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Kristina Suites, Saranda, Albania
Saranda is the unofficial capital of the Albanian Riviera, and come the summer months it seems like half Tirana relocates here to enjoy the busy beach and busier nightlife along its crowd-filled seaside promenade. What was once a sleepy fishing village is now a thriving city, and while Saranda has lost much of its charm in the past two decades, it has retained much of its charisma. The town beaches are nothing special, but Saranda is a great base for exploring the beaches of the riviera if you have your own transport.
Celebi Platinum Lounge, Budapest airport
Exclusive services, tranquil surroundings, and pleasant views await non-Schengen guests in this modern oasis. A spacious layout ensures peace and privacy. Internet access, power outlets, and a business corner synergize to create an ideal environment for getting work accomplished. Or perhaps you're just looking to unwind in a quiet environment and enjoy some snacks and drinks. All of that and many more is possible to experience in Celebi Platinum Lounge at Budapest airport.
Sarris Cruise: from Corfu to Albania
Passengers, the next stop is Albania or Corfu and its picturesque coast lines. Fast and safe journey, and hyper-connection to both contries is provided by Sarris. With over the best possible service, several connections throughout the day during both low and high season, there is no need to look any further. The company, with its presence in the field of shipping has managed to provide passengers with high ranking services, offering reliable, consistent and safe sea transportation.
On a small rocky outcrop, Nesebar is famous for the surprisingly numerous, albeit mostly ruined, medieval churches. Designated by Unesco as a World Heritage site, Nesebar has its own charms. With Sunny Beach just across the bay, meanwhile, you have every conceivable water sport on hand. The 'new town' on the other side has the newest and biggest hotels and it is also home to all-inclusive 4 star Festa Panorama Hotel.
Blu Bay Hotel, Sozopol, Bulgaria
Ancient Sozopol, with its charming old town of meandering cobbled streets and pretty wooden houses, huddled together on a narrow peninsula, is one of the Bulgarian coast's highlights. With two superb beaches, a genial atmosphere and good transport links, it has long been a popular seaside resort and makes an excellent base for exploring the area. It is also home to the modern and designed Blu Bay Hotel Sozopol.
Paphos is geared towards tourists, with hotels, bars and souvenir shops lining the palm-fringed seafront. Dive into the backstreets to discover historic gems such as medieval baths, catacombs and a simple fishermen's church - just one reason the city was awarded joint European Capital of Culture in 2017. Standing here, surrounded by acres of history and fields of wild flowers, feels a world away from the busyness just beyond the entrance.
Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena, Bansko
Buzzing Bansko is Bulgaria's premier ski resort and the most snow-sure in the country. Sunshine, thumping après-ski culture, and pistes at altitudes from 900m to 2600m draw locals and foreigner each winter. This Pirin Mountains town however gets attractive not only during ski season. Discover the beauty of unspoiled nature, magnificent landscapes and endless relaxation also in the summer.
Best Western Premier® Sofia Airport Hotel
Sofia - Bulgaria's pleasingly laid-back capital is often overlooked by visitors heading straight to the coast or the ski resorts, but they're missing something very special. Sofia is no grand metropolis, but it's a largely modern, youthful city, with a scattering of onion-domed churches, mosques and that lend an eclectic, exotic feel. Home to many of Bulgaria's finest museums, galleries, restaurants and clubs, Sofia may persuade you to stick around and explore further.
Palais Hansen Kempinski, Vienna, Austria
We cannot picture better time to visit the Austrian capital city Vienna than after busy holiday season when you have the opportunity to indulge the truly charming atmosphere of the city on the River Danube. With more than 1.5 million inhabitants Vienna has got more to offer than long-term history and culture. Recently it has been considered modern 21st century city with wide portfolio of attractions and shopping opportunities.


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Q: JDK timezone issue on Turkey ("Asia/Istanbul" or "Europe/Istanbul") Can anyone help with the following problem?

*

*My operating system is latest windows 10 and its time zone is (UTC+0300) Istanbul (Daylight saving has been removed and time zone was set to +0300 after the last regulations in Turkey - 7 September 2016)

*I am using latest JDK which is 1.8.0_131. Tzdata version of this JDK is tzdata2017a which includes time zone changes for Turkey.
This is tiny part of my application that I implemented in main method:
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.TimeZone;

public class TestMain {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String timeZoneStr = "Asia/Istanbul";
        TimeZone timeZone = TimeZone.getTimeZone(timeZoneStr);
        Date localDate = new Date();
        System.out.println(localDate);
        localDate.setTime(155631515L);
        System.out.println(localDate);
        System.out.println(getUTCFromLocal(localDate, timeZone));
   }

    public static Date getUTCFromLocal(Date localDate, TimeZone localTimeZone) {
         return new Date(localDate.getTime()-localTimeZone.getOffset(localDate.getTime()));
    }
}

Result of the code is :

Sun May 21 15:19:48 EET 2017
Fri Jan 02 21:13:51 EET 1970
Fri Jan 02 19:13:51 EET 1970

According to latest time zone update, last line of output should be "Fri Jan 02 18:13:51 EET 1970", not "Fri Jan 02 19:13:51 EET 1970".
In additon to this, when I create new date object (new java.util.Date()), the information in that object seems correct and time zone on +0300, but if I use setTime method of Date object time zone information changes to +0200.
When date object created with new java.util.Date():

When localDate.setTime(155631515L) method executed:

I also reproduced same issue on other JDK versions.

A: The timezone change in Turkey was in September 2016. So for a date in the year 1970 the old rules apply. At that time, the timezone was +0200, and as you have a date from January, there was no summertime added. If you try a date from July 1970, you should have a difference of 3 hours to UTC.
The change from 2016 although sometimes called 'we use summertime all the year' actually means that Turkey shifted its timezone by one hour and now has the new zone's not-summertime all the year.
If you play around with the dates around September 2016 you will find the point where the calculation changes.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
BBC Watch
Home News Britain is one of the least racist countries on Earth. It's a...
Britain is one of the least racist countries on Earth. It's a privilege to live here
By Karen Harradine
A week ago The Independent published a letter signed by 84 BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) and migrant organisations. This bizarre diatribe against 'racist' Britain reads as if it were copied straight from the Islamist handbook.
I am not denying that the signatories have experienced racism but these claims are difficult to account for without evidence, of which there was none in this letter. Britain is also one of the least racist countries on Earth. Minority rights are enshrined in law and BAME citizens and immigrants are not treated as second-class citizens. Britain couldn't be more welcoming to them. The assertion that racism 'renders our communities invisible' is insupportable when considering that London mayor Sadiq Khan is Muslim, while Birmingham, Leeds, Blackburn, Sheffield, Oxford, Luton, Oldham and Rochdale have all had Muslim mayors. Ten new BAME MPs were elected last year, an increase from 41 to 51. But such facts don't chime with the victimhood narrative of the signatories.
As an immigrant to these shores myself, I have to question why so many of those who signed this letter came to Britain if they see it as such a hateful and racist country? If they were fleeing war and persecution in their homelands, surely they should be grateful to these islands which have given them sanctuary? Their argument is tautological – the fact that the UK gave them refuge shows that it is not a racist country. Their slanderous lies against such a generous and kind nation are unforgivable.
Most of this letter could have been written by a confused schoolchild. I am curious to know what is meant by injustices in Britain 'based on colonialism'. This is a nonsensical claim and so is the bizarre hyperbole that 'racism forms an integral part of British policies'. Given that the British are continually made to feel guilty for colonialism, I doubt if anyone uses it as a vehicle for racism.
Surely it's time to put to bed the association of controlled immigration policies with racism. Uncontrolled immigration is destructive, strains public resources and drives down wages for the poorest working class members. And no matter how awful the Grenfell tragedy and the Windrush scandal were, this continual politicising of victims' misery and suffering is immoral. Not every tragic event can be blamed on racism, and attempts to do so risk compassion fatigue.
But these are distractions from the real purpose of this letter – the imposition of the Islamist narrative about Israel on to the rest of us. The dramatic inference that the Palestinian cause is being silenced is laughable. Our media is full of sycophantic pieces about Gaza and the West Bank. Most reporting on Israel is scathingly critical and based on half-truths and lies.
Palestinian nationalism was born when the USSR created the PLO as part of the propaganda war against America. The mandate of Palestine referred to land that would be divided up into Israel and Jordan. There is no 'colonial history of the Palestinians'. And when did imposing Palestinian nationalism in British schools, at the expense of historical accuracy, become a human right?
For those raised on a diet of the BBC and the Guardian, I suggest reading this measured article by Denis McEoin. His excellent account shows how opposition to the creation of Israel stems from Islamist ideology. Israel is viewed as an insult to Islam because it has been built on what is wrongly claimed as Muslim land. This explains why the legitimacy of Pakistan, created at the same time, is never questioned. Relinquishing their claims on the Jewish state is not an option for Islamists and they have proved this with their insidious and long campaign to destroy Israel. History cannot be a narrative based on distorted opinion, but must be based on evidence and fact.
The duplicitous attempt to connect Israel with racism is part of the Islamist narrative to delegitimise and ultimately destroy the Jewish state. What is equally execrable is the signatories' attempt to subvert the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism by insisting that it denies the Palestinian narrative. Not only is this a lie, but the attempt to pit one minority group against another is risible. By supporting Labour's obtuse refusal fully to implement the IHRA definition, the signatories are revealing themselves as anti-Semites.
Given the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)'s financing of anti-Semitic hatred in Palestinian school textbooks – in which Jews are denied their history and demonised as child killers – is it any wonder Donald Trump wants to dismantle this abhorrent organisation?
If these groups were really concerned about racism they would be protesting against anti-Semitism, which is the most virulent form of hatred in the UK today, and ironically is propagated by some of the very same groups which have signed this letter. The Cordoba Foundation is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the co-founders of Hamas. The Palestine Return Centre is a proxy for Hamas.
Today: UNRWA to legitimize Hamas front group at UNHRC panel
Decolonising Our Minds is a student organisation at SOAS University of London, where Jewish students are too scared to wear the symbols of their faith in case they are attacked.
EuroPal Forum is another Islamist organisation which uses tropes such as the 'Israel lobby' and publishes articles by Ben White, who advocates the apartheid libel against Israel. I suggest that members of Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants don't visit Gaza – homosexuality is illegal there under Hamas rule.
I question the ability of some of these signatories to distinguish between racism and reality. The Society of Black Lawyers seems mainly to be run by Judge Peter Herbert, who complained of racism when he was disciplined by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. I am not doubting Herbert's obviously hurtful experience but question his lack of judgment. Herbert denounced the decision to bar Lutfur Rahman, former mayor of Tower Hamlets, from political office as 'racist'. Rahman was banned for electoral fraud and corruption. The rights of the electorate to transparency should not be trumped by disingenuous claims of racism. This is London and not Tehran.
Despite protestations, BAME and migrant rights are not being taken away and neither are they being silenced. The fact that this inflammatory letter has been published in a national newspaper proves this, even though it deserves nothing more than to be scrunched up and thrown away. Not only for its poisonous anti-Semitic rhetoric but also for inciting hatred against the very people who gave them sanctuary – the British. It's a privilege to live in the UK, not a human right.
If you appreciated this article, perhaps you might consider making a donation to The Conservative Woman. Unlike most other websites, we receive no independent funding. Our editors are unpaid and work entirely voluntarily as do the majority of our contributors but there are inevitable costs associated with running a website. We receive no independent funding and depend on our readers to help us, either with regular or one-off payments. You can donate here. Thank you.
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Karen Harradinehttps://www.conservativewoman.co.uk
Karen is an anthropologist and freelance journalist. She writes on anti-Semitism, Israel and spirituality. She is @KarenHWriteron Parler.
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Westshore is the ultimate beachfront villa and a popular retreat with our repeat clients. This 4-bedroom property is ideally located in the Garden area of the West Coast and is suitable for families and friends alike. The villa is nestled among palm trees and is just a few steps from the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.
They say that "the Ocean stirs the heart, inspired the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul". Waking up each morning at Westshore and looking out over the sun glistened waters will do just this. Enjoy your days on the glass balcony soaking in the rays while sipping an ice-cold beverage or reading a good book. Cool off with a dip in the plunge pool or the ocean …. It's your choice!!
Westshore was recently renovated to a high standard and sits on two levels. Upstairs, you will find the dining area, lounge and pool deck. There is seating for 8 guests at the dinner table and here is where you will enjoy the tastiest local dishes of the Caribbean freshly prepared by our inhouse cook. Double glass doors open back so guests get a real sense of indoor – outdoor living. Also on this level is the relaxing lounge room with great sea views. There is a vibrant modern feel to the décor with large paintings adorning the walls and intricate pieces of art scattered about the place. The kitchen comes with all modern appliances and there is a breakfast bar for the mid-morning coffee and chat.
On the lower level is where the 4 large bedrooms are located. There are 2 master bedrooms, a bedroom with a king bed and the fourth room has twin beds. All rooms come with en-suite bathrooms featuring standalone rain showers. They also have air conditioning, safes and ceiling fans. In addition, the master suites have bath tubs.
Even though Westshore is secluded for your privacy it is just minutes away from many amenities and activities. Reeds beach is close by and restaurants such as Lone Star are a short walk away. For the golf enthusiast, Royal Westmoreland's and Sandy Lane courses are a few minutes' drive. Holetown where you will find the best café's and high end shopping is also nearby.
Mullins Beach, to the north of Westshore, is the location of one of the best beaches on the island as well as the best beach bar. Much closer to Westshore, just 2 minutes away is the Lone Star Restaurant which is one of the best and most popular on the island. Ju jus beach bar is also close and great for a casual lunch. To find out more about all the wonderful things to do in Barbados, visit our Barbados Guide.
STAFF: Prepare to be spoiled by your own personal cook and housekeeper. They will look after your every need 6 days a week.
Everything was perfect about our vacation at Westshore. The location is right on the beach and is great for swimming. Amazing views especially in the evening watching the sunset while having dinner on the balcony. Staff were very helpful and kept the place immaculate. Kids loved it !!
My over-riding feeling at Westshore is that this villa is like a best kept secret! It's only recently refurbished & very unassuming from the roadside - it's down quite a steep driveway in the exclusive Garden area but once you enter & take in the amazing view you'll know what I mean!! It's beautifully furnished with a contemporary/beach chic type of vibe. Its on 2 levels - there are 2 ensuite bedrooms on the ground level & another 2 ensuite bedrooms on the first floor. None of the bedrooms have seaviews - the amazing seaviews are saved for the living spaces. There are essentially 2 living areas-one on each floor, a terrace with plunge pool on the ground level & a balcony on the first floor. Perfect for those who love to be right on the beach with chic modern décor. Relaxed beachfront. The cook Linda is a gem and there's housekeeping service too. I'd highly recommend.


built, owned, operated [and continually upgraded] by musicians, ToneZone is a fully equiped 'Project Studio' located 10 minutes from Portland, Maine. being muscians ourselves we are painfully aware that bands and artists have very limited budgets when it comes time to record a CD or a high quality demo, so our goal was to create a recording envirorment for artists and clients that was comfortable, professional and affordable.
what is a "project studio"?
the term "Project Studio" came about in the late 90's and describes the smaller [and sometimes home based] recording studios that people had been building based around the Alesis ADAT recorders.
with the advance of digital recording technology it became possible to set up high quality audio facilities for the fraction of the costs. usually small and without the lavish extras [or the high pressures] of big studios, Project Studios have become a much needed economical way for artists to record CD quality product at afforadable rates. nowadays, even major acts like Aerosmith have recorded releases in their own home "Project Sudio".
not too big. not too small. no lounge. no pool table.
we've done projects of just about every style over the last 17 or so years- rock, metal, punk, hip hop, christian, country, alternative, jingles, voiceover artists. from demos to full length CD projects.... you name it, we've done it.
we have a main room which is a large, warm sounding performance area with a 18' ceiling where the entire band can track live with room to spare. we also have alarge isolation booth and a 2nd isolation area for amplifiers etc.
besides experience & recording knowledge, we have a nice collection of high end outboard tube & solid state mic preamps, outboard gear and great microphones as well as synths, a large number of tube amplifiers and guitars if the session calls for it. everything needed to make a killer sounding recording. for a full list of what we're currently using click on the gear link.
we regularly do partial projects for clients who have home studios but not the room [or cooperative neighbors] to record drums. track your drums here in a large room with with a high ceiling and leave with a disc of the tracks on whatever format you need to continue tracking your project at home.
we also frequently mix projects recorded at clients home studios as well as the final mastering of finished projects.
need help with your drum tuning before the session or the guitarist's guitar is cutting out? just another thing we can do if needed.
if you're a singer/songwriter with no backing band, we can create, arrange and perform complete backup tracks for your songs or solo project, quick and easy at minimal cost. or, we also can hire and schedule studio musicians for sessions. we also offer a boat load of computer based sequencing software for MIDI projects, or we can fly in samples, synthesizers, fatten drum sounds and add samples to thicken up your non MIDI project.
from simple demos to elaborate CD projects with elaborate production, ToneZone is equiped to meet the needs of your music and your budget!
for more information or an appointment to drop by and see the studio, please call 207 883 7426 or send us some E mail!


text:
Human chain to be formed around Parliament in support of Julian Assange
Thousands of people will form a human chain around Parliament on Saturday calling for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
He is being held in Belmarsh prison in London amid a lengthy legal battle to avoid extradition to the United States.
His wife Stella told the PA news agency that his health has deteriorated since he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2019.
"This is a political case and it must be stopped in Parliament which is why Saturday's protest is so important.
"We are encouraging MPs to join us to send a strong message of solidarity to Julian."
The WikiLeaks founder fears he could face a 175-year prison sentence if extradited to the US.
John Rees, a leading supporter of Mr Assange, said: "Julian Assange's fate is still before the British courts. They will soon decide whether the Government plan to agree to extradite him to the US is legal. Public opinion always plays a key role in political cases.
"The surround Parliament demonstration will be a huge wake-up call for the Government and the judiciary. The message will be loud and it will be clear: don't extradite Assange, stand up for a free press."
Human rights organisations and journalist groups across the world have expressed outrage at the continued imprisonment of Mr Assange.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has said the potential extradition and prosecution of Julian Assange raises concerns for media freedom and could have a "chilling effect" on investigative journalism.
Mr Assange's attorneys are appealing against the UK Home Secretary's decision to extradite Assange to the US.


text:
Following Report, Local Book Shop to 'Purge' Select History Textbooks
Fatimah Waseem January 13, 2020 at 10:45am
A local bookshop plans to "purge" textbooks published by Pearson from its education section following a New York Times' report that found the publisher's American history textbooks offer different histories on highly partisan topics.
The investigation found that the publisher and others presented information on the Second Amendment, civil rights, capital, immigration and other topics differently in California and Texas.
For example, a California textbook explains how rulings on the Second Amendment leave space for some gun regulations. The Texas edition of the book contains a blank white space instead of the explanation in the California textbook.
Here's more from the Jan. 12 story:
In a country that cannot come to a consensus on fundamental questions — how restricted capitalism should be, whether immigrants are a burden or a boon, to what extent the legacy of slavery continues to shape American life — textbook publishers are caught in the middle. On these questions and others, classroom materials are not only shaded by politics, but are also helping to shape a generation of future voters.
Conservatives have fought for schools to promote patriotism, highlight the influence of Christianity and celebrate the founding fathers. In a September speech, President Trump warned against a "radical left" that wants to "erase American history, crush religious liberty, indoctrinate our students with left-wing ideology."
The left has pushed for students to encounter history more from the ground up than from the top down, with a focus on the experiences of marginalized groups such as enslaved people, women and Native Americans.
The books The Times analyzed were published in 2016 or later and have been widely adopted for eighth and 11th graders, though publishers declined to share sales figures. Each text has editions for Texas and California, among other states, customized to satisfy policymakers with different priorities.
The story prompted Reston's Used Book Shop to reconsider how it categorizes certain American history textbooks.
"This is outrageous. We often buy used books published by Pearson – no longer. And I will be purging them from our 'education section.'" The business wrote on Facebook
Tuesday Morning Notes
Fatimah Waseem October 29, 2019 at 8:45am
Make Halloween a Treat, Not a Truck — "Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls will soon be coming out all over the area. Halloween is a festive occasion that we need to celebrate safely. Traditional jack-o-lanterns with candles are a tremendous fire hazard. A better way to light up your jack-o-lantern is to use a small string of holiday lights with yellow and red flashing bulbs. Additionally, small battery-powered candles can be used." [Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department]
County to Hold Hearing on Real Estate Tax Exemption — "Fairfax County currently provides income-based real estate tax relief to homeowners based on income and disability. A revision to the Virginia Code in July now allows localities to exclude the disability income of disabled relatives living in a taxpayer's home from the total combined income calculation." [Tysons Reporter]
McDaniel College Names Field in Honor of Reston Couple — "McDaniel College hosted the dedication of Rembert Field at McDaniel's Kenneth R. Gill Stadium in honor of 1961 alumnus Donald Mosby Rembert, Sr., and 1960 alumna Judith Ellis Rembert of Reston, Va. The ceremony took place during the Green Terror football game against Muhlenberg on Saturday, Oct. 26." [Reston Patch]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
Local Schools Recognized for Bridging Achievement Gaps in English and Math
Fatimah Waseem October 24, 2019 at 10:45am
Several local schools were acknowledged by Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Braband and the Fairfax County School Board for bridging achievement gaps in English and math.
Aldrin and Armstrong Elementary School were among the top ten schools in the county to achieve the highest average increase across all reporting groups in English.
Armstrong Elementary School, Herndon Middle School and Herndon High School earned the excellence in equity award for the highest average increase in math.
Lake Anne Elementary School was one of the top schools in the county to achieve the greatest reduction in the English achievement gap.
Awards were given based on school performance in the 2018-2019 school year and revised accreditation standards approved by the Virginia Board of Education in 2017.
Herndon High School to Expand Afterschool Programs for At-Risk Students
Fatimah Waseem September 26, 2019 at 1:15pm
Herndon High School and Cornerstones have received $191,000 from the Virginia Department of Education, a grant that will allow the school to expand afterschool activities for at-risk students.
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant will help the Herndon High School 21st Century Community Learning Center, which will provide afterschool programming to improve academic performance and support developmental wellbeing.
Students will receive guidance on college, careers, life skills, community involvement, and cultural awareness. An eight-week program will supplement the school-year program.
The program will be open to between 50 and 60 students. The success of the program will be measured through objectives like improved reading and math skills, increased family engagement, reduced dropout rate, and increased emotional and social learning competencies. Rising ninth-grade students will also be involved in the center.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Education covers 32 percent of the total cost of the three-year program. Additional funding will be provided from the following community partners:
Herndon High School
Fairfax County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services
Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services
Herndon United Methodist Church
Town of Herndon
Cornerstones will help develop the curriculum and activities for the project.
Photo via FCPS
Herndon Teen Wins National Scholarship for Method to Diagnose Parkinson's Disease
Fatimah Waseem September 6, 2019 at 9:45am
The Davidson Institute for Talent Development has selected a Neeyanth Kopparapu, 17, of Herndon as a 2019 Davidson Fellows Scholarship winner.
The senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is one of 20 students across the country selected for the program, which offers scholarships between $10,000 and $50,000 for developing projects that have the potential to benefit society in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, and music.
Kopparapu developed what the institute said is the first diagnosis system for early-stage Parkinson's disease using an MRI scan. The Herndon resident was inspired to create the system — which is accurate nearly 97 percent of the time — after his grandfather was diagnosed with the disease at a late stage and was unable to use commonly-prescribed medication to fight the disease.
"I am incredibly grateful to the Davidson Institute for this recognition of my work in artificial intelligence," said Kopparapu in a statement. "I am looking forward to meeting other Fellows and becoming part of the Davidson Fellows Scholarship community."
Siona Prasad, 18, of Vienna, was also selected for the scholarship. Her work to measure and monitor greenhouse gas emissions successfully predicted an emission inventory for Washington, DC. A reception program to honor the fellows is set for Friday, September 27 in the District.
"I am incredibly grateful to the Davidson Institute for this recognition of my work in artificial intelligence," said Kopparapu, a rising senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria. "I am looking forward to meeting other Fellows and becoming part of the Davidson Fellows Scholarship community."
Photo via Davidson Institute for Talent Development
Greater Reston Arts Center Challenges Students to Create Exhibit-inspired Artwork
Fatimah Waseem September 5, 2019 at 2:30pm
As photographer Nate Larson's work on centroid towns goes on display at the Greater Reston Arts Center later this month, the nonprofit organization is challenging students to create artwork inspired by its overarching theme and supporting concepts.
The new Emerging Visions program is part of GRACE's efforts to take "its mission beyond the center walls" and create opportunities for students to interact with contemporary art in the classroom, according to its website.
GRACE worked with Fairfax County Public Schools to create an educators' packet that relays the messages and themes explored by the artwork.
Larson's upcoming exhibit — which is on display from September 28 through January 4 — explores centroid towns, which the U.S. Census Bureau classifies as the mean center of a population as it moves steadily west and south.
Students can respond to a theme by creating their own artwork in any medium. GRACE's staff will select student artwork to be exhibited in the Emerging exhibition at GRACE from June 6 through June 27 next year. An opening reception is set for June 5.
For more information about the program, contact education and public programs manager Sarah Benz.
Photo via GRACE
Virginia Tech Focuses on Working Professionals
RestonNow.com Sponsor September 3, 2019 at 11:45am
Virginia Tech has been making local headlines lately with the announcement of its Innovation Campus in the newly-designated neighborhood of National Landing.
While the new campus will help cement the university's regional footprint, Virginia Tech has been quietly providing graduate education opportunities in the D.C. area since 1969.
Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business has offered its MBA programs in this region for decades and more recently made the decision to narrow its focus to working professionals in urban centers across the commonwealth.
"What we did at Virginia Tech a few years ago was to say that we really want to focus on the working professional — someone who wants to enhance their career or make a change in the direction of their career, but not at the expense of continuing to be a business professional," says Pamplin Dean Robert Sumichrast. That allows those students to come into the classroom, he adds, "and use what they've learned as part of the experience of the MBA program."
Arlington is home to the Executive MBA program, an 18-month, cohort-based option for mid-career professionals. The curriculum is centered around experiential learning modules that provide students with hands-on experience in topics like business analytics and leadership and governance.
The nationally-ranked Evening MBA program is based in Falls Church and designed to provide maximum flexibility. Students can change their course load each semester to balance work and other commitments. They also have the option to focus their degree in one of 10 specialization areas, including traditional business topics like finance and management, and some more niche areas like healthcare information technology.
The Professional MBA program is a 24-month hybrid option with once-per-month in-person classes that rotate between Richmond, Roanoke and Newport News.
Visit mba.vt.edu to learn more about Virginia Tech's MBA programs, or register to attend an upcoming information session.
Local Mothers Launch Electric School Bus Campaign
Fatimah Waseem August 21, 2019 at 10:45am
A group of mothers from Fairfax County are banding together to push county schools to use electric school buses.
The group, Mothers out Front Fairfax, recently formed a local chapter of the national climate advocacy group Mothers Out Front.
"Our county has a chance to be on the cutting edge of technology and to be a national leader in providing our kids with healthy air and clean energy future," said Kathy Keller, a nurse at Inova Fairfax hospital, Mothers out Front Fairfax member and a mom with two children in county schools.
The group formally launched its campaign at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna on Tuesday (August 20). Fairfax County Public School's school board member Pat Hynes spoke at the event.
Here's more from the group about their initiative:
Electric school buses, with no tailpipe emissions, eliminate children's exposure to dangerous diesel exhaust during their ride to school. They have lower global warming emissions than diesel, even when the source of electricity is taken into account. They have no engine, muffler, or alternator that requires tune-ups, meaning a lifetime fuel and maintenance savings over diesel buses of up to $170,000. They have a lower center of gravity than diesel buses and are therefore less likely to roll over. They are safer for our kids and cleaner for our environment.
The health and environmental benefits of electric school buses are well documented. Studies show that that exposure levels to harmful chemicals can be between 4 and 10 times higher on school buses than in the surrounding environment.
The county has the second largest public school fleet of buses in the country, behind only New York City.
Mothers Out Front is a national advocacy group. Members are mothers who aim to "ensure a livable climate for all children," according to the organization's website.
Del. Ken Plum: Prekindergarten
Del. Ken Plum August 15, 2019 at 9:45am
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia's House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
When asked at a session at the National Conference of State Legislatures what is the most important thing the government should be doing today, the Honorable Robert "J.B." Pritzker, the 43rd governor of Illinois, responded "preparing young children to be successful in kindergarten." His answer was not surprising considering that he had written earlier in a publication of his Pritzker Foundation that "preparing young children to learn the first day they enter kindergarten is the single most important step we can take to ensure better K-12 education, healthier kids, lower poverty rates, increased wage-earning capacity, and a stronger, more competitive workforce."
He is not a former educator turned politician. He is an extraordinary person, however. According to Wikipedia, he holds more private wealth than any other governor in U.S. history and is the second wealthiest U.S. politician to have ever held office, after Michael Bloomberg. Forbes estimates his personal worth at $3.2 billion including his interest along with his family in the Hyatt hotel chain.
Governor Pritzker along with his wife established The Pritzker Children's Initiative which directs its investments on a single, attainable goal: that all at-risk infants and toddlers in the United States have access to high-quality early childhood development resources, increasing their likelihood of success in school and life. As the Governor explained further, "Early childhood development is an arena that's long been overlooked by philanthropy and government. Even programs as large as Head Start cover a very small sliver of the population of at-risk kids. It's an arena attractive for a private philanthropist like me because I see it as a terrific investment."
There is an abundance of evidence to support the Governor's conclusion, but government has been slow to invest in early education as he advocates. While Virginia has made some modest beginnings, there is much remaining to be done by state and local government. There are some hopeful signs. Last week Governor Ralph Northam announced release of an Early Childhood Education Needs Assessment and Draft Strategic Plan for public reviews and comment. Echoing the sentiments expressed by his counterpart in Illinois, Governor Northam said that "when children have access to quality, stable, affordable care during their earliest years they build the foundation they need for future success not only for themselves but for their communities." I encourage everyone interested in this critically important issue to review the draft plan at vcef.org and to submit their comments on it to [email protected] by August 31, 2019. More information on the plan and an opportunity to discuss it is provided on August 14, 10:00 a.m. at the ACCA Child Development Center, 7200 Columbia Pike, Suite 2, Annandale, VA 22003. Sorry for the last minute notice that I just received.
The Virginia State Chamber of Commerce that has been a consistent supporter of early childhood education is teaming up with the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation for a conference in Richmond on "Smart Beginnings for Virginia's Workforce Pipeline" for legislators and thought leaders to explore a strong, public-private early childhood system in Virginia.
The evidence of the importance of earlier than kindergarten programs must not be ignored by politicians.
Protesters Criticize County School Board's Transparency With Redistricting Proposal
RestonNow.com July 23, 2019 at 3:30pm
Dozens of protesters showed up last night to the Fairfax County School Board's work session on a proposal that would change how local school boundaries are adjusted.
Before the school board began discussing the proposal, the meeting room was packed with protesters. Police blocked the door, telling a crowd of about 30 people outside that they could not go into the room, which had reportedly reached its capacity.
The discussion on the proposal was delayed by an hour and a half as staff worked to set up overflow seating with live streaming of the work session in the cafeteria.
Around 7:30 p.m., Jeffrey Platenberg, the assistant superintendent for the Department of Facilities and Transportation Services, kicked off the discussion on the proposal with a presentation.
The draft policy would look at a new set of criteria for prompting and then establishing school boundaries. Once a school boundary change has been identified, some of the new criteria to create the new boundary include:
"When boundary changes are being considered by the School Board, the changes shall not be restricted by the boundaries of individual schools, administrative areas, zip codes, or magisterial district," according to the draft. The proposal would also get rid of expedited boundary adjustments.
Throughout the meeting, protesters in the room waved signs saying "Communities Build Great Schools NOT Boundary Changes" and "Education Excellence NOT Social Engineering." Several of the protesters said that they thought the process behind how the proposal was created was not transparent.
Some Great Falls residents have banded together to oppose the boundary changes — which could break up the Langley school pyramid. An online petition to keep the pyramid together has gained more than 2,000 signatories.
"We want our school board and administration to recognize that redistricting would pull apart our community, will significantly decrease property values of hard-working families who pushed the envelope to move into this community, and most importantly, leaves the underlying problems unsolved," the petition states.
School board members had mixed reactions to the proposal.
School Board Chair Karen Corbett Sanders said that "significant growth" in the Dulles Corridor that will impact schools and questioned if an outside consultant could help the board and community, since it "seems to be a bit of a disconnect that people don't feel like we have let people about what we're doing."
"I very much support opening the boundary," Jane Strauss, the Dranesville District representative, said.
Meanwhile, others raised concerns about equitable access outlined in the proposal.
At-Large Member Ilryong Moon said that he's not convinced that the proposal is an improvement after asking for an example of "equitable access to educational opportunities" and Platenberg told him that school boundaries could change to prevent program placement in different schools.
The school board is slated to approve the draft in September ahead of its incorporation in the Capital Improvement Program draft in December.
Catherine Douglas Moran and Fatimah Waseem reported on this story.
Reston Hospital Center Awards Scholarships to Local High School Graduates
Fatimah Waseem June 19, 2019 at 9:45am
Seventeen area high school seniors were recently awarded scholarships by the medical staff at Reston Hospital Center.
The student, who are from Fairfax and Loudoun County high schools, were recognized for academic excellence and excitement for pursue careers in healthcare.
RHC offers $15,000 in scholarships to local schools annually. The program has been in effect for the last 21 years.
"We are thrilled to be able to support these young adults as they venture into the world in search of their dream careers," Dr. Avisesh Sahgal, president of Reston Hospital Center's Medical Staff, said in a statement.
This year's scholarship recipients are below:
Ansel Sanchez – Briar Woods High School
Lindsay Marie Burns – Broad Run High School
Anna Kate Erstling – Chantilly High School
Ashley Arely Reyes – Chantilly High School
Lillian Tran – Dominion High School
Riya Hadvani – Herndon High School
Christopher Ngo-Khang Nguyen – James Madison High School
Mariana Fernandes Gragnani – Langley High School
Yanni George Conomos – McLean High School
Maxmine Irmhild Ayompe-Mody – Oakton High School
Jasmine Chiann Foo – Oakton High School
Allison Armstrong – Park View High School
Rayness Mollinedo-Rodriguez – Park View High School
Chelsea Lazatin – Potomac Falls High School
Nicole Post – South Lakes High School
Olivia Nicole Chandler – Westfield High School
Daisy Allison Lopez Rosa – Westfield High School
Photo via Reston Hospital Center
D.C. Area Professionals Benefit from Experiential Learning Approach
RestonNow.com Sponsor May 8, 2019 at 12:30pm
The working professionals who pursue the Arlington-based Executive MBA at Virginia Tech get a rich education in the fundamentals of business — accounting and finance, marketing, operations, ethics, communications and leadership.
But woven around those foundation courses are "experiential modules" designed to accelerate development in four essential and current areas:
Each module includes two concentration classes plus a "big experience" course that puts the learning to work immediately, says Barbara Hoopes, academic director for Virginia Tech MBA Programs.
Corporate leaders are brought in "to provide guidance and bring real-life projects to students," adds Parviz Ghandforoush, associate dean for graduate programs in the Pamplin College of Business.
What does this look like on the ground? For the analytics module, which covers BI and data mining along with marketing analytics, Hoopes brought in four software vendors — Microsoft, Qlik, SAS and Tableau — to provide access to their products and act as coaches.
Students addressed pressing issues with U.S. infrastructure using publicly available data to analyze Congressional airport funding and its relationship to economic growth, identify causal factors for large utility outages and predict hazard classifications of dams in order to prioritize inspections.
Hoopes asserts that students really "need to understand how data can be used to support their decision-making." That means "learning how to tell a story that convinces others" — in other words, traversing that last mile between the data scientist and the people at the very top.
Ghandforoush notes that students often arrive with an expectation that the data work they will do during their MBA is a throw-away "because they don't need it or they have analysts at work who will do this for them." And yet faculty hear back from former skeptics that those lessons turned out to be the most valuable in the program "because they're actually using it at work and they've seen the results."
That's just what Virginia Tech had in mind when it undertook its redesign of the MBA for working professionals. "It's not like students graduate and four or five years later we will hear if they have benefited from their MBA," he concludes. "This is like a laboratory. We get to watch this as it's happening right before our eyes."
SLHS Theatre Director to Retire After 30 Years
Fatimah Waseem May 6, 2019 at 3:30pm
A force behind more than 150 performances at South Lakes High School's Theatre Arts program is leaving the program. Maria Harris, the program's theatre arts director, plans to retire after 30 years of coaching students, putting on productions, and watching the program grow over the last three decades.
Harris is now turning toward what she calls her final act: her own acting career and production company, Rising Star Productions, and spending more time with her family and aging parents.
"It's been a good career, but it's not over yet," Harris said. She commutes two hours daily from her home in Loudoun County to SLHS.
After teaching for a few years in Michigan — where she was born — and two other Fairfax County schools, Harris landed a full time job at SLHS. She's worked as the performing arts chair and taught speech, english, theatre and film — watching the program grow from two shows required per year to an around-the-year program. The job has given her the opportunity to travel with her students — including the prestigious American High School Theatre Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland where the school was selected to represent Virginia. Her students have also won two state championships in the Virginia High School League's film competition.
Over the years, she said she has most enjoyed watching her students grow. "I've really enjoyed my time here at SLHS. I love, love, love my kids and I'm going to miss them the most." Before shows, she assembles her students into a big circle and leads them through breathing exercises, passing a squeeze of good wishes down the chain of linked hands until they reach her.
Ryleigh Line, one of her students, told Reston Now that Harris has helped many students realize their full potential.
"The most important thing that she does for us is support us and she pushes us to be the best we can be by having high expectations and constructive feedback for us after every assignment and production," Line said. "The South Lakes community will miss Mrs. Harris very much and are forever thankful for her."
For Harris, who calls herself a "Motown girl," the arts were ingrained in her lifestyle since she was five. She received her bachelor's degree in education from Wayne State University.
While she was working in the school's program, she launched Rising Star Productions in Reston in order to fill the lack of "cultural theatre" in the community. For years, she worked with her team to bring African American Theatre to Reston Community Center. She has appeared in films including Broadcast News and Accidental Tourist. Her stages roles include Addapearle in The Wiz, Bloody Mary in South Pacific, Asaka in Once on This Island, and Myrna Thorn in Ruthless! The Musical.
"I wish my students the very best, whether they take their careers into theater or whatever they endeavor to do."
Photo via Maria Harris
Great Falls Preschool Program Seeks to Expand Programs
Fatimah Waseem April 11, 2019 at 10:45am
Village Green Day School, a private preschool in Great Falls, is expanding its infant care programs in celebration of its 40th anniversary this year.
The school will offer a new infant program this summer in response to growing parental demand for expanded programs, according to Jason Lody, the Executive Head of School.
"As we reflected on our current community's needs, we also identified a growing need for infant care in Great Falls and its surrounding communities. Because of this we will start a dedicated infant care program with an environment inspired by the Montessori philosophy and use of the Creative Curriculum to support the child's development during their time here," Lody told Reston Now.
Although county approval is pending — the school must modify its special exemption with the county — the expanded program is expected to open its doors on August 26.
No changes to occupancy or the number of on-site employees are proposed. But the school is seeking to restrict the enrollment age from two months to three months. The school does not enroll children who are older than one year.
Lody offered the following description about the program:
Village Green's Infant Program is designed to provide a stimulating environment where each child is provided an individual routine that supports physical, literacy, language, health, and social/emotional learning. Guided by standards from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) our infant program allows for each child to experience relationship with caring adults who are specially trained teachers with experience in infant care.
The school's application is set for a hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission on July 17, followed by a vote by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on July 30.
Photo via Jason Lody
New Education Shelter to Open at Riverbend Park
Fatimah Waseem April 10, 2019 at 4:30pm
A new shelter designed to support environmental education programs will open in Riverbend Park in Great Falls this spring. Residents can also reserve the shelter for community gatherings and events.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for Saturday, April 27. The $864,000 project — financed through voter-approved park bonds — also includes 18 new parking spaces and enhanced stormwater management.
Judy Pederson, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Park Authority, told Reston Now the new outdoor education shelter "serves a vital role in outdoor education for local school children," allowing residents to host up to six classes simultaneously. Previously, the park's facilities only allowed three classes to be held at once — two indoors and one outdoors.
FCPA hopes the new shelter will meet growing demand for additional educational facilities. Buses can also park near boat trailer parking spaces in the lower waterfront parking, Pederson said.
Photo via Fairfax County Park Authority
TRAFFIC ALERT: Lawyers Road Closed Due to Crash
Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel to Retire After Term Ends
Del. Ken Plum: State of the Commonwealth 2020
Fire Breaks Out in Reston Townhouse
True Food Kitchen Targets August Opening in Reston Town Center
Thursday Morning Notes
Top Stories This Week
Ugly Sweater Fundraiser and More This Weekend in Reston
UPDATED: 'Small Fire' Breaks Out at Apartment Building in Reston Town Center
Reminder: Send Reston Now Your Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor
Herndon House Fire Causes $93K Worth of Damage
Op-Ed: Golf Courses Can Be Environmental Assets in Urban Settings
Friday Morning Notes
Town of Herndon to Designate "Herndon Town Incorporation Day"
Fire Investigators Determine Cause of Apartment Fire in Reston
New Wood Panel Exhibit Coming to Greater Reston Arts Center This Month
Virginia Tech MBA Programs Offered in Arlington and Falls Church
Fairfax Connector Service to Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride Resumes
Power Outage Near Glade Drive Caused by Emergency Work
Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Returning to Reston
UPDATED: Fairfax County Schools Closed Today
Photos: Slippery Roads, Light Snow Reported in Reston, Herndon
Changes to Town of Herndon's Comprehensive Plan Move Forward
Reston Now: Send Us Photos of the First Snow of 2020
Nobel Prize Winner Dives into Physics at Reston School
Reston Eateries to Participate in Winter Restaurant Week
Weather Alert: Fairfax County Schools to Close Two Hours Early Due to Snow
Police: Herndon Home Shot at Over the Weekend
Now Open: Vietnamese Restaurant on Dulles Station Boulevard
Wind Advisory In Effect Today in Fairfax County
Pet of the Week: Harley
Nominations Sought for Herndon Good Neighbor Award
New Exhibit to Debut at Herndon Depot Museum in March
Wednesday Morning Notes
Weekend Metro Shutdown to Impact Two Lines
Restoration of Exposed Sewer Lines, Eroded Areas at Lake Audubon Underway through October
CVS Pharmacy Delays Opening Date in Reston Station
Photos: Development with Future Wegmans, Self-Driving Cars Moves Forward
Del. Ken Plum: General Assembly Session 2020 Underway
Rise Against Hunger Event and More This Weekend in Reston
New DIY Digitization Service Comes to Reston Regional Library
Reminder: Send Reston Now Your Tips, Feedback
Fill This Space: Modell's Sporting Goods in Plaza America
Fairfax County Gearing Up for 2020 Presidential Primary
Local Food Truck-Turned-Restaurant Expands to Ashburn
Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce Relocates Offices
Reno of the Month: Kitchen Design Trends You Need to Know About
Legal Insider: Some Thoughts About Severance Agreements
2020 Virginia Polar Dip Coming to Reston in February
At 40th Anniversary, Reston Community Center Contemplates Future
County Board Votes to Kickstart Review of Reston Comprehensive Plan
Herndon Middle School to Install Security Cameras
Taekwondo Business Opens in Woodland Park Crossing in Herndon
Summer Camp Expo Coming to Reston Later This Month
Reston-based Telecommunications Company to Dissolve
Pet of the Week: Roxy
Lisa Merkel Reflects on Her Time as Herndon's Mayor
Greater Reston Arts Center Begins Search for New Executive Director and Curator
Demolition of 'Outdated' Reston Fire Station Delayed
NextStop Theatre Announces Opening Date for 'Ordinary Days'
Police Resolve Possible Security Threat at Herndon High School
Local Middle School Student Earns Perfect ACT Score
Del. Ken Plum: General Assembly Start is Historic
Linear Notes Performance and More This Weekend in Reston
Winter Weather Advisory In Effect Tomorrow
M&T Bank to Celebrate Grand Opening in Reston Next Week
Reminder: Sign Up for Reston Now Subscriptions
Rollout of Eight Electric School Buses Planned for 2020
Australian Fitness Company to Open Location in Reston


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NBA 2K15 is the latest instalment of the top-selling and top-rated NBA video game simulation franchise. On the heels of NBA 2K14's 70 Game of the Year Award Nominations, the NBA 2K franchise is the ultimate basketball simulation experience. Featuring NBA MVP Kevin Durant on the cover, and an eclectic soundtrack curated by internationally-renowned artist and producer Pharrell Williams, NBA 2K15 hits the court with unprecedented life-like graphics, ultra-realistic NBA gameplay, and more.
NBA 2K15 is the latest version of 2K games' popular basketball NBA video game simulation franchise. Improving on the foundation of NBA 2K14's features, gameplay and characteristics that won it 70 Game of the Year Nominations, NBA 2K is THE basketball game for all fans. With a cover endorsed by last year's MVP Kevin Durant and a killer soundtrack in the hands of world-famous rapper and producer Pharell Williams, NBA 2K15 starts the season with life-like graphics and extremely realistic NBA gameplay, along with several game modes including MyCareer, MyTeam and EUROLEAGUE, featuring Europe's top 25 teams such as FC Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, champion Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv and much, much more.


Matching pairs of lightly refurbished 1920s door straps recently reclaimed from a Tudorbethan property in the SE. These 21'' long straps have a hammered effect finish and are to be used in conjunction with regular door hinges. All the loose material and rust has been removed and they've been finished with a specialist product to prevent them rustings.
Sold in pairs, we have a few more pairs than listed.
Good original condition, some wear and marks.


Natural language processing is a hard task for traditional machine learning models, since they tend to ignore the relationships between the sentences, words, and text in documents. Because of this, they require careful feature construction and often make assumptions about conditional independences between all of the elements.
Even then, typically these features do not scale with large amounts of natural language data. Therefore, methods which can extract relations from text and exploit these relations during learning and inference will reduce the need for careful feature construction, and also scale better into larger data sets.
Models learned using relational machine learning methods can be used to create robust and interpretable predictions. In these projects, BoostSRL has been applied to extracting relations from clinical data, adverse drug event relations, and financial documents.
Sriraam Natarjan, Ameet Soni, Anurag Wazalwar, Dileep Viswanathan, and Kristian Kersting. "Deep Distant Supervision: Learning Statistical Relational Models for Weak Supervision in Natural Language Processing." Morik Festschrift, LNAI 9580 2016.
Sriraam Natarajan, Vishal Bangera, Tushar Khot, Jose Picado, Anurag Wazalwar, Vitor Santos Costa, David Page, and Michael Caldwell. "Markov Logic Networks for Adverse Drug Event Extraction from Text." Knowledge and Information Systems (KAIS), 2016.
Ameet Soni, Dileep Viswanathan, Jude Shavlik, and Sriraam Natarajan. "Learning Relational Dependency Networks for Relation Extraction." International Conference on Inductive Logic Programming (ILP), 2016.
Phillip Odom, Vishal Bangera, Tushar Khot, David Page, and Sriraam Natarajan. "Extracting Adverse Drug Events from Text using Human Advice." Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIME), 2015.
Sriraam Natarajan, Jose Picado, Tushar Khot, Kristian Kersting, Christopher Re and Jude Shavlik. "Using Commonsense Knowledge to Automatically Create (Noisy) Training Examples from Text." International Workshop on Statistical Relational AI, 2012.
Tushar Khot, Siddharth Srivastava, Sriraam Natarajan, and Jude Shavlik. "Learning Relational Structure for Temporal Relation Extraction." International Workshop on Statistical Relational AI, 2012.


text:
Daulat Ki Jung (U)
Director: S.a.kader
Genre: Action Adventure
Cast: Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla
Storyline: Children of two business rivals, Rajesh and Asha, are college mates who fall in love. When the truth More
Talaash: The Hunt Begins
Director: Suneel Darshan
Music Director: Sanjeev Darshan
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor
Jodhaa Akbar
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Bachchan
Director: Zoya Akthar
Music Director: Shankar - Ehsaan - Loy
Genre: Adventure Comedy
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akthar
Baahubali (U/A)
Director: S S Rajamouli
Genre: Adventure Drama
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannah Bhatia, Sathyaraj , Nassar , Sudeep more
Storyline: Amarendra Baahubali is the common man's savior. The people of his town worship him like they worship More
Mohenjo Daro (U/A)
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde
Storyline: During the Pre-historic Indus Valley, in 2016 BC, the evil greed of a man is about to destroy one of More
Baadshaho (U/A)
Director: Milan Luthria
Music Director: Tanishk Bagchi, Ankit Tiwari, R.d. Burman, Abhijit Vaghani And Komail Shayan.
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Esha Gupta, Illeana D'cruz, Vidyut Jamwal, Sanjay Misra
Storyline: Baadshaho is inspired by real-life events during the Emergency and revolves around stolen gold, a th More
Qarib Qarib Singlle (U)
Director: Tanuja Chandra
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Parvathi Menon, Neha Dhupia
Storyline: Jaya and Yogi set out on a short journey to retrace past relationships and end up in the most eventf More
Total Dhamaal (U)
Director: Indra Kumar
Music Director: Himesh Reshammiya
Genre: Comedy Adventure
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit, Ritesh Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Aashish Chaudhary , Jaaved Jaaferi
Storyline: And the madness & the craziness of the biggest franchise of laughter continues... #TotalDhamaal is t More


Meateor provides Frozen Pet-food Ingredients (Meats and Offals) and Human Consumption Foods (Meat, Fish Vegetables…) to major Thai food manufacturing companies.
Meateor has been exporting to Thailand since 2010.
New Zealand processing operations/export commenced in the early 1990's.
Core business is Frozen Pet-food Ingredient to USA, Canada, EU, & Thailand.


I haven't posted in a while and thought it was time that I put some cards on here. The pilgrim ones are from a kit that my mom sent to me a few weeks ago and I think they turned out pretty cute.
I am still on the PLANET!!
Here is the first card for Sheetload!!!
Here is a SNeak Peek at the July issue.
Here is the link to the sneak peek of what is in the July issue of Sheetload of Cards... Enjoy!!!!
Over at Sheetload of Cards does a little contest each month. Which is called show us your sheetload so if you would like to be entered the rules are at the following link... Good Luck!!!
As Alicia mentioned earlier this week on Her EZine Sheetload of Cards, there is a fun intersite challenge/promo going on between SheetLoad of Cards, ShortCuts, Bitten by the Bug and The Cutting Cafe.She asked the SheetLoad artists to join the fun and make creations for the challenges. And wow, they have come with some lovely projects.Here is what I have made for the challenge as one of the designer at Sheetload of Cards..
They got an Xbox 360..


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text:
Fake kindness is just insulting
It sounds old fashioned but sometimes good old-fashioned kindness is all that's needed.
Suzanne Moore
Jan 27, 2021 – 2.30pm
When did people start writing "Kind Regards" at the end of emails? I first noticed it five years ago and found it deeply annoying. Then came "Warm Regards", which is possibly OK if you know me, I suppose. "Lukewarm Regards" is probably more fitting if you don't.
This is about more than etiquette – which I confess that I don't know much about. This is more the infestation of fake affection. Those who constantly say "Love you babes" are invariably the ones who would happily stab you in the back and quite often wish their partners dead, too.
When Boris Johnson's special adviser Dominic Cummings quit Downing street, many people hoped it would usher in a kinder age. PA
We know in our hearts the difference between holding the hands of someone frightened and frail and the emptiness of a "mwah mwah" air kiss. Just as we know the difference between "Kind Regards" and actual kindness.
Unspeakable kindness has been all around us. Real kindness is not Instagramable. It is not a display. Individuals have quietly helped out where they can and whenever they can. In communities, volunteers abound. Small acts of benevolence towards neighbours, family or friends, for needs that can range from a thought to a lifeline. Small acts that Britain's Nation Health Service, even at its most fraught, still embodies on a daily basis.
Was JK Rowling just being unkind? Joe Benke
And yet, there are all sorts of people for whom kindness, rather like "spirituality", is a cause for self-congratulation and affirmation. The way they talk about it, their "kindness" is rationed rather like a half-hearted food parcel. Take Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films and who, like his fellow co-star, opposed the views of the woman who has given him his career (JK Rowling). He spoke out for the transgender community, he said at the weekend, because he "just wanted to get some kindness out there". Well, isn't that lovely?
Are the women who disagree with Rupert and his entourage simply being unkind? Did the immensely philanthropic JK Rowling – who has been threatened with rape and violence for her views – just have an attack of unkindness when she formulated them?
We're currently experiencing an epidemic of #bekind on social media, but what is real kindness? Much of what are considered to be feminine traits are indeed acts of random kindness: clearing up after someone else, listening to them, anticipating their needs.
Allegra Stratton tells us: "The Prime Minister believes that all of us in our political language and debate need to remember to be civil and kind to each other."
And yet here we are in a situation where we see unkindness at the highest level. We find ourselves in a place where the poor are treated as subhumans who do not know the difference between a couple of cans of beans and a scratch card. They cannot be trusted to feed their own children, hence a voucher system has been replaced by prepared rations and it is left to a footballer to tell us they are insultingly inadequate.
This view of the poor, not as people with less money than us but as people with fewer morals, is not only unkind but has very real consequences too. Consequences that are at the tip of the iceberg.
The British government can now choose to do the kind and right thing, or it can choose to further impoverish people by refusing to extend the £20 ($35) a week extra in universal credit that was given to 6 million families in the first wave of the pandemic.
For many in Westminster, this is a taxi fare, for some in this country, it is a choice between heating and eating. Kindness is a strange word to be using here – we know the Johnson administration likes to be seen as tough, but not cruel.
Not just for show
This government has a need to be liked and yet is being confronted by those who are pointing out the inhumanity of their choices.
Kindness is not just for show. Kindness can and should be built and baked into the system.
When Dominic Cummings left government, the hope was that a different, kinder mood would prevail. It is not a weakness to think of others. Common decency, which we see on display every day among ordinary people, is nothing to be ashamed of.
Kindness isn't a meme or something you can just say and therefore be. Real kindness saves lives and it makes lives worth living. It is a social glue that so many years of austerity and selfishness have destroyed.
There is no need to fake it. In the darkest of times, many of us have seen the real thing and it is colossal. To mean anything at all, it is not just talking the talk but walking the walk. And that goes for the government as much as it does for us individuals.
— The Telegraph London
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Bertrand Russell on Keynes
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) was about 10 years older than Keynes, and attended Cambridge in the 1890s in the decade before Keynes began his undergraduate degree at King's College in 1902. Russell's opinion of Keynes is found in his Autobiography (Russell 2000: 67–69), and is of historical interest:
"The tone of the generation some ten years junior to my own was set mainly by Lytton Strachey and Keynes. It is surprising how great a change in mental climate those ten years had brought. We were still Victorian; they were Edwardian. We believed in ordered progress by means of politics and free discussion. The more self-confident among us may have hoped to be leaders of the multitude, but none of us wished to be divorced from it. The generation of Keynes and Lytton did not seek to preserve any kinship with the Philistine. They aimed rather at a life of retirement among fine shades and nice feelings, and conceived of the good as consisting in the passionate mutual admirations of a clique of the elite. This doctrine, quite unfairly, they fathered upon G. E. Moore ...." (Russell 2000: 67).
"From this atmosphere Keynes escaped into the great world, but Strachey never escaped. Keynes's escape, however, was not complete. He went about the world carrying with him everywhere a feeling of the bishop in partibus. True salvation was elsewhere, among the faithful at Cambridge. When he concerned himself with politics and economics he left his soul at home. This is the reason for a certain hard, glittering, inhuman quality in most of his writing. There was one great exception, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, ...." (Russell 2000: 68).
"Keynes's intellect was the sharpest and clearest that I have ever known. When I argued with him, I felt that I took my life in my hands, and I seldom emerged without feeling something of a fool. I was sometimes inclined to feel that so much cleverness must be incompatible with depth, but I do not think that this feeling was justified." (Russell 2000: 69).
Russell, B. 2000. Autobiography, Routledge, London.
Bob Roddis July 5, 2011 at 12:24 PM
That is consistent with what I've said for 35 years. Keynes was an arrogant elitist who had little use for average people and his economic program consisted of elite control of the masses. This is also why Keynesians refuse to understand the basics of the Austrian Theory which insists that it is essential for average people to go about their business in a process which creates the free market prices which are necessary for economic calculation and prosperity. These are mutually exclusive theories. Not only do the Austrians eliminate any roll for the "all knowing and benevolent" elite to play in economics, but the Austrians insist that it is the elite's interference in economic activity that is the main problem in economic life.
LK July 5, 2011 at 6:09 PM
"Not only do the Austrians eliminate any roll for the "all knowing and benevolent" elite to play in economics, "
LOL.. Except for themselves.
Russell's remarks on Keynes are certainly interesting. Was Keynes more intelligent or did he do more important work than Russell? This I don't know. From my perspective the prescriptions by politicians have had many influences from economics to political theory so I wouldn't say Keynes did more important work than Russell, Chomsky, or any scientist. Stable economies are important but can't be considered to be science.
Just my perspective. I'd hate to see Keynesians go down the road of loosely ascribing ideas to him that he didn't even create (the way we see some Austrians do with Hayek and Mises). Really, to name an entire field after Keynes himself is kind of silly.
--SB
Chomsky on the Meaning of Socialism
Voice Recording of Ludwig von Mises
Robert Skidelsky on Keynes and the Crisis
More on the Gross Substitution Axiom
Some Miscellaneous Links
What Austerity Wrought in Latvia
James K. Galbraith on Obama, Social Security and t...
Government Intervention, James J. Hill and the Gre...
Rothbard on Monopoly Price on the Unhampered Marke...
Steve Keen on Finance Theory
Bibliography on the Sraffa-Hayek Debate
Robert P. Murphy on the Sraffa-Hayek Debate
The Post-1945 Boom in America
A Simple Example of Micro versus Macro Effects
Robert P. Murphy on the Pure Time Preference Theor...
A Startling Admission from Ludwig Lachmann
Keynes's "Unemployment Equilibrium"
Ludwig Lachmann on Government Intervention
Bibliography on Post Keynesian Economics
Post Keynesian Textbooks
Richard Koo on the Lessons from Japan's Lost Decad...
Steve Keen on Neoclassical Economics
The Personal Relationship of Hayek and Keynes
Hayek's Trade Cycle Theory and its Appeal to Socia...
ABCT and Full Employment
Mises's Versions of ABCT


This rich, luxurious body cleanser is infused with my favorite ingredients for pampering skin— soothing aloe juice, rich shea butter, and of course nourishing Argan Oil whipped up to perfection. And here's a little secret: it makes a fabulous hair cleanser too!
Whipped Argan Oil Cleansing Body Butter in Sweet Citrus: 236 mL | 8 fl. oz.
Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate**, Decyl Glucoside**, Glycerin**, Cocamidopropyl Betaine**, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil* , Propanediol Dicaprylate/ Caprate and Diisostearyl Malate**, Stearic Acid**, Glycereth-2 Cocoate**, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters**, Dehydroacetic Acid (and) Benzyl Alcohol, Jojoba Esters**, Aqua (Water)**, Parfum (Fragrance)**, Potassium Sorbate, Panthenol, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamene Disuccinate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride.
Whipped Argan Oil Cleansing Body Butter in Vanilla Apricot: 236 mL | 8 fl. oz.
Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate**, Decyl Glucoside**, Glycerin**, Cocamidopropyl Betaine**, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil* , Propanediol Dicaprylate/ Caprate and Diisostearyl Malate**, Stearic Acid**, Glycereth-2 Cocoate**, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters**, Dehydroacetic Acid (and) Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum (Fragrance)**, Jojoba Esters**, Aqua (Water)**, Potassium Sorbate, Panthenol, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamene Disuccinate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride.
Cleansing Body Butter Duo has a rating of 5.0 stars based on 2 reviews.


text:
Q: Turn string to array in PHP (all data recorder as string) I want to have a multidim. array like this:
array {[RECORD1] => array {
                      [ID]=>"0001",
                      [Name]=>"John",
                      [Address]=>"Street No...."
                     }
[RECORD2] => array {
                      [ID]=>"0002",
                      [Name]=>"Jane",
                      [Address]=>"Street No...."
                     }
      }

I managed to create a code like this:
$st = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM table WHERE c_id=?");
$au='array(';
    foreach ($_SESSION['cid'] as $cr){
        $st->execute(array($cr));
        $rws = $st->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
        foreach ($rws as $rw){}
        $au.='"a'.$cr.'"=>array('; //Record01
        $au.='"id"=>"'.$rw['c_id'].'",';
        $au.='"name"=>"'.$rw['c_name'].'"';
        $au.='),';

    }
    $au=trim($au,',');
    //substr($au,0,-1);
$au.=');';

the result is a string, but with content of an array.
Second question: is it better to use OOP to do what I want?
What I need: After I select some "records" (which can be removed/added later-on), I will integrate them in a comparison page. This array/class should be flexible enough so I can easily alter it (when adding/removing records).
I thought using arrays I can easily remove/add a "record".
Thank you.

A: assuming you have one cid in $_SESSION['cid'] you might use;
$sSQL = 'SELECT c_id, c_name, c_address FROM table WHERE c_id=:c_id';
$st = $conn->prepare($sSQL);
$st->bindValue( 'c_id', $_SESSION['cid'], PDO::PARAM_INT );
$st->execute();

// create results array
$aResults = array();

// while there are rows to get, loop over and store results in array
while($row = $st->fetch()){
  $aResults[$row['c_id']] = array('Name'=>$row['c_name'], 'Address'=>$row['c_address']);
}


In an attempt to avoid a repeat of a deadly Thanksgiving weekend last year, authorities in Ocean County have a strong message for those venturing out this weekend: make sure you have a designated driver.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday that the stepped-up enforcement would consist of "numerous" sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, concentrated in the Seaside Heights area. The program will also include the presence of multiple drug recognition experts – officers who are trained to detect whether someone is driving impaired due to the use of illicit drugs. Those officers were added due to the Ocean County's continuing heroin crisis, said Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato.
Last year, seven out of 10 fatal accidents over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in New Jersey were caused by impaired driving, Coronato said, which prompted the stepped-up patrols this year.
Thanksgiving Eve is widely recognized as one of the year's biggest nights in the bar scene. Most of Seaside Heights' bars and nightclubs are hosting parties this weekend.
Each year, impaired drivers account for about a third of all fatal accidents. A total of 38 people died on the county's roadways last year, Coronato said.


Leave the ship again and you will see the "Drowning Warriors" suspended in the water at any level from the just above the sea floor to just below the sea surface. Select one and use the "Enchanted Conch" in your inventory to save them. You will be attacked from time to time by Zin'jatar Raiders that are all over the place, but they are easy to deal with.
First, you have many allies nearby who are drowning as we speak. As I saved you, you must save them.
Park yourself in a spot where Drowned Warriors appear, and you'll be done with this quest soon enough.
Edit: thanks, frostea; corrected NPC name.
Use this macro, works like a charm!
Reference to the movie "Pay it Forward" with Kevin Spacey and that dude who has a six sense.
Not thinking, I used the Hearthstone to go back to Org, to drop off my overloaded bags. Now I can't seem to get back there to finish this quest. Any suggestions?
Not that easy if you're level 80 - the mobs are level 80 too, and attack in pairs or threes.
Воспользуйтесь зачарованной раковиной для спасения 6 тонущих воинов.
Теперь ты можешь свободно перемещаться по этой местности и не бояться потонуть.
Пока ты отсутствовал, мне удалось вернуть к жизни несколько погибших воинов.
Нам понадобится любая помощь, чтобы выжить в этом месте.


From July 6 to July 7, the annual festival of Ivan Kupala was held at the Shipot waterfall. Once again our friendly endurist company took part in this event.
Three days in the picturesque mountains, beautiful summer weather, a sea of positive emotions - that's how Ivan Kupala's holiday will be remembered for all participants. We offer to see our photo report of our trip to Shipot.


biblos_geek has no other items for sale.
Awesome vendor. Very quick answers to questions. Very quick shipping.
Delivered fast! It's a nice person, the comunication was perfect. Best item!
Great service and very attentive - professionalism is top notch.
An amazing person to work with. Absolutely incredible service.
The 2E 1 Pro is a lifesaver for me. Excellent sound! Better than I had hoped.


I've talked here several times now about our passion fruit (lilikoi in Hawaiian) plant, which has been dormant recently but provided us with a bounty of delicious, sweet fruit for several months.
I recently discovered another interesting fruit growing on our property, and after some investigation, I discovered that this new fruit was, in fact, lilikoi, and what we thought was lilikoi is actually a kind of wild guava!
The guavas grow on small trees, and are apparently regarded as a pest plant in Hawaii. It's true, they do grow everywhere – there are plenty just in our neighborhood, and it's not uncommon to see 20-30 guavas on the ground along the highway under a large tree pregnant with little yellow fruits.
The lilikoi grow on low vines that snake along the ground. I first noticed that there was something more to these vines when two flowers showed up on one of the plants a few weeks ago. The flowers had a smell that was remarkably similar to Carmex.
About a week or so later the flowers started to shrivel up, but a little green fruit emerged from the dried flowers as if they were fruit cocoons.
The fruit is still not ripe, but it has been growing quickly. I am still not sure which type it will turn out to be – there are two different varieties, one with yellow skin and the other with purple skin. Stay tuned to find out!


Are There Vaccinations My Aging Parent Should Avoid?
Vaccines can have many benefits for seniors who want to avoid serious illnesses such as the flu and pneumonia. Yet, it is important to know that certain immunizations are no longer helpful or safe for those over a certain age or who have underlying health conditions. Here are a few immunizations for seniors the Palm Desert caregivers at Home Care Assistance recommend giving a second thought.
Although senior adults should make sure to get their flu shot every year, those over the age of 65 may find that the general flu vaccination no longer generates an immune response that will ward away illness. Instead, they should talk to their physician about a high-dose flu vaccination that may be more effective. Those over 50 should also avoid the nasal spray vaccine.
The herpes zoster, or shingles, vaccine can prevent the development of a blistering rash in those who have ever had chickenpox. The vaccine is approved for those 50 and older. However, many senior adults have health conditions that put them at risk for dangerous side effects. Those who have a weakened immune system due to AIDS, cancer treatments or who have been taking steroids for a prolonged period of time may not be candidates for this vaccine.
Those who travel to a location where yellow fever is a concern may have this vaccination on their recommended list. Unfortunately, this vaccine can be risky for anyone who is over 60, particularly if it is their first time being vaccinated. Although rare, seniors are at risk for developing symptoms such as a high fever or organ failure after vaccination.
The adenovirus is fairly common, yet it can lead to serious respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia. It is not recommended for those over 50 due to the potential risk for having a negative immune response. The vaccine is also administered in pill form, which can be difficult for those who have difficulty swallowing to manage.
Interested in learning more about promoting a senior loved one's wellbeing? Turn to Home Care Assistance in Palm Desert. We provide stroke, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and dementia care for seniors, in addition to hourly and live-in care, to ensure the seniors in our community have the help they need to age in the comfort of home. For more information, visit our website https://homecareassistancepalmdesert.com/ or give us a call at (760) 345-0001.


i love that these gentlemen are technically business dress, but that they've each added a bit of personality. the puffer coat, the denim, that bright purple. a lot of personalization, and definite knowledge about how things work together. all of them are in the business (paul and shark, mario's and brioni) so… hopefully this just gives them additional street cred.
at first, i didn't see her. but when i did… i loved it.
this is the soft launch… more info is still being compiled (sponsors, entertainment, giveaways, a speaker?) but this is an invite to fashion bloggers, food bloggers, and home/life bloggers. we narrowed it down for the sole purpose of sponsors (and appearing to have a focus), but if you live in the northwest, have a blog and want to come… let us know.
i'm excited to be bringing some truly talented people together. to do it under the guise of a party is even better. start adding drinks, food, giveaways and fashion discussion, and i may have to sit down for a moment. i think it's going to be fun. and i set the bar pretty high. ok, it's true, i don't (see: pitcher of margaritas, a game of hearts, and blare the abba)… but really- i can't wait to meet all the bloggers who have already responded. i hope it's on your calendar!
another boy with plaid… i liked this. it suited him… it has to be vintage. it kind of made me giggle… i used to have to design plaid sweaters for little boys around holiday when i was at nordstrom… i prefer jordan's.
alright kids… let's see… i'm having a contest. and i can't decide if i want you to send me your a) costume ideas for this year, b) best picture of halloween past… or c) your all time best costume ever…? here's karen and i at value village tonight getting everything to make saturday awesome. send me your answer to one of the above 3, then my husband (the impartial judge) will pick a winner, and you'll get a $20 value village gift certificate. if someone can guess what i'm going to be (it's not anything i've told anyone but karen, inspiration struck AT value village) i'll thrown in something special… that's my bag on the lower right… good luck!
p.s. if you email me photos, maybe i'll do a post of halloween outfits on friday! FUN!
i saw merrill while i was walking around before the snow patrol concert. i was drawn to about 5 different things she was wearing, and as we parted i wished i'd asked her about half of them. the necklace… the tights, the shoes… i did recognize her orla kiely shopper. orla's retro palette makes me happy- it pairs with vintage nicely.


text:
Trade Show Companies Give Back to Their Communities
The trade show industry has a history of being generous to its surrounding communities, and a few companies recently have lent a helping hand to those in need.
SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals, based in Hauppauge, N.Y., continues to be a strong supporter of Long Island Cares, the nonprofit organization based in the same town and founded by the late Harry Chapin, which brings together resources to benefit the hungry on Long Island and meet other vital humanitarian needs.
SmartSource, which has a longstanding tradition of raising funds and volunteerism on behalf of Long Island Cares, recently made yet another contribution.
Approximately 35 staff members from the company's Hauppauge headquarters raised $1,000 for Long Island Cares, which was matched by SmartSource for a total contribution of $2,000.
Last year, a team of SmartSource employees headed to the Long Island Cares warehouse to volunteer in its Warehouse Sorting & Repacking Program.
On its 30th anniversary, SmartSource made a sizeable contribution to the organization in honor of its founder, Julian Sandler, for whom fighting hunger was a top priority.
Helen Brett Enterprises, producers of the New Orleans Gift and Jewelry Show, designated their August show as a collection point for donations to South Louisiana residents, who were affected by catastrophic flooding.
HBE provided donors with a voucher for a free guest badge, as a 'thank you' for donating. Attendees donated 12,140 pounds of non-perishable food items, personal toiletries, cleaning supplies and bottled water.
Freeman volunteered their services to load the items into two trucks and transport them to Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and Acadiana, where the items were transported to their distribution channels in the affected areas.
"All of us at Helen Brett Enterprisers are humbled by our attendee's and exhibitor's giving spirit," said Brett Kolinek, president, Helen Brett Enterprises.
He added, "We started off with the idea of doing a small part in helping an area that has supported us for so many years and we are completely inspired by the generosity of our loyal customers, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center staff, Freeman and the onsite team from Helen Brett Enterprises. Our thoughts and prayers are with those in need right now."
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