Neymar JR and his fiancé, Bruma Marquezine looks runchy and romantic in a photo he posted on his Instagram page. It was a Love-In-Rome affair as Neymar Dos Santos Jr shared photo of himself and his beautiful Fiancé who's a Brazilian Actress, kissing. Such a beautiful sight to see. The photo was taken by a photographer named Raul Aragão.
Here's the link to check out the original photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BdaOZNhjHVx/.


Until recently, there have been few options available for correcting misaligned teeth. But in just a few short years, Invisalign® clear orthodontics have helped over a million people achieve their goal of a perfect smile efficiently and with little or no discomfort. Invisalign® invisible braces have proven to be very effective and provide many advantages over traditional metal braces.
Since Invisalign® clear braces are a fairly new orthodontic treatment, many patients may be skeptical about their effectiveness. The notion that crooked teeth can be corrected so easily seems to go against the idea of enduring years of discomfort associated with traditional orthodontics. But the Novato Cosmetic Dentist has successfully helped many patients attain the beautiful smile they've dreamed of with Invisalign® clear orthodontics.
We begin by taking photos and x-rays of your teeth using a scanning process that produces a detailed, three dimensional computer model of your teeth. We determine exactly what treatment approach will be most effective by taking into account the desired healthy position of each of your teeth. We then take an impression of your teeth and send all information we gather to the Invisalign® lab. This input is used to create a series of custom clear plastic aligners that are used to gently move teeth into the desired position.
Once the Novato Cosmetic Dentist receives your set of custom aligners, we will instruct you on how to use and care for them. One of the advantages of Invisalign® aligners is that you can see and feel the progress as your teeth begin to move into the correct position. At first you may notice that the aligners are snug and don't quite fit your teeth perfectly. This is because each set of aligners is designed to gently coax your teeth into position as treatment advances. After about two weeks, you will notice that the aligners feel somewhat looser. What you are seeing and feeling is progress in action as you move to the next set of aligners.
Because they are made of smooth, flexible plastic, Invisalign® aligners are much more comfortable than traditional metal braces.
They are completely removable for eating, brushing and flossing.
Proper oral hygiene is much more efficient than with traditional braces since there are no brackets where particles of food can become lodged.
They are easily removed for sports where a protective mouth guard is required.
Treatment times are reduced, and in-office visits are scheduled at four-week intervals so we can monitor progress and make adjustments as necessary.
For more information about Invisalign® clear braces and how they may benefit you, please contact our office.


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Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photogrammetrie, Fernerkundung und Geoinformation e.V. (DGPF) ist ein Fachverband von Vermessungsingenieuren, Geodäten, Photogrammetern, Geoinformatikern und Fernerkundlern mit Sitz in München.

Geschichte
Im Jahr 1909 wurde in Jena die Gründung einer Gesellschaft für Photogrammetrie beschlossen, die 1911 ihre Arbeit aufnahm.

Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wurde in Westdeutschland der Verein unter dem Namen Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photogrammetrie am 15. September 1949 in München neugegründet und will laut Satzung "die Photogrammetrie, die Fernerkundung sowie das Geoinformationswesen pflegen, deren Vervollkommnung, Verbreitung und Geltung fördern, zur Anwendung in den verschiedenen Zweigen der Wissenschaft, Kunst und Technik beitragen und Erfahrungen austauschen".

Am 1. November 1983 wurde sie in den heutigen Namen umbenannt.

In der DDR gründete sich am 31. Mai 1960 in Dresden eine Gesellschaft für Photogrammetrie in der DDR (GfPhDDR). In der Generalversammlung des ISP IX. Kongress in London wurde die Gesellschaft der DDR aufgenommen. Sie hatte bis zu 266 Mitglieder. Durch den Zusammenschluss des Verbandes für Vermessungs- und Kartenwesen (VfVK) ging die GfPhDDR in der Wissenschaftlich-Technische Gesellschaft für Geodäsie, Photogrammetrie und Kartographie (WTG GPK) unter dem Dach der Kammer der Technik auf. Ihr erster Vorsitzender wurde Fritz Deumlich. Mit dem 31. Dezember 1990 wurde die Tätigkeit eingestellt und den Mitgliedern der individuelle Beitritt zur DGPF empfohlen.

Am 25. September 2002 wurde ihr schließlich durch die Aufnahme des Begriffs Geoinformation der heutige Name gegeben.

Photogrammetrie – Fernerkundung – Geoinformation
Die Zeitschrift Photogrammetrie – Fernerkundung – Geoinformation ist das Organ der DGPF. Einmal jährlich wird für besonders wertvolle Beiträge in der Zeitschrift der Hansa Luftbild-Preis von der Hansa Luftbild AG vergeben.

Jahrestagung
Einmal jährlich führt der DGPF eine wissenschaftlich-technische Jahrestagung durch, auf der Wissenschaftler neue Forschungsergebnisse vorstellen und die Mitgliederversammlung durchgeführt wird.

Stiftung PFGeo
Am 22. Dezember 2011 gründete die DGPF die Stiftung Photogrammetrie, Fernerkundung und Geoinformation (Stiftung PFGeo) mit Sitz in Münster. Die Stiftung soll u. a. den Anteil der DGPF am Karl-Kraus-Nachwuchsförderungspreis finanzieren.

Literatur
 J. Albertz: 100 Jahre Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photogrammetrie, Fernerkundung und Geoinformation e.V. In: Photogrammetrie, Fernerkundung, Geoinformation. Band 2009, Nr. 6, 2009, S. 485–560.

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Geodätische Institution
Optische Messtechnik
Organisation (Messtechnik)
Verein (München)
Gegründet 1911
Geowissenschaftliche Gesellschaft
Geowissenschaftliche Organisation (Deutschland)
Wissenschaftliche Organisation (DDR)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


To compete successfully on the search engines for top rankings, your college or university web team needs to have a solid foundation of SEO best practices in place. On-page SEO is where you start, building solid structure, content and keyword strategy as a baseline. Once that's in place (and being regularly attended to), it's time to turn to off-page SEO, also known as inbound link building, to really get your site tuned up.
To the search engines, quality inbound links are like a vote or endorsement for your site. Inbound links come from other people's webpages when they add a hyperlink on their page to your page. Their presence indicates that someone thinks that your page contains content of relevance and of quality with respect to the content of their original page. Inbound links pass link value, authority and trust to your web pages like water through a pipe. The more natural, high quality inbound links your pages have, the more authority flows to your page and the higher your search engine results position will be for related keywords. The higher your pages rank, the more qualified organic traffic you receive, which reliably leads to more inquiries, leads and registrations. And that's a good thing. Let's start our review of inbound links by taking a look at the working parts of a hypertext link.
So here is an example of a link to an HEM blog post we published about on-page SEO.
Link Title "Intro to On-Page SEO" – This appears when you hover over the link. Link titles do not affect SEO ranking but do influence click-thru rates and are important from an accessibility standpoint.
Link URL "href="https://www.higher-education-marketing.com/blog/on-page-seo-basics-higher-ed-marketers" – This is the webpage address being linked to.
Link Anchor Text "on-page SEO" – This is the text on the webpage that is used to create the live link. Anchor text is an important SEO factor. Anchor text that matches the keywords of the page you are linking to will positively affect rankings but it must be natural. Artificial anchor text or overused anchor text can negatively affect your rankings.
– Does the linking page have a high PageRank and/or high TrustRank?
– Is the link coming from a recognized authority site?
– Is it a genuine, high quality, editorially-driven link or is it a spammy link?
– Does the link sit in context with other closely related content?
– Do the linking page and its domain have multiple high quality links pointing at it?
– Do your links form a "natural" link profile vs one that appears artificially created?
– Do your inbound links come from a wide range of types of domains?
– Have the links been built over a reasonable period of time?
– How closely does the anchor text of the link match your page's keywords?
– Does the anchor text of the link reflect the link title, and the content of the original linking page?
– Does the text around the link thematically reflect the anchor text ?
How do you Attract Inbound Links?
In today's rapidly changing world of higher education SEO, trying to game the Google algorithm to drive your page rank with "unnatural" links is a dangerous approach. Some SEO practitioners might tell you they know how to do this but the real professionals will tell you it isn't worth the risk of the penalties applied to your rankings if they got caught.
So how should you proceed to increase you inbound links?
In today's mix of complex ranking factors there is, surprisingly, a fairly straightforward answer to the question of how to build inbound links. The simple answer is to create remarkable content, publish it on your site and amplify it out across the web in multiple ways. If it is engaging enough, your audience will relate to it and link back to it through their social media and content channels, building quality links back to your site. Blogging, press releases, media coverage, news, videos, shared PowerPoints, local events, webinars, native advertising and social media channels are all appropriate content tactics towards this end.
Don't forget to leverage the authority of your own institution by creating cross links within your own website. Although they are not as beneficial as a high quality inbound link, they do pass page authority and rank across your pages. Also very effective is to reach out to your program's corporate and industrial partners and advisory committees and build content around your common initiatives. Inbound links from a Fortune 500 partner to your program news page can go a long way to improving your organic rankings.
Your inbound marketing strategy relies on SEO-driven organic rankings to attract qualified traffic to your website. Inbound links contribute significantly to supporting those rankings and can be a key tactic to overcome your completion for those top organic search spots that prospective students are most likely to click.
Are you new to considering link building as a marketing tactic? If you've worked on link building at your institution, what kind of results have you achieved? What link building tactics have you found the most successful at your college?


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31 January 2014 Current Events SC stays death sentence of Bhullar in the Delhi bomb blast case
Devender Pal Singh Bhullar's death sentence was stayed by the apex court and notice was sent to the Centre acting on his petition which sought for commuting of his death sentence to life imprisonment. He is the convict in the 1993 bomb blast in Delhi. Commuting of death sentence has been sought as there has been extraordinary delay in response from the President regarding his mercy petition. In the petition his mental health has also been specified. The court has directed the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences in Delhi to do a check-up of Bhullar and furnish a report on his health.
72 hours deadline to Congress by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee
Congress party has been given 72 hours of deadline by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to reveal names of those of its members who were involved in 1984 riots. If Congress did not provide the requisite information then the DSGMC and Shiromani Akali Dal Badal have issued a warning of staging a protest against the Congress party and gherao Rahul Gandhi. Rahul in a recent interview had stated that some of the Congress members may have been involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Shiromani Akali Dal's president GK has stated that it was very distressing for those affected by the riot to come to terms with new revelations every day. He also said that Congress government was a mute spectator to open firing and atrocities over the Sikh community in the Delhi cantonment area in spite of the presence of 5000 army personnel being there which was called in after three days of the riots and was told not to shoot. He further added that Rahul Gandhi should be naming the Congressmen givgen the fact that he has admitted some may be involved.
A boy from Arunachal beaten to death in Delhi
A boy hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Taniam, was brutally beaten to death in Delhi as per the reports. This happened on Wednesday in Southeast Delhi at Lajpat Nagar. The boy's body now is lying in AIIMS mortuary. There was a spat between the boy and the shopkeepers which took such a horrific turn as per the boy's friends and relatives. Allegedly the shopkeepers have made fun of the boy and passed obscene remarks. Scuffle followed after that and the police picked up the boy from the place took him to the police station but dropped him again there only. After that he was beaten with rods and he succumbed to the injuries. North East community has demanded strict action against the offenders. They will be staging a protest march in front of the same sweet shop on Saturday.
Kejriwal compiles a list of corrupt people
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has compiled a list of corrupt people. He also stated that this list will expand further and this was just the beginning. He also added that people should decide whether those in the list should be voted out or not. He was speaking about this while addressing at the Aam Aadmi Party's national executive committee meet in Delhi which had 400 AAP MP attending it. Kejriwal asked everyone to take the list and draft it and then submit it. He took a dig at the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for opting for a costly branding of Rs 500 crore. He also stated that AAP will field candidates against him as well as other UPA ministers. He did not spare Narendra Modi as well. His list includes names of Mulayam Singh, Mayawati, P Chidambaram, Sushilkumar Shinde, Nitin Gadkari, Salman Khurshid, Kanimozhi, Kapil Sibal, Tarun Gogoi, Farouq Abdullah among others.
New Zealand win match by 87 runs, series 4-0
New Zealand won the ODI series 4-0 with 87 runs win in the 5th ODI. Ross Taylor hit second ton in a row and New Zeeland compiled 303/5 in their 50 overs in the fifth and the final ODI where they were put in to bat. India in reply could only make 216 losing all the wickets in the process with two balls to spare. Pacer Matt Henry playing his debut match grabbed 4/38 in 10 overs. The series was already won by New Zealand but this match was face saver and victory eluded the team. New Zealand was having a tough time against the pacers Mohammed Shami (1/61) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/48) but got back in the game with a 152-run partnership for the third-wicket between Taylor ( 102) and Kane Williamson (88). Shami in his opening spell had bowled three maidens. India was 20 for 2 in 10 overs, 30 for 3 in 14 overs. Kohli again performed with 82 runs which included 7 boundaries and 3 sixes. Dhoni made 47 runs and had a partnership with Kohli for 67 runs.
Satya Nadella may head Microsoft
Satya Nadella born in India, Hyderabad who now handles enterprise and cloud businesses of Microsoft may be succeeding CEO Steve Ballmer as per the reports. There is also news that the board of directors are thinking of replacing Chairman Bill Gates with lead independent director. Nadella did his schooling at Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet and graduated from Manipal University with BE in Electronics and Communication. He also holds MSc. degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin and MBA degree from the University of Chicago. Steve Ballmer stepped down as he felt there was need for fresh faces. Does Nadella fit that slot where he has served Microsoft for 22 years, since 1992? It would be difficult to convince the investors about his recruitment it is being said.
SC stays death sentence of Bhullar in the Delhi bomb blast case

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Connecticut governor Ned Lamont Photo: Governor Ned Lamont's office
Vineyard lands Connecticut offshore wind bid with Park City
Online in 2025, the developer's 804MW project will supply almost 15% of Constitution State's power
New Jersey doubles offshore wind goal to 7.5GW by 2035
19 November 2019 18:25 GMT
Virginia bets the farm on Dominion to deliver offshore wind
8 October 2019 17:14 GMT
Shell, EDPR and Orsted line up for Connecticut offshore wind
30 September 2019 16:26 GMT
'If we don't believe in US offshore wind, then who will?'
GE lands first Haliade-X sales with Orsted US offshore wind order
8 December 2019 17:45 GMT Updated 8 December 2019 17:45 GMT
By Darius Snieckus
The state of Connecticut chose Vineyard Wind's 804MW Park City project as the winner of its latest competitive solicitation for offshore wind capacity, citing its economic development benefits and lowest price to date in the rapidly growing US market.
Vineyard will build the facility, which will supply the equivalent of 14% of the state's electric power, in the same lease area in federal waters off the southern coast of Massachusetts as its pioneering 800MW project – the nation's first at utility-scale.
Vineyard – a 50-50 joint venture of Iberdrola's 81.5% owned Avangrid and Denmark's Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners - will now negotiate 20-year contracts with Connecticut's two electric utilities. It will deliver the electricity to shore for a connection with the ISO New England grid utilising the same transmission corridor as the Massachusetts array.
State regulators did not disclose the winning price submitted by Vineyard. Last year, the developer won Massachusetts' initial offshore wind tender by bidding $74/MWh in the first year for the initial 400MW capacity and $65/MWh for the 400MW balance over 20 years. Those are the industry's lowest contracted prices thus far.
In 2018, Connecticut in its first offshore wind tender selected the Orsted-Eversource joint venture to supply 204MW capacity at a leverlised price of $94/MWh over 20 years from the planned 704MW Revolution Wind to face the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. State utilities later contracted an additional 100MW capacity.
For Connecticut, Vineyard hopes to capture some benefit from the federal investment tax credit - now worth 12% of capital expenditure for offshore wind projects - that is set to expire at the end of this month.
Slated for switch-on in 2025, Park City will replace fossil-fuel plant that would have produced 25 million tonnes of CO 2 . Vineyard Wind estimates that the project will generate $890m in direct economic development in Connecticut and 2,800 direct full-time employment years.
Vineyard in October unveiled a plan to re-develop waterfront industrial property in Bridgeport, to fabricate transition pieces for Park City and a base for an operations and maintenance facility.
The future of US offshore wind: the top ten biggest projects
Park City represents the largest purchase of renewable energy in Connecticut's history, more than doubling the volume of new zero-carbon renewable energy procured by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (Deep) to date.
"Connecticut is diversifying its offshore wind portfolio with this latest procurement selection, which sets up Connecticut as a regional leader in the creation of a thriving industry that will bring tangible benefits for our state and the entire region," said governor Ned Lamont, who in June signed into law the public act that cleared the way for the RPF.
Deep commissioner Katie Dykes stated: "The climate crisis is no longer a future problem, and the time for action is now. The selection of this project demonstrates that a zero-carbon electric future is attainable in a relatively short period of time. By leveraging competition, Deep is securing the best value for ratepayers as we advance climate solutions and grow clean energy jobs here in our state."
Lars Pedersen, CEO of Vineyard Wind, said: "Today's announcement takes Connecticut one step closer to being the epicenter of the new offshore wind industry, with thriving ports in both Bridgeport and New London.
"We look forward to building on the work already underway with a network of project partners, local officials, the maritime community, other developers, and all stakeholders involved to make Connecticut a hub for the offshore wind industry in the US for decades to come."
Anbaric plans huge US offshore wind grid backbone
Liz Burdock, CEO of US offshore wind business network BNOW, said: "This project takes the US offshore wind industry over 9000MW of energy under-development, and is more proof that New England is moving forward on a state and regional basis to drive the industry. This will add significantly to the development of the offshore wind supply chain and economic development all along the coast of New England."
Burdock noted that in making the award, Connecticut Deep said Vineyard offered a price for Park City that is "lower than any other publicly announced offshore wind project in North America".
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The state of Connecticut chose Vineyard Wind's 804MW Park City project as the winner of its latest competitive solicitation for offshore wind capacity, citing its economic development benefits and lowest price to date in the rapidly growing US market. Vineyard will build the facility, which will s...
https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/vineyard-lands-connecticut-offshore-wind-bid-with-park-city/2-1-719310
Unions slam 'appalling' UK green jobs drop after wind and solar subsidy cuts
TUC claims total jobs in clean energy fell despite offshore wind boost, as onshore and solar suffered
New human rights complaint over Europe's largest onshore wind farm
Swiss group claims investor BKW failed to protect rights of reindeer herders affected by 1GW Fosen in Norway
Construction starts on world's largest offshore wind power project
'First spade in the ground' on onshore civil works for $10bn Dogger Bank project, set to catapult sector into the global energy big league


Well, this month I weighed-in at 165.6 which means that I only lost 0.6 lbs this month. I took the suggestion of a lot of you, since I've started lifting weights so much, and measured after my weigh-in last month. Well, I lost 1.25 inches overall this month. So, even though the number on the scale wasn't so hot, I know that my body is still shaping up (just much slower than I'd like). I will say that mentally it is really hard to not see the number really going down on the scale but I know that I'm losing fat and building muscle, so that makes me happy. I still can't wait until I break out of the 160s; I've been stuck here for way too long!
I feel like I need to mention that the last two weigh-ins, I've been retaining water because it's been 'that time of the month.' As soon as it's over I drop at least a pound of water weight. I'm really not trying to make excuses but it's just the way it is.
I have been working out SO very hard this month and have definitely been confusing my muscles. I have been sore pretty much all month. Having Cheryl as a workout partner has been awesome! She is teaching me so much. If you haven't already, please read the last three blog posts that she wrote about what we've been doing.
Bonus pictures: Remember my infamous gorilla 'before' picture? Well, my mother-in-law was here visiting this month and we went to a different mini-golf course in Pigeon Forge and ran into his twin and I couldn't resist taking a picture! So, without further ado, here is my 'before' and my current (not 'after,' yet!) gorilla comparisons.
Again, please keep me in prayer this month for wisdom, guidance and patience to get over this plateau.
Thank you so much for always supporting me!
Your before and current photos are great inspiration. Look at how far you have come!
Keep up the great work and eventually this plateau shall pass.
Gorgeous my love!!! Absolutely warms my heart that you have stuck with your goals!


Bring your canopy and camp chairs—and of course, your ratties—and join the fun as folks from all over the country converge on the huge, completely fenced Jamboree field at the Sweetwater KOA for two Jam-packed days of games, competitions, and demonstrations. Follow our Jamboree event page on Facebook, and the New Rattitude Facebook page.
The price of admission is the donation of an item of your choice to our New Rattitude fundraising event. For the use of their facilities, the KOA requires all adults and children age 6 or older to purchase a KOA Field Pass wristband for $3. These will be available at the Jamboree registration tent and are good for both days. The cookout on Friday night is free and there is no charge to enter the contests and events.
All Day: Registration and Set-up—Stake out your spot for the weekend, register for Saturday's contests and events!
A fun day of socializing and off-leash play and for both humans and dogs.
Grilled burgers and hot dogs, chips and drinks are on us. Guests are encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert to share.
LIVE AUCTION! Select items will be offered at auction and sold to the bidders offering the most Jam tickets. That's right—bidding will be with Jam tickets, not dollars! Tickets will be available for purchase during the Meet & Greet Friday afternoon. Items to be auctioned will be on display at the cookout. If you don't win your auction item, you can use your tickets for Saturday's fundraiser and to vote for your favorite King and Queen!
To wrap up the evening, bring your camp chairs and join us at the big fire pit next to the picnic pavilion.
Saturday competitions include agility, racing, best trick, and other games and contests. There is no cost to enter. All are "for fun" and all dogs are welcome to play. Our goal is to provide an enjoyable experience for every dog and handler, regardless of age, skill, or training.
Follow your nose to the meal tent at noon for a scrumptious and satisfying lunch plate which includes a BBQ pork or chicken sandwich, two sides, chips, dessert, and a drink—all for just $7.00! Lunch tickets may be purchased anytime Saturday morning at the NR ReTail Shop.


softcover. Mechanicsburg, PA, Stackpole Books, 1st, 2003, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, 322 pages. Softcover. B&w photographs throughout. Illustrated frontispiece. Includes new foreword and afterword. Some shelf wear to front cover and foxing to top edge, otherwise clean, tight copy.


Please use the UCSB jobs website jobs.ucsb.edu to search for open staff positions at UC Santa Barbara. Visit the link, click "Search Postings" in the left menu, then search as needed.
Prospective academic (faculty and lecturers) personnel can search for and manage applications for employment at recruit.ap.ucsb.edu. This is also the link for references to submit a letter of reference on behalf of an academic applicant. Departments and research centers may also list open academic positions directly on their websites. All open academic positions will be listed on recruit.ap.ucsb.edu nonetheless.
Engineering offices and departments, if you would like to add a link to your open position here, please contact Andrew Masuda.


The banned word list in the game has always been slightly ridiculous.
There is some random encounter in the High Road wilderness area talking about cabbage, I thought it was funny so I added it to my bio and it turns out "cabbage" is banned. WHAT?!?! Is cabbage that sexual?? Cabbage pooop humour??
Do a forum search on the topic, threads on the subject pop up from time to time, always good for a laugh.
The term "Cabbage" used in an insulting way can be used to infer; brain-dead qualities, or comparing someone like akin to vegetable state, or a coma state. Hence that's why its likely a banned word in-game.
Obviously there are a lot of words out there that can be used in different ways.
My point is that this is a phrase directly copied from an in game NPC.
"Cabbage" Noun 2: British offensive a person whose physical or mental activity is impaired or destroyed by injury or illness. Origin Late Middle English: from Old French (Picard) caboche 'head', variant of Old French caboce, of unknown origin. Oxford Dictionaries.
[...] My point is that this is a phrase directly copied from an in game NPC.
Hm. By that accounting, the word "Cow" needs to be filtered as well.
It bothers me that I can't have a conversation with a new player in chat about spell penetration. *shakes head* Also I couldn't put honeysuckle in my bard's bio.
Incidentally, I named my ghostly beholderling Peekaboo.
You could name it, "Sheen".


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Flying cars....
That fold into a briefcase at the touch of a button. If you grew up in the sixties, you've met Gorge Jetson, and family. I grew up during the era, and as my birthday nears I'm still wondering when we're going to get our flying cars? I figured by now that they would be a common thing. Like living on the Moon, or Mars. Nope. Detroit, and the big three auto makers are still stuck in the stone age. Oh there have been some improvements to be sure. Seat belts, air bags, cars that parallel park themselves, and we no longer have to rely on foot power to get to where we're going like the Flintstones did. But the flying car is still no where to be seen or had at any price.
Growing up when I did, and looking back now I wonder what happened? With the space race in full swing I thought that it was only a matter of time till most of us were living and working in space. Blasting off on our daily commute to the office, going out for a night on the town dancing in zero gravity with our jet belts. Chatting on video phones, well that one did happen, and Kudos to the inventive minds that gave us the cell phone. But come on.. where are the flying cars?
I've seen a lot in the past sixty years. Most of it good, some of it bad. But the promise of a bright exciting future seems to have been lost along the way somehow. We slowed down to a snails pace once the race to the moon was accomplished. There has as of late been some renewed interest with the guys funding their own rocket launches, again though it's still just a pass time for the rich and famous. If you have the funds, or happened to star in a show about trekking among the stars you can get a seat on one of the flights, float in zero gee for a bit and land hours later. Okay, it's cool and all if you can afford it...but it's still not the flying car we were promised .
Oh well, I'm off to shower now....
Have a good one people.....
At least Back To The Future gave us a vsion of a flying car and a hoverboard which is cool. Loved the Jetsons also seeing we are of the same generation,except you are turning the Big 60, where I am not yet..lol. I think some things have slowed down and got lost in cyberspace now when it comes to other future space endevours..Have a good one Hun.xoxo
Eviloutlaw1 replies on 11/19/2021 9:21 am:
Yeah, perhaps we have gotten lost in cyberspace. Minds turning to mush as we fixate on what so and so is wearing on the red carpet, who's sleeping with who, or taking photo's of what we had for dinner and posting them for all who care to see. I don't know? I still want that flying car...then again could you imagine getting into a fender bender while driving one? Have a good one my sexy friend!
G000dbuddy 34M
Jetson, and family, Flintstones .. I grew up during this era
goodbuddy781
I want that robot maid from the Jetsons. I'm so tired of cleaning, LOL.
Rosie, the best robot maid ever to clobber a boss with a pineapple upside down cake over the head with. One of the better Jetson's episodes ever.
As for your cleaning woes, well I'm available. But I don't do windows. By the way is it okay if I clean in the nude? Have a good one Pony!


He tried it when he was at the other network as Kapamilya, but his acting chops were not fully exploited, so to speak by the network. Now that he is a card-bearing Kapuso, Christian Bautista�s dream to explore further his acting talent is getting realized. He is starring in his first Kapuso soap as Aston, an entrepreneur, who runs into Isay, a provincial lass, who wants to be a barbecue queen, in a freak accident. Throw in Mikael Daez, a happy-go-lucky young man in search of an inspiration for a meaningful life, and you have With A Smile, Network�s light daily romantic dramedy.
The series is also a follow up to Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga that had Andrea Torres and Mikael testing their on-screen chemistry. But what about Christian? Isn�t Andrea supposed to fall in love, too, with his character? Won�t that make Mikael�s character a not too important in the series? The Network�s newest offering is a great avenue for Andrea, Mikael and Christian to show not only their talents in drama but also their funny side that will surely bring a smile on everyone�s face every weekday morning. Joining the ensemble are Vince de Jesus, Miggs Cuaderno, Rj Padilla, Bryan Benedict, Soliman Cruz, Marnie Lapuz, Gilleth Sandico, Jak Roberto, Mikoy Morales, Shelly Hipolito and Kimpoy Feliciano. Louie Ignacio returns to directing drama and he says it�s so much fun to work with Christian, Andrea, and Mikael. With A Smile premieres on June 24 before Unexpected You on GMA�s morning block. This is the first time the network breaks the canned programming in the morning.


With the air pollution of Delhi causing numerous health problems to people, it has become a necessity to take precautions before you get an eye infection, lung cancer, skin disease or serious respiratory infections. While adults are taking precautions by wearing air filter masks every day, kids might need extra protection given that they are not as strong as us.
Here are some of the breathing exercises you can teach your kids to help them fight pollution on a daily basis. Just practising these exercises every day will help them from getting any respiratory infections or health issues.
KINDLY NOTE that your kids are doing these exercises in a clean environment where there is the least pollution. The exercises are preferred to be done around plants or in the balcony, nowhere near any polluting vehicles.Here are some of the ways in which you can protect your children from air pollution.
Bear breathing exercise involves your kid breathing in through their nose, holding the breath for a couple of seconds and then, exhaling it from their mouth. Make sure your kids do this at least 4-5 times a day for the exercise to be effective.
This breathing exercise, as the name suggests, is exactly like smelling a flower. You take a deep breath from the nose and exhale it from your mouth slowly. It can be done with or without a flower. The exercise also releases any tension or extra stress that your kid might be under.
This is exactly like Flower breathing. You inhale through the nose, taking a deep breath but while exhaling through your mouth, you make a hissing sound as a snake does. This breathing exercise helps you to slow down their inner activities. It is a wonderful exercise for kids to relax themselves not just physically but also emotionally.
Ask your child to take 3 quick sniffs, breathing in through their nose and slowly breathing out the air through the mouth. They can pretend to be bunnies or even, Bugs Bunny for fun.
In this exercise, your kids are supposed to pretend that they are a balloon. Tell your kids that when a balloon gets filled you with hot air, it expands drastically. The same way they are supposed to think of themselves as balloons and take a deep breath to fill their lungs, chest, ribs and stomach with as much air as possible and then breathe out through the mouth.
In this one, you inhale through the nose, taking a deep breath and while exhaling through your mouth, you make a "mmmm" buzzing sound as a bee does. Your kid can also cup their hands over their ears to intensify the buzzing sound they are making.
Ask your kid to point their index fingers towards each other and position them as shown below and ask them to blow as they spin their fingers around each other, making a "wishy wishy" sound like a tumble dryer.
The exercise involves kids pretending to be an elephant. Ask them to keep their legs apart and arm in front of their nose as if it's their "elephant trunk". Tell them to breathe in through the nose as their arm goes up slowly and exhale through the mouth and their arm goes down.
This exercise will help your kids wake up their sluggish tyke.
These are just simple breathing exercises but can make a huge difference in your and your kid's health. To keep your child happily engaged at home and make sure they don't get out too often, try Xplorabox. activity boxes.
Xplorabox is a monthly subscription-based activity box for kids containing skill-enhancing offline activities and games, which help in developing motor, cognitive, and social skills in children.
If you liked this article, do share it with your family and friends to increase awareness among them.


Using the EPC-IRD1 Electronic Pedestrian Counter along with the EPC-IRD1e Infrared Emitter creates a pedestrian counting system with an approximate maximum sensing distance of 35 feet.
As with the EPC-IRD1 Pedestrian Counter, the EPC-IRD1e can be powered with two AA-Sized 3.6V Lithium batteries or with an A/C adapter. The EPC-IRD1 saves one single running traffic total and senses and counts pedestrians entering and leaving. The EPC-IRD1 is the same exact physical size of the EPC-IRD1E and they look very similar to each other. This makes them aesthetically-pleasing when installed.
Here are some features of this system.
The EPC-IRD1 Pedestrian Counter and EPC-IRD1E Infrared Emitter both include a low-battery indicator.
The infrared beam strength can easily be set to one of five different settings in the EPC-IRD1E. This allows you to set the infrared beam strength to a strength suitable to your entrance width, while allowing for maximum battery life.
The EPC-IRD1 Pedestrian Counter and EPC-IRD1E can either be mounted in a Side-Firing (Quick Popup of Image) configuration or a Front-Firing (Quick Popup of Image) configuration.
The internal infrared emitter of the EPC-IRD1 Pedestrian Counter should be turned off via a menu option when used with this optional EPC-IRD1E. In this scenario, the EPC-IRD1 is only used as a receiver and the EPC-IRD1E is used as a dedicated infrared emitter. The EPC-IRD1E emits a beam across the entrance. The EPC-IRD1 is mounted on the other side of the entrance and receives this infrared beam. It will not sense the beam for that brief period of time when a pedestrian breaks the beam. The EPC-IRD1 will count the pedestrian when it senses the absence of this infrared beam.
When the EPC-IRD1 Electronic Pedestrian Counter is used by itself, it can accommodate standard entrances of approximately three feet wide. If you have an entrance that is wider than three feet, then you can use the EPC-IRD1 and EPC-IRD1E combo that is explained on this product page. This product page explains how they work together and allows you to purchase them as one item, instead of two separate items.
The only items that are not included with the EPC-IRD1 & EPC-IRD1E for standard installation are the batteries and/or A/C adapters. The batteries have a shelf life of ten years, so you can purchase additional sets to keep on hand. The price of the batteries is also less when purchasing at higher quantities.


Image shows the CLOVER ring made in 18 karat rose gold, holding a 1.3 carat sea-foam sapphire flanked by two 3mm round brilliant diamonds.
All of our designs can be modified to meet a range of different budgets and design preferences. This specific ring pictured is available for purchase for $7,200 AUD.


It's always fun to see video game culture impact other mediums, particularly when it's film. Video games owe a lot to films and seeing this creative interpretation of a popular WoW raid gone awry is just fun!
Leeroy Jenkins as a heist.
The original Leeroy Jenkins clip, which has been viewed over 31 million times!


Global Oil and Gas Discoveries Review, Q4 2018: 23 Discoveries..
Dublin, March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Q4 2018 Global Oil and Gas Discoveries Review - Russia and Colombia Lead with Highest Number of Discoveries" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
Russia and Colombia had the highest number of oil and gas discoveries amongst a number of key countries with three each in Q4 2018. Russia had two natural gas discoveries in the West Siberian basin and an oil discovery in the Okhotsk basin, while Colombia had three conventional oil discoveries, all in the Llanos Orientales basin.
The latest report "Q4 2018 Global Oil and Gas Discoveries Review - Russia and Colombia Lead with Highest Number of Discoveries", reveals that globally 23 oil and gas discoveries were made in Q4 2018 comprising, 13 conventional oil and 10 conventional gas discoveries, with no unconventional discoveries in the quarter.
Regionally Asia leads with seven discoveries, followed by Europe and South America with four discoveries each. The Former Soviet Union (FSU) had three discoveries, with North America and Africa having two discoveries each in the quarter. Oceania had only one conventional oil discovery during the same period.
In terms of terrain, onshore accounted for the most with 13 discoveries, followed by shallow water followed with five discoveries. Ultra-deepwater and deepwater accounted for three and two discoveries, respectively. Two of the oil and gas discoveries in Russia were made in the shallow water terrain and one discovery in onshore terrain, while all three discoveries in Colombia were made in the onshore terrain.
Russia's two natural gas discoveries, Obskoye North (Severo-Obskoye) and PO-1, were made in the West Siberian basin and an oil discovery, Triton, was made in the Okhotsk basin. All three conventional oil discoveries in Colombia, Acorazado-1, Danes-1, and Indico-1, are in the Llanos Orientales basin.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Does Goo Gone Work On _______?
We get asked a lot of questions about what Goo Gone works on. That makes sense, it works on a ton of different sticky, gooey messes. Browse our master list of goo's and surfaces to see if you can use Goo Gone on whatever mess you're dealing with. See all the things Goo Gone works on.
We also have specific guides for all sorts of unique messes. Browse our how-to section to learn to clean up everything like scum on grout, floor adhesive on hardwood, and stickers on glass.


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Stamp Will Immortalize the Smithsonian African American Museum & Culture
On Friday, October 13, 2017, the United States Postal Service will start selling a forever stamp featuring the Smithsonian National Museum of African American and Culture. A party at the museum on the National Mall will commemorate the release with the stamp being available at all United States post offices later in the day.
African American Postage Stamps – New Addition to the Forever Stamp Collection
Officials hope that the forever stamp will help people remember the important role that African Americans have played in the development of the United States and the rest of the world. Antonio Alcalà designed the stamp featuring a photo taken by Alan Karchmer. Simple text in the upper left-hand corner of these African American postage stamps reads National Museum of African American History and Culture. The United States Postal Service gave no explanation for the delay in releasing the stamp that was originally slated to happen on September 24, 2017, on the first anniversary of the museum.
Image source: Afro.com
Individuals must have an invitation to get into the standing-room-only release of these African American postage stamps. Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Government Relations Officer Ronald A. Stroman and Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture will both address crowds on that day. They are likely to address important contributions that African Americans have made in the development of the United States.
Not the First Time African American Heritage Is Honored on U.S. Stamps
While the release of the African American postage stamps may further the understanding of the role that people of color played in the country's development, it is not the first time that the United States Postal Service has released stamps featuring African Americans. The first African American featured on a United States postage stamp was Booker T. Washington in 1940. George Washington Carver became the second African American featured on his own stamp in 1948. Stamps featuring Paul Laurence Dunbar, Frederick Douglass and Archer Alexander followed them. Artists drew likenesses of these individuals for these stamps.
Since 1978, the United States Postal Service has released stamps as part of their Black Heritage Series. The idea to release these stamps began in Queens, New York, as a committee meeting to plan the Bicentennial of the United States. Like the current forever African American postage stamps, the committee proposed creating stamps to commemorate the important role that African Americans have played in the development of the United States. The first person commemorated was Harriet Tubman who helped more than 300 slaves escape on the Underground Railroad. The postal service releases these stamps during National Black History Month each February. In 2017, the stamp paid tribute to Dorothy Height who worked fearlessly to improve the lives of African American women.
A special reception at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American and Culture will herald the release of the stamp bearing a photograph of the museum on the National Mall. The United States Postal Service hopes the stamp will remind people of the important contributions African Americans have played in the development of the United States. It is not the first stamp featuring African Americans and their important roles in society. In order to stay up-to-date on news, subscribe to our newsletter.
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Our handsome gloves take as their inspiration a dueling gauntlet for the left hand in the collection of arms and armor at The Met. The stylish pair features embroidered leather, a comfortable wool-blend lining, and a subtle embossed Met logo.
Although arms and armor are most commonly associated with warfare, they were used in other contexts, including hunting, tournaments, and as parade costumes. Designed to protect the hand and wrist, the original gauntlet, meticulously fashioned out of steel, leather, and cloth, was made in Italy about 1550–75.


Easy 2 Pet – Share Love, Sow Life: Easy 2 Pet is an IoT project which, through the partnership of socially responsible companies, aims to feed street animals using a system of Convolutional Neural Network and Azure Storage Services.
Vocapture: The team developed a mobile application that enables users to identify objects around them, quickly and intuitively see the objects' translations, and practice their foreign language skills with handwriting recognition.
Imagine this: A problem impacts you, or maybe your family, your friends, your community, your country, or even the whole world. You and your student peers form a smart and passionate team that not only thinks up a great solution – it also accesses amazing new technologies to make that fix a reality.
You work hard, collaboratively, and creatively for months. Along the way, you get high-powered technical and practical advice on how to refine your solution, start a business, win over investors, and bring in customers. Having learned and achieved much along the way, you come together and compete with other great teams from around the world and face expert judges who are eager to hear about the next big thing.
Welcome to Imagine Cup: an annual global student competition akin to a youth Olympics of technology. It's prestigious, innovative, entrepreneurial, and impactful as a first step toward changing the world.
More than 2 million students from around 190 countries have competed in Imagine Cup since it started in 2003, including hundreds of thousands from across Asia Pacific. Using the latest technologies – which nowadays include artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the internet of things (IoT), and cloud computing – they have taken on some of society's toughest challenges.
With the contest now in its 17th year, 12 teams of impressive young women and men from 10 countries converged on Sydney for its Asia regional finals. To qualify, they had to move through a series of online competitions and national playoffs that ran from late last year.
"You are all superheroes. You have done amazing work to get here," Annie Parker, the Global Head of Microsoft for Startups, said in a welcome address made just before each team pitched their solutions to a panel of five judges.
Underscoring the importance of Imagine Cup's mission, the Asia finals in Sydney were held just before Ignite the Tour – a premier Microsoft event for tech professionals and developers.
What surfaced through a day of presentations and demonstrations by the students was a sophisticated, inspirational, and eclectic mix of solutions for all sorts of sectors from the environment to disabilities, business, transport, security and more.
Among the entries were: an augmented reality solution for wheelchair users to navigate city streets (Singapore's Team InclusiveAR); a social media sales tool to empower small businesses (Indonesia's Team CodeSell); and a better way for people with dyslexia to use the internet (New Zealand's Team LookUP).
Sri Lanka's Team Straw Hats had a solution that reads the brain waves of people with debilitating neural disorders to help them communicate. Team Alpha-India created an augmented reality solution that discerns ingredients in packages foods while compatriots RVSAFE developed a one-stop communications and management solution to cope with natural disasters. Thailand's Team Maker Playground came up with a software package to create IoT products.
"They all sat in a sweet spot where the technology, the application, and the thoughtfulness came together," said futurist and entrepreneur Mark Pesce, who was on the jury.
Some teams had personal reasons for deciding to tackle specific problems. For instance, the distress of friends and relatives losing money to phone scammers prompted South Korea's Team Fisherman to create an app that has machine-learned voice analysis capabilities to detect suspicious cold calls.
Team SUFECS from Malaysia won the "People's Choice Award" for developing a smart urban farming system that monitors and controls artificial environments best suited for growing crops in crowded cities.
Third-placed Team AidUSC from the Philippines wanted to help poor rural communities when they created an app that uses Azure Custom Vision to check the safety levels of water samples via a smartphone camera. Second-placed Team RalinNova of China came up with a robotic solution to automatically inspect train lines for defects with multi-sensor fusion capabilities.
The eventual winners, India's Team Caeli, pulled their idea out of thin, or rather, polluted, air. Tired of choking on traffic fumes and industrial smog on their daily commute to their college in Delhi, they asked a simple question: If they were finding it hard to breathe, how were people with asthma and other chronic conditions coping?
At first, they launched a research project on air pollution, but soon decided "to develop a product to help all those patients who are suffering from respiratory issues and need it the most," said team member Aakash Bhadana. They came up with #breathefreely – an AI and data-driven personal anti-pollution system that dispenses medications with the use of a smart face mask. They hope to launch their product to market by the end of this year.
Members of Team Caeli celebrate after they are named winners of the Asia Finals.
Team Caeli will represent Asia at the World Final at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, near Seattle, in May. They will compete against the winners of two other soon-to-be-held regional finals for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and the Americas.
She and colleague, Keith Loeber, Director in Academic Ecosystems, work at the forefront of Microsoft's investment in emerging talent through a series of student programs and initiatives. "We are really all about preparing students for the future," Loeber says. "Imagine Cup gives them an opportunity to innovate on their own and to showcase that innovation. It is about empowering students to make that next great technology.
Parker, who is also a former Imagine Cup judge, regards the competition as a wise long-term bet for the not-too-distant future. "If you invest in smart people – and give them the skills and the knowledge they need to build and innovate for themselves – they will become the startups of tomorrow," she explains.
From environmental sustainability, protecting human rights, empowering the disabled and disadvantaged, driving up literacy rates and much more, technological innovation has the power to make our world a better place.
That's where initiatives like Microsoft's Imagine Cup come in – helping to encourage the brightest and best students to develop world-changing technology projects by unlocking their creativity.
Founded in 2003, it's now the world's biggest student technology competition, with tens of thousands of students participating from around the world each year.
This year, the global final will take place in Seattle on 25 July, with the first prize of $100,000, mentorship opportunities and Azure credits all to play for.
The winners will be awarded $100,000, a mentoring session with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, a $120,000 Azure Grant and a trip to next year's Build developer conference.
Europe has long been a hotbed of computing talent. From "father of AI", Alan Turing, to World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, Nikola Tesla, the Lumière brothers and more, leading figures from the region have contributed to some of history's most thrilling technology innovations. Now it's time for the next generation to step out of the shadows.
So, who's competing from Europe? Let's take a look at the 14 teams travelling to Seattle and the projects they'll be hoping to wow the judges with.
This project uses a neural network to determine psychogeometric characteristics of a person from photographs, which allows more effective communication according to their individual characteristics, with a focus on business and sales settings. The use-case is to help companies hire the right students by sophisticated data-driven algorithms based on psychology, face/gestures-recognition and company culture assessment. The algorithms can also be used to help out the service industry to better communicate with customers based on psycho-type and emotion detection in real time.
Theatrall aims to make theaters accessible for everyone through simple software available on smartglasses, smartphones or tablets, which will display the production subtitles in the language chosen by the user. The goal is to make theatre experiences accessible for everyone, such as people with hearing impairments, non-native language speakers, or simply for those wishing for subtitles.
Soul Sailor is a platform that provides psychological care for refugees and asylum seekers, including a chatbot to help individuals process their experiences while seeking refuge. Soul Sailor supports refugees dealing with mental illnesses such as PTSD or depression by providing psychological care and eliminating factors out of their surroundings which contribute to their issues. The platform is powered by an AI and data-driven digital companion called Mayu, who interacts with the user via speech and helps them express their experiences and worries. In addition, the system also allows fled relatives who have been separated to communicate with a novel event-based network solution.
NASC is a web app that allows you to search for news articles on the web, attempts to evaluate sentiments in those articles and then visualizes the results. The goal is to encourage people interested in politics and other important topics and events to go beyond the first search result and to look at multiple articles that express different views about the same topic. To achieve this, NASC offers three different result views. The Map view helps portray geographical differences in the attitude towards a given issue. The Timeline view visualizes the development of the sentiment towards an issue over time, and the List view provides a familiar user interface similar to regular search engines and shows more details at first glance than the other, more specialized views.
Pavo Vision makes digital content accessible to visually impaired users, by utilizing advanced AI, Cloud Computing and the power of the community. Visual content in websites, documents, and other digital assets gets analyzed and equipped with a description of the visual for visually impaired users by the Pavo Vision System. Mistakes in the analysis can be reported by the Pavo community to train the system, making the models smarter over time. The Pavo Vision system is currently available as a browser plugin, with future support for Microsoft Teams planned.
StudySmarter is an intelligent learning platform, designed to help students achieve their educational goals and graduate from university. The platform digitizes the entire learning process, making it more efficient, structured and engaging. Machine learning algorithms accompany the student through the entire learning experience by automating or creating learning materials such as summaries, mind maps or flashcards with just a few clicks. In addition, the student is automatically connected with fellow students.StudySmarter not only saves time learning, but also boosts motivation.
iCry2Talk proposes a low-cost and non-invasive intelligent interface between infants and parents. Baby's cries are translated in real-time, being associated with specific physiological and psychological states. Results are depicted in text, image and voice messages. iCry2Talk believes that the efficient combination and analysis of different sources of information through advanced signal processing techniques and deep learning algorithms can provide meaningful and reliable feedback to parents.
Innobie is a smartphone app to help students understand the curriculum they are reading in textbooks. The app projects a virtual augmented 3D image over 2D illustrations in books, and can help elementary students learn biology, chemistry, geography, history, and more. By allowing users to explore virtual objects from all angles, they can gain a deeper understanding for more complex subjects than a mere 2D image would be able to provide.
DeafKIT is an automatic solution for sign-language translation based on neural networks. Translations are provided with video capturing to make communication easier and more effective, with up to 100% accuracy. The solution aims to be used on trading centres, social networks and more.
Wavy is an underwater locator for scuba divers which allows divers to track each other via a small device, which can prove to be vital during emergency situations. In addition to its safety benefits, the Diving Logbook feature tracks the route, depth and temperature of each dive. Diving bases can also measure the most popular routes to help recommend them to customers.
XVision is a system designed to automatically detect anomalies and diseases encountered anywhere in the human body with radiologist-level accuracy, just by analyzing common medical X-ray images with the help of the latest Azure AI technologies such as Machine Learning. The system will provide a crucial solution for people in areas of the world that lack access to radiology diagnostics while also acting as an assistant tool for the medical experts examining radiographs.
Coffee Break utilises spectrometry in an innovative way by labeling tradeable goods. this amazing tool in the business for labeling of tradable goods. The solution can be used in a variety of ways, such as counterfeit detection, by comparing goods to the known qualities of their genuine counterparts. The tool can also be used to track expensive items such as wine.
InterviewBot is a web-based application tailored to aid students with video or physical interviews when applying for jobs by providing real-time feedback on interview-style questions. Companies can also use this tool to assess their candidates' performance, while a written transcript allowing employers to dissect interviews in detail. It uses facial analysis and speech recognition to offer real-time feedback on facial expressions during practice interviews, informing users whether their style is positive, neutral, or negative.
Black Light's project, Firepoint, is a First-Person mixed reality simulator, built around helping firefighters explain and display what their daily work environment is like without putting anyone at risk. The simulator allows users to see through the eyes of a firefighter as they make their way through a multi-story training ground with a variety of different encounters to tackle. The goal is to use this tool to help firefighters in community outreach, recruitment, and training.
This July, Microsoft will host bright student developer teams from across the world for the 16th annual Imagine Cup. Teams will travel to Redmond, Washington to showcase their technical innovations and compete for up to $100,000 USD, as well as a mentoring session with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. We are excited to announce the dates for the 2018 Imagine Cup World Finals!
Follow the action to learn more about the competing teams and tune in to see which teams will be announced as World Finalists!
The Imagine Cup World Finals kick-off at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington! The day starts with a Tech Showcase, where teams will pitch to multiple judges and the top-rated teams will move on to the next round. Imagine Cup Awards finalists in Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Mixed Reality are chosen to vie for $15,000 USD.
The top 15 teams are announced and will move forward as Imagine Cup semifinalists. There is good news for all other teams – they will get a second shot in the wildcard round! The students vote which wildcard teams will be saved and have the opportunity to join the semifinals. Semifinalists present their projects to the judges, and the final 3 teams are chosen to compete in the World Championships.
Imagine Cup World Championships – Streamed Live! Tune in at 9:00am PST to watch the top 3 teams pitch to the judges, coming to you live from the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seattle. Who will win it all?
Save the date for the Imagine Cup World Finals to see who will win $100,000 and the glory of being the Imagine Cup champions!


Is the back of this phone glued on?
I can get it to come off some from the top and bottom of the phone, but it feels like i'am going to break it if I pry to hard.
Zmax created so users cannot remove the back. Like iPhone.
Sweet. Thanks for the feedback!
Just hold the power button and the down volume button for 3 secs.
I held down the power button while rocking the volume control back and forth and a menu came up with lots of options, the first being reboot.
You arent supposed to open the back of the ZTE ZMAX. They can be opened but it has the high risk of damaging the phone. T-Mobile and MetroPCS stopped selling these phones because people were either breaking their devices or hurting themselves trying to open and remove the battery. I wouldn't recommend opening it unless it is professionally done.
It would be nice if the mfg of tablets and sellers of those tablets would collectively get together and fix what ever the problem is with Android based OS and tablet batteries. Go to U Tube or Google this problem and you see at once the extent of this issue. When someone tells me to push the on/off button and the sound bar at the same time to "fix" a "reset" of the battery on a 2 month old tablet I become a bit peeved. I even saw a U tube the other day on how to open the back, disconnect the battery wire connection and reconnect in order to reset the battery. Another showed how to "hard wire" as USB cable directly to the tablet so to avoid the entire problem of loss of USB charging ability and issues connected to battery function. When it comes to tablets - if you look at them closely it becomes apparent that all of these are made by the same mfg just different names and or software in the initial package. All seem to have USB charging issues, and battery functionality problems.
Is likely because everyone wants to use their tablet right out of the box and they don't charge it to 100% first. It's called memory effect, when the battery is first used, it remembers the highest charge it has attained and basically "remembers" that high point to be it's new 100%. Charge your new devices 100% before messing around with them at all, and once at 100%, use it until it is at about 1-2% before charging it back to 100%. Try to maintain this same method for the life of your device and you will be rewarded with great battery performance. Also try to avoid using it while charging, and leaving it plugged in while at 100%.
Li-Ion batteries do not work in this way and flatting tu3 battery will most certainly lessen it's overall life.
No glue. You just need to release the clips.
There are small indentions on the sides of the back. You can't see them. They are on the inside. You will need like a phone pry tool to lift it. Once you have a small corner lifted you can run your tool along the sides and it will pop the clips free.
Also, taking the sd and SIM card inserts out of the sides will make it easier to get the back off of the phone, undamaged.
You need to take out the sd & sim card slots then use something very thin to work around it but there's no guarantee that it would be able to put back on so i herd from a few people on YouTube.
Created by tmo_tim on Sep 8, 2014 9:09 AM. Last modified by tmo_tim on Apr 30, 2015 2:00 PM.
Learn how to insert or remove the battery on the ZTE ZMAX.
If you are unsure if your battery is charged, connect your device to the charger.
Press and hold the Power key for up to 15 seconds.
William Evans will be eternally grateful.


British School at Athens Studies in Greek Antiquity builds on the School's long-standing engagement with the study of ancient Greece from prehistory to Late Antiquity. This series aims to explore a wide range of topics through a variety of approaches attractive to anyone with interests in the ancient Greek world.
Receive email alerts on new books, offers and news in British School at Athens Studies in Greek Antiquity.


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LA BERNERIE-EN-RETZ COMMUNAL CEMETERY
La Bernerie-en-Retz is a village and seaside resort in the Department of the Loire-Atlantique. It lies on the north-eastern side of Bourgneuf Bay, 48 kilometres by road west-south-west of Nantes and 8 kilometres south-east of Pornic, a small town and fishing port. The Communal Cemetery, which is 360 metres from the main street, is on the eastern side of the village and south-west of the church. The graves are in a plot in the southern part in the angle of two of the boundary walls.
Wheelchair access is possible via the main entrance.
History Information
The majority of the servicemen buried here perished when the troop ship S.S. "Lancastria" was sunk by enemy bombers off St. Nazaire on the 17 June 1940. There are now over 100, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 30 are unidentified and three soldiers known to be buried in this plot, whose graves could not be precisely located, are commemorated by special memorials, which bear the superscription "Buried near this spot".


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Nicole Patton Terry, Ph.D.
Home Nicole Patton Terry, Ph.D.
Nicole Patton Terry, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education, and Director, The Urban Child Study Center, College of Education, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3979, Atlanta, Georgia 30302.
Nicole Patton Terry is the coordinator of the Behavior Learning Disabilities Program, a member of the Center for Research on Atypical Development and Learning and the Board of Regents Initiative on Research on the Challenges of Acquiring Language and Literacy, the director of the newly founded Urban Child Study Center in the College of Education, and a research scientist at Haskins Laboratories at Yale University. She is an associate editor of the American Journal of Speech Language Pathology. Her research concerns children who struggle with language and literacy, in particular children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, who speak nonmainstream American English dialects and who live in low-income or working-class households.
Nicole Patton Terry, Ph.D.'s Products
Revisiting Etiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Policy
Julie A. Washington, Ph.D., Donald L. Compton, Ph.D., Peggy McCardle, Ph.D., MPH
Advances in Reading Intervention
Research to Practice to Research
Carol McDonald Connor, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Peggy McCardle, Ph.D., MPH


Welcome to MetaFluent, a new approach to accessing and integrating real-time data throughout the enterprise. By integrating with your existing systems and utilizing industry standards wherever possible, MetaFluent's patented software brings simplicity and flexibility to complex environments.
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Categories: Fragrances, Scents, History
Patchouli is one of the essential ingredients in the palette of a perfumer. Its olfactory profile, belonging to the woody family, brings an earthy, green and woody aroma to compositions. It can also be found in the fougère and chypre families. In addition to its aromatic contribution, this ingredient is widely used for its fixing power in fragrances, so much so that it is the second most frequently used natural ingredient in perfumery, surpassed only by citrus fruits. On average, a total of 1,500 tonnes of this essential oil are used each year.
This plant family, with the scientific name of Pogostemon Cablin, is a variety of mint. Its ideal growth habitat is in tropical climates. It was first cultivated in Malaysia during the 19th century, but its farming has since moved to the regions of Java and Sulawesi in Indonesia, where 80% of modern production takes place.
One unusual characteristic of patchouli is that the plant absorbs all nutrients from the soil, and if fallowing and replenishing work is not carried out, several consecutive harvests can leave the land barren for further cultivation.
On the silk route, when fabrics travelled from India to Europe, traders would protect the fabrics by wrapping them with dried patchouli leaves to prevent moths from damaging materials such as cashmere. After the long journey, these leaves left their scent on the fabrics.
It is impossible to talk about patchouli without mentioning the crisis that occurred in the perfume industry in the first decade of the 2000s when farmers stopped cultivating this ingredient due to its low profitability.
Iberchem's purchasing manager, Paco Miñano, remembers well the event. "The industry reduced consumption a great deal, and on a positive note, perfumers started doing research and began using patchouli obtained through sugar cane fermentation and biological processes. Since then, the use of this variety has become common, especially at times when, like now, the price of raw materials has risen."
Some of the legendary perfumes that contain this raw material are Coty's Chypre (1917), which gave its name to the olfactory family. It is also featured in other classics such as Miss Dior Original (1947) and the contemporary perfume Angel by Mugler (1992).
« Iberchem Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of IRIS, its Training Program in Perfumery
Iberchem Performs Its Annual Occupational Health and Safety Drill at Head Office »


My sister asked my to show her how to make chocolate muffins with melted chocolate in the middle. I accepted the challenge, and decided to show here how it is done.
Thought I am still not sure, how can muffins be a good return favour. Well, maybe one day I will understand the social expectations.
Bake on the 180°C for 15 minutes.


On this super-short episode, we talk Mother's Day and reveal the winner of our BattleGoats giveaway.
What did you do with your Mom (or mother-figure) on Sunday? We played Castle Panic with our kids (and called/visited our moms, of course).
We found out what happens when we pick a giveaway winner "live" instead of doing it before the show… Spencer from Married with Board Games, you are the winner!
Have you check out our Facebook community page? How about leaving us a review on iTunes? We'll be back next week with a full-length podcast episode, in which we will also read feedback from you, our listeners!


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Q: How do I get sqlalchemy.create_engine with mysqlconnector to connect using mysql_native_password? I'm working with pandas and sqlalchemy, and would like to load a DataFrame into a MySQL database. I'm currently using this code snippet:
db_connection = sqlalchemy.create_engine('mysql+mysqlconnector://user:pwd@hostname/db_name')

some_data_ref.to_sql(con=db_connection, name='db_table_name', if_exists='replace')

sqlalchemy, pandas have been imported prior to this.
My MySQL backend is 8.x, which I know uses caching_sha2_password. If I were to connect to the database using mysql.connector.connect and I want to use the mysql_native_password method, I know that I should specify auth_plugin = mysql_native_password like so:
mysql.connector.connect(user=user, password=pw, host=host, database=db, auth_plugin='mysql_native_password')

My question: Is there a way to force mysql_native_password authentication with sqlalchemy.create_engine('mysql+mysqlconnector://...)?
Any advice on this would be much appreciated...

A: You could use connect_args:
db_connection = sqlalchemy.create_engine(
    'mysql+mysqlconnector://user:pwd@hostname/db_name',
    connect_args={'auth_plugin': 'mysql_native_password'})

or the URL query:
db_connection = sqlalchemy.create_engine(
    'mysql+mysqlconnector://user:pwd@hostname/db_name?auth_plugin=mysql_native_password')

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Mimi's Cafe makes a dark moist Carrot Bread - does anyone have a recipe that is similar?
I found this in a restaurant recipe collection on my computer. No idea who the author is, though. Mimi's Cafe® Carrot Raisin Bread It's dark, moist and delicious. And it comes in a bread basket to your table at this French-themed west coast casual restaurant. Now the tastiest carrot bread ever can be yours to create at home with a couple of grated carrots, molasses, raisins and chopped walnuts. You'll be baking this one in the oven for at least an hour. That should be enough time to warm up the house and send amazing smells wafting through every room. Line the carpet with newspaper to catch the family drool. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 3 eggs 1/4 cup molasses 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup shredded carrot 1 cup raisins 3/4 cup chopped walnuts Dark, moist carrot bread is a Mimi's Cafe specialty. Now it's yours. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 3. In another bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add shredded carrot and mix. Add raisins and walnuts and mix well by hand. 4. Pour flour mixture into the other ingredients and stir until combined. 5. Pour batter into two ungreased 8-inch loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes, or until done. Makes 2 loaves.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine eggs, oil, vanilla and milk; stir into flour mixture until well blended. Stir in carrots, coconut, cherries, raisins and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for ten minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely. Store in plastic wrap to keep moist.
1. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.


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26-07-02 news
The Race for Colin The Great...
Hollywood has plans for several epics featuring the historical figure Alexander The Great, and Irish actor Colin Farrell is first in line.
The director of JFK, Oliver Stone, intends to start making an Alexander The Great biopic starring Farrell.
However, Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhramann and veteran Italian producer Dino De Laurentis believe they will win the race to make a sweeping epic biopic of the man.
They hope to start shooting in January. The pair have the go ahead from Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox for the film.
They will also have the cooperation of a movie fan named Mohammad VI, who is the 39-year-old king of Morocco. He will contribute around 1,500 members of his army to the production.
And Martin Scorsese had also announced plans for an Alexander movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio but he will first make a movie about Howard Hughes with DiCaprio.
He is still waiting to release the Irish gangland movie Gangs of New York.
Luhrmann told Variety magazine he sees Alexander as "the world's first rock star... a fantastic freak of nature whose battles against the Persians changed the course of world history."
Luhrmann has yet to confirm the cast for Alexander.


Jono Lineen is a writer, curator and public speaker whose passion for landscape and humankind's connection to it inspires his writing. He worked for years as a project manager for Médecins Sans Frontières in war and disaster zones around the world. Currently he is a curator at the National Museum of Australia. He is the author of River Trilogy: Travels Down Three of the World's Greatest Rivers.


There are many kinds of voices this is a list of some that may be common to voice hearers and some that may not be so common.
Narrators state every thought you have either in the first, second or third person viewpoint. For example, they might say "I am typing these words," as I think them in my head while I'm typing them out. To some they are just a nuisance, but to others it can seem as though government agents are following them everywhere they go.
Commanders tell you what to do and may add a warning or threat to you or someone you care about, if you do not comply. For example, they might tell you something as simple as "wash you face." Other times they may tell you seriously harm yourself or other people. It is important to know the difference between doing mundane everyday things and doing things that may harm you or others.
Screamers may just yell inaudible noises or words. There are different kind of screams some sound painful others sound angry and anywhere in between. They may be very difficult to cope with and one may have severe headaches as a result. I used to have a screamer which no matter how hard I tried I couldn't calm her down. So, I enlisted the other voices which I was able to talk to to console her and she stopped screaming within a day or so.
Singers can sing solo or as a group or choir. For me, they are one of the most pleasant parts of hearing voices. But for many, they can repeat over and over, seemingly endlessly. More complex singers are interactive, meaning that you can make changes to their lyrics on the fly or to the melody they are singing. This is great if you are trying to create music. It can be hard to get them to switch off and it can be hard to think of silence. Relaxation techniques may help in this regard.
Instrumentals are various instruments. Most common for me are acoustic bass and a jazzy drum set. But sometimes a saxophone or other brass instruments. For some though they can be more than annoying, repeating endlessly in loops or easily triggered by songs on the radio. For others they are a pleasant controlled experience used to create music and refine compositions.
Tonals are seemingly simple voices that do not use words and may use beeps and bops such as those on a cellphone. If they become communicative, they may change their patterns to communicate different feelings. For example, a slow rhythm, with a low sound might be interpreted as sad or sombre. While a fast rhythm and a high sound might be interpreted as happy.
These are voices that communicate through touch. They can be soft or hard, blunt or sharp for example. If these become communicative, they may communicate by changing their texture to convey their feelings. For example, they may feel soft and viscous when relaxed. Or they have a pointed drilling sensation when they are trying to get your attention. How you perceive these voices as a threat or support may depend largely on their texture.
There are other voice types that use smell and taste in the same way as touchers. A person may have some or all of these types but being aware of them is not always easy. Food may taste or smell bad when it is actually ok, for instance. In my opinion, sensors are quite advanced and may be quite taxing to the person sensing them.
Similar to tonals, technical may take on the sound of appliances or devices. For example, I often hear the sound of a camera shutter as a photo is taken. Or they may blend in with appliances like a fan or fridge. I often hear a bubbling sound behind the fridge and can perceive words coming from the bubbling sound. Similar experiences can be had with electric fans and TVs.
Familiars are voices that sound like people we know. Voices may be very good at imitating people's voices but may not be so good at imitating their characters. It's good to check what the voices are saying with what you know someone you know will actually say. By checking things like wording and tone you may be able to differentiate between a voice acting as someone you know and the real person.
Unfamiliars are voices that sound like people you've not met before. They may have their own character and back story. They can have a wide range of personalities and their own issues they are dealing with. It's important to know that voices can do this as it might be easy to think that the neighbours are playing tricks on us or we might get wound up at people we don't know and they may have nothing to do with what's happening. The experience can be so real that it is believable, but knowing that voices can sound like unfamiliar people can help us to take a step back before doing something we might regret.
As you might see, voices can be varied and complex. For many it is not a pleasant experience because it can induce paranoia and conspiracy theorising. However, if you know these things in advance it can help you to not "follow the white rabbit" so-to-speak. On the other hand, some may find the experience pleasant, this too can get out of hand if you let it. This is a balancing act and one must learn to skilfully walk a tight rope, but knowledge is like the bar that will help us maintain our balance and maybe eventually learn ways to make the tight rope into a wide see-through platform, giving us insight and awareness to the possible dangers so we might negotiate our way on our journey.
Wow, I never knew there were so many!
I can relate to most of them. Just not the machine sounds or tones.
They all blend into one with me though.
One thing I had is someone I know from work singing a manic street preachers song at me going "drinking, water to stay thin".
I have spoken to many voice hearers on here but also my own experience of hearing voices. These are just terms I gave to the different kinds of voices. I'm glad some of them make sense for you, no doubt others may have their own words to describe some of these types.
Sorry about your job, can see why they would react that way, but also your side as well.
For me, when the hearing voices flare up pretty badly, it's hard for me to decipher which sort they are - the voice is mostly very muffled, not too clear, or a large group of gathering of voices, all jumbled up.
It's interesting that they have come up with singing, because, sadly, in view of my communication difficulities, apart from mental health ailments, I pleasantly, in my head, recite, or remember pieces of musicals, or easy listening, as a way for me, to help me prepare self to be understood propery and correctly through speech.
So I feel that music, in it's many forms, songs in partiucular, are a proven and benefiical and soothing method for me.
I would also add that voices come in a wide range of personality complexity. The simplest voices do nothing more than repeat certain phrases, other voices are capable of simple responses, and yet other voices are capable of seeing your memories and having logical arguments. The most complex voices I have come across had their own emotional life, and a range of emotional responses as well as some logical capability.
Thematic diversity is a separate area in my view. Most voices that I have heard would talk about a very limited range of subjects, and I could often tell that a voice was unusual or more capable when it strayed noticeably outside the usual set of themes. Although there was often a feeling that they talked among themselves with a bit more complexity, lol.
And I have come across Touchers who could communicate by tapping in a kind of rhythm of words. The stream of taps would become interpretable as a stream of words, somehow.
Also one area where I have noticed even complex voices being weak is in maths, even simple mathematical questions can lead them to just guess an answer. I also have never heard a voice say "I don't know"... If pressed for an answer they become evasive.
Perhaps a good thread to sticky?
I agree Kerome that they vary in the complexity of their personalities. I've had familiars that sound like doctors I know and they did accurate versions of them. I've also had unfamiliars sitting in a circle in the room, they were all religious leaders trying to explain their way of life to me, a very fascinating experience.
They used to say they didn't talk amongst themselves to me, like a rule they had. But as weve all come so far now, I often tell them to look after each other and to talk amongst themselves.
I've also seen in some people that some voices seem to be unaware of other voices within the same person, as though they were compartmentalised in little cubicles inside the mind.
Thanks for your contributions Kerome, they are very informative.
Yes, thats a good one. What shall we call them? Predictors, foretellers, precognitioners or something else?
Yes, when I was psychotic I knew something was going to happen before it happened. And it did happen. A relationship between the man I liked and a woman I know whose voice I heard. And they tried to keep it quiet. But I knew already because of my psychosis. So it can be useful to have it sometimes.
There are also voices which just tell you information. For example, what a person's name is, where they live, what their telephone number is, where they work. These are informers.
Helpful voices, too. These can help you to find your way when you don't know where you are going, for example.
I would say the most type of voices I hear are guiding, especially when lost.
I think that could be your spirit guide. I get this too at times. When I am really down, he cheers me up with some jokes or dry analysis.
There are a lot of really funny things that go on inside my head. I think I could not possibly come up with that. It always happens during psychosis. Lots of funny links. I end up laughing a lot but don't realise I am on my own and people might think I'm weird for laughing at seemingly nothing.
WE do have some funny conversations sometimes.
I agree with Natalie, some voices are hard to decipher. I've had experiences with singers, touchers, sensors, familiars, and unfamiliars. I also hear various noises, particularly at night where everything is still and quiet. These noises sound like footsteps and someone banging on the walls. Singers to me sound like angels that are singing in a choir. I've been poked by touchers, smelled strong perfumes with sensors, and anything that talks to me is hard to decipher, as it sounds like whispering or someone talking through a long tunnel. Sometimes the voices are in groups and sometimes it's a single person calling my name over and over. When I call out to the voices they suddenly stop, as if they were having a conversation I'm not suppose to hear or be aware of. Creepy...which is one of the reasons I don't sleep at night.
Screamers sound so cool.Like something out of a creepy film or videogame. I wanna be a screamer!Commander sounds so cool as well.
I dont hear voices btw and i am sorry u do.
There's nothing cool about someone or something screaming in your ear.


At first glance, the bond trading room at National Life Group's headquarters in Montpelier could pass for any Wall Street firm. Traders and analysts with headsets sit at rows of computer banks, staring intently at flashing stock prices and fast-moving columns of economic data. On the far wall, a TV broadcasts CNBC, its manic ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen with up-to-the-minute financial figures.
But a second look around the room reveals a distinctive Vermont vibe. For starters, a huge window affords a panoramic view of distant Camel's Hump and the gentle ridgelines that sweep down from its peak. Then there's the dress code: The traders are wearing button-down shirts, but there's not a tie in sight, much less a blazer.
To be sure, this isn't your usual trading operation, but breathtaking vistas and dressed-down attire aren't the only things that distinguish it. Consider that National Life's headquarters, one of the largest buildings in the capital city, is LEED silver certified and boasts one of the largest solar arrays in the state — 418 rooftop panels that produce 73 kilowatts of power. Cafeteria food waste is composted, and waste cooking oil is collected and made into biodiesel. Shredded paper provides bedding for 700 milking cows, and is added to manure piles to spread on fields as fertilizer. Take that, Goldman Sachs.
When it comes to money, though, there's nothing quaint about the fortune that National Life manages. The company has $23 billion in assets under its control — money from some 870,000 customers who have purchased mutual funds, annuities and life insurance policies.
Of that amount, $18 billion moves through the small "fixed-income trading room" on the building's fifth floor. Last year, $6 billion in investments changed hands here.
Tom Brownell, National Life's chief investment officer, is the person in charge of making that money grow. He comes across as a laid-back Vermonter, but one with a sharp mind for the intricacies of financial markets. Brownell is also a cycling nut — he races every Wednesday evening in warm weather, and his talk turns to bikes almost as much as to bonds. The workout helps him blow off steam from the pressure of being entrusted with billions of dollars' worth of other people's money.
Country roads for cycling are one perk his last job didn't have, at GE Capital's Corporate Finance Group in urban Stamford, Conn.
National Life Group actually comprises five companies doing business under one umbrella. The three biggest are National Life Insurance Company, which sells life insurance policies; Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, based in Dallas, Texas, which sells annuities; and Sentinel Investments, which sells retail equity and fixed-income mutual funds.
Twice since its founding in 1848, National Life has flirted with leaving Vermont, but both times company leaders opted against it. Only a tiny fraction of its business — around 1 or 2 percent — comes from Vermonters, but home-state commitment runs deep. For years, the company's slogan, "As solid as the granite hills of Vermont," resonated with people around the country, says company spokesman Chris Graff.
Each morning at 8:15, Brownell gathers his 18-member investment team for a daily briefing. Some sit in chairs, others crowd onto a windowsill they refer to as "the bleachers." Ken Hart reports on what bond issues are coming out that day. Jason Doiron summarizes how foreign markets performed overnight.
At 8:30 a.m., the government releases economic data showing the latest numbers on employment, GDP, consumer spending and other indicators.
From there the traders hit the computers, buying, selling and evaluating corporate bonds and securities when the market opens at 9:30. Each trader comes with his or her own specialty, such as energy and utilities, financial services, medical products and pharmaceuticals , and industrials.
To the untrained eye, the data on Jason Doiron's monitor look like code from The Matrix — series of numbers blinking through different frames of the Bloomberg Terminal system the traders are tapped into.
To Doiron, however, those numbers tell a detailed story about Greece's debt crisis, U.S. Treasury bonds, and various stock indices.
Doiron's job title is "fixed-income portfolio manager for corporate bonds and derivatives." His job is to find the right mix of investments that will maximize returns, while minimizing the risk, for those who've sunk money into funds and policies managed by National Life.
Before he moved to Vermont, Doiron lived in Chicago, where he worked for RBC Capital Markets. He grew up in Maine and wanted to raise his family in New England while still pursuing his career. His gig at National Life has turned out to be a great fit, he says.
Brownell says he gets a lot of résumés from job applicants more interested in skiing than anything else. (Doiron is not one of them, he assures.) But he asserts that holding out for the best has paid off.
One of those standouts is David Brownlee, who manages what Tom Brownell calls "the really arcane world of mortgage-backed securities" for the company. National Life manages $6 billion in the category, which gained infamy for its role in the national subprime mortgage debacle.
National Life largely dodged that bullet by not investing in subprimes — a choice that led Brownell to a "whew" moment, he says. In fact, one government securities fund David Brownlee manages performed so well in 2010 that it won a prestigious Lipper Fund Award for the best overall performance of any fund in its class over the past 10 years.
Vermontisms aside, National Life has a traditional and somewhat staid business sense, according to company officials. Its funds are composed of holdings from some of the most tried-and-true megacorporations, such as McDonald's, Microsoft and Praxair.
For an executive who excels in orchestrating a complex and sometimes chaotic line of work, Brownell's desk is a tidy workspace. Copies of the Wall Street Journal are fanned out next to issues of the Economist and the business newspaper Barron's.
The work isn't without Wall Street-style pressure, though. After a Sunday bike ride in September 2008, Brownell returned home to learn that the government had placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into receivership. Without stopping to remove his helmet and cycling shoes, he assembled his investment team by telephone and spent the rest of the day sorting out what the news meant for National Life's investments.
It didn't, of course. And National Life's $23 billion portfolio escaped the brunt of the crash. Brownell attributes that to the company's broadly diversified portfolio. Having many eggs in many baskets — corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgages — meant no single loss could sink the whole ship. Plus, being privately held meant no pressure from jittery shareholders to hit quarterly profit margins.
If 2008 was a bust, 2009 was a boon, at least for National Life. After suffering losses in the tens of millions from the crash, the company rebounded last year to post a company record for total revenues of $1.6 billion — and did so without layoffs. Though sales of life insurance policies fell 16 percent, sales of mutual funds shot up 155 percent, while sales of annuities — which guarantee a steady annual rate of return — rose by 32 percent.
Risky business, but when it works, solid indeed.