text:
The Relationship Between Quality of Work Life and Organizational Effectiveness Among Hospital Nurses
Manizhe Nasirizade 1 , Zahra Amouzeshi 1 , Zahra Unesi 1 , Seyyed Abolfazl Vagharseyyedin 1 , Fateme Biabani 1 and Mahnaz Bahrami 1 , *
1 Nursing and Midwifery Department, Birjand University of Medical Science, Birjand, Iran
* Corresponding author: Mahnaz Bahrami, Nursing and Midwifery Department, Birjand university of Medical Science, Birjand, South Khorasan, Iran. Tel: +98-5632381415, E-mail: bahramim901@gmail.com
Modern Care Journal: January 2017, 14 (1); e63815
Published Online: January 31, 2017
Accepted: January 8, 2017
To Cite: Nasirizade M, Amouzeshi Z, Unesi Z, Vagharseyyedin S A, Biabani F, et al. The Relationship Between Quality of Work Life and Organizational Effectiveness Among Hospital Nurses, Mod Care J. 2017 ; 14(1):e63815. doi: 10.5812/modernc.63815.
Background and Aim: Organizational effectiveness is the main goal of organizational development and excellence. Improvement of staff's quality of work life may improve organizational effectiveness. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between quality of work life and organizational effectiveness among hospital nurses.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 225 hospital nurses who worked in teaching hospitals affiliated to Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran. Nurses were recruited through random multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Brooks and Anderson quality of nursing work life questionnaire, and parsons organizational effectiveness questionnaire. SPSS software (v. 16.0) was used for data analysis via Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and independent-sample t tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses.
Results: From 225 nurses, 201 completely filled out their questionnaires. The mean of their work experience in nursing was 7.87 ± 7.62 years. Nurses' organizational effectiveness was significantly correlated with their quality of work life (P < 0.001) and working ward (P = 0.04). The work context subscale of quality of work life was a significant predictor of nurses' organizational effectiveness in which, each one-point increase in quality of work life was associated with a 0.66-point increase in organizational effectiveness.
Conclusions: Nurses' quality of work life is significantly correlated with their organizational effectiveness. Therefore, improving nurses' quality of work life can improve their organizational effectiveness.
Keywords: Quality of Work Life; Organizational Effectiveness; Nurse
Organizational effectiveness (OE) is one of the most important issues in most organizations, including healthcare organizations (1). It is a destination all organizational efforts aim to reach (1). Despite the importance of OE in organizational theories and the diversity of organizational models and approaches, there is no clear consensus over its contributing factors and no well-accepted theory about it (1).
OE is the ability of an organization to achieve its goals or to cope with environmental conditions. In fact, the aim of establishing an organization is to achieve a series of goals through effective behaviors. Therefore, all organizational efforts aim to encourage and reinforce behaviors that are productive for the organization, and satisfactory and rewarding for its staff (2).
One of the potential factors behind OE in healthcare settings is nurses' quality of work life (QWL). QWL is a criterion for meeting nurses' essential and personal needs and achieving organizational goals (3). It is described as "the interaction of nurses' work life with their home life along with the design and context of their work, the relationship with the work world, and how these facets interact to affect healthcare productivity measures such as cost, quality, and patient outcomes" (4). Some studies reported that nurses' higher QWL is associated with lower healthcare costs, greater organizational commitment, greater client satisfaction, and higher service quality (5).
Improving nurses' QWL in healthcare settings can affect their morale, job satisfaction, productivity, and care quality (6, 7). However, despite the importance of QWL, studies show that most nurses have a poor QWL (8) and dissatisfactory QWL (7). Factors such as job specifications, adequate payments, strong human relationships, and staff development opportunities can potentially affect QWL and OE (9). Moreover, QWL improvement may improve OE (10). However, our literature search in online databases (such as Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Scientific Information Database, and Magiran) using the keywords of "QWL", "nurse", and "OE" revealed the lack of scientific evidence respecting OE-QWL relationship. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to analyze the relationship between QWL and OE among hospital nurses.
This descriptive-analytical study was undertaken on hospital nurses who worked at teaching hospitals affiliated to Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran. The hospitals were located in Birjand, Ferdows, Qaen, and Tabas, Iran. From 550 nurses who worked in the hospitals, 225 eligible nurses were recruited through random multi-stage cluster sampling. Accordingly, given the total number of nurses in each hospital, a proportionate sample of nurses was recruited from different work shifts of the given hospital. The sample size was calculated using Krejcie and Morgan Eligibility Eligibility criteria were a work experience of one year or more, permanent, or conditional official employment, and an associate or higher degree in nursing. Nurses who were not willing to stay in the study were excluded.
Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Brooks and Anderson quality of nursing work life questionnaire, and parsons organizational effectiveness questionnaire.
The quality of nursing work life questionnaire (QNWLQ) consists of 42 items in four subscales, namely work life/home life, work design, work context, and work world. Item scoring is performed on a five-point Likert scale from 1 ("Completely disagree") to 5 ("Completely agree"). Total score of QNWLQ is 42 - 210 which is categorized and interpreted as follows: 42 - 83: poor QWL; 84 - 125: moderate QWL; 126 - 167: good QWL; and 168 - 210: excellent QWL (1). The work life/home life subscale contains seven items and has a total score of 7 - 35. The work design subscale deals with the composition of nursing work and the actual work nurses perform. This subscale has ten items and a total score of 10 - 50. The work context subscale pertains to nurses' workplace environment and shows the effects of environment on nurses and patients. The number of items and the total score of this subscale are 20 and 20 - 100, respectively. Finally, the work world subscale assesses nurses' social status and job satisfaction by five items with a total score of 5 - 25. The Cronbach's alpha values of the different subscales of the English and the Persian QNWLQ were reported to be 0.56 - 0.88 (4) and 0.75 - 0.93 (11), respectively.
OE assessment was done using the Parsons organizational effectiveness questionnaire (OEQ). This questionnaire was developed for OE assessment based on the four components of Parsons Effectiveness Model. The components of the model are adaptation (or innovation), goal attainment (or commitment), integration (or job satisfaction), and latency (or organizational health). OEQ includes 28 items which are scored on a five-point scale from 5 ("Very much") to 1 ("Very little"), resulting in a total OEQ score of 28 - 140. The score is categorized into three categories, namely 28 - 64, 65 - 101, and 102 - 140 that are interpreted as low, moderate, and high OE, respectively. Each of the four OEQ subscales contains seven items and has a total score of 7 - 35. Malekinia et al. reported a high reliability for the questionnaire with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.95 (1).
In total, 225 questionnaires were distributed among 225 nurses, from which 24 were filled out incompletely and thus were excluded; therefore, data analysis was done on the data retrieved from 201 completely filled out questionnaires. The SPSS software (v. 16.0) was used for data analysis. Normality was tested via the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Except for the scores of the adaptation and the integration subscales of OEQ, the other variables of the study had a normal distribution and thus, they were analyzed using the independent-sample t test and one-way analysis of variance. The scores of the adaptation and the integration subscales of OEQ were analyzed through the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Moreover, the Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were conducted to analyze the relationships of QWL and OE with nurses' demographic characteristics. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was also employed to evaluate the effects of QWL on OE. The significance level was set at below 0.05.
The ethics committee of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran, approved the study with the code of IR.BUMS.REC.1394.404. Official permissions for the study were obtained from the same university. Moreover, informed consent was obtained from all nurses and they were ensured about the confidential handling of their data.
Participants ranged in age from 23 to 52, with a mean of 30.58 ± 7.69. The mean of their work experience in nursing was 7.87 ± 7.62 years. Moreover, 23 nurses had a managerial work experience of 7.43 ± 7.12 years. The majority of participants were female (66.6%) and worked in general hospital wards (74.6%). In addition, 89.1% of them held bachelor's degree, while the others held associate (7.9%) and master's or higher degrees (3.0%).
Table 1 shows the mean scores of OE and QWL and their subscales. Most nurses had moderate QWL (75.1%), while 13.4% and 11.5% of them had good and poor QWL, respectively. Moreover, 67.7% of the participants had moderate OE, 24% had low OE, and 8.3% had good OE. The mean scores of QWL and all its subscales were positively correlated with the mean scores of OE and all its subscales (P < 0.001; Table 2).
Table 1. The Mean Scores of Nurses' QWL and OE
Mean ± SD
OE Adaptation 21.2 ± 4.96
Goal attainment 21.7 ± 4.89
Integration 20.2 ± 4.70
Latency 20.2 ± 5.13
Total 63.9 ± 13.96
QWL Work life 19.6 ± 4.52
Work design 31.3 ± 5.70
Work context 62.4 ± 13.75
Work world 14.0 ± 3.38
Total 127.4 ± 23.25
Table 2. The Correlations of QWL and Its Subscales with OE and Its Subscales
QWL
Work World
Adaptation 0.412a 0.501a 0.649a 0.374a 0.445a
Goal attainment 0.356a 0.409a 0.598a 0.340a 0.579a
Integration 0.417a 0.473a 0.642a 0.476a 0.646a
Latency 0.408a 0.472a 0.645a 0.460a 0.647a
Total 0.421a 0.503a 0.684a 0.431a 0.681a
aSignificant at less than 0.001.
The results of the independent-sample t test illustrated that the mean score of OE among critical care nurses was significantly greater than that of the nurses who worked in general hospital wards (P = 0.04). However, these two groups of nurses did not significantly differ from each other respecting the mean scores of OE subscales (P > 0.05). Moreover, OE was not significantly associated with nurses' gender and educational status (P > 0.05; Table 3) even though the mean score of OE was slightly lower among nurses with master's or higher degrees than in other nurses.
Table 3. The Relationships of Nurses' Demographic Characteristics with Their OE and Its Subscalesa
Goal Attainment
Male 5.79 ± 20.59 5.43 ± 20.95 5.05 ± 19.47 5.48 ± 19.74 20.49 ± 80.75
Female 4.51 ± 21.61 4.58 ± 22.1 4.52 ± 20.63 4.99 ± 20.54 17.05 ± 84.90
P = 0.26; z = 1.11 P= 0.12; t = 1.56 P = 0.98; P = 0.3 P= 0.3; t = 1.04 P = 0.13; t =1.5
Educational degree
Associate 5.66 ± 21.92 6.90 ± 21.0 5.76 ± 20.07 5.54 ± 19.46 22.63 ± 82.64
Bachelor's 4.79 ± 21.36 4.70 ± 21.79 4.56 ± 20.36 5.03 ± 20.44 17.63 ± 83.96
Master's or higher 8.03 ± 18.83 6.25 ± 21.66 4.72 ± 20.26 7.72 ± 17.0 27.99 ± 65.17
χ2 = 0.18; P = 0.91 F = 0.86; P = 0.42 χ2 = 1.043; P = 0.48 F = 1.41; P= 0.25 F = 0.86; P = 0.50
Working ward
General wards 4.92 ± 20.85 4.95 ± 21.34 4.64 ± 19.48 4.94 ± 19.95 17.87 ± 81.98
Critical care units 4.94 ± 22.49 4.58 ± 22.82 4.72 ± 21.43 5.62 ± 21.19 18.81 ± 87.94
z = 1.64; P = 0.10 t = 1.88; p = 0.06 z = 1.57; P = 0.12 t = 1.50; P = 0.14 t = 2.03; P = 0.04
aValues are expressed as mean ± SD.
Stepwise multiple regression analysis was employed to predict the score of OE based on the scores of QWL and its subscales. The results indicated that the score of the work context subscale of QWL solely explained 44% of the total variance of OE (Table 3). The results of the regression analysis for the other subscales of QWL were not statistically significant and therefore were removed from the regression model (Table 4).
Table 4. The Results of Regression Analysis
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized Coefficients
Correlation Coefficient
Explained Variance
Standard error
Constant 21.77 3.44 6.33 < 0.001
Work context 0.67 0.05 0.66 12.55 < 0.001 0.66 0.44
This study sought to analyze the relationship between QWL and OE among hospital nurses. Study findings revealed a significant positive relationship between QWL and OE. Moreover, all subscales of QWL were positively correlated with all subscales of OE.
Our literature search revealed that no study had yet been conducted to analyze QWL-OE relationship among nurses. However, a study used the Walton Quality of Work Life Questionnaire and reported a positive QWL-OE relationship among faculty members (1). Nayak et al. also found the positive effects of QWL on organizational effectiveness and healthcare quality (12). Moreover, Dehghan-Nayeri et al. and Salamzadeh et al. found a positive relationship between nurses' QWL and their productivity (13), denoting that higher QWL is associated with higher organizational productivity. Good working conditions are a prerequisite to staff empowerment (3) and empowered staff can positively affect organizational outcomes and effectiveness.
The results of the present study also illustrated that most nurses (86.5%) had a poor-to-moderate QWL. Salamzadeh et al. also reported the same finding, while Fallahi-Khoshknab et al. reported that QWL among their participating nurses was higher than the moderate level. This contradiction can be related to the fact that they conducted their study on psychiatric nurses while none of our participants was a psychiatric nurse.
Study results also revealed low OE among hospital nurses. Navidian et al. also analyzed the relationship of job satisfaction (a component of OE) and QWL and reported that 80% of their participating nurses had moderate-to-low job satisfaction (14). Similarly, Shahbazi et al. reported a moderate job satisfaction among nurses (15). However, a literature review revealed that nurses had great job satisfaction (16).
The results also showed that critical care nurses had higher OE compared to their counterparts in general hospital wards. The immediate culture and environment can affect nurses' motivation, performance, retention in the profession, QWL, and OE (16). Koushki et al. also found that nurses' QWL was significantly related to their work environment and condition (17).
Regression analysis in the present study indicated that among different subscales of QWL, just the work context subscale was a significant predictor of OE. However, Malekinia et al. reported that different components of QWL, including growth and security opportunities, lifespan, safe and healthy environment, and social integration were the predictors of OE. This contradiction is probably due to the difference in the data collection tools of these two studies so that we used the four-subscale QNWLQ while Malekinia et al. used an eight-subscale QWL questionnaire.
Nurses' QWL is significantly correlated with their OE. Moreover, most nurses have a poor-to-moderate QWL. Therefore, healthcare managers are recommended to adopt effective strategies for the improvement of nurses' QWL, job satisfaction, and OE. Moreover, more studies are needed to determine the most effective interventions for improving nurses' QWL.
1. Malekinia E, Shahbazi B, Mh. R . The relationship between quality of work life and organizational effectiveness by the members Isfahan University of medical sciences faculty. The International Management Conference. Tehran. 2009.
2. Ahmadi E, Setorg T. Study of the relationship between organizational culture and organizational effectiveness in schools with Innovation supervisor of marvdasht. Q J Educ Leadersh Admin. 2010;3(4):23-53.
3. Habibzadeh H, Ghorbanzadeh K, Khalkhali H, Mohamadpor Y. The relationship betweennurses quality of work life and their clinical competency. J Nurs Midwifery Urmia Univ Med Sci. 2012;10(3).
4. Brooks BA, Anderson MA. Nursing work life in acute care. J Nurs Care Qual. 2004;19(3):269-75. [PubMed: 15326997].
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6. Al Qutop M, Harrim H. Quality of work life human well being linkage, integrated conceptual framework. Int J Bus Manag. 2011;6(8):193-205. doi: 10.5539/ijbm.v6n8p193.
7. Dargahi H, Gharib M, Goodarzi M. Quality of work life in nursing employees of Tehran University of medical sciences hospitals. J Hayat. 2007;13(2):13-21.
8. Rafferty AM, Clarke SP, Coles J, Ball J, James P, McKee M, et al. Outcomes of variation in hospital nurse staffing in English hospitals: cross-sectional analysis of survey data and discharge records. Int J Nurs Stud. 2007;44(2):175-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2006.08.003. [PubMed: 17064706].
9. An JY, Yom YH, Ruggiero JS. Organizational culture, quality of work life, and organizational effectiveness in Korean university hospitals. J Transcult Nurs. 2011;22(1):22-30. doi: 10.1177/1043659609360849. [PubMed: 20592064].
10. Ouppara NS, Sy MV. Quality of work life practices in a multinational company in Sydney, Australia. Procedia, Soc Behav Sci. 2012;40:116-21. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.03.169.
11. Rastegari M, Khani A, Ghalriz P, Eslamian J. Evaluation of quality of working life and its association with job performance of the nurses. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2010;15(4):224-8. [PubMed: 22049285].
12. Nayak T, Sahoo CK. Quality of work life and organizational performancee, the mediating role of employee commitment. J Health Manag. 2015;17(3):263-73. doi: 10.1177/0972063415589236.
13. Nayeri ND, Salehi T, Noghabi AA. Quality of work life and productivity among Iranian nurses. Contemp Nurse. 2011;39(1):106-18. doi: 10.5172/conu.2011.39.1.106. [PubMed: 21955271].
14. Navidian A, Saber S, Rezvani MA, Kianian T. Correlation of quality of work life and job satisfaction in nurses of Kerman University of medical sciences. J Health Promot Manag. 2014;3(2):7-15.
15. Shahbazi L, Salimi T. Job satisfaction of nurses in hospitals in the provinces of Yazd. J Shaeed Sdoughi Univ Med Sci Yazd. 2002;10(3):70.
16. Lu H, While AE, Barriball KL. Job satisfaction among nurses: a literature review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2005;42(2):211-27. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.09.003. [PubMed: 15680619].
17. Koushki MS, Akbari sari A, Arab M, Ahmadi engali K, Koushki MS, Akbari sari A, et al. Quality of working life and its relation with productivity of nurses performance in Shahid Beheshti University of medical sciences hospitals. Sci J Sch Public Health Inst Public Health Res. 2013;10(4):81-90.
Manizhe Nasirizade: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Zahra Amouzeshi: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Zahra Unesi: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Seyyed Abolfazl Vagharseyyedin: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Fateme Biabani: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Mahnaz Bahrami: [PubMed] [Scholar]


FreeBookNotes found 5 sites with book summaries or analysis of Paperquake. If there is a Paperquake SparkNotes, Shmoop guide, or Cliff Notes, you can find a link to each study guide below.
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text:
Giorgio Sanna named Head of Lamborghini Motorsport
Automobili Lamborghini has announced Giorgio Sanna as the Head of Motorsport. In this new function, Sanna immediately takes the helm of the three international one-make series.
Photo by Automobili Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini has announced Giorgio Sanna as the Head of Motorsport. In this new function, Sanna immediately takes the helm of the three international one-make series, the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo; the GT3 programs; and the Esperienza and Accademia driving courses designed for customers. He will report directly to Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini Board Member for Research and Development.
Born in Rome, 39-year old Sanna began working at Lamborghini in 2001 as a test driver in the Research and Development department and has contributed for over ten years to the development of all Lamborghini production models and special versions, from the Murciélago to the Huracán. Since 2009, with Lamborghini's return to the world of racing, as a chief R&D test driver, he has also contributed to the development of racing cars produced by the Sant'Agata Bolognese company.
In parallel, Sanna has cultivated his passion for racing as one of the driving teams who achieved the 2002 FIA world speed record over 24 hours in the VW W12 prototype on the Nardó circuit. On the same circuit, he still holds the FIA world record for production cars over the distance of one hour, also achieved in 2002 at the wheel of a Murciélago.
In addition, he has participated in a number of championships: from 2006 to 2009 in the Italian Superstars and GT3 championship for Audi Italia, and in the following years up to 2013 racing in the Italian GT Cup and GT3 championships as an official test driver for Automobili Lamborghini, earning the title of Italian GT Champion in 2011.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Former Cedar Creek standout plans to play full season in 2021
Jim Irish
American-Statesman Correspondent
Avery Tuggle wasn't stunned when Trinity University canceled the entire fall lineup of sports because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tuggle, a member of Trinity's volleyball team that advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals last year and a 2017 Cedar Creek graduate, said her coach Julie Jenkins was "extremely transparent" with team members.
"She told us it was a real possibility the season would be canceled, so it wasn't really so much of a surprise when it actually happened," Tuggle said. "It was something we were expecting."
Tuggle, a 5-9 outside hitter and a second team All-American last year, is planning to return for a fifth year in the fall of 2021.
"I would much rather have a chance to play a full senior season next fall than a half-season," said Tuggle, who is working as a public relations summer intern with San Antonio Sports, a non-profit organization. "... It was going to be well below 50% of our normal season. Even that, there would be moving pieces. If somebody on our team ended up getting COVID, then we'd all have to quarantine for two weeks. So that's even shorter of a season. And other teams would be pulling out of tournaments and games. So it was just extremely unstable."
Tuggle said she is "relieved" about the cancellation. "I'm pretty blessed to be able to go back and have my (senior) season," she said.
A marketing major in the business department with a minor in sports management, Tuggle said she has enough credits to graduate next spring but will save an extra class for the following fall. She is also considering adding another minor in communications to her degree.
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference is considering playing only a conference volleyball schedule in February 2021 that would not count as a season for its student athletes.
"Assuming things get better (with the coronavirus), that is likely to happen," said Tuggle, who ranks No. 8 all-time at the college with 469 kills. "That's a huge plus. If it's below 50% of a normal season, I'd be able to return."


WSKQ is an FM radio station broadcasting at 97.9 MHz. The station is licensed to New York, NY and is part of that radio market. The station airs tropical programming and goes by the name "Mega 97.9 FM" on the air. WSKQ is owned by Spanish Broadcasting System.


Chef Nithin Haridass of XOOX Brewmill – Koramangala thinks it takes a particular type of being to make it in his industry. Having a competitive streak has helped him in his career. In conversation with Explocity.
I was born in Kannur, a small city in Kerala and lived there until the end of my graduation.
I started my journey as a chef when I was 20. I enrolled in a reputed hotel management college in Kerala. I never planned on being a chef. I'm reminded of the saying "life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans", considering my father thought I would follow in his footsteps.
But looking back I would have to say that cooking choose me. I am not complaining nor am I regretful. This culinary journey has been incredible, it has allowed me to travel around the world. I have always been very competitive, active in kitchen.
It's been almost 12 years and I have worked in various kitchens. I still love being on hot line creating food that people enjoy. Sometimes it's crazy but it is also why being a chef isn't for everyone. Now as a head chef leading my team is the most important thing.
I really enjoy both cooking and creating. I prefer to use the finest ingredients and keep the things simple, flavour full and good looking.
Do you feel there is virtue in preserving the authenticity of cuisine?
Yes absolutely. I believe in modern techniques which can be implemented in authentic dishes without destroying the soul of the dish. We can create a lot of new trends by doing this. There are so many restaurants in Bangalore doing this. Nowadays people want to try something different nothing can beat authenticity.
Being a Keralite I always love to eat beef. Especially beef coconut fry with Kerala parotta otherwise a simple fish curry with some white rice.
I really don't like bitter gourd. Even in my menu also I don't use bitter gourd.
When I first moved to Bangalore I was lost. I literally hated the traffic here. But just in a year the city has become a close part of my life.
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text:
DISASTER – Look Who's Leaving Trump Now!
Truth Social Users Are Flocking Away, Report Finds
(RepublicanJournal.org) – A recent report from the conservative watchdog The Righting shows several right-wing sites are seeing reduced activity. Despite former President Donald Trump's social media site, Truth Social, being new to the scene, it also appears to be suffering from decreases in traffic.
Trump's Truth Social Losing Hundreds of Thousands of Users Per Month: Report https://t.co/OeFKAFao3U
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) November 29, 2022
According to the report, Truth Social has had a decrease in traffic to the website for two consecutive months. The site launched in February 2022 and saw its peak visitor count in August, with just over 4 million users. However, it lost visitors in September, when Truth Social only had 3.37 million. Then, in October, the site saw a decrease in traffic again, dropping to only 2.85 million visitors.
The decrease in traffic to Trump's social media site came around the height of the midterm elections, which left Republicans disappointed after their party's dismal performance. Howard Polskin, the founder of The Righting, told Confider the decrease indicates people are losing interest in the former president. Polskin went as far to say that if the declining trend continued, Trump might go back to Twitter so he could reach more people.
Truth Social isn't the only right-wing site to see a decrease in traffic. The report also reflected year-over-year losses for Fox News, a 21% decrease from 2021; Newsmax, with a -36% change from 2021; Daily Wire, showing a 5% drop compared to 2021; and the Western Journal, which had 25% fewer visitors compared to 2021.


Your master bathroom. It should be an oasis of calm; a clean, beautiful, organized place to center yourself each morning, or to pamper yourself at night. But when you think about designing it, you may lose all of those Zen feelings. There are so many decisions!
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text:
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		<vote date="1177992000" how="by Unanimous Consent" datetime="2007-05-01" where="s" type="vote" result="pass" ><text>Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.</text><reference label="consideration" ref="CR S5433-5434"/><reference label="text as passed Senate" ref="CR S5433-5434"/><reference label="text of measure as introduced" ref="CR S5401"/></vote>
	</actions>
	<committees>

	</committees>
	<relatedbills>

	</relatedbills>
	<subjects>

	</subjects>
	<amendments>

	</amendments>
	<summary>
	5/1/2007--Passed Senate without amendment. (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Honors the life of Jack Valenti (who served as an advisor to President Lyndon Johnson and as the president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)), a pioneer in the fields of motion pictures and public service, a dedicated family man, and a legendary figure in the history of the United States.
	</summary>
</bill>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package utils;

import java.util.Comparator;

public class KeyComparatorLow implements Comparator<String> {

	@Override
	public int compare(String firstEntry, String secondEntry) {
		return 	firstEntry.compareTo(secondEntry);
	}
}


Phishing (pronounced 'fishing') is a con trick used by criminals to get hold of your personal information. Phishing typically happens when criminals send convincing looking but fraudulent emails or text messages, although they have also been known to use phone contact.
These are unsolicited phone calls from fraudsters which encourage you to give out your personal details, such as your card, PIN or card reader codes. The fraudsters can pretend to be your bank, the police, or any other official company.
Sometimes you may get a 'warm up call' where no information is discussed. This is to set the scene for a later call where you may be asked for information.
These emails are often sent to thousands of individuals - in the hope that some will be hoodwinked into supplying personal information. This may include user names, email addresses, passwords, bank account, and credit card details.
These phishing attacks will typically encourage victims to enter details on a fake website - which often seems to come from a legitimate organisation.
You may receive text messages pretending to be from the bank. Some state that sensitive information about you has been posted onto the internet and encourage you to visit a web site. These messages are fraudulent, and visiting the link in the text is likely to result in an attempt to infect your computer or handheld device with a malicious virus.
Other messages state that there is a problem with your bank account and encourage you to phone a number. These are also fraudulent, attempting to trick you into giving away your personal and security information.
"Your account is closed due to unusual activity. Call us at [number removed]"
"Someone has posted your full Personal & Banking information @ http://[website address removed] You must remove it now."
"Hi, I post your full Personal and Banking information at [website address removed] You can remove it, I am sorry"
Always DELETE text messages like these.
Do NOT phone the number, fraudsters will attempt to trick you into disclosing your personal information.
Do NOT click on the link or type it into your browser, as you may be at risk of being infected with malicious software.
If you have followed the link, we recommend that you carry out a full check of your computer or handheld device as soon as possible to find out if any spyware, computer virus or other malicious software has been installed.
The most effective protection is to keep your computer's security up to date. By downloading Rapport, the free security software from the financial security experts at Trusteer, you help protect your personal information.
We will never ask you for your PIN or password by text or email.
Whilst the Bank now offers a Text Messaging service to give alerts or updates about your account and services available, we will never ask for your full security details or direct you to a page which requires you to enter any logon details or use a card reader device. Smart phones will automatically convert some text into web page addresses - do not click on any link unless you are absolutely certain it has come from a valid source.
If we send you a text, we won't include specific details but may refer you to our Alerts Service or ask you to contact our Customer Services (without providing a number) or visit your Branch.
Vishing involves customers receiving unsolicited phone calls pretending to be from the bank or even the police. Often they will encourage you to part with security information as part of an ongoing investigation into potential fraud, or claiming that they need to verify security information following a recent transaction.
Sometimes you might get a "warm-up call" where no information is discussed, but your guard is lowered when you get a subsequent call, which refers back to the initial seemingly innocent call you received.
Call 1 - "You recently made a card transaction and we wanted to check your customer experience - you'll be entered into a prize draw - I just need characters 2 and 4 of your four digit card PIN for security".
Call 2 - "You recently took part in our telephone survey - we'd now like to get your views on our online banking service - we need to verify your security information to ensure the right customer goes into our prize draw - could I have characters 1 and 3 of your card PIN?"
Do not give any security information away during a telephone call you have not initiated.
Ask for a contact number for you to call back, but always verify this number independently before phoning back, for example by contacting your branch to confirm the number is valid.


text:
Illustrated by Dave McKean
Introduced by Dave McKean
Afterword by Neil Gaiman
Introduction to this Text by Neil Gaiman
With illustrations by celebrated artist Dave McKean, this is the ultimate collector's edition of a modern fantasy classic.
Beautiful illustrations
Amazing typesetting.
'Gods die. And when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered. Ideas are more difficult to kill than people, but they can be killed, in the end'
from American Gods
Just before his release from prison, Shadow learns that his wife has been killed in a car accident. Aimless and in shock, he meets Mr Wednesday, a hustler and con man with a number of peculiar friends. After accepting a job as Wednesday's bodyguard and driver, Shadow finds himself on a road trip across the haunted landscape of America and, along with his shady boss, is soon embroiled in a conflict that could destroy them all: a war between the old gods and the new.
'Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive, a picaresque journey across America where the travelers are even stranger than the roadside attractions'
Winner of multiple awards, including the Hugo and the Nebula, American Gods is Neil Gaiman's sweeping exploration of story, myth and the shifting nature of belief itself. According to Mr Wednesday, gods travelled to the new world with their immigrant worshippers only to flounder in a land both too strange and too modern to nurture them.
Although the story is rooted in the familiar – Gaiman gives us Egyptian deities who run funeral parlours, and gods who drive cabs to make a living – it tears back the veil to reveal the pulsing supernatural heart of America. Crammed with unconventional yet wholly engaging characters, this story of coin tricks, cons and misdirection is considered by many to be Gaiman's masterpiece.
Bound in blocked cloth
Set in Maxime
Frontispiece and 11 colour illustrations, including 3 double-page spreads
Pictorial slipcase
10˝ x 6¾˝
A legendary creative team
'People ask me who my favourite artist is, to work with. I've worked with world-class artists, after all, heaps of them. World-class people. And when they ask me about my favourite, I say Dave McKean'
Award-winning artist and illustrator Dave McKean first worked with Gaiman on the graphic novel Violent Cases before going on to work with him again on Sandman, a comic book series that revolutionised the form. Like Gaiman's stories, McKean's multimedia pieces, with their layered meanings and half-monstrous creatures, capture the uneasy relationship between the real and the unreal. Now a legendary creative team, Gaiman and McKean have joined forces on several celebrated projects, including illustrated editions of The Graveyard Book and Coraline. For this special collector's edition, the only colour illustrated hardback volume currently available, McKean has created 12 extraordinary illustrations, including three double-page spreads and a frontispiece, as well as designs for the binding and slipcase that complement and mirror each other.
A work of art
The slipcase artwork features an impressionistic image of Shadow in his cell on the front, and a bison – a nod to the buffalo man who recurs as Shadow's guide in the novel – on the back. The binding plays with these images further, interweaving them using stylised, dynamic shapes, suggesting the overlaying of the supernatural realms and the real world in the novel itself.
About Neil Gaiman
'Neil Gaiman's dark fantasy delights and disturbs ... [his] achievement is to make the fantasy world seem true'
Neil Gaiman is a critically acclaimed writer of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His many notable works include the groundbreaking series Sandman (the first comic book to win a literary award, the 1991 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story) and the novels Good Omens (1990, in collaboration with Terry Pratchett), Stardust (1999) and American Gods (2001, winner of the Hugo Award and Nebula Award for Best Novel). His writing for young readers includes Coraline (2002, winner of the Hugo Award and Nebula Award for Best Novella, and a Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers) and The Graveyard Book (2008, winner of the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal). Credited with being one of the creators of modern comics, Gaiman is an author whose work crosses many genres and reaches audiences of all ages. His most recent publication is Norse Mythology (2017).
'Mystery, satire, sex, horror, poetic prose – American Gods uses all these to keep the reader turning the pages'
Michael Dirda, Washington Post
About Dave McKean
Dave McKean has released sixty books as an illustrator, author, photographer and designer, including Cages (1990–6, winner of two Harvey Awards, the Ignatz Award, La Pantera Award, and the Alph-Art Award), Pictures That Tick (2009, V&A Illustrated Book of the Year), and Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash (2016, a 14–18 NOW Foundation/Imperial War Museum/LICAF commission). He has collaborated with Neil Gaiman (Sandman, 1989–97; Coraline, 2002), John Cale (What's Welsh for Zen, 1998; Sedition and Alchemy, 2003), David Almond (The Savage, 2008), Richard Dawkins (The Magic of Reality, 2011), Heston Blumenthal (as Director of Story at The Fat Duck), and others. He has worked in theatre, galleries, and the music industry, and has written and directed three feature films: MirrorMask (2005), The Gospel of Us (2012, winner of two Cymru BAFTAs), and Luna (2014, winner of the Raindance Award for Best Picture, BIFA). He illustrated the Folio Society edition of Neil Gaiman's American Gods in 2017.
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson's brutal tale of survival and vampires, arrives in a spectacular Folio edition – illustrated by artist Dave McKean and introduced by a modern master of horror, Joe Hill.
Illustrated by Sam Weber
This collector's edition of Frank Herbert's phenomenal tale of far-future desert warriors, fallible messiahs and interplanetary intrigue is illustrated by award-winning artist Sam Weber, and published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world's best-selling science-fiction title.
Illustrated by Dan Hillier
In publishing Hermann Hesse for the first time, Folio presents an edition of Steppenwolf featuring images by Dan Hillier, and a very unusual facsimile, bound into the book itself.
Illustrated by Francis Vallejo
Neil Gaiman's raucous comedy Anansi Boys bursts into the spotlight in an extraordinary Folio collector's edition, filled with vibrant images by artist Francis Vallejo and introduced by Afrofuturist Nalo Hopkinson.


Kathy Ward worked for 36 years at Canadian Black Book.
Kathy Ward, former CEO of Canadian Black Book, died of cancer this week at the age of 60, a company spokesman has confirmed.
The company said she died peacefully Christmas Eve, surrounded by family and close friends, after a multiyear battle with cancer.
Ward worked at Canadian Black Book, one of the country's foremost vehicle value publications, for 36 years. She retired in September 2016.
Ward started at the company during her school days, attending trade shows and other industry events with her father, Bill, who founded the publication in 1951. By 1980, after graduating from Seneca College, Ward became an office administrator and then went on to establish successful sales results in an industry dominated by men.
Ward became president and CEO of Canadian Black Book in 2006. Four years later, she led the launch of CanadianBlackBook.com, a move that helped the company continue to grow.
"Kathy was responsible for delivering Canadian Black Book into the digital age," Canadian Black Book President Brad Rome said in a statement Wednesday. "Kathy, and the Ward family have given so much to the auto industry in Canada. We are going to remember that, build on it and we will miss her dearly."
In 2015, Ward negotiated the sale of Canadian Black Book to U.S.-based Hearst Business Media. She retired about a year later.
At the time of her retirement, Ward said her career demonstrates that women "need not fear" entering the industry.
"Above all, the accomplishment that Ward always held highest was her ability to prosper as a female at the helm of an automotive company," a company statement issued Wednesday reads, in part. "Things have changed since her early days going from dealer to dealer selling, yet Kathy always believed the industry has an abundance of room for more women to grow in automotive and succeed as she did."
Canadian Black Book data is now delivered digitally on a daily basis to new- and used-car dealers, lenders, manufacturers, fleet remarketers, and government agencies.
"Her father, Bill Ward, the company's founder, became comfortable in the backseat, knowing she was better suited to bring the company into the age of technology," the company statement reads. "Data and the demand for residual values began to surge in the banking and insurance worlds, and Kathy took over."


text:
The starting salary will be from £35,211 up to £39,609 on Grade F, depending on qualifications and experience
Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable)
Lecturer in History of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula (E&R)
This full-time post is available on a permanent basis.
Summary of the role/position
We are looking for a strong academic in History of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula to assist in the delivery of an exciting new strategy for Gulf Studies at Exeter. In this role you will contribute to further enhancing the research profile of the Centre for Gulf Studies and of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, particularly in areas related or complementary to the history of the modern and contemporary Gulf and Arabian Peninsula.
For a Lecturer post you will have:
A PhD or equivalent in Middle East Studies, History, Politics, Sociology, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Critical Studies or related fields and have an independent, internationally-recognised research programme in a relevant active field of research
A strong record in attracting funding for research, or a demonstrable potential to attract such funding
An active approach to inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research
Enthusiasm for delivering high quality undergraduate and postgraduate programmes
A strong potential for involvement in projects which develop impact
(Highly desirable) Experience of field work in the Gulf and/or the Arabian Peninsula
(Highly desirable) Linguistic proficiency in Arabic and/or other relevant languages.
You can v iew the Job Description and Person Specification document here.
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 150 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2017.
Our research income in recent years means we're fastest growing UK Research University and we seek to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today through this. 98% of our research is international quality (2014 Research Excellence Framework) and we encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students.
With over 22,000 students and 5,500 staff from 180 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment in which to work. We are an equal opportunity employer, a Disability Confident employer and an Athena Swan accredited institution. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce .
We offer some fantastic benefits including:
41 days leave per year
options for flexible working
numerous discounts at leading retailers
onsite gyms on all of our campus' and a cycle to work scheme
sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to six weeks full pay) and a new Fertility Treatment Policy
stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England
The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies has the strongest REF2014 results of any Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies department in the UK, establishing Exeter as the leader in the field in terms of research quality, impact and environment. Our international profile as a pioneering and multidisciplinary Institute continues to grow.
Please contact Professor William Gallois , w.gallois@exeter.ac.uk or (01392) 725253.


text:
IAR Systems simplifies development of event-driven embedded systems with updated design and code generation tool
Version 9.1 of IAR Visual State speeds up time to market and increases team efficiency
Uppsala, Sweden—May 30, 2018—IAR Systems®, the future-proof supplier of software tools and services for embedded development, has launched version 9.1 of the graphical modeling tool IAR Visual State®. The new version further speeds up and simplifies development when working in teams.
The design and code generation tool IAR Visual State helps developers bring order to their designs and speed up their projects. It is used to graphically design state machines and generate C/C++ source code. With IAR Visual State, developers can speed up time to prototype and shorten time to market. For efficient team work, smart features for organizing and modularizing the design is available. Because the tool is made for embedded systems, it enables developers to use state machines in an easy and intuitive way.
Version 9.1 adds a number of functions to improve usability and simplify teamwork. News include functionality for comparing changes between different versions of a design, element files for simplified design modularization, and the possibility to add graphics in notes.
"Our customers appreciate the ability to bring order in large designs and the time they can save from having the code and documentation automatically generated," says Marcus Lehto, Product Manager, IAR Systems. "IAR Visual State provides just that, and the new version adds functionality that has been requested by several of the large development teams making use of the tool in their daily work."
IAR Visual State generates very compact code that is compliant with MISRA C/C++ coding standards. The stable code generation engine has gone through 20 years of testing and tweaking, ensuring top-notch code quality. In addition, documentation is generated. The tool is integrated with the complete C/C++ compiler and debugger toolchain IAR Embedded Workbench®, enabling you to debug on hardware with graphical animation, set breakpoints at state-machine level and trace and log functionality. An integration with Socionext CGI Studio enables you to create HMI (human machine interface) and GUI (graphical user interface) designs, import graphical artwork and combine sceneries with logic.
More product information and evaluation licenses are available at www.iar.com/visualstate.
### Ends
Editor's Note: IAR Systems, IAR Embedded Workbench, Embedded Trust, IAR Connect, C-SPY, C-RUN, C-STAT, IAR Visual State, IAR KickStart Kit, I-jet, I-jet Trace, I-scope, IAR Academy, IAR, and the logotype of IAR Systems are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by IAR Systems AB. All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
About IAR Systems
IAR Systems supplies future-proof software tools and services for embedded development, enabling companies worldwide to create the products of today and the innovations of tomorrow. Since 1983, IAR Systems' solutions have ensured quality, reliability and efficiency in the development of over one million embedded applications. The company is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden and has sales and support offices all over the world. Since 2018, Secure Thingz, a provider of advanced security solutions for embedded systems in the IoT, is part of IAR Systems. IAR Systems Group AB is listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm, Mid Cap. Learn more at www.iar.com.
IAR Systems contacts
AnnaMaria Tahlén, Media Relations, IAR Systems
Tel: +46 18 16 78 00 E-mail: annamaria.tahlen@iar.com
Stefan Skarin, CEO, IAR Systems
Tel: +46 18 16 78 00 E-mail: stefan.skarin@iar.com


text:
#BookReview for The Dark Intercept (The Dark Intercept, #1) by Julia Keller
Synopsis: The State controls your emotions. What would you pay to feel free?
In a radiant world of endless summer, the Intercept keeps the peace.
Violet Crowley, the sixteen-year-old daughter of New Earth's Founding Father, has spent her life in comfort and safety.
Her days are easy thanks to the Intercept, a crime-prevention device that monitors and provokes emotion.
But when her long-time crush, Danny Mayhew, gets into a dangerous altercation on Old Earth, Violet launches a secret investigation to find out what he's hiding.
An investigation that will lead her to question everything she's ever known about Danny, her father, and the power of the Intercept.
About the Author: JULIA KELLER, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and former cultural critic at the Chicago Tribune, is the author of many books for adults and young readers, including A Killing in the Hills, the first book in the Bell Elkins series and winner of the Barry Award for Best First Novel, and The Dark Intercept. Keller has a Ph.D. in English literature from Ohio State and was awarded Harvard University's Nieman Fellowship. She was born in West Virginia and lives in Ohio.
Rating: 🌟🌟
My Review: I am so sad this was on my TBR for a while now and I was so excited to finally get the chance to read it. So when the first Quarterly challenge came from Year of Epic Reads I thought you know what this one would be perfect for the Out of the Box challenge of not overthinking your book choice. And then I started reading it and I was like ugh.
The world building was horrible, the book was slow, and I just didn't care about the characters at all. In the end this one just wasn't for me at all.
Ready for the Quarterly Challenge? Get ready to read... OUTSIDE THE BOX! Between January and March, we want to challenge you to read a book based on instinct alone. Don't overthink it, don't waste hours debating or doing research—just pick a book up and go. Finish that series you've been putting off. Go boldly where no reader has gone before. Even judge a book by its cover if you're feeling up to it! Just dive in and get reading.
You can check out all the prompts on my painters board here
"A dazzling, thought-provoking vision of the future that raises the question: Is safety worth the sacrifice of freedom?" ―Booklist
"The Dark Intercept grabbed me from the first page and shook me until the last. A riveting and suspenseful story of love, risk, and betrayal." ―EMMY LAYBOURNE, author of Berserker, Sweet, and the Monument 14 trilogy
"A chilling and thought-provoking look at the power of weaponized emotion." ―MELISSA LANDERS, author of the Alienated trilogy
"Both cautionary and hopeful―a rare, literary feat." ―GENNIFER ALBIN, New York Times bestselling author of the Crewel World trilogy
"A stormy, spine-tingling ride in which everything remembered and once felt in your life can be used against you." ―BLUE BALLIETT, author of Chasing Vermeer
"The Dark Intercept goes straight to the heart of why privacy matters in today's world. Keller has written an accessible coming-of-age adventure where the teenage protagonist comes to understand the consequences of living in a society that monitors everyone's emotions, including her own." ―MICHAEL C. ROBINSON, Chair of the American Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee's Privacy Subcommittee
"Julia Keller writes so viscerally that she takes the readers with her into the worlds she has created. The Intercept is a fascinating springboard which she uses to explore the importance of feelings, and how they affect our lives and choices." ―BETSY FRASER, Selector, Calgary Public Library (Alberta, Canada), and 2016 YALSA/ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Service to Young Adults Achievement Award-winner
Posted in: 2 Stars, Review, TorTeen, Young Adult


Moving around during an emergency isn't always easy. You need to have your hands free, but you also need to take your emergency survival kit with you.
The Survival Fanny Pack is portable in a convenient, hands-free strap-on case. Two zippered pouches hold the essential equipment you need for disaster response and personal survival. It's the perfect size for a desk, car, home or dorm, and easy to take along when you're on the go.
Personal survival kits are a great gift to show someone you value them. Contact one of our emergency preparedness consultants to learn how SafetyMax can customize larger orders to your needs, or imprint kits with your company logo. Order your Survival Fanny Packs now!
Item may differ from photo. Please review contents list.


We gathered at the border of the road, called out of our misery by one of the children. The dawn bled, a bruised and bloody wound. How fitting for the sixth extinction.
Yet, it was a dawning.
I had thought, long before the die-off, that we might poison the planet and arise one morning in disbelief that we couldn't survive on an obliterated world. Or perhaps disease would usher mankind to the pyres, our super-viruses ravaging our weak and chemical-laden bodies. Of course, mutual annihilation was a possibility, the promise of our youth and sum of our talent and treasure dedicated to war. The end always made for entertaining speculation.
Who would have believed the culprit was time, all spiraling down with the slow ticking of the clock, the December of the human race.
I peered at the upturned faces of our isolated band as the heavens thrust spears of light through the clouds' closing gash. My companions' bodies appeared to glow in the rare sunlight, their radiant souls shining through, reclaiming lost beauty. In their smiles, I witnessed the dawning of hope and hadn't the heart to tell them we were ghosts.
Thanks to Sue Vincent of The Daily Echo for another enticing photo prompt. She tosses these out to us on Thursdays and reblogs our submissions. It's great fun. Head over and give it a try!
This entry was posted in Short Stories and tagged #writephoto, D. Wallace Peach, fantasy, flash fiction, ghosts, photo prompt, post apocalyptic, science fiction, sixth extinction, Sue Vincent, The Daily Echo, Violet sky.
I sometimes find your links and check to see if they are "new to me!" When I come across something I missed, it is like a "bonus" to my voyage backwards in time.
I click on those links too sometimes and they can lead to hidden treasures. Thanks for reading!
Gosh, this is very intriguing!!! Amazing!
Oh, Wow! Thanks so much!!!! This made my day!
Thanks a million! Can't wait!
Thanks, Eliza. I love Sue's prompts and it's always a treat to do these little flash pieces. Have a great day and Happy Writing!
I really enjoyed the chill at the end.
Wow, that final line is spectacular!
When I saw this prompt, my thoughts also turned to sadness. You wrote this very eloquently. I mentioned you in my Friday post.
Thank you, Bernadette! I have the Overlord here this weekend, so my blog time is nil. He's watching cartoons so I can catch up on a few comments. 🙂 Thanks for the visit and I'll be over to say Hi soon!
🙂 It's a blast but I'm always wiped out by the end of it!
For sure. I usually take a nap. I raised my granddaughter for 9 months and honestly it was an example of true grit.
Nope. Just did what had to be done.
Wow, the ending carried a punch! Spooky surprise and after that lyrical scene setting to start with. Great response to the prompt and very seasonal.
Thanks, Annika. I did go a little dark. Bwa ha ha ha. A beautiful prompt and great fun to play with. Happy October!
My goodness Diana, you can even make the end sound glorious and beautiful. I agree with "beautiful apocalypse." What a gorgeous picture, and the end….haunting and timely. You are an amazing writer, my friend.
Aw. Thanks for the sweet comment for the end of mankind. Ha ha. A little dark, but then it is almost Halloween!
Of course we made cookies! Ha ha.
The cour in that image is stunning, but your story is quite haunting and uncomfortable, perhaps because its not so far from the truth. Great writing.
Colour, btw, not cour… damn this phone!
Great Halloween story, Diana. I guess that living as a ghost is better than disintegrate or something 🙂 It is like another chance. We might do better as ghosts.
Thanks Lynn 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Mmm…affecting and dark, though deliciously written. The twist at the end, "hadn't the heart to tell them we were ghosts". Love it!
What a wonderful, though dark, response to the prompt, Diane! As I read it, I pictured our world and the dreadful possibilities for its and mankind's future – possibilities that may not be too far off the mark here.
I like the last line too and the hope that might be there.
Thanks for the visit, Linda 🙂 A dark one and a bit of my own anxiety for the world coming through. On the other hand, we're gearing up for Halloween here!
Yes, all that beauty in the sky is radiation or something! Bwa ha ha ha. Halloween is getting close, Joanne.
Thanks Steven 🙂 I like photo prompts, and I actually find it easier to go dark than light. Thanks for reading!
"The December of the human race" — I love that. A little disturbing that more and more works of fiction keep imagining it.
Apocalyptic scifi has been around for a long time, as you know, but I agree there is a lot of anxiety these days about a real end. And yet we can stop ourselves can we?
Check was mailed today, yay!!!
Thanks, Bette. A bit on the dark side – the opposite of your beautiful loving posts. But good for Halloween! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it.
The idea that mankind evolves to a ghost–or a robot–maybe isn't so bad. StarTrek had a few species like that. I guess it depends upon what you think the goal of life is.
True, Jacqui. Evolving into spirit may not be so bad. Then again, we already are becoming more bionic. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and sparking the imagination! Happy Writing.
Negative thoughts are so powerful…that's why they are the first ones to arrive! You have recorded them quite well Diana! Darker moments evoke some fabulous words of description.
I have never seen the violet sky but this picture shows it splendidly!
Amazing Diana. I had thought to go with an 'end of days' theme, as the image certainly stirred that notion, but the poem sang so I went with it instead 😉 this is marvelous though…filled with emotion and sadly, relevant!
The December of the human race! Sounds quite foreboding, Diana. Nurse Kelley was spot on – a beautiful apocalypse.
'the December of the human race.' Loved that line.
Thanks, Richard. 🙂 Good thing it's only October!
OMG Diana. Seriously chilling. A beautiful apocalypse. Strange, to use those two words together, but that's how I felt. Loved this.
One by one you picked up the words from your magical basket and knitted them together into a blanket of dream.
I snuggled right in and saw with my own two eyes, the heavens thrusting spears of light through the clouds' closing gash.
You answer these prompts so well. This is very good.
Thanks for the visit, Dan 🙂 Sometimes the idea pops into my head, and with Halloween around the corner, this one was easy.
Love this, Diana! Beautiful pic, and great scene. Wonderful, flowing prose. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, Julie. I'm starting to get into the Halloween mode 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Enjoyed this post as well as the beauty of the image.
A perfect combination of photo and prose. A bloody dawn that, in your estimable writing, shone yet still with hope. Oh, those radiant souls!


This home movie from the 1940s shows the now-extinct tradition of costumed kids begging for coins on Thanksgiving morning. They'd dress in rags and oversized hand-me-downs in the manner of poor children, then chant "Anything for Thanksgiving?" as they knocked on their neighbors' doors in a manner not unlike that of a certain Halloween custom. The Ragamuffins, as they were called, flourished in Brooklyn and Queens up through the 1940s, then faded away and disappeared during in the 1950s. Few remember them today.
One reason for The Ragamuffins' demise was that many of the parents who had lived through the Great Depression found the idea of their children posing as beggars to be quite distasteful. Trick-or-treating with its emphasis on candy and fanciful characters seemed a far more wholesome and appropriate activity for children during the 1950s, so the parents encouraged Halloween, and actively discouraged The Ragamuffins until they were history.
Note the purses that many of kids, including the boys, are holding, and the coins in their hands. Some of the costumes appear to be holdovers from Halloween, which makes sense as the two holidays were close to each other on the calendar.
The ragamuffin spirit was revived – – well, sort of – – for a few years during the 1960's by the "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" campaign that was sponsored by the United Nations. (If you're from that generation, you may remember the little orange UNICEF boxes that the kids carried for collecting pennies on Halloween night.) The big difference was that the money now went to worldwide charities. Perhaps, if the original ragamuffins had made that change to their practice, we'd still be hearing "Anything for Thanksgiving?" on Thanksgiving morning today.
What do the reindeer eat?


We already knew Lauren Conrad had one of the most stylish wedding days ever, and of course she's continuing the tradition whilst on an ultra-romantic honeymoon with new husband William Tell on the coast of Italy.
Ever the private star, Conrad has only posted a few photos from her honeymoon to her Instagram account, but we can already tell the newlyweds are having themselves a fun and stylish time in Italy.
Keep scrolling to see the photos from LC's chic Italian honeymoon!
"Post-wedding diet," the star captioned this photo from her honeymoon.
This cute little sand drawing requires no caption.
Conrad captioned this photo of an Italian translation book, which she read right on the beach, "How do you say, 'I may never come home?'"
What is YOUR dream honeymoon? Tell us in the comments below!


"Currently studying Film Production at Emerson College, I've worked on several student thesis films as production designer, concept artist, set dresser, makeup artist, writer, editor, and director.
I've been hired as an illustrator for "Steaming into a Victorian Future: A Steampunk Anthology" and have been commissioned as a freelance Production Designer, Concept Artist, and Graphic Designer.
I have worked with a variety of mediums and styles ranging from oil painting to experimental film. I aspire to work in the film industry as a concept artist and intend to pursue illustrating and writing.


Now that I have four separate blogs going, I decided to try a blog editor to see if it would make things simpler. Logging in and out of separate blogs, waiting for pages to load, etc. can be tedious, so I thought it might be worth a try. I considered Qumana, because I know a lot of people use it and really like it, but when I found that Performancing actually worked within the Firefox browser, I decided to go with it.
The set up was fairly simple, and it was easy to jump in and start using it.
It opens in a pane at the bottom of your browser window, which I really liked, and you can drag text right off of the page you're viewing.
If you're not ready to publish, you can easily save the draft to your blog to work on later. This may be my favorite feature. Often I'll run across something on the web that I want to blog about, and it's sort of a pain to open another tab and get into my blog just to post a quick link and a couple of notes to follow up on later.
It has a place to enter Technorati tags to include with your post.
You can use the built-in FTP tool instead of opening a separate FTP program.
Including an image in a post was not quick and easy. In fact I gave up trying to figure it out. It was just taking too much time.
It has a built-in blog metrics system, and even though I had signed up for it, when I entered my username and password, I kept getting an error.
Maybe my biggest gripe is the automatic inclusion of a footnote in the post (see below "powered by…"). This really annoys me. Sure, I can delete it, but it's just unecessary to include that in the program.
So, in conclusion I think for me, Performancing is a great tool to quickly save drafts into my blog without having to log all the way in, but that's about it.
What program do you use, if any? Should I give another one a try?


What is it: 15-degree Head Hunter Small-Block Ford F Series.
Why you care: This CNC-ported head represents cutting-edge technology with a shallow, 15-degree valve angle with advanced architecture that features a 302cc intake port with flows in excess of 412 cfm. Added benefits include an exhaust port that has been reshaped to provide flows of more than 247 cfm, an ultra-efficient 60cc combustion chamber, and a 2.180/1.600 valve combination. It is available in several stages, from bare to packages that are completely assembled at the factory.


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Een amandelbroodje is een broodje van bladerdeeg, dat gevuld is met een rolletje amandelspijs, en waarvan de bovenkant is bedekt met een uitgehard laagje kristalsuiker. Een amandelbroodje wordt over het algemeen koud gegeten.

De bereiding van een amandelbroodje is vergelijkbaar met die van een saucijzenbroodje. In plaats van een vleesmengsel wordt er amandelspijs in het bladerdeeg gerold, en voordat het broodje de oven in gaat, wordt het niet met ei bestreken, maar wordt het bestreken met water en bestrooid met suiker.

Gebak

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Do you need some last minute advice on how to pack in style?
Keeping your luggage to a minimum and ensuring you have a variety of outfits to cater for all of your potential activities can be challenging. And, frankly, stressful.


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Richard Murakami: Documenting JANM's History through Photographs
August 19, 2015 August 19, 2015 Nicole Miyahara Behind the Scenes, Community, Events, Exhibitions, People
L to R: Volunteer photographers Russell Kitagawa, Gary Ono, and
Richard Watanabe with WWII veteran photographer Sus Ito, JANM
President and CEO Greg Kimura, and JANM event photo coordinator
and librarian Richard Murakami.
Richard Murakami has been volunteering at JANM for 21 years and documenting the museum's history for almost as long. He doesn't claim to be a photographer or even in charge of JANM's corps of volunteer photographers; rather, he prefers to think of himself as the museum's event photo coordinator and librarian.
It all started in 1994, when Richard attended the members' opening reception for America's Concentration Camps: Remembering the Japanese Experience and noticed that no one was taking pictures. With a Canon camera that he'd brought from home, he began shooting. He then had two sets of photographs printed and gave the prints and the negatives to JANM for the purpose of starting a repository of images of this type. This task that he saw as a necessity soon grew into his main role and contribution to the museum.
Richard has never taken any photography lessons. "I'm too lazy to go to class," he says. "So how I learned is, I would take the prints to Kimura Photo Mart and I would say, how can I improve this photo? And they would tell me what to do, and that's how I learned."
A total of 12 photographers, including Richard, now help to document the many events and occasions that happen at this busy museum. In the past seven years, they have only missed three JANM events. "I just think these photographers are really great!" Richard enthuses. "You know I can't say enough good things about them. I really praise and brag about them a lot, they are so good."
522nd Service Battery personnel, near Rosignano, Italy, 1944.
Japanese American National Museum, Sus Ito Collection. Now on view as part of
the exhibition Before They Were Heroes: Sus Ito's World War II Images.
Some of the volunteer photographers (Steve Fujimoto, Russell Kitagawa, Gary Ono, Richard Murakami, and Richard Watanabe) recently sponsored the Upper Level Members Reception for the opening of Before They Were Heroes: Sus Ito's World War II Images, an exhibition of photographs taken by Ito while he was on a tour of duty through Europe as a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
The reception was a natural fit for the group since the exhibition is about photography, but for Richard, it was also about honoring the 442nd veterans. "They opened the door for people like me who followed, so I owe them a lot," he said.
Like Richard, Sus Ito also considers himself an amateur photographer. "I think he has an eye for photography," Richard reflects. "Some people just point and shoot. With Sus, it's what he took and when he took it that's important. And whoever picked out those photos to include in the exhibition and tell the story—that person has an eye too."
Richard's official day to volunteer at the museum is every Friday, but you can often find him here multiple days of the week, sitting in his office in front of his Apple computer. In addition to coordinating the volunteer photographers and photographing events himself, he also inventories and organizes all the images. "When staff members need photos, they ask me and I find them. I'm probably the only one who really knows where they are."
This post was researched and written by JANM Executive Assistant Nicole Miyahara. In addition to her duties at JANM, Nicole is an ethnographic documentary filmmaker who is currently working on The Making of a King, a documentary that explores the world of drag kings, the lesser-known counterpart to drag queens.
JANM events photography sus-ito volunteers
3 thoughts to "Richard Murakami: Documenting JANM's History through Photographs"
nahan gluck says:
Well done, Richard, as usual.
I'm glad to read and learn about the people who help in the recording of the events that take place at the Museum. We are fortunate to have them donate their skills and time to give us the opportunity to experience the many activities that take place.
A long overdue tribute to the contributions of those volunteers who helped document the many events of the Museum.
Minyo Station's Uniquely Japanese American Music
The Secret History of Okinawan Tattoos


Why didn't Cal Lutheran close given the traumatic circumstances and commuting challenges during the fires?
After much deliberation, Cal Lutheran decided to hold classes beginning Nov. 12 to allow for a sense of connection to others in our community and to help those who can and want to return heal from the experiences of the last week. While not every student or faculty member is able to return to campus, it is important that the university allows for this difficult process to begin. We know that "one size does not fit all" for students following tragedies. Some students crave a return to academic routines and the connection with others that comes when classes are in session. Other students need time away from classes and the space to process their emotions and to heal. Faculty members are making students' transitions back to academic life as easy as possible. Faculty members are being flexible with deadlines and assignments and listening to students. The university is giving space to the entire campus community to be together and to reconnect with each other in their grief.
Why did other schools close but not Cal Lutheran?
Cal Lutheran classes were canceled due to the Borderline tragedy on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, and the university was ultimately closed on Nov. 9 due to a concern about the Hill Fire even though the campus was never in an evacuation zone. Other area schools – K-12 and colleges – are in areas that were affected or threatened by fires, evacuations, or road closures or that have to be cleaned because of smoke, soot and ash. The main Cal Lutheran campus was never threatened by the wildfires.
Why did the students receive an alert regarding the threat at McAfee Apartments?
At approximately 9:53 pm on Nov. 12, the Thousand Oaks Police Department (TOPD) alerted the university about a person who was trying to harm himself with some kind of explosive materials in an apartment complex near Cal Lutheran. TOPD directed the university to go on lockdown. However, once they understood that the materials were not a threat to the campus and that the situation was not directed against Cal Lutheran or its people, the lockdown was lifted at 10:22 pm. Although the campus and students were not in danger, out of an abundance of caution some additional security was present on campus the next day. Sheriff's deputies have since apprehended the individual.
How do I know that the facilities are safe after the fires?
Cal Lutheran facilities did not sustain any smoke, soot or ash on the interiors or exteriors of any campus buildings.
Was the campus ever in danger from the fires?
Conditions, which were monitored continuously, did not suggest either fire would reach the campus. University leaders were, and continue to be, in constant contact with fire officials. Evacuation orders were never issued for Cal Lutheran or the immediate surrounding areas.
How can I receive the same emergency alerts that my student receives?
Parents can receive emergency notification messages that the university sends to students. In order for you to receive alert messages, please ask your student to log into their "MyCLU" portal and click on the "CLU Alert" tab located on the tool bar on the left side of the screen. Then your student will need to enter your contact information, where and how you prefer to receive it, whether text message, email, or voicemail.
What is/was the university's evacuation plan for residential students?
In the event of an emergency, residential students are instructed to evacuate to designated locations outside of their residence hall to await further instruction. The residents practice this evacuation plan at the beginning of both Fall and Spring semesters during the mandatory fire drill. In the event that the campus must be evacuated, Cal Lutheran has several options for residential students and the course of action is determined based on the emergency circumstances. We have mutual aid agreements with California State University at Northridge and Pepperdine University. A second option is to utilize local evacuation shelters as directed by local emergency personnel. During an evacuation, the university would transport students without cars by shuttle, vans used for athletics, carpooling and buses. As an interim or emergency final response, we use Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center as a shelter. The Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center is a concrete building with a very high level of sprinkler and life-safety systems.
How many Cal Lutheran students were at Borderline Bar & Grill when the shooting occurred?
The university is aware of approximately 30 Cal Lutheran students who were at Borderline when the tragedy occurred on the evening of Nov. 7. Cal Lutheran staff members continue to provide care and support for these students. Some of them sustained minor injuries.
What is being done to monitor air quality?
The air quality and other conditions are being monitored continuously through the aftermath of the fires. University leaders will notify the campus in the event of changes in air quality. The university will move outdoor activities inside, if the air quality deteriorates. To monitor the air quality, please visit this website. The numerical air quality levels and what measures to take are described at the end of that webpage.
What counseling services are available to the students?
Who can I contact to get immediate support for my son/daughter?
During this difficult time, if you are concerned about the immediate well-being of your son/daughter, please call Campus Safety at 805-493-3911.
My son/daughter missed classes because of emotional stress or a family evacuation. How will this affect his/her grade or requirements for assignments, exams, etc.?
Faculty members are making the students' transitions back to classes as easy as possible. They know that not all students can be in class. Faculty are expected to be flexible with attendance, deadlines and assignments. If students have a concern or appeal about academic requirements in light of recent events, they can contact the Provost's Office at acaffairs@callutheran.edu.
How are faculty being instructed to deal with the students' academic and emotional needs?
Our faculty understand that this is a very stressful and traumatic time for the students and campus community. The faculty convened on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 to learn about responding to trauma and to talk about students' needs and ways to adapt their classroom lectures, assignments and deadlines.
Will the class cancellation days (11/8 and 11/9) be made up? Will holidays be affected?
The two days that classes were not held will not be made up. The holiday schedules will not be affected.
Why didn't I receive a message more quickly after the Borderline shooting?
The incident did not happen on the Cal Lutheran campus and the campus was not in any danger during or after the violence that occurred at Borderline.
What is being done to protect Cal Lutheran campuses from shootings?
We cannot stress enough that the safety of our students is our number one priority. Cal Lutheran has regularly conducted drills and emergency exercises to prepare for campus shootings and other emergency situations. We have "hardened" our facilities by installing electronic access control on all academic and residential buildings, installing interior door locks on most residential suite doors, and keeping all residence hall exterior doors continuously accessible only with a Cal Lutheran ID. We also have had an emergency alert system that we have tested and used numerous times. Finally, and most important, we have a very close relationship with the local sheriff department, and have hosted their drills on campus and worked closely with them with our drills and training.
What considerations have been made for commuter students during the fires?
Faculty have been flexible with attendance policies to deal with road closures and other issues related to the Hill and Woolsey Fires.
How do I make sure that Cal Lutheran knows if my student and our family has been affected by the fires?
A survey has been sent to all students to find out more about those who have been affected by the fires. Though the university has tried to make personal contact with as many students as possible, there are some students who have been affected by the fires that we do not know about yet. A survey is not our first choice, yet it will enable the university to see more quickly the needs of our students. The survey can be completed in 5 minutes or less. Please know that you can fill out the survey anytime in the weeks ahead. You can also send an email to missionandidentity@callutheran.edu to tell us what assistance you need or can give.
Resources to Get Help or Give Help have been posted on the Cal Lutheran website.
If I still have further questions, is there someone I can contact?
If you have additional questions, please send them to Alumni and Family Relations at families@callutheran.edu.


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Japanese man gets 17 years for chi
← Twitter may censor tweets in individual countries
Dad-of-two jailed for cartoon child porn →
Japanese man gets 17 years for child porn
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Federal District Court in Riverside, California, has sentenced a Japanese man to 17 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography on the Internet, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Futoshi Tachino, 32, pleaded guilty after being arrested in Chicago in July 2009.
"The sentencing is the result of an international investigation into the 'Lost Boy' online bulletin board," the department said. "The Lost Boy bulletin board, according to court documents and proceedings, was dedicated to men who have a sexual interest in young boys and was established to provide a forum to trade child pornography."
Lost Boy had a thorough vetting process for new members, who were required to post child pornography to join the organization.
Once accepted, members were required to continue posting child pornography to remain in good standing and to avoid removal from the board.
"As a result of the investigation, 16 named defendants, including Tachino, were charged in the United States and arrested for their roles in the bulletin board," the department said.
The Japan Times, May 17, 2012
See original article at:http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120517b1.html#.T-W4-o5JVUs
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Building a website for your organization a complex and frustrating process especially if you are not familiar with web design space. It is imperative that you work with the finest web design corporation so that you can have a top-quality site to achieve success. Over time, it has become easier to create a website as there are plenty of web designers in the market. Nevertheless, there is a drawback in this as with the huge variety to choose from you must be ready to do a lot of work to get the best web designer. Here are some pointers to guide you through the process of looking for a good web design corporation.
For you to get the best firm to create your website it is essential that you factor in experience in your search. Ensure you do so as experience will never be replaced by any other quality. It doesn't matter the kind of web designer you desire, experience is the key ingredient in giving you the best site and also to have it at the agreed time. Years of experience give the web designer an in-depth understanding of the field which is not part of any training from school. The best product will be determined by your wants and to have it be sure the web developer has handled various projects similar to what you want them to work on.
Before you make commitments with the web design and marketing firm ensure that you look at the cost of hiring their services. Also, you will want to see if the cost can be accommodating by your spending plan for the project. However, focus on what services will meet the wants of your business and make it profitable. be driven by the greater benefit of enjoying long-term returns however much expensive hiring a specific web designer will be. Don't just be satisfied by getting reasonable prices, inquire the kind of results you are to expect from your investment as hiring a web developer is an investment to your company. Price alone will not guarantee you quality website.
A well-established web design firm will have a portfolio showing various websites they have created in the past. Go through the different websites presented and identify if they match what you are looking for. Moreover the website in the portfolio may not be the same as what you want but should tell you if the web designer has the skills to give you what you want. Moreover, form the portfolio ask the web design firm to provide you with a few references. The customers will tell you if the services were satisfying and whether the designer completed the task on time.


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Home › News › Autonomous Boats By 2020
Autonomous Boats By 2020
By Oliver Mitchell on February 18, 2017 • ( 0 )
My twitter feed was abuzz this week with news of a Russian spy boat miles off the coast of Connecticut's US Naval Submarine Base in Groton. This would've been a good time to test the Navy's newest weapon – the Sea Hunter – an autonomous marine defense system (shown below). The concept of an encounter between autonomous and manual vessels waging battle is a good metaphor for future conflicts across industries from defense to energy to shipping.
Marine boat traffic has grown threefold in the past 100 years. As the seas become more crowded the demand for autonomous solutions could not be more relevant from a greater profits to increased safety. Allianz Insurance reported that over 75% of all boating accidents are the fault of human error, often the result of fatigue. Rolls-Royce, a leading manufacturer of automobiles, aerospace engines and maritime solutions estimates that autonomous and remote-controlled vessels on open waters could one day rival their terrestrial counterparts on the speed of adoption and utility.
"Autonomous shipping is the future of the maritime industry" ssaid Mikael Makinen, president of Rolls-Royce's marine division, in a white paper published by the company. "As disruptive as the smartphone, the smart ship will revolutionize the landscape of ship design and operations."
While in the past we have discussed many upstarts in the autonomous marine space, Rolls-Royce is now leading the industry with its global research project, the Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications (AAWA), to deliver fully autonomous shipping vessels by the end of the decade. The AAWA endeavor draws together the European Union's MUNIN (Maritime Unmanned Navigation through Intelligence in Networks); DNV GL, and China's Maritime Safety Administration & Wuhan University of Technology. Each national group is bringing its own expertise to the table to assess the varied requirements to bring fully autonomous shipping to a commercial reality, including: software (navigation, collision avoidance, off-board communications), certifications (legal, liability & insurance) and societal changes (labor & business). A big driver of the research is external pressure from the shipping industry, including threats from pirates, increased cargo demands, and a shrinking skilled workforce.
Rolls-Royce Vice President of Marine Innovation Oskar Levander could not be more adamant about his optimism for the project, "this is happening. It's not if, it's when." He explained, "The technologies needed to make remote and autonomous ships already exist. The AAWA project is testing sensor arrays in a range of operating and climatic conditions in Finland and has created a simulated autonomous ship control system which allows the behavior of the complete communication system to be explored. We will see a remote controlled ship in commercial use by the end of the decade."
Levander's team is working on integrating a complete situational-awareness system that combines sensors that are being installed in self-driving cars in Detroit and Silicon Valley, such as infrared cameras, LIDAR and other radar components. The AAWA group is exploring two command options for utilizing the sensor data sets: 1) a remote-operations center led by a human captain; and/or 2) onboard computer/deep learning network. In either case, the human remote commander or its autonomous-navigation system would tap into other situational inputs from satellites, weather reports, radio broadcasts and other ship-to-ship reports. The idea of computer aided systems is not new, crews have been using electronic aids as part of their daily activities for decades. Already advanced systems plot out routes, assist with decisions making, and monitor the ship's machinery to ensure critical functions are running at optimal performance.
Unlike terrestrial vehicles, ocean communications have been hampered by inconsistent broadband communications on the water. However, in August 2015, Inmarsat launched its third Global Xpress satellite to provide broadband data almost anywhere in the world. This was a game changer for the concept of "uncrewed" ships navigating the seas. It also means that the risk from cyber-criminals has now risen to a new threat level.
Jay McFadden, Rolls-Royce senior vice president, admits that there are still issues to solve. "We don't yet have a perfect way of handling every circumstance."
While Rolls-Royce has been making news in the industry it has yet to release a fully autonomous vessel. The closest it has come is its "Unified Bridge" technology that was showcased in August 2014 aboard the Stril Luna (above). Since then, Rolls-Royce Unified Bridge system has been incorporated into tugboats, mega yachts, polar research vessels, and new cruise ships. While there are many competing standards almost everyone agrees that "robot ghost ships" will need to involve a consortium of universities, ship designers, equipment manufacturers, classification societies, and governments.
Already, the Norwegian Maritime Authority and the Norwegian Coastal Administration have signed an agreement to permit sea trials of autonomous boats in the Trondheim Fjord. Meanwhile in Finland, an association called Finnish Marine Industries, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and Tekes (the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation) have joined Rolls-Royce and other companies to develop and explore autonomous marine transport in the Baltic Sea. Rolls-Royce plans to launch its first fully autonomous ship within the next three years, and estimates that it will be commonplace on the high-seas by 2015.
In related news, Ford Motor Co. acquired a 50% ownership stake in artificial-intelligence startup Argo AI for $1 billion to bolster its self-driving car technology arsenal last week. The question in the maritime industry is when will these types of investments hit the waves. To explore this issue and the implications it could have within the greater society, come to our next #RobotLabNYC Event, The Societal Impact of Robotics, on March 2nd at 6pm.
‹ The Mechanical Silent Spring
Universal Income vs. Robot Tax ›
Categories: News, Robotics
Tags: AAWA, EU, Rolls-Royce, Russia, Sea-Hunter, US NAVY


A 2nd ice cream shop after their first one in Azabujyuban. With the same basic design, the walls and lamps where changed into a light purple color in this small shop. Cuteness and a feminine touch design was added to the design of this shop located inside "Lumine".


The soil beneath your feet is your most precious resource in the garden: look after it, and your plants thrive. There's a huge range of bagged composts, soil improvers and fertilisers in our garden centre in Trowbridge - Wiltshire to keep container plants happy and your soil in tip-top health.
Please ask the staff in our Trowbridge - Wiltshire garden centre for more information and advice about composts and fertilisers. We also offer a lot of garden plants like annuals, perennials, shrubs and more! Check our opening hours on our contact page.
Fertilizing the lawn is actually a good idea throughout the year. However, the largest amount should be given in the spring.
Some people think that shrubs, hedges and flowering plants, will suffice for a single fertilization during the spring. That is not true. They can also use a second fertilizer perfectly at the beginning of the summer.
Have you chosen to integrate roses into your garden? In that case, it is important to take into account that you can fertilize it best from the end of the month of March. Continue doing this monthly until the month of July has arrived.


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Pursuant to § 59.1-70, effective January 1, 2020, assumed or fictitious name certificates will no longer be filed in the Clerk's Office. All certificates will be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Commission (State Corporation Commission).
Release/Dissolution of a trade name that has been filed previously in the Clerk's Office will be recorded in the Clerk's Office where it was originally filed.
Dissolution of a business (Individual or Partnership)
Dissolution of a business (Corporation or LLC)
All forms are available for completion on a public computer in the Clerk's Office Deed Room.
Form must be typed.
Signature(s) must be notarized or can be signed in person before a deputy clerk at the Clerk's Office with a proper government issued photo ID.
Filing Fee is $10. We accept cash, checks, money orders and credit cards. All credit card transactions will include a 4% surcharge. Checks can be made payable to Clerk of Court.
Form can be filed in person at the Circuit Court Deed Room or mailed with payment and self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Rockingham County Circuit Court
Attn: Deed Room
80 Court Square
Concealed Handgun Permit
Courtroom Technology
Historical Courthouse Information
Jury Information
Online Records Information
Rockingham County FOIA
State Board of Elections


Very Good. 176 p. A collection of short stories which bring to life the sounds and smells of Mexico. They range from stories narrated by witches as they see through the ages from past to future, to stories about distressed adolescents who request nothing more than a pimple-free face.
Good. 176 p. A collection of short stories which bring to life the sounds and smells of Mexico. They range from stories narrated by witches as they see through the ages from past to future, to stories about distressed adolescents who request nothing more than a pimple-free face.
Signed by Author First edition, first prnt. Signed by Cisneros on the title page. Fine condition in a Fine dustjacket with a Durafold mylar cover. Actual image of the book; not a stock photo.