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The Numbers are In
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A huge and heartfelt thanks to everyone who has advised me, helped me, and voted for me in this school board campaign. I've been fortunate to have the support of so many people willing to stay informed about the issues and support public education. Thank you.
The results from the election are now in, and they include good news and bad news. The good news is that I was one of winners on the Democratic side, and all three other candidates I endorsed-- Alan Earnshaw, Rebecca Heid, and Michael Moxley-- also won. I will be on the ballot in the general election this November!
The bad news is that I did not win on the Republican side-- I lost by 73 votes, according to unofficial results. This result is disappointing. But with enough volunteer energy and support this fall, I believe I and the other pro-education candidates in the race can win in the general election.
Thanks again for all of your support!
Vote Tuesday!
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Tuesday is the election for the East Penn school board. Please vote! If you are unsure of your polling location, you can find it here.
This is an important election that will impact our schools and our community. Yet very few eligible voters will actually participate because no national politicians are running. You can make a difference by voting.
But you can multiply your impact by calling up just a few friends and neighbors and reminding them to vote too.
If every public education supporter got just three additional people to the polls who might not otherwise participate, we would be assured victory for our schools and community.
I will be voting for the four candidates that I believe can best balance a concern with public education and a concern for fiscal responsibility:
Alan Earnshaw
Rebecca Heid
Michael Moxley
Ziad Munson (that's me!)
Defining Decency
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School board candidates Garrett Rhoads, Wanda Mercado-Arroyo and Chris Donatelli recently distributed campaign literature that accused me and other candidates of not having "the decency to make themselves available for a public debate." (You can see their flyer in its entirety here.)
My record of engagement with the community over the issues at stake in our schools speaks for itself. This flyer says less about me and more about the judgment of the candidates who produced it. More than anything, I'm saddened these candidates have felt they need to resort to negative attacks.
Their charges are based on an event held by the organization CEPTA last week (the name of the group is left off their flyer). I did not attend this one meeting for the simple reason that I was not invited. Every other public forum held during this campaign-- both partisan and non-partisan-- extended direct invitations to all candidates via telephone call, email, or both. CEPTA, however, did not invite everyone. I learned of their meeting only indirectly, by reading a published comment made by Patch.com editor Jennifer Marangos, who was invited.
An organization that extends direct invitations to individual journalists but not individual candidates is unlikely to provide a venue for open and honest discussion about public education and the needs of our community. I've since learned that candidates in previous years have come to the same conclusion I have regarding CEPTA forums, including our current Republican state representative Ryan Mackenzie.
Failing to invite candidates for public office to an event, and then questioning their "decency" for not attending that very same event? I would define decency very differently.
Myth vs. Reality in East Penn School Funding
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The East Penn School district budget is of great concern to those of us taxpayers who fund it. But in the heat of debates over the proper levels and sources of funding, it is easy to lose sight of some of the fiscal discipline that the current East Penn administration and school board have provided this community in recent years.
As the graph below shows, our school district tax rate is among the lowest in the county. Only Southern Lehigh and Parkland enjoy lower school taxes:
source: EPSD Business Office and Lehigh County Assessment Records, via http://alanearnshaw.com/Stats.asp
If you look at how much money is spent per child in the district, East Penn has one of the lowest per pupil expenditures in Lehigh County too. And we are below the overall state average in this measure:
What about administrative costs? We are also below the state average on this measure. According to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, East Penn employed only one administrator ("manager") per 211 students, compared to the state average of 163 students per administrator.
Tax increases? There will not be any school tax increase this year for East Penn taxpayers. Moreover, in the decade between 2001 and 2011, the overall increase in taxes was only 1% higher than the level of inflation (a compound annual rate of 3.4% compared to 2.4%).
None of this information should leave us sitting on our laurels. There are certainly many ways we can make the district more efficient and cut unnecessary costs. But I believe the discussion of how to do so will be most productive if we start with a clear-eyed understanding of the fiscal record of the district in the recent past.
It is also possible to cut too much; we should take a practical, rather than ideological, approach to taxes. Our schools deserve the support they need to continue to improve the quality of education. The crisis in the Allentown school system is a sober reminder of what can happen when public education lacks adequate funding.
Corbett's $250 Million Education Sinkhole
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When is a sinkhole a firm plot of land?
When Governor Corbett shares his view of the education-funding landscape.
Corbett tells us his current state budget proposal delivers, "a record amount of state funding into basic education" (a healthy landscape). The reality, however, is that Corbett's budget creates a $250 million sinkhole in education spending.
Why such different pictures? Governor Corbett wants us to look at only the "basic education" line in his budget, which indeed shows record high spending (see table below). Now, look at all those $0s beneath that basic education line--therein lies the sinkhole.
source: http://www.senatorhughes.com/enews/pdf/TotalEdFunding.pdf
Unfortunately, the basic education dollars do not support many of the costs needed to maintain excellent schools. Things like busing. And school buildings. And improvement to science education. When you look at the bottom line, Corbett's proposed education budget represents more than $250 million in cuts to public education compared with five years ago.
What's worse, many of the things the state has stopped paying for are required by law, which means local school districts must fund them. The proposed state budget thus effectively transfers many of the costs of education away from state taxes onto local property taxes. As I've written about before, this is is unfair to local taxpayers—particularly seniors and others on fixed incomes who in some cases are taxed out of their lifelong homes.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
There are alternative sources of state revenue that Governor Corbett flatly refuses to pursue. For example, Pennsylvania is the only major oil- and gas-producing state that does not tax the resources private corporations extract from oil and natural gas wells (known as a severance tax). If the state implemented even the modest severance tax adopted in Texas-- a decidedly pro-business state in which big energy companies also have much influence-- individual Pennsylvania taxpayers could receive $246 million in tax relief.
Not surprisingly, most Pennsylvania citizens support this kind of tax reform. But until such reform is a reality, our education funding will remain hamstrung by ideological arguments in Harrisburg that pretend sinkholes are firm plots of land.
And as local taxpayers, you and I will be on the hook to fill the real hole they leave behind.
Excellent Schools Require a Quality School Board
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Most people agree that motivated, high quality teachers are the most important determining factor in excellent public education.
But who makes up the school board is important too. A study by the Iowa Association of School Boards compared the characteristics of school board members in high performing districts with those in low performing districts. What they found was that the school boards themselves had an important impact on the quality of schools. More specifically, school boards that set high standards, were deeply knowledgeable about teaching and learning, created a supportive environment for teachers and staff, involved their communities, and used data to make decisions, produced far better results than those which didn't.
There are real differences between the candidates for the East Penn school board on many of these dimensions. Who will set high standards? Who is knowledgeable about teaching and learning? Who will create a supportive environment for teachers and staff? Who will listen? Who has the most experience working with complex data? As you plan your vote in the election primaries one week from today, I hope you will consider how the candidates compare on these dimensions.
The Problem with Partisanship
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One of the chief obstacles to making meaningful, positive improvements in the East Penn School district is a small but vocal minority in our community who insist on viewing the issues we face in largely partisan terms. The first question they ask is not whether a candidate, an idea, or a proposal is a good one, but whether or not it is "Republican" or "Democratic."
This is a foolhardy and dangerous approach. Foolhardy because most of the issues faced by public education and the taxpayers who support it are complex and require careful and balanced judgment based on facts. They cannot be successfully addressed with the tired and simplistic ideological sound bites of the political parties-- Republican or Democratic. Why would anyone want to use the model of partisan pettiness and gridlock that characterizes Washington DC and Harrisburg here in our local community?
But partisanship is also dangerous. A number of scientific studies published in just the last few months show how political partisanship actually clouds judgment and makes it difficult for people to express or act on accurate information. The studies demonstrate that people make less accurate assessments of the economy, neglect the soundness of arguments, and ignore their own personal experience in "Republican vs. Democratic" contexts compared to when political partisanship isn't an issue. Put simply, partisanship hurts our ability to make the best possible choices for our community.
Dr. Claude Fischer of the University of California summarizes this research on his blog. You can also access the individual research studies-- completed at Princeton, Northwestern, Columbia, Stanford, and Aarhus University-- directly through these links:
"You Cannot be Serious: Do Partisans Believe What they Say?"
"How Elite Partisan Polarization Affects Public Opinion Formation"
"Explaining Social Policy Preferences: Evidence from the Great Recession"
I'm proud that the many yards signs promoting my school board campaign are equally distributed in the front yards of Republicans and Democrats. And I am committed to meeting the challenges of the East Penn school district in a balanced, inclusive and fair way that reflects careful judgment of facts, not blind partisanship.
Public Education as an Engine of Economic Development
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Many economists have conducted studies on the role of public schools in driving a community's economic prosperity. The data show that the quality of our schools help make us more economically competitive: excellent schools spur local entrepreneurship and attract state, regional, and national businesses; they lead to higher wages in the community, which in turn support existing business enterprises; and they encourage our brightest and most motivated young men and women to return to the area after college, contributing to social stability and tax base growth. And this list doesn't even include their positive impact on our property values, which I've written about elsewhere.
In short, schools are one of the best possible economic investments our community can make. Public education provides economic benefits to everyone in the community, not just students.
Want more specific facts and figures? An easy to understand summary of this research is available in a report by Jonathan Weiss of George Washington University, "Public Schools and Economic Development: What the Research Shows."
Dr. Gerald Gordon covers some of the same ground in the short video below. Dr. Gordon is the CEO of the Economic Development Authority in Fairfax County VA, and author of 12 books and dozens of articles on economic development and management.
Some Principles of Fiscal Responsibility
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The East Penn School District, like any large bureaucracy, generates its share of waste and inefficiencies. As I've met community members in this campaign, teachers, custodians, maintenance staff, and others who work in the district have all shared with me specific examples of waste in the East Penn schools.
One of the best ways to combat this problem is to develop a culture (and a concrete procedure) that encourages all employees to report waste and inefficiency in a safe and constructive way. At the same time, the mantra of "cutting waste" will not magically cure the pressure on the public school budget. How should we think about the bigger issues? I would propose three basic principles in approaching the larger budget questions:
(1) A long-term approach to budgeting. Cutting $1,000 to fix a leaky roof from the budget today is short-sighted if it means we will have to pay $100,000 to repair the damage caused by the leak in a few years. (See my separate post on this subject.)
(2) Cost-cutting proposals should be specific. Calling for budget cuts in general makes for good political theater, but it takes both knowledge and leadership to propose actual cuts that might improve the district's finances.
(3) Balance. Fiscal responsibility must be balanced again the need of our community for excellent schools-- public education is itself an important pillar of our community's economic fortunes.
Meeting the Challenge of the Information Revolution
I've written a number of times about the need for schools to change in fundamental ways to meet the needs of today's society and economy. The information revolution poses significant challenges to some of the most basic ideas we all hold about public schools; ideas originally developed in the wake of the industrial revolution, a far different time.
Ken Robinson made this point several years ago in a talk that has been viewed by millions since he gave it in 2006. Sadly, little has been done to address the issues he raises in the seven years since. The talk is well worth its 12 minutes, if you haven't seen it already (and don't be distracted by the controversial claims he makes about ADHD in the middle; they are not central to his main point).


Clinical coding across the NHS is not currently regulated and the primary benefit in the UK has traditionally been in research. This project aims to demonstrate the value of accurate clinical coding for patients, clinicians and the overall health system.
The National Health Service (NHS) keep electronic health records from birth to death with near complete records in primary care, which can be linked via an NHS Number to other records such as hospital admission/discharge diagnoses and lab results. UK hospitals, however, lag behind primary care in their use of clinical codes at the point of care but they are starting to roll out more advanced Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems.
Salford Royal Foundation Trust (SRFT) has an expansive database of clinical data and is largely paperless with over 15 years of digital records linked to primary healthcare. Read Codes; a coded thesaurus of clinical terms, from Salford residents' primary care are routinely linked to other health coding systems from discharge diagnoses in the hospital. Although, SRFT is recognised as the UK's most digitally mature hospital, coding in routine clinical practice however, is confined to a small group of enthusiasts. Consequently, the benefits of reusing EHR data are limited by inconsistent and patchy coding in the hospital.
In partnership with Intelligent Medical Objects (a US market leader in technologies for clinical coding) we aim to develop the coding of historical EHRs by mapping individual diagnosis descriptions to a standardised vocabulary to increase the clinical and scientific utility of EHR data.
We will evaluate and compare two text-mining algorithms to code clinical intent about diagnoses from within semi-structured outpatient documents. Within the context of this project, these documents involve clinical letters from hospital specialists to general practitioners. The methodology will focus on comparing how clinical intent is captured from the source documents when mapped to SNOMED CT*, as well as how the reference codes associated with the clinical intent differ between methods.
*SNOMED CT is a structured clinical vocabulary for use in an electronic health record.
The clinical meaning of records will be more transparent, interactive and consistent. There will be better communication between care professionals and improved communication at the interface between primary and secondary care – meaning better opportunities for decision support.
Clinicians will gain easier access to historical information in records and coding will improve the efficiency of recording information in clinical practice.
The project will create potentially actionable information for quality improvement; and assistance of culture shift toward clinicians coding at the point of care.
To increase the coding of health issues within the clinical record to demonstrate to clinicians the advantages of well coded patient records.
Increase the coding of health issues within the clinical record, enabling demonstration to clinicians of the advantages of having a well-coded patient record (i.e. the clinical benefits rather than the research benefits).
Guidelines for annotation of clinical texts have been designed and the annotators have had preliminary training. An initial set of clinical texts have been annotated by 2 pairs of coders, one pair using SNOMED CT and the other pair using IMO Anywhere as coding system.


James Lee, CFP®, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), the country's largest membership organization for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®) professionals and those who support the financial planning process.
Mr. Lee is President of Lee Investment Management LLC, a Saratoga Springs, NY-based financial planning and wealth management firm.
"It's a true honor to be elected to FPA's Board of Directors," James Lee said. "I'm excited to help FPA members and their clients succeed by increasing awareness and access to the transformational power of financial planning."
Martin C. Seay, Ph.D., CFP®, as the 2019 President-Elect.
Karen W. McDade, CFP®, AIF®, CDFA, as a new board member.
Jason T. Plank, CFP®, CRPC®, AAMS®, CFS®, as a new board member.
"We welcome these remarkable individuals to the FPA Board of Directors to help shape the vision and strategic direction for the association," says 2018 FPA President Frank Parè, CFP®. "We look forward to working with Dr. Seay, James, Karen and Jason to advance the financial planning profession and are thankful for their unwavering support and commitment to FPA and the financial planning community."
The 2019 Board will be comprised of 14 total members, which includes the three newly-elected members and FPA Executive Director/CEO Lauren M. Schadle, CAE.
The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) is the principal professional organization for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professionals, educators, financial service professionals and students who are committed to elevating the profession that transforms lives through the power of financial planning. Through a collaborative effort to provide members with tools and resources for professional education, business support, advocacy and community, FPA is the indispensable resource in the advancement of today's CFP® professional. Learn more about FPA at www.OneFPA.org and follow Twitter at twitter.com/fpassociation.


When war was declared in August 1914, many believed it would be "over by Christmas." Horatio Kitchener, however, suspected differently and set about creating his "New Armies" to fight in the long term.
At the start of the War, the Army consisted of just 700,000 soldiers, a tiny force compared to the mass armies of France, Germany and Russia. Lord Kitchener, then British secretary of state for war, instigated a mass recruitment campaign, calling for 100,000 new recruits to bolster British forces. He wanted to transform the nation's small, specialist-trained force into a mass civilian army.
In the wave of patriotism that followed the declaration of war, his tactics worked. However, these new volunteers needed to be trained, and it soon became apparent that existing barracks across the UK simply would not suffice.
Initially, public buildings such as schools, churches, and warehouses were used in response to the need for more adequate training spaces. Eventually, with the assistance of the Royal Engineers, purpose-built training camps were developed and original barracks expanded, including Shorncliffe in Folkestone.
While at the training camps, new recruits were put through their paces with physical fitness training, as well as marching and drills. There was no set program in place for training, so each squad could have a very different training experience.
I don't know whether you get any Swedish drill or not but we do, and my word is it hard when you are not used to it. Our squad have had it twice and there are plenty of sore muscles amongst us.
I had cottage pie for supper yesterday and am going to have another tonight. I suppose you wonder where I got it. Ah! I made it (some cook; What!).
Although not traditionally a male pastime in the early 20th century, the ability to cook up a hot meal would be vital—for nutrition and for morale—while on active duty.
As soldiers began to specialize in a particular role, for example in the infantry as a machine gunner or a bomber, they would receive more expert training. When the time came to travel to the Western Front, soldiers would also be given basic training in wiring, gas defense, and first aid.
Although training continued after going on active duty, for many soldiers it simply could not prepare them for the horrors that they were to experience on the front line. While tactics taught at training camps evolved with the war, the thousands who did not return paid the highest price for the steep learning curve experienced by all sides in the conflict.
Kitchener completely ignored the Territorials at first. As these men would only be used to defend England. However as war with Germany appeared more likely, many were asked if they would serve outside the UK. The majority agreed and several thousand were posted to India and other colonies to free the Regulars to return to England for duty in France. These men when sent to reinforce the BEF in the fall of 1914 gave a good account of themselves and allowed the Territorial division still in England to be sent to France. If Kitchener had used his hundred thousand to fill up the Terriers first, many more units would have been available for Ypres.
America went through similar challenges in building and training its forces, but the draft helped to increase the numbers.
Why Did They Attack Shoulder-to-Shoulder in 1914?


I know there are a lot of people that will be very interested in the latest online lottery that I've discovered. This is especially so if they're looking for a charity lottery. By this I mean a lottery where the money raised goes to helping needy charities. I'm talking about the Health Lottery. Just to give you a better idea of who they are I copied the following from their 'about' page.
The Health Lottery is not a national lottery. It is 51 local society lotteries each one representing one or more local authority areas across Great Britain. Each society lottery is licensed by the Gambling Commission and will raise money for health related good causes within their respective areas. Each local society lottery takes turns at participating in the draw so that every area in England, Scotland and Wales gets an appropriate share of the monies raised. Details of when each society lottery is running are shown below followed by a map of each of all of the society lotteries.
So buy investing in the Health Lottery you have a chance at winning a lot of cash as well as helping those local charities. How cool ois that? The best thing is that it's only going to cost £1 per line and for that paltry some you can be on your way to win the jackpot of up to £100,000. Just select five numbers from 1 to 50 and check your results to see if you've won a prize. You can check the latest results on TV, online, visit a Health Lottery retailer or call The Health Lottery customer helpline.
Drawn on a regular basis, charity lottery offers player promotions, like extra draws or free lines. When participating in the Saturday's draws, you can often win up to £100,000 plus a holiday or a brand new car.
Another thing you'll love is the Health Lottery is one of the few lotteries offering the highest winning odds. To increase your chances of winning even further, you may choose to participate in a syndicate. And if you can't decide on your lucky numbers, choose the Quick Pick option to have your numbers randomly selected.
Along with lottery, they offer fun online games that give players the opportunity to win instantly. Like scratch cards, these £1 games are often given a seasonal twist and offer players winnings of up to £10,000.
Supporting health charities has never been so much fun as 20p in every £1 goes to support local health related good causes. Join the game – it couldn't be simpler to play The Health Lottery.
You can join the Health Lottery by registering HERE!


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Italy, Libya sign $8-billion gas deal as PM Meloni visits Tripoli
Parliamentarians agree on need to digitize OIC work ahead of annual conference
Iran FM 'optimistic' on nuclear talks if US plays ball
Iran FM 'optimistic' on nuclear talks if US plays ball /node/1943971/middle-east
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said his country is optimistic talks on reviving a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major powers will bear fruit, provided the US fully resumes its commitments. (AP)
https://arab.news/6rhhc
The deal has been on life support since 2018, when then US president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out and reimposed crippling sanctions
Amir-Abdollahian said Iran was looking for concrete signs from the US that it was ready to resume all of its commitments but said he was confident a deal could be done if it was
TEHRAN: Iran is optimistic talks on reviving a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major powers will bear fruit, provided the US fully resumes its commitments, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Friday.
The deal, which gave Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program, has been on life support since 2018, when then US president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out and reimposed crippling sanctions.
US President Joe Biden has signalled a willingness to return to the deal, but his Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned last week that time was running out and the ball was in Iran's court.
Amir-Abdollahian said Iran was looking for concrete signs from the US that it was ready to resume all of its commitments but said he was confident a deal could be done if it was.
"It is important that we receive signals from the other side, including from the United States, showing that they are intent on returning fully to their commitments," the minister told a news conference in Beirut.
"We are assessing the behavior of the United States. If it reflects a full return to their commitments, we can be optimistic about the Vienna talks."
The talks in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining parties to the agreement — Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia — have been on hold since a June election in Iran led to a change of president.
New President Ebrahim Raisi — an ultraconservative former judiciary chief — is thought to be less ready than his predecessor Hassan Rouhani to make concessions to the West for the sake of a deal.
Tehran has gradually rolled back its nuclear commitments in response to the US pull-out, and Washington has been demanding that Iran return to its obligations too.
The United States has had no seat at the Vienna talks but has been participating indirectly.
Amir-Abdollahian said in Moscow on Wednesday that he expected the talks to resume "soon."
"We are coming back to the Vienna talks," the minister said in Beirut Friday.
"We are nearing a final decision within the Iranian government. It is very important to the new government that the interests and rights of the Iranian people be fully guaranteed in the talks. We will not waste our time in negotiations."
Amir-Abdollahian also said that Iran was willing to cooperate with the Lebanese government to help the country emerge from a crushing economic crisis that has seen shortages of fuel and electricity, and said Iran was ready to build two power stations in Lebanon.
Topics: Iran USA nuclear deal Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian
US says return to Vienna nuclear talks with Iran must happen soon
Iran's foreign minister says nuclear talks to resume soon

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Downtown streets come alive at Twilight
Erin France
Thousands of cheering, screaming and clapping fans lined Athens downtown streets Saturday night, encouraging cyclists to pedal their way to the Twilight Criterium finish line.
"You will not see numbers of fans like this anywhere else," said Joe Silva, a cycling journalist and media coordinator for the USA criterium series. "For American racing, this is like a crown jewel moment."
Athens' Twilight Criterium is one of five races in a professional cycling series. Cyclists' scores are added up throughout the series and Twilight is the second-to-last stop before competitors will head to St. Louis for the Tour de Grove, the final criterium on May 12.
People who love racing love to come to Twilight, but even casual fans get into the excitement because of the atmosphere, said Micah Morlock, who helped host several Twilight events this weekend and co-owns Cycle Sport Concepts. Cycle Sport Concepts sponsors a four-member cycling team.
"It's just a great time to go downtown and enjoy our beautiful city," Morlock said.
Besides professional cycling races, Twilight events also included foot races, a children's bike race, and amateur bike races.
Twilight volunteers hosted a 5k run in the morning, as well as a bike ride - named The Gambler, because it stops by property formerly owned by Kenny Rogers - and plenty of live music throughout the weekend.


Located in the heart of the English Riviera, just a few minutes walk from Torquay's Blue Flag beaches and town centre. The Riviera Hotel has recently changed hands and is undergoing a programme of extensive refurbishment.
We have 142 ensuite bedrooms, ranging from single, double or twin, and large family rooms.
There is a beautiful indoor pool and Jacuzzi on the second floor of the hotel and we have now finished building the gym, and there is a nail bar and treatment rooms to follow shortly (please note, pool towels are available to purchase at reception for £5 or to rent for £1 with a £5 refundable deposit or you are welcome to bring your own towels from home).
We have a Sports Bar on-site serving drinks and food from 12pm with free WiFi, WiFi is also available in our Reception area and the Ballroom. There is also nightly caberet sytle entertainment in our large Show Bar.
Our main restaurant caters for everyone, our Chefs will carve for you either a delicious home cooked joint or you can choose from our market day specials or our vegetarian options. You can then help yourself to a variety of freshly cooked vegetables and potatoes. To follow, there is a mouthwatering choice of hot and cold deserts.
We can offer huge savings for group bookings, private functions, dancing holidays or reunion weekends. During November and December, our 3 and 4 night Turkey and Tinsel breaks are extremely popular with groups.
We also have speciality weekends for groups or individuals of which the details can be found on our Special Weekends Events pages to the right hand side.
Whether you are visiting the English Riviera on business or pleasure, you'll find that The Riviera Hotel makes for the perfect setting during your stay on the English Riviera.


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New Zealand scientists unveil the future of fishing
By Ankush Chibber
Related tags: New zealand, Fish
A unique collaboration in New Zealand between the government, industry and scientists has resulted in the birth of a new technology that is expected to radically change wild fish harvesting,
Known as "Precision Seafood Harvesting," the technology does away with traditional trawl nets and, instead, sees fish contained and swimming comfortably underwater inside a large flexible PVC liner.
In that PVC liner, the technology's backers say, the fish can be sorted for the correct size and species before being brought on-board the fishing vessel.
According to scientists at Plant and Food Research (P&F), one of the agencies behind the technology, the design of the harvesting system allows fishing vessels to target specific species and fish size.
Moreover, the technology greatly increases protection for small fish that can swim free through 'escape portals' and non-target fish (by-catch), which are released unharmed.
Once on the deck, the fish still swim inside the liner in good condition, meaning fresher, more sustainable fish for consumers and higher value products for fishing companies using the technology, the scientists claim.
Precision Seafood Harvesting is the result of a decade of collaboration and research between fishing companies Aotearoa Fisheries, Sanford and Sealord, the Ministry of Primary Industries and (P&F).
The fishing companies and the ministry are each investing NZ$26m into the project, while P&F scientists are partnering with the fishing companies to develop and trial the technology on commercial fishing vessels.
It's the future
Eric Barratt, CEO at Sanford and Chairman of Seafood New Zealand, hailed the project as the future of fishing.
"This is the biggest step forward for commercial fishing in 150 years," said Barratt.
"What we've developed in New Zealand has huge benefits for fish stocks, the environment, consumers and New Zealand's seafood industry. In the process we're set to change the global fishing industry for the better," he added.
Barratt revealed that the Precision Seafood Harvesting program was set up in April 2012 and will run for six years to commercialise new technology in the New Zealand fishing industry.
Carl Carrington, CEO at Aotearoa Fisheries, said that the technology would enhance the industry's "access to sustainability-conscious consumers, improves product taste and quality, and is good for value growth".
Sanford, Sealord and Aotearoa have been actively trialling the new technology on their fishing vessels for the past six months.
"Replacing old trawl technology is really important for the industry. We're going to see better stock recruitment and better stock in the water—it's better for everyone," said Nathan Reid, vessel manager at Aotearoa Fisheries.
Greg Johansson, general manager for operations at Sanford, said that the new harvesting will lead on to changes in vessel designs and layouts and the way companies handle fish and get it to consumers.
"This will increase the value of all New Zealand seafood products when the global markets see that we're taking a big step forward by using a more environmentally-friendly way of harvesting fish," he said.
Related topics: Business, Oceania, Supply chain, Seafood
Almost all NZ's freshwater fish at risk of extinction
NZ strengthens agri-ties with Saudi Arabia
S Korea makes commitment to help develop emerging fisheries
NZ PM sees Thailand as 'launching pad' for better SE Asia relations
Survey Report: State of the Food & Beverage Development Sector in Asia-Pacific 2017
William Reed | 15-Jun-2017 | Application Note
In April 2017, FoodNavigator-Asia.com conducted its inaugural 'state of the industry' survey on its user base of food industry professionals. The key objective...


There is substantial evidence that comprehenders predict language. In addition, dialogue partners seem to predict one another, as shown by well-timed turn-taking and by the fact that they can complete one another's utterances. However, little is known about the mechanisms that (i) support the ability to form predictions of others' utterances and (ii) allow such predictions to be integrated with representations of one's own utterances. I propose (predictive) representations of others' utterances are computed within a cognitive architecture that makes use of mechanisms routinely used in language production (i.e., for the representation of one's own utterances). If this proposal is right, representing that another person is about to speak (and, possibly, representing what they are about to say) should affect the process of language production, as the two processes are based on overlapping mechanisms. I test this hypothesis in a series of novel joint language tasks. Psycholinguistic tasks (picture naming and picture description) that have traditionally been used to study individual language production are distributed across two participants, who either produce two utterances simultaneously or consecutively. In addition, solo versions of the same tasks (where only one participant speaks, while the other participant remains silent) are tested. Speech onset latencies and utterance duration measures are compared between the solo and the joint task. In a first set of experiments about simultaneous production, I show that participants take longer to name pictures when they believe that their partner is concurrently naming pictures than when they believe their partner is silent or is concurrently categorizing the pictures as being from the same or from different semantic categories. Second, I show that participants find it harder to stop speaking when they know that their partner is about to speak. These findings suggest that speakers are able to represent that another person is about to speak using some of the same mechanisms they use to produce language. However, in a third series of experiments, I show that participants do not routinely anticipate the content and timing of another person's utterance in a way that affects concurrent production of utterances. In light of this evidence, I discuss the proposal that speakers use language production mechanisms to represent and anticipate their partner's utterances and support coordination in dialogue.


text:
Home News Miami Marlins sign infielder Jean Segura in first big move of offseason
Miami Marlins sign infielder Jean Segura in first big move of offseason
The Marlins have agreed to a two-year, $17 million deal with infielder Jean Segura, sources confirmed to the Miami Herald on Wednesday. Once officially in place, the Marlins will need to act accordingly to make room for Segura on a currently filled 40-man roster.
Segura, who turns 33 on March 17, has 11 years of major league experience, having spent the past four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. He provides a solid hitter for the Marlins, who desperately need an above-average defensive player.
Segura is a career .285 hitter with a .739 slugging percentage, 107 homers, 492 RBIs and 712 runs scored in 1,328 games.
To read the full report, Click here for the Miami Herald.


Sapaad's Dine In module helps you run your restaurant's dine in business with incredible efficiency. From table management and running orders, to a FREE tablet app that lets your waiters take orders directly on a tablet, Sapaad's Dine In features will change the way you serve your customers.
Define floors, zones and tables to suit your restaurant's layout. Manage orders at each table, "split" tables or "move" orders between tables, "split" the bill between a table. However you want to manage your dine-in operations, Sapaad has you covered.
We understand the challenges when things get busy at a restaurant. Hence, we've made Sapaad's Dine In module brilliantly intuitive to use. With a glance, you'll know the status of all your tables, how many are available, and how many will be available soon.
During busy hours, it is important to have a reliable, convenient and accessible POS. On Sapaad's 'Running Orders' screen, you'll see a list of all your open orders, so you can generate bills or modify orders with just a single click.
Sapaad's Dine In module comes with a FREE tablet-ready interface. What's more, unlike traditional POS hand-held devices, Sapaad's tablet app works on any tablet of your choice — Android or iPad. No more expensive proprietary hardware — you can have all your waiters equipped to take orders cost-effectively!


Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz of JP has been the leading proponent of the set of school funding reforms, per the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. She's just been moved off that beat by Senate President Spilka — replaced by Jason Lewis, who represents tony, elite Winchester.
Lewis on Thursday had a milder response to the governor's education funding plan.
"I think it's certainly a step in the right direction, but I think we're going to have to talk in more depth," Lewis said.
Perhaps Spilka felt that Chang-Diaz had burned her bridges with potential House conference-committee partners, or the Governor, after last year's failure by the House to act. That's not Chang-Diaz's fault; that is one of the many ways in which DeLeo's House bottles up and essentially cancels legislation to which the Speaker doesn't take a personal shine. I don't see how anyone can blame her for saying 2+2 doesn't equal 10.
Lewis is not a bad guy, but I highly doubt that his constituents are burning up his phones for greater equity in the assignment of education funds. This does not bode well for the justice side of the equation.


Currently there is no menu available for Crown Of Jade in Bristol. We are continuously adding menus, so check back soon!
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text:
Q: Verbose javascript conditional seeks simplification I have the following rather verbose conditional, I'm trying to wrap my head around a simpler version but I'm not getting anywhere.
if( agent % $.settings.gridSize === 0 && value % $.settings.gridSize == 1 ){
    // Dud
}else if(agent % $.settings.gridSize == 1 && value % $.settings.gridSize === 0){
    // Dud
}else{
    freeCells.push(value);
}

Is there a way I can achieve the same condition with a single if statement, rather than using the throw-away if else?
Something like:
if(!(a && b) && !(x && y)){
   // Do stuff
}

A: Yes, it's possible and you've (almost) answered your question yourself.
You can do the following:
var gS = $.settings.gridSize;

if(!(agent % gS === 0 && value % gS == 1) && !(agent % gS == 1 && value % gS === 0)) {
    freeCells.push(value);
}

A: Depending on the possible values of $.settings.gridSize etc., it's possible that what you are looking for is:
if (agent % $.settings.gridSize !== value % $.settings.gridSize) {
    // Dud
} else {

which also makes the semantics clearer: the modulo involving agent should be "different" (in the 0/1 sense) from the module involving value.

A: if (
    agent % $.settings.gridSize > 1
    ||
    (agent + value) % $.settings.gridSize !== 1
) {
    freeCells.push(value);
}

I think it's pretty self-explaining.
Edit
Seems like it isn't that self-explaining actually.
I made a few assumptions for the transformation.

*

*// Dud means to do nothing.

*$.settings.gridSize is a positive integer, henceforth referred to as gridSize.

*agent and value are non-negative integers.

For a value not to be pushed agent % gridSize has to be either 0 or 1. Since there are no negative numbers or fractional parts involved this means the same as agent % gridSize <= 1. So if the remainder is greater than 1 then value gets pushed.
Otherwise agent % gridSize is either 0 or 1. And for the value not to be pushed value % gridSize has to take on the respective other value. In total this would mean that (agent + value) % gridSize === 1. So if it's not 1 then value gets pushed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Today was my first day back to work and I thought it would be a disaster since I'd be leaving Khai for longer than I ever have before. I expected tears, withdrawals, constant fidgeting and lack of focus. I experienced all of that minus the tears.
Luckily, I'm still decorating my classroom so my mom brought him up there. I got to play with him and my coworkers got to see him. It was perfect. Now tomorrow on the other hand will be a different story since my mom is not coming.
I did end up pumping two full bottles because I missed him so much and thought about him constantly. I thought it would be hard to pump but I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
I think I'm going to survive this year. For my mamas who went back to work after having your first child, what was your experience like?


Permaculture integrates land, resources, people and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies – imitating the no waste, closed loop systems seen in diverse natural systems. Permaculture studies and applies holistic solutions that are applicable in rural and urban contexts at any scale. It is a multidisciplinary toolbox including agriculture, water harvesting and hydrology, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, aquaculture, appropriate technology, economics and community development.
As the basis of permaculture is beneficial design, it can be added to all other ethical training and skills, and has the potential of taking a place in all human endeavors. In the broad landscape, however, permaculture concentrates on already settled areas and agricultural lands. Almost all of these need drastic rehabilitation and re-thinking.
One certain result of using our skills to integrate food supply and settlement, to catch water from our roof areas, and to place nearby a zone of fuel forest which receives wastes and supplies energy, will be to free most of the area of the globe for the rehabilitation of natural systems. These need never be looked upon as "of use to people", except in the very broad sense of global health.The real difference between a cultivated (designed) ecosystem, and a natural system is that the great majority of species (and biomass) in the cultivated ecology is intended for the use of humans or their livestock. We are only a small part of the total primeval or natural species assembly, and only a small part of its yields are directly available to us. But in our own gardens, almost every plant is selected to provide or support some direct yield for people. Household design relates principally to the needs of people; it is thus human-centered (anthropocentric).
Recycling of nutrients and energy in nature is a function of many species. In our gardens, it is our own responsibility to return wastes (via compost or mulch) to the soil and plants. We actively create soil in our gardens, whereas in nature many other species carry out that function. Around our homes, we can catch water for garden use, but we rely on natural forested landscapes to provide the condenser leaves and clouds to keep rivers running with clean water, to maintain the global atmosphere, and to lock up our gaseous pollutants. Thus, even anthropocentric people would be well-advised to pay close attention to, and to assist in, conservation of existing forests and to assist in, the conservation of all existing species and allow them a place to live.
Establishment of plant and animal refuges for rare or threatened species.
Permaculture as a design system deals primarily with the third statement above, but all people who act responsibly in fact subscribe to the first and second statements. We believe we should use all the species we need or can find to use in our own settlement designs, providing they are not locally rampant and invasive.


text:
ThoughtGallery.org > The Fact of a Body: Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich & Robin Wasserman
The Fact of a Body: Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich & Robin Wasserman
Before Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich begins a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, working on the retrial defence of convicted murderer and child molester, Ricky Langley, she thinks her position is clear. The child of two lawyers, she is staunchly opposed to the death penalty. But the moment she hears Ricky speak of his crimes, she is overcome with the feeling of wanting him to die. Shocked by her reaction, she digs deeper into the case, and is forced to confront her own family's long-buried secrets, and to reckon with how her own past colours her view of his crime. "This book is a marvel," raves Celeste Ng. "The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth."
Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich is a 2014 National Endowment for the Arts fellow, a recipient of the Rona Jaffe Award, and has twice been a fellow at both MacDowell and Yaddo. Her essays appear in the New York Times, Oxford American, and the anthologies True Crime and Waveform: Twenty-first Century Essays by Women. She is joined by Robin Wasserman, whose books for young adults include The Waking Dark, The Book of Blood and Shadow, and the Seven Deadly Sins series, which was adapted into a TV miniseries for Lifetime.
When: Thu., May. 18, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Where: McNally Jackson
52 Prince St.


text:
What does Broken Hearted Girl mean?
Beyonce: Broken Hearted Girl Meaning
Tagged: Heartbreak [suggest]
Get "Broken Hearted Girl" on MP3:
Broken Hearted Girl Lyrics
You're everything I thought you never were
And nothing like I thought you could've been
But still you live inside of me
So tell me how is that?
You're the only one I wish I could forget
The only one I'd love enough to not forgive
Apr 24th, 2017 4:03am report
According to Beyoncé, the lyrics of "Broken-Hearted Girl" concern a woman's fear of the downsides of love.[14] The protagonist sings about heartache,[15] and the possibility of a breakup[9] due to the decline of her relationship with an unfaithful lover.[8] She wishes that she did not have to experience this emotional hurt.[8] While her lover is out cheating on her, at home the woman wonders if she has the courage to continue the relationship, "now that her rock has turned out to be made of mud", as interpreted by Fraser McAlpine of BBC Music.[8]
The protagonist accepts that her feelings for her lover are too strong, and that she does not have the courage to leave him.[14] She decides to fight for her love and not become the victim,[8][14] singing emotively: "I don't want a broken heart / And I don't want to play the broken-hearted girl".[16] Despite the desire to have her lover back,[17] she sings, "I know that I love you but let me just say / I don't want to love you in no kind of way".[18] The woman gains confidence, and towards the end of the song, she wants to spend her life with her lover despite the previous letdowns.[14]
( Wikipedia - give them the credit)
Apr 23rd, 2017 4:48pm report
She was being treated badly by her boyfriend. She loves him with all her heart, but her head tells her to leave him, because he destroyed the trust between them.
This song is about her saying she loves him but shes not IN love with him. Because he hurt her so bad and she loved him so good, she can see past it but not enough to let her feelings fall that way for him again.
Dec 25th, 2015 12:41pm report
I think its about a relationship that even though it caused her a lot of pain she knew not having him would be more painfull. Also she never tells him how she feels up until now because she was afraid of him leaving her. However now that she has let that pain out they are happy and still together and all the pain and problems they went through made them stronger.
I think this means That the guy she loves is being ass and not proving that he loves her. But shes know he does.. And doesnt wanna say all the things that hurts her because she doesnt wanna lose him.. At the she we always care and love him.. I think at the end she lets him go But she we always love him and care for him. Always be by his side no matter what.
Apr 3rd, 2015 4:41am report
That she is still inlove with him even after all he did and part of her wants to be there for him but the other part of her doesn't want to be there to get hurt again.
Oct 30th, 2013 10:41pm report
It always makes me think of Klaine...but maybe that's just me...
I think it's about a girl who's boyfriend broke her heart, and it's about her having to come to terms with her feelings, and realising she doesn't want to lose him as she still loves him.
this song is about her bestfriend Sitoga Pulemau who's friend betrayed her dating her exboyfriend. she knew everything about them but she still fell for him. she talks about how she's broken-hearted because of this.
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More Flow and Go and Alignment Pant Pictures.
Despite the complicated straps in the back and the difficulty in getting this tank on right I quite like it. I like it a lot more than I like the No Limits Tank which has a similar design. The straps at the front of this tank is the same as the Free to Be Bra.
And the Alignment Pants. Cute, I have to try these on before I decide how I feel about the larger pockets on my thighs.
"New Scuba Hoodie + CRB's + More Pics"
"Run: Energy SS, SE Scuba Hoodie and Tadasana Pictures"