diagnosis and hyperuricemia and differences before and after adjusting for socioclinical risk factors. Risk factors included lower educational levels, poverty, higher BMI, poor diet, chronic kidney disease (CKD), diuretic use, and a higher number of alcoholic beverages consumed per week.
In total, 18693 participants were included in the analysis, with a total of 3304 Black women (mean age 44.8 years), 6195 White women (mean age 49.8 years), 3085 Black men (mean age 43.6 years), and 6109 White men (mean age 48.2 years). The age-standardized prevalence of gout was 3.5% (95% CI, 2.7%-4.3%) in Black women and 2.0% (95% CI, 1.5%-2.5%) in White women (age-adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.81 [95% CI, 1.29-2.53]). Prevalence was higher in Black men (7.0% [95% CI, 6.2%-7.9%]) when compared with White men (5.4% [95% CI, 4.7%-6.2%]; age-adjusted OR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.02-1.55]).
Associations attenuated after adjusting for factors such as diet, body mass index, CKD, and poverty among women and for diet and CKD among men. Hyperuricemia prevalence was consistent among men and women with gout, with the greatest attenuations associated with hyperuricemia among women after adjusting for poverty (OR, 1.71 [95% CI, 1.36-2.15]), BMI (OR, 1.22 [95% CI, 0.96-1.57]), diet (OR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.19-1.93]), and CKD (OR, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.76-1.35]). In men with gout, the greatest attenuations were reported after adjusting for diuretic use (OR, 1.24 [95% CI, 0.96-1.61]) and CKD (OR, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.81-1.42]).
Results are generalizable to the population of White and Black individuals living in the United States as NHANES data are collected from community-based samples and weighted to the population. The findings for gout were consistent with hyperuricemia. However, the cross-sectional, observational design limited the study and the analyses may have been subject to residual or unmeasured confounding. Lastly, racial differences may be subject to other factors, such as stress, physical activity, and poorer access to health care. Racial differences among men and women are likely associated with these contributors.
"Differences may be explained by racial differences in key socioclinical factors, including excess BMI, poverty, and poor diet as well as CKD in women and by CKD, poor diet, and diuretic use in men," investigators concluded. "Culturally informed interventions designed to address adiposity and kidney disease and improve diet quality while recognizing the role of poverty in gout among women could help reduce these disparities."
McCormick N, Lu N, Yokose C. Racial and sex disparities in gout prevalence among us adults. JAMA Network Open. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2795143?utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=081522. Published August 15, 2022. Accessed August 15, 2022.
GoutClinical NewsRheumatology


If you are new to Yoga or Pilates, can't find a class at a convenient time, or want a session tailored specifically to your needs, we offer private tuition for individuals and small groups.
The sessions take place by appointment, at a time to suit you at our studio, so please contact us on 07764 949317 if you can't find what you're looking for on the class timetable.
They are particularly helpful for complete beginners, so you can learn the basics before joining an established group, or if you are returning to your practice after an injury or illness and want to re-assess what you can do.
A private class is also a fun way to practice Yoga or Pilates with a group of family or friends.
1:1 tuition can be booked on a one-off or regular basis.


Not everyone's eyes were focused on the action in Melbourne over the past fortnight. At TTI, we don't discriminate. Here's our wrap of the biggest stories on the ITF Circuit to start 2015.
Portugal's Michelle Larcher de Brito was ranked No. 120 ahead of the Australian Open, and would've been comfortably inside the qualifying draw for the first Grand Slam of the year. Instead, she was the only non-injured player in the WTA's Top 150 to withdraw from the event. Rather than making the trip (and spending the money) to Melbourne, Larcher de Brito made the choice to play in three $25,000 ITF events in Florida – where she is based.
Unfortunately for Larcher de Brito, the decision wasn't a good one; she underperformed at all three events as the top seed. She opened the season in Plantation, the week before action kicked off Down Under, and won just four games against American Samantha Crawford in a first round loss. In Daytona Beach, she was again the victim of a first round upset, losing to Belgian Elise Mertens, 7-5, 6-3. Mertens went on to make the final without dropping a set, but the Belgian came into the event ranked No. 246 – more than double Larcher de Brito's own ranking.
In week two Down Under, Larcher de Brito started her Sunrise campaign – once again, as the top seed – with a win, defeating American teenager Sofia Kenin 7-5, 6-1. On her 22nd birthday, however, she managed to win just four games against Turkey's No. 3 Ipek Solyu. Solyu, ranked outside the word's Top 300, peaked at No. 13 in the junior rankings in 2014.
Whatever reason Larcher de Brito had for trying not to qualify Down Under, she didn't come away with much to show for it. She ended the three week swing at 1-3 for 2015, pocketing just $892 in total.
Making a comeback is never easy, but Latvian Anastasija Sevastova pulled it off with aplomb last week. For those unfamiliar, Sevastova was the first Latvian in 20 years to win a WTA title. She earned a career-high ranking of No. 36 on the WTA Tour in 2011 after reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open; however, she announced her retirement in May of 2013 at the age of 23 due to struggles with injuries and illness.
Her return to competitive tennis went better than she probably could've imagined. At the first of many $10,000 events in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt last week, she swept the singles and doubles titles. Sevastova dropped just one set combined in either event, as she and partner Melanie Klaffner dropped the first set of their first round doubles match. She cruised from there, especially in singles; she lost just 19 games in 10 sets en route to the title – an impressive stat after nearly 18 months away from the game.
She withdrew from Sharm el Sheikh's next $10,000 event this week, and with only three players officially listed on Latvia's Fed Cup roster ahead of their Europe/Africa Group D round-robin ties, Sevastova might've heard her cell phone ring at the eleventh hour.
Where Larcher de Brito struggled, American Sachia Vickery took advantage. The 19-year-old went 11-1 over her first three events of the season, taking the titles in both Plantation and Sunrise. Her year began with a 6-2, 3-6, 4-1 ret. victory against promising 18-year-old Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo in Plantation; the streak ended with another three-set defeat of the Spaniard in the final in Sunrise.
Vickery also picked up wins against promising Russians Darya Kasatkina and Natalia Vikhlyantseva over than span.
The American made her mark briefly on the WTA Tour last year, when she qualified at the Bank of the West Class in Stanford. She defeated Zhang Shuai and Monica Puig en route to her first WTA quarterfinal.
It was a solid two weeks for America's teenage boys on the ATP Challenger and Futures circuit, as Jared Donaldson, Stefan Kozlov and Francis Tiafoe all had banner weeks.
After losing the second round of Australian Open qualifying to Liam Broady, Donaldson traveled back stateside to Maui, Hawaii and claimed his first career ATP Challenger title without dropping a set. Donaldson defeated Nicolas Meister in the final, and continued an encouraging ATP trend in the process.
Donaldson made it a clean sweep in Maui as he and Kozlov also claimed the doubles title in Maui. Kozlov, a wildcard ins ingles, fell in the quarterfinals to Ireland's James McGee, but he celebrated his birthday in style when the pair defeated Chase Buchanan and Rhyne Williams in the doubles final. For their efforts, both were awarded wildcards into the ATP Memphis Open next week.
While 17-year-old Tiafoe made his first career final on the Futures circuit in Weston, Florida last week, he's also had a bit of a dubious streak going to begin 2015. The teenager has lost to 32-year-old Benjamin Balleret of Monaco in each of his first three tournaments of the year.
A first-round match between a Ukrainian and an Argentine at an American Challenger event in Dallas would normally pass by unnoticed by many.
Unless of course, that match took place on Feb. 2, 2015 and is forever immortalized on the Internet.
Ukrainian Denys Molchanov's first round loss to Augustin Velotti has come under great scrutiny due to Molchanov's seemingly suspicious behavior. Molchanov, ranked No. 174 in world, won the first set of the match before he began playing erratically, missing routine shots and…doing this.
The betting markets were also quite active inVelotti's favor once the match began, and the blog DW on Sport does a great job of explaining why the betting activity during the match was suspicious.
Amidst the drama, the Argentine eventually won the match, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Match-fixing is a very serious accusation. It's something that has no place in our sport, and every instance like this casts a black eye on tennis. The lack of prize money in the lower levels of professional tennis remains a reality, and the financial incentive to fix matches is omnipresent for these players. In Molchanov's case, it's not only what happened, but what appears to have happened.
If he did indeed have ulterior motives in this match, than he should be dealt with accordingly. It remains to be seen whether or not the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) will do anything to investigate this incident, but you can't un-ring a bell. The organization has been criticized in the past for its ineffectiveness, and allowing suspicious behavior to essentially continue right under its nose.
If the TIU is serious about stamping out illicit behavior in the lower levels of professional tennis, then they must simply do better.


~Creates smaller atmospheric mesoscale regions susceptible to migrate along the real polar vortex waves.
historically not a frequent event. There seems to be a disconnect between a warmer Arctic and regionally small extreme cold weather. The concept most TV weather spoke persons never talk about is the concept of isolated coldest atmospheres affecting regions not accustomed. There are 2 at present, one in Siberia, the other over North Eastern North America, both have weaker winds at 250 mb Center.
The jet stream usually sits next to where the coldest atmosphere exists, if the size of the coldest air extent diminishes the jet bends more and is less expanded towards the equator. CTNP's in black rotate counterclockwise.
The bigger Cold temperature North Pole cell is over Siberia, which injects cold air west of the Urals. The North American Cell is way smaller and will not last.
Count the calories, Arctic sea ice needs a heat diet.
NOAA recalculation to the right shows the outline of older multiyear ice for December 2013. Here is proof in the effects of sea ice thickness on climate. In December1981 there was far less radiation escaping to space compared to 2013. Roughly 20 watts/m2.
This necessarily means thinner ice has an impact in profound ways, the buildup of winter, how big it becomes, how long it lasts, depends on how cold the Arctic and Sub-Arctic surface areas become. A prolonged cold period permeating a huge area of the Earth defines the winter bitter, too long, miserable. From the onset of a greater sea ice melt at minima, the world wide dark season becomes automatically warmer, shorter, less expansive, even with ideal conditions of thermal radiation cooling to space, the thinner than multi-year new ice warms the atmosphere, not only by thermal radiation from the sea, but because of its fragile state, creating more leads, venting moisture and gases to the atmosphere throughout the winter, as opposed to a period called spring "break up", when vast amounts of organic and inorganic gases, naturally trapped under the ocean for many months, gets unleashed with great amounts of water vapour, at about Mid-April onwards, when lower clouds and ice crystals overtook the sky. This eruption from the sea protected sea ice further by reflecting resurgent sun rays to space. For about a decade, this happened a lot less, while during these last 10 years or so the process of all winter venting did the opposite, it clouds the Arctic further during the dark season, deflecting radiation usually heading to space back to the sea ice. The OLR chart is worse than it seems, a lot more of thermal radiation returns to surface. Thus from darkness a warmer Arctic is seen on historic charts.
The larger dark blue average temperature covering the Arctic Ocean was about 242.5 K, or -31 C.
That is the average temperature of sea ice surface for December 1981.
The larger light blue for December 2013 is a mean temperature at about 247.5 K a full 5 degrees Centigrade above 1981.
The main obvious question to ask is how this temperature increase affect the entire Arctic? The immediate weather related answer is that there are lesser or weaker thermal inversions at the surface to air interface. These inversions are complex, but heat essentially renders them more scarce, this has huge implications with Anticyclone Genesis. What makes a High Pressure is descending air spreading outwards to a Cyclone. During the Long sunless Polar regions this air circulation favors a cooling process, air skims the risen to surface permafrost and it cools on its way to the Cyclones. Very cold air has much more stable properties than warmer, the cooler air has long shed its moisture , giving a negative feedback, the air freezes further by radiation escaping to space decreasing temperatures further. Multiple thermal layer layers are created one on top of each other, the coldest in bottom warming above.
top of the hill captured a magnificent green flash, along with bent layering features.
Although distortions caused by by boundary layers still persist, as this March 24 2012 demonstrates. However, sunsets are gradually moving Southwards, the sun is seen more rounder southern like earlier in the year, the effect of thinner ice is also seen by the shifting horizon as well. This awaits another presentation.
Warming off the ground changes the sunset, the sun looks rounder, the layering vanishes. Land and seas capable once of fostering great anticyclones transform to cyclone bearing zones. April 28, 2013.
"A polar vortex (also known as mignogno cyclones, polar vortices, Arctic cyclones, sub-polar cyclones, and the circumpolar whirl) is a persistent, large-scale cyclone located near one or both of a planet's geographical poles. "
Well the North Pole is not in Minnesota USA. Unless there was a huge geographical shift.
"The Arctic vortex has two centres, one near Baffin Island and the other over northeast Siberia. In the southern hemisphere, it tends to be located near the edge of the Ross ice shelf near 160 west longitude.When the polar vortex is strong, the Westerlies increase in strength"
So the current US weather is not a polar vortex, but something rather more exotic, more a propos to a lesser worldwide winter days when the jet stream gyrates weirder than usual, it has more to do with the snow laden ground night sky being clear and the day time with fewer sun hours, it is the Cold Temperature North Pole (CTNP) .
Definition of CTNP: Center of the coldest place on Earth. It is usually one area emerging from a synergistic effect which is the culmination of the lost of heat to space, it is not North or South Pole Centric. But may have secondary, isolated spots. The circulation around a CTNP is counterclockwise.
a US 700 mb map, the center of the 2nd coldest measured atmosphere in the world is over Illinois! @ -33.6 C #2 CTNP. Ust-Barguzin Siberia has the coldest # 1 CTNP cell at -34.9 C.
While the Wikipedia cited Baffin Island "vortex " is CTNP3 #3 coldest. CTNP's further to the South do not last long, disappear rather quickly. While Arctic CTNP's last longest, sometimes months. But the reason why central North America is cold today was because a few days ago there was another CTNP over Southern Quebec, which drew colder air southwards to its West. Warmer air and cyclones were drawn in to its North . The Southern Quebec CTNP warmed substantially and is well over Newfoundland on 6 January 2014. WD 6 Jan 2014.


text:
KRISTAL RONIT
Ronit Kristal is a digital painter and a new media/mixed media artist from Tel-Aviv, Israel. She is an autodidactic computer artist, and a leading figure in the new-media art world, who began to paint a few years ago. Kristal has led a successful career as a make-up artist and stylist, in the Israeli television.
She has worked with leading figures, and was the head wardrobe stylist for the news on Channel 2, and international television shows, such as the American "60 Minutes", where she worked with Yizthak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Kristal also worked in iconic commercials and inhabited other design fields such as interior design and more.
The artist's fascinating biography includes many visits to New-York, Amsterdam, Goa India and Ibiza, the international home of the party scenes. She has developed herself in music, fashion, and culture throughout her life.
In recent years, Kristal discovered painting, and has entered into the new world of computer painting programs with a great deal of enthusiasm and meticulousness, as she explores the endless possibilities offered by the computer programs. As a compulsive texture collector, she combines new and surprising textures in her paintings: "I mainly like to surprise myself and not get bored", she says.
In her short career, Kristal has developed a unique style in the digital media, which integrates beauty and creativity with advanced working techniques. She combines the new and the old, breaks boundaries, and constructs sophisticated and surprising compounds of textures, colors, and depth. The creator uses unconventional forms, which she creates on her computer while constantly defying the existing norms.
She loves to surprise both herself and the viewer. The painter is particularly known for the exquisite, unique and innovative type of flowers she paints and their polished look. Once you are captured by "the bug" you are "infected", and can't help but persistently following her creations. Kristal believes that there is no end to development and progress, and she constantly pursues new textures, dimensions, and surprising color mixes while incorporating special painting techniques in her working process. Those rare color arrangements have led the international art community to give her the nickname "the color magician".
Kristal paints spontaneously and intuitively. Her work process is unique, fast, and focused. The artist's visual world is free of convention and immediately projects the viewer, without warning, to a total and sensual experience. Through the colors and textures she creates on her computer, Kristal aspires to Touch her audience and communicate with the world.
The combination between primitive patterns and contemporary textures dominates Kristal's paintings. The artist only listens to the beating of her own heart; she follows her inner world and cultural associations and does not limit herself only to one style, but rather draws from all of them. You can't label her style, and she calls herself "a style whore". Some of her paintings are figurative; others are abstract, while others combine the two styles.
The creator's versatile paintings are created on a computer program, and influenced by heterogeneous and diverse worlds of content: fashion, design, video-clips, Rock N' Roll, etc. Kristal enters into a constant dialogue with religious symbols and combines them into her work with the most advanced technologies available today. She, therefore, refers to her work like a startup that allows her to bridge gaps between time and places. Her artworks, which expose moods, emotions and insights, reflect her life and all of the aspects of her free spirit.
Kristal has chosen to leave her paintings untitled. This is an original choice, which stems from her desire to leave a space for the viewers' interpretation and let the paintings speak for themselves.
To emphasize the strong and convincing colorfulness of her paintings, Kristal uses special glazing techniques, the best quality paper, and in some of the works she uses transparent Plexiglas, which endows them with a polished finish. Those techniques lend her works a sophisticated, original, innovative, and unique look..
"I love the wild nature of my computer program with its endless possibilities.
I don't have 'periods'. I don't have 'series". I don't understand art, I understand beauty.
I don't have a single style I have many 'styles'. Each painting, for me, is an entire universe, and I believe that each one of my paintings has a soul of its own.
You are welcome to join me on my journey
cv Ronit Kristal update
July 2010 - The Bells Exhibition Gallery Tower
August 2012 - "light" central Tel Aviv gallery curator Wiesel Orit Galili.
February, 2013 - "feminine expression" Gabriel House Sea of Galilee. Curator Yael Nitzan.
March 2013 - "Light and Shadow" exhibition in the virtual space. Curator Dr. Nurit Zederbaum.
2013 - Journey Through Creativity, Manhattan, NY USA. Curator: esperanza Tielbaard. Pazmiño.
Oct 2014 - "The world is now" Rubinstein in Tel Aviv. Curated by Lori Fsnitzh.
November, 2014Salon d'Automne "Hangar 11 in Tel Aviv
Curated by George Levi
May 2015 - Solo exhibition "kristal Clear" Rubinstein house, Tel Aviv .curator: Lori Fsnitzha
July 2015 Sale Exhibitions Art Studio Tel Aviv. Curator: Ariel Oren
Exhibitions August 2015 I am an Israeli, Menachem Begin Heritage Center, Jerusalem Curator: shiri mEIR
Dec. 2015-spectrum art fair / art basel Miami. curator Silvia Medina
2016-art expo New York
2016-exhibition "Earth" – the United Nation Building New York
2016-the lost garden-orly dvir gallery,tel aviv,Israel curator:yehooda rachnayev
2016-tha worship exhibition,tel aviv,Israel.curator:yehooda rachnayev.
2016-individual connections,attitude gallery,Paris, France.
2016-how do I do it,ben ami gallery,tel aviv,Israel
2016-art a-la-mode-saphira&ventura gallery, New York, USA
CONTACT e-mail : Ronit1279@walla.com
website : www.ronitkristal.org
Εάν επιθυμείτε να αγοράσετε κάποιο πρωτότυπο έργο ή αντίγραφο, απευθυνθείτε κατευθείαν στον καλλιτέχνη
CONTACT e-mail : ronit1279@walla.co.il
website : http://www.ronitkristal.com/
If you want to buy the orignal artwork or prints, contact the Artist directly
© Όλα τα έργα τέχνης που παρουσιάζονται στην ιστοσελιδα του ALESARTE © αποτελούν πνευματική ιδιοκτησία των δημιουργών τους και δημοσιεύονται όπως μας αποστέλλονται - με δική τους ευθύνη - ως αυθεντικά έργα των ίδιων των καλλιτεχνών. Τα πνευματικά δικαιώματα των δημιουργών προστατεύονται από την εθνική, κοινοτική και διεθνή νομοθεσία. Κάθε εκτύπωση, αναπαραγωγή και διανομή απαγορεύεται αυστηρά.
© All of the images on this website ALESARTE © are copyrighted original artworks bythe author and are protected by international copy right law. No materials in this web site may be reproduced, copied, downloaded, or used in any form without permission.


text:
Media Intelligence
Industry Posts
(PART 1) MEDIA INSIGHTS REVIEW: MERCEDES-BENZ MALAYSIA GAINED SLIGHT EDGE OVER BMW MALAYSIA.
Globally, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are the two leading brands in the Luxury Car segment. These two car companies have constantly fought tooth and nail in decades to be in pole position as the most favorable luxury brand. Hence, we have gathered a sizable content sample to provide media insights on both.
In the year 2018 alone, the car sales volume of Mercedes-Benz was nine percent more than BMW. Mercedes-Benz has been ahead of BMW for the past 3 years consecutively.
The car sales volume of the two-luxury car brands will again be a tight competition this year. Nevertheless, the defiant BMW has somehow turned the tide with better car sales achievement.
The year-to-date (January – July 2019) car sales for BMW was reported to have sold 1,436,382 units in their recent announcement. That is 112,796 cars more than Mercedes-Benz in the same period.
In Mercedes-Benz's latest announcement, it has reported 1,323,586 cars sold worldwide. So, BMW is leading the race, at least for the time being.
Could BMW break the 3 years jinx and ultimately topple Mercedes-Benz globally by year-end? It will be an exciting time to watch the release of announcements by both companies come early 2020.
Meanwhile, in the Malaysian market, an opposing outlook showed on Mercedes-Benz's higher car sales than BMW. From January – June 2019, Mercedes-Benz has sold 5,640 compared to BMW's 5,035. Of which a similar trend is found in Mercedes-Benz's media effort advantage over BMW of the same period.
In this case study, we will break down some areas to highlight the advantages Mercedes-Benz have over BMW. We'll provide an overview of the two premium car brands from a media perspective.
Media Insights 1: ROME (RM) and Volume
Mercedes-Benz Marginal ROME Advantage at 3.6%
The ringgit Malaysia media value in ROME is a CommSights' Media Insights methodology. Mercedes-Benz's ROME garnered 51.8%, which is 3.6% higher than BMW.
On the general view, there is no substantial advantage on the marginal difference gained by Mercedes-Benz in comparison to BMW's ROME.
Mercedes-Benz with an Insignificant Difference of 0.4% Volume
The competition between both brands worldwide has trickled-down to the local scene. With both car companies going head-to-head in the media over space and recognition, the article volume separating both is only at 0.4%.
Mercedes-Benz with Higher Media Spent (Estimate) by 3.1%
With the conversion of each news dimension and range matching against each media title's rate card, an estimate of media spent per news could be re-constructed. (The dimension and range are either the cm x column, prime time 30-sec block or the cost per sponsored online page).
In this area, as in other cases, Mercedes-Benz found to have higher media spent by 3.1% against BMW. While this estimate may not be a real media spent figure but it is comparing apples to apples.
Takeaway on ROME and Volume Comparison
Although the ROME, Volume, and Media Spent (Estimate) numbers of both car companies for the 1st half of 2019 were deemed negligible, there are a few other areas to note.
Mercedes-Benz's Media Spent (Estimate) doesn't move in tandem with Volume.
Mercedes-Benz's contributed the higher sum of ROME despite marginally higher Volume.
Mercedes-Benz's Media Spent (Estimate) has positive co-relations to ROME achievement.
Media Insights 2: Journalist
Two-third has Article Byline
68% of the article content displayed article byline, while the remaining 32% is without.
Daniel Sherman Fernandez topped with 31 articles. He writes for Drive Safe & Fast (DS&F), Asian Auto, Automacha, BFM and Free Malaysia Today.
Adrian Chia, at 2nd placed, has written 27 articles in AutoBuzz. On the 3rd is Amirul Mukminin with 24 articles. He writes for Gohed Gosttan and DS&F.
Sharing the 3rd position are Subhash Nair and Mohamad Hanif, whom they wrote for DS&F and Careta respectively.
Mercedes-Benz with Higher Article Byline
51.1% of the total byline wrote about Mercedes-Benz while the remaining 48.9% wrote of BMW. The variance is merely 2.2% between both companies. The conclusion is both companies are about equally likable brands to reporters.
Takeaway on Journalist Coverage
From the entire content analyzed, it is only 160 names of journalists were visible for media analysis. Providing a list of journalists who have authored content with twice the volume of the other luxury car. Here's the top 10.
In favor of Mercedes-Benz
Thoriq
Arman Ahmad
Gerard Lye
Amirul Azreen
Thomas Huong
Rahimi Yunus
Anthony Lim
Arjuna Chandran Shankar
In favor of BMW
Mohd Zaky Zainuddin
Lisa Kuok
Tan Zhi Jian
Ahmad Zulizwan
Faizul Hakimi Zulkifli
Tom Goh
Ajay Singh
Media Insights 3: Share of Voice
Media Insights showed only 8.9% Shared Content
Only 8.9% of the content has both Mercedes-Benz and BMW mentioned together. It is common for the writers to make car comparisons of a similar segment or class.
Mercedes-Benz enjoyed 45.7% of coverage without comparison made to BMW. That's a tiny 0.3% advantage over BMW's 45.4%.
Takeaway for Share of Voice
BMW gained a better advantage in terms of content with a greater quality appearance for the shared content. BMW enjoyed a substantial 70.7% of its content with stronger headline presence, more visual / images (mostly car displays) and higher lead paragraph appearance.
The highest contributors of content with a greater quality appearance in favor of BMW were Hans (Carlist) and Adrian Chia (AutoBuzz). Meanwhile, the highest contributors in favor of Mercedes-Benz were Daniel Sherman Fernandez (DS&F), Hezeri Samsuri (Careta) and Rahimi Yunus (The Malaysian Reserve).
In the space where there is no comparison between the two companies, Mercedes-Benz has the slight upper hand of headline presence, visual / images, and lead paragraph appearance. Mercedes-Benz recorded a 50.7% against BMW's 49.3%.
Media Insights 4: Language
Mercedes-Benz Leads the English & Chinese Titles
Mercedes-Benz enjoyed a higher percentage in English and Chinese media titles, with 59% and 21.4% respectively. In comparison to BMW's 57.7% and 16.3% respectively.
BMW Leads the Malay Title
BMW has the advantage over Mercedes-Benz on the Malay media title. It has garnered 26%, a higher percentage compared to Mercedes-Benz's 19.6%.
Takeaway on Language Comparison
The primary audience, English readers, for both companies may seem to be identical. The secondary audience for BMW is the Malay readers while Mercedes-Benz focused on the Chinese segment.
Both companies have about two-third of the coverage focused on online space and mainstream only one-third in the English medium.
The mainstream coverage for Mercedes-Benz is more than half, contrarily to BMW's less than half for Chinese medium,
As for the Malay medium, the online coverage of BMW is about two-third while it is about four-fifth for Mercedes-Benz.
Media Insights 5: Medium
BMW Leads in Online and Newspaper Coverage
BMW has higher online and newspaper coverage compared with Mercedes-Benz. BMW achieved 65.6% for online and 23.6% for newspapers while Mercedes-Benz achieved 61.6% and 21.9% respectively.
Mercedes-Benz Leads the Magazine Coverage
Mercedes-Benz has higher coverage in Magazine at 16.5%, comparing to BMW's 10.8%.
Takeaway for Media Type Comparison
In an online medium, both companies have almost identical results. At about 58% was catered for English content.
Both companies do not focus on placing their content on Malay magazine publications with a poor 6% appearance.
Chinese content in Chinese magazine publications for both companies was above 30%. Whereas the other Chinese medium such as newspapers and online was found to be between 14% to 16%, save for Mercedes-Benz's Chinese newspaper which is slightly above 26%.
Media Insights 6: Top 3 Online
Similar Top 3 Online Channels
Both companies focused on AutoBuzz, Paul Tan and Drive Safe & Fast (DSF) as their media coverage top priority.
BMW's volume from the top 3 online channels covered 26.7% of total volume from BMW's entire online channels.
As for Mercedes-Benz's volume from the top 3 online channels covered 27.3% of total volume from Mercedes-Benz's entire online channels.
Mercedes-Benz with Higher Coverage in AutoBuzz
Mercedes-Benz achieved 20.8% of coverage compared to BMW's 19.8% from the total volume of the top 3 online channels. The variance is only one percent.
BMW with Higher Coverage in Paul Tan
BMW achieved 18.3% of coverage compared to Mercedes-Benz's 17.8% from the total volume of the top 3 online channels. The variance is a small 0.5%.
Mercedes-Benz with Higher Coverage in DSF
Media Insights 7: Top 3 Newspaper
Similar Top 2 Newspaper Titles
The top 2 highest newspaper titles, which is The Star and The Edge, for both companies are identical but interchanged in rank.
BMW's top 3 newspapers volume covered 36.3% of BMW's total newspaper volume.
While for Mercedes-Benz's top 3 newspapers volume covered 48.4% of Mercedes-Benz's total newspaper volume.
Mercedes-Benz with Higher Coverage in The Edge
Mercedes-Benz achieved 19.1% of coverage compared to BMW's 11.8% from the total volume of top 3 newspapers. The variance is 7.3%.
BMW with Higher Coverage in The Star
BMW achieved 21.8% of coverage compared to Mercedes-Benz's 19.1% from the total volume of top 3 newspapers. The variance is 2.7%.
Dissimilar Third Newspaper Title
Mercedes-Benz's 3rd highest newspaper is the New Straits Times with 17.3% from the total volume of the top 3 newspapers.
BMW's 3rd highest newspaper is The Sun at 10.9% of the total volume of the top 3 newspapers.
Media Insights 8: Top 3 Magazine
Similar Top 2 Magazine Publications
The top 2 magazine publications, which is Top Gear and Prestige, for both companies are identical. BMW's top 3 magazine publications covered 50% of the total volume from BMW magazine publications. While for Mercedes-Benz's top 3 magazine publications covered 45.3% of total volume from Mercedes-Benz's magazine publications.
Mercedes-Benz with Higher Coverage in Top Gear
Mercedes-Benz took the advantage by reaping more coverage in Top Gear. Top Gear is one of Malaysia's top automotive magazines.
Mercedes-Benz was at 39.2% compared to BMW's 31.1% from the total volume of top 3 magazine publications. The variance is 8.1%.
Mercedes-Benz with Higher Coverage in Prestige
Mercedes-Benz has twice the volume of BMW in Prestige. Mercedes-Benz achieved 10.8% of coverage compared to BMW's 5.4% from the total volume of top 3 magazine publications. The variance is at 5.4%.
Dissimilar Third Magazine Publication
Mercedes-Benz's 3rd highest magazine publication is August Man with 8.1% from the total volume of top 3 magazine publications. Meanwhile, Fireflyz is BMW's 3rd highest magazine publication at 5.4%.
Conclusion from Media Insights Review
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles".
Sun Tzu's Art of War
It is understandable that BMW Malaysia and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia clearly know one another too well. Both companies have capitalized on their own strength to gain maximum media exposure and value.
The gap between the two is negligible because of the equal consistency output they had garnered from executing their long term PR plan.
As said, it will be exciting to come year-end to know who has the media edge over the other and to claim the number #1 rank, both in car sales and the supremacy in media space.
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'That's that': Trump fires New York-based US attorney after he refuses to resign
President Donald Trump has fired a top U.S. attorney — but the federal prosecutor isn't leaving his post without a fight.
According to ABC News, Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), learned of his ouster from Attorney General Bill Barr this week. A statement from a Justice Department spokesperson indicated that Berman was asked to resign and offered "other positions" with the DOJ, but that the U.S. attorney declined.
According to ABC, Berman "was subsequently fired."
"Refusing to leave"
ABC reports that Trump plans to replace Berman with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official Jay Clayton. In their statement, the Justice Department spokesperson told ABC that Barr "has known Jay Clayton for years and holds him in high regard."
"Jay was getting ready to leave the administration and go back to New York. He expressed interest in SDNY. The attorney general thought it was a good idea," the spokesperson reportedly said. "He offered Berman other positions, including head of the Civil Division at Main Justice. Berman declined. That's that."
But while the Justice Department may feel the case is settled, it's not over yet. NBC News reports that Barr said "Craig Carpenito, the United States Attorney in New Jersey, will serve as acting U.S. attorney in New York" in the interim, but according to The New York Times, Berman "was refusing to leave his position on Saturday after [Barr] tried to fire him, setting up an extraordinary standoff."
Indeed, the U.S. Attorney released a statement on Twitter on Saturday indicating that he won't be stepping down — at least not yet. "I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position," Berman wrote, according to reports. "I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate."
pic.twitter.com/hFNvQs5orV
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) June 20, 2020
Tricky timing
ABC News reports that Berman has held his post with the SDNY for roughly two years, and has overseen cases involving Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal attorney; Jeffrey Epstein, the infamous sex offender and financier; and two associates of Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and Trump ally who is also currently being investigated by Berman's office. But it isn't just these probes that have critics questioning Trump's timing.
As The Washington Post notes, Berman's firing comes just ahead of the release of a tell-all memoir from former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton. In his book, Bolton allegedly reveals a conversation that took place between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, according to Bolton, proclaimed to Trump the innocence of a Turkish firm that is currently being investigated by Berman's office.
Trump responded, Bolton alleges, by telling the Turkish president that "he would take care of things, explaining that the Southern District prosecutors were not his people, but were Obama people, a problem that would be fixed when they were replaced by his people," as The New York Times reported.
According to ABC, Berman was appointed by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions back in 2018 as an acting replacement for former U.S. Attorney General Preet Bharara. When Trump failed to formally nominate Berman — or anyone else — over the next four months, the district court gave Berman the position permanently, ABC noted.
Bharara, for his part, sees Berman's firing as a repeat of history, The Hill reported.
deja vu https://t.co/DXqtrzMsxD
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) June 20, 2020
Only time will tell how the situation plays out from here. According to ABC, the law allows Berman to remain in his position until it is formally filled. But given the high-profile nature of his ouster — and its potential impact on Trump's public perception ahead of November's highly anticipated election — it would probably be smart for Berman to start polishing up his resume.
Robert Ayers is a staff writer for Conservative Institute. He has a bachelor's degree from Quinnipiac University and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut.


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Home > Research Centers > Western Dairy Center > Scanning Microscopy > Vol. 5 (1991) > No. 1
Scanning Microscopy
Conventional and High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy of Biological Sectioned Material
C. Scala, University of Bologna
G. Cenacchi, University of Bologna
P. Preda, University of Bologna
M. Vici, University of Bologna
R. P. Apkarian, Emory University
Gianandrea Pasquinelli, University of Bologna
Intracellular structures of embedded biological tissues (rat kidney, myocardium and small intestine) were observed by conventional-scanning electron microscopy (C-SEM) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) after glass knife sectioning. C-SEM of semi -thin sections of material processed the same way as conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provided strong backscattered electron (BSE)-dependent, two-dimensional secondary electron images (SEI(-)) which precisely integrated and further extended previous light microscopy (LM) observation of the same specimen. In addition, the three-dimensional (3-D) arrangement of intracellular organelles was appreciated using a mixture of acetone-soluble acrylic resin in place of epoxy resin embedding. Since the identification of such structures was hampered by the use of conventional fixations we introduced osmium maceration as a preliminary step to remove excess cytoplasmic matrix from the specimen. Consequently, semi-thin sections for LM and thin sections for TEM were obtained by sectioning of the tissue blocks . After resin removal, the sections were successfully observed in 3-D under a C-SEM. Finally, the deem bedded, osmium treated sections proved to be smooth enough to facilitate deposition of continuous, ultra-thin (1 nm) chromium films and, therefore , HR-SEM studies of macromolecular cell membrane structures.
Scala, C.; Cenacchi, G.; Preda, P.; Vici, M.; Apkarian, R. P.; and Pasquinelli, Gianandrea (1990) "Conventional and High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy of Biological Sectioned Material," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 5 : No. 1 , Article 13.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol5/iss1/13
Biology Commons
All Issues Vol. 1994, No. 8 Vol. 10, No. 4 Vol. 10, No. 3 Vol. 10, No. 2 Vol. 10, No. 1 Vol. 9, No. 4 Vol. 9, No. 3 Vol. 9, No. 2 Vol. 9, No. 1 Vol. 6, No. 4 Vol. 6, No. 3 Vol. 5, No. 1 Vol. 2, No. 1


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With each passing year, more baby boomers are reaching retirement age. There is a lot of discussion surrounding the management of retirement savings and how to turn this money into an income stream. This conversation is becoming increasingly important as pensions are obsolete for many and the Medicare system is being squeezed for all it is worth.
Whether you fall below or above these average numbers, it is important to overview your potential or current retirement income. Here are the five areas from which retirees see the most income. We will also be discussing ways in which to boost your income from each.
Over 85% of retirees age 65 and older receive Social Security income. In 2019, these monthly payments were increased by 2.9% to adjust for the increased cost of living. The average monthly income was raised from $1,422 in 2018 to $1,461 in 2019. Other than occasional adjustments for inflation, the monthly payments from Social Security remain quite constant. The only way to receive more money is to postpone the time you start collecting the payments.
Surveys and studies show that retirees in 2019 only receive an average of $164,000 from their assets such as 401(k)s and IRAs. Although this number is up from previous years, it is still not enough money to survive. The best way for a retiree to make this money last is by spending less money. Individuals who are younger should continue investing into their IRAs and other retirement funds.
Pensions are quickly becoming obsolete, as only 31% of retirees track income from this source. Those retirees who do have pensions often have double the amount of income than their non-pensioned counterparts. While it is nearly impossible to increase the income of a pension, you can be diligent about taking out monthly payments versus a lump sum.
The percentage of elderly individuals in the workforce is expected to rise to 32% by 2020. Transamerica predicts that two-thirds of all baby boomers will be working past retirement age. Retirees can actually experience some social, financial and mental benefits by joining the workforce. It is recommendable to find a job you love doing or to find streams of passive income.
According to the Pensions Rights Center, about 7% of all retirees are receiving financial help from the government. This public assistance ranges between $5,866 and $6,542 in median benefit. Low-income seniors can conduct research on all of the organizations that are willing to aid retirees in need. Veterans should also contact their local VA office for more information about the available benefits.
The median income for retirees today was decided in part by the behavior of retirees in the past. However, there are also factors happening today that contribute to these averages.
Focus on De-accumulation: In retirement age, individuals should be focusing on how to spend their money wisely. The goal should be on de-accumulation, not on creating more income.
Rising Interest Rates: Interest rates are on a steady rise after some historic lows. This is bad news for people starting to pay back loans.
Stock Market and Home Prices: Both the stock and housing markets are experiencing a plateauing effect after years of great returns.


text:
UnScrooged 3
'Tis the season of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and of course the 'Dads seen it…once or twice. But as soon as shazbazzar and JediShua hit the mall for a few final moments of holiday shopping, they're drawn in again and get in line for J.J. Abrams' vision of Star Wars. Bumping into several SuperFriends along the way and hearing some classic Christmas MUZAK is all part of the in-line experience this Monday morning.
Reminisce about Christmases past with writer/producer Michael Price, cinematographer/cereal connoisseur Sheldon Norton, artist/designer Kevin Liell, author Michael Witwer, concept artist Paul Bateman, and trivia champion Jorbex.
With Star Wars in the air, it's only fitting to hear some updated tunes from Christmas in the Stars from Pony1Kenobi, Tony Thaxton with Chris Farren, and Jordan D. White. PLUS: Animaniacs, KITT from Knight Rider, Chris Hardwick, National Lampoon, and even SPIKE TV join in with tidings appropriate for the season. Add in some classics from The Beatles, The Drifters, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Ginny Simms as well as some newer tunes from John Anaelio, Justin Cole, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and High Adventure and you have a mix that will take the "BAH" out of anyone's HUMBUG this week.
Merry Christmas, EarBuds!
Direct download: TRDads_03.35_UnScrooged3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:57am EST
LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales
In the months leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens (are we allowed to call it Episode 7?), books, comics, toys, and television specials have added to the hype of the trailers, pics, and TV spots teasing us from every continent and country around the world. This week, SuperFriend Michael Price, writer/producer of the LEGO Star Wars specials, joins shazbazzar and JediShua to talk about this expansive and inventive series that took us on a journey with C-3PO and R2-D2 (the LEGO versions, of course) through the saga up to this point. Mike answers questions about the LEGO specials, but leaves us wanting more — as always. Will we see more LEGO Star Wars specials that deal with the new movies and characters in that galaxy far, far away?
JediShua makes good on his promise to review several Christmas breakfast foods as he munches on Pop Tarts and slurps up bowls of cereals.
PLUS: The 'Dads climb into the attics of our minds to recall toys of the past that would bring smiles to their faces this Christmas.
Enjoy (nearly) 77 minutes of TechnoRetro good times this morning on TechnoRetro Dads!
Mon, 7 December 2015
12 Days of Star Wars (or 11)
What if Superman was a horror flick? What would a Logan's Run reboot look like in 2016? What characters from the '70s and '80s deserve their own action figures? What are those PEANUTS characters doing on stage, anyway?
These are the kind of questions that we're asking in order to keep our minds occupied over the next twelve eleven days as we anxiously await the release of The Force Awakens.
In the meantime, Bill Murray stars in a movie about a Christmas television special (what a novel idea!), graham crackers stay crunchy in milk (but not for an entire minute), TOBOR changes direction at the sound of a clicker, Laser Force vehicles stand up to rough play, and Stretch Armstrong greets each day with open arms.
Topped off with pieces of cardboard tucked away into the Star Wars Scrapbook, this first December episode of TechnoRetro Dads will keep your mind off the anxieties of waiting for The Force Awakens for 77 minutes, anyway.


text:
Q: Angular js Chart is not displying properly I am trying to develop an chart application which will get data from web api bind the data to it.
Here is my problem:
I declared series,data properties statically and trying bind labels data from Web api.
series and data data rendered but lables data is not rendering.
Rendered page
Index.Cshtml:
@{
    Layout = null;
}

<!DOCTYPE html>

    <title>Customer App</title>

    @**@

    <link href="~/Content/css/angular-chart.css" rel="stylesheet" />

                List

                Graph (click me)

a list of data is here in my app

            <canvas class="chart chart-line"
                    data="graph.data"
                    labels="graph.labels"
                    series="graph.series"
                    options="graph.options"
                    legend="graph.legend"
                    click="onClick"></canvas>

ReportsController.js:
var myApp = angular.module('app', ["chart.js"]);
var url = 'api/Reports/';
myApp.factory('reportsFactory', function ($http) {
    return {
        getReports: function () {
            return $http.get(url);
        },
        addCustomer: function (customer) {
            return $http.post(url, customer);
        },
        deleteCustomer: function (customer) {
            return $http.delete(url + customer.CustomerID);
        },
        updateCustomer: function (customer) {
            return $http.put(url + customer.Id, customer);
        }
    };
});

myApp.controller("ReportsController", ['$scope', 'reportsFactory', function ($scope, reportsFactory) {
    $scope.graph = {};
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    $scope.graph.visible = false;

    $scope.showGraph = function (yesOrNo) {
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       // add Customer Event

    $scope.loading = true;
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        $scope.graph.series = [];
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        angular.forEach(data, function (value) {
            debugger;
            $scope.graph.labels.push(value.ProjectName); \\ Here i am adding elements to an array.

        });

        debugger;

        $scope.graph.series = ['Warning', 'Error', 'CriticalWarning', 'CriticalError'];
        $scope.graph.data = [[5, 2, 5, 5], [1, 2, 3, 4], [45, 43, 2, 44], [3, 5, 12, 43]];
        debugger;
    }).error(function (data) {
        $scope.error = "An Error has occurred while Adding customer! " + data.ExceptionMessage;
        $scope.loading = false;

    });
    alert($scope.gt.length);
    angular.forEach($scope.gt, function (i) {
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    //$scope.graph.labels = ['hoi', 'doei', 'hallo', 'hee', 'hoi', 'doei', 'hallo', 'hee'];

    $scope.graph.options = {
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    };

    // $scope.graph.colours;
    $scope.graph.legend = true;
}]);


I went to Millersville University to pursue an education in both art and elementary teaching. After graduating with a degree in Elementary Education, I began to incorporate those skills into the artistic work I have done all my life.
I specialize in both cartoon and graphic novel formats, but I also have years of experience in animation and writing. I enjoy developing characters who are both memorable and unique.
I have a fairly varied portfolio - I have done work on websites, car logos, beer labels, musical albums, cartoons, comic books, picture books, and more. I am always looking for a challenge, and I am open to ideas for any medium.
If you have ANY questions about my artwork, availability, or expertise, please do not hesitate to e-mail or call me! This is what I love to do, and I appreciate all opportunities to do what I love!