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Staying Home for the Summer: Tips for Creating a DIY Intensive
Kathleen McGuire
It is easy to feel as though the entire ballet year revolves around summer: more hours in the day for dance, and another summer intensive to add to your resumé. You've likely dreamt about which program you want to attend, traveled to auditions and gotten excited about the new challenges in a big city school. But what if you find yourself staying home?
It can feel heartbreaking to watch your peers take off for their intensives. Whether you're staying home by choice or because of injury or finances, you can still improve and have fun at your local studio. Unlike those headed off to big intensives, you have flexibility and money on your side. Jody Skye Schissler, owner of Skye Ballet Center in Herndon, Virginia, encourages dancers to start by asking, "How can you make your summer more focused on yourself and what you need for your future?" Here are tips for making the most of your time at home.
Home Studio Advantages
JonMarie Johnson in a summer class at Louisville Ballet School, her home studio
Kateryna Sellers, Courtesy Louisville Ballet
Look at it this way: It takes a while for the dust to settle at a big intensive. For the first week or two of classes, dancers are being evaluated for level place- ment, settling into dorm life and forming early relationships with other students and teachers. There's a lot of distraction and uncertainty to get through before you develop a feeling of routine. When you train locally, those unknowns don't necessarily apply.
Last year, Louisville Ballet School student JonMarie Johnson decided to stay home because she was leaving for college that fall and a summer program proved cost-prohibitive. But Johnson, who had previously attended intensives at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, quickly recognized the benefits. "You have the advantage of being more immediately comfortable in the situation," she says. "It sounds silly, but even the comfort level you have in the studio space itself contributes to your improvement."
Johnson also appreciated training with a small group of 20 dancers and with teachers who knew her and what she needed most. "I think I improved more that summer than I ever had before," she says. Schissler says that, at her own studio, she can give her students opportunities that large intensives don't have the flexibility to do. "Last summer I had three-hour technique classes," she says. "Their improvement was incredible because we had so much time and I know them all so well."
Build a Custom Training Program
Between tuition and housing, a summer intensive can cost your family upwards of $6,000. If possible, Schissler recommends creating add-ons to your regular dance classes with some of the money you save. "Get a mem- bership at your local gym and give swimming a try," she says. "It is great for stamina and endurance, and it is an opportunity you won't have at a summer intensive."
You could also consider signing up for weekly private or group lessons in Pilates, Gyrotonic or yoga. And the summer months offer more time to seek out local master classes or workshops (if not at your school, than perhaps at a nearby studio). Or, consider supplementing your ballet training with classes in other genres, like modern, contemporary, tap, improvisation or even acting.
Go Back to Basics
Yuka Iseda in the peasant pas de trois from Swan Lake
Adrian Molina Soca, Courtesy Pennsylvania Ballet
Whether you are staying home because of an injury or not, summertime presents an excellent opportunity to get back
to the basics of your training. Pennsylvania Ballet soloist Yuka Iseda recommends taking open classes in a lower level. She says doing so gives her time to focus on breaking simpler movement down correctly, which then helps her perform bet- ter in more complicated combinations.
Schissler suggests asking your studio director if you can assist teaching lower levels. "Helping teach little ones helps you so much in your own dancing," she says. "You become
a smarter dancer." By learning to explain proper turnout to a 6-year-old, you may come to approach it differently yourself.
As a student in Japan, Iseda often used her summer off-time (which is shorter than in the U.S.) to allow her body to heal— something she continues today. "I think that ballet is such hard work and sometimes you just need a break," she says. This could be particularly useful if you're nursing an injury. By taking time out of the studio, focusing on lower-level open classes and cross-training, Iseda finds that the imbalances in her body begin to right themselves and she feels better when she gets back into ballet full force.
Johnson, who will be a sophomore dance major at University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, is looking forward to going home to Louisville again this summer. Training locally, she says, doesn't mean that you won't have opportuni- ties to improve. "It is important to keep in mind that you make the program what it is and you put in the work and effort to excel," says Johnson. By staying focused and getting creative with your training, you can make your summer worthwhile.
Inside Jeraldine Mendoza's Dance Bag - Pointe ›
Confessions of a Pointe Shoe Fitter: A Specialist Tells All - Pointe ›
Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive. Urbino. Day 4. Variations. ›
jody skye schissler jonmarie johnson yuka iseda summer intensive summer study


Once the University has formally been notified of an emergency and the decision to activate the plan has occurred, response assets will be deployed. The University will activate personnel via its cAlert system. The cAlert system sends an activation message through a variety of media including phone, text, and email. Recipients are asked to respond to verify they have received the message. In the event the cAlert system in unable to be used, the University will alternate activation systems.
Depending on the size and scope of the emergency, the Emergency Director may activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC will be staffed with individuals that are experienced or knowledgeable in each emergency function identified within the EMP. Personnel assigned to the EOC will be notified via the cAlert system. The number of functions and personnel activated for EOC duties will vary depending on the nature of the emergency.


Redbox is offering a code good for a free DVD movie rental on their facebook page. You can click here and like them and then click the "freebie" tab for your unique code, which you can use on February 24.
Thank You! Just rented Dispicable Me !


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Home › Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times
Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times
Hardcover – September 22, 2020
by Bishop Michael Curry (Author), Sara Grace (Author)
Walk the path of love with one of the warmest, most beloved spiritual leaders of our time, and learn how to put faith into action.
As the descendant of slaves and the son of a civil rights activist, Bishop Michael Curry's life illustrates massive changes in our times. Much of the world met Bishop Curry when he delivered his sermon on the redemptive power of love at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. Here, he expands on his message of hope in an inspirational road map for living the way of love, illuminated with moving lessons from his own life. Through the prism of his faith, ancestry, and personal journey, Love Is the Way shows us how America came this far and, more important, how to go a whole lot further.
The way of love is essential for addressing the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the world today: poverty, racism, selfishness, deep ideological divisions, competing claims to speak for God. This book will lead readers to discover the gifts they need in order to live the way of love: deep reservoirs of hope and resilience, simple wisdom, the discipline of nonviolence, and unshakable regard for human dignity.
The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry is the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church. Elected in 2015, he is the first African-American to lead the denomination. He was previously bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. A noted advocate for human rights and author of several books, Bishop Curry is recognized as one of the most popular preachers in the English language. He and his wife Sharon Curry have two daughters, Rachel and Elizabeth. They live in North Carolina.
Item Weight : 15.2 ounces
Publisher : Avery (September 22, 2020)
Product Dimensions : 5.72 x 0.93 x 8.59 inches

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Trilene Nanofil is made out of gel spun polyethylene, much like a superline, this ultimate spinning reel fishing line consists of hundreds of Dyneema nanofilaments that are molecularly linked and shaped into a unified filament fishing line. Dyneema, The World�s Strongest Fiber, gives this line superline type strength and the uni-filament process gives it a combination of casting and sensitivity never before seen in any line category. Not a mono. Not a Braid. Unified filament technology provides the ultimate advantage against a wide variety of species. Cast farther and feel everything with the ultimate spinning reel line. Minimum diameter, maximum strength the thinnest line ever made. Zero Memory virtually eliminates line tangles.


CEP is confidential, safe and free.
On your first visit, you will be given an identification number so that we can track data to provide to our funding sources to keep the program up and running. We will ask basic health questions.
When exchanging syringes, you are able to talk to health educators about any concerns you have including how to reduce the risk of infection and collapsed veins.
Testing for HIV and Hepatitis C are free any time you visit. If positive for either disease, referral information will be given to help you find affordable care.
If you decide you would like to get treatment, please ask our health educators.Referrals to treatment centers are available at any time.
When available, naloxone is distributed on site.


btw, do dynamically compiled objects have any disadvantage compared to static objects ?
In desktop jPCT: yes! They are a whole lot slower than static objects. In desktop jPCT, static objects are compiled to display lists using indexed geometry, dynamic ones to vertex arrays using non-indexed geometry by default.
In AE, it depends...! Static objects are compiled to either vertex arrays or VBOs (depending on the setting in Config) using non-indexed geometry, dynamic objects are compiled to vertex arrays using indexed geometry. The behaviour of AE is solely based on the performance characteristics of my phone (and the emulator), i.e. non-indexed geometry is prefered over indexed for static objects, because it's faster (should actually be the other way round like on the desktop, but it's not...). Dynamic objects use indexed geometry, because it decreases update time more than it hurts render time. VBOs are not used for dynamic objects, because it simply doesn't work in my phone that way. However, the difference between vertex arrays and VBOs as well as between indexed and non-indexed geometry on Android is pretty small. VBOs do speed up rendering on modern phones (like N1 or Galaxy S) by around 5-15%...nothing to get crazy about. It doesn't do anything for last generation chipsets like mine.
i went one step forward and merged moveable tiles into one. moving is not done always but once started it's performed every frame for a while. i do movement by translating vertices via VertexController. even that performed much better than many single objects with lazy transformations.


Nine Torulaspora delbrueckii yeast strains, a commercial T. delbrueckii strain and a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain were used in the production of small?scale Chenin blanc and Pinotage vinifications. The fermentations were carried out at 15°C and 24°C respectively. Four T. delbrueckii yeasts were used as single inoculants, while the remainder were inoculated sequentially. The commercial S. cerevisiae yeast strains were added at zero, 24 and 48 hours after the T. delbrueckii strain. The wines were evaluated chemically and sensorially and the data was analysed statistically. The results for the white wine vinification trial showed that two T. delbrueckii treatments could produce novel wines, either on their own or as a component of co?inoculated fermentations. These compared well with, and even exceeded, the quality of wine produced by the S. cerevisiae reference treatment regarding chemical composition and overall sensory quality. One T. delbrueckii strain showed its robustness by being re-isolated from the yeast lees at the end of fermentation. The red wine vinifications were less conclusive, and no distinctive T. delbrueckii "fingerprint" was observed in the chemical and sensory data, neither was a pattern observed regarding the different inoculation times.


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WKF2019
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WKF Busan: Korea Should Groom Maritime Finance Sector, Ease Regulations
South Korea should develop Busan, the country's major port city on the south coast, into a maritime finance cluster and ease regulations on the financial, especially fintech, services to vie for the next Hong Kong as Asia's financial hub, experts from academia suggested during the 2020 World Knowledge Forum Busan on Monday. The country must create a maritime finance ecosystem first to make Busan as the next financial hub of Asia, and the first step should be establishing a state bank for maritime finance services, Tony Michell, public policy professor of state think-tank Korea Development Institute, recommended at the 2020 World Knowledge Forum held in Busan, hosted by Maekyung Media Group. Michell, who joined the annual business forum as a speaker to share his insights into a move in Asia's financial center of gravity following the recent political changes in Hong Kong, suggested Busan first transforms into a maritime finance hub that can provide comprehensive finance services for the maritime industry. He stressed Busan needs to attract maritime companies domiciled in Hong Kong to become the next Asia's financial hub, and the best way to achieve its goal is by becoming a city where companies can get one-stop financial services for their maritime business needs. As a first step of setting such environment in Busan, Michell recommended on establishing a state bank specializing in maritime finance services in Busan. In a separate session on strategies to promote Korea as Asia's finance hub, Jung Yoo-shin, Sogang University Business School professor, called for changes in the country's finance system and relaxing regulations, including launching a regulatory sandbox, encouraging fintech's growth and supporting digitalization in the finance sector. A regulatory sandbox refers to a framework that allows businesses to experiment new services in controlled environment under a regulator's supervision. It often involves temporary exemption or deferral of regulatory rules to promote innovation. "At a time when Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney and Taiwan are fiercely vying for Asia's financial hub, it is a must for South Korean to come up with regulatory innovation to compete against the global rivals," said Professor Jung. By Special reporting team (Kim Myoung-soo et al.) and Cho Jeehyun [Photo by Kim Ho-young][ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
WKF: Tobacco Companies Must Use Science to Reduce Harms of Smoking
Tobacco companies should take advantage of technology and innovation to provide better alternatives or less harmful products to smokers to allow countries to realistically end the sale of cigarettes within 10 to 15 years, said Andre Calantzopoulos, chief executive of Philip Morris International (PMI). "There are many human activities that are harmful – such as cigarette smoking – that science and scientific knowledge can, and are, helping to find solutions to reduce the harms they cause," he said, in a virtual session on "How knowledge can help achieving a smoke-free future" at The 21st World Knowledge Forum on Friday. The CEO noted examples such as how the impact of climate change has made sustainability a key focus for governments and businesses and how fossil fuels are being phased out in favor of renewable energy. Automakers have also been shifting focus from gasoline to electric vehicles. "Tobacco and nicotine should also be part of this global conversation," Calantzopoulos said. From such perspective, his company has been dedicating efforts to reduce the harm caused by cigarette smoking as there will be about the same number of smokers around the world in 2025 as today, according to the projection of the World Health Organization. "Today, we have the science, the technology, and the innovation that allow us to provide better alternatives to those who would otherwise continue smoking," he said. "Cigarettes, a product that remained virtually unchanged for almost two centuries, can now be replaced by innovative, less harmful products." Calantzopoulos noted that eliminating burning is most promising way to offer a less harmful alternative and "scientifically substantiated e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products do not burn tobacco but heat a liquid or a tobacco rod below combustion temperatures." The CEO mentioned how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently authorized the sale and marketing of PMI's IQOS tobacco heating system as a modified risk tobacco product based on "review of the extensive scientific evidence package PMI submitted to the FDA." "When properly regulated and subject to quality controls, they are much better options than cigarettes for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke," he said. Calantzopoulos anticipated that many countries could realistically end the sale of cigarettes within 10 to 15 years "with the right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society." By Lee Eun-joo[Photo by Kim Jae-hoon][ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
WKF: Clear Focus and Commitment to Talent are Recipes for Startup Success: Silicon Valley Gurus
Sharpening your focus and recruiting top talent are critical for building successful startups, Silicon Valley mentors advised. "The biggest mistake I found in a lot of startups is a lack of focus," Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix, said in a virtual session for startup entrepreneurs at the World Knowledge Forum in Seoul on Friday. "Everything is on fire in a startup, crying out for help, and you don't have the bandwidth to handle it all," he said. "You have to triage. Pick two or three things that are the most important. It may be hard to close your eyes to what's burning all around you but you have to focus." He was joined online by Jon McNeill, Lululemon board member and former Tesla president, who stressed the importance of finding the right talent. "There is no substitute for talent in business," he said, adding that he would sometimes devote 40 to 50 percent of his time on recruitment. "Find the person who is the best in the field. Network like crazy." Both Randolph and McNeill admitted they had never tried to start a company on their own and highlighted the importance of working as a team. "The job is so lonely to begin with so it's critical to have a partner who can do half of the heavy lifting and with whom you can bounce ideas off of," Randolph said. "There are times when you run out of gas and need to feed off of someone else's energy," McNeill agreed, adding that the most difficult thing about the current pandemic was not being able to be in a room with others physically and tap into that positive energy. They both acknowledged that there are vastly more material and financial resources for today's would-be entrepreneurs, making it easier and faster for today's startups to get their ideas off the ground. "Back then, we had to build everything from scratch and the path from having an idea to validating that idea was long and expensive," Randolph said. "Now, the tech stack is so good and the process of validation a lot faster and cheaper, which has freed up people to focus more on their primary ideas." While money has also become more readily available, it has come with its own set of problems. Randolph bemoaned the current culture that has "glorified" the world of entrepreneurship and said so many entrepreneurs were getting in for the wrong reason. "I want people to go in here because they want to solve problems, not because they're looking for some path to fame and fortune," he said. Randolph advised Korean startups to start thinking about going global early on and likened the process to riding a bicycle downhill on a rugged trail. "You have to look right in front of you to avoid the bumps and obstacles but periodically have to lift your head up and look far ahead to see where you're going," he said. "Likewise, you have to focus on getting it right in the local market, working out the business and the product. But if you're not looking out internationally, you'll be unprepared to scale beyond your borders." Many successful entrepreneurs tend to have a predisposition to action, Randolph noted, and advised people to "do more and think less." "If you have an idea, do something, build something, test something. You learn more doing it in one day than six months thinking about it," he said. McNeill advised aspiring entrepreneurs to gather as many people when building a startup as it could be one of the loneliest jobs in the world. "Find mentors and peers you can trust. It will make the journey a lot more enjoyable." By Kim Hyo-jin[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
WKF: Equal Access is Another Hurdle to COVID-19 Solution After Vaccine Development
Multinational efforts are ongoing to develop effective jabs against COVID-19 that already killed nearly 1 million people around the world, but the development of a vaccine alone will not end this global crisis due to multiple challenging issues concerning supplies, mutations and origin of the virus, experts said. "Even though many wealthy governments are negotiating bilateral deals with individual vaccine manufacturers, there is no guarantee that they will ultimately be able to get them for their citizens and we need billions of doses, making them available to people in every corner of the globe," Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance as he joined the World Knowledge Forum online debate in Seoul Friday. Dr. Berkley called for a global approach like COVAX, an initiative co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), aiming at ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines across the world once the vaccines become available. Another critical aspect of this initiative is its full support for speedy vaccine development given the mounting death tolls and an economic impact that costs $500 billion every month. Unlike a normal 10-year vaccine development program, COVAX is trying to complete development within an 18-month timeframe through sequential trials and incentives to manufacturers with an initial aim of having 2 billion doses by the end of 2021, which he believes should be enough to protect high-risk and vulnerable people, as well as frontline health workers. Dr. Jerome H. Kim, Director-General of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), echoed the initiative's equity and access in vaccine distribution, citing that "13 years after a rotavirus vaccine was approved by the U.S. FDA and 11 years after the WHO's recommendation, less than 40 percent of children receive necessary three doses." Safety is another hurdle for vaccine developers. "There is no silver bullet in solving this problem. There are many variables to be considered in the real-world," said Dr. Kim, raising five questions about COVID-19 vaccine development, including whether natural COVID infection can prevent re-infection, whether we will need seasonal COVID vaccines and whether animal models are predictive. He said it will be never easy to get back to the "old normal", adding "longer and formal monitoring for safety will be necessary" although shortening the clinical trial period can preserve efficacy. Dr. Xiang-Jin Meng, Distinguished Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, focused on addressing the root cause of this pandemic with an animal origin, warning a new zoonosis will occur in the future without concentrating on its cause properly as we witnessed H1N1, SARS, Ebola, MERS and now COVID cases. A zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from animals to humans. More research will be needed to better understand whether the coronavirus came from a bat or a pangolin, said Dr. Meng, adding animal pathogens have infected humans due to deforestation, climate change, poaching, backyard farming, intensive farming practice and wildlife market to name a few. By Minu Kim[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
WKF: Lack of Leadership Poses Greater Danger to The World Than Virus: Jack Ma
The world is in urgent need to find "new leadership" to encourage people and countries around the world to "work and unite together," said Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group and Jack Ma Foundation. Although he believes the world has the capability to overcome this crisis as in the past, the "lack of new leadership and global solidarity" poses more serious problems for the global society than Covid-19, Ma said during a talk with Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations on Friday at the 21st World Knowledge Forum in Seoul. Ma founded Alibaba Group in 1999 and has grown the business into one of the world's largest technology giants focused on e-commerce, retail and internet with its value reaching estimated $700 billion. He has devoted himself to philanthropy through his foundation from last year. The world should "unite together and work together" to fight the war against poverty, disease and environment destruction, Ma urged. In order to do so, "we need leadership more than anytime" that can guide us how to solve the world problems and what we should do together and unite each other, he said. Ban agreed by saying that "no single country, however powerful, cannot do it alone." When Ban raised the roles of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Climate Agreement are important guidelines and framework for the world to work together, Ma sighed "we have all the resources but do not use them efficiently because we don't have leadership." The pandemic is an opportunity to unite and help each other, Ma said while emphasizing the need to have "education, women leadership and entrepreneurship" to solve global problems and make progress in achieving the goals. Ma advised young entrepreneurs "believe in future, believe today is a great time to start business, and find a good team to work together." He also stressed the importance of "starting from small" no matter how big the dream is. He said he believes the "digital economy" will "empower young people, developing countries and small companies," so we have to move fast to make sure every business, school and country can be digitized. The virtual world enabled by technology after Covid-19 would be more efficient, but without a "new leadership," the world would be set apart and it will be "disturbing," as we still need the real world, he said. As a philanthropist leading Jack Ma Foundation, he said philanthropy is "not about giving money but about encouraging people to take actions." It takes time and action, rather than money, for global leaders to wake up people and put heart in addressing global issues to bring changes, he added. By Choi Mira[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
at the head
last at the back
World Knowledge Forum Secretariat
Maekyung Media Center, 190, Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 04627
Tel : +82-2-2000-2411~8Fax : +82-2-2000-2419
E-mail : ask@wkforum.org / knowledge@mk.co.kr
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Critical care science is about caring for patients who are critically ill.
As a healthcare scientist specialising in critical care, you have an expert knowledge of physiology and technology and the role they play in critical care.
As a healthcare scientist specialising in critical care, you'll work as part of a multi-professional team delivering care to critically ill patients.
You'll provide scientific expertise across several areas and be responsible for a range of life support monitoring and therapeutic systems. To do this, you'll need specialist knowledge and understanding of relevant and up-to-date clinical, scientific and technical principles and practice and their application to broad areas of patient care (including complex and often non-routine intervention).
providing software and hardware support for electronic patient databases in critical care; areas providing scientific support for the transfer and transport of critically ill and anaesthetised patients.
clinically evaluating new critical care technologies and managing their introduction into clinical use.
You will work as part of a team that includes doctors specialising in intensive care medicine, nurses, medical engineers and healthcare science staff working in renal technology.
Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales. This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and the most senior managers. Trainee clinical scientists train at band 6 level, and qualified clinical scientists are generally appointed at band 7. With experience and further qualifications, you could apply for posts up to band 9.
Healthcare science staff often work at the forefront of research and innovation, so that patients are continually receiving the very best healthcare. For example, in critical care science, you might be involved in evaluating the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of lung conditions.
For the STP there is an annual recruitment cycle. Applications usually open in early January for the intake in the following autumn and should be made through the National School of Healthcare Science's website, where you can also find information about the programme and the recruitment process.
You may also find suitable vacancies in the health sector by contacting local employers directly and searching in local newspapers.


After one week in the Maldivian paradise, we went back to Sri Lanka because we had one more chapter to discover – the amazing beaches!
Even though weather is pretty tricky on the south-west coast in summer time, we decided to take the risk and headed to the most popular beach area in the island – Unawatuna.
I have to say it was a very lucky choice since we caught sunny and hot weather with a pleasant ocean breeze all the time. We still enjoyed some short tropical rains and by short I mean literally 5 minutes rain followed by shinny sun and clear blue sky. Are we lucky or what?
Our hotel choice for this area was KK Beach and I can definitely say that we moved from one paradise to another. This time we had empty golden beaches at our disposal and Instagrammable coconut trees!
KK Beach is a 5 stars hotel located in Habaraduwa, Sri Lanka that offers luxury rooms and suites with stunning views of the ocean. The hotel opened its door in mid December 2016 with ten stunning rooms, all offering amazing ocean view, and decided to expand at the end of 2017 with a whole new wing, adding 4 luxurious penthouse suites to die for.
I loved the modern architecture and design of the building and most of all the fact that the hotel only offers ocean view rooms and suites with large windows and balconies.
But what I really appreciated at KK Beach is that all the artwork in the hotel has been commissioned from Sri Lankan artists, giving them an opportunity to showcase their talents and sell paintings. Long story short, if you like the painting in your room, for a fair price, you can put it in your luggage and take it home with you!
PS: This also adds a traditional touch to this modern and luxurious hotel.
I was impressed by the size of the suite which was composed by a living area & dressing, a huge bathroom with a beautiful bathtub in the middle that you are going to love for sure, the blue and white stylish bedroom and a large terrace with sun loungers included.
If I have to choose my favorite moment from our stay at KK Beach Hotel (although a very hard decision), I think I loved the most waking up and lying in bed with my boyfriend while hearing the sound of the ocean and looking at the coconut trees between the curtains.
Also, I would have stayed on the terrace the whole day without hesitation, one can simply not be bored with that amazing view!
Well, I was looking forward to tell you about my favorite morning in Sri Lanka. The moment we stepped into our ocean front terrace, I knew that this was the perfect place to spoil ourselves the next morning. This is why we talked to the lovely staff at KK Beach and arranged a breakfast on the terrace which we will sure remember for a long time.
But the view wasn't the only great part, the food was delicious!! Fried eggs with bacon for me, eggs benedict for my boyfriend, slightly salted butter with warm bread, yummy and stylish fruit platter, coffee and, of course, tea because we are in the Old Ceylon, right? I say, hell yes! Bring me all those goodies as soon as possible!
Don't get me wrong, I cannot complain about the regular breakfast either and by regular I mean that one taken at the restaurant by the pool. The view is stunning either way and the goodies remain the same. You also have yoghurt and cereals at your disposal.
PS: Sri Lankan traditional breakfast is also available if you order it in advance the evening before.
Breakfast is not the only meal you should take at KK Beach because lunch & dinner menu is yummy as well. A big plus for all the healthy choices to make which include delicious salads – we tried the one with grilled fish and the one with smoked chicken and we were amazed by them.
If you are really hungry, I recommend trying the club sandwich!
In the evenings on Sundays, KK Beach offers Thai cuisines, Mondays & Fridays seafood barbecue, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays a three course set menu and on Wednesdays they host a traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry buffet.
PS: I have to mention how careful and helpful the staff at KK Beach were with us all the time and thank them for that!
As you can easily imagine, the pool area is a strong point of the property and we loved spending time there to swim and exercise a little or just to relax, read a book and eat some fresh fruit.
I loved the design of the pool which was not the typical one: 20 meters long infinity edged swimming pool surrounded by Instagrammable coconut trees. Need I say more?
PS: One of our best swims was late at night when no one was around: chilly ocean breeze and warm pool water – the best combination!.
As I said above, KK Beach is an ocean front hotel facing Koggala Beach which means gorgeous empty beach at your disposal. Add the cute coconut trees and you get the perfect golden beach to enjoy.
The ocean was pretty mad when we were there with crazy waves which stopped us from swimming far away, but the good news is that KK Beach always has guards to watch over you in order to feel safe.
Those mad waves made us miss surfing and we discovered there are many places nearby where you can practice or even learn this watersport. Even though we had experienced it before in Bali, we took an instructor and jumped on the board again! It felt so good to hit the waves one more time!
– There are many activities in the area and you should try as much as you can. I already told you about surfing, but you can also go for snorkeling, scuba diving, bike rides through the rice fields, canoe trips, whale watching, deep sea fishing, cultural tours or boat trips on Kogalla Lake.
– Dalawella Beach – This is for sure one place you need to put on your list while visiting the area. Being just 4 km away from KK Beach, this place allows you to swing over the ocean and that looks and feels a lot like freedom. You also have a very good restaurant here with the best pizza ever (even better than in some parts in Italy). The restaurant is called Wijaya Beach and you should give it a try.
PS: After the failed attempt of eating sushi in Ella, we tried it for the second time on the south coast in a restaurant that we found on our way to Mirissa. I have to advise you not to try sushi in Sri Lanka because you will be disappointed as we were: they do not use fresh fish, but canned tuna and the sushi is basic and taste the same no matter the ingredients.
KK Beach is located in Habaraduwa, Sri Lanka, 20 minutes away from Galle, 2 hours from Colombo and approximately 2 hours and a half from Colombo Airport.
You can either arrive by car, by train or by bus, the hotel being situated just a few minutes away from Habaraduwa Railway and Bus Station.
That being said, this was our adventure on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka and we are so happy that we chose the best hotel in the area. If we ever go back to Sri Lanka, we will sure pick KK Beach again for the loveliest stay and so should you!
*To book a stay, click HERE!


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All I have to say is there are very few T.V. ads that I don't find annoying. Most are designed to be funny but are not and they practically hit you over the head with their message. I'm not a huge fan of any type of advertising, but with social media it seems to be a little more subtle. At least you're not getting all five senses bombarded, well maybe not smell, but now that I think about it some T.V. ads do smell. I'm an old grump I knwo, but that's how I feel.


text:
Last Update 16:9
New CIA chief in Ankara on first foreign visit
AFP , Thursday 9 Feb 2017
In this Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 file photo, CIA Director-designate Rep. Michael Pompeo, R-Kan. testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee (Photo: AP)
New CIA chief Mike Pompeo arrived in Ankara on Thursday for talks with Turkish officials, on his first foreign visit since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
His visit came two days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Trump for the first time in his White House term, agreeing to work together in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria.
He is due to meet Erdogan and Turkish spy agency chief Hakan Fidan, NTV television reported, after the two presidents on Tuesday held their first phone call since Trump took office last month.
Pompeo is to discuss the Syria conflict, in particular Turkey's operation against IS in the town of Al-Bab and a possible plan to capture the group's de-facto capital Raqa, NTV said.
Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Wednesday that discussions were under way with the US over efforts to retake Raqa from IS, with Trump giving a "positive" response to Turkish plans.
On the same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu raised the prospect of Turkish special forces' involvement in any Raqa operation after recapturing Al-Bab.
According to Hurriyet daily's well-connected columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, when Erdogan raised the issue of the fight against IS and the Syrian Kurdish militia, Trump said: "I am sending the CIA chief, you can speak with him in detail."
Turkey is hoping for better relations with the new US administration, after the relationship with Barack Obama was marked by disappointment and anger.
The NATO allies have seen relations strained over Washington's support for Syrian Kurdish militia, whom Washington views as the most effective fighting force against IS.
But Ankara sees the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG), as terror groups linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Pompeo is also likely to discuss the status of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara blames for July's failed coup against Erdogan. Gulen denies the charges.
Turkey has repeatedly asked the US to extradite Gulen, who has been living in self-imposed exile there since 1999. But the Obama administration said a possibly slow legal process should take its course.
Binali Yildirim
Mevlut Cavusoglu
16:04 Live score: Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa (English Premier League)
14:12 Bayern Munich fans accuse club of turning blind eye to Qatar
13:58 UK expands Hezbollah asset freeze, targets entire organisation
13:57 Ghosn lawyers rebut new Nissan claims against fugitive exec
13:19 Egyptian Premier League fixtures (14th matchday)


text:
Pool of Radiance: The Great Outdoors
Tip: Your Level 6 party will not slay a silver dragon.
The game world in Pool of Radiance is much larger than I remembered. I had forgotten about the outdoor area entirely until I took a boat from Phlan to the north part of the city to deal with the graveyard and Temple of Bane. Apparently, I could have left the city at any point after clearing Sokol Keep.
Moving around the outdoor map is done from an isometric viewpoint--the only time in the game, other than combat, that you see your party top-down. They somehow acquire horses the moment you step outside. The boundaries are somewhat arbitrary, but the coordinates go from 2,2 in the northwest to 41,29 in the southeast, suggesting a total map area of 1,053 squares (although some of these are blocked by water).
And I was determined to explore every one.
When I left town, I knew of three things I needed to find and do in the outdoor map: stop the kobolds from joining the enemy, find the source of the river's pollution, and stop the nomads from joining the enemy. But I wasn't sure where to find any of these things except a vague idea that I should probably investigate the large pyramid upriver. Still, paranoid that I'd miss some vital encounter on the north side of the Moonsea, I went as far east as the map would allow me, and started methodically traveling north and south, looking for anything interesting.
What I found were random encounters. Lots of them. And with enemies that I haven't encountered anywhere in the game so far: driders, wyverns, phase spiders, stirges, tigers, centaurs, nomads, displacer beasts, thri-keens. Many of them poison, which absolutely sucks in this game, because you have to hustle back to town and neutralize the party member to revive him. I generally find that the same strategies that work in town (e.g., being abusive to kobolds) just instigate fights here. Of course, you can't parlay with non-sentient creatures. I find that "flee" hardly ever works.
Fighting wyverns around stumps and logs.
Outdoor combat differs a little from indoor combat. First, you tend to start far away from your enemy. This is great if your enemies are melee fighters and need to come to you, but bad if they're spellcasters and missile fighters, and you need to trek to them. It can take two rounds just to get next to your foe. Second, there are a lot more terrain features in the outdoor map--logs, stumps, felled trees, shrubs, rivers--and you can use these to your advantage to protect certain party members or funnel your enemy to a particular position.
Fireball comes in handy outdoors as well as indoors.
In the exploration pattern I followed, the first fixed encounter that I came across was a ruined castle surrounded by a drawbridge. Immediately upon entering, I was greeted with an "anti-magic shell," and I was grateful I had multi-classed my spellcasters as fighters. Inside, I found a host of lizardmen and giant lizards, and something tickled my memory saying that I wanted to do something else before I explored here, so I kept going.
High in the mountains, I entered the cave of a silver dragon, and I chose the option to "challenge the evil leader of Old Phlan." The dragon responded with the screen at the top of this posting, at which point I apologized. The dragon accepted my apology and gave me this:
Bollocks. I knew I did the cemetery out of order. Continuing on, I came to a "small, dark cave" that turned out to be occupied by two wyverns and a little bit of treasure. Near that was a camp of nomads.
They turned out to be friendly chaps who threw me a party before asking my help defeating marauding bands of kobolds. The three battles that followed were embarrassingly easy, and at the end, the nomads promised not to join Tyranthraxus.
I agreed, and he said he was leading me to the treasure chamber, but he actually led me to the location of a wyvern, which he expected to kill me. Unfortunately for him, I had already dispatched the wyvern. He lasted only moments longer.
I tracked down the kobolds themselves to a cave to the southeast. There, I fought a series of epic battles that left the kobold king and two of Tyranthraxus's envoys dead. I videoed all 25 minutes of it, but I'm going to make you wait for that until tomorrow, when I post again about turn-based tactical combat.
It's worth noting that by this point, I've stopped bothering to pick up coins. I only take jewels and gems, and even those I'll probably never cash in. I'm far too overloaded with wealth.
I could have returned to Phlan at this point and gotten a nice reward, but I figured I'd clear up the third of my outstanding quests, and I headed upriver from Phlan to the location of an odd pyramid--the likely source of the Barren River's pollution. The nomad king had referred to it as a "Pyramid of Evil."
The pyramid was one of the most difficult levels so far in the game, partly because of the tough encounters with high-level fighters, lizard men, driders, displacer beasts, and other creatures, and partly because it was composed of a series of teleporters that made mapping difficult (there were also no coordinates and no area maps). This message was frequent:
The secret was that each teleporter had two potential destinations, and I just had to map everything methodically.
Destroying the river's pollution.
I had to translate some dwarven runes (this game really gets a lot of mileage out of the codewheel) to get the password to the inner keep: NOKNOK. There, I found the mad sorcerer Yarash, who has apparently been experimenting on lizardmen in an attempt to create a sahuagin.
He wasn't hard to kill, and a search of his papers afterwards showed that Tyranthraxus had tried to force Yarash to join his forces, but Yarash refused and swore to "send an army of unstoppable aquatic creations down the Barren River and sink your precious castle" if Tyrantraxus bothered him again. Other notes indicated Yarash was aware of the silver dragon to the northwest and the kobolds to the east.
In another room, I freed some lizardmen who, in gratitude, gave me a password should I encounter other lizardmen. It translated as SAVIOR. I'll head back to their castle later and try it out.
As I left the pyramid, the effects of my environmental crusade were immediate:
What was kind of neat, too, was that back in Phlan, a message on a square next to the river which had previously said, "You walk near the polluted Barren River" now says, "You walk near the beautiful Stojanow River." I guess fixing the pollution problem not only cleaned up the river, but changed its name!
I got my three rewards from the clerk and was, of course, given three new quests:
Lizardmen are preparing to join the enemy. I need to stop this. That one should be easy.
The "heir to the house of Bivant" needs to be rescued. She doesn't say from whom. I'm not really sure where to find him.
The third quest came from my old friend Lord Cadorna, who wants me to deliver a message to a Zhentil Keep outpost to the west.
Lord Cadorna assumes I've never read Hamlet.
As I close up for the day, Octavianus is a Level 7 fighter--he only gets one more. Karnov is Level 6 in both fighter and thief, so he has a little ways to go in both (thieves max at 9). Zink has hit his level cap as a cleric (5) and is a Level 6 fighter. Lame Brain and Duskfire are both Level 6 fighters and Level 5 mages--they get one more mage level. Koren, as I said last time, is maxed as a Level 6 cleric. My best weapon is a bastard sword +3, and my best armor is leather +4. I've got quite a large selection of wands and scrolls.
Again, big kobold battle coming tomorrow. I think I'm getting fairly close to the end.
Labels: Pool of Radiance
Sin June 8, 2011 at 2:41 AM
With all that wealth, I would guess PoL will score pretty low for economics in the GIMLET.
Reading the postings has me itching to play PoL again, but I've already got a huge backlog of games.
CRPG Addict June 8, 2011 at 4:10 AM
Yeah, that's one aspect of the game I don't love. Nothing to buy. You need money for training and healing, but you have more than enough after your first reward from the clerk.
PetrusOctavianus June 8, 2011 at 5:27 AM
The outdoors combat in the Gold Box games can be a bit of a chore due to large distances and lots of stuff that block your line of sight, which makes targeting harder. And Fireball has a smaller AOE outdoors. :-(
I explored the wilderness methodically first time I played, but now I role play it more. My party figures that the nomads will most likely be found in grassland or steppe area, so we explore that quite methodically, avoiding forests, hills and mountains, and find the Nomad Camp relatively soon, and sight the Pyramid as we explore along the river. Once we find the Nomad Camp we get directions to the Kobold Caves, and from then on locations you need to visit are not a problem to find.
I find that if I explore everything the party will max out their levels too soon and the last few places you need to vist on the overland map becomes too easy.
Yes, money becomes ridiculosuly abundant, so as long as my party is not out in the wilderness I prefer to do as much healing as possible in the temples, again for role playing reasons, as I assume an adventurer party will want to finish their quests as soon as possible, and not risk another adventurer party stealing their thunder while they spend months sleeping and healing.
Stu June 8, 2011 at 6:46 AM
you did quite a few things our of order but the game is not so linear that it forces that option on you which is fantastic.
ProphetSword June 8, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Stu is right. The game is so non-linear that you could essentially head straight for the end-game at this point if you wanted to and skip everything else and still win (I had a few things undone when I won it last time).
Knowing how much you like to explore everything, though, I doubt that will happen. Lucky for us, then, eh?
JJ June 8, 2011 at 9:10 AM
Stu and ProphetSword are correct. The game is progressively non-linear. When you start, the slums is the only place you can go, but by the time the party moves to overland, you can go anyplace. I usually do the Pyramid first as it is easy to find and gives you the clue to finish the Lizardmen quest.
PetrusOctavianus is right. Fireball has a smaller AOE outdoors which is a pain when fighting a horde and all cannot fit into said AOE.
CRPG Addict - yes Cadorna is a jerk who has not read Hamlet himself, nor has he read the histories of such men as Vikdun Quisling, Pierre Laval or Alcidiabes and others.
The Economy does get more unbalanced as the game goes on. I do not know how many times I have dropped loads of coins in the streets of Phlan just to recover speed. I know it sounds like a drug deal, but the characters are bulging with cash.
PetrusOctavianus June 8, 2011 at 10:06 AM
The main problem with the economy is twofold:
1. XP is tied to treasure, instead of quest experience. The IE games did this right, and it is also faithful the the pen and paper rules
2. The monetary gains form killing creatures, especialy giants, follow the pen and paper rules, but since it is a computer game which at heart is a combat simulator you end up killing much larger numbers of giants than you would in a pen and paper module.
Georges June 8, 2011 at 10:16 AM
Yes, I got used to the RCMR (rest, cast, memorize, rest) but the economy is really bad.
- "Thanks for saving our village, o heroes. We've painfully collected all the little wealth we have : take these 9000 gold pieces as a reward for your courage."
- "Oh, yeah, thanks. You can dump it in that sewer, over there..."
Also, in my game the code word for the lizardmen was "Savior", not "Friend"... (I'm playing dosbox, as you?)
Macnol June 8, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Perhaps it's randomized with each new game, thus making sure you don't simply skip the part of the game where you're given the password? That would be a neat feature at the time.
That's what I was wondering...
CRPG Addict June 8, 2011 at 1:35 PM
Georges, it was SAVIOR for me, too. Duly corrected above. I had FRIEND on my mind because it had been the most recent copy protect answer.
It is vaguely fun to imagine my party members walking down the street, dropping loads of platinum pieces from their pockets.
Sean June 8, 2011 at 7:03 PM
The bit about dropping coins everywhere is my single biggest gripe about this game. I like that it lets me reminisce about playing a tabletop game and also that you play random adventurer nobodies instead of small gods... but it's harder to justify (from an RP standpoint) why they're littering the plains with mounds of coins. Maybe they're like Scrooge McDuck and want to swim through pools of coins...
Macnol June 8, 2011 at 7:39 PM
That reminds me of a good old staple of this genre: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoneySpider
How does PoR fare in this regard? Do the item and monetary rewards from random monsters match up nicely to the creatures that drop them, or do you remember any ridiculous examples to mention?
It's funny -- I never played the Goldbox games, but I did play (and build modules with) Unlimited Adventures. There, the outdoors exploration was handled by a single, non-scrolling, quite small map. It always struck me as incredibly lame. Now I'm stunned to discover the Goldbox games, which predated and provided the core engine for FRUA, had large, scrolling maps. What the hell? Is there an explanation here?
Macnol, the game does a good job with that, at least. Creatures that would not be expected to have gold or items do not have them.
Canageek June 11, 2011 at 3:33 AM
Wait, Zhentil Keep? As I recall those are some of the big evil guys in the FR. I think I found your bad guy! Hint: Lawful Good characters don't normally invite the evil wizards over for tea & crumpets.
JR September 14, 2015 at 9:45 AM
Could it be that the Nomad camp does not work anymore if one has done the Kobold cave before? I found the Kobold cave first, freed the Princess and cleared the Kobold mission. Now while I am greeted and given a party by the Nomads, no Kobold attack is triggered.
Apparently, if one does the Kobold caves before meeting the Nomads there is not attack in the Nomad camp. Neither a reward from the Nomad chieftain. But I received the reward from the Phlan council for keeping the Nomads on our side.
It's really amazing (and somewhat depressing when considering the sequels) that PoR is among the best of all the Gold Box games in such "conditional" encounters.
CRPG Addict September 15, 2015 at 6:12 PM
See, this is what I'm talking about. No Gold Box game since POR even comes close to this level of encounter and role-playing depth, let alone conditional encounters. Why was the first one so special in this regard? Just because they had more time to develop it?
PetrusOctavianus September 15, 2015 at 7:15 PM
I guess it was due to PoR being designed by TSR's designers, while subsequent games were developed in-house.
But still, you'd think that once they had the engine up and running, they would have had more time to polish the design of the post PoR games.
Kenny McCormick September 15, 2015 at 11:14 PM
Nah. It's not about polish but more about experience. Those guys in TSR were experts in what they were doing, what with dealing with players who were way too creative in tournaments. For them, writing up alternative scenarios and branching out plots in a way more contained environment than table-top RPGs would be mere child's play.
Now, comparing professional Dungeon Masters who had years of experience in not being blindsided, developers from SSI were like enthusiastic teens writing up their first few modules for their junior high school friends; always having to think of something on the fly or coming up with deus-ex-machina to restrict their players.
So, it's not that they don't have the time, they just never thought of it and... well, there ain't no DLCs back in the early 90s.
Kish March 4, 2016 at 10:04 PM
Indeed, in the kobold cave you can find a map leading to the nomad camp, and indicating they're planning to attack there imminently.
Zenic Reverie April 7, 2016 at 9:32 PM
Just to note here, the NES version doesn't care if the kobold caves are cleared first, the nomad encounter occurs just the same with three waves of kobolds (pitifully easy at this level).
More differences and musing of the NES version:
1) The more random locations were removed (no small wooded grove for me).
2) No dwarven runes to translate, just find the correct teleporter to Yarash
3) I freed the lizardmen, but did not get their password. Possibly due to already clearing out the lizardmen keep. More likely it's just not in this version.
Pool of Radiance: The Story Begins
Game Listings
Pool of Radiance: First Expedition
Pool of Radiance: Heroes!
Pool of Radiance: Combat
Pool of Radiance: Clearing the City
Pool of Radiance: Holy and Unholy
Turn-Based vs. Real-Time Combat
Pool of Radiance: Cleaning Up for the Show
Pool of Radiance: Won!
Pool of Radiance: Final Rating
Game 58: Questron II (1988)
Questron: 2
Questron II: Massacre
Questron II: Won!
Questron II: Final Rating
Game 59: Scavengers of the Mutant World (1988)
Scavengers of the Mutant World: Flying Fish and La...
Well, I Don't Know What I Expected
Scavengers of the Mutant World: Still Scavenging
Hey, Everybody


Stronger cross-border economic and financial integration implies that macroeconomic shocks in one country are increasingly likely to spill over into other economies. This is particularly true in national financial markets, where developments increasingly reflect common underlying factors, as shown in the special chapter of the latest OECD Economic Outlook. Thus, a change in risk sentiment in a major market, such as the United States, may spread quickly to other markets, with implications for activity and economic policy.
This is illustrated below, using simulations based on the global macro model NiGEM. The shock considered is a 1 percentage point rise for two years in the US equity risk premium – the compensation investors require for taking on more risk by investing in equities. To isolate financial transmission channels we assume that agents have adaptative expectations and exchange rates are fixed. By itself the shock is relatively modest, reducing US equity prices (relative to baseline) by around 10%. However, linkages between financial markets around the world mean that the shock spreads to other markets, to an increasing extent over time as the linkages deepen.
Two different scenarios are considered to reflect the change over time in the importance of global factors in the equity markets, as estimated in the OECD Economic Outlook 103. In a lower integration scenario, based on the strength of equity market linkages up to the mid-1990s, equity risk premia also rise by 60 basis points in the major advanced countries, and by 40 basis points elsewhere. In a higher integration scenario, reflecting the estimated strength of linkages over the past decade, equity risk premia rise by 80 basis points and 60 basis points, respectively.
GDP declines in all major economies in both scenarios, reflecting the impact of lower net wealth on household spending and the hit to investment from the higher cost of (equity) capital (Panel A in figure). The adverse effects are greater in the higher integration scenario, particularly in open economies where the importance of equity finance for investment is relatively high, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.
The impact of the shock and the cross-border spillovers would be larger still if they were not cushioned by monetary policy easing. Since, in NiGEM, central banks react to the deviation of inflation and nominal GDP from their target levels, the fall in GDP leads them to cut policy interest rates by around ¼ percentage point in the major advanced economies by the second year, and by around ½ percentage point in the United States (Panel B in figure).
In practice, there could be challenges for monetary policy if this type of shock, or a larger one, were to occur at a time when policy interest rates are very low. If monetary policy did not respond to the shock at all, the fall in GDP would be steeper by between one-quarter and one half relative to the case where shocks are cushioned by monetary easing.
Increased financial integration brings benefits including more efficient resource allocation, but it also strengthens cross-border shock transmission channels. This exposes countries to greater harm from negative shocks abroad increasing the need for stronger monetary and fiscal buffers.
 Allowing for flexible exchange rates would soften the effect of the shock on GDP over the short term in all countries but increase its persistence in most G20 emerging markets.


text:
#include "mumble_pch.hpp"

#include "ClientUser.h"

#include "Channel.h"
#include "Global.h"
#include "AudioOutput.h"

QHash<unsigned int, ClientUser *> ClientUser::c_qmUsers;
QReadWriteLock ClientUser::c_qrwlUsers;

QList<ClientUser *> ClientUser::c_qlTalking;
QReadWriteLock ClientUser::c_qrwlTalking;

ClientUser::ClientUser(QObject *p) : QObject(p),
		tsState(Settings::Passive),
		tLastTalkStateChange(false),
		bLocalIgnore(false),
		bLocalMute(false),
		fPowerMin(0.0f),
		fPowerMax(0.0f),
		fAverageAvailable(0.0f),
		iFrames(0),
		iSequence(0) {
}

ClientUser *ClientUser::get(unsigned int uiSession) {
	QReadLocker lock(&c_qrwlUsers);
	ClientUser *p = c_qmUsers.value(uiSession);
	return p;
}

QList<ClientUser *> ClientUser::getTalking() {
	QReadLocker lock(&c_qrwlTalking);
	return c_qlTalking;
}

QList<ClientUser *> ClientUser::getActive() {
	QReadLocker lock(&c_qrwlUsers);
	QList<ClientUser *> activeUsers;
	foreach(ClientUser *cu, c_qmUsers) {
		if (cu->isActive())
			activeUsers << cu;
	}
	return activeUsers;
}

bool ClientUser::isValid(unsigned int uiSession) {
	QReadLocker lock(&c_qrwlUsers);

	return c_qmUsers.contains(uiSession);
}

ClientUser *ClientUser::add(unsigned int uiSession, QObject *po) {
	QWriteLocker lock(&c_qrwlUsers);

	ClientUser *p = new ClientUser(po);
	p->uiSession = uiSession;
	c_qmUsers[uiSession] = p;
	return p;
}

ClientUser *ClientUser::match(const ClientUser *other, bool matchname) {
	QReadLocker lock(&c_qrwlUsers);

	ClientUser *p;
	foreach(p, c_qmUsers) {
		if (p == other)
			continue;
		if ((p->iId >= 0) && (p->iId == other->iId))
			return p;
		if (matchname && (p->qsName == other->qsName))
			return p;
	}
	return NULL;
}

void ClientUser::remove(unsigned int uiSession) {
	QWriteLocker lock(&c_qrwlUsers);
	ClientUser *p = c_qmUsers.take(uiSession);
	if (p) {
		if (p->cChannel)
			p->cChannel->removeUser(p);

		AudioOutputPtr ao = g.ao;
		if (ao)
			ao->removeBuffer(p);

		if (p->tsState != Settings::Passive) {
			QWriteLocker lock(&c_qrwlTalking);
			c_qlTalking.removeAll(p);
		}
	}
}

void ClientUser::remove(ClientUser *p) {
	remove(p->uiSession);
}

QString ClientUser::getFlagsString() const {
	QStringList flags;

	if (! qsFriendName.isEmpty())
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Friend");
	if (iId >= 0)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Authenticated");
	if (bPrioritySpeaker)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Priority speaker");
	if (bRecording)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Recording");
	if (bMute)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Muted (server)");
	if (bDeaf)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Deafened (server)");
	if (bLocalIgnore)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Local Ignore (Text messages)");
	if (bLocalMute)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Local Mute");
	if (bSelfMute)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Muted (self)");
	if (bSelfDeaf)
		flags << ClientUser::tr("Deafened (self)");

	return flags.join(QLatin1String(", "));
}

void ClientUser::setTalking(Settings::TalkState ts) {
	if (tsState == ts)
		return;

	bool nstate = false;
	if (ts == Settings::Passive)
		nstate = true;
	else if (tsState == Settings::Passive)
		nstate = true;

	tsState = ts;
	tLastTalkStateChange.restart();
	emit talkingChanged();

	if (nstate && cChannel) {
		QWriteLocker lock(&c_qrwlTalking);
		if (ts == Settings::Passive)
			c_qlTalking.removeAll(this);
		else
			c_qlTalking << this;
	}
}

void ClientUser::setMute(bool mute) {
	if (bMute == mute)
		return;
	bMute = mute;
	if (! bMute)
		bDeaf = false;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

void ClientUser::setSuppress(bool suppress) {
	if (bSuppress == suppress)
		return;
	bSuppress = suppress;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

void ClientUser::setLocalIgnore(bool ignore) {
	if (bLocalIgnore == ignore)
		return;
	bLocalIgnore = ignore;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

void ClientUser::setLocalMute(bool mute) {
	if (bLocalMute == mute)
		return;
	bLocalMute = mute;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

void ClientUser::setDeaf(bool deaf) {
	bDeaf = deaf;
	if (bDeaf)
		bMute = true;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

void ClientUser::setSelfMute(bool mute) {
	bSelfMute = mute;
	if (! mute)
		bSelfDeaf = false;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

void ClientUser::setSelfDeaf(bool deaf) {
	bSelfDeaf = deaf;
	if (deaf)
		bSelfMute = true;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

void ClientUser::setPrioritySpeaker(bool priority) {
	if (bPrioritySpeaker == priority)
		return;
	bPrioritySpeaker = priority;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

void ClientUser::setRecording(bool recording) {
	if (bRecording == recording)
		return;
	bRecording = recording;
	emit muteDeafChanged();
}

bool ClientUser::lessThanOverlay(const ClientUser *first, const ClientUser *second) {
	if (g.s.os.osSort == OverlaySettings::LastStateChange) {
		// Talkers above non-talkers
		if (first->tsState != Settings::Passive && second->tsState == Settings::Passive)
			return true;
		if (first->tsState == Settings::Passive && second->tsState != Settings::Passive)
			return false;

		// Valid time above invalid time (possible when there wasn't a state-change yet)
		if (first->tLastTalkStateChange.isStarted() && !second->tLastTalkStateChange.isStarted())
			return true;
		if (!first->tLastTalkStateChange.isStarted() && second->tLastTalkStateChange.isStarted())
			return false;

		// If both have a valid time
		if (first->tLastTalkStateChange.isStarted() && second->tLastTalkStateChange.isStarted()) {
			// Among talkers, long > short
			// (if two clients are talking, the client that started first is above the other)
			if (first->tsState != Settings::Passive && second->tsState != Settings::Passive)
				return first->tLastTalkStateChange > second->tLastTalkStateChange;

			// Among non-talkers, short -> long
			// (if two clients are passive, the client that most recently stopped talking is above)
			if (first->tsState == Settings::Passive && second->tsState == Settings::Passive)
				return first->tLastTalkStateChange < second->tLastTalkStateChange;
		}

		// If both times are invalid, fall back to alphabetically (continuing below)
	}

	if (first->cChannel == second->cChannel || first->cChannel == NULL || second->cChannel == NULL)
		return lessThan(first, second);

	// When sorting for the overlay always place the local users
	// channel above the others
	ClientUser *self = c_qmUsers.value(g.uiSession);
	if (self) {
		if (self->cChannel == first->cChannel)
			return true;
		else if (self->cChannel == second->cChannel)
			return false;
	}

	return Channel::lessThan(first->cChannel, second->cChannel);
}

void ClientUser::sortUsersOverlay(QList<ClientUser *> &list) {
	QReadLocker lock(&c_qrwlUsers);

	qSort(list.begin(), list.end(), ClientUser::lessThanOverlay);
}

bool ClientUser::isActive() {
	if (tsState != Settings::Passive)
		return true;

	if (!tLastTalkStateChange.isStarted())
		return false;

	return tLastTalkStateChange.elapsed() < g.s.os.uiActiveTime * 1000000U;
}

/* From Channel.h
 */
void Channel::addClientUser(ClientUser *p) {
	addUser(p);
	p->setParent(this);
}

QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &qds, const ClientUser::JitterRecord &jr) {
	qds << static_cast<qint8>(qBound(-128, jr.iSequence, 127));
	qds << static_cast<qint8>(qBound(-128, jr.iFrames, 127));
	qds << static_cast<quint32>(qMin(4294967295ULL, jr.uiElapsed));
	return qds;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
David Snow
Adventure / Travel, Everest Climbers, Leadership, Motivational / Inspirational, Motivational Speaker, Team Building
Travels from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
David Snow's speaking fee falls within range:
Check David Snow's Availability and Fee
Have you seen David speak? Leave a review.
Speaker Topics: Adventure / Travel, Everest Climbers, Leadership, Motivational / Inspirational, Motivational Speaker, Team Building
David Snow's Latest Tweets
David Snow Profile
Snow draws from his unique experiences and achievements to deliver memorable and relevant takeaways about defining and attaining success, effective leadership in dynamic environments and aligning your team to persist through any obstacle.
Snow is the rare combination of international adventurer and entrepreneur.
Snow is one of the select few who has successfully guided his teams to the top of the Seven Summits – the highest peak on each continent – and can directly speak to what it takes to get to the top.
From the heights of the Seven Summits to the peaks of business success, David Snows' global experiences as a mountaineering guide and entrepreneur have helped him master the skills of effective leadership, teamwork, communication and trust. By taking One Step Beyond and changing the way we approach our roles within our work and family environments we can persist through any challenge to achieve our own personal summits.
The rare combination of international adventurer and entrepreneur, David Snow is one of a handful of people in the world who has organized and lead teams to the Seven Summits—including two expeditions of Mt. Everest—and directed his passion for mountaineering to build a multimillion-dollar adventure travel company, leading the way for thousands of adventurers to realize their dreams.
He draws from his unique experiences and achievements to deliver memorable and relevant takeaways about defining and attaining success, effective leadership in dynamic environments and aligning your team to persist through any obstacle.
David Snow is one of the select few who has successfully guided his teams to the top of the Seven Summits – the highest peak on each continent – and can directly speak to what it takes to get to the top. But with every summit comes a valley, and David can show your audience what it looks like when you need to take each day one step at a time.
David Snow Speaking Videos
David Snow Everest Speaker Video
Bring David Snow to Speak Live at Your Event
David Snow's Speech Descriptions
One Step Beyond: Moving Beyond Complacency To Reach Peak Potential
In this special presentation, David weaves exciting true story (complete with pictures and videos) with important business lessons learned through his failures in both the corporate world and mountaintop adventures. Your audience will discover:
* What a "right rope team" is and why it's essential to have in every aspect of their lives…
* How to feel the failure and power through no matter what trials come their way…
* What it means to fail on Everest (including jaw dropping tidbits that will make your audience GASP out loud – and what they can learn from it)…
* Stories of mountain climbers they've never heard of (and why they should care)…
EXTINGUISHING YOUR BLAME THROWER
How did David, a late arrival to mountain climbing, achieve the "seven summits" feat that very few mountain climbers achieve?
How did he become a successful international entrepreneur when few ambitious entrepreneurs ever build a sustainable business? The answer is not talent nor intelligence nor money nor courage, but another attribute, one that has helped achieve success throughout his life: Persistence.
SELECTING YOUR ROPE TEAM
Absolute Accountability Persistence is why he pushed his way into the university of his choice, why he built a thriving sales practice in tough
Economic times, why he became a successful inter-continental entrepreneur, and why a crushing failed attempt on Everest in 2017 did not dissuade him from a second assault on Everest the next year.
For most people, according to Snow, persistence is the difference between success and failure. Persistence is why an actor or writer or athlete emerges from the millions of aspiring actors, writers and amateur athletes to have a successful career. Persistence is why some entrepreneurs finally create the companies that revolutionize industries, even if they first failed repeatedly. And persistence is why some people have successful lives, while others face years of frustration and disappointment.
Unexpected gusts will come. At least once every nine months. For most people, according to
Snow, persistence is the difference between success and failure. Persistence is why an actor or writer or athlete emerges from the millions of aspiring actors, writers and amateur athletes to have a successful career. Persistence is why some entrepreneurs finally create the companies that revolutionize industries, even if they first failed repeatedly. And persistence is why some people have successful lives, while others face years of frustration and disappointment.
What People are Saying about Seeing David Speak
"Thank you once again for coming and delivering your message. I have gotten many compliments that you have been the favorite speaker ever to come to our event and many people have been talking about you all day yesterday and today. Thanks for sharing your expertise and inspiring all of us."
– BD Medical Technology
"We are so thankful for your help and message. I'm still getting great feedback from our folks, many have said that you're the best keynote speaker we've ever had."
– American Express
"How refreshing to hear failures and successes not only in the mountains but with your businesses. Incredible journey–inspired our teams to reach beyond our professional and personal lives."
– Security National
"We had the jaw dropping pleasure of hearing David speak to our company. Not every day you get to hear from someone who has sat on the summit of Everest — and plenty of other highest mountains in the world. David taught us it's all about the people you meet, the relationships you make and who's with you at the top. One of the most compelling presentations we've heard."
– Skipio
"Dave blew everyone away. It was amazing. I've hired and sat through a lot of speakers and this was top notch. I almost got emotional at one point and I DON'T get emotional!"
– Alder Security
Books by David Snow:
Peak Persistence: Why Some Reach Life's Summits While Others Fail
Peak Persistence is filled with tales of mountain climbing adventures, including Snow's experiences on the world's highest summits; inspiring stories and examples of people who overcame insurmountable odds to succeed in a wide variety of domains; and academic research that explains and supports Snow's specific how-to steps for acquiring and sustaining persistence.
Jack Daly
Susan David
Peter Docker
John Foley


A hypertensive crisis is a quick and severe risk in blood pressure that can lead to a stroke. Extremely high blood pressure refers to readings of 180/120 mm Hg and higher and it can cause damage to the blood vessels. When blood pressure is this high, the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently. For these reasons, it's important to address hypertensive crisis immediately in order to reduce the risk of stroke or other heart-related events and complications.
A hypertensive crisis may present as a hypertensive urgency or hypertensive emergency. Hypertensive urgency is when blood pressure readings are over 180/110 mm Hg or higher, but there is no associated organ damage. A change in medications is required in hypertensive urgency and it may not result in hospitalization. A patient will need to be evaluated by a medical professional, though.
Hypertensive emergency is when blood pressure is so high that it causes damage to the organs. Hypertensive emergency is a blood pressure reading of 180/120 mm Hg or higher, but can occur at lower readings in someone who does not normally have high blood pressure but experiences a spike. In a hypertensive emergency, there is a higher risk for stroke, loss of consciousness, memory loss, heart attack, damage to the eyes and kidneys, loss of kidney function, aortic dissection, angina, pulmonary edema, and eclampsia.
Common causes of a hypertensive crisis include forgetting to take blood pressure medication, stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, rupture of the aorta, medication interactions, and eclampsia.
Symptoms of hypertensive urgency include severe headache, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, and severe anxiety. Other symptoms of a hypertensive crisis may include blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or weakness, and problems thinking, sleeping, and behavior changes.
Severe symptoms which can be life-threatening are severe chest pain, severe headache accompanied by confusion and blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, severe anxiety, shortness of breath, seizures, and unresponsiveness.
Your doctor will first ask whether you have other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. They will also review your medications and check your kidney, heart, and brain functions.
Diagnostic tests for hypertensive crisis include blood tests, urine tests, an EKG, a chest X-ray, and a CT scan.
Hypertensive crisis is commonly treated with blood pressure medications and diuretics. In order to prevent another hypertensive crisis, it's important that you manage other health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, take your blood medications regularly, eat a healthy diet, lose weight if you are overweight, exercise regularly, limit your alcohol intake, and don't smoke.


Happy L'Anniversary to one of our favorite bands!
L'Arc-en-Ciel will officially be celebrating their anniversary with a two-day extravaganza at Tokyo Dome. The 55,000 person capacity venue may not be as large as their National Stadium shows back in 2014, but we're pretty sure these are going to sell out fast.
The shows will take place on April 8th and April 9th, 2017. Tickets are priced at a slightly steep 11,000 yen, but they come with an L'ed band (wristband). L'Arc also used these wristbands at their National Stadium show; each wristband was programmed individually to light up and change colors at certain times.
Tickets go on sale starting March 18th, 2017. If you're in the official fan club, you can enter a pre-sale lottery between January 12th-January 16th, 2017.


text:
PTSD Programs for Families
by Levi Newman on December 13, 2010
"I thank my father for showing me hell on Earth," said Juju Sands whose father returned home from the Vietnam war a changed man. "It catapulted me to strive to be better. It's given me a positive view of life."
Sands, who was born after her father's service, describes him as nothing short of a monster.
Sands' testimonial is similar to those shared by many families who have or are living with a veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Although hardly heard of by Vietnam veterans and previous war veterans, PTSD is now becoming a prevalent topic concerning veterans returning home from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Increasing PTSD awareness has prompted the creation of the Veterans Affairs Department support network which offers classes to family members so that they may better understand the transitioning of their service member into civilian life.
"Veterans are part of a system, meaning the family, and they need to be educated not only to help them, but to increase treatment benefits of the veterans," stated staff psychologist of Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Medical Center, Nancy Farrell.
For many veterans war can cause both physical and psychological wounds. In combat, military members are conditioned to stay in "fight-or-flight" mode which can cause alterations in brain function causing destructive behaviors. For many, these behaviors subside over time, but for veterans suffering from PTSD, they get worse with can put families in turmoil.
Prior to the Iraq war, many veterans didn't receive proper treatment due to misdiagnosis and were left to cope with anger, substance abuse, and detachment alone. Sands' father died homeless in Los Angeles after years of drug addiction.
"Historically between 5 and 10 percent of returning veterans suffer from PTSD," said Dr. Nasser Ahmadi, a research scientist of the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center. "But in the current conflict, that number has been closer to 20 percent."
To combat the detrimental effects of PTSD, the VA now offers courses to the family members of veterans. At the Loma Linda VA, Farrell teaches a series of four classes designed to help family members better cope with their veteran suffering from PTSD. The courses are restricted to those 18 years and older, and offer educational insight into PTSD, the medications prescribed to help cope, and family issues that may arise.
Many families, including the Padillas, have been grateful for the PTSD courses. Jill Padilla said when her husband returned from service in Iraq there was "anger, depression, isolation, not wanting to be with family." However, after attending the classes, Padilla stated that she "knew how to better deal with the situation" and gained "a better understanding of what is going on."
"There are no services for children now," said Farrell. "We are working on that."
"The VA needs to help children now. Not 10 years from now," said Sands. "I'm worried we are going to have a new group of kids who will be damaged by PTSD. It will affect a whole generation if something is not done soon."
Sands self-published a book titled "War Dad: A Daughter's Graphic and Miraculous Story of How She Survived the Damages of War on Her Father, A Vietnam Vet" to help children whose veteran parent is suffering from PTSD. She also believes school counselors need to be properly trained in PTSD to help children cope will issues that may arise from having a veteran parent.
Photo thanks to Elitist_czar under creative common license on Flickr.
Janet Jennings December 13, 2010 at 11:33 pm
How about the VA focus on treating the veterans first? The VA still hasn't done that!!!!! This program is a load of crap! Skip the families and treat the vets.
Tonya Byrd December 14, 2010 at 2:55 pm
As the spouse of a veteran who has suffered from this disorder for the past 20 years I am glad that they have started a program for the families. It is hard enough to understand their behavior when they have PTSD, to be able to understand the disorder will help the family which in turn can help the veteran.
Previous post: Disability Benefits Questionnaire
Next post: Historical Trends of VA Benefits


Cloud based backup solutions are available in all shapes and sizes from many Value Added Re-sellers, Service Providers, and Software Vendors. At Stage2Data, we deliver best of breed technologies, but beyond technology, we look to ensure you have the best experience with your newly chosen data protection solution. We don't just sell you solutions and walk away.
We teamed up with Teamviewer to assist our customers with their problems. Please download the Teamviewer Quick-support or Host executable and follow the onscreen instructions. This will enable us to assist you much easier and faster.


Following Netanyahu's speech to Congress, we are only a couple of weeks away from a decision on the negotiations about Iran's nuclear ambitions. It is fitting to consider a deeper view of Iran/Persia's roots.
Our prayers are based on Biblical and historic understanding. Generic prayers are too generalized. We need to be specific. Iran/Persia today is an avowed enemy of Israel and the West. Prophetically, we know that this will continue until the great war of Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38 & 39.
As I have explained before, the next war is the Psalm 83 War which lists the specific countries attacking Israel (using their ancient names). But Ezekiel 38 & 39 has a totally different list of countries which confirms it is a separate and distinct war. Also, the passage clearly states that Israel is living in peace at that time with un-walled villages. This is certainly not true now.
So, we will line up our theology and prayers with Scripture. Yehovah God is in control. We do not fear, but stand with His purpose for Israel and all those who put their trust in Him and His beloved Son, Jesus. His Hebrew name is Meshiach Yeshua ben Yehovah, Messiah Jesus, Son of God!


text:
Role of toll-like receptor signaling in retinal ischemia
Ivanov, Dmitry V (PI)
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is implicated in a large array of pathological conditions in the retina including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and traumatic optic neuropathy. Thus, understanding the events involved in ischemic neuronal injury can provide us with clinically effective treatments for many retinal diseases. Although the cause of this injury is multifactorial, increasing experimental evidence suggests an important role for the innate immune system in initiating the inflammatory cascade leading to detrimental/deleterious changes in retinal function. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are recognized as one of the main contributors to pathogen-induced inflammation and, more recently, injury-induced inflammation. Endogenous ligands liberated from injured/necrotic cells can activate TLRs, initiating an inflammatory response even in the absence of pathogens. Our published results indicate that the level of endogenous ligands for toll- like receptor 4 (TLR4) increases in retinal IR and, through activation of TLR4, are involved in retinal damage and inflammation triggered by ischemic injury. Importantly, our preliminary results suggest that the mechanisms mediating ischemic damage in the retina are facilitated not only by inflammation induced by astrocytes, microglia, or infiltrating immune cells, but also by activation of TLR4 in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) themselves. However, the exact mechanism of TLR4 signaling-induced inflammation and damage after retinal IR injury remains unknown. In this project we hypothesize that TLR4 signaling plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of retinal IR injury by directly and/or indirectly contributing to the injury of RGCs. This hypothesis will be tested ina series of experiments outlined in the following specific aims: 1) to determine whether TLR4 coordinates the immune response of the retina to IR injury~ 2) to determine whether silencing of TLR4 signaling reduces blood retinal permeability and infiltration of leukocytes in the ischemic retina~ 3) to determine whether TLR4-mediated signals directly injure RGCs~ 4) to define the role of TLR4 ligands in the post-ischemic retina. Completion of these specific aims could lead to the discovery of innovative strategies to help prevent the loss of vision in patients suffering fro retinal ischemia, as selective targeting of both TLR4 and its ligands may be more effective for the development of therapeutic tools to prevent IR injury than targeting the intracellular pathways. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury of the retina is implicated in a large array of pathological conditions in which inflammation is a hallmark of disease. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are recognized as one of the main contributors to pathogen-induced inflammation and, more recently, injury-induced inflammation. A greater understanding of the role of TLRs in retinal IR injury may aid in the development of specific TLR-targeted therapeutics to treat these conditions in the retina, which may be more effective for the development of therapeutic tools to prevent IR injury than targeting the intracellular pathways.
National Institutes of Health: $357,736.00
Toll-Like Receptor 4 Medicine & Life Sciences
Toll-Like Receptors Medicine & Life Sciences
Reperfusion Injury Medicine & Life Sciences
Retina Medicine & Life Sciences
Retinal Ganglion Cells Medicine & Life Sciences


text:
The Dripby Brew Editors9:08 amJan 4, 20230
Hart to Heart defends higher ambulance rates
Based on lower volume, the higher unit prices for ambulance trips did not result in a higher overall contract price, the Harford County firm says in response to an Inspector General report
Above: Hart to Heart provides non-emergency ambulance services for Baltimore City. (flickr)
The following letter was submitted by Jason Skidmore, owner of Hart to Heart Transportation Services, regarding The Brew's coverage of a report issued by Baltimore's inspector general, Isabel Mercedes Cumming.
The December 12 report questioned price increases approved by former city purchasing agent, Erin Scher Smyth, for Hart to Heart's ambulatory, wheelchair van, basic life support, emergency room releases and other rides for Medicaid patients.
The upward revisions – made a day before the contract went into effect in January 2019 – resulted in the city Health Department paying "$3,543,056 more than it would have if the prices had remained fix for the initial contract term," the IG report concluded. The report also questioned a $122,400 software fee approved by Smyth.
The Brew reported those findings, then followed up with a copy of the letter showing the original prices approved by the Board of Estimates and the prices and software fee – submitted by Hart to Heart – that Smyth subsequently authorized.
Emails and a phone message to CEO Skidmore were not answered at the time of publication. This letter was received last week:
In response to the articles contributed by Mark Reutter earlier this month, our workforce of nearly 300 team members takes extreme exception to the manner with which Hart to Heart Transportation (H2H) was characterized.
H2H offers the highest quality in transportation and health care services in Maryland, providing safe, reliable, and timely assistance delivered by highly trained and caring healthcare professionals and transportation specialists. We are incredibly grateful for the thousands of patients, and their families, who annually depend on our team.
Specific to the articles, it was suggested that H2H is filling its coffers to Baltimore City's detriment during a contract modification. Nothing could be further from the truth.
There are very accessible public documents which support that the volume numbers confirmed by the City after H2H's contract award decreased by 48% compared to the those provided in the RFP.
This means that despite the negotiated per trip rates being higher for ambulatory, wheelchair and ALS services, the total anticipated cost to the city over five years, based on the revised volume provided by the city, decreased by almost $5 million.
"We followed the rules and were granted an economic modification by the City's purchasing agent based on their requirements" – CEO Jason Skidmore.
Basically, the city changed the rules of engagement after the award was given, which impacted H2H's ability to efficiently perform to scale. As with any business, there are many baseline costs to consider when significantly scaling operations up or down, particularly in healthcare.
Perhaps the most misleading issue in the article is that the reported numbers were based on the new (negotiated) rates measured against the old (RFP) volume numbers.
H2H's initial bid was projected to total $33,424,490 over five years; however, the new rates times the new volume brought the negotiated total to $28,621,860 over five years. That is $4,802,630 less over the life of the contract.
The city is well aware that this is a fee-for-service contract, so the amount billed is based on the number of actual transports provided. This fact alone shifts the abilities and business model of any similarly situated vendor. For clarity, H2H bid on an initial scope of work that Baltimore City dramatically changed after the award was made; therefore, H2H was compelled to appropriately modify its fee structure.
While there are other issues with the reporting, the bottom line is H2H is the most economically and operationally efficient transportation option for Baltimore City. When H2H was notified of the dramatic volume/scope changes, we, like many businesses, requested a change within the appropriate channels outlined by Baltimore City.
We followed the rules and were granted an economic modification by the City's purchasing agent based on their requirements. To suggest anything different is misleading and simply untrue. H2H remains committed to serving the citizens of Baltimore.
The DripJan 17, 2023
Judge Griggsby also places a limited gag order on Mosby's defense attorneys, instructing them not to make unfounded statements to the media of racial animus by prosecutors.
New speed cameras coming in four locations near city schools
The system, designed to prevent speeding and red-light running, is set to begin on January 24.


The works of Angelo Ribezzi will be on display.
Painting nature, in its many colors, vital and explosive, springs from an incessant, fragile pulse of the heart. And it is precisely the heart of the painter Angelo Ribezzi who, after a silent repression and gestation, rebels against the Eternal city holding brushes and spatulas, vigorously unloading the dream colors of his dreams on canvas and wooden supports!
Thus, he enters a beautiful fable, in search of the fairies of light, guide to lost scents, hidden in the blues of the night. Warm snowfall, love between nature and man; these compositions, which flow between the arteries of the mysteries of life, like crazy chips.
Angelo's painting invites us to a party that finds us children; the kites, whose threads remain anchored to the earth like trees, fly towards blue skies: they move as if they wanted to leaf through the pages of a book, to shake the dew of the night.
Roses, water lilies, poppies, seem destined for the awakening of new blooming dawns.
Angelo Ribezzi, technically virtuous artist, does not save himself in the use of matter and color; attacks and composes green plains that take you back in time, to what the times of innocence were, the time lost.
One work, in particular, "Nails" the existence of our artist: the painting in which depicts the Colosseum, the Gazometer and Michelangelo's Pietà, three elements set among modern buildings with innumerable windows.
And it is precisely in this work that the truth of an evil is told, which obscures history, the beauty of art, which is our time, in its "consumerist" and "indifferent" matter.
The artist guides us towards respect and love for this land, dazzling with a thousand colors, which continues to give us spiritual, emotional impulses, despite the violence suffered by it, incessantly by man.
What is striking about Angelo Ribezzi, is the ability to express, not only the colors, but above all the fragrances of the contents of his rebellious pictorial explosion and the delicacy of a sensitive soul, which has the courage to rediscover and live the "hope", freeing the soul and the heart, fragile and green.