1. I always wanted to work in another country, start and live a whole new life there with my family.
2. I really hate it when I can't help those people that I love, specially when it comes to financial problems.
3. My best friend is someone from my High School and College days.
4. In high school I was fat and dark and had a broom like hair. Unpretty.really.


Missing Link: The Quantity Breakdown Item Owners see gleaming skyscrapers or massive bridges, but those charged with realizing those visions see cubic yards of concrete and piece marks of steel. Engineers and contractors are trained to take large things and break them down into smaller things, into the most granular building blocks necessary to create the owner's vision. It's the very ability to think at that atomic level that makes it possible to create seemingly impossible structures…one building block at a time.
ERP Is Driving 5 Construction Trends ERP (enterprise resource planning) software was introduced in the manufacturing sector in the 1990s, and rapidly spread to industries including education, finance, and healthcare. The home construction industry, however, was slow to adopt ERP software, with many smaller firms choosing an ad hoc approach to managing each business function.
Trends and Advances in ERP Software ERP (enterprise resource planning) software has come a long way from its roots in inventory management and balance reconciliation. Today, many of the world's largest companies depend on ERP to handle their business needs as the scope of their companies increase. Small-and-medium-sized companies have also started to use ERP software more consistently to give them an edge in a competitive marketplace. As the face of competition has evolved, so too has the capabilities of ERP.
Digital Footprints The vast majority of Americans walk around with enough processing power in their pockets to run a small city, not to mention the data they stream from the cloud. It's hard to believe that less than 20 years ago none of this was possible. When Steve Jobs released the first iPhone in 2006, no one thought the little device would change every industry from music to banking. Yet, today, everything is digitized and connected.
SaaS Is a Natural Evolution for ERP The acronym ERP (enterprise resource planning) was first coined by the Gartner Group, www.gartner.com, Stamford, Conn., in the 1990s. Acquiring an ERP system is one of the biggest investments a business can make. Traditionally, implementing such a system required a substantial capital investment in infrastructure: hardware, software, and personnel. It was a one-size-fits-all solution—just so long as that size was Fortune 500. Most small to mid-size businesses were left out because they simply did not have the resources to entertain an engagement.
Future Trends for Construction Project Management Software In the 1990s, the Internet was coming of age with advancements in browser technology, and email was commonplace. There was skepticism about putting project information online and collaborating with a single cohesive project management software like Projectmates. At the time, when promoting the placement of project information online and making it easily accessible we were asked questions like, how does it work, is it safe, why should I replace my paper-based processes, and what is ultimately in it for me?
Resource Planning: The ERP Advancement the Industry Needs As those of us in the industry already know too well, construction has a productivity problem, and multiple studies confirm that companies are doing very little to help themselves.
The Construction Report Fall 2018 - From regenerative residential villages to SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping), to quantum computing, technology is changing how the construction industry does business—both in the office and at the jobsite. It is also changing how homes, communities, buildings, and cities are built, as contractors are incorporating new advances into projects across the globe. From research being done in universities, to unique projects being performed in rural villages, here are the top five tech trends to watch in the months ahead.
Take-Offs Fall 2018 Digital transformation is the disruption of business and organizational activities, processes, competencies, and models to leverage change. This change—and the adoption of new and emerging technologies—is not an easy feat.
Women In Construction Fall 2018 For centuries, the construction industry has been central to everything. It has changed the way we work, and today we have reached a precipice where companies need to be leaner and safer—while at the same time being disruptive.


Hearts reserve coach Andy Kirk has urged his players to treasure every second of their SPFL Reserve Cup glory.
The young Jambos defeated Motherwell 2-0 in the final at Tynecastle Park last night, second-half strikes from Lewis Moore and Callumn Morrison sealing the silverware in all-too familiar surroundings.
Both sides elected to blood the youngsters with Morrison, Harry Cochrane and Ryan Edwards some of the more familiar names on the teamsheet. And Northern Irishman Kirk couldn't have been more proud of his young prodigies.
"They need to enjoy moments like this," Kirk stressed afterwards. "We've got 16-year-old boys in that dressing-room and this is an amazing experience for them. As much as we are trying to develop them as players and improve their game knowledge and technical ability, there's got to be that winning mentality in their mindset.
"This was a cup final and we treated it like a senior cup all the way through – we need to win every game. We've managed to do that so I'm delighted.
"It's invaluable for these players. This is a moment they can look back on, they'll have the pictures of it – they've achieved it, and it's especially nice for it to be at Tynecastle.
Morrison, who is a familiar face around Gorgie having made more than 30 appearances for the first team this season, showed his willingness to drive at the opposition from referee Stephen Brown's first whistle.
And it was the teenager who had the first effort on goal just after a quarter of an hour when he was picked out by Edwards, taking one touch to control before a fizzing shot on the angle was well saved by the legs of Rohan Ferguson in the Motherwell goal.
Hearts were winning the midfield battle but Well still posed a threat on the counter, Jamie Semple taking up a good position inside the box before getting a shot away that stung the hands of Kelby Mason in the 28th minute.
That prompted Dean Cornelius into having an effort from 25 yards but it was a couple of yards wide of Mason's right-hand post.
There was plenty of endeavour from both sets of players but too often there was a lack of quality in the final third.
However, Hearts did get their noses in front seven minutes after the restart. Some calamitous defending saw the Motherwell rearguard fail to clear a simple ball and that afforded Moore all the time to set himself before shooting into the far corner from eight yards.
Kirk introduced Dario Zanatta from the bench just before the hour mark and the Canadian made a telling contribution just three minutes later as he got the better of Liam Donnelly down the right side to tee up the onrushing Morrison who dispatched the ball past Ferguson with ease.
Maurice Ross sought a response from his players but it was Hearts that always looked likely to add to their lead, Morrison seeing his shot hit the side netting late on.
It was the outcome the vast majority of the 1,728 in attendance had hoped to see at the end of 90 minutes, a trophy draped in maroon and white ribbons.
Motherwell: Ferguson, Donnelly, Livingston, Devine, Hussain (MacDonald 68), McAlear, Rehman (Watson 63), Cornelius, Johnson (Starrs 79), McKinstry, Semple. Subs: Hemfrey, Bowers, Brown.
Hearts: Mason, Logan, Hickey (Baur 89), Hamilton, Petkov, Irving, Morrison, Cochrane (Smith 76), Currie (Zanatta 59), Edwards, Moore. Subs: Silva, Sandison, Ritchie.


Three Inch Thermal Kiosk Receipt PrintersThe SK1-30 three-inch series boasts a print speed of 200mm/sec with 203 dpi resolution while also demonstrating long service life and high reliability.Available in standard format (horizontal orientation) with or without presenter, standard format drop-in paper loading with or without presenter, and vertical format (vertical orientation) without presenter, SK1-30 printers have the ability to fit many applications. Compact (low height size: 95mm including paper roll) and light weight (Approx. 730g), the SK1-32 kiosk printer is an optimal solution for applications requiring a small direct thermal kiosk printer with standard three-inch print width.Available option include large paper roll holder and bezel paper detector for the entire SK1-30 series.


An honor to be one of the coaches at the 10th Annual Warren Strelow Goaltending Camp, it was also a treat to see some familiar faces. Representing Western New York and the JSG family is Goaltenders Stephen Dhillon, Tyler Johnson and Ben Kraws. A big congrats goes out to these three for earned the opportunity to participate in this elite camp!
Dhillon, the starting goalie for the OHL's Niagara Ice Dogs was a bright sport for the team amidst a rough season. He finished the campaign with 21 wins, but his stopping ability is what really stood out last season. Dhillon finished in the top 10 for Save Percentage among all OHL Goalies with a .914 SV%.
Johnson, who was in his first season with the London Knights of the OHL, split time with Tyler Parsons between the pipes. Playing in 26 games, the first year Knight logged a successful season in the blue paint. He'll look to build on his 12-6 record next season.
Kraws, the youngest of the three, is a part of the Buffalo Junior Sabres program. Playing for the under 16 team this season, Kraws finished with a 29-8 record in 38 games. He added a sparkling 1.88 goals against average and .928 save percentage to the resume.
All three of these goaltenders have earned this honor. Congrats again and we wish you the best of luck going forward!


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In the West, Climate Action Falters On the Ballot
Some green candidates won key races, but ballot initiatives to limit fossil fuels' effects failed.
Kate Schimel
Diver Kim Thomas holds a "Yes on 1631" sign as she dives in a large aquarium display at the Seattle Aquarium.Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
This story was originally published by High Country News and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
In an upstairs ballroom of downtown Seattle's Arctic Club, where polar bears and maps of the Arctic decorate the walls, volunteers and activists who campaigned for Washington's first carbon fee waited cheerfully for election results on Tuesday night. Just after 8 p.m., a first wash of returns that had the initiative on track to pass sent ripples through the room. But as more counties reported in, the likelihood dropped. By 9 p.m., the mood turned, and clusters of supporters retreated to bars across downtown to mourn. On Wednesday morning, 56 percent of Washington voters had rejected the state's second attempt to tax carbon emissions.
As the US has stepped back from federal commitments to limit carbon pollution, activists have called on states and local governments to fill the void. It's an approach that could prove effective, according to a report released in September by Data-Driven Yale: Existing state, local and corporate commitments could take the US halfway to meeting its Paris Agreement goals, designed to limit global warming to 2 degrees and avoid the most catastrophic effects.
Tuesday night's returns offered a mixed message on whether states have the momentum to regulate fossil fuels without federal backing. Candidates who support action on climate change won gubernatorial races in Colorado and Oregon, while in Washington, Democratic incumbent Sen. Maria Cantwell, who has backed climate initiatives in the Senate, held her seat by a comfortable margin. But ballot initiatives intended to regulate fossil fuel emissions and boost renewable energy sources fell flat.
The nation's first carbon fee fails
Initiative 1631, which was crafted by a coalition of labor, social justice and environmental groups and tribal nations, would have taxed every metric ton of carbon produced by most of the state's largest polluters at a rate of $15; some sectors were exempted, including fuel used in agricultural production and coal plants slated for closure. A prior initiative to tax carbon emissions while lowering other taxes and boosting low-income tax credits failed in 2016. The 2018 initiative, which would have used the funds raised by the tax to pay for climate mitigation and response, drew well-funded opposition from oil and gas interests.
The result: Projected to fail. Only three counties, Seattle's King County, Port Townsend's Jefferson County and the San Juan Islands, voted for passage.
Arizona's push for renewables stalls
Proposition 127 would have required electric utilities to purchase 50 percent of their power from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. It excluded nuclear power as a renewable source, which stoked fears that its passage would lead to the closure of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. A lawsuit from the state's largest utility muddied Proposition 127's progress to the ballot, while out-of-state money helped make it the most expensive proposition in state history. A group backed by California-based billionaire Tom Steyer's political action committee, NextGen Climate Action, poured $23.2 million into efforts to pass the initiative; Arizona utilities, as well as the Navajo Nation, spent nearly $30 million to oppose it.
The result: Failed. As of Wednesday morning, 70 percent of voters had rejected the measure.Background reading: Dark money is re-shaping Arizona's energy fights, Elizabeth Shogren
Colorado won't tighten fracking restrictions
A pair of dueling initiatives, Proposition 112 and Amendment 74, dealt with regulating the state's fracking boom, which has butted up against sprawling suburbs. Proposition 112 would have required new oil and gas wells and production facilities to be built at least 2,500 feet away from schools, drinking water sources and homes, a significant increase from current set-back requirements. Amendment 74 would have required payments for any lost property values due to government action, including regulations that affect mineral rights—like Proposition 112.
The result: Both initiatives failed, leaving the state where it started on oil and gas regulations.
Background reading: The rising risks of the West's latest gas boom, Daniel Glick and Jason Plautz
Nevada steps forward on clean energy
The ballot in Nevada also had a pair of dueling measures to reshape the energy market. Question 6, which was also backed by Steyer's NextGen Climate Action Committee, mandated utilities purchase 50 percent of their electricity from renewable energy, as in Arizona. Question 3, meanwhile, was more complicated: It would have opened up the energy marketplace, so consumers could purchase the cheapest energy available. Environmental groups argued it would have eroded clean energy development; the measure's backers argued the opposite. Question 3 drew millions in out-of-state money; opponents outspent the measure's supporters three-to-one.
The result: Nevada proved a bright spot in the region for clean energy action. Question 6 passed with nearly 60 percent of the vote, while Question 3 failed.
Background reading: In solar scuffle, big utilities meet their match, Elizabeth Shogren
Big Oil and Gas Are Spending Tens of Millions to Defeat Environmental Initiatives
In These 5 Races, Climate Change Has Taken Center Stage
Jesse Nichols
Matt Gaetz, Spreader of Wild Conspiracy Theories, Now Says He's the Victim of Them

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Mechanic King
Cars / By admin
Unlike many of the naysayers, I'm fully pumped for the spin-offs of Fantasy. Those simpletons just didn't understand why John Crow had to do what he did, and why Kyrion the Giant became the king of the little folk, and why Sandra Snark chose to become Empress of the South. Obviously it was a ploy all along, cleverly foreshadowed in an easter egg on the season 3 DVD box set. OBVIOUSLY.
Not sure how I feel about the time jump, but no show is perfect. Yeah, jumping ahead 5000 years and showing that John Crow's descendant, John Croshaw, is driving around Melbourne, working as a mechanic in Malvern East and going out with the descendent of the mad lizard queen (who apparently conquered her issues in the last five millennia)? Yeah, quite a twist. I can see how everyone wouldn't be on board with it, especially how it makes it seem like the world of Fantasy was our world all along.
I do like how John's distant future as a mechanic and auto repair specialist was, once again, cleverly foreshadowed. See, there's a scene in season 2 when he looks at the wheel of a wagon and says "Hmm, shoddy workmanship from the hill people." And he's right, because he says it right after the wheel has detached from the cart and is rolling down a hill, but the point is that he was the first person to notice it, so it was showing his mastery of…things with wheels. Obviously. Blatantly.
Now he's a mechanic in modern-day Melbourne, ready to go and fix someone's engine instead of fixing the entire nation's problem with an evil magical princess sweeping across the land and burning everything in her path. I'm not totally sold on the twist, but I do appreciate the thought behind it. People can identify with a place that does car service work in Hawthorn. And the world of Easteros is our world! That's pretty cool.
-Linda


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Xi expresses condolences over fione egg computersre in Russia
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People place toys and flowers at a makeshift memorial for the victims of a shopping mall fire in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russia March 26, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]
Condolences sent to Russia over mall disaster that killed dozens
President Xi Jinping wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to express his condolences over the fire in the Russian city of Kemerovo that killed at least 64 people.
Aside from heavy casualties, the fire also caused property losses, Xi said.
In his letter, Xi mourned the dead on behalf of the Chinese government, the Chinese people as well as himself, and he expressed sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured.
Premier Li Keqiang conveyed his condolences over the accident to his Russian counterpart Dimitry Medvedev.
The fire began on Sunday afternoon at the Winter Cherry mall in Kemerovo, a city about 3,000 kilometers east of Moscow, and was extinguished by Monday morning after burning through the night.
Sixty-four deaths were confirmed after firefighters finished combing through the mall"s four floors, Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov said at a televised briefing.
Putin extended condolences to the families and friends of the victims on Sunday and ordered authorities to provide all necessary help.
A total of 663 people took part in the search and rescue operation, the Emergencies Ministry said, adding that work was complicated by leaking gas, high temperatures and dense smoke.
Preliminary reports said four of the dead were children asphyxiated by the gas.
An 11-year-old boy who jumped from a fourth-floor window was severely injured, according to Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova.
Winter Cherry was one of Kemerovo"s most popular entertainment centers for children, with its own indoor skating rink, petting zoo and trampolines, the Associated Press reported. Kemerovo residents said the mall was packed with children and their parents when the fire broke out.
A government investigative committee said four people were detained and questioned. They included tenants of the premises where fire may have started and the head of the management company that serviced the building, Xinhua News Agency reported.
People shared their stories as well as video and photos from inside the building on social media.
Anna Zare, a Kemerovo resident, described the scene: "In the middle of the movie, a door shut and someone screamed "Fire! Fire!""
"We could not hear any alarm. The crowd rushed through the single narrow passageway. Black smoke filled the children"s playground and a movie hall. We couldn"t breathe. … There were many children crying," she said.
On Monday, the Prosecutor General"s Office ordered fire safety features checked at all shopping malls in Russia.
US military urged to cfree wristbandsooperate with China
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Q: Unable to create launchtemplate using awscli Running into the following error:
Invalid type for parameter LaunchTemplateData.CreditSpecification, value: CpuCredits:unlimited, type: <type 'unicode'>, valid types: <type 'dict'>
Using the following command:
aws ec2 create-launch-template --launch-template-name MyLaunchTemplate --version-description FirstVersion --launch-template-data ImageId=ami-8c1
be5f6,InstanceType=t2.medium,CreditSpecification=CpuCredits:unlimited
awscli version: aws-cli/1.14.12
According to this: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/t2-unlimited.html...
Any thoughts ??

A: Try changing the launch-template-data to a JSON. The problem is that CreditSpecification is a JSON and CpuCredits:unlimited is not the right way to do it. Refer this amazon documentation for an example.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Lervik is een plaats in de Noorse gemeente Fredrikstad, provincie Viken. Lervik telt 2370 inwoners (2007) en heeft een oppervlakte van 2,35 km².

Plaats in Viken

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's Halloween, but there's no need to be spooked This edition of the Monthly Mash is packed with lots of valuable treats and absolutely no tricks.
Hard to believe that our 6th Annual Distillers' Convention & Vendor Trade Show is a little over three months away. If you still haven't committed to attending, we give you 6 good reason why you should be in Minneapolis for "Craft on Ice," February 10-12. And you don't want to miss out on the special early bird registrations rates, which expire at 11:59 p.m. on Halloween night! It's your last chance to save before the regular rates kick in.
There's something else you should put on your calendar for October 31 (tomorrow, if you're reading this soon after it arrives in your inbox). Andrei Prida, research and development manager at Seguin Moreau will be sharing the details of his experiments with different woods and aging techniques in a webinar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration details are below.
It's no surprise to any of you that these are exciting times for craft spirits. We're curious to hear your thoughts on what's making them so exciting. Please share your insights in this month's poll.
I can tell you that part of the excitement is coming from across the pond, as our members open new markets across Europe and other regions. Read about some of their experiences connecting with international buyers in our coverage of Bar Convent Berlin earlier this month.
There's so much more to peruse in this issue, so I'll leave you all to it. But before I do I want to express my gratitude for everyone involved with the ACSA Judging of Craft Spirits last week. First I want to thank Greenbar Distillery for generously hosting the event and providing a temporary home for the nearly 500 spirits that the judges evaluated. (Read more about Greenbar in this month's Q&A with co-founder Melkon Khosrovian). And, special thanks to ACSA Vice President Maggie Campbell of Privateer Rum, who served as Spirits Judging Chair. It truly was a colossal undertaking, in affiliation with Artisan Spirit Magazine. And, of course, I want to give a shoutout to all of the judges and the support staff (including Cardinal Spirits and Corsair Distilleries) who made last week's judging event go as smoothly as possible. We're looking forward to announcing all of the medalists in Minneapolis in February.
Join fellow producers and other industry experts for the largest gathering of licensed craft spirits producers in the U.S. Register now to take advantage of our early-bird registration rates and discount room block! We'll be in Minneapolis, MN February 10-12th with some cool pre-convention programs planned.
Here are 6 reasons why you're not going to want to miss ACSA's 6th Annual Distillers' Convention & Vendor Trade Show.
1. There's no better opportunity to network with hundreds of your craft distilling peers and see the latest cutting-edge products and services from leading industry suppliers—during expanded trade show hours—all under one roof.
2. The education program offers nearly 50 hours of expert insight on distillery finance, safety, regulatory compliance, marketing and spirits production techniques.
3. You'll get a chance to tour some of Minnesota's world-class craft distilleries before the Convention officially kicks off: The Dampfwerk Distillery Company, J. Carver Distillery, Tattersall Distilling, 11 Wells Spirits and DuNord Craft Spirits. The tour bus also will be dropping by grain and ingredients supplier Brewers Supply Group (BSG). The tour is a separate ticketed event and you can register here.
4. Where else are you going to get to play ice hockey with your fellow craft spirits producers—for free? You'll just need to bring your own gear and register here for this one-of-a-kind, co-ed event!
5. Speaking of hockey, we've arranged an outing to watch the NHL's Minnesota Wild face off against the Philadelphia Flyers on the final evening of the Convention. Tickets are available for purchase on the main Convention registration page.
6. Sample the finest spirits that the Land of 10,000 Lakes has to offer at the Minnesota Toast on the final evening of the convention.
Don't miss the opportunity to take advantage of the early-bird registration rates for the 6th Annual Convention & Vendor Trade Show, set to expire tomorrow, October 31, 2018. The early bird rate for distillery members is $595 plus $395 for any additional attendees from your company you wish to register. For non-members those rates are $795 and $595. And don't forget to book your room now to take advantage of the exclusive discount rate of $119/night.
Vendor Booth Space Is Selling Out Fast!
There's still some booth space available for ACSA's 6th Annual Distillers' Convention & Vendor Trade Show, but it's selling fast. Reserve your booth now to ensure that your company's products and/or services will be able to be front and center before a gathering of craft spirits producers from across the country. We offer 8'x10′ single booths and 8'x20′ double booths where suppliers to the industry can showcase their products, services and solutions before a gathering of craft spirits producers from across the country.
There are multiple ACSA Convention & Vendor Trade Show sponsorship opportunities still available to suit a wide range of marketing budgets. A sponsorship is an excellent opportunity to amplify your presence and further establish your credibility as a thought leader in the craft spirits industry, enhance your brand image and industry position, build new relationships with prospective customers and strengthen relationships with existing ones and expand your business opportunities. As a new benefit this year, we're offering sponsors the opportunity showcase your products & services in sponsor-led live "TED Talks." Those opportunities are limited to top-dollar sponsors. Come out from behind the booth to see and hear how your competitors position their products & services in an interactive sponsors-only program.
We can customize a package and work with you to maximum exposure and return on your investment.
Join us for our next webinar, which will explore the extraction of wood compounds during different aging scenarios. Presenter Andrei Prida, research and development manager for Seguin Moreau, will discuss the dynamics of aging spirits in barrels, as well as methods involving wood pieces. The webinar is scheduled for TOMORROW, October 31, 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Eastern time.
Aging of spirits in barrels is an integral step in their production. The regular producers use traditional shapes for this process such as 350L barrels for Cognac or 53 gallon barrels for bourbon. The craft distilleries find smaller barrels more suitable for maturation. Finally, barrel alternatives such as staves, chips, powders and inserts are continuing to become integrated into the everyday practice of the spirits industry. In this webinar presentation Seguin Moreau measured the extraction rates and speeds of different wood compounds during aging in regular, small barrels and in contact with wood pieces. This information is of practical importance for cellar masters and technical staff, who wish to optimize the sensory properties of aged spirits and to use wood barrels and alternatives in rational way.
Working since 2006 for Seguin Moreau as Research and Development Manager, Andrei previously worked as a Chemist, Enologist and also as Superior Lector at Technical University of Moldova. Andrei holds a PhD in Chemical characteristics of oak (INRA Montpellier) and a Post-doc with Study of polyphenols (Miami University, USA). His main missions at Seguin Moreau involve the development of new products (barrels and alternative oak products). He coordinates collaborative work with Bordeaux University and other research centers. He manages internal laboratory and deals with quality control analysis and trials. Finally, he brings technical support to Seguin Moreau teams all over the world.
American craft spirits producers have been playing an increasingly prominent role at Europe's largest bar business trade show, Bar Convent Berlin (BCB), especially as distillers look overseas for new markets in which to grow their distribution footprints.
But there was an added wrinkle this year, with the specter of the Trump Administration's international trade tariffs looming over participants.
Still, Gould has been making a strong push in Germany and throughout Europe.
Even though BCB is a European show, Golden Moon connected with a number of buyers from North America.
The contacts Gould made extend well beyond buyers and bartenders.
Some of the other distilleries showcasing their products at BCB included House Spirits (Portland, Oregon), Koval (Chicago), Catoctin Creek (Purcellville, Virginia) and Corsair (Nashville, Tennessee), Alpine Distilling (Park City, Utah) and Traverse City Whiskey Co. (Traverse City, Michigan).
Harris notes that her interactions with potential buyers have been positive.
Catoctin Creek currently is available in Germany and Italy and Harris says the company may add three or four additional countries in the next year.
"You have to really come here to be able to export here," says Piper Underbrink (pictured, right), who leads sales and distribution efforts for Alpine Distilling. "You have to meet face to face, with distributors and sales reps, not only for tastings, because it's not super cost-effective to ship product to them just for tasting, but also because that face-to-face interaction with someone is what makes the relationship work or not work.
BCB also has provided Alpine to learn from European distillers, to see what's working for them and what's trending. Alpine has a number of liqueurs in its portfolio and European producers have always been strong in the liqueurs category.
Corsair Distillery's European distribution also is limited to Germany, but COO Tyler Crowell says he hopes to expand its presence on the continent.
What is the No. 1 driver behind the growth of craft spirits?
The Hoosier State has a long and storied distilling history and its spirits-making activity has been accelerating in recent years with an eclectic array of craft producers.
The Huber family has been growing fruit and producing fine beverages since the mid-19th century. In addition to its winery and vineyards, the family operates Huber's Starlight Distillery in the town of Starlight, producing grape, apple and peach brandies inspired by those of their ancestors, as well as a line of liqueurs, bourbon, rye, 1794 Gin, Barrel Finished Gin, Silver and Spiced Rum and a Vodka distilled seven times from locally grown corn.
Cedar Creek Winery and Brewery in Martinsville became a triple threat last year when it opened Cedar Creek Distillery. Rum is the main event for Cedar Creek, producing Pirate's Cove White Rum and Island Spice spiced rum, as well as a barrel-aged offering. Grains are also part of the fun, with the distillery's Artesian Water Moonshine, as well as a rye whiskey that's due to be ready before year's end.
Spirits of French Lick in West Baden Springs is another distillery with winery origins. Since distilling operations commenced in 2016, Spirits of French Lick has produced a diverse array of products, including Aquavit, Old Tom Gin, Absinthe Le Blue, Blackberry Eau-de-vie, SonRoho Immature Brandy, Vodka, White Bourbon Whisky and Stamper's Creek Rum. The distillery also soon will launch a line of liqueurs.
In Bloomington, the Cardinal Spirits gin game is strong with Standard Dry Gin and Terra Botanical Gin—the latter of which was designed to capture the wild, outdoorsy freshness of Indiana woodlands. Cardinal also crafts a Vodka from white grapes, Lake House Spiced Rum, Tiki Rum and a number of diverse liqueurs. The distillery also launched a series of canned Mule cocktails.
Three Rivers Distilling Co. prides itself on sourcing its grains from within 30 miles of its Fort Wayne distillery. The distillery also sources the coffee for its coffee liqueur from a Fort Wayne roaster and its barrels from a cooperage based in the city. What's more, its ingredients are organic and non-GMO. In addition to the aforementioned liqueur, Three Rivers Distilling Co.'s portfolio includes Harvester Vodka, River City Rum, Summit City Gin, Wheated Bourbon, Frankly B. Rye Whiskey and 122 Unaged Corn Whiskey.
West Fork Whiskey in Indianapolis is another grain-to-glass operation using 100 percent Indiana-grown ingredients. Those ingredients provide the base for products like 2 Hour Delay unaged corn whiskey, All or Nothing 100 percent corn whiskey aged in used bourbon barrels, wheat-heavy The Colonel bourbon, the rye-forward B-Street Blues Bourbon and 3rd Degree cinnamon-flavored whiskey. West Fork recently announced plans for an expansion.
Indianapolis is also home to a growing number of world-class cocktail bars. There's the requisite speakeasy in the form of Wiseguy Lounge (hidden in the back of Goodfellas Pizza), the craft-spirits-and-classic-cocktail-focused Libertine Liquor Bar and the craft-and-classic-mixology mecca The Ball & Biscuit—which also showcases an eclectic array of small plates made from locally sourced ingredients.
It's a quandary shared by adventurous and indecisive drinkers alike: What should I drink tonight?
Here to answer that question is Be Your Own Bartender by Carey Jones and John McCarthy. Through more than a dozen interactive flowcharts, the book poses a series of questions designed to lead readers to their ideal drink. With more than 151 original recipes, there's a cocktail for every mood, taste, and occasion. Divided into chapters by spirit—with bonus flowcharts for brunch drinks, holiday parties and true cocktail nerds—Be Your Own Bartender is the best way to discover the perfect cocktail for you, in a journey as user-friendly as it is fun.
A nightcap is the perfect way to end the night, and author Kara Newman knows just how to make them.
This gifty, foil-accented book contains more than 40 cocktail recipes—some to keep the night going, some that will help ease you to sleep, some that can double as dessert, and some that can soothe the stomach after a hearty meal. There are classics like the sweet and creamy Brandy Alexander, new takes on old favorites like the Black Manhattan, which swaps an aperitif for the classic vermouth, and simple new ideas like the Open & Shut, which combines equal parts amaro and cognac for a slow sipper. Whatever kind of night it's been, Nightcap is the perfect way to top it off.
This month we catch up with ACSA Board of Directors member Melkon Khosrovian, co-founder of Greenbar Distillery in Los Angeles. Greenbar hosted the ACSA's annual Judging of Craft Spirits last week.
I was tricked into joining by an old friend, Tom Mooney.
We're overdue for a contraction in the craft distilling space—similar to craft beer in the '90s. The number of distilleries and their offerings are exploding at the same time that the number of spirits distributors and retailers are shrinking. Tasting room income and the FET reduction have given our members some room to breathe but that's not going to keep all of us going forever. Something has to give and I fear that that something will be many of our members' livelihoods. My priority for the board is to prepare the craft distilling community as best as possible for this coming challenge.
Helping our community to prosper makes the most sense to me. For new members, this encompasses avoiding dumb and dangerous mistakes. For the more seasoned folk, working through growth issues.
We're a community above all, so start making friends and spending quality time with your peers. The interactions made possible by ACSA through conferences, seminars and judgings, among others, give all members a number of ways to get involved. Of course, there's also volunteering to help run the joint!
Approachable innovation is on top of my list. Everyone from the trade to the public wants something different…but not too weird. In many ways, I feel that this is one of our core obligations to our customers—to push the envelope a bit and paint a landscape with flavor and aroma that no one has ever seen.
How do you see the market for organic spirits evolving?
It's definitely growing by leaps and bounds, driven partly by more affordable and available ingredients and partly by public interest. At the same time, I think that some producers are ignoring the elephant in the room. While many pursue organics for its clean, healthy vibe, they gloss over one of its core benefits—quality. We didn't start out making organic spirits in 2004 and only switched in 2008 because we could get more flavor and aroma out of organically grown ingredients. For Greenbar Distillery, organics is equal measures better flavor and a better planet.
What are the challenges involved with producing organic products?
We faced three main challenges—administration, selection and costs. First, when we took the distillery organic, for instance, we adopted the guidelines of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMT) to satisfy the requirements of USDA certification. That was fairly heavy lifting for us 10 years ago to build "big company" systems for tracking, operating and reporting. Second, not surprisingly, not every ingredient is available through an organic farm, which is sad sometimes when we want to use a particular wild crafted ingredient. But we've learned to be extra creative in producing unique flavor profiles by combining commonly available ingredients in uncommon ways. The final challenge, cost, is getting a bit less of a challenge. When we started, for instance, we were paying up to 50 percent more for organic ingredients. Today, because of their increasing popularity and our growing scale, the disparity is a little easier on our and our customers' pocketbooks.
What are the dynamics of the L.A. spirits market and how do they differ/compare with other cities?
L.A. is a unique place to build a spirits brand. Its size, year-round access to fresh produce and ever-changing cultural landscape are exciting and inspiring, especially to non-traditionalists like us. At the same time, because the city attracts lots of new residents, we don't have a strong sense of home-town pride and the de facto support for local fare that goes with it. This has forced us to try harder than we'd have to otherwise to become an interesting and useful brand—something that's come in handy for us beyond L.A. The city is also a fertile proving ground for spirits brands testing new ideas and spending heavily to see if they'll bear fruit. We experience this as constant headwind and pricing pressure, which, in turn, has forced us to become a very efficient shop so we can offer our customers not only interesting and useful products but price them competitively.
The TTB has issued 2,832 DSPs! Find the full list here.
Halloween doesn't have an official alcohol, but if there were one it would be slivovitz, the Eastern European plum brandy that appeared in Bram Stoker's classic novel, "Dracula." When Jonathan Harker was journeying to the bloodthirsty Count's castle, he was told that there was a bottle of the spirit under his carriage seat if he required it for the ride.
November begins this week and that means Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away. Check out these cocktails that will help you get through Turkey Day—via Town & Country.


Despite many of the advancements of the computer industry, there still exist a great many applications where serial I/O devices are the best or only solution. Terminal/print/serial servers have long been the best method for networking simple terminals, bar code readers, scanners or printers. Input devices attached to a serial port on a server can reach any host supporting the same protocols as that server. Printers can be shared over the network in the same manner, with a job from one protocol following a job from another. In the case of the print server that has multiple ports, jobs coming from hosts supporting different protocols can even print simultaneously.
Traditionally, terminal/print servers have been larger, multiport devices. But as the marketplace demands that singular devices in remote locations are networked and as technology has developed to allow for single-port device servers to be economically feasible, these smaller servers now provide this remote connectivity. Single port device servers are now being used to provide network connectivity for devices such as bar code readers, factory automation devices, security/monitoring devices and medical devices. This type of technology has been labeled device server technology by industry analysts. For nearly 10 years, Lantronix has been a leader in terminal/print server technology and has been an innovator in the area of micro print server and single-port device server technology. Lantronix is now on the forefront of device server technology for the purpose of networking devices previously not on the network.
For many devices, the only access available to a network manager or programmer is via a serial port. The reason for this is partly historical and partly evolutionary. Historically, Ethernet interfacing has usually been a lengthy development process involving multiple vendor protocols (some of which have been proprietary) and the interpretation of many RFCs. Some vendors felt Ethernet was not necessary for their product which was destined for a centralized computer center - others felt that the development time and expense required to have an Ethernet interface on the product was not justified. From the evolutionary standpoint, the networking infrastructure of many sites has only recently been developed to the point that consistent and perceived stability has been obtained - as users and management have become comfortable with the performance of the network, they now focus on how they can maximize corporate productivity in non-IS capacities.
Device Server™ technology solves this problem by providing an easy and economical way to connect the serial device to the network. Let's use the Lantronix MSS1-T Device Server as an example of how to network a RAID controller serial port. The user (or network manager) simply cables the MSS1-T's serial port to the RAID controller's serial port and attaches the MSS1-T's Ethernet interface to the network. The Lantronix server, once it has been given the necessary configuration information, now makes that serial port a networked port, with its own IP address. The user is now free to connect to the MSS1-T's serial port from a network device (a PC or terminal emulation device) and perform the same commands as if he were a PC directly attached to the controller. Having now become network enabled, the RAID controller can be managed or controlled from anywhere on the network or via the Internet.
The key to network enabling any device is in a server's ability to handle two separate areas: (1) the connection between the serial device and the server and (2) the connection between the server and the network (including other network devices). Terminal, print and serial servers have been developed over the years specifically for the tasks of connecting terminals, printers and modems to the network and making those devices available as networked devices. As current demands for networking other devices increases, these servers need to become more generic in their handling of the attached devices. Additionally, they will have to become even more flexible in the manner in which they provide network connectivity.
Dataquest has described a device server to be "a specialized network-based hardware device designed to perform a single or specialized set of functions with client access independent of any operating system or proprietary protocol." Terminal, print and recently one-port terminal servers (Lantronix calls them Device Servers) have come to embody this notion of independence from proprietary protocols and the ability to meet a number of different functions. The RAID controller application discussed above is just one of many applications where these Device Servers can be used to put any device or "thing" on the network. The recent development of the single port Device Server now makes it economically possible to connect even single devices with serial ports to network - prior to this development, users had only multiport solutions which were sometimes too expensive when the serial devices were very far apart.
Someone might ask the question, "But haven't dedicated PCs been used to network some serial devices with success?" The answer to this would be a somewhat qualified yes - qualified because it required the designer of the product with the serial port to have software able to run on the PC and then have that application software allow the PC's networking software to access the application. This task would be somewhat akin to the problems of putting Ethernet on the serial device itself! To be successful, a device server must provide a simple solution for networking a device and allow access to that device as if it were locally available through its serial port. Additionally, the device server should provide for the multitude of connection possibilities that a device may require on both the serial and network sides of a connection. Should the device be connected all the time to a specific host or PC? Are there multiple hosts or network devices that may want or need to connect to the newly-networked serial device? Are there specific requirements for an application which requires the serial device to reject a connection from the network under certain circumstances? The bottom line is a server must have both the flexibility to service a multitude of applications requirements and be able to meet in depth the demands of those applications.
Lantronix has been in the terminal, print and serial server technology business for over 10 years. During that time, Lantronix servers have been shipped worldwide and implemented in many different applications. This experience has allowed Lantronix to develop more functionality in our servers that "crosses the boundary" of what many would call traditional terminal or print services. The ability to translate between different protocols to allow non-routable protocols to be routed; the ability to allow management connections to single-port servers while they are processing transactions between their serial port and the network; and the ability to offer a wide variety of options for both serial and network connections including serial tunneling and automatic host connection make these servers some of the most sophisticated Ethernet-enabling devices available today. By virtue of the ability to network almost any serial device, Lantronix has termed our server technology, Device Server Technology.
Let's take a look at a particular example of how Device Servers can be used. Mainframe computers and high-end workstations present a particular management problem in networked environments because they normally reserve a number of critical configuration and management parameters for a serial console port device. The ability to reconfigure system memory, allocate disk resources and build system features are reserved for this console which is assumed to be located in a safe and secure environment (generally a centralized computer room). For the network manager who uses principally networked management tools, the challenge is how does this person manage this type of device? The answer to this question lies in using a universal device server as a console server - by connecting the Device Server's serial port to the console port of the workstation, the network manager can now exercise the full range of console commands from anywhere on the network. The Device Server allows the serial port of the workstation to now become a networked port, reachable via connection to the Device Server's IP address. In this manner, the network manager can connect from any device supporting the IP protocol to the workstation's console port and then can execute the commands normally reserved for that port. The result is that any workstation or mainframe system can therefore be managed over the network as if the network manager were in the central computer room where the console of the system was located.
A user might say at this point that the use of the Device Server in this application is very much like that of the common terminal server. But if one just takes a standard terminal server and puts it in this application, will they be successful? The answer is that they may not. With a console server, you would want to have ways of grabbing a port's attention if it should be hung - this would mean that you would want some kind of comprehensive management function available to you should a connection appear to be faulty. Additionally, you would want some kind of diagnostic information to ascertain if there was network problem or a serial port problem if the connection was not working as expected. Thirdly, the interface to the console might require some special break or control character or even modem signal to be sent to wake up the console or initiate a particular management feature. Lastly, there might be a compatibility requirement with a host-based application program that places severe limitations on how the network connection from the host to the server will take place. The fact is that many of these features may not be available in a standard terminal server and knowing that the lack of any one of them might mean that a particular console could not be networked would lead to a rejection of the proposed server as a solution.
Lantronix engineers have spent the last decade developing the widest possible variety of applications for our server products. One example of this is in the development of our Comm Port Redirector software, a Windows 95/98 and Windows NT program that maps a PC's serial ports to it's network port(s). What this software provides is the ability to take the application software developed for a serial port on a PC and allow that software to be run on a networked PC. That networked PC can now connect to the device attached to the serial port of the Lantronix Device Server as if it were on the PC's serial port. This means that any device with a serial port with a dedicated PC can now become a network device with the ability of a PC anywhere on the network (or the Internet) to manage it. From the start of the network enabling process, there is no need to modify any applications software in the PC to be able to access the Lantronix server's serial port (with serial device attached) from anywhere on the network. This feature is called application transparency.
By virtue of being an independent device on the network, one might think that management of a Device Server might be a problem - nothing could be farther from the truth. As stated before, Lantronix has spent over 10 years perfecting our Ethernet protocol software and Lantronix engineers have provided a wide range of management tools for this device server technology. Since terminal servers and serial servers have serial ports it makes sense that these ports can also be used for management purposes - a simple command set allows easy configuration in this manner. The same command set that can be exercised on the serial port can be used when connecting via telnet to a Lantronix device server. An important feature to remember about the Lantronix telnet management interface is that it can actually be run as a second connection while data is being transferred through the server - this feature allows the user to actually monitor the data traffic on even a single-port server's serial port connection while active. The Lantronix Device Servers also support SNMP, the recognized standard for IP management that is used by many large network for management purposes. And finally, Lantronix has it's own web-based management tool, EZWebCon, a graphical user interface which provides the easiest way to manage the Lantronix Device Servers. In addition to these features, the servers all have Flash ROMs, which can be reprogrammed in the field by download. Many new small device server products do not have this feature. This means that new software might have to be downloaded over the serial port or simply not at all. Lantronix was one of the pioneers of providing software upgrades for free over the Internet and the Lantronix web site (www.lantronix.com) guides the user through the process with ease.
We have looked at why organizations are looking for Device Servers and we have seen one example of it in the area of console service and we described what device server technology should be. But the real test is - does a device server provide all of the features required to network enable the application successfully? We are going to look at a few applications areas in which there is a great deal of interest in device server technology and how Lantronix Device Servers facilitate those applications.
Microprocessors have made their way into almost all aspects of human life, from automobiles to appliances to even hockey pucks. With so much information out there to be gathered, it stands to reason that an organization or individual will want to collect as much of it as fast as possible. Although some data acquisition devices use a serial interface, there are a wide variety of other interfaces to support these devices. One such standard is RS-485. Designed to allow for multiple devices to be linked by a multidrop network of RS-485 serial devices, this standard also had the benefit of greater distance than offered by the RS-232/RS-423 and RS-422 standards. Many of these applications run in campus-type environments, so right-of-way to lay cable between devices was available.
Because of the factors we have previously outlined, these types of devices can benefit from being network enabled. Firstly, Ethernet networks have a further range than many serial technologies. Secondly, Ethernet protocols actually monitor packet traffic and will indicate when packets are being lost compared to serial technologies which do not guarantee data integrity. Lantronix's full family of Device Server products provides the full gamut of support required for network enabling different serial interfaces. In particular, the MSS485-T serial servers support RS-485 and allow for easy integration of these types of devices into the network umbrella. For RS-232 or RS-423 serial devices, the MSS1 and MSS100 products can be used to connect sensors to either Ethernet or Fast Ethernet. The Lantronix terminal server products offer multiport configurations for those sites where multiple sensors may be in close proximity.
But this is just the beginning of the support that may be required for critical applications. Say that a number of data acquisition devices monitor the temperature of a furnace - it stands to reason that any prudent user would want to ensure themselves of making sure these sensors are always working and working correctly. The answer here is that Lantronix's universal device servers have several features that enable this application to work efficiently and correctly. To verify that a sensor and its server is transmitting, a user could set up a ping application using the IP protocol to sound that unit every second or so - this would validate the existence and operational capability of the data device. Still using IP, the Lantronix device server could be programmed to transmit data to separate IP addresses on the network for cross-checking or validation at different management stations. These features, standard to Lantronix device servers, may not be found on other products being offered for data acquisition applications.
For factories that are running automated assembly and manufacturing applications, time is money. For every minute a device is idle, productivity will decrease. Many automated factory floor devices have either serial ports or require a dedicated PC to program them. In some cases, handheld PCs are used to reprogram devices for different functions. These devices could be networked to allow them to be reprogrammed over the network, saving time and money. From a central location or actually from anywhere in the world with network connectivity, new device programs can be downloaded.
One item of interest is how that input programming is formatted. We have reviewed how the Lantronix device servers have a comm port redirector software package to provide application transparency, but since many of these automation devices are legacy or proprietary, any number of different data streams could be used. Lantronix device servers have the ability to set up their serial ports for virtually any kind of data transaction. In the IP environment, this includes the ability to support telnet connects or telnet connects without IAC negotiation (raw sockets). Additionally, all Lantronix device servers can support binary character transmissions. In these situations, the need for possible flow control may arise and Lantronix has accounted for this need by supporting RTS/CTS flow control on our DB25 and RJ45 ports. So be it a simple ASCII command file or complex binary program that needs to be transmitted to a device, Lantronix device servers can do the job.
One area that every organization is concerned about is security. Card readers are commonplace now and these type of devices are good candidates for device server technology - when networked to a central system, there will be records of all access within the organization. Newer technology includes badges that can be scanned from a distance of up to several feet and biometric scanning devices that can identify an individual by a thumbprint or handprint. device servers allow these types of devices to be placed throughout an organization's network and allow them to be effectively managed by a minimum staff at a central location.
One more area of security systems that has made great strides is in the area of security cameras. In some cases, local municipalities are now requesting that they get visual proof of a security breach before they will send authorities. Lantronix device server technology provides the user with a host of options for how such data can be handled. One option is to have an open data pipe on a security camera - this allows all data to be viewed as it comes across from the camera. The device server can be configured so that immediately on powerup the serial port attached to the camera will be connected to a dedicated host system. Another option is to have the camera transmit only when it has data to send. By configuring the device server to automatically connect to a particular site when a character first hits the buffer, data will be transmitted only when it is available. One last option is available when using the IP protocol - Lantronix device servers can be configured to transmit data from one serial device to multiple IP addresses for various recording or archival concerns. Lantronix device server technology gives the user many options for tuning the device to meet the specific needs of their application.
Scanning devices such as bar code readers or debit card scanners are another application where device server technology can be effectively applied. When a bar code reader is located in a remote corner of the warehouse at a receiving dock, a single-port server can link the reader to the network and provide up-to-the-minute inventory information. A debit card scanner system can be set up at any educational, commercial or industrial site with automatic debiting per employee for activities, meals and purchases. A popular amusement park in the United States utilizes such a system to deter theft or reselling of partially-used admission tickets - by having no distinguishing marks other than the person's name and a barcode on the card, the black market for partially-used tickets has been greatly reduced.
Lantronix's device server technology simplifies these types of applications with a feature called autostart. Once the reader or scanner is powered on, it will remain on permanently for a predetermined length of time, the device server to which the serial port of the reader/scanner is attached will automatically open a connection to a specified host upon powerup of the unit. This connection will remain open as long as the user wishes, capable of supporting any amount of continuous transactions. If the attached scanner is one which is only going to be used for a short period of time, then the Lantronix device server can be configured for both preferred connection and dsrlogout - this combination will terminate a connection when the attached scanner device is turned off but still retain the ability to make an automatic connection to the specified host when the scanner begins operations again.
Medical devices are another area where device server technology can provide great flexibility and convenience. Many medical organizations now run comprehensive applications developed specifically for their particular area of expertise. For instance, a group specializing in orthopedics may have x-ray and lab facilities onsite to save time and customer effort in obtaining test results - connecting all the input terminals, lab devices, x-ray machines and developing equipment together allows for efficient and effective service. As many of the more technical devices previously relied upon serial communication or worse yet, processing being done locally on a PC, then so device server technology can be used to link them all together into one seamless application. Of course, Internet connection allows the physicians to take advantage of any new information relevant to their pursuits.
Larger medical labs, where there are hundreds of different devices available for providing test data, can greatly reduce their workload by using device server technology to replace dedicated PCs at each device. At first glance, this might seem like a tradeoff given the cost of a device server and the cost of a PC - but think not of the hardware alone, think of the man-hours required to create software that would allow a PC-serial-port-based applications program to be converted into a program linking that information to the PC's network port. A Lantronix device server can resolve this issue by allowing the original applications software to be run on a networked PC and then use the Lantronix Comm Port Redirector software to connect up to that device via the network. Where originally, there was a PC at each device and software development required to network that data, now there is only a couple of high-end networked PCs doing the processing for all of the devices.
There obviously are many more applications where device server technology can be used - some as mundane as vending machines' inventory monitoring and others as critical as rocket launch pad telemetry data collection. The point is the move is on to migrate as many things as possible on the network. As we have also seen, applications support may require more than just simply getting an IP address for a device - it may require special handling of the flow control or data characteristics of the serial port, it may require special processing during the transfer to the network and it may require special management abilities far beyond a simple telnet capability. Lantronix has been an industry leader for over a decade in the terminal, print and serial server business and as these applications-specific servers are being called, device servers. Examine the Lantronix products that you can find by choosing 'Lantronix Products' below and you will find products that will both meet and exceed your applications requirements in both performance and price.


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Home/Activities, Training/Pilot 1 at the Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi
Pilot 1 at the Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi
Event: Pilot 1 at the Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi
Place: Cybersecurity Faculty, Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi (TUIT), Yunusobod, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Representatives from DECIDE EU project partners Transilvania University of Brasov and Dresden University of Technology visited Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT) named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, on February 7th 2022 to undertake Observations of Piloting 1 of the DECIDE Curriculum.
In conformity with the workplan of the DECIDE project, on February 7th, 2022 representatives from TUIT conducted classes on DECIDE Curriculum Module 2 and Module 4 for teaching and administrative staff of the university, librarians, students and people from other relevant organizations in the frameworks of Pilot 1.
Report from DECIDE Pilot 1 at the Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi
The monitoring team pictured right to left: Sven Riddell, Dresden University of Technology, Coman Claudiu, Transilvania University of Brasov, Angela Repanovici, Transilvania University of Brasov, Daniela Popa, Transilvania University of Brasov, Gerard Cullen, Dresden University of Technology, before the courses.
Angela Repanovici and Sherzod Gulomov, Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi opened the event.
Module 2 training being delivered at TUIT.
Participants at Module training delivered by Sunbula Muminova
Brian.odonnell@lit.ie2022-03-24T11:17:28+00:00February 9th, 2022|Categories: Activities, Training|


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Mobile Academy
News and Annnouncements
Micro-Grants Available for Philly Artists & Designers Affected by COVID-19
By Jedidiah Weller
We selected two winners for this contest: Emerson Ruffin and Andre Chaney, both talented artists local to Philadelphia. You can find them on instagram at emersontheartist and andrenchaney. Congrats to these wonderful artists!
We all know the impact that COVID-19 has had on our culture, economy, and health over the past 4 weeks. As people struggle to adjust to the quarantine, the government has been struggling to issue loans and process unemployment claims to keep the economy afloat.
While we are all patiently waiting on government assistance, we believe it's the duty of those who are able to give back to do just that.
With that said, as of April 15th, 2020 we've announced a series of micro-grants of $500, starting with a pool of $1,500 and increasing as the funds become available, to any Artist in Philadelphia who has a substantial need.
To apply, all you need to do is fill out the form below and create a visual #QuarantineBuddy to inspire the rest of the community. We believe that through collaboration and mutual support we can all make the world a better place.
Challenge to All Visual Artists: Create a #QuarantineBuddy!
To Qualify
Must have a valid address in the greater Philadelphia region
Must be currently unemployed and financially affected by COVID.
Must have a primary career in the arts, design, etc.
What if you could have your own little friend to keep you company during times of isolation? How would your buddy cheer you up or inspire you? Maybe they'd sing you a song or play a game? Get creative! Decorate the template however you like in the program of your choosing, and submit a brief description of your design. The three most creative submissions (as chosen by OpenForge) will be selected to receive a grant of $500.
Save the template below and fill it in with your own design, and feel free to make it your own with whatever creative tools are at your disposal!
Use this as a starting point to create your own #QuarantineBuddy
Why Designers & Artists?
We have a lot of friends in the artist community and we know how hard they've been impacted. We'd love to support everyone, but it's just not financially possible. We have to pick our battles, but we'd encourage other businesses to support other types of folks!
When will the winners be decided?
Judges will be selecting winners on Tuesday April 21st, 2020.
What's the deadline?
The deadline for the first round is Monday, April 20th, 2020.
Why create a #QuarantineBuddy?
We hope that your creation is inspiring, and inspires others as well. We don't want this to be a job, we want this to be a fun outlet that may give you the ability to receive a micro-grant
What are the criteria of judging?
We'll be evaluating the creativity of the #QuarantineBuddy, how much it inspires the community, and the individual needs as submitted in the form.
Will everyone who applies win?
Unfortunately no, we will be starting with a pool of $1,500 which will be divided into 3 grants of $500 / piece. If more individuals contribute or more funds become available, we will extend this.
However, will keep your contact information and if we encounter any other community opportunities we will try our best to let you know!
If you have any questions, please reach out to us over Facebook or Twitter
Best Regards from the OpenForge Team, and stay safe out there!
Jedidiah Weller
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Sun Standing Still by Death Hags
A Growing Scarcity of Expectation by Death Hags
Released July 2, 2021 by Death Hags.
Art by Welder Wings.
Destroy//Exist
| Death Hags on Spotify
Sun Standing Still is a brand new track by experimental L.A.-based musician and producer Lola G. aka Death Hags. The distinctive track expresses the ambient and experimental side of Death Hags' sound. It has an eminently contemplative character.
Sun Standing Still is part of A Growing Scarcity of Expectation, a lengthy digital compilation curated by Destroy//Exist, which features an impressive lineup of 24 amazing underground bands.
The song was recorded over the Summer Solstice, which literally means 'Sun Standing Still'. The track echoes that brief instant when the sun reaches its highest position before changing direction.
Death Hags describes: "The solstice has always been a moment of awe and mystery, in ancient cultures as in modern times, a moment of celebration and melancholy. It's the longest day of the year, the moment we are closest to the sun and the beginning of our descent towards the darkness of winter."
"Sun Standing Still is that moment."


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GAAP & Capitalization of Assets Rules
By Cam Merritt
Reviewed by Ashley Donohoe, MBA
••• NA/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
"Capitalizing" a cost allows a business to report that cost as an asset rather than an expense. Not only does this boost the company's value by putting more assets on its balance sheet, it also boosts the company's profit by reducing expenses. Corporate financial accounting follows U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. These principles include guidelines on what a company can capitalize and how it does so.
What Is GAAP?
GAAP is a common acronym in accounting. It stands for "Generally Accepted Accounting Principles" according to the CFA Institute. There are ten basic principles that form the foundation for GAAP. These principles provide the basis for business and corporate accounting.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) governs GAAP accounting standards for all publicly traded companies and FASB standards are widely adopted by other organizations as well. The Security Exchange Commission (SEC) recognizes FASB as the setter of standards for corporate accounting. The US government mandates that all publicly traded businesses must strictly adhere to GAAP.
What's an Asset?
GAAP defines a company's assets as the things it owns or controls that have measurable future economic value. If something doesn't fit that description, it can't be capitalized. A fixed asset is a long-term, tangible asset (that is not easily liquidated) and has a useful life of longer than a year. These assets are normally classified as PPE, or "plant, property and equipment" on a balance sheet. These differ from current assets, which are more liquid and are not depreciable.
Land, buildings, equipment, items held in inventory, stocks and bonds, even IOUs from customers (accounts receivable) have measurable future economic value, so a company can capitalize them as assets. Other costs, such as advertising, marketing and research and development, must be expensed. While these costs are certainly intended to produce future value, that value can't be reliably measured at present.
Read More: How to Account for Fixed Assets With GAAP
Difference Between Capitalization vs. Expensing
When companies incur costs, they can either "capitalize" those costs or "expense" them. Capitalizing a cost means converting it to an asset on the balance sheet.
For example, if a company pays $10,000 in cash for piece of equipment, its financial statements don't show that it "spent" $10,000. Rather, they show that it converted $10,000 worth of cash into $10,000 worth of equipment, an asset. Capitalizing an asset will show up on the balance sheet but not the income statement according. Again, the asset must have a useful life of more than a year and it must be greater than the capitalization threshold.
Expensing a cost, on the other hand, means reporting it on the income statement as an outflow of money. If a company pays $10,000 for rent, for example, its financial statements show that money as being "spent." Expenses directly reduce a company's net income, or profit, so the more costs a company can capitalize rather than expense, the greater the profit it can report to shareholders.
Read More: Fixed Asset Capitalization Policy
Understanding GAAP Capitalization Rules
GAAP allows companies to capitalize the full costs of acquiring an asset and preparing it for use. Suppose a publishing company buys a $5 million press from a manufacturer in Germany. Not only can the company capitalize the purchase price of the press, it can also capitalize the cost of transporting the equipment from Germany. Assembly costs, the cost of any necessary modifications to the company's printing plant, even taxes and tariffs paid on the presses, can all be rolled into the capitalized cost.
On a far smaller scale, if a company buys $100 in stock for investment purposes and has to pay a $1 commission, it can capitalize the full acquisition cost: $101.
How to Handle Depreciation
When a company capitalizes an asset, that doesn't necessarily mean it will never have to expense the cost. Hard assets, such as property, plants and equipment, tend to lose value as time passes. Buildings deteriorate, vehicles and equipment break down, technology becomes obsolete.
GAAP recognizes this and it requires companies to expense a portion of the asset's value for each year of its useful life; this is called depreciation. There are multiples methods for calculating depreciation. The asset's useful life, salvage value and the method selected for depreciation should all be considered carefully.
A $5 million printing press, for example, might have a useful life of 25 years, at the end of which it would be worth, say, $200,000 for scrap metal. So the company has to depreciate $4.8 million worth of value over 25 years. Under the most common depreciation method, the company would claim a depreciation expense of $192,000 a year.
Depreciation also serves a second purpose under GAAP: the matching principle. This principle says that when companies report revenue, they must simultaneously report, as expenses, all costs incurred in producing that revenue. For the printing press, the $192,000 in depreciation is an expense incurred to produce the revenue generated by the press that year.
Read More: Depreciation of Business Assets: Definition, Calculation & How it Affects Your Taxes
FASB: About the FASB
CFA Institute: US GAAP: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Corporate Finance Institute: Fixed Assets
U.C. Davis: Depreciation


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Lebanon + 2 more
Syrian Crisis: More than One Million Refugees and Rapidly Rising
Medair
Since January, more than 400,000 Syrian refugees have flooded into neighbouring countries.
As of 6 March, more than one million Syrian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries. Every day, as many as 7,000 more refugees arrive in need of shelter, food, water, health care, and some way to earn an income.
Since September 2012, Swiss NGO Medair has provided relief to more than 10,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan and in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. "The Syrian crisis is not going to resolve swiftly, regardless of the outcome of the conflict," said Emma Le Beau, Head of Medair's Syrian Crisis Programme. "This is a complex regional humanitarian crisis with vast numbers of displaced people on the move. The needs of Syrian refugees far outweigh the aid that has currently been funded. This is a protracted crisis and refugee families and overburdened host countries are suffering as a result."
Reaching the Hardest to Reach Estimates suggest that, on top of the million known refugees, there are hundreds of thousands of refugees who are not officially registered and who are receiving little or no help from the humanitarian community.
"Medair is particularly focused on finding and assisting the most vulnerable refugees who have urgent unmet needs," said Andrew Robinson, Medair Field Communications Officer. "This includes the families living in makeshift shelters in Lebanon, and the 'invisible' unregistered families in urban parts of Jordan, where we have partnered with local health clinics to identify unregistered refugees and provide them with relief."
For newly arriving refugees, shelter is a top-priority need, so Medair's main relief activity includes:
•Shelter kits to improve water resistance and insulation of makeshift shelters (Lebanon)
•Distribution of wood-burning stoves, blankets, and mattresses (Lebanon)
•Cash assistance to support refugee families at risk of being evicted (Jordan)
While malnutrition is not yet a major problem among refugees, key contributing factors indicate a high risk of the nutrition situation deteriorating. In preparation, Medair is training local health workers in six clinics in Jordan on how to assess and treat malnutrition and promote better feeding practices among caregivers.
In late February, Emma Le Beau travelled in the dead of night to the refugee transit centre close to the border crossing between Syria and Jordan. In just two hours, between 1 am and 3 am, she witnessed more than 700 people crossing into Jordan. "It was eye-opening, but it also confirmed everything we've been hearing on the ground," said Le Beau. "Some families had clearly planned their exit and had suitcases full of whatever possessions they could carry. Others had fled without time to pack, and came with nothing but the clothes on their backs."
As the crisis escalates, Medair's emergency response continues. Read more about it here.
Medair's Emma Le Beau has just returned from Jordan and Lebanon where she witnessed the refugee crisis firsthand.
To arrange an interview with Emma Le Beau, Andrew Robinson, or other Medair field staff who are working in Lebanon and Jordan, please contact: Janneke de Kruijf. Media Officer. E-mail janneke.dekruijf@medair.org. Tel. +41 (0)21 694 8472. Mobile +41 (0)78 6353095.
Medair can also provide high-quality photographs and personal stories from Syrian refugees in both Jordan and Lebanon.
Syria + 3 more
Syria, Lebanon and Jordan Emergency Appeal 2022
Lebanon/MENA: Beirut-Port Explosion, Operation Update (August 2020 – July 2021), Appeal №: MDRLB009
Syria ‑ Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #2, Fiscal Year (FY) 2022
Northwest Syria - Factsheet (as of November 30 2021)


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ETF joins gender equality battle
Equileap, the Netherlands based provider of investment tools and information, has announced the launch of the the UBS Global Gender Equality Ucits ETF on the SIX exchange in Switzerland, based on its Global Gender Equality 100 Leaders index.
This is just the first of a number of possible product launches, as Diana van Maasdijk, CEO of Equileap, suggested that there are "a few interesting developments ahead for us in 2018, starting with this ETF with UBS."
Solactive & Equileap launch gender equality index
Sweden's Avanza licenses gender equality index for tracker
Lyxor launches pioneering European gender equality ETF
Major ESG failures spotted by CHRB in mining, agriculture, footwear industries
Equileap provides data related to gender equality in the corporate sector, having built a database that covers some 3,000 companies worldwide. The data can be used for different purposes, including guidelines for companies, or ranking employees and candidates. It can also be used for engendering financial products.
The ETF just launched is the result of collaboration with UBS Asset Management and UBS Wealth Management, Equileap said.
Michael Baldinger, head of Sustainable and Impact Investing at UBS Asset Management, said: "This is another big step in sustainable and impact investing innovation. The launch of this new ETF provides investors with a unique opportunity to benefit from systematically investing in the leading global companies on gender diversity, based on Equileap's pioneering research into corporate gender diversity, while at the same time having the potential to achieve strong returns."
The Equileap Global Gender Equality 100 index is part of a family of five gender equality indices that are calculated by Solactive, the index provider. The 100 index tracks 100 companies out of some 3,000 globally. Inclusion on the list is dependent on factors such as:
Being a company from any of 23 developed countries
Liquidity criteria
ESG screening; this excludes companies deriving the majority of their revenues from weapons, gambling or tobacco, and excludes those on the Norwegian Ethics Council list
Gender screening; performed by Equileap and which ranks companies on 19 criteria across four categories including gender balance in leadership and workforce, equal compensation and work-life balance, policies promoting gender equality, and commitment to transparency and accountability.
EU Objectives
Addressing the gender pay gap is a key policy objectives of the European Union, and forms part of its European Employment Strategy first outlined in 1997, and which constitutes part of the Europe 2020 growth strategy.
According to Eurostat, there are significant ongoing pay differences between men and women employed in the EU.
Unadjusted gender pay gap, 2015 (difference between average gross hourly earnings of male and female employees as % of male gross earnings
SIX Swiss Exchange
KBL epb rebrands as Quintet


A few years ago, New School writing professor Madge McKeithen gave a workshop for my wife's Blueridge Writer's Workshop at Lake Summit, NC. She posted about her experience there on her blog New York + Points South. These are some of my favorite excerpts from that post.
Who expects surprise when a creative couple leaves New York for up-country South Carolina? Debbie Rice and Bryan Hiott made the leap in 2012, friends' admonitions trailing them — "when you move to a rural place, your mind slows down." A year later, Debbie has produced two successful rounds of the Blue Ridge Writers Workshop, one at Lake Lure, NC, and this year's at Lake Summit, near Saluda, NC; she is volunteering at Hub City Press and Bookshop, is writing poetry, and has a treasured routine visiting her 90-year-old father's nearby home every evening. Bryan Hiott is up to his elbows in the ambrotype photography he loves in a spacious studio north of Greenville, SC, and is teaching photography and art history at three area colleges this fall (two more than last year).
The week-long workshop emphasized interdisciplinary work in the arts and combined writing with music and the visual arts. As part of the workshop, I made ambrotype portraits of the participants as well as landscape images.
Wonderfully meshed with the week's creative experience was Bryan Hiott's photography. To watch him work, to hear him speak about it is to take in a history lesson, an artistic passion, a skilled craftsman's meticulous attention to detail, and a content practitioner's deep pleasure. Friday and Saturday, he set up his camera and developer's materials, made ambrotypes of landscapes and then turned more directly to his current fascination with portraits and photographed each of us at the lake house. To sit for Bryan's photography is an experience like none I've had. First there is the photographer — in this case an engagingly intelligent, serious, and yet very funny man. Then there is the process which he calmly, ably narrates, all the while attending to his materials — the box of a camera with its heavy drape, the plastic pans of chemicals — discussing exposure time, the nature of the chemical baths, the "development" of the final product over the course of multiple steps. As the onsite developer (another box and drape under the carport, not moving), Bryan interacts with the image appearing; there is a sense of creating alongside the mechanism that is different from a typical photo shoot today. Holding the pose for the time requested (mine for 19 seconds, best I remember) and following the instruction not to smile (smiles held for the time required can look odd, rarely good, he told us) and experiencing something not of this but of a bygone era, something of Matthew Brady, Queen Victoria, the American Civil War, the sense of being seen and not heard was a memorable experience for a group of the wordy sort.
Our very talented friend, cellist Sharon Mulfinger Gerber, gave a wonderful solo performance on the dock as twilight fell and the stars began to come out.
It's a pleasure to be a mentor for Antonio Modesto Milian, a Brandon Fellow at the Greenville Center for Creative Arts in Greenville, SC. Thanks for asking me to be your mentor, Antonio! You all did a superb job yesterday at the Artist Talk, and I look forward to seeing this through to your exhibition in August! The other fellows are Naomi Nakazato and Glory Day Loflin (Photo by the super supportive Latosha Nicole Milián).
Naomi Nakazato is a graduate of Anderson University, where she focused on painting and drawing as well as the history of portraiture. Communicating the challenges and experiences of mixed ethnicity is the driving force behind her work. She is passionate about helping other young artists experience and understand their identity through art. The Brandon Fellowship will give Naomi the opportunity to explore new approaches and mediums in which to pursue these goals.
Anthony Modesto Milian is a graduate of Greenville Technical College and has pursued studies in hospitality at Bob Jones University. He is the creator of the popular Faces of the Upstate page on Facebook, which highlights the beauty of the diversity in our community, and through which he fosters dialogue and reflection on social issues. As a Brandon Fellow, Anthony will hone his technical and artistic skills to enhance his street photography and the impact of his project. He also plans to explore publishing a book depicting the cultural richness of the Faces of the Upstate.
Glory Loflin is a graduate of the Cooper Union for Advancement of Science and Art in New York City where she studied painting and an alumna of the Fine Arts Center and the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. She has taught arts to children and volunteered her artistic abilities to benefit a variety of causes, from raising awareness of human trafficking to promoting a local farmers' market and helping feed the homeless. As a Brandon Fellow, Glory will continue championing social issues through the arts while preparing a portfolio of ceramics work in view of applying to graduate school in this medium.
The Brandon Fellowship will provide Naomi, Anthony, and Glory with individual studio space, a stipend for art supplies, access to a variety of classes, as well as guidance and mentorship from the other GCCA studio artists and exhibiting artists.


Innovations in Financing Small Scale Clean Energy, a full-day workshop organized by Arc Finance in conjunction with USAID and the Sustainable Energy for All Energy Access Practitioner Network, brought together a range of stakeholders to discuss the innovations in financing now being deployed in the small-scale, clean energy space. These sessions were made possible with generous support from USAID.
Moderator: Chris Neidl (Arc Finance); Panelists: Duquesne Fednard (D&E Green Enterprises, Haiti), Ryan Levinson (SunFunder, US), Ajaita Shah (Frontier Markets, India), Sourabh Sharma (Milaap, India/Singapore).
Panel Description: Crowdfunding - the practice of raising multiple small sums of money from a large number of sources, typically over the internet - has rapidly emerged as an important means by which entrepreneurs, artists and other change-makers can gather financial support and increase exposure for new ventures and projects. Over the past three years, crowdfunding has increasingly been deployed in the energy access space to fund new businesses, support institutions and finance clean energy purchases by energy poor households and enterprises around the globe. In this moderated discussion, four energy access entrepreneurs operating in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean provide specific accounts of various ways in which crowdfunding can be wielded to realize innovation and high impact, and offer insights into the advantages and challenges that go along with using this mechanism.


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Doherty warns Lifford March that this may only be the beginning
24 May, 2010 - by Pearse Doherty TD
For immediate release 24th May 2010:
Senator Pearse Doherty has commended the Lifford community for turning up in their thousands at Sunday's Rally to Save Lifford Hospital. Speaking in front of a crowd of up to 3,500 people Senator Doherty stated that if we want our hospital to stay open then we must be prepared to fight for it, today must be seen as the beginning and not the end.
Senator Doherty in his address to the crowd said:
"There comes a time for everyone when they can take no more. There comes a time for every community when they must shout stop. Today is that day for the community of Lifford. Your presence in your thousands here has ensured that one message, one voice, one demand has filled the streets of Lifford and that is Hands of our Hospital.
"We all know the value of this hospital, the services it provides, the excellent staff and the high quality of care. We equally know that the building needs financial investment to ensure that our patients and staff have access to a facility that is fit for purpose in the 21st century. But unfortunately this Fianna Fáil government is willing to close this hospital down instead of investing some of our money into bringing it up to the necessary standards.
"Unfortunately for us we are here demanding that Lifford Community Hospital stay open. But just imagine if that building was a bank and not a hospital, because then we would hear one government politician after the other lining up to tell us how it can't be allowed to close. We would have to listen to them preach that this facility is vital to the very survival of our society, we would watch them pump billions of tax payers money into it in an attempt to keep it open, while they ensured that the staff of its board were among the best paid in the country.
"But unfortunately for us it is a hospital and not a bank. And because it places a community's health above society wealth then this government want to close it. Because it values a community's need above private greed then this government wants to close it. But we must stop them in their tracks. If we want our hospital to stay open then we must be prepared to fight for it, today must be seen as the beginning and not the end. We must unite with those in the unions, in community groups, in campaigning groups and with other progressive forces to demand and end to attacks on our health services in this county."
In a scathing attack on some of his political opponents Doherty said:
"Over three months ago I had the unfortunate job of challenging the Minister of Health on the future of Lifford Hospital. I did so based on confidential information that was passed on to me that the H.S.E was looking at closing Lifford community Hospital. Since then I have been accused by some of my political opponents of scaremongering, of publicity seeking, of attempting to further my political career. Well it is clear that they know nothing about me. I am not a career politician, I am an activist and no amount of name calling will silence me as I witness an injustice about to be inflicted on a community.
"This is the time to stand up for your self, this is the time to stand up for each other, this is the time to stand by Lifford Community Hospital." ENDS