IRAs can be a great way to save -- whether you're contributing to a 401(k) or other workplace savings plan, or not. If you put away just a little every month, it can make a big impact over time. Learn about the differences between Traditional and Roth IRAs to see which one is right for you.
Zero account fees and minimums are available for retail brokerage accounts only. Expenses charged by investments, (e.g., funds and managed accounts, and certain HSAs) and commissions, interest charges, or other expenses for transactions may still apply. All Fidelity funds that previously required investment minimums of $10k or less, and in stock and bond index fund classes that previously had minimums of $100 million or less, now have zero minimums. See the fund's prospectus and Fidelity.com/commissions for further details.
All Fidelity funds that previously required investment minimums of $10k or less, and in stock and bond index fund classes that previously had minimums of $100 million or less, now have no minimums. See the fund's prospectus and Fidelity.com/commissions for further details.
2. For Traditional IRAs, penalty-free withdrawals include but are not limited to: qualified higher education expenses; qualified first home purchase (lifetime limit of $10,000); certain major medical expenses; certain long-term unemployment expenses; disability; or substantially equal periodic payments.
For a Traditional IRA, for 2018 full deductibility of a contribution is available to active participants whose 2018 Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is $101,000 or less (joint) and $63,000 or less (single); partial deductibility for MAGI up to $121,000 (joint) and $73,000 (single). In addition, full deductibility of a contribution is available for working or nonworking spouses who are not covered by an employer-sponsored plan whose MAGI is less than $189,000; and partial deductibility for MAGI up to $199,000. For 2019 full deductibility of a contribution is available to active participants whose 2019 Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is $103,000 or less (joint) and $64,000 or less (single); partial deductibility for MAGI up to $123,000 (joint) and $74,000 (single). In addition, full deductibility of a contribution is available for working or nonworking spouses who are not covered by an employer-sponsored plan whose MAGI is less than $191,000; and partial deductibility for MAGI up to $201,000.
4. You must be 18 to open an IRA with Fidelity. A custodian can open a Roth IRA for a minor under age 18.
5. At least one spouse must have employment compensation to use a Traditional IRA.
6. For single filers in 2018, those with Modified Adjusted Gross Incomes (MAGI) up to $120,000 are eligible to make full contributions. For 2019, those with Modified Adjusted Gross Incomes (MAGI) up to $122,000 are eligible to make full contributions. For joint filers in 2018, those with MAGI up to $189,000 are eligible to make full contributions. For 2019, those with MAGI up to $192,000 are eligible to make full contributions.
Millennials are working hard to save money so they can retire early. Here is how you can learn more about their tricks.
See how a change as small as a 1 percent increase in your contribution to your workplace savings plan can make a big difference for the future.
Answer just nine questions and we'll help you prioritize your financial to-dos, including smart moves to consider for your next dollar. Get your action plan now.


Even though you have lost someone very dear to you and the pain is immense, you don't have to shoulder this grief alone.
There are many organizations around the world, often set up by those who have experienced bereavement themselves, and they can help you through these times.
Many organisations exist around Ireland to help you deal with the death of a loved one and the subsequent journey through grief.
There is a wealth of support throughout the USA to help you through the painful experience of bereavement.
Bereavement support groups and counselling services are available around the UK to offer you help with your experiences of grief.


As the countdown clock starts to roll down...almost three-and-a-half months until I leave for my grand Iceland adventure! Advance preparation and planning is exhausting along with time consuming, but oh it's so fun. Last week, my new Lonely Planet travel guidebook to Iceland arrived at my door step and I find myself reading it every night before awaking in the wee hours in the morning to scramble out the door for work. Obviously I'm way excited. And I was just as excited this afternoon to finally book the rental car for the expedition- a Suzuki Jimny. Look at this little box on wheels, with its manual-transmission and a burly four-wheel-drive system approved for travel along northern Iceland's F Roads during the late-fall and winter. Hah, to think I could have had some lame Ford Escape or other wannabe 4x4. I spent hours comparing different prices across the rental car company spectrum, probably some five or different services' sites. This exact same car, was through some companies nearly $200-$300 more expensive.
For an 11-day loaner, I went with GoIceland Car-Rental, charging a cool 77,000 ISK (Icelandic Krona) or $626 USD onto my credit card. This includes unlimited mileage for those eleven days which is perfect for the massive amounts of on-and-off 'The Ring Road' driving I plan to do. Choosing to walk five minutes to their pick-up counter at Iceland's Keflavik saves me almost $33 all together. Plus, knowing how to drive a manual with three-pedals and a gear shifter saves some cash too. Like I did with the new Fiat 500x rental I had in Colorado a few months back, I'll be blogging a review about this Suzuki Jimny as well.
So, do your homework and shop around.Make sure to read the rental agreement and terms of rental.


Do you see challenges as opportunities rather than limits? Join our Customer Support Specialist Team in Customer Service Organisation. In this role you will be an expert in handling complaints globally, ensure that value added services are provided to our Customers and increase Customer orientation and awareness internally. You will become part of a company that values an open culture, welcomes initiative and encourages engagement.
Do you strive to get the best results, have a customer focus and enjoy building relationships with customers? So does our customer service team! We expect you to have a bachelor's/master's degree (e.g. business or commercial) and at least two years of experience in commercial, logistics or business administration. Fluent written and verbal English and excellent skills in SAP and Excel are essential in this role. You also need excellent communication skills, ability to work under pressure and knowledge of improvement methodologies (Six Sigma, Lean etc.).
Are you ready to go beyond boundaries with us?
We look forward to your online application. Please include your CV and cover letter. We reserve the right to close this vacancy to further applications when we've received sufficient applications, that meet the advertised requirements.
We don't just make ground-breaking plastics, chemicals and fertilizers. We make discoveries. Our employees are adventurous, eager to explore and lead the way. They are empowered to aim for new opportunities and uncover ground-breaking solutions. Each member of the Borealis team makes a difference, adding value for our customers and society as a whole.


text:
Sources: Google's second-gen Pixel XL, muskie, has been cancelled - probably to be replaced by even larger phone
2017/06/12 9:54am PDT Jun 12, 2017
Based on information from three separate sources, we are now confident that Google has shelved plans to release one of its upcoming Pixel phones. The device, codenamed 'muskie,' was intended to succeed the Pixel XL. While we know very little about muskie, and now likely will never learn much else, we are confident that this phone was supposed to be the second-generation Pixel XL.
We rate this information 9 out of 10 on our rumor confidence scale. We have corroborated this story with several sources we deem reliable. The good news? That doesn't mean there won't be a new Pixel XL - just that it's not going to be muskie.
You may recall earlier this year that Droid-life rumored a device codenamed taimen that, according to DL's source, was bigger than both muskie and walleye. We're fairly confident that taimen is actually going to be the 2nd-generation Pixel XL, and that muskie was shelved for an unspecified reason in favor of the larger taimen. I can speculate as to why, but to entangle that speculation with things that we actually know and feel confident in isn't something I'm comfortable doing in a post like this.
Just know that Google currently plans to release two, not three, Pixel smartphones this year, and that their codenames are likely walleye and taimen. We don't know much else at this point, but as we learn it, we'll let you know.
taimen
HTC releases the U11's kernel source code
[Deal Alert] Kick off your Monday with 24 temporarily free and 25 on-sale apps
26 queries | 0.095s | nexus2 Android is a trademark of Google Inc. | © Illogical Robot LLC, 2009-2020

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<?php

use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;

class AddEnabledColumnToContextsTable extends Migration {

    /**
     * Run the migrations.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function up()
    {

        if (!Schema::hasColumn('contexts', 'enabled'))
        {
            //Add column 'enabled'
            Schema::table('contexts',function(Blueprint $table) {
                $table->boolean('enabled')->after('user_id')->default(true);
            });
        }

    }

    /**
     * Reverse the migrations.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function down()
    {

        if (Schema::hasColumn('contexts', 'enabled'))
        {
            //Drop 'enabled' column
            Schema::table('contexts', function(Blueprint $table) {
                $table->dropColumn('enabled');
            });
        }

    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Chasing Dogma is a comic book mini-series that chronicles the events of the two fictional stoners Jay and Silent Bob between two of their films: Chasing Amy and Dogma. Elements of the plot, such as the stealing of a monkey, were cannibalized and written into the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, calling into question the comic book's canonicity. The series was written by Kevin Smith, creator of View Askew Productions. It was originally published by Oni Press in four issues as Jay & Silent Bob in 1998 and 1999, and later collected  in a trade paperback by Image Comics.

Plot
Jay and Silent Bob get the idea that if they go to the town of Shermer, Illinois, where most of John Hughes' movies take place, they could get chicks and be the "blunt connection". Along the way they encounter Holden McNeil, wildlife marshals, and monkeys.

Issue one
In the first issue, Jay and Silent Bob have been evicted from Tricia Jones's ("Trish the Dish," as seen in Mallrats) apartment, where they had lived for the previous six months. Jay causes this to happen after he tries to join Tricia in the shower. Unfortunately, this is all seen by a USA Today reporter, hoping to talk to her about her book, Boregasm.

After getting ejected, Jay and Bob go to and are soon told to leave the Eden Prairie Mall (also from Mallrats), Quick Stop/RST Video (from Clerks), and Comic Toast (as seen in Mallrats and a cut scene from Chasing Amy). The two, remembering various John Hughes movies, decide to go to Shermer, Illinois, where many of Hughes' movies are set. They get tickets, meet with Holden McNeil (an interaction depicted in the diner scene from Chasing Amy), and travel to Chicago via bus.

The issue also features various references to the View Askew films:
It is revealed that Willam Black (depicted in the form of Ethan Suplee from Mallrats) has yet to see the sailboat in the Magic Eye painting at the Eden Prairie Mall.
Roddy (Svenning's assistant from Mallrats) seems to be working for Channel Surfers at the Eden Prairie Mall.
While on the bus after they meet with Holden McNeil, Silent Bob is seen reading an issue of Bluntman and Chronic, suggesting he enjoys the comic unlike Jay.

Issue two
The pair are forced to flee the bus to Chicago after smoking a bowl in its bathroom. Having gotten off in Pittsburgh, the two decide to get a ride to a nearby town. After a near-fatal encounter with Mr. Rogers, Bob decides to get a new hat at a Mooby store. While Jay is waiting, he meets a pornographic actress. He convinces her that Jay and Bob should be in her current project, Doogie Nights. The two arrive at the set, a local hospital, to find that the director is former Doogie Howser television star Neil Patrick Harris. Wishing to make a "quasi-indie film", Neil gives Jay the job of fluffer. Jay, being too good at his job, leaves the actor unable to do a scene. Jay and Bob then leave the hospital, unhappy with the gift the porn star gave to him. Meanwhile, wildlife marshal Sam "Big Dog" Gavert starts a full search for the escaped zoo monkey Suzanne (shown in the closing shot of Mallrats). The monkey actually belongs to Provasic Pharmaceuticals, who are hoping to get their test subject back.

While waiting for Bob to get a new hat, Jay reads Bluntman and Chronic #2.

Issue three
The two wake up in Indiana to find Suzanne cupping Jay's penis. While Jay rants about how monkeys may eventually destroy humanity and rule the world, Bob ends up bonding with Suzanne. The three of them become hungry, and Jay decides to grab something to eat. Meanwhile, Big Dog and his team of wildlife marshals get a tip that the monkey is at an Indiana diner. At said diner, Jay, Bob, and Suzanne eat some grub. The wildlife marshals surround the diner and demand the release of Suzanne. Jay, Bob, and Suzanne (disguised as a kid) decide to come out. Big Dog falls for their disguise, until he smells bananas.

Jay and Bob escape with Suzanne into the sewer, where they are followed by Big Dog. The four end up at a huge dam pipe, where Suzanne tricks Big Dog into jumping over into the water. Hearing of Big Dog's fate, the team of marshals leave the trio alone when they emerge from the pipe. Jay and Bob hear that a Dr. Ogee at Provasic is offering a reward for Suzanne's capture. The two turn Suzanne in, get two bus tickets to Chicago as compensation and are on the road once again.

Issue four
The duo finally arrive in Chicago and enlist a cab to drive them to Shermer, Illinois. They end up at McHenry High School, where the two crash the Home Economics classroom and sell some weed to the students. At the school, Jay meets a lesbian student named Crystal, who embroiders Jay's catchphrase "Snoogans" onto his hat and explains the fictional status of Shermer. The two rival with the school dealers and end up in a sticky situation. After getting some new clothes, the two talk about going back to Tricia's place, but are distracted by the sounds of the local rock band, Fork'd Tongue. The two praise their playing and Jay buys a shirt from them. After hanging out with the band all night, Jay and Bob eat breakfast at a Mooby's restaurant and decide to stay in Chicago and get laid. They stop by the Planned Parenthood clinic to "meet loose women." After waiting all night, Bob hears something near the parking lot. The two investigate the problem, thus leading into Dogma.

Collected editions
The series was collected into a trade paperback:

Chasing Dogma (120 pages, Titan Books, April 2000, , Image Comics, July 2001, )

References

1998 comics debuts
View Askewniverse comics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A common question asked by keto newbies (though not ONLY by keto newbies) is: What's the difference between keto and lchf (low-carb, high-fat)? The simple answer is: There is no difference. But that's not always the right answer. See, people like to change definitions to suit what they like, sometimes. So someone might call their way of eating "keto," but it might not really be keto at all. Someone might call their way of eating "lchf," but it might not really be lchf at all.
Keto: Short for ketogenic, consisting of high-fat (75%-80% of total dietary intake as fat), moderate protein (as a general guideline…not as gospel…that would be 50g-75g per day for females and 100g-120g per day for males), and very low-carb (less than 20g/day). That's what I mean when I say keto.
LCHF: I have no idea. No, seriously. There are so many variations and permutations, that it has almost lost all sense of meaning. At this point, I have seen people slap the "lchf" label on so many, obviously, NOT lchf stuff that I just shake my head (and sip my Ballistic Coffee).
Because there are so many variations, I thought I'd attempt to shed some light on some things, in an attempt to clarify some things that you should know about high-fat diets.
This is pretty much the most important point about all of this. And it's one that requires a good amount of attention and explanation.
A high-fat diet isn't, necessarily, high-fat because you're shoveling large quantities of fat into your face hole. It's high-fat, because the percentage of total dietary energy from fat is HIGH. What's high? Well…that's where things get goofy for lots of people.
Low-fat advocates would consider 30% or more of your dietary energy from fat as "high-fat." But I wouldn't call that high-fat. As I said, because I advocate keto, I'm all about getting 75%-80% of dietary energy from fat.
It's the percentage of fat that makes your way of eating high-fat. It's not the grams.
Let's say your hypothetical daily requirement is 1700 calories per day (just for the sake of argument). If you eat 100g fat, 100g protein, and 100g carbs you'll end up with 1700 calories. For reference, 100g of fat is almost 7 tablespoons. So you're eating almost 7 tablespoons of fat every day. That's a lot of fat. But is it high-fat?
If you're measuring grams, it might look like it. But your fat percentage in the above example would only be 52%, which is not, in my opinion, high-fat.
If you want to make the 1700 calories/day high-fat, you'd have to adjust the macros. You need to change your fat grams to 142 grams. You could keep the protein the same. And you'd need to adjust the carbs to 10 grams. That would give you a 75% fat intake, 23% protein, and the rest (roughly 2%) is carbs.
So the percentages of the macros is how you should determine whether something is high-fat or not.
This might be confusing for you. If it is…congratulations, you're a thinker. The term "lchf" includes two parts: low-carb and high-fat. So a high-fat diet, one might surmise, is also low-carb. But, no. If the average Western dieter consumes 300g-400g per day of carbs, then cutting that down to 120g/day might be considered low-carb by some. But I'd disagree. If you're eating 120g/day of carbs, you're still eating a TON of carbs (and still burning sugar for fuel). I'll talk a little more about this later, but suffice it to say that a high-fat diet should also be low-carb based upon keto numbers, not based upon the standard Western diet that's been responsible for overweight, obesity, diabetes, and all the other metabolic disorders of the past 50 or so years.
The forgotten macro, a lot of times, is protein. If high-fat should be accompanied by low-carb, then what happens to protein. Well, as I said earlier, it's about moderation. The thing about protein is that you MUST have a minimum amount (or you'll break down your own soft tissue) and you SHOULDN'T have too much (or it'll convert to sugar).
As a general rule, females should look to have between 50g – 75g per day of protein. Males should have between 100g – 120g per day of protein. However, if you don't like those numbers, you can always experiment and figure out what works for you. Protein is something dependent upon lots of factors: body composition, activity level, stress level, age, and more. So there is no one-size-fits-all for everyone. You have a minimum and a maximum requirement. You gotta figure out what is your range and stay with it.
Males: Ideal body weight = 50 kg + 2.3 kg for each inch over 5 feet.
Females: Ideal body weight = 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg for each inch over 5 feet.
Remember a second ago when I mentioned that high-fat should also be low-carb? Well, there's a really important reason for that. Eating high-fat will cause fundamental changes to your body's metabolism. But those changes require the absence of carbs. High levels of fat WITH high levels of carbs is a recipe for disaster. It'll lead to obesity, metabolic problems, cardiovascular disease, clogged arteries, and a host of other problems. High-fat and high-carb is a recipe for disaster. If you're eating high-fat, but you've not removed the carbs, you're going to ruin your health.
Okay, so there you go. Let me just finish by saying this: Keto isn't difficult to figure out. Keep the fat high, the carbs low, and find that protein sweet spot.


Amazon offers the Minecraft Series 2 Collectible Figures 3-Pack for $7.99. Includes Chicken, Electrified Creeper and Magma or Zombie Pigman, Wither and Fishing Steve 3-Pack.
For a limited time, Amazon has the LEGO Minecraft The Cave 21113 Playset on sale for $16.99.
Amazon has the LEGO Minecraft 21116 Crafting Box on discount for $40.99. Shipping is FREE.
For a limited time, Amazon has discounted the Minecraft Iron Golem Action Figure to $5.77.
Amazon offers the LEGO Minecraft 21114 The Farm for $23.99.
Amazon offers the LEGO Minecraft 21115 The First Night for $31.99. Also includes Steve with a weapon, assorted accessories, plus a Creeper, a pig, a sword and 408 assorted LEGO pieces.
Head over to Amazon to buy the Minecraft: The Complete Handbook Collection for $13.43 with coupon code HOLIDAY30 at checkout.
These sweet minifigures are perfect for a desk or bookshelf! For today only, Woot offers Six Mattel Minecraft Collectible Figure 3-Packs for $39.99 & $5 flat rate shipping. Includes Creeper, Skeleton, Iron Golem, and more.
Spotlighting the LEGO Minecraft The Nether 21106 for $28.35. Includes 3 buildable Micromob figures: 2 Ghasts and a Zombie Pigman.
Offering the LEGO Minecraft 21102 for $32.99. Break the fourth wall! This set is inspired from Dwarf Fortress, Dungeon Keeper, and Infiniminer.
Walmart is offering the Minecraft Foam Sword for $17.99 with free shipping. This full size replica of the stone sword from Minecraft is made of durable, EVA foam.
Amazon is offering LEGO Minecraft The Village 21105 for $27.96 with coupon code FRIENDNFAM at checkout and free shipping. Every Minecraft world has a village hidden somewhere.
Amazon offers the Minecraft Foam Pickaxe for $14.29 - 25% off with free shipping on orders over $25. Break the fourth wall and put your debilitating Minecraft obsession on display! Halloween is just around the corner and this eva foam axe is the perfect building block for a successful Halloween costume.


Rainbow Silky Smooth Emulsion is top quality emulsion paint which is durable & washable. Its flat finish is suitable for all kind of interior surfaces with or without surface preparation.
This is an environment friendly paint and is 'Lead-Free' with and low VOC.
Sand down the plaster with Emery Stone and apply one coat of Rainbow Water Based Primer. Prepare the surface by applying 2 Coats of Wall Putty followed by 2-3 Primer Sealer; apply 2-3 coats of Rainbow Silky Smooth Matt Emulsion Paint.
Composition: Based on high quality polyvinyl acetate acrylate resin combined with light fast pigment & suitable extenders.
Covering Capacity: 14-16 Sq Meters /Ltr./Coat.
Packing: 1, 4 and 16 Ltrs.


text:
using System.IO;
namespace ProtoBuf
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Provides addition capability for supporting unexpected fields during
    /// protocol-buffer serialization/deserialization. This allows for loss-less
    /// round-trip/merge, even when the data is not fully understood.
    /// </summary>
    public interface IExtension
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Requests a stream into which any unexpected fields can be persisted.
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>A new stream suitable for storing data.</returns>
        Stream BeginAppend();

        /// <summary>
        /// Indicates that all unexpected fields have now been stored. The
        /// implementing class is responsible for closing the stream. If
        /// "commit" is not true the data may be discarded.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="stream">The stream originally obtained by BeginAppend.</param>
        /// <param name="commit">True if the append operation completed successfully.</param>
        void EndAppend(Stream stream, bool commit);

        /// <summary>
        /// Requests a stream of the unexpected fields previously stored.
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>A prepared stream of the unexpected fields.</returns>
        Stream BeginQuery();

        /// <summary>
        /// Indicates that all unexpected fields have now been read. The
        /// implementing class is responsible for closing the stream.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="stream">The stream originally obtained by BeginQuery.</param>
        void EndQuery(Stream stream);

        /// <summary>
        /// Requests the length of the raw binary stream; this is used
        /// when serializing sub-entities to indicate the expected size.
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>The length of the binary stream representing unexpected data.</returns>
        int GetLength();
    }
}


text:
Home › Land Use & Zoning Results
Land Use & Zoning Results
The attorneys at The Odom Firm, PLLC are proud of what we have been able to accomplish for our clients and their families. Please remember that these cases and the results achieved were based on many factors and results differ from case to case, depending on the circumstances particular to each situation.
Club Fetch
Obtained a variance for 181' reduction from the 300' required separation from an outdoor pet service use and a residential use in South End for Club Fetch. January 30, 2018
Sedgwick Family
Obtained a variance for a 4' reduction from the required 10' street side yard to allow a new second story addition to be built over a legally non-conforming portion of the existing structure in Plaza-Midwood for the Sedgwick family. January 30, 2018
Providence Plantation
Obtained a variance for a 17' reduction from the required 45' rear yard to allow for an existing garage structure to remain in Providence Plantation for the Cobb family. January 30, 2018
Obtained two variances for a 10' reduction from the required 20' setback along the street and a 15' reduction from the required 20' rear yard to allow for construction of a new house in the Belmont neighborhood for a family trust. November 28, 2017
Elizabeth Neighborhood
Obtained a 3.1' variance from the required 5' side yard to allow for a bathroom addition to an existing house in the Elizabeth neighborhood for the homeowner. October 31, 2017
New House in Plaza-Midwood
Obtained two variances for a 12' reduction from the required 20' setback along the street and a 24' reduction from the required 35' rear yard to allow for the construction a new house in Plaza-Midwood for a homebuilder. October 25, 2016
Obtained a 2.6' variance from the required 5' side yard to allow an existing bay window on the house to remain within the required side yard for the Lewis family. June 28, 2016
Crosland Family
Obtained a 9' variance from the required 45' rear yard to allow a portion of the existing home constructed in 2004 to remain within the required rear yard for the Crosland family. June 28, 2016
Thomas Family
Obtained a 9' variance from the required 45' rear yard to allow for an existing house to remain in Barclay Downs for the Thomas family. April 29, 2014
Dryland Access in Myers Park
Obtained a resolution of a dispute with the County prior to the variance hearing regarding required dryland access which allowed for construction of a residence on a lot that was within the flood zone and did not have dryland access in Myers Park. February 23, 2016
Pappas Family
Obtained a 10' variance from the required 45' minimum rear yard to allow the construction of a second floor addition to the existing nonconforming single-family structure in Myers Park for the Pappas family. April 28, 2015
Kostiw Family
Obtained an administrative deviation from the zoning administrator of .2' and .9' into the side and rear yards to allow the eaves/gutters of an existing detached garage to remain in Myers Park for the Kostiw family. July 15, 2014
Wallace Farm
Obtained a decision from the City of Charlotte Zoning Board of Adjustment which reversed the zoning administrator's determination that a composting operation at Wallace Farm was not permitted in a residential zoned district as a legally non-conforming use. The composting use was found by the Board to be legally non-conforming and could continue and the notice of violation was invalid. 2006
Joey's Truck Repair
Obtained a zoning verification letter from the zoning administrator after an appeal of a notice of violation alleging that screening and fencing was required at the industrial property on Graham Street in Charlotte at Joey's Truck Repair. The property was determined to be legally non-conforming and the notice of violation was withdrawn with a full reimbursement of the filing fee to the property owner.
Firenze Family
Obtained a 28' variance from the 45' required rear yard to allow for an expansion of the existing home along the established rear building line which is 17' from the rear property line and to allow for the relocation of HVAC system within the proposed required rear yard in Plaza-Midwood for the Firenze family. October 27, 2015
Convenience Store Gas Station
Obtained a rezoning of property in Mecklenburg County from residential to neighborhood services to allow for client to build a convenience store gas station without parcels for fast food restaurant and retain buildings. 2015
NCJS
Obtained a decision from the North Carolina Court of Appeals in NCJS, LLC and James H. Plyler v. City of Charlotte, reversing the City of Charlotte Zoning Board of Adjustment and reversing the Mecklenburg County Superior Court, which held that the dumpsters on the industrial property owned by NCJS did not require screening under the City's zoning ordinance. Costs for the ZBA and superior court hearing transcripts were reimbursed by the City as a result of the Court of Appeals decision. August 15, 2017
Obtained a decision from the City of Charlotte Zoning Board of Adjustment which reversed the zoning administrator's determination that a wrecker service with outside storage was illegally operating a junkyard. The junkyard use was found by the Board to be legal and conforming with the zoning ordinance and could continue and the notice of violation was invalid. December 31, 2011
"Sweepstakes" Retail Business
Obtained a conditional use permit from the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners to allow the operation of a "sweepstakes" retail business in Kings Mountain, NC. March 15, 2010
Double L Investments
of Charlotte, LLP
Obtained a rezoning from B-1 to BD (CD) for
operation of an eggroll preparation business expansion in existing warehouse. 2018
Giedraitis Family
Obtained a 1.5' variance to allow existing house
to remain in existing footprint in Matthews
subdivision. 2018
Obtained a dry land access variance to allow construction of a new house on a property where an existing house would be demolished after completion of a new house. 2018
"I just feel that it is necessary to give credit where Credit is due. Yesterday David represented us in a hearing in Cleveland County and it was oblivious to me that they were about to hang me out to dry without even acknowledging that David was there. He did however takeover the situation immediately and took charge within a matter of minutes. The board chair was extremely irritated and tried many times to 'ruffle' David's feathers without success. I just want you guys to know his performance was outstanding and without fault. Phillip and I both are extremely happy with the way your firm has handled our case both personally and professionally. If David had not been there yesterday I would not have received my permit. After the meeting Attorney David Teddy from Cleveland County followed me to the Atrium and said he just had to say… 'Good Work' you guys came in with a plan today and it worked. And he too complimented David's work. So with all that being said we would like to thank you guys for helping us. I'm glad to know we have somewhere to go in the future if this is ever a problem again" -T.Gardener.
These are partial lists and do not constitute a promise of any kind. Please remember that these cases and the results achieved were based on many factors and results differ from case to case, depending on the circumstances particular to each situation. The outcome of a particular case cannot be predicated upon an attorney's or a law firm's past results. Our past successes should not be construed as a representation that we will be successful with any particular case in the future, and not every case in which we have been involved has resulted in a favorable outcome.


text:
Tag: Angels Without Wings
HEIDI TALBOT announces new single Button Up with King Creosote
Button Up, the brand new single from Irish folk singer Heidi Talbot's latest album 'Angels Without Wings', is a beautiful modern day folk song. Co written and sung with King Creosote, AKA Kenny Anderson, 'Button Up' was created after the pair discovered a mutual admiration:
"He was asked to pick his fantasy band for The Independent and he picked me and Morten Harket from A-ha on joint lead vocals," Heidi laughs. She conceived the melody for Button Up with Anderson in mind, and he sent back his own lyrics. The result is a brooding urgent love song.
'Angels Without Wings' is an album of original compositions glowing with special guests from the worlds of folk, pop, rock and bluegrass. Featuring collaborations with Mark Knopfler, King Creosote, Jerry Douglas, Tim O'Brien, Karine Polwart, Louis Abbott (Admiral Fallow), Julie Fowlis to name a few.
"Simply vocal heaven"
"A voice that's both awestruck and tender"
Artist's website: http://www.heiditalbot.com/
Posted on December 1, 2013 January 29, 2019 Author folkmasterCategories Press Releases, SoundsTags Angels Without Wings, Button Up, Heidi Talbot, Kenny Anderson, King Creosote
Irish Songstress Heidi Talbot Announces Angels Without Wings
Former Cherish The Ladies Vocalist's New Release Features Collaborations with Mark Knopfler, Jerry Douglas, Tim O'Brien and More
Acclaimed Irish songstress Heidi Talbot presents Angels Without Wings, a new collection of stunning original compositions, many co-written with long time collaborator with Boo Hewerdine, featuring some of the most notable players and singers from the worlds of folk, pop, rock and bluegrass. The new album will be released by the Compass Records Group on January 29th.
When Mark Knopfler and Jerry Douglas offered to play on Heidi Talbot's new album, they thoughtfully recorded their parts in several different styles – some were instantly recognizable, others more low-key. Talbot's husband, producer and band-mate John McCusker joked, "you've got the best guitar players in the world and we're blending them in?" But both musicians knew that for Talbot, the song always comes before the name.
Subtlety is Talbot's magic ingredient – from her gossamer voice to the delicate re-working of traditional and contemporary material that earned her rave reviews for her 2008 breakthrough In Love And Light. The girl from Ireland's Co. Kildare, who spent several years in New York as a member of the Irish-American super-group Cherish The Ladies, slips effortlessly between musical worlds but retains a personal penchant for traditional folk.
Talbot began writing songs on her 2010 album The Last Star. In just two years she's become a master of the art, sometimes composing alone, sometimes with McCusker and Boo Hewerdine(who form her touring band). Kenny Anderson (aka King Creosote) became a new creative foil for Talbot recently. The pair became a song-writing team recently after discovering a mutual admiration for each other's music: "He was asked to pick his fantasy band for The Independent and he picked me and Morten Harket from A-ha on joint lead vocals," Talbot laughs. She conceived the melody for "Button Up" – a brooding, urgent acoustic love song – with Anderson in mind, and he sent back his own lyrics.
"At home we listen to Belle And Sebastian and Teenage Fan Club as much as we do The Fureys and Mary Black," she says, of her song-writing's broad appeal. The best modern folk music gets right to the heart of human drama while remaining oblique about time and place: "Wine & Roses" is a poignant contemporary reminiscence about young lovers "holding hands and rubbing noses"; "I'm Not Sorry" is a mini-psychodrama written from a single moment of reflection – "I felt it, so it can't be wrong to sing about it."
And while the timeless language of traditional folk will always be an inspiration, there are traces of Americana in "When The Roses Come Again" (featuring Mark Knopfler), a delicate country-tinged duet with bluegrass legend Tim O'Brien, and Parisian romance in the unforgettable title track by Boo Hewerdine, laced with vintage accordion.
Talbot and McCusker were keen to capture the spontaneity of performance: the album was recorded live in Glasgow's new Gorbals Sound Studios with her regular team including Ian Carr (guitars), Phil Cunningham (accordian), Michael McGoldrick (flutes/whistles), James Mackintosh (percussion), Boo Hewerdine (acoustic guitar) and Ewan Vernal (bass). "If people made mistakes we'd just keep going," says Heidi. "On some of the tracks you can even hear the harmonium creaking. These guys are friends, they all give their opinion. They'll say, "That's it! That's the take!'"
Talbot's close-knit creative environment has fostered her confidence as a songwriter while allowing her to welcome in surprising new collaborators. These ever-evolving musical relationships can be heard on this, her most sophisticated and vibrant recording to date.
Posted on January 13, 2013 January 29, 2019 Author folkmasterCategories Press Releases, SoundsTags Angels Without Wings, Boo Hewerdine, Cherish The Ladies, Heidi Talbot, In Love And Light, Jerry Douglas, John McCusker, Kenny Anderson, King Creosote, Mark Knopfler, Tim O'Brien


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Thegiannies
Punk, Blues, Rock
From: Santu Lussurgiu (OR), Italy
Gianni C - Vocals, Harp
Gianni M - Drums
Gianni D - Chords
The Giannies discovered the former Rock'n'roll, the one from the fifties, by chance, and they decided to propose it again in their own way: the result was a new kind of rock'n'roll, "dirtied" by the newest punk/rock influences (The band formers have a Punk/HC and Metal Background). The band started its activity playing Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry's classical and other songs also from the italian fifties. The Giannies' sound is like a rock'n'roll cocktail of Rockabilly, punk, blues and heavy rock! About an year later they recorded their first CD: "I feel All right" (11 tracks), totally self produced by the band. Immediately they began a tour around Sardinia and Italy. During this summer the band will join a european tour to promote its album "I feel Allright" and we are looking for some other gigs!
MSN:
Website: www.myspace.com/thegiannies
Blues Artists


There are several web cleaning technologies available for various converting applications, including static elimination, simple vacuum, multimodal, contact roll, and hybrid systems. Dust and debris control at slitter/rewinders, sheeters, coaters, or laminators rarely is addressed to satisfaction without one or another of these technologies.
To properly identify defect sources and the optimal positioning of cleaning systems, detailed surface inspection is required. Converters with the best quality control programs use surface inspection sampling as part of their production processes.
The quality and intensity of this inspection lighting distinguishes better surface inspection systems from others. Focused intense light is able to show surface debris in much finer detail than unfocused light sources.
Systems that use focused light beams that shine parallel to the web surface, brilliantly highlighting the side facing the light and casting a deep shadow on the other side, are considered the best. This combination of highlight and shadow gives the impression of magnification.
The first step in choosing a cleaning system is to determine which technology is best matched to the application.
One approach to web cleaning is static elimination bars that prevent the attraction of dust to the surface of the material being converted. By taking away the static charge on the surface, dust and debris can fall from the web. Often such bars are combined with air to blow the dust and debris away from the surface.
While this proactive approach to dust control does help, many companies that use static elimination to control dust eventually end up investing in add-on cleaning technologies with greater effectiveness.
A contact roll cleaner uses a particle transfer roll (PTR) or tacky roll that lifts dust and debris as it moves across the surface of the substrate being converted. It then transfers that debris to a (tackier) collection roll, typically an adhesive roll where the debris builds until purged.
It can be a very effective cleaning technology for many converting applications if used on substrates with low levels of dust, such as films, foils, etc., and at lower operating speeds. However, on dustier materials such as paper-based substrates, contact roll cleaners can be expensive and impractical, given the fast rate with which dust and debris accumulate on the adhesive layer and the need to purge rolls frequently. The drag on production rates from maintaining collection rolls needs to be considered. While the upfront costs of contact roll cleaners are not exorbitant, the longer-term operational costs can be high. This technology is especially effective on highly scratch-sensitive substrates.
A vacuum-type system often is considered an essential part of converting quality control. However, there is a range in quality in vacuum systems for the converting market, with vacuum power varying by as much as 10:1, and in some cases, differences are not strictly correlated with price. Maximizing the vacuum directly affects the cleaning performance.
It is also important to ensure the power of the vacuum applied by the cleaning system is applied evenly across the entire web width. If the seal making the connection between the web and the vacuum isn't secure, the power of the vacuum, as well as the uniformity, can be compromised significantly. For this reason, off-the-shelf-design vacuum systems may not perform as well as custom designs that take into account the width, speed, substrate, and proper positioning within the configuration of the converting equipment.
These systems offer moderate overall improvement in the cleanliness of the web as long as the amount of debris is limited.
For many converting applications, it is advisable to augment static elimination bars and vacuum actions with direct mechanical contacts on the web surface that are able to agitate the debris and free it up for elimination by the vacuum system. Heavy-duty brushes, and especially those located close to the vacuum orifice, are used to scrub the web surface aggressively to break loose dust, dirt, felt hairs, and fiber that are partially bonded to the web. Then, a high-velocity, multi-directional air flow across the surface helps direct the loosened dust and debris to a vacuum system.
This multimodal approach works best for many applications, including some of the coated substrates that many mistakenly think cannot be exposed to mechanical brushes. If scratch-sensitive substrates are involved, special attention to proper brush selection can be all it takes to use this high-efficiency method successfully.
A new approach to the most demanding applications is a combination of multimodal cleaning systems and contact roll cleaners. These hybrid systems usually apply static elimination followed by multimodal cleaning systems to eliminate the lion's share of the dirt and debris. The contact roll cleaners then are used on the relatively clean web surface; they are relied on as a final touch and an especially helpful tool to eliminate the smaller dust particles (to 0.5 microns). Because there are prior cleaning steps, the contact roll needs to be changed less often and, therefore, costs less than when used as the single cleaning mode.
Overall, hybrid systems often are more expensive options (as much as twice the cost of a standard web cleaner) but can offer greater cleaning efficiency. One of the other advantages to a hybrid system is that the multimodal and the contact roll cleaners can be used independently if chosen. In some cases of converting materials with high dust levels, the multimodal method alone will suffice. If a substrate is sensitive to scratching, the hybrid system operator can use only the contact roll cleaner. This is not possible when using one or the other technology solely.
The rule of thumb is that the closer the cleaning system is to the source of the defects, the more effective it will be. By not locating the system just prior to where the defect is created, recontamination may occur. Custom design of cleaning systems typically enables optimized placement at or near the source of dust or debris for cleaning effectiveness.
When comparing one cleaning system to another, it is beneficial to test several technologies and quantify their effectiveness in decreasing defect rates. Experienced cleaning consultants will be able to suggest the short list of cleaning systems that are used by those doing similar converting operations with similar types of converting equipment. They will know, for example, if a particular coated film or paper can be subjected to mechanical brush actions and which ones require the combined hybrid systems for effective cleaning.
Reputable web cleaning system manufacturers will be able to provide comparative test systems. Real-world testing, to the greatest extent possible, should be done in the actual plant environment at normal operating speeds, with the systems positioned where they will be in the permanent installation. If that is not possible, consider a pilot line or an off-line operation.
At the conclusion of testing, comparative results should be determined to find best-in-class technology for an application. Detailed return-on-investment projections then can be calculated before purchasing a particular cleaning system. When testing is impossible, plant management should ask for contact references with similar applications who can report on their experiences.
Making an apples-to-apples comparison of various web cleaning technologies and their relative appropriateness for specific types of defect costs is achievable by partnering with quality systems engineers with proven expertise in diverse converting applications and plant designs. Such consultations will clarify if more expensive hybrid cleaning technology is needed. Other types of cleaning technology may suffice in less demanding applications.
Throughout the converting industry, it is customers' concerns with the costs of defects that propel most converters to invest in web cleaning technology. The problem with such a reactive approach is that when quality issues already have escalated to the complaint level, it may be too late to salvage a customer's business. In fact, demonstration of higher quality control using web cleaning technology offers a competitive advantage in the marketplace and a way in which one converter wrests customers away from another converter.
One trend compounding this problem is the growing number of customers that are becoming de facto competitors by investing in web cleaning systems. For example, more printers are moving slitting/sheeting operations in-house in order to increase their ability to address dust and debris issues that compromise printing quality and add to waste. In a related trend, sheeter converters are buying overruns and secondary quality products from mills, using web cleaning technology to improve stock quality, and then selling it to printers as the highest quality products.
When you consider the relatively modest costs of typical web cleaners (about $14,000-$25,000, depending on width) compared to the potential loss of business from inadequate quality control, the value of investment in web cleaning technology is apparent.


Company description: JetSelect Aviation is a premium private jets charter company. JetSelect Aviation provides highest possible service for the top level customers. In order to meet their needs, the staff is carefully selected and hired. At the moment JetSelect is offering Pilot jobs for Bombardier, Learjet First Officers and Captains, also senior and middle manager jobs in various locations across the United States. JetSelect offers both great employee benefits and a pleasant working environment for its personnel. By Joining JetSelect Aviation, a candidate can be sure to get not only great career prospects and a possibility to climb career ladder but also a strong team to get a support from in everyday tasks.


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Face Transplant Recipient Breaks Silence After 5 Years
In 2001, life as he knew it changed dramatically for Mitchell Hunter.
The former soldier was travelling in a car when it slammed into an electrical pole.
While Hunter was able to save a fellow passenger, he ended up being electrocuted by 10,000 volts for five minutes.
It saw him lose a leg and his face.
While Hunter underwent surgery to fix his face, it made him self conscious.
"Imagine walking into a room and like falling, and everybody noticing," he told Wish TV.
"That's how it was every time I walked in a room because of the way my face looked."
Ten years later, the American was given the chance to become a face transplant recipient.
"It's a lot easier to go out in public, I will tell you that," he said of the transformation.
The 35-year-old father still has to travel twice a year to get ongoing work to his face.
However his outlook is positive.
Talking to Wish TV, he says after five years of silence he has one message he wants to share with the world.
"I would like to tell people just not to worry about the small things; live life," he said.
"Tell the people you love that you love them because you never know when that can be taken away."
Sounds pretty perfect to us.
This 3 Year Old Is A Way Bigger Led Zeppelin Fan Than You
Chris Isaak Live At Day On The Green
Patient Pup Walks Slowly So Elderly Owner Can Keep Up
JAMcast - April 18 2016


Attempting to catch a fly ball is one of the scariest things for a beginning softball player. If your fastpitch softball team is a relatively young team or a beginning team, then you should plan on devoting as much time as is required to master this skill.... Youth and beginner softball players may benefit from drills that teach them not to fear the ball. Many of these drills substitute a lighter ball for a.
Jerry Johnson is the owner and operator of Jerry's FastPitch, LLC and continues to teach private pitching lessons as well as organizing and participating in pitching clinics throughout Southern West Virginia. Jerry has coached students throughout the United States. Jerry is a graduate of Columbia College and Concord University (formerly Concord College).... To teach your child the fundamentals of hitting a softball here is a step-by-step guide. Remember, for young players there's no substitute for regular one-on-one practice. So it's important to stay patient and focus on the fundamentals. Over time, your child's swing will improve and their confidence will grow, helping to ensure they'll enjoy playing for years to come.
How to coach a softball team of beginners That's even more of a priority when your team is comprised solely of players new to the game of softball. The Malone (FL) Middle School softball team doesn't have the luxury of a feeder system that gets girls prepared.... 30/03/2017 · This is a fun beginning softball drill to teach throwing accuracy. The kids form a line facing the coach, each one holding a small foam ball or other type of soft ball.
We have heard of baseball and the teams who play in these games both professionally and for fun. You can even have heard of different softball teams.
The Essential Softball Skills and Drills eBook is jam-packed 34 unique, fun and EFFECTIVE developmental drills for ages 8-18. It's everything you need for a full season of practices. From hitting drills, to baserunning drills, fielding drills and pitching drills.
To teach your child the fundamentals of hitting a softball here is a step-by-step guide. Remember, for young players there's no substitute for regular one-on-one practice. So it's important to stay patient and focus on the fundamentals. Over time, your child's swing will improve and their confidence will grow, helping to ensure they'll enjoy playing for years to come.
One of the most important things you have to do as a coach is teach the fundamentals. That's even more of a priority when your team is comprised solely of players new to the game of softball.


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usasciencefestival
At the Festival Expo's Two-Day Book Fair, Meet the Authors Who Are Inspiring America in STEM!
By carlyo on March 28, 2014.
In an eventful two-day affair hosted by Anderson's Bookshops, don't miss the opportunity to meet and hear some of the nation's most exciting and inspiring authors in STEM at the Festival Expo's Book Fair.
Hear these authors talk about their books and adventures, April 26-27, 2014, plus get your favorite must-have books autographed. The Book Fair will also feature STEM-related games toys and learning kits for kids of all ages, and those who are kids at heart!
Here are just some of the amazing authors you will experience:
Michio Kaku. What does the future hold for the human mind and consciousness? Plenty, says this famous theoretical physicist and futurist -- who in his bold #1 New York Times best-selling book, The Future of the Mind, foresees a time when our dreams will be able to be captured on video and shared with others; scientists will build an internet of the brain through which our thoughts and emotions can be sent worldwide, plus other wonders!
Jon Scieszka. He's the nation's first National Ambassador of Young People's Literature, and the author of such children's favorites as The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese Man, and the Time Warp Trio series. At the Book Fair, he'll be unveiling his exciting new Science Action Invention series, Frank Einstein.
Megan McDonald. The creator of the popular and award-winning Judy Moody, and the Stink book series, Megan will shed light on her latest work, Stink Solar System Superhero, in which she merges facts about astrophysics with everyday second-grade school experiences.
David Macaulay. He's an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. His most recent book, The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body, is also sure to become a favorite among readers as it beautifully explains the inner workings of the human body in fascinating ways.
(In addition to their appearances at the Book Fair, the authors above will also conduct stage presentations on their work at the Expo.)
Remember, the Festival Expo Book Fair is FREE, and author presentations begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, D.C. on the EXPO Concourse Hall C.
For more information on the Book Fair, including authors, click here.
Festival Book Fair
Children's Science Books
Science Authors
Science festival
USA Science & Engineering Festival
Over 350,000 Attendees Celebrate Science at the 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival
Over the span of the Festival weekend (April 15-17), 365,000 people attended the FREE USA Science & Engineering Festival! Our mission is to stimulate and sustain the interest of our nation's youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by producing and presenting the most…
At Festival Expo 2016, Discover Why the Department of Defense is a National STEM Leader!
As the nation's largest federal employer of scientists and engineers, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has always been at the forefront of innovative and groundbreaking science and technology. DoD scientists and engineers have played a leading role in some of the world's most advanced and life-…
Living A No Barriers Life With Blind Adventurer Erik Weihenmayer
What if adversity weren't the enemy? Join blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer on his quest to harness adversity, redefine expectations, and live a life without barriers. In this session, find out why you don't need perfect sight to have a powerful vision. https://youtu.be/RtnyXPFlyJk Erik…
"Clap Your Hands" if you are Ready to Rock Out to Science with TMBG!
They Might Be Giants will take the stage on Saturday, April 16th at the USA Science & Engineering Festival for two incredible rockin' shows! This amazing alternative and tech-inspired group -- widely known for its theme song for TV's Malcolm in the Middle and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and…
Science Is A Family Affair: Spark Interest By Soothing Chapped Lips
Parents don't need a science degree to shape their child's learning or to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). There's a little science and engineering behind everything we see each day. From day trips to talks around the dinner table, there are lots of easy and fun ways to…
What will it mean if LIGO detects gravitational waves? (Synopsis)
"Einstein's gravitational theory, which is said to be the greatest single achievement of theoretical physics, resulted in beautiful relations connecting gravitational phenomena with the geometry of space; this was an exciting idea." -Richard Feynman When we look out into the Universe, we normally gain information about it by gathering light of various wavelengths. However, there are other…
A portrait of quackademia triumphant: Georgetown University
I frequently discuss a disturbing phenomenon known as "quackademic medicine." Basically, quackademic medicine is a phenomenon that has taken hold over the last two decades in medical academia in which once ostensibly science-based medical schools and academic medical centers embrace quackery. This embrace was once called "complementary and alternative medicine" (CAM) but among quackademics the…
Honey Bees Causing Blogging Collapse Disorder
You may have noticed I've been blogging rather lightly in recent weeks. That's because I start teaching an introductory course on beekeeping next Monday. It'll be a great class, I hope. But the preparation has cut into blogging time something fierce and will continue to do so through August. In any case, while making lecture slides yesterday I ran into trouble locating a figure depicting the…


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Maia vs. Magny Set for UFC 190 in Brazil
By Par Thomas Gerbasi - Traduit de l'anglais par Cathy Gagnon • Jun. 10, 2015
One of the UFC's most sizzling hot streaks will be put to the test once more on August 1 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, as Neil Magny, winner of seven straight, takes on fellow welterweight contender Demian Maia in a UFC 190 bout at the HSBC Arena.
UFC 190 is headlined by the UFC women's bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia and also features the highly-anticipated rematch between Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Rogerio Nogueira.
Fresh off back-to-back Performance of the Night efforts against Kiichi Kunimoto and Hyun Gyu Lim, Colorado's Magny is rapidly rising up the welterweight ladder. Former world middleweight title challenger Demian Maia is on a hot streak of his own in his new division though, as he is coming off consecutive wins over Alexander Yakovlev and Ryan LaFlare.


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You can make money on Spotify
The switch to streaming services requires musicians and the music industry to rethink how they do business but some are generating a good income.
Image via Flickr CC
Once upon a time (not that long ago), people bought their favourite music on records made from shellac. Then came vinyl records, music cassettes, CDs, and mini-discs, until music went digital and relieved us of our bulky cases of cassettes and towers of CDs.
Now buying music in any form has been replaced by online streaming through services such as Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music. The growth is staggering. In the US last year more songs were streamed on an average day than were downloaded in the entire year. On average, 1.2 billion songs were streamed each day, while 734 million songs were bought and downloaded across the year.
The growth of streaming has obvious advantages for the consumer: music is cheaper and more accessible than ever. But what does it mean for the artist?
Small margins, big profits
On the face of it, streaming models do not offer a tempting financial proposition income to artists. Songs on Spotify earn an average of $0.0016 each. By comparison a self-distributed CD sale earns an independent artist about $10.
But the sheer number of users – more than 200 million people use streaming services worldwide – means that, if you can garner a following, the earning potential of streaming is much more than in traditional physical media.
At last year's BigSound conference Jaddan Comerford, founder of indie label Unified, cited the example of an Australian band that made $70,000 from streaming services in 2016.
The band - which does not wish to be named - has seen exponential growth since it caught on with streamers. Comerford said the band's sales had remained stable on physical media but had increased from $81 to $70,000 a year in five years.
'Please don't get caught up in the "I'm only making x cents from x streams." This is real. This is real money in bands' bank accounts, and there's more where that came from,' Comerford said..
'If you sell a CD, a download or a vinyl, it makes you money once. If you sell a song or a catalogue of songs that people listen to consistently, then you will make money forever.'
Getting attention
Making money from streaming is a marathon, not a sprint. In order for it to work, it must be part of a multi-pronged approach to making money from your music.
Successful artists sign up for as multiple streaming services , through a digital music distribution platform such as TuneCore or CD Baby, which makes it easy to distribute music to iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Play, and more for an annual, flat fee. Artists keep 100 % of the sales revenue and rights.
Read: Spotify in review (battle of the streamers)
A large part of making money from streaming services is getting your music listed on a featured playlist. These ready-made playlists are curated by streaming services for every conceivable genre, activity, or mood. The playlists help users inundated by a catalogue of more than 30 million songs navigate the system. They are an important discovery tool, the 21st century equivalent to getting playtime on radio.
Spotify, the largest streaming platform, hires 50 full-time human curators, who manage the 4,500 playlists on the service. Getting your song listed on a popular playlist can lead to millions of plays, and a financial windfall for a musician.
'Playlists have become powerful tools for music discovery and impact,' said David Sheils, director of media licensing at APRA AMCOS.. 'Artists who can capture the attention of curators and land a spot on prominent playlists are in a good position to make money – not just from streaming, but from the flow-on to other revenue sources. As an example, a songwriter that fares well on a streaming service may be picked up for play by radio, and in turn receive broadcast royalties.'
Sheils would like to see more attention paid to supporting local artists through the playlist system.
'To give local music creators a boost, there needs to be a concerted effort by streaming service providers to program Australasian content in their playlists – globally,' he said.
Read: The new tastemakers
A bigger cut for artists
Read: The truth about streaming
Like many other industries, the music industry is scrambling to keep up with increasing technological and digital changes.
A key difference in streaming is that it cuts out the middleman, removing or lessening the role of the record label, which traditionally takes a significant cut of the artist's profits. With streaming, independent labels and artists can access their profits directly.
Music licensing and royalty agency APRA| AMCOS is increasingly focused in the streaming space. It has licensing agreements in place with all streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, YouTube and SoundCloud.
Last year revenue from streaming in Australia grew by 140% to $27.4 million – in line with global markets. Global digital music revenue in 2016 was $8.8 billion, a 10.2 % increase from 2015.
'Ever since CDs knocked vinyl from its perch back in the 1990s, the music publishing industry has been evolving at a vertiginous rate,' said Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director at Roy Morgan Research. 'While record stores still exist (and vinyl is making a comeback), online shopping changed the face of music retail just as it did many other retail categories.'
'But now, things are changing once more. The online space remains as crucial as ever to our music consumption, but the advent of streaming – whether free (radio station apps) or by subscription (Apple Music) – has impacted sales of downloads and CDs,' said Morris.
Comerford told ArtsHub that artists need to look carefully at whether or not signing with a label will maximise their profits. 'They need to be aware of the deal they are signing with a label. Or they need to look at independent options.
'That doesn't mean don't sign with labels. Labels bring a lot of value with investment, marketing, promotion and strategy. You could go alone and make 100% of revenue, but most times, 100% of zero is nothing. So it often pays to find a good partner to help you grow.'
Artists are owed second royalty whenever their original composition is sold, downloaded, streamed, or publicly performed, but they need a music publishing administrator to collect the second royalty. Platforms like TuneCore will collect and distribute any of the 13 royalties you may be eligible for, while digital rights agency Merlin can negotiate deals with digital services to further benefit the music creator.
Paid subscriptions are key
Not all streaming opportunities are equal. Advertising-supported streaming services offer artists significantly less profit than subscription services such as Spotify Premium or YouTube Red.
But there's a long way to go in achieving a paid service mindset among users. Among Spotify's 100 million users, only 30% pay for the Premium tier.
'While revenue from streaming is clearly growing, it's not keeping pace with the growth in use of music – often referred to as the 'value gap' – and this presents new challenges for the music industry. Despite huge numbers of consumers accessing ad-supported streaming, the revenue generated is minuscule when compared with subscription streaming,' said Sheils.
'Streaming services have the potential to benefit all copyright holders. They provide legal access to a vast repertoire of songs, and give consumers the opportunity to discover new music. The challenge lies in addressing the gap that exists between consumption and compensation. The value of music needs to be fully realised to provide an equitable playing field for all.'
Less piracy, more music
In the past year the number of songs available through streaming has more than doubled and the access has proved the adage people will pay for music if you make it easy.
A European Commission study found increased streaming access reduces illegal downloading, as well as the buying of legal downloads.
But the statistic most likely to cheer the hearts of artists is that more people are listening to more music. While physical album sales were down 11.7%, overall music consumption increased by 4.9 % in 2016 in the US, a figure indicative of international trends. Music is becoming more accessible than ever before, as streaming services offer music lovers a much wider selection of music at their fingertips.
'We still have a long way to go, I really think we need to start realising that streaming is not the devil, it is the future,' said Comerford. 'Not only are artists being discovered in every corner of the globe through playlists, and other marketing mechanisms, but we are getting paid.'
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Emma Clark Gratton
Emma Clark Gratton is an ArtsHub staff writer.
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HOME 2020 - Call for Artist Proposals


The Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame will be hosting many of the 2014 Sochi Saskatchewan Olympians & Paralympians this afternoon, Tuesday May 6 between 4-6 p.m. for a public autograph session. What better place to do this than against a backdrop of our exhibit, The Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games presented by McDougall Gauley, which will close with the conclusion of this public event.
Admission to the autograph session is free. Donations are gratefully accepted.
Autograph cards will be offered to all attendees while supplies last.
The SSHF thanks the Canadian Sport Centre, Saskatchewan and Sask Sport Inc. for making this opportunity possible.


[PATCH 3/5] Move palette uploading code over to arbfp blit_shader.
Previous message: [PATCH 2/5] Remove the swapchain parameter from	fb_copy_to_texture_hwstretch in order to unify all blit calls.
Next message: [PATCH 4/5] Move EXT_PALETTED_TEXTURE code over to ffp_blit.


Make the city of the future a smart, ecological and pleasant space. This is the challenge we are addressing at the Efficacity state-funded public-private research institute which was created in 2013. Our goal? Redesign the station as a services hub to make public transport a more attractive option than private cars. Our cross-functional management within collaborative projects and our urban logistics expertise make us a perfect fit for this fantastic project.
ABMI designed the station as a space in its own right rather than simply something people pass through. Our multidisciplinary approach enabled us to apply our expertise in transport system design to building design, incorporating energy management. We also broke new ground by offering 3D immersion in the project. This urban digital model is used to test our urban innovations on users prior to starting work on site.
The project team was made up of a project manager, an urban planning architect dedicated to developing an urban energy efficiency solution, an engineer with a PhD in geotechnics, a town planner and a team of 3 planners specialising in building information modelling (BIM). We used various BIM and management software for working on the digital model.
Several "case studies" are currently in progress to test these tools, particularly for Bobigny-Pablo Picasso station, which has been fully digitised by ABMI. We also modelled a services hub for the station: childcare facilities, a parcel drop off and collection point, a caretaker's office, a hairdressing salon, a pharmacy and so on but also secure parking for bikes and electric vehicle access. Using these methods, we can depict what public transport will look like in the future: an efficient, pleasant and attractive way of getting around.


Would you welcome change for a greener future?
A majority of Wiganers are prepared to make large lifestyle changes to ward off climate change and think it is important to teach it in schools.
A survey found 58 per cent of borough residents, slightly over the UK average, were prepared to make significant alterations such as eating less meat or using cars less to alleviate global warming.
Wiganers also want their children learning about it from an early age, with the majority saying pupils should learn about sustainability and preserving the environment and most borough residents saying these lessons should start when youngsters are aged from three to five. This is in contrast to better-off areas like the South East, where it was felt schools should wait until children were at least in year three to broach these issues.
The survey by Modular Classrooms heartens borough green activists who say the authorities must now recognise the extent of public support for building a greener future.
Wigan and Leigh Green Party spokesman Will Patterson said: "It's exciting to see Wiganers looking to the future, thinking about the changes they can make in their everyday lives, and wanting our young people to learn about sustainability and maintaining the environment we all rely on, so we hope that businesses and government at every level can take this on board.
"We already have local businesses like The Coven offering an amazing meat-free menu, and nationally, it's heartening to see the Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll capture so much attention, but other businesses can follow suit to offer more meat-free and sustainable options.
Borough activists from campaign group Extinction Rebellion, which carries out non-violent direct action and is demanding councils and Government declare a climate emergency and commit immediately to radical moves to transition towards a zero-carbon society, also said the survey was encouraging but needed acting on.
A spokesperson said: "Individual actions are important but Extinction Rebellion emphasises that we need the support of our councils and government to make the big changes necessary.


Åsgard is located in Haltenbanken in the Norwegian Sea, around 200 kilometres off mid-Norway and 50 kilometres south of the Heidrun field.
The Åsgard A oil production vessel arrived at the field on 8 February 1999 and started production on 19 May.
Åsgard B is a semi-submersible gas and condensate processing platform, which came on stream on 1 October 2000.
Åsgard C is a condensate storage vessel tied back to the field.
Åsgard consists of the Midgard, Smørbukk and Smørbukk South deposits. In addition, the Mikkel and Yttergryta gas fields are tied back to the Åsgard infrastructure.
Midgard spreads over blocks 6507/11 and 6407/2. Smørbukk and Smørbukk South are located in block 6506/11.
Midgard was proven by Saga in 1981. We found Smørbukk in 1984 and Smørbukk South in 1985. In 1995 the licence rights were coordinated in a new ownership structure with then Statoil, now Equinor, as operator.
The entire Åsgard field development ranks among the largest developments on the NCS, embracing a total of 63 production and injection wells drilled through 19 subsea templates.
Production from the Morvin (4 wells and 2 subsea templates) and Mikkel (3 wells and 2 subsea templates) fields is also directed to Åsgard B.
Water depth in the area is 240-310 metres.
Crude oil, condensate and gas are produced from Åsgard. Crude and condensate are mixed to form a light oil called Åsgard blend. The liquid is pumped from storage tanks into shuttle tankers which sail between the fields and the different refineries.
Gas from Åsgard is piped through Åsgard Transport to the Kårstø processing complex, north of Stavanger. The heavier components, such as ethane, propane, butane and naphtha are separated out at Kårstø. The dry gas is piped to continental Europe.
Åsgard supplies about 11 billion cubic metres of gas annually to European customers.
the Europipe II gas trunkline from Kårstø to Dornum on the German coast.
The Åsgard development links the Halten Bank area to Norway's gas transport system in the North Sea, putting long-standing plans for a pipeline connection into effect. Growing demand for Norwegian gas from continental Europe has made this possible, and Åsgard will help to meet the planned expansion in Norway's gas exports. Gas from the field is piped through the Åsgard Transport line to the treatment plant at Kårstø north of Stavanger and on to European customers.
Oil produced via the A vessel is shipped from the field by shuttle tankers.
Location: Haltenbanken in the Norwegian Sea.


text:
NSE saga putting a brake
Investing hard earned money in equities has always been considered by small investors a big gamble. Now first with the hush-hush rumors and later with the allegation that India's top stock exchange NSE favoured some of its clients, giving them preferential access to trading information, has given a big blow to their faith in the functioning of this premier institution. The allegation has tattered the reputation of Indian stock market, in fact.
For more than two years the exchange has been battling allegations that it gave some of its clients preferential access to servers at its colocation centre between 2010 and 2014. The die was cast over the functioning of the NSE long back, but its mighty officials with huge bounty were able to keep it under the carpet. Now the investigation is also turning out to be a farcical drama as media reports indicate that the exchange is negotiating with market regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India a massive consent order of between ` 250 crore and ` 500 crore.
Why regulator is engaging in this is another question. The same regulator in a letter of May 31 had asked the exchange to stop its proposed IPO "as certain regulatory/policy issues are under examination". To think of it as a simple case one must take into account that the SEBI had issued show cause notices to the exchange as well as 14 individuals, including former managing directors Chitra Ramakrishna and Ravi Narain. Narain, who was the vice-chairman, quit on June 2 while Chitra had resigned in December 2016.
The allegations raise serious question over violation of corporate governance norms, and conflicts of interest of the top managers and former board members. NSE may come out of this muddle for lack of evidence and get past the big IPO, yet the questions that have arisen in the minds of investors will still have a cloud of suspicion and it's certainly not good for the stock market.
The way, exchange is parleying with the regulator for a consent order, has in fact reinforced the allegations. A new board is in place which must come out with a strong message in word and action assuring the investing public that now all is well, otherwise it will keep carrying the burden of what may have happened in the past. NSE chairman Ashok Chawla and SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi jointly try to close this chapter as soon as possible.
India can't afford such happenings at its premier institutions at this stage anymore. It has to move forward.


Sara M needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 105 designs submitted by 29 freelance designers.
DevRight specializes in developing seed ideas and providing the resources and capital to allow them to mature into full blown companies. Developing concepts and methods for greater practice efficiency in a modern world.
DevRight was created for the "development of ideas done right." The company currently specializes in developing concepts and methods for greater practice efficiency for patients and doctors in the medical and dental fields. (ie. software, products, practice management modules, continuing education are some examples) Company was created by Dentists, but is not completely limited to the medical/dentistry field in future endeavors.
They are looking for a logo that conveys a modern but corporate feel to be the center hub of think tank organization. Company is based on creative idea development so logo should be exciting, but with a professional feel.
- Company is open to different interpretations, colors and ideas!


Profits at Leicester-based business bank Cambridge and Counties have shot up by 14 per cent to £27.9 million.
The bank, based in New Walk, said the year-on-year jump in pre-tax profits was on the back of total assets reaching £1.03 billion in 2018 – up 17 per cent.
The niche bank said a new classic car finance scheme launched last spring had also lent £5.3 million, exceeding forecasts.
Cambridge and Counties, which specialises in secured lending and deposits for small and medium sized businesses, saw loans and advances increase from £690 million to £769 million in 2018.
The business was bolstered by a strong property developer and investor client base.
Chief executive Mike Kirsopp said: "Notwithstanding increased uncertainty in the UK, due to factors such as Brexit and weakening in some markets, we have delivered a 14 per cent increase in pre-tax profit.
After launching the classic car finance product, the bank became the official finance partner of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs in November.
As part of that it will support the federation's heritage engineering apprenticeship scheme with £10,000 student bursaries, centred at the Heritage Skills Academy at Bicester Heritage.
Mr Kirsopp said: "A big part of our success is down to the broker partners and intermediaries we work with, and I would like to personally thank them for their continued support.
"Key to these relationships is our ability to provide a smooth and seamless experience when on-boarding new customers, and subsequently managing accounts in a way that continues to meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Cambridge and Counties is jointly owned by Trinity Hall, a College of the University of Cambridge, and Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Fund.


text:
Lunar Ice Silver Sky
Hagar/Anthony onboard for EVH tribute concert
RIP Sylvain Sylvain
First Klon selling for $500k
SongTown USA: Facing Insecurity
By Marty Dodson 05 November 2013
As a whole, writers are not the most secure people in the world. Many of us battle insecurity daily. Maybe it's because we have to put ourselves out there in a vulnerable position any time we let someone hear our songs.
I have discovered that it's easy to play shows and sing my hits. Everyone recognizes a hit song when it lands at #1 on the charts. They sing along. They clap when I'm done – sometimes when I first start singing a part of the song they recognize.
It's the new songs that cause the nervousness. I want people to like my new creation. I want to see in their eyes that they connect with my song and that they like it, AND me. I wonder if they are comparing the new songs to my hits. "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" was one of the most played songs of the year. It's hard to stack up against that.
I believe that much of my insecurity comes from comparing my "normal" to other people's highlight reels. Instead of comparing my songs to the songs of other writers at my publishing company, I compare them to big hit songs. Often, they are Grammy-winning songs.
The other writers at my company sometimes write songs that are just OK. I hear them through the walls as they are being written. They hear mine, too. None of us writes hits all of the time. That's normal. So, when one them has a big hit, I put it in perspective with all of the good, decent and average songs I have heard from his or her catalog.
Grammy-winning songs are the top of the line. Few people EVER achieve that. Winning a Grammy is a "highlight reel" moment for anyone. Sometimes I hear a huge hit come from a writer in town and I think "Wow, he has written X, Y, and Z, all of which are AMAZING." I start to beat myself up thinking, "Why can't I write great songs like that?" What I don't always stop to realize is that the writer in question has written WAY more songs that have NOT been cut than he has written big hit songs. He has some stinkers in his catalog, too.
When I compare my everyday normal to someone's highlight reel, I am ALWAYS going to fall short. If I compared my everyday normal to MY highlight reel, I would come up short.
Recently, I was invited to a private event where Kris Kristofferson presented an award to Willie Nelson. I sat in the front row as they sang monster hit after monster hit. When Willie left the stage, I looked at his old beat up guitar sitting there and I thought, "I wonder how many really average songs that guitar has been a part of writing?" I'm guessing the answer would be thousands. But we never get to hear Willie's bad songs. We only hear the cream of the crop.
I have decided, as best I can, to compare myself to other people's normal. I do OK when I keep things real like that. There are people that would trade their normal for mine in a heartbeat. And, there are people that I would trade with. Keeping it real, I'm somewhere in the middle.
If you struggle with insecurity, make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Don't compare yourself to someone else's biggest successes. You will fail every time with that plan and you will beat yourself down. Compare yourself to your peers. Or, better yet, compare yourself to yourself. Are you better than you were a year ago? If so, celebrate, and keep moving forward. If not, work even harder. Those are the comparisons that make you better.
Marty Dodson is a songwriter, corporate trainer and entrepreneur. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and The Plain White T's. He once bumped Psy out of the #1 spot on the K-Pop charts but that's another story for another day. Marty plays Taylor and Batson guitars. Follow him here: www.facebook.com/songtownusa, at www.facebook.com/martydodsonsongwriter and at Twitter @SongTownUSA.
Jeorge Tripps teams up with Reverb for a super-limited 10-unit run of hand-built Fuzz Face pedals
The history of the Fender Musicmaster, Duo-Sonic and Mustang
How creating chains of dotted-eighth syncopations can revolutionize your rhythm playing
Faith Guitars expands its solar system of acoustics with the Venus Blue Moon


Just returned from the Houston Convention. Thanks to all who spent a whole lot of time to pull it off. Received my OSHA certification there along with many other classes taken, which brings me to this question. Where do I enter my credit hours for these classes so I can qualify for certification?
I have the same question as Steve Keane. I have the steps to actually get certified, but I do not know where to go to enter the codes to get credit for the hours we gained at the conference. Any help in this area is greatly appreciated.
You have to be a paid member, have been in business 2 years with 10 credits or 5 years. Once your ready to take a cert test you post in the certification area a proof of business length And proof of 10 credit hours. If you need help call me 478-955-8107.
If you are a paid member you can access this one. if you are a free member the forum is directly about. You do not have to be a paid member to become certified at the UAMCC.


We've all had the experience of having the right word "on the tip of our tongue" and yet being unable to quite get it out. Is this a normal part of aging? Is it a "senior moment"? Or, is this the beginning stages of something worse, like dementia or Alzheimer's disease?
Healthy aging is associated with a certain degree cognitive decline, though research does not associate a clear, causal association for these cognitive changes. Difficulty with word recall is one complaint that often presents itself over time and is one of the most common complaints relating to language in the aging population.
Their study was published April 30 in Scientific Reports and covered in the New York Times.
Researchers measured the aerobic capacities of 28 men and women between 60 and 80 years old by having them ride a stationary bike until they were exhausted. The participants then watched the definitions of obscure words–such as "decanter"–flash on a computer screen. They were told to indicate if they knew and could say the words being defined.
The participants' ability to identify and say the correct word was strongly linked to their fitness–the higher their aerobic capacities, the more successful they were on the word test. Meanwhile, a group of 20-somethings given the same test had a greater rate of success than the group of older participants.
As incidence of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease continue to rise, it's important to understand what we can do to reduce the tendency towards memory loss. Brain health is driven by many factors, including genetics, diet, exercise, sleep, mental health, and lifestyle. Exercise continues to be one of the most important factors in a number of conditions, and "tip-of-the-tongue states" may–as the study suggests–be less apparent with increased levels of exercise and physical fitness.
While we know that regular exercise improves many components of brain health, including both the structure and function of the brain, we don't know whether exercise benefits our language/word recall over time.
The study, though small, demonstrated a relationship between level of physical fitness and language functioning in healthy, older adults. It also quantified participants' aerobic fitness using a physiological measure of oxygen uptake from a graded exercise test–the gold-standard objective measurement of aerobic fitness–rather than a less reliable self-report of fitness.
Still, it must be emphasized that the present research is cross-sectional in nature. That means it can't be conclusively shown that better aerobic fitness is the specific reason some older people can recall words with greater ease.


text:
We will miss you Sir.
Image July 30, 2015 AADHARSHILA PUBLIC SCHOOL Leave a comment
Let's know EID better and then celebrate
July 18, 2015 AADHARSHILA PUBLIC SCHOOL	Leave a comment
Eid al-Fitr( "festival of breaking of the fast"), also called Feast of Breaking the Fast, the Sugar Feast, Bayram (Bajram), the Sweet Festival or Hari Raya Puasa and the Lesser Eid, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm). The religious Eid is a single day during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal. The date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on the observation of new moon by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by locality. However, in most countries, it is generally celebrated on the same day as Saudi Arabia.
Eid al-Fitr has a particular Salat (Islamic prayer) consisting of two Rakats (units) and generally offered in an open field or large hall. It may be performed only in congregation (Jama'at) and, has an additional extra six Takbirs (raising of the hands to the ears while saying "Allāhu Akbar", literally "God is greatest"), three of them in the beginning of the first raka'ah and three of them just before Ruku' in the second raka'ah in the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam.Other Sunni schools usually have twelve Takbirs, seven in the first, and five at the beginning of the second raka'ah. This Eid al-Fitr salat is, depending on which juristic opinion is followed, Fard (obligatory), Mustahabb (strongly recommended, just short of obligatory) or mandoob(preferable).
Muslims believe that they are commanded by Allah, as mentioned in the Quran, to continue their fast until the last day of Ramadan and pay the Zakat and fitra before offering the Eid prayers.
There is mention that Eid al-Fitr was originated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It is observed on the first of the month of Shawwal at the end of the month of Ramadan, during which Muslims undergo a period of fasting.
According to certain traditions, these festivals were initiated in Madinah after the migration of Muhammad from Mecca. Anas reports:
When the Prophet arrived in Madinah, he found people celebrating two specific days in which they used to entertain themselves with recreation and merriment. He asked them about the nature of these festivities at which they replied that these days were occasions of fun and recreation. At this, the Prophet remarked that the Almighty has fixed two days [of festivity instead of these for you which are better than these: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha
For Muslims, both the festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are occasions for showing gratitude to God and remembering Him, and are an occasion of entertainment. 'Aishah narrates that when on an Eid day her father Abu Bakr stopped young girls from singing, Muhammad said: Abu Bakr! [Let them sing]; every nation has an 'id and is our Eid.
Celebrate this beautiful featival with joy and harmony.
Email is now 32 year old.
Email turned 32 year old today And little did we know, it was actually invented by then 14-year-old boy named VA Shiva Ayyadurai – an Indian-American who allowed us humans to communicate with one another within seconds. At an age when kids were making their way up school grades, Ayyadurai had already designed a "full-scale emulation of the interoffice mail system which he called E-mail."
Annual awards for best performers Housewise


text:
Q: Как правильно переписать блочное чтение файла под .NET? Есть нативный метод, который выполняет подсчет переносов строк при блочном чтении файла:
static uintmax_t FileLinesCounter(std::wstring &path)
{
    uintmax_t lines = 0;
    static const size_t BUFFER_SIZE = 16 * 1024;
    char buffer[BUFFER_SIZE];
    DWORD blocks_read = 0;
    LARGE_INTEGER distance = { 0 };

    HANDLE fp = CreateFileW(
        path.c_str(),
        GENERIC_READ,
        FILE_SHARE_READ,
        NULL,
        OPEN_EXISTING,
        FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL | FILE_FLAG_SEQUENTIAL_SCAN,
        NULL);

    if (fp != NULL && SetFilePointerEx(fp, distance, NULL, FILE_BEGIN) != INVALID_SET_FILE_POINTER)
    {
        while (ReadFile(fp, buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, &blocks_read, NULL) && blocks_read > 0)
        {
            for (char *p = buffer; (p = (char*)memchr(p, '\n', (buffer + blocks_read) - p)) != 0; ++p)
                ++lines;

            if (SetFilePointerEx(fp, distance, NULL, FILE_CURRENT) == INVALID_SET_FILE_POINTER)
                break;
        }
        return lines;
    }
    return 0;
}

Я пытаюсь портировать его под .NET, вот что получается:
internal async static Task<BigInteger> FileLinesCounter(string filePath)
{
    BigInteger result = 0;
    const int bufferSize = 16 * 1024;
    var buffer = new byte[bufferSize];

    using (var fs = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.Read, buffer.Length, FileOptions.SequentialScan))
    {
        while (await fs.ReadAsync(buffer, 0, buffer.Length) > 0)
        {
            result += Array.FindAll(buffer, b => b == (byte)'\n').Length;
            Array.Clear(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
        }
    }
    return result;
}

Проблема в скорости работы, нативный метод работает в разы быстрее, в чем я ошибся?
p.s. аналога memchr в дотнете не нашел, поэтому пришлось использовать Array.FindAll =(

A: Попробуйте вот такое
var fname = @"C:\....";

using (var reader = File.OpenRead(fname))
{
    ulong num = 0;
    var nline = '\n';
    var buffer = new byte[16 * 1024];
    int len = 0;
    do
    {
        len = reader.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
        for(var i=0; i<len; i++) if (buffer[i] == nline) num++;
    }while(len > 0);

    Console.WriteLine(num);
}

у меня оно работает чуть быстрее, чем File.Readlines()

A: Используйте код:
var count = File.ReadLines("...").LongCount();

Даже если файл будет полностью состоять из однобайтовых переводов строки, то переменной типа long хватит на файл размером 8 эксабайт (1018).
Убедиться что File.ReadLines считает не только \r\n, но и одиночные \r или \n, можно с помощью такого простого кода:
var text = "1\r\n2\r3\r4\n5\n6\n7";
File.WriteAllText("1.txt", text);
var count = File.ReadLines("1.txt").LongCount();
Console.WriteLine(count);

Выведет 7

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Former Blackpool defender signs for Doncaster Rovers on loan from Luton Town
Daniels has signed for Doncaster Rovers on loan
Former Blackpool defender Donervon Daniels has joined League One rivals Doncaster Rovers on loan immediately after signing for Championship side Luton Town.
READ MORE: Keep up-to-date with all the latest deals on transfer deadline day
Daniels has agreed a two-year contract with the Hatters but immediately joined Doncaster on loan until January.
Doncaster boss Darren Moore was seeking cover after former Seasider Alex Baptiste suffered an Achilles injury early in the campaign.
Daniels has spent several weeks training with Luton in a bid to keep his fitness levels up and has been rewarded with a contract.
He said: "I'm really happy to get it all finalised so I can focus on playing my football and helping the team challenge at the top end of the table.
"It was put to me that I could come here and play consistent football which helps me continue to improve as a player.
"It's a really good opportunity to come and play for a manager that I know, he is a really good guy and the way he wants to play suits me."
The 25-year-old was released by Blackpool at the end of last season having made 49 appearances for the Seasiders.
Daniels came through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion but never made a senior appearance for the Baggies.
He had loan spells at Tranmere Rovers, Gillingham, Blackpool and Aberdeen before joining Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2015.
Daniels made 51 appearances for Wigan – most coming in their run to the League One title in 2016.
He spent the 2017/18 season on loan at Rochdale before returning to Blackpool on a permanent deal.