text:
About Wedlake Bell
What is it like to work for Wedlake Bell
My health is suffering because of my work
Partners of the firm and managers have been given training on recognising signs of stress and pressure in employees. They regularly communicate with their staff and keep on top of individual's hours and workloads to ensure a good work/life balance. Social events are organised where employees families are invited including cricket days and film nights. Employees are encouraged to exercise and a cycle to work scheme has been implemented. Yoga classes and subsidised gym memberships are also provided.
The organisation creates a feeling of openness which flows through every aspect of the firm. Individualism is respected but there is a strong sense of teamwork and a sense that they are all part of the same community. Employees take part in fun social events and team achievements are celebrated through lunches, bowling and other similar activities. Staff are also brought together through fundraising events. Employees have participated in activities including the race for life for cancer research, skydives, trecks and triathlons.
Wedlake Bell acknowledge employees efforts and ensure a simple face to face thank you is given for hard work. The organisation rewards employees through annual discretionary bonuses, lunches, dinners with spouse or partner, flowers and chocolates.
At least 33% of senior managers are women
On-site gym or subsidised gym memberships
On-site nursery or vouchers
Long Service
40% of employees with more than 5 years' service
At least 10 weeks' leave on full pay
Trainee Solicitors, all practice areas.


text:
package com.amazonaws.services.elasticmapreduce.model.transform;

import static com.amazonaws.util.StringUtils.UTF8;
import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
import java.io.OutputStreamWriter;
import java.io.StringWriter;
import java.io.Writer;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.List;

import com.amazonaws.AmazonClientException;
import com.amazonaws.services.elasticmapreduce.model.*;
import com.amazonaws.transform.Marshaller;
import com.amazonaws.util.BinaryUtils;
import com.amazonaws.util.StringUtils;
import com.amazonaws.util.StringInputStream;
import com.amazonaws.util.json.*;

/**
 * StepDetailMarshaller
 */
public class StepDetailJsonMarshaller {

    /**
     * Marshall the given parameter object, and output to a JSONWriter
     */
    public void marshall(StepDetail stepDetail, JSONWriter jsonWriter) {
        if (stepDetail == null) {
            throw new AmazonClientException(
                    "Invalid argument passed to marshall(...)");
        }

        try {
            jsonWriter.object();

            if (stepDetail.getStepConfig() != null) {
                jsonWriter.key("StepConfig");
                StepConfigJsonMarshaller.getInstance().marshall(
                        stepDetail.getStepConfig(), jsonWriter);
            }

            if (stepDetail.getExecutionStatusDetail() != null) {
                jsonWriter.key("ExecutionStatusDetail");
                StepExecutionStatusDetailJsonMarshaller.getInstance().marshall(
                        stepDetail.getExecutionStatusDetail(), jsonWriter);
            }

            jsonWriter.endObject();
        } catch (Throwable t) {
            throw new AmazonClientException(
                    "Unable to marshall request to JSON: " + t.getMessage(), t);
        }
    }

    private static StepDetailJsonMarshaller instance;

    public static StepDetailJsonMarshaller getInstance() {
        if (instance == null)
            instance = new StepDetailJsonMarshaller();
        return instance;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Courtney reached out to me after seeing my daughter's vellum eucalyptus first birthday invitations on Oh So Beautiful Paper, hoping I could recreate something similar for her and Mark's destination wedding to French's Point, Maine.
I knew right away that Courtney and Mark had the most exquisite taste. Their love for vellum, organic lines, and hand-drawn details was at the forefront of their wedding invitation collection, paired with florals in rich burgundies, deep eggplant purples, and tones of burnt orange. A custom illustration of French's Point took center stage on the invitation itself, paired with an organic script font and soft deckled edges. The vellum wrap was adorned with bold florals and hand-drawn leafy vines, secured with their wedding date hang tag. Beyond the invitation itself, leafy vines fell across pale gray envelopes framing the addresses perfectly on both sides. As you can tell, no detail was overlooked.


text:
Dr Cintli: Of Dreams and King: Dehumanization begets dehumanization
Posted on June 20, 2012 by Kurly Tlapoyawa in Identity, Immigration, The Continuing War Against Timazewaltin, White Nationalism // 0 Comments
After 10 years of Congress stonewalling on the Dream Act, the president has now acted. For the students and families affected, the president's new immigration policy directed at young undocumented students is akin to a modern-day version of an Emancipation Proclamation.
Of course it's a political move, just as everything the president does, and just as everything his opponents do, is political. But so too is dehumanization. Only when people are dehumanized can they be treated as less than human, as peoples less deserving of full human rights.
The death of Rodney King reminds us of this.
While seemingly unrelated, dehumanization is the common denominator. The lack of justice for King triggered an urban rebellion, unprecedented in U.S. history in its scope and rage. What could trigger such unadulterated violence?
The answer is very simple. King's beating was not at all uncommon; people of color understand that violence. It is historic and it is systemic, and it has always been utilized as a means of control. That it was videotaped is what made it unique.
Such kind of violence can only be employed successfully if a people or population is considered less than human. In history, this was usually accomplished by use of religious or "God-mandated" ideas; i.e., Providence and Manifest Destiny. The Doctrine of Discovery served the same purpose. Since no human beings (read Christians) existed on this continent, Christians were free to violently take the land, etc.
Not being Christian was the same as not being human.
In examining history, can we actually say that these ideas have gone away?
In 1992, the King beating trial confirmed the common complaints of men of color, of always being beat down and always been treated as less than human sans justice.
Like many, I am no stranger to that reality. I lived through something similar in 1979 in East Los Angeles. What made my case unique is that despite being brutally beaten and falsely arrested, I actually won my trial, not once but twice.
What would permit officers to beat King, to regularly beat down men of color, as if indeed we were less than human? The answer: Dehumanization.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: Dr Cintli: Of Dreams and King: Dehumanization begets dehumanization.
reclaiming cultural identity

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Jeff Samardzija wins spot in Cubs rotation, Randy Wells demoted to minors
By Aaron GleemanMar 29, 2012, 11:51 AM EDT
Randy Wells is 29 years old and has started at least 23 games for the Cubs in each of the past three seasons, posting a 4.01 ERA in 500 innings overall, yet today they demoted him to the minors as part of the latest round of spring training cuts.
Sending down a veteran with that much big-league experience and some pretty decent career numbers is surprising and even more so when you consider that Wells is under contract for $2.7 million after avoiding arbitration with a one-year deal in mid-January.
Chicago's rotation now looks to be Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Paul Maholm, Chris Volstad, and Jeff Samardzija, the latter of whom is 28 years old with five career starts in the majors.


An exciting new project 'mapping' people's memories of the Gwent Levels is about to roll out.
The LLS-3 Life on the Levels project is working with communities of Rumney, St Mellons, Wentlooge, Newport, Caldicot and Monmouthshire to record, document and interpret oral histories from those who have lived, worked, and played in the Gwent Levels.
This will inspire a touring exhibition featuring people's stories, archive material, photographs, film and art.
There is an urgency to this project: if these stories are not recorded now, then the living memories and experiences of life on the Levels could disappear could disappear from the historical record. The 'Life on the Levels' project is making sure that the multiple voices from those who live and work on the levels, past and present, are heard and preserved for future generations.
Training in oral history interviewing and recording will be provided to all volunteers. If you want to get involved, have a story to tell, or a photo to share, please get in touch – we'd love to hear from you! Maybe you worked at the docks, fished for eel in the reens, picked wild strawberries along hedgerows, we want to hear from you.
The team leading Life on the Levels project will be out and about in the coming weeks digging out those stories we know are out there. Keep an eye out for our pop-up events that will be coming to you soon and learn more about what we are doing and how you can get involved.
We are looking forward to meeting you. Meanwhile, we are very happy for you to get in touch. Please contact Marsha on: marsha.omahony@gmail.com or call 07989 733870.


text:
HOME BLOOM
Fashion also has love
Sometimes love is a strange place. Some other times it is musc, words and caring gestures. It's about permanent ink and dancing in the rain. Endless nights of eye to eye. Sometimes love is disaffection, made of inner and pointless fights. Hot shivers of summer nights and cold feet of warm hearts. Sometimes love is made of words that are neither said nor written, chest tightness and discomfort. Love is about wooden huts, beaches and waves. Endless cliffs of hopes and jumps. Love is written, thought and said. Like someone who takes photographs, reveals them and hangs them on a wall, framed for whoever wants to appreciate it. Love is filmed and shown to the world, like a love letter.
The idea came out of a thought. "Why don't I write something for you? Tell you how I feel and show it without any embarassment?". And then love and art joined together.
"Why did you want to produce this video?", we asked to Pedro Santasmarinas,fashion film author and the boydfriend of Carla Sofia - model at Portugal Fashion. The answer was as simple and beautiful as the video itself: "It's a clear love letter do Carla Sofia". And then friendship came across as well, as many fashion professionals supported the video, making it an authentic celebration of talent and, of course, Portuguese fashion. "We came to the obvious conclusion that we have many talented friends", Pedro told us. Truth is we can watch how several Made in Portugal brands participated in the video: M Pire, Molly Moks and Darkside Eyewear are a few of them and to the author, who has the ambition of making it into the fashion film industry, it always made perfect sense. "We decided to present the idea aiming to show these amazing people and share their work. We are very proud to stand next to people who believe in us, as we believe in them and their talent".
© 2020 All rights reserved |Privacy and Security


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~What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the web site, how it is used and with whom it may be shared.
~How you can correct any inaccuracies in the information.
~What kind of information do we collect and why?
We track user traffic patterns on our site. However, we do not correlate this information with data about individual users. We do break down overall usage statistics according to a user's domain name, browser type, and MIME type by reading this information from the browser string (information contained in every user's browser).
We use tracking information to determine which areas of our site users like and don't like based on traffic to those areas. We do not track what individual users read, but rather how well each page performs overall. This helps us continue to build a better service for you.
Financial transactions are handled through 3rd party companies, such as PayPal and Propertyware, and these 3rd party companies have security measures in place for online transactions on secured servers.
Information transmitted to them is encrypted and transmitted in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for "https" at the beginning of the address of the web page. While encryption is used to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.


Watch our webinar on integrating accounting and logistics using Magaya software.
In our upcoming Spanish-language webinar on, we will provide an overview of Magaya's accounting capability with a special focus on software adaptation to meet the requirements in Latin American countries.
Are you a freight forwarder in Latin America? Let us know how you are feeling about the industry in 2018. The first 25 recipients will receive a $10 Amazon Card.


Moves text position to the specified offset. If the start position of the current line is (x1, y1), the start of the next line is (x1 + x, y1 + y).
The specified text position offset.
If set to TRUE, the function sets the text leading to -y.


This section describes how to install JDK Documentation on your own machine.
To learn JDK more effectively, you definitely need to have a copy of the JDK Documentation installed on your own machine. JDK Documentation provides you detailed information of all classes and methods used in JDK. Here is what I did to download and install JDK 10 Documentation on my local machine.
Open the Java download home page with this URL: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/.
Click the "DOWNLOAD" button next to "Java SE 10 Documentation". You will see "Java SE Development Kit 10 Documentation" page showing up.
Check the "Accept License Agreement" radio button.
Click the hyper link of "jdk-10.0.1_doc-all.zip".
Save the download file "jdk-10.0.1_doc-all.zip" to a temporary directory.
Double-click on "jdk-8-apidocs.zip" to extract all files to "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-10.0.1 directory. The installation of JDK 10 Documentation is done.
Click the "java.logging" module on the JDK 10 Documentation page to see the API documentation of the java.logging module.


Compatible with the Magnitone Well Heeled Express Pedicure System.
For when feet need some tough love. Intense smoothing and softening for hard, cracked and rough skin on soles and heels. Long-lasting, micro-crystal dermabrasion surface featuring our ergonomic dome-shaped design for better results.


text:
Astronaut Tom Jones: Flight Notes
Observations on Space and History by a Veteran Space Explorer
STS-80 Mission Highlights: Nov.-Dec. 1996 November 21, 2016
Posted by skywalking1 in Uncategorized.
Columbia's launch on Nov. 19, 1996
Mission Highlights STS-80
(Published by NASA Johnson Space Center in early 1997, and transcribed by me for posting here. Credit NASA)
Double deploys Highlight Mission
An early morning landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia ended a more than 17-day mission to deploy and retrieve two science satellites, one that studied stars and another that made thin film wafers. Pilot Kent Rominger recounted how impressive it was to see the trailing satellites at sunrise. "It was incredible having two satellites out there at the same time. In the morning when the sun would rise, they were just tremendously bright stars, trailing along behind us."
Mission Specialist Tamara Jernigan reflected on how a stuck hatch would give the space program an advantage in future flights. "This flight offered all of us a bit of everything the space program has to offer," Jernigan said. "It offered the excitement of two deploys, rendezvous and retrievals, and also the frustration of a hatch that wouldn't open and EVAs left undone. I bet it is a long, long time before we ever have another hatch problem. NASA will make the most of the lesson it has learned."
Mission Specialist Story Musgrave recounted that the long mission gave him a sense of what space is all about. "This mission was long enough so you had some time to stop and think about what space was about," Musgrave said. "Time to have an experience of space to explore the heavens, to explore the Earth and think about what that is all about and get a feel for space."
In addition to setting a record for the longest shuttle flight to date, Astronaut Musgrave reached a few milestones for himself. His sixth shuttle flight tied him with John Young for the most space flights by any human being. In addition, at age 61, Musgrave became the oldest person ever to fly in space.
Mission Events
The Space Shuttle Columbia returned to space for the 21st time at 1:55 p.m. CST, November 19, 1996. Its scientific mission was to study stars, produce improved semiconductor films and practice building the International Space Station.
Mission specialist Tammy Jernigan released the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) from Columbia' s robot arm November 20, about 10:11 p.m. CST. Three hours later, ground controllers observed the telescope door opening and noted that the instrument appeared to be working properly, beginning two weeks of gathering data on the origin and makeup of stars.
ORFEUS SPAS begins its free-flight after release from the arm on Flight Day 1.
While Columbia led the ORFEUS SPAS spacecraft, the five astronauts concentrated their attention on other activities aboard the orbiter including testing the Space Vision System, conducting a visual checkout of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF) and working with middeck experiments. Other experiments conducted by the crew included VIEW-CPL, an investigation of capillary pumped loop equipment in weightlessness designed by University of Maryland students. Such technology may be used in cooling systems for future spacecraft, allowing fluids to be pumped without the use of moving parts.
Astronaut Tom Jones unberthed the WSF from its latched position in the shuttle cargo bay Friday, November 22, at 2:56 p.m. Jones positioned the satellite over the left-hand edge of the cargo bay with the WSF underside facing into the direction of travel. This position allows atomic oxygen to "cleanse" the satellite's underside in preparation for its experiment operations. The crew released the WSF at 7:38 p.m. CST.
The first growth of thin films on the back side of the WSF began Saturday, November 23, at 6:37 p.m. CST. The film growths continued while the WSF flew free of the Orbiter.
Commander Ken Cockrell took the shuttle to within 35 feet of the WSF Monday, November 25, and Astronaut Tom Jones latched the mechanical arm onto it about 8:01 p.m. CST. The satellite's scientists reported they completed seven thin film growths of semiconductor materials, the maximum capability for the satellite.
Release of the WakeShield Facility-3
The WSF again was unberthed at 6:06 p.m. CST November the 27, for 3.5 hours of work with the Atomic Oxygen Processing experiment. With work to produce aluminum oxide films using the atomic oxygen available in low-Earth orbit going well, scientists were granted an extra 3 hours to finish their work and test the Orbiter Space Vision System's ability to provide precise information on the WSF's position in the cargo bay.
Plans for a spacewalk by astronauts Tammy Jernigan and Tom Jones were abandoned after the airlock outer hatch failed to open. A post flight analysis of the hatch revealed a loose screw was the problem.
Although the planned space walks were canceled, crew members took advantage of the microgravity environment of space to evaluate the Pistol Grip Tool in the cabin. Jernigan, Jones and Musgrave evaluated the tool while tightening and loosening a bolt on the middeck floor to evaluate the tool's operation in weightlessness.
Scientists were given an extra day of science gathering with the extension of the STS-80 mission. The ORFEUS SPAS satellite was captured from its orbit using the robotic arm about 2:26 a.m. CST, Wednesday December 3. Jernigan, Jones and Musgrave performed about four hours of robot arm operations with ORFEUS-SPAS prior to locking the satellite in the payload bay at 7:14 a.m.
A second extra day in space was granted to the five astronauts aboard Columbia when fog prevented a landing at Florida's Kennedy Space Center and high winds on the Mojave Desert meant that Edwards Air Force Base also was not available. NASA's final shuttle mission of 1996 concluded at 5:49 a.m. CST, December 7, with a landing at Kennedy Space Center.
Jones goes after the Wake Shield for grappling after its 3-day flight.
Payload Descriptions
ORFEUS-SPAS II: The Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph-Shuttle Pallet Satellite IT (ORFEUS-SPAS II) mission was the third flight to use the German-built ASTRO-SPAS science satellite. The ASTRO-SPAS program is a cooperative endeavor between NASA and the German Space Agency, DARA. ORFEUS-SPAS II, a free-flying satellite, was deployed and retrieved using Columbia' s Remote Manipulator System (RMS). The goal of this astrophysics mission was to investigate the rarely explored far- and extreme-ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and study the very hot and very cold matter in the universe.
ORFEUS-SPAS II attempted a large number of observing programs. Among the many areas in which scientists hoped to gain new insights during this mission was the evolution of stars, the structure of galaxies, and the nature of the interstellar medium, and others. Many of the objects they looked at had never before been observed in the far-ultraviolet.
ASTRO-SPAS is a carrier designed for launch, deployment and retrieval by the space shuttle. Once deployed from the shuttle's RMS, ASTRO-SPAS operated quasi-autonomously for 14 days in the vicinity of the shuttle. After completion of the free flight phase, the satellite was retrieved by the RMS, returned to the shuttle cargo bay and returned to Earth.
The one-meter diameter ORFEUS telescope with the Far Ultraviolet (FUV) Spectrograph and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Spectrograph comprised the main payload. A secondary, but highly complementary, payload was the Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS). In addition to the astronomy payloads, ORFEUS-SPAS II carried the Surface Effects Sample Monitor (SESAM), the ATV Rendezvous Pre-Development Project (ARP), and the Student Experiment on ASTRO-SPAS (SEAS).
The ORFEUS-SPAS II mission was dedicated to astronomical observations at very short wavelengths, specifically the two spectral ranges Far Ultraviolet and Extreme Ultraviolet. This part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is obscured by the Earth's atmosphere and not observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, includes a high density of spectral lines (especially from various states of hydrogen and oxygen), which are emitted or absorbed by matter covering a wide range of temperatures.
The primary scientific objectives were:
Investigation of the nature of hot stellar atmospheres
Investigation of cooling mechanisms of white dwarf stars
Investigation of supernova remnants
Investigation of the interstellar medium and potential star forming regions
The Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS) was a separate instrument, attached to the ASTRO-SPAS framework. IMAPS operated independently of the ORFEUS telescope. IMAPS operated for more than two days of free flight and during that time observed the brightest galactic objects at extremely high resolutions. This resolution allows study of fine structure in interstellar gas lines. The individual motions of interstellar gas clouds can be determined to an accuracy of 1.6 kilometers per second.
Story Musgrave on Columbia's flight deck, monitoring Wake Shield Facility trailing the orbiter.
Another science payload was the Surface Effects Sample Monitor (SESAM), a passive carrier for state of-the-art optical surfaces and potential future detector materials. SESAM investigated the impact of the space environment on materials and surfaces in different phases of a space shuttle mission, from launch, orbit phase to re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Among the SESAM samples were witness samples to the telescope mirror, allowing for accurate calibration measurements after landing. Sample spaces were available to scientific and industrial users.
The ATV Rendezvous PreDevelopment Project (ARP), part of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), was an element of the European manned space transportation program. Among the objectives of the ARP were to develop and validate ground simulation facilities; develop and demonstrate on-board control software and inorbit relative GPS capabilities; and to demonstrate the operation of the optical rendezvous sensor in orbit.
The Student Experiment on ASTRO-SPAS (SEAS) was an electrolysis experiment built by students of the German high school of Ottobrunn. It consisted of eight experiment chambers containing various metal salt solutions and two electrodes. Metal "trees" of different shapes were grown on one electrode. Photographs taken of this process during the mission were compared to those of identical experiments conducted on the ground under the full influence of Earth's gravity.
Columbia about to touch down at KSC on Dec. 7, 1996, after a record-breaking stay in space, the longest for any shuttle mission (nearly 18 days).
DARA SCHOOL PROJECT: For this second ORFEUS-SPAS mission, DARA developed an innovative educational program designed to reach students in 170 German schools teaching astronomy, physics and computer science. The classes were tailored to prepare the students to use ORFEUS SPAS data in the study of general astronomy, the life and death of stars, stellar spectral analysis, as well as how to work with the data on computers via the Internet. DARA supplied the necessary written course information and developed an ORFEUS-SPAS Internet home page, where students received and worked directly with the data obtained during the mission.
WAKE SHIELD FACILITY-3 (WSF-3): The WSF-3 was a 12-foot diameter, free-flying, stainless steel disk designed to generate an "ultra vacuum" environment in space in which to grow semiconductor thin films for use in advanced electronics. The STS-80 crew deployed and retrieved the WSF during the 17-day mission using Columbia's "robot arm," or Remote Manipulator System.
Wake Shield was sponsored by the Space Processing Division in NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications. It was designed, built and operated by the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center at the University of Houston-a NASA Commercial Space Center, in conjunction with its industrial partner, Space Industries, Inc., also in Houston.
Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) space has only a moderate natural vacuum, one that can be greatly improved through the generation of an "ultra vacuum" wake behind an object moving through orbit. The unique ultra vacuum produced in the wake of the WSF has been shown in past flights to be 100 to 1,000 times better than the best operating ground-based laboratory chamber vacuums. Using this ultravacuum in space, the WSF had already grown the highest purity aluminum gallium arsenide thin films, and holds the promise of producing the next generation of semiconductor materials along with the devices they make possible.
The major objective of this third flight of WSF is to grow thin "epitaxial" films which could have a significant impact on the micro-electronics industry because the use of advanced semiconducting thin film materials in electronic components holds a very promising economic advantage. The commercial applications for high quality semiconductor devices are most critical in the consumer technology areas of personal communications systems, fiber optic communications, high-speed transistors and processors, and optoelectronic devices.
The Space Experiment Module (SEM) was a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Shuttle Small Payloads Project education initiative that provided increased educational access to space. The program targeted kindergarten through university level participants. SEM stimulated and encouraged direct student participation in the creation, development, and flight of zero-gravity and microgravity experiments on the space shuttle.
SEM's first flight included a number of experiments sponsored by the Charleston, SC, school district (CANDO). Their experiments included Gravity & Acceleration Readings, Bacteria-Agar Research Instrument, Crystal Research in Space, Magnetic Attraction Viewed in Space, and numerous passive items such as algae, bones, yeast, and photographic film.
Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, also sponsored a number of experiments: Fluid Thermal Convection, NADH Oxidase Absorbence in Shrimp, and a Passive Particle Detector experiment.
Hampton Elementary School in Lutherville, MD, experimented with seeds, soil, chalk, crayon, calcite, Silly Putty, bubble solution, popcorn, mosquito eggs, and other organic compounds.
Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, IL, had a Surface Tension experiment. Albion Jr. High in Strongville, OH, flew a heat transfer experiment and studied the heating properties of copper tubes and pennies. Poquoson Middle School in Poquoson; VA, conducted a Bacteria Inoculation in Space experiment and NORSTAR (Norfolk Public Schools Science and Technology Advanced Research) in Norfolk, VA, observed the behavior of immiscible fluids.
NIH-R4 was the fourth in a series of collaborative experiments developed by NASA and the National Institutes of Health. NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, was the experiment developer.
Principal investigator of the NIHR4 experiment, "Calcium, Metabolism and Vascular Function After Space Flight," was the Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland. For many years, they investigated the role of calcium in blood pressure regulation. Calcium has long been recognized as a critical mineral in the nor mal development and function of bone and muscle. These researchers were among the first to demonstrate that calcium also is essential for normal cardiovascular function.
This study added to the body of knowledge necessary to maintain the health of astronauts during space flight. In addition, it added new and exciting data to a growing body of evidence that calcium is a mineral with myriad functions critical to the normal function of human life on Earth.
Kent Rominger and Tammy Jernigan change lithium hydroxide canisters (for CO2 removal) on the orbiter middeck.
NASA/CCM-A is one in a series of bone cell experiments conducted aboard the space shuttle. Results from a previous shuttle flight, NIH.C4 on STS-69, indicate that bone is affected by microgravity at the cellular level. The investigators participating in the STS-80 CCM-A mission hope to confirm their previous findings, and further test the hypothesis that the absence of gravity has a negative effect on bone formation.
Weightlessness results in bone loss in astronauts, similar to what occurs in people who undergo prolonged bed rest or, in some cases, lose the use of one of their limbs due to injury or disease. The exact cause of the bone loss is not yet clear, but it is at least partially due to decreased activity of osteoblasts, the cells which produce the matrix which mineralizes to become bone. Weightlessness results in similar decreased bone formation in both rodents and humans. Results from this experiment help scientists determine the usefulness of cultured bone cells in understanding how the acceleration due to gravity functions to maintain bone cell activity. The Principal Investigator for this study was the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Osteoblast adhesion and phenotype in microgravity: Among the unanswered questions of bone loss during space flight are the direct effects that microgravity exerts on bone cells, and the mechanisms by which these cells recognize changes in gravity. This study focused on bone cells of the osteoblast family, which synthesize bone matrix and also may participate in its breakdown (resorption) by regulating the formation and activity of bone-resorbing cells, osteoblasts.
The investigators of this study were the Departments of Orthopedics, and Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY. The project was sponsored by NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications Small Payloads Program, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases.
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN CANISTER (BRIC): Although various effects of microgravity on plants have been observed, little is known about the underlying mechanisms involved. BRlC-09 studied the influence of microgravity on genetically altered tomato and tobacco seedlings that had been modified to contain elements of soybean genes. This study provided information about plants' molecular biology and insight into the transport and distribution mechanisms for hormones within plants. The research provides crucial information on how to improve growth rates and biomass production of space-grown plants as well as information on how to enhance crop productivity on the Earth. The improvement of growth rate and biomass production of space grown plants is particularly useful for the development of life support systems to support crews over long duration flights. The improvement of growth and biomass production of space-grown plants also is an important step toward commercial application of space using plants as bioreactors for pharmaceutical products and for other commercial purposes. The principal investigator was, Kansas State University, Division of Biology, Manhattan, KS.
Ken Cockrell and Tammy Jernigan award Story Musgrave his "Master of Space" patch for exceeding 1000 hours in space during 6 flights to orbit. The ceremony took place on Columbia's middeck with the four sleep stations in the background.
COMMERCIAL MDA ITA EXPERIMENT (CMIX-5): CMIX-5 was the last in a series of five shuttle flights linking NASA and the University of Alabama/Huntsville (UAH) Consortium for Materials Development in Space, with flight hardware privately developed by Instrumentation Technology Associates (ITA) of Exton, PA.
UAH research included diabetes treatment; cell reaction in microgravity that may lead to tissue replacement techniques; the development of gene combinations that are toxic to insect pests but not harmful to other species, thus creating a natural pesticide; and an environmental monitoring model using mysid shrimp.
A key activity for ITA was the ongoing effort to grow large protein crystals of urokinase for research linked to breast cancer inhibitors. There was also an ITA materials analysis study to see if the use of sealants in microgravity can lead to better protection of ntional monuments against acid rain. ITA also sponsored seven elementary and high school research activities as well as experiments linked to the National Space Society and the International Space University.
VISUALIZATION IN AN EXPERIMENTAL WATER CAPILLARY PUMPED LOOP (VIEWCPL): This technology was an option for spacecraft thermal management. A CPL collects and transports excess heat generated by spacecraft instruments. The heat is transported to a spacecraft radiator for rejection into space. Requiring no mechanical pump, a CPL can transport more energy for longer distances than heat pipes currently used today.
The purpose of the STS-80 experiment was to help develop a complete understanding of CPL physics in a microgravity environment by viewing the fluid flow inside the evaporator. VIEW-CPL was developed by the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Maryland at College Park, as part of NASA's In-Space Technology Experiment Program (IN STEP).
The STS-80 crew on Columbia's middeck: Cockrell, Jernigan, Rominger in back row; Jones and Musgrave up front.
CREW BIOGRAPHIES
Commander: Kenneth D. Cockrell. Cockrell, 46, was born, in Austin, TX. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas and a master of science degree in aeronautical systems from the University of West Florida.
Cockrell was selected as an astronaut by NASA in January 1990 and became qualified for a flight assignment July 1991. A veteran of three space flights, including STS-56 in 1993 and STS-69 in 1995, he has logged more than 906 hours in space.
Pilot: Kent V. Rominger (CMDR, USN). Rominger, 40, was born in Del Norte, CO. He received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Rominger reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992 and after completing the one year of required training became qualified for future flight assignment. He made his first space flight from Oct. 20 to Nov. 5, 1995, on STS-73 during which Rominger served as pilot. With the completion of STS-80, Rominger has logged more than 806 hours in space.
Ken Cockrell on Columbia's flight deck after landing.
Mission Specialist: Tamara E. Jernigan (Ph.D.). Jernigan, 37, was born in Chattanooga, TN. She received a bachelor of science degree in physics (with honors) and a master of science degree in engineering science from Stanford University. Jernigan also earned a master of science degree in astronomy from the University of California-Berkeley and a doctorate in space physics and astronomy from Rice University. Jernigan was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in June 1985 and became an astronaut in July 1986. A veteran of four space flights, Jernigan was a mission specialist on STS-40 in 1991 and STS-52 in October 1992. She was the payload commander on STS- 67 in March 1995 and with the completion of STS-80 has logged more than 1,278 hours in space.
Mission Specialist: Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.). Jones, 41, was born in Baltimore, MD. He received a bachelor of science degree in basic sciences from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, and a doctorate in planetary science from the University of Arizona in Tucson. After a year of training following his selection by NASA in January 1990, Jones became an astronaut in July 1991. In 1994, he flew as a mission specialist on successive flights of Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Space Radar Laboratory payload. His first flight was in April 1994 on STS-59 and then in October 1994 on STS-68, he served as payload commander for Space Radar Lab 2. With the completion of STS-80, Jones has logged more than 963 hours in space.
Mission Specialist: Story Musgrave (MD). Musgrave, 61, was born in Boston, MA, but considers Lexington, KY, to be his hometown. He received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and statistics from Syracuse University, a master of business administration degree in operations analysis and computer programming from the University of California at Los Angeles, a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Marietta College, a doctorate in medicine from Columbia University, New York, NY, a master of science in physiology and biophysics from the University of Kentucky, and a master of arts in literature from the University of Houston. Musgrave was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA in August 1967. A veteran of six space flights, Musgrave was a mission specialist on STS-6 in 1983, STS-51 F in 1985, STS-33 in 1989 and STS-44 in 1991. He was the payload commander on STS-61 in 1993 and with the completion of STS-80 has logged more than 1,282 hours in space. His sixth flight tied him with John Young's record for most number of space flights by any human being and, at age 61, made him the oldest person ever to fly in space.
The STS-80 mission patch depicts Space Shuttle Columbia and the two research satellites its crew deployed into the blue field of space. The uppermost satellite is ORFEUS-SPAS (Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph-Shuttle Pallet Satellite), a telescope aimed at unraveling the life cycles of stars and understanding the gases that drift between them. The lower satellite is the Wake Shield Facility, flying for the third time. It used the vacuum of space to create advanced semiconductors for the nation's electronics industry. ORFEUS and Wake Shield are joined by the symbol of the Astronaut Corps, representing the human contribution to scientific progress in space. The two bright blue stars represent the mission's space walks, final rehearsals for techniques and tools to be used in assembly of the International Space Station. Surrounding Columbia is a constellation of 16 stars, one for each day of the mission, representing the stellar talents of the ground and flight team that share the goal of expanding knowledge through a permanent human presence in space.
IS-1996-11-001.080JSC
www.AstronautTomJones.com
Launching an Annual Asteroid Day March 2, 2016
Posted by skywalking1 in History, Space, Uncategorized.
In late February, the Association of Space Explorers, working with the United Nations in Vienna, proposed that the UN declare that Asteroid Day be held as an annual, global event. Asteroid Day, first held in 2015, heightens public awareness of the asteroid impact hazard, educates society on what we humans can do with space technology to prevent a future disaster, and calls for stepping up the discovery rate of possibly hazardous asteroids.
Association of Space Explorers member (and Romanian cosmonaut) Dorin Prunariu delivers the ASE statement on Asteroid Day to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in Feb. 2016.(credit Dorin Prunariu)
At the Vienna session of the UN's Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (through its Science and Technical Subcommittee), our ASE representative Dorin Prunariu delivered our statement on the importance of Asteroid Day as a global, UN-recognized event. His presentation to the member state delegates was well-received. The Association of Space Explorers submitted a Conference Room Paper to the member state delegates calling for recognition of Asteroid Day, and it's posted here.
Here is one excerpt from our Paper:
In view of the successful results of last year's Asteroid Day, and the goals and
plans for Asteroid Day 2016 and beyond, the Association of Space Explorers asks
the member States of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to support
Asteroid Day's goals, and to propose that the United Nations General Assembly at
its 71st session in 2016 declare the International Asteroid Day as [an] annual global
observance. The purpose of such an Asteroid Day declaration is to promote and
raise each year at the international level the awareness of NEO hazards, the
potential for space science and technology to protect humanity against future
damaging impacts, and the need to act together to end the threat of an asteroid
collision with Earth. Because 30 June was the date of the largest impact of an
asteroid on Earth in historical times, we propose that the United Nations General
Assembly resolve that the International Asteroid Day be celebrated and promoted
annually on that date.
We anticipate that the full Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, meeting in June, will adopt the report of its Committee. If so, October's gathering of the General Assembly in New York should see the approval of the document, and thus UN recognition of Asteroid Day as an annual, global event.
The Association of Space Explorers Committee on Near-Earth Objects thanks Dorin (celebrating the 35th anniversary of the first Romanian space mission (his) this year) and the Asteroid Day organizers Grig Richter and Danica Remy for making the work in Vienna possible. So this June 30, check with AsteroidDay.org to see and attend the closest Asteroid Day event, or better yet, plan to organize and hold one of your own. We're sure to continue our ASE support of this year's events with astronauts attending many of the Asteroid Day gatherings. See you on June 30.
#Apollo45: Moon Memories December 14, 2015
July 2014 marked the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, the first time astronauts visited and walked on another celestial body. I recorded my memories of that event, and the inspiration it brought to me, at the #Apollo45 YouTube channel.
Here is my video link.
What do you remember seeing–and feeling–on July 20, 1969?
http://www.AstronautTomJones.com
The Apollo 11 crew on July 20, 2009, at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Aldrin (left), Armstrong, and Collins. (NASM)
Food for Thought…Just Before Liftoff September 10, 2015
Tags: human spaceflight program, shuttle, space history
Launch Morning Breakfast, STS-68: Aug. 18, 1994 (NASA)
In a tradition dating back to Alan Shepard's first U.S. spaceflight in 1961, astronauts are served a favorite meal before suiting up and heading to the launch pad–and space. On STS-68, scheduled for an Aug. 18, 1994 launch, I asked the dietitians at the NASA Astronaut Crew Quarters at Kennedy Space Center (my favorite was Dotti Kunde) to prepare a mushroom and cheese omelet with bacon, toast, fresh fruit, coffee, and orange juice. My crew gathered in the dining room of crew quarters for a ceremonial photo and a wave at the TV cameras, and a formal acceptance of our "mission cake," a giant sheet cake with our SRL-2/STS-68 patch decorating the top. After the photos, the cake immediately went into the freezer and was delivered to Houston. We'd eat the cake when–and if–we actually returned from a successful mission.
Breakfast was served between five and six hours before liftoff, so there was no possibility that any of this delicious food was going to still be in my stomach when I arrived in free fall. Hence, I needn't worry about seeing any of it if I experienced a bout of space sickness on arrival in orbit. (Besides, I took anti-nausea meds on the launch pad, eliminating any possibility of "space adaptation syndrome" that might require me to deploy my space sickness bag.)
Of course, this was just the first launch morning breakfast I'd enjoy on STS-68. I came back six weeks later for another one, following our pad abort on August 18 and Endeavour's return to the pad for our next attempt. But that's another story….
Thank you, Dot and friends, for a delicious breakfast. It was plenty tasty enough to make one intent on returning to Earth.
Read more about STS-68 in "Sky Walking: An Astronaut's Memoir."
Did UFOs Visit STS-80 Columbia? September 8, 2014
During the week of April 11, 2011, the FBI released some of its investigation records on UFOs. The reports reflect the reality that people do see unexplained phenomena in the sky. Are these sightings evidence for intelligent life elsewhere, or some secret flight testing program?
Much UFO speculation in the past has focused on one of my shuttle missions, STS-80, flown in late 1996. Some have maintained that video shot during this Columbia space shuttle flight provides evidence for unknown objects moving in the night sky. I have reviewed this video (for the first time in 1997), and conclude that it shows commonplace and well-known objects near the shuttle, all of them observed on every shuttle flight. These videos show low-light television camera images of ice particles or man-made debris drifting out of Columbia's cargo bay, and floating in the vicinity of the shuttle, likely within a few…
Homecoming 2/6 Marines, Fox Company February 19, 2011
I'm pleased to reprint the account below by Elaine Swierszcz Gaither, recounting her son's recent return from Afghanistan (with permission):
HOMECOMING 2/6 MARINES, FOX COMPANY, January 4, 2011
To understand the ending of the story, I have to begin at the beginning. In June, our family made a marathon round-trip to Camp LeJeune, NC to bid farewell to our son Josh, a Lance Corporal with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, who was deploying to Afghanistan. We arrived a scant 90 minutes before departure, barely enough time to hug him one last time, tell him how proud we were of him, to reassure him (and ourselves) that he would be back before too long. I think it was the first time I truly realized how scared he was, how terrified I was. As hard as it was to say goodbye to him, it was almost harder to see the Marines saying goodbye to their children, their pregnant wives, the babies who would be celebrating their first Christmas without their dad. One Marine dad sat on the ground and played one last time with his young son. The families stood in the parking lot as the buses pulled out, waving until they were out of sight. And then a new family formed…a family of those left behind. We hugged, we cried, we gave words of encouragement and strength, we exchanged names, email addresses, and phone numbers. After a bit we were able to tear ourselves away and head home.
As the months crept by we heard infrequently from our Marines, but as soon as one of us did, the word was passed. It didn't matter that they were in different companies, different parts of Marjah, different jobs. One of our own was heard from, and we celebrated. Facebook became a lifeline for us. Like all families, we mourned each combat loss, celebrated each new member of the 2/6 family added by birth, consoled those whose Marine was injured, shared news about travels and illness. Life went on here in the States, and the family formed in that parking lot was there for support.
In November we were given tentative arrival dates. Each company was assigned a three to five day window; Fox Company was due January 4 – 7. Excitement began to build, a flurry of information about travel arrangements and hotels was exchanged, welcome home banners ordered, and the countdown began. The days dragged on, the holidays came and went without too much celebration. On January 2, we got our 48 hour confirmed notice; Fox Company was due to arrive onboard Camp LeJeune Tuesday, 4 January at 1930 hours. It was time to head back to North Carolina. It was time to welcome our Marine home. I think that Monday was 100 hours long! The students in my classes kept asking me what was wrong…I couldn't sit still, I couldn't concentrate…I now have a better understanding of ADHD!
We left home at five in the morning on the fourth, seven hours later we were at the hotel in Jacksonville. We headed over to the base mid-afternoon; I had seven cases of Girl Scout Cookies and a huge carton of donated candy to deliver for the reception. We grabbed something to eat at the Commissary, found the rest of our family and friends who had made the trip, and headed over to the Field House. It was time to meet all those wonderful people I had met via the internet, and to say hello again to those I had met in June. Welcome Home signs hung from the bleachers, and the excitement and anticipation was almost palpable. Little ones played on the gym floor, wives clustered together, parents found each other and chatted, other Marines came in, many of them wounded, and waited with us for word that Fox Company was on the ground at Cherry Point, and enroute back to LeJeune. Around 6, cell phones began to ring, word began to spread as more and more of the Marines were calling their wives, their dads, moms, girlfriends…they were on the ground and headed back. Except they were still a good 90 minutes away, and they would first have to go to the Armory to turn in their serialized gear and weapons. The Marines would then march from the Armory to the Field House. The excitement continued to build and the wait became more and more unbearable.
Finally, after hours of waiting, we heard they were at the Armory and then the announcement we were waiting for was made. If quite could be loud, it was. A silence fell over the Field House as the moments of waiting drew to a close. But it was a loud silence…maybe it was all the excited breathing, maybe it was the pounding of all our hearts, maybe it was the sound of joy. The doors swung open and in single file Fox Company began to march in. The roar of the crowd, the applause, all suddenly faded as I glimpsed Joshua coming through the door. I remember saying to someone the next day that it was like giving birth as he emerged into the Field House. I remember bursting into tears. I remember jumping up and down and whispering his name. As the Marines continued to come through the door, I again became aware of the noise, but I could not take my eyes from Josh. As the last Marine entered and stood in formation, the Company Commander (I think) made some brief remarks (I think it had something to do with the mission) and then, I swear, he dismissed the company. I bolted for Josh only to be stopped, because they had not been dismissed. Instead, all the members of Fox gathered around their leader, and they toasted the Marines who were not going to be coming home. Each of them popped open a beer they had been handed just before coming in to the Field House, and drank in memory of their fallen brothers. If there had been a dry eye in that building up until that point, there wasn't any longer.
The Marines were then dismissed, and I took off again. I got to Josh first, followed by other members of the family, and then his friends. I could not stop touching him. After Josh checked in to his new quarters, and I realized that none of the "civvies" we brought him would fit (he said they had nothing else to do but work out), we went out to dinner…it was, by now, 11pm. At the restaurant, following a Marine tradition, the family presented the now Corporal Gaither with his new NCO Ceremonial Sword. Eventually we found our way back to the hotel and ended what had been a very long, very emotional day.
Almost three weeks later, I find myself still moved to tears by different things. We had delayed fully enjoying the secular aspect of Christmas until Josh began leave. I ordered a Welcome Home Cake with the Marine Corps logo on it. When I went to pick it up, I placed the cake in the bottom of the cart and went about shopping. One man passed me by and said "Semper Fi". I was too stunned to respond. Another man stopped and asked about the cake. I explained and he said "tell your son thank you. Not many are willing to make that sacrifice so I can live in this wonderful country, and enjoy what we have here. And thank you for giving your son to us." Then, as I was leaving the store, the guy who checks your cart and receipt asked me if my son had just gotten out of the Marines. I again explained that he had just returned from Afghanistan. The man reached over, hugged me and said "tell him a Vietnam Veteran says I'm glad he made it back and thank you." After thanking him, I left the store in tears. I hide my tears from Josh when he offers up a short recounting of what he's been through, what he's seen. He has talked about bullets hitting the ground near his feet, about a buddy hit in the neck, a child who was shot. He talks about how they killed an animal purchased from a local farmer so the Marines could have something fresh to eat, how they couldn't drink the water, how the children begged for food. He mentions the school that the Marines built and opened and how the girls wouldn't go in to it, he talks about the irrigation ditches they had to jump over, how their feet were always wet. And he pulls out of his belongings a pile of small stuffed animals that people sent, and that he kept them to remind him of what he'd done, where he'd been, and how great it was that strangers remembered them.
Our journey with the Marine Corps will probably end in June, unless Josh decides to re-enlist. For many reasons I think it would be a good thing for him to stay in, but I know that would, most likely, mean another combat deployment. I don't know if I want to go through that again, I do know I will miss being part of a unique family. Semper Fi.
By Elaine Swierszcz Gaither
I'm so glad that Josh and his colleagues are "watching our six"! Thank you for sharing this story, Elaine.
2010 in review January 3, 2011
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here's a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.
Crunchy numbers
The average container ship can carry about 4,500 containers. This blog was viewed about 21,000 times in 2010. If each view were a shipping container, your blog would have filled about 5 fully loaded ships.
In 2010, there were 17 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 99 posts. There were 22 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 16mb. That's about 2 pictures per month.
The busiest day of the year was February 2nd with 598 views. The most popular post that day was The President's Take on NASA's Future: Mission to Nowhere.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com, twitter.com, home.comcast.net, and stumbleupon.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for earth, panzer, p-47, space shuttle, and itokawa.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
The President's Take on NASA's Future: Mission to Nowhere February 2010
In the Thunderbolt on D-Day — a Hell Hawks! Excerpt in Air Force Times June 2009
An in-depth look at "Planetology" on "The Space Show" December 2008
Where's the Vision? – Letter from Carpenter, Cernan, Duke, Buckbee February 2010
William Farrell's "Thunderbolt Patriot" December 2008
Thank you to all my visitors in 2010, and best wishes for a Happy and Successful 2011!
Astronaut Speaker Tom Jones — Appearances Summer 2009 June 24, 2009
Here are a few upcoming events where I'll be signing Planetology, Hell Hawks!, and other books:
June 27 — Barnes & Noble, Webster, TX — 7 pm — "Planetology" book signing
July 6 — Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum — Baltimore, MD — "Future Space" — http://www.marylandaviationmuseum.org/events/index.html
Sep. 16 — Linda Hall Library of Science and Technology — Kansas City — "Planetology" — http://space.lindahall.org/lecture3.shtml
Sep. 22 — Air Force Academy Society of Washington, DC — Arlington, VA — "Hell Hawks!" —
http://www.afasw.org/
Sep. 23 — National Museum of the U.S. Air Force — Dayton, OH — "Hell Hawks!" —
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Calendar/default.aspx
Oct. 9 — Healthcare Financial Management Association — Atlantic City, NJ — "Sky Walking & Teamwork"
Tom Jones speaks at the Maryland Science Center, June 2009 (APL)
For more details about a speaking event with astronaut Tom Jones, contact his speakers bureau, or visit www.AstronautTomJones.com
Why We Built the Space Station April 2, 2009
Check out this new film from United Space Alliance. A beautiful view of our foothold in space, discovering a better life on Earth.
STS-119 drank in this view as they departed the Space Station, March 25, 2009 (NASA)
Here, the departing STS-119 crew looks back at the nearly complete ISS. Compare it to the view I had in 2001. (read about how we built the ISS in "Sky Walking: An Astronaut's Memoir")
My STS-98 crew said good-bye to the Station, with new lab Destiny, on Feb. 16, 2001. (NASA)
And the Space Station is just a stepping stone…to the Moon, the asteroids, and Mars!
Going Live with Orion at NASA JSC April 2, 2009
I appeared on Fox News Channel this morning, April 2, 2009, on America's Newsroom, to discuss the new Orion crew exploration vehicle. Host Bill Hemmer conducted the inteview with me in Bldg. 9, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) at Houston's Johnson Space Center. Watch the 5-minute segment here.
The Orion mockup in Bldg. 9 in Houston is used for crew seat arrangement tests, installation of proposed instrument panels and avionics, and fit checks of cargo container designs. Other mockups of the Orion crew module are involved in water handling and recovery tests (next week at the Cape), the Ares I-X flight test launch from Pad 39B in late summer, and in the upcoming pad abort tests at White Sands Missile Range, NM.
Orion is the shuttle's replacement. It's time to get on with building and flying it. We will miss the shuttle. But it can't go to deep space. America needs Orion to continue to lead in space exploration.
Orion crew module mockup at Naval Surface Warfare Center near Washington, DC, on April 1, 2009 (NASA)


HP is finally joining other giants in the smartwatch game, after announcing that it is partnering with designer e-marketspace Glit.com and US fashion elite Michael Bastian in creating a luxury fashion-focused smartwatch, according to Fashionista.
The smartwatch will be sold exclusively on Glit.com and will launch later this year. HP originally reached out to Glit with intentions of working with a fashion designer on the company's new smartwatch, and it was Glit who brought in Bastian to handle the external design whilst HP handled the technology, completing the trio.
Besides the luxury element of the device, there are limited details on the smartwatch's features and specs at the moment. However, looking at the design, the timepiece is set to feature a round watch face, giving the Moto 360 a run for its money. The external design is meant to echo the interior of a luxury car with Bastian openly declaring that it is indeed designed as a men's watch.
According to Fashionista, the smartwatch will be compatible with both iOS and Android, syncing to the user's smartphone with an app that was custom-built for the project, and will allow the wearer to receive the usual notifications and updates offered on smartwatches (text, email, weather, stocks etc). HP is also promising up to seven days of battery life with the device – which is impressive.
Pricing information is currently unavailable, but with the device branded as a luxury product, many are predicting that it will be much higher than the typical $200 smartwatch models becoming available now.


Bacardi-owned John Dewar has unveiled a new range of whiskies from its Royal Brackla distillery.
London is to have its first Greek Wine Festival. The multi-site event takes place on October 2-4.
Rioja producer Ramón Bilbao has bought what it is billing as a "dream parcel" of vines in the region, and the winery's highest altitude vineyard to date.
Oregon winemakers have singled out the UK as a major contributor to a 50% leap in wine exports for the US state.


People who were exposed to the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center (WTC) have elevated rates of alcohol- or drug-related death, reports a study in the October issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "Following a major disaster, alcohol- and drug-related mortality may be increased," according to the new research by Jim Cone, MD, and colleagues of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Employers would do well to address social determinants of health (SDH) when deciding upon health insurance and wellness plans, according to a "fast-track" paper in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The United Kingdom's (UK) Trade Union Congress (TUC), the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and other European trade unions are calling for a reduced working week, which ETUI researchers argue would deliver benefits of less stress, higher worker satisfaction and increased gender equality. At its annual Congress earlier this month, the TUC's Director General, Frances O'Grady, said that advances in technology mean that a four-day work week by the end of this century was a realistic goal for most people.
Are firefighters who show symptoms of burnout less likely to follow safety procedures? A team of researchers recently set out to learn if burnout impacted a firefighter's ability to follow required safe work practices, care for and safely use personal protective equipment (PPE), and communicate and report safety concerns.
Did the latest challenge at work bring on a tightening in your stomach? Does constant worry about a loved one's health make you physically ill yourself? Everyone at some point feels the effects of stress. Not everyone deals with stress in the best way, though. "Often stressed-out people seek relief through alcohol, tobacco or drugs, but that just makes matters worse," says Richard Purvis, a health and wellness practitioner.
The latter half of 2017 saw The New York Times break the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the movie titan's subsequent fall. Since then, victims have brought forth a seemingly endless barrage of allegations against numerous high-profile, and very powerful, men and women within Hollywood, politics, the media, and other industries. This movement has helped to purge organizations of longstanding sexual predators and has also ignited a fervent interest in changing the workplace cultures that have allowed such abuse to go on for so long.
While many of us think of bullying as something that happens in school, for many workers bullying remains a persistent problem in the workplace. At NIOSH, researchers study how to prevent work-related bullying, particularly in the nursing profession.
Nearly half of U.S. workers surveyed in a recently released Rand Corporation report say they are exposed to unpleasant and potentially hazardous working conditions.
American workers are more likely to say they are feeling stressed and cynical because of political discussions at work now than before the 2016 presidential election, according to survey results released today by the American Psychological Association (APA).


Lawson, Inc. announced the following executive personnel changes, which were unanimously approved at the Board of Directors' meeting held on March 26, 2018. Nominated change to Members of the Board will become effective following the adoption of resolutions at the 43rd Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 22, 2018.
CMO Japan, Google Japan G.K.
* The independent officers will be Toshio Takahashi, Tetsuo Ozawa, and Eiko Tsujiyama.


We are a part of a movement to ignite change in education and close the education gap.
We are dedicated to supporting children experiencing educational disadvantage and working towards an Australia where every child is empowered to reach their full potential. We believe in the impact of one-on-one tutoring and mentoring - that every child deserves equity in education.
Our vision is for every Australian child to have equal opportunities in education, regardless of their location, background or circumstance. Our mission is to improve the educational outcomes and aspirations of rural and remote students in socioeconomic disadvantaged areas so that they can reach their full potential.


I was round my friends house and was really hungry and looked in the fridge and saw this and was all like "simple food adventure".
1/2tspn fennel (aniseed taste), cumin (dunno), 1 pod cardamom seeds (very aromatic), stock pot (umami).
The final step is to serve with some Greek yogurt and some grated cheese!
Really nice and very well balanced! I like how the seeds add loads of aromatic flavours to the dish (though I'm not sure about the cumin :() and the cheese works really well because it combines with the milk to make the dish richer, but I'm not so sure about the yogurt as the soup doesn't really need cut. With a couple minor tweaks eg not using the cumin seeds and maybe adding some grated Parmesan just before serving, then you would have a killer soup! (oh, and use a good chicken stock).
But what do you think? Have you used milk in soups or would you have used different spices in this case? You can use the comments section below or twitter to tell me!


text:
Joan Diaz Obituary
April 27, 1944 - March 22, 2015
Los Lunas, New Mexico
of Joan's Passing
Joan was born on April 27, 1944 and passed away on Sunday, March 22, 2015.
Joan was a resident of Los Lunas, New Mexico at the time of passing.
Joan was married to Trancito.
There will be a mass said at a future date to be announced to family and friends.
In lieu of flowers my mother's wishes were for donations to be made to one's own chosen charity. Arrangements entrusted to Riverside Funeral Home of Los Lunas, NM and Joan's immediate family.
Create An Online Memorial For Joan Diaz
The beautiful and interactive Eternal Tribute tells Joan's life story the way it deserves to be told in words, pictures and video.


text:
Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson possible moves trigger wager-worthy offseason odds
Lance Pugmire
Now that Aaron Donald has clarified that he plans to return for a repeat Super Bowl attempt with the Los Angeles Rams, the futures of former Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson take precedence.
Rodgers, before being named NFL MVP last week, made a cryptic comment, "we'll see … ," when a fan at the PGA tour stop in Pebble Beach suggested he'd leave the Green Bay Packers to play for the Denver Broncos next season.
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text:
Q: Creating last observation flags for grouped data with dplyr I've searched and found lots of solutions that come close but don't quite answer my question.
I want a function that will add 0/1 flags to data, indicating the last observation per unit. The data are grouped by unit and by the kind of test that was done.
I want to use dplyr and have the following attempt, but the second mutate_ call is wrong.
getLastObsFlag <- function(data, id="subject", time="studyday", test="test"){
  data <- arrange_(data, id, test, time) %>%
    mutate_(lastObsFlag = 0) %>%
    group_by_(id, test) %>%
    mutate_(lastObsFlag = replace(time, n(), 1))

  as.data.frame(data)
}

# Restructure pbcseq from the survival package
junk <- gather(pbcseq, test, value, 12:18)
# That just loaded reshape2 and plyr, so unload them
unloadNamespace("reshape2")
unloadNamespace("plyr")
getLastObsFlag(junk, id="id", time="day", test="test")

The call to n() throws an error: Error in dplyr::n() : This function should not be called directly
I've read this is an issue with having plyr attached as well as dplyr (tho I expected using dplyr::n() to overcome that). I checked and plyr is loaded via a namespace (and not attached). I used unloadNamespace to remove it (and reshape2), but still get the same error message.
I'd be grateful of any pointers. I'm not attached to n(), so an alternative solution would be fine.
R version 3.2.2 (2015-08-14)
Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit)
Running under: Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS

locale:
 [1] LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8       LC_NUMERIC=C               LC_TIME=en_GB.UTF-8        LC_COLLATE=en_GB.UTF-8     LC_MONETARY=en_GB.UTF-8
 [6] LC_MESSAGES=en_GB.UTF-8    LC_PAPER=en_GB.UTF-8       LC_NAME=C                  LC_ADDRESS=C               LC_TELEPHONE=C
[11] LC_MEASUREMENT=en_GB.UTF-8 LC_IDENTIFICATION=C

attached base packages:
[1] parallel  splines   stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base

other attached packages:
[1] dmhelp_0.5         brglm_0.5-9        profileModel_0.5-9 dplyr_0.4.3        tidyr_0.2.0        gbm_2.1.1          lattice_0.20-33
[8] survival_2.38-3

loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
 [1] Rcpp_0.12.0     assertthat_0.1  MASS_7.3-44     grid_3.2.2      R6_2.1.1        DBI_0.3.1       magrittr_1.5    stringi_0.5-5
 [9] lazyeval_0.1.10 tools_3.2.2     stringr_1.0.0

A: We can add a variable to the entire data frame with ifelse and a dplyrwindow function inside mutate.
junk <- junk %>% group_by(id) %>% arrange(day) %>% mutate(flag = ifelse(min_rank(desc(day))!=1,0,1))
testing results...
 id futime status trt      age sex day ascites hepato spiders edema stage     test   value flag
1   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f   0       1      1       1     1     4     bili   14.50    0
2   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f   0       1      1       1     1     4     chol  261.00    0
3   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f   0       1      1       1     1     4  albumin    2.60    0
4   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f   0       1      1       1     1     4 alk.phos 1718.00    0
5   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f   0       1      1       1     1     4      ast  138.00    0
6   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f   0       1      1       1     1     4 platelet  190.00    0
7   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f   0       1      1       1     1     4  protime   12.20    0
8   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f 192       1      1       1     1     4     bili   21.30    1
9   1    400      2   1 58.76523   f 192       1      1       1     1     4     chol      NA    1
10  1    400      2   1 58.76523   f 192       1      1       1     1     4  albumin    2.94    1

A: We can use interp from library(lazyeval).
library(lazyeval)
getLastObsFlag <- function(data, id="subject", time="studyday", test="test"){
       data <- arrange_(data, id, test, time) %>%
                    mutate_(lastObsFlag = 0) %>%
                    group_by_(id, test) %>%
                    mutate_(.dots=list(lastObsFlag = interp(~replace(lastObsFlag,
                                               n(), 1))))
      as.data.frame(data)
   }

Upon testing
head(getLastObsFlag(junk, id="id", time="day", test="test"),25)[c('id', 'test', 'lastObsFlag')]
#  id     test lastObsFlag
#1   1     bili           0
#2   1     bili           1
#3   1     chol           0
#4   1     chol           1
#5   1  albumin           0
#6   1  albumin           1
#7   1 alk.phos           0
#8   1 alk.phos           1
#9   1      ast           0
#10  1      ast           1
#11  1 platelet           0
#12  1 platelet           1
#13  1  protime           0
#14  1  protime           1
#15  2     bili           0
#16  2     bili           0
#17  2     bili           0
#18  2     bili           0
#19  2     bili           0
#20  2     bili           0
#21  2     bili           0
#22  2     bili           0
#23  2     bili           1
#24  2     chol           0
#25  2     chol           0

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Discussion: Axios, AOL, @reliablesources, Associated Press, Mediaite, Washington Post, Vanity Fair and Slate
Discussion: TechCrunch, Nieman Lab, Fast Company, MediaPost, Adweek, VentureBeat and Vox
Discussion: NewsLab, Thanks:@steverubel
News Lab: MediaShift Launches New Peer Group Trainings for Publishers
Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, @mikiebarb, HuffPost, Quill, @jayrosen_nyu, Mediaite, @jeremylittau, @jeremylittau, @jayrosen_nyu, @alliedprogress, @slpng_giants, @paulconstant, @brianstelter, @dabeard and The Wrap
Discussion: Media Matters for America, MediaFile, USA Today and Esquire
Kirsten Powers / USA Today: Kevin Williamson is wrong. Hanging women who have an abortion is not pro-life
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire: Forget Kevin Williamson's Firing. The Free Press Is in Actual Peril.
Discussion: The Guardian, Gizmodo and Washington Post
Ann Hornaday / Washington Post: We're awash in box-office statistics. But what do the numbers really mean?
Discussion: New York Times, The Independent, Washington Post, Newsweek and The Intercept
The Intercept: How the Assad Regime Tracked and Killed Marie Colvin for Reporting on War Crimes in Syria
Discussion: The Guardian, @nytimesworld and Associated Press
Associated Press: 3 judges quit Nobel literature prize committee
Sydney Ember / New York Times:
Journalists at The Denver Post publish several online articles, which will also run in its Sunday opinion section, publicly rebuking owner Alden Global Capital
Discussion: @bethreinhard, Nieman Lab, CNNMoney, Newser, NPR, Washington Post, @melaniesill, HuffPost, @chuckplunkett, @donnawares, @eclisham, @melaniesill, @jayrosen_nyu, @bgrueskin, @markmobility, @thenewsan, @ohmgee, @greenhousenyt, @jonheyman, @jedediahspurdy, @felixmlarkin, @joyannreid, @edourdoo, @rafat, @will_bunch, @realworldrj, @amlwhere, @jennfields, @evanchill, @walldo, @darrendcarroll, @nickriccardi and @kbui1
Beth Reinhard / @bethreinhard: "Biggest crisis" facing journalism is slow death of local newspapers, not Trump's attacks. http://money.cnn.com/...
Ken Doctor / Nieman Lab: Newsonomics: The Denver Post's protest should launch a new era of "calling B.S."
Kate Seamons / Newser: Denver Post Revolts Against 'Vulture Capitalist' Owners
Laurel Wamsley / NPR: 'Denver Post' Calls Out Its 'Vulture' Hedge Fund Owners In Searing Editorial
Meagan Flynn / Washington Post: In the editorial pages of the Denver Post, a rebellion against its 'vulture capitalist' owners
Melanie Sill / @melaniesill: "If they continue to slash and burn their existing businesses, all they will end up with is slashed, burned, obsolete businesses," Meyer wrote. Sad to say "Vanishing Newspaper" was prophetic in this.
Dominique Mosbergen / HuffPost: In An Extraordinary Act Of Defiance, Denver Post Urges Its Owner To Sell The Paper
Chuck Plunkett / @chuckplunkett: Huge thanks for all those who have supported @denverpost and @denverp for our editorial. I am so humbled. #NewsMatters http://www.denverpost.com/...
Donna Wares / @donnawares: Also horrifying: How Digital First Media has decimated the Orange County Register, LA Daily News & 9 other Southern California newspapers. They too deserve owners who support local news. Says one OCR writer: "You can't believe how ghostly the newsroom is right now." https://twitter.com/...
Elaine / @eclisham: This was also our experience with Newspaper Next. In so many words senior leadership, including at your then-employer, told us, "Don't tell us what our strategy needs to be." That was 2008, and here we are. https://twitter.com/...
Melanie Sill / @melaniesill: Reading about @denveropinion rebellion against Denver Post cuts sent me back to seminal Philip Meyer book "The Vanishing Newspaper," which foretold in 2004 most of what has happened to industry: but also pointed way for other paths not taken.
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Yep. And "harvesting" had to be a covert strategy. If you leveled with the community and employees about what you were doing, the blowback and desertion rate would muck up the plan. Thread you should read if you care about local news... http://twitter.com/...
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: Not all journalists buckle under pressure when their bosses ask them to stop serving the public. Kudos to @chuckplunkett and his @denverpost colleagues http://www.nytimes.com/... http://twitter.com/...
Mark Elliott / @markmobility: The @denverpost attacks it's owner, a NYC 'vulture' hedge fund, as staff is reduced from 250 to fewer than 100. http://www.denverpost.com/... http://twitter.com/...
Susan Gonzalez / @thenewsan: I threw my arms around @johnbearwithme this morning and said "People are paying attention. This is no longer happening in a vacuum." We both work at papers owned by Alden. Both our jobs are threatened daily. But news is what we love. Thank you @nytimes http://www.nytimes.com/... http://twitter.com/...
Martin Gee / @ohmgee: "I had to do it because it was the right thing to do," Plunkett said. "If that means that I lose my job trying to stand up for my readers, then that means I'm not working for the right people anyway." http://www.nytimes.com/...
Steven Greenhouse / @greenhousenyt: Huge solidarity with the courageous journalists at the Denver Post, who are rebelling against its greedy hedge fund owner, which cares far more about cuts and squeezing out extra pennies in profit than about public service to readers. http://www.nytimes.com/...
Jon Heyman / @jonheyman: a cry for help from the great remaining journalists of the denver post, which is being systematically gutted by owners only interested in making even more profits at the expense of the great work they do. sad! http://twitter.com/...
Jedediah Purdy / @jedediahspurdy: No one who worries about the extinction of facts and the decline of civic institutions should defend an economy that treats regional newspapers as snacks for hedge funds http://www.nytimes.com/...
Felix M. Larkin / @felixmlarkin: "A flagship local newspaper like The Post ... provides a public record of the good & the bad, serves as a watchdog against public & private corruption, offers a free marketplace of ideas and stands as a lighthouse reflective and protective of ... a community's values and goals." http://twitter.com/...
Joy Reid / @joyannreid: So proud of the editorial staff of my former hometown paper, which we had a weekly subscription to as long as I can remember, growing up in Denver. #SaveTheDenverPost http://www.nytimes.com/... http://twitter.com/...
Eddie Du / @edourdoo: "For a New York hedge fund to treat our paper like any old business and not a critical member of our community is offensive. We urge the owners to rethink their business strategy or get out of the news business." http://www.nytimes.com/...
@rafat: This is one of the saddest photos I have ever seen: Denver Post journalists after new round of layoffs announcement last month, from this NYT story on their rebellion. My profession doesn't have to be this way, you freakin incompetent owners. http://www.nytimes.com/... http://twitter.com/...
Will Bunch / @will_bunch: This is weak coverage by the NYT, because it doesn't delve into how much of Denver Post problem is gross financial shenanigans by Alden and has little to do with newspapers' other issues http://www.nytimes.com/...
President KFC Buckets / @realworldrj: "We call for action. Denver deserves a newspaper owner who supports its newsroom. If Alden isn't willing to do good journalism here, it should sell The Post to owners who will." http://www.nytimes.com/...
Ann Marie Lipinski / @amlwhere: What a remarkable moment @denverpost. "Plunkett said he was aware he was putting his livelihood at risk by taking on the paper's owner...'(If) I lose my job trying to stand up for my readers, then that means I'm not working for the right people anyway.'" http://www.nytimes.com/...
Jenn Fields / @jennfields: YES. @nytimes picked up the story about the gutsy and right decision our editorial board made to point out how Alden is gutting newspapers around the country. Also, @chuckplunkett is my hero. Denver Post Rebels Against Its Hedge-Fund Ownership http://www.nytimes.com/...
Evan Hill / @evanchill: "For many publications that do not attract a patron-like owner, however, the difficult times are likely to continue" http://www.nytimes.com/...
Brandon Wall / @walldo: Our industry owes a lot to the people at the LA Times for breaking the visibility barrier for newspapers : Denver Post Rebels Against Its Hedge-Fund Ownership http://www.nytimes.com/... http://twitter.com/...
Darren Carroll / @darrendcarroll: Rewrite for NYT: The move at The Post follows a two-year national campaign by workers at DFM's unionized papers - including dogged reporting about Alden Global Capital on http://www.dfmworkers.org/. The Post editorial included links to that coverage. #AldenExposed @dfmworkers http://twitter.com/...
Nick Riccardi / @nickriccardi: The COO of Digital First Media called the editor of the Denver Post to discuss the editorials slamming DFM. Editorial page editor @chuckplunkett will remain in his job http://www.nytimes.com/...
Kristina Bui / @kbui1: What's happening to the Denver Post is an outrage — and an inspiration: "I had to do it because it was the right thing to do. If that means that I lose my job trying to stand up for my readers, then that means I'm not working for the right people anyway." http://www.nytimes.com/...
Elaine Diaz / Global Investigative Journalism Network:
An overview of 14 independent news sites in Cuba covering underreported issues and winning international awards despite lack of legal recognition by the state
Discussion: @gijn
@gijn: Non-state media in #Cuba defy the constitution of the country, which explicitly prohibits the existence of private media in Article 52. But that hasn't stopped these 14 independent media houses @periodibarrio @CachivacheMedia @14ymedio @CiberCuba @OnCuba http://gijn.org/... http://twitter.com/...


EJ Water Coop was established in 1989, after a group of residents in Dieterich, Illinois organized to gather commitments of more than 300 households, who were interested in water service in their town. Within three years, 100 miles of water main were installed enabling EJ Water to service 480 households. Over the next 25 years, EJ grew to serve more than 77,000 people in 13 counties and acquired two water treatment plants and a subsidiary wastewater treatment cooperative, making EJ Water the largest rural water cooperative in Illinois.
Teichmiller and co. attribute their success to their team's drive to partner with smaller water utilities and roll them up into their operation to achieve economies of scale. This business strategy has been particularly important because smaller communities often lack the resources they need to efficiently maintain and operate their water systems. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are nearly 53,000 water suppliers in the U.S., 42,000 of which provide water to populations of 3,000 residents or fewer. These statistics are fueling the growing trend of acquisitions and consolidations throughout the water industry.
EJ Water's head further explained that due to low margins, water utility operations require high volume in order to be profitable.
"Water is the lowest margin utility there is, after wastewater. So, scaling EJ Water through the consolidation of smaller suppliers is an important ingredient that really needs to be looked at by small towns – there is nothing to be afraid of. By integrating their systems into EJ Water, towns can save 30-40 percent on overhead costs," said Teichmiller.
Furthermore, declining populations in many rural markets, as well as limited budgets, only make matters worse for smaller systems that may lack experienced staff to maintain them. These smaller systems also frequently lack the resources to replace aging infrastructure or remain compliant with EPA regulations, which only magnifies the growing challenge. To add to that, the vast majority of these utilities don't engage in long-term strategic planning related to infrastructure. All the more reason why EJ Water's services are needed throughout central Illinois.
With water and wastewater service solutions in place, EJ Water is now looking to build on its history of improving the overall quality of life for rural Illinois residents with its next endeavor: partnering to provide broadband internet service.
By forming a partnership with a telecom to install fiber cabling in the same trenches as water piping, EJ helps bring these two utilities – now both necessities in today's economy – to even more areas than before. This expanded service will allow for more population retention and growth, job opportunities and a more sustainable way of life.


While ethical behavior is a requirement of a real estate licensee, professionalism, honesty and integrity is an important mixture that is recommended to represent you. Do you have the experience of being fully understood and listened to? If not, who are they listening to and what for?
I recently met with a potential client who wanted to sell their home. They were in the process of going through a divorce and wanted a clean break; and selling the home was the answer for that. A new purchase was also going to be part of the equation. When I looked at the value they could expect to get for their current home, and the market conditions and available properties to purchase, I saw that it was more of a lateral move from a financial perspective and was not necessarily the best avenue for them.
I helped them explore the possibility of buying one another out and one of them staying in the current home. While the clean break was the intention and that would not fulfill on that, they opted to sell their home anyway and I was happy to assist them in this process. The point is, they didn't make a decision based on emotions. I helped them to see the entire picture and they made the best choice for them in the end. We could have just sold their home and in the end, they may have looked back and thought of it all as a mistake, simply due to making an emotional decision and not thinking it through. Another term for this is Buyer's Remorse.
It is important to have a partner in your realtor. Your home is your foundation, and it needs to be secure for you and your family's success in life!


text:
Tech - Page 2
Sony shares tank over 12% after Microsoft and Activision's $68.7 billion tie-up plan
Gamers visit Sony's PlayStation booth at the annual China Joy gaming conference in Shanghai on July 30, 2021. Arjun Kharpal | CNBC Sony shares fell more than 12% in Tokyo on Wednesday after Microsoft announced plans to buy Activision. Investors likely fear
Climate activists criticize BlackRock CEO's support for slow transition off oil and natural gas
Larry Fink, chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc. Christopher Goodney | Bloomberg | Getty Images BlackRock CEO Larry Fink's most recent annual letter called the need to decarbonize the global economy the largest investment opportunity of this generation, but he didn't go
'Frustrated' AT&T delays 5G rollout near some airports after airlines warned of flight cancellations
A Southwest Airlines plane approaches to land at San Diego International Airport as U.S. telecom companies, airlines and the FAA continue to discuss the potential impact of 5G wireless services on aircraft electronics in San Diego, California, January 6, 2022. Mike Blake
FTC, DOJ seek to rewrite merger guidelines, signaling a tougher look at large deals
FTC Chair Lina Khan and DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Jonathan Kanter. Reuters (L) | Getty Images (R) The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice Antitrust Division kicked off a process to rewrite merger guidelines for businesses on Tuesday, signaling
GoPuff launches line of private label products, starting with bottled water
As GoPuff heads toward an anticipated IPO, the quick commerce company is launching its own line of private label products — a move more in line with Amazon's e-commerce business model than Doordash's or Uber's delivery platform. The lineup will kick off
Larry Fink says the next 1,000 unicorns will be green energy companies
Laurence "Larry" Fink, chairman and chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc., pauses as he speaks during the BlackRock Asia Media Forum in Hong Kong, China. Justin Chin | Bloomberg | Getty Images The next wave of successful start-ups will be those that
Microsoft's $68.7 billion deal for Activision once again shows big tech's dominance over legacy media
Microsoft's decision to buy video game company Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion deal shows big tech firms keep pushing the envelope while legacy media companies, desperate to reposition themselves for younger audiences, sit on the sidelines. The largest technology companies, including
Microsoft announced Tuesday it will buy video game giant Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion all-cash deal. Shares of Activision soared about 37% in pre-market trading before being halted after the Wall Street Journal first reported the deal. Microsoft shares fell more
UK launches crackdown on 'misleading' cryptocurrency ads
The crypto ecosystem has expanded significantly in recent years. While institutions such as the IMF are starting to embrace its innovation, they are also calling for investors to exercise caution. Jakub Porzycki | NurPhoto via Getty Images LONDON — The U.K. government
Starbucks expands coffee delivery and services in China through tie-up with Meituan
The ornate art decor of the Starbucks coffee chain in Xujiahui district attracts customers' attention in Shanghai, China, May 12, 2021. Costfoto | Barcroft Media | Getty Images Starbucks has expanded its delivery and online services in China through a partnership with
Shopify steps up China expansion through tie-up with e-commerce giant JD.com
An employee works at Shopify's headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Chris Wattie | Reuters Shopify has partnered with Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com to help U.S. merchants sell their goods in the world's second-largest economy. The deal marks a significant step up in
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Tory MPs have been warned by GB News host Eammon


In late 2003, I was offered a job in France. After about a 5-second-long debate with my family, the yes decision was reached and we were ready to go. Living in France was an excellent experience especially after I understood that beer is not la bière but "un demi" and asking for coffee is useless (and it's absolutely useless trying to say it with different accent) because what you really need to say is "grand crème". The only thing which I never managed to do was to understand the bank teller who spoke excellent French but neither English nor Czech. And on my side, my French vocabulary never really got much beyond "un demi et grand crème s'il vous plaît" and so making money transfers or paying bills directly was simply not possible. The time had arrived for me to learn how to use online banking.
Before I first connected to BNP Paribas online, I took all possible precautions. I talked to the IT guys in our company. Following their recommendations, I installed avast! Home Edition (note - I had no idea it was a Czech product developed in Prague). AVAST was already very popular in France at that time. Just to make sure, I ran 2 deep scans of the whole computer, then installed AdAware and scanned the computer again for spyware. Only then did I feel confident enough to connect and pay the school lunches of our daughter. Since then, I have relaxed a bit and I actually can't quite remember the last time I was in the bank. And, let me remind you that I'm back in Prague and the bank teller does speak my language.
Looking at the statistics of Eurostat – these guys have data on everything – this development is clear. Fewer and fewer people have time to go to banks – or don't understand the language the banker speaks. In 2010, almost 40% of all Europeans were using internet banking. There is no point to be paranoid about it and scan your computer twice. But please make sure you have your security up-to-date, because there are also some other statistics from Eurostat that we talked about last time (Eurostat on-line crime).
BTW … Guess in what European country people avoid bank tellers the most?


text:
Guaranteed hopes to have acquisitions to announce
Lisa Aichlmayr
BENSALEM, PA. (June 4, 6:45 p.m. EDT) — Since its purchase of Flash Plastics in January, Guaranteed Plastics Inc. is continuing to look into more acquisitions or mergers, possibly to be announced at NPE 2000.
Michael Reinecker, former president of Bensalem, Pa.-based Flash and now sales manager for Guaranteed, said demand from an undisclosed customer had led him to look at a merger with Guaranteed. Instead, the businesses chose acquisition. Financial terms were not disclosed.
"Acquiring Flash made more sense as opposed to running two companies," said Jack Fitzgerald, president of Guaranteed, which recycles post-industrial and some post-consumer materials.
Following the acquisition of Flash, Gloucester, N.J.-based Guaranteed developed plans for more deals with smaller, mom-and-pop companies.
"We´re hoping that by showing larger sales and profit growth that we can attract more shareholders, give them a good return and show them we´re a good company," Fitzgerald said.
Also a main catalyst behind Guaranteed´s search for new companies is the company´s attempt to consolidate its niche in the market of recycling engineering resins. Fitzgerald added that with more smaller companies under Guaranteed, which now has 18 employees, the company will have greater purchasing power and more customers come to it exclusively.
"This merger and acquisition thing is new to us," Fitzgerald said. "We´re trying to be the key consolidator in our industry."
In addition to a possible acquisition announcement at NPE, Fitzgerald said the company, at Booth S-809, will demonstrate its e-commerce capabilities with its current Web site, www.scrapplastic.com, and its site still in the works, www.plastictrader.com.
The new site will be an exchange for post-industrial scrap, Fitzgerald said, and it will keep a tight focus of its mission.
"We´re not going to be a jack of all trades, just a jack of this trade," he said.
Fitzgerald and his wife, Theresa Beltley-Fitzgerald, founded Guaranteed in 1995. The company reported 1999 sales of $11.7 million, up from $7.5 million in 1998.