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Home » News » Press Releases
Amigos signs multi-year Skilltype Agreement for its Research Libraries
ADDISON, TX, December 13, 2022 — Amigos Library Services is making a first of its kind investment in increasing the capacity of its 500+ library members by implementing a multi-year partnership with talent management platform Skilltype. This partnership will provide access to a pilot group of research libraries to begin deploying a data-driven approach to organizational development. Initial pilot participants include Baylor University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Read more about Amigos signs multi-year Skilltype Agreement for its Research Libraries
Corey Christians Appointed to Amigos Library Services Board of Directors
Submitted by Amigos on Mon, 2021-04-12 13:52
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2021 - view in .pdf format
Dallas, TX – The Board of Directors of Amigos Library Services (Amigos) has appointed County Librarian and Library Director for the Yavapai County Free Library District Corey Christians to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of Amigos Library Services. Christians, appointed April 6, 2021, will fill a vacancy created when Board member John Walsh resigned.
Read more about Corey Christians Appointed to Amigos Library Services Board of Directors
New partnership launched to support the Directory of Open Access Journals through Amigos Library Services
Press release – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 March 2021, Dallas – A new agreement has been announced today providing for a broad set of higher education institutions, across the South Central and Southwest Regions of the United States, to support vital open access library infrastructure at a substantial discount.
Read more about New partnership launched to support the Directory of Open Access Journals through Amigos Library Services


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Computer Braille Code
Home › Forums › Computer-Assisted Transcription › Computer Braille Code
This topic has 1 reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 7 months ago by Janice L. Carroll.
Veeah Chitwood
As regards to Computer Braille Code we would like to know if there is a revised version of the 2000 code book, aside from the 2010 update concerning the special symbols page?
We recently ordered a copy of the Introduction to the Computer Braille Code, 2013 Edition and the way it is outlined does not coincide with the rules of the 2000 code book. Where the publication Introduction to the Computer Braille Code uses Roman numerals with letters to indicate rules, the 2000 code book uses Arabic numbers without letters and we were wondering if the official code book had been redesigned and available for purchase.
June 13, 2016 at 11:30 am #27094
Janice L. Carroll
You should visit http://www.brailleauthority.org to find information on all code updates.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Bookended by Ravenna to the north and Gabicce Mare to the south lies the Rivera Romagnola, a hundred or so kilometers of pristine beaches that embrace the Bel Paese's side of the Adriatic Sea. It is here, along this coast, that Federico Fellini's Amarcord, the 1973 Academy Award-winning best foreign film, came to life chronicling the Cinecittà icon's youth.
And, it's also along this very same stretch of sand that I find myself in a cooking class, knuckle-deep in Tipo OO farina (type 00 flour) and fresh eggs, trying my best to breathe life into a mound of yolk-orange dough that'll be transformed into homemade pasta that's guaranteed to choke a few clerics. More on that whodunit dish in a moment.
Getting my hands dirty (read sticky) is just part of the deal I signed up for when I agreed to join eight other Italy-based, travel-foodie bloggers in Bellaria Igea Marina to take part in #LovingRomagna, a three-day introduction to Rivera Romagnola hospitality, history, traditions and locales, along with it's mouth-watering, to-die-for regional cuisine — la cucina romagnola — and superlative local wines and spirits.
Organized and hosted by Hotel Eliseo — a three-star, beachfront property with a five-star kitchen — #LovingRomagna grabbed me by the palate and tugged at my heart from the get-go with a warm and sincere midday welcome reception at the newly renovated Bellaria Igea Marina Fish Cooperative along the canal-port.
Local officials representing the fishing industry, gastronomy and tourism delivered their pitches while we jotted down notes, grip-and-grin photo ops ensued, then we all grabbed a glass of white or red, or both (I did), and jockeyed for position around the buffet table to sample some of the homegrown romagnola fair: cozze (mussels), vongole (clams), sardine fritte (deep-fried sardines), and those signature piadini (flatbreads) stuffed in a variety of ways.
Do I feel welcomed? YES! Do I love la Romagna? YES!
Bellies satisfied, we're taken on an orientation walk — no doubt to work off those FEW calories we've just added — into the center of Bellaria where we pause long enough to get an historical overview of one of the area's keepsakes, La Torre Saracena, a 17th century tower used as a lookout post to defend part of the coast against invading pirates. Originally, six towers were built, but only La Torre Saracena still stands and hosts the Museum of Seashells.
We continue our stroll across the port-canal, passing luxury craft, fishing trawlers, tugs, tour boats and the old open-air fish market along the way, and then stretch it out along the Lungomare Pinzon (Pinzon Promenade) soaking up the sun and postcard scenery until we make our way to Hotel Eliseo, our seaside digs for the next three nights and where we'll be treated to six, four-course lunches and dinners, some of which we'll help prepare during our afternoon cookery classes.
Hotel Eliseo, a member of Piccoli Alberghi di Qualità (Association of Quality Small Hotels), is a family-run property that's been treating its guests just like family, too, for more than 60 years.
Owned and operated by Bernadetta Buda, the Eliseo is a squeaky-clean, 32-room property, with a warm, friendly and relaxing atmosphere that goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure your stay here is memorable. Hey, they want you to come back.
The Eliseo has a time-tested reputation of delivering high-quality service at affordable rates from its enviable position just across the street from the Blue Flag-rated beach that leads sun worshippers down to the inviting Adriatic Sea.
It's easy to see why the hotel is consistently rated in the top 10% by TripAdvisor® out of the 174 properties that dot the seaside landscape of Bellaria Igea Marina.
I score a sea-view room, one of eight the Eliseo has, and get the added enjoyment of watching the sunrise from my balcony each and every morning before taking a walk around the lungomare and port followed by breakfast outside in the garden — the fruit-filled crostate (baked tarts) and savory frittate (crustless quiche) are to die for, and the caffè latte scuro scuro is made to perfection.
La dolce vita? You bet. My love for la Romagna just keeps growing.
I'll admit, when I was asked to attend this gastro-tourism event I leaped at the chance to spend three days along the Adriatic on someone else's euro. Wouldn't you? But, I had no idea that I'd spend the majority of my time wearing an apron, manning a rolling pin and hanging out with someone else's grandmother!
Meet Nonna Violante, the real stella (star) of #LovingRomagna and the best reason to set your GPS for the Riviera Romagna.
She's the latest generation of the Buda family, owners of Hotel Eliseo, to manage the kitchen and create some of the most delicious, mouthwatering dishes you will ever savor IN YOUR LIFE. She's an expert in la cucina romagna, having learned all the secrets of preparation from her mother, who learned from her mother, who learned from her mother, etc.
If Fellini were alive today, he'd cast Nonna V in a heartbeat, and probably ask her to cook for his on-location film crew, too.
As sweet as ciambella (romagna-style ring cake), Nonna V took us by the hand — she called us her bambini (babies) — and taught us the tried-and-true, step-by-step, old-fashioned ways of making magic in the kitchen.
When the type 00 flour settled, our cookery class had a hand in — knuckles, too — 15 different recipes that were devoured by us and the other hotel guests during the six lunches and dinners plated, including the hotel's weekly Romagna Night feast, featuring a plethora of regional dishes, folkloric music and wine tasting. But, don't take my word for it, have a virtual taste.
Now, about that pasta I mentioned at the outset that's guaranteed to choke a few clerics? It's called strozzapreti (priest chokers), just one of the many colorful names I came across in my discovery of la cucina romagna with Nonna V.
And, when these "priest chokers" are topped with a clams-in-tomato sauce, the dish becomes the best murder-mystery you will ever read…uh…consume.
Along with the "required" eating, drinking and cooking, we were given ample time to breathe in the good air of Bellaria Igea Marina and explore one of the nearby pearls of the region, the atmospheric hilltop village of Santarcangelo di Romagna.
Founded by the Romans around 265 BC, Santarcangelo, a certified Cittaslow (Slow City), sits atop Monte Giove (Mount Jupiter) with clear views of the Adriatic coastline. Birthplace of favorite son Pope Clement XIV, Santarcangelo has been home to more intellectuals and artists than any other town in the province and hosts the annual International Street Theatre Festival.
During our nearly three hours on the ancient cobble, we went underground into the Monumental Public Grotto, climbed to the top of the rock to hear the Campanone (bell tower) announce the hour, took a peek inside the Button Museum — 8,500 in all — and ended our guided tour of the village with a sip of the region's signature sweet wine, Albano Romagna Dolce, courtesy of La Grotta dei Piacere (Cave of Pleasures), a wine shop that also sells local "slow food" specialties, like the much-coveted "sweet" salt Cervias and the prized Fossa cheese.
In Italy, it's the food, more than anything else, that draws tourists to her shores, and one of the best places to wet your whistle and whet your appetite is right here in Bellaria Igea Marina, on the Romagna side of the Emilia-Romagna region. With so much to see — think nearby Rimini, Ravenna and the Republic of San Marino — and so much to savor, you really owe yourself a try-on.
Special thanks to Bernadetta Buda and her staff at Hotel Eliseo for hosting #LovingRomagna, the Bellaria Igea Marina community for rolling out the red carpet, and a special hug to Nonna Violante for teaching us the "slow food" way around la cucina romagna.
I've always thought it would be fun to do a cooking tour in Italy. After reading this, I want to do it even more.
TSX — It was grand. You should try it.
Loved this posting! I could swear my hands started feeling sticky about halfway through. Thanks.
Once again I enjoyed the Arm chair tour of your latest foray. Once again I let your fingers do the talking and enjoy your photographic stills. I am looking forward to the day when you turn your trips into video and audio documentaries. Then you will probably end up on the "Food Channel" and be viewed by millions. Keep up the Great work Tom.
Fred — Thanks for the comment. It would be great to add video, which I could IF I had loads more time to do so. We'll see.
Worth the wait/weight. I haven't taken a cooking class in Italy, but I've taken cooking classes from an Italian woman who runs a cooking school on Cleveland's east side. Her grandmother's walnut sauce for pasta is superb. Mangia!
Janet — Glad you weighted for this one. Your Cleveland nonna's walnut sauce sounds great.
Great little tour, Tom, I want to go to Romagna NOW!!
Sue — Thanks for the feedback. You should go there.
I love the idea of a cooking class from an Italian Nonna! The true source of traditional skills.
Thanks for the feedback, Jeff. Much appreciated.
I love Romagna, too! And I see my friend Alessandra in your photos. She is the person who introduced Emilia-Romagna to me and I am so grateful for that. I hope to get back sometime and enjoy some of the experiences you had!
Cathy, E-R will be right there awaiting your triumphant return.
What an experience – and I thoroughly enjoyed your documentation of it all, both verbally and visually!


I think this is nice, but not at all what I was expecting...it is more American than English cider tasting. Floral, citrus (grapefruit), and honey notes. It is lacking the richness of typical English ciders. It is also sweeter than I was expecting (semi-sweet to semi-dry). Overall its tasty, but Aspall's Imperial remains my favorite.


When we're all on the same page, then we all benefit.
That's all there is to fascism, so you can see why fascism was not always a pejorative and was once widely respected. Most people thought it just made a lot of sense, although a few independent thinkers could foresee that it contained the seeds of hell on earth.
Consider that the term fascism is based on the ancient Roman symbol, the "fasces." The fasces illustrates the concept of "strength through unity." Whereas, one stick is weak; a bundle of sticks all pointing in the same direction, and tied together – is strong.
Much of the confusion around fascism is because the media and academia often ignore early stage fascism, which sounds a lot like modern progressive parties, and only look at the atrocities of late stage fascism, but those atrocities are not themselves fascism. They are just the inevitable result of fascism – just as they are the result of the admittedly more sophisticated modern progressive parties (e.g. consider Obama and his DHS). The sophistication of modern parties try really hard to hide their fascist nature, which thus further obfuscates our understanding of fascism.
Fascism does not specify any economic or political model. Also, fascism could be voluntary or imposed, so in theory, fascism could be an element of any government.
Liberal fascism is just as possible as conservative fascism, and left-wing fascism is just as possible as right-wing fascism. Even anarchy would be incorporating fascism if everyone voluntarily agreed to pursue the same collective agenda because they thought that "when we're all on the same page, we all benefit".
Fascism alone neither prescribes nor advocates coercion, dictators, militarism, self-righteousness, genocide, racism, powerful central governments, nor heavy government interference in business. However, it is easy to deduce why these are likely outcomes when a society places too much faith in the belief that: when we are all on the same page, we all benefit.
Although fascism does not require coercion to get everyone on the same page, in practice, most individuals in a free country would pursue different agendas, and even those who happened to pursue a common agenda would do so in different ways. Only a small percentage would ever pursue any given agenda in the same way. Therefore, it is logical f0r fascists to conclude that it is in everyone's best interests when we are forced to be on the same page because fascism assumes that the net result of everyone pursuing the same agenda in the same way would always be greater than every individual deciding what agenda he will pursue.
Although fascism does not require a powerful central government, fascists know that a single individual, company, political faction, city, newspaper, etc. could have significant wealth or power. It is thus logical for fascists to advocate a powerful central government to defeat any challenge to their agenda because fascists know that individual wealth or power might be used to challenge their agenda.
Although fascism does not require a dictator, consider that in government, when political factions can't come to an agreement, then government can't get much done. It is thus logical for fascists to advocate a dictator because it is logical for fascists to assume that it is a good thing when government can implement more of their agenda. Note that a democracy could be just as fascist as any dictatorship if a 51% majority could dictate anything.
Although fascism does not require militarism, consider that militarism tends to produce conformity, and conformity tends get everyone on the same page. Is it thus logical for fascists to adopt militarism as a model to jumpstart their plans because it is logical for fascists to assume that conformity is a good thing. In fact, conformism and fascism are pretty much the same thing. Fascism is little more than the open acknowledgement that conformism is a good thing.
Although fascism neither requires nor advocates genocide, when fascism inevitably fails, a government having absolute power will have both the incentive and the power to find a scapegoat who was not as much on the same page as everyone else – and punish them. Of course, the most believable and acceptable scapegoat will be some minority who actually wasn't as much on the same page as everyone else. Then a powerful government controlled media would have the means and the motive to wage a propaganda campaign to further exaggerate their differences.
Although fascism neither requires nor advocates racism, when a fascist government is looking for a scapegoat, a racial minority will usually make a more acceptable scapegoat. A racial minority is also usually a more believable scapegoat because it probably will have some degree of subculture that makes its members seem less willing to conform. A racial minority is also usually a more believable scapegoat because it probably will have a known complaint against the majority, and thus a known incentive to resist the national agenda.
Although fascism does not require a mixed model economy that heavily taxes, subsidizes, and regulates the free market, fascists tend to conclude that they can more easily implement their agenda if they heavily control the free market. Although fascism is highly compatible with such highly centrally controlled economic models as socialism and communism, fascists usually know that that true socialism and communism don't work, so they tend to be more pragmatic and go for a mixed model economy. In addition to their fear of challenges to their agenda from the free market, fascists think they know better than the free market, and of course, they can't resist plundering the free market – for the common good. Therefore, fascists tend to claim they support the free market, when for all practical purposes, they fear and hate the free market.
Although fascism does not require a self-righteous attitude about imposing one's agenda, if one believes that imposing one's agenda is the best possible way to benefit everyone, then, just like for religious zealots, it will be very easy for fascists to feel self-righteous about imposing their agenda.
To be more accurate, it is not that most philosophies and religions lead to the same outcomes as fascism when a single one of them has too much power – it is that they lead to fascism itself. This is rather obvious in retrospect. Once any single faction, such as the Bolsheviks, had seized power, they naturally concluded that if everyone agreed with them, then everyone would benefit.
The more general lesson then is that when any one faction gets too much power, they naturally tend to subordinate their original core tenets to the one idea that when we are all on the same page (as them), we all benefit. For example, this has happened to the dominant philosophy in American media, education, and government, but many decades of their dominance have left us all so ignorant and misinformed that they do not realize they are now – more than anything else – fascists.
For example, the dominant faction in American media, academia, and government for the last hundred years advocates an even bigger and more powerful central government. They bully others into conforming. They punish those who challenge their agenda. They despise gridlock in government. They love government regulation, and hate the free market. They assume it is everyone's best interests when we are all on the same page as them. Using their dominance of the media, their propaganda targets and scapegoats various minorities incessantly (i.e. poor white people, rich white people, religious white people, rural white people, Southern white people, "angry white males", tea partiers (they picture white ones), gun owners (they picture white ones), etc.) They are nauseatingly self-righteous about imposing their agenda, and although their agenda is primarily about extending existing government policies (how uninspired), they call themselves "progressive", but they, and the similar but much less powerful "neocons", are mostly just fascists. Consider this Progressive Party Platform.
When we're all free to pursue our own future, then we all benefit.
Best explanation of fascism I'ver ever read (I've read quite a lot)!
This is utterly brilliant. It will be bookmarked and shared far and wide.


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Introduction to Canadian Literature
Why Study Canada?
When I first began teaching Canadian Literature at the University of Vermont in the fall of 2003, I was surprised, though not shocked, at how little my students knew about Canada. Most of them could not name the country's Prime Minister (who at the time was also named Paul Martin!), nor even its capital city (Ottawa); most knew next to nothing about the large country that spans their own country's Northern border. Despite the fact that Canada is the United States' number one trading partner (more than one and a half billion dollars in trade occurs between the two countries every single day), the largest supplier of foreign oil to the US, one of its most long-standing allies, and a country with which it shares the world's longest (and for the moment) undefended border, Canada receives very little attention in the media or in the US educational system.
Canada and the United States: more than just neighbors
A nation of just over 33 million people in a country second only in size to Russia, Canada is remarkably diverse in both culture and geography, has two official languages, and declares itself in both government policy and its Constitution to be officially multicultural. Because Canada and the United States share the same continent, are so closely connected by trade and popular culture, and because nearly 90 percent of Canadians live within 100 miles of the US border, one might think it safe to assume that the two countries are not all that different from one another. While that might have been the case at some point in our nations' histories, if anything, today, Canada and the US are moving further apart than ever.
As Michael Adams' recent book Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada, and the Myth of Converging Values (2003) has shown, while the economies of these two nations seem to be coming more closely linked each day, the mainstream values of each society are becoming increasingly divergent. Recent moves by the Canadian government to legalize same-sex marriage, decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and the widespread national support for refusing to join in the invasion of Iraq are only some of the many differences between Canada's approach to these issues and those of the US government.
What John Ralston Saul reminds us, though, in his important book Reflections of a Siamese Twin: Canada at the end of the Twentieth Century (1997), is that one of the most significant philosophical differences between the two nations lies in each country's historical roots. In part because the land is so vast, mostly inhospitable, and impossible to conquer, the French colonizers understood early on that survival was only possible by cooperating with the Native peoples. Then, later, when the English took over from the French, rather than trying to assimilate the French inhabitants, they let them keep their language and religion. From the beginning, then, the early rulers of Canada recognized that the monolithic model of the nation-state (one language, one culture, one people) was impossible to achieve there. From the earliest days of Canadian democracy, the wielding of political power has always been about striking a balance of understanding between the French and the English.
Understanding each other
Although Canada and the United States are tightly linked by history, geography, and economics, it's fair to say that most Canadians know far more about the United States than most Americans know about Canada. In part, this has to do with the fact that although the United States is smaller geographically it has roughly ten times the population of Canada. More importantly, while Canada's population in primarily concentrated along its southern border, the population of the US is spread more widely throughout every region of the country. Thus, while the proximity and influence of its powerful neighbor is impossible for Canadians to ignore, Canada does not play an equivalent role in the day-to-day thoughts of Americans. During the height of the Vietnam War, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau remarked that "Living next to the United States is a little like sleeping with an elephant. You always wonder if they will roll over on you." The mouse, of course, always needs to pay close attention to the elephant, but the opposite is never true.
If Americans are, as J. Bartlett Brebner once put it, " benevolently ignorant about Canada," they are also unaware of just how "malevolently well informed" Canadians can be about the United States. As Margaret Atwood wrote in a 1986 piece written for the American magazine The Nation, the world's longest undefended border between Canada and the US might be better described as the world's "longest undefended one-way mirror." "The Canadians looking through this mirror," Atwood suggests, "behave the way people on the hidden side of such mirrors usually do: they observe, analyze, ponder, snoop and wonder what all the activity on the other side means in decipherable human terms. [. . .] The Americans, bless their innocent little hearts are rarely even aware that they are even being watched, much less by the Canadians" (332).
Despite Canadians' occasional bitterness about being ignored by their far more powerful and influential neighbor, it is safe to say that the two countries, remain excellent friends and strong allies. Canada and the United States have many things, including hockey, that bring at least some of their citizens together on a regular basis. The recent 2010 Olympics in Vancouver also brought a renewed attention to Canada on the part of Americans. Nowhere was this better demonstrated during the Olympics than in the remarkable piece Tom Brokaw did for NBC news about the USA's northern neighbor.
Canada's national literatures
The fact that the dominant paradigm of Canadian history and politics has been one that seeks to accommodate rather than eliminate heterogeneity has important ramifications on the shape of Canadian literary history, both institutionally and thematically. The existence of two main language groups in Canadian society means that Canada also has two virtually independent national literatures. Writers and readers in English Canada rarely read work originally written in French and vice-versa. Each of these "national" literatures, then, has developed on its own, with little knowledge of what is going on in Canada's other primary language community. English-Canadian literature, rather than taking inspiration from the literature of French Canada has traditionally looked to England and the United States for its literary models, and Quebec has, though to a much lesser degree, seen French literature from France as one of the standards to which to aspire. On a thematic level, there is certainly a strong current in the history of the literatures of Canada that revolves around the search for a national identity.
While there are a number of international successes from both the English and French literatures of Canada in the first part of the twentieth century, both of these literatures really came into their own in the 1960s. In the years since, many important, world-class writers have emerged from Canada. The works of writers like Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Alice Munro, Michel Tremblay, Anne Hébert, Carol Shields, and Mordecai Richler have met great international acclaim over the last 40 years and today many of Canada's younger writers like Yann Martel, Lisa Moore, Joseph Boyden, and Eden Robinson are receiving significant attention outside of Canada.
Want more information about Canada? A good starting place is the Government of Canada's About Canada page.


Dr Bibhas Khutia, 48, revived a stillborn at Patanda Primary Health Centre (PHC), Kolkata, and immediately after suffered a massive heart attack. He was declared dead by the time he was taken to a nearby super-speciality hospital. A bachelor, Dr Khutia was known to be a workaholic. The delivery ward at Patanda PHC was set-up by him for rural women.
KOLKATA: A 48-year-old doctor collapsed in the labour room and died minutes after reviving a newborn to life in East Midnapore's Patanda. The incident happened on Tuesday at Patanda Primary Health Centre (PHC).
Dr Bibhas Khutia, a general duty medical officer at the PHC had just helped Sonali Kulia Maji deliver a baby girl. The newborn showed no movement after the normal delivery procedure. The doctor immediately put the baby in the warmer and managed to resuscitate the new born. Just as Khutia revived the baby, he collapsed.
The lone nurse, assisting Khutia immediately took the warmer with the revived baby away from the doctor's hand and placed it on a table. Khutia collapsed on the ground. He was lifted to a stretcher by the other staff in the PHC and rushed to the nearby Panskura Super-specialty Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Doctors said that Khutia had suffered a massive heart attack.
Known to be a workaholic, Khutia had been posted in the Patanda PHC for more than a decade and half. He himself had developed the labour room so that in this unit in rural Bengal could serve well to expecting women in the vicinity. A bachalor, those who knew him well said that he had tied the knot to the PHC. He would readily camp himself in the PHC 24 hours whenever there was a manpower crisis.
"Infact he had been advised to undergo a coronary angiography months ago. But he ignored his own health issues, instead took up the work load of the PHC upon himself. Such was his dedication," said a doctor.
A pregnant Sonali of West Midnapore's Karanda, was admitted to the Patanda health centre on Monday night after she was complained of pain at home. She went into labour around 10.25am on Tuesday. Khutia conducted the delivery procedure and Sonali gave birth to a baby girl around 11 a.m.
"We salute his dedication while mourning his untimely death," said a spokesperson of West Bengal Doctors' Forum.


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Uber IPO underwriter Morgan Stanley denies reports that it marketed a short-selling product to Lyft investors
Connie Loizos	@Cookie / 2 years
It's getting bare-knuckled out there again in the ride-hailing wars.
According to a report earlier today from The Information, newly public Lyft threatened Morgan Stanley with legal action earlier this week, demanding in a letter that the powerful investment bank stop marketing a short-selling product that it believed was disrupting trading in its stock.
The outlet says Lyft learned about the product through the New York Post, which reported in its own, separate story early this week that Morgan Stanley — the lead underwriter for Uber's IPO — had been calling pre-IPO investors in Lyft's offering and pitching them on a way to lock in gains, regardless of Lyft's lockup agreements with those investors.
At first glance, it seems like the kind of dirty pool we've grown accustomed to seeing between the rival companies and their associates. But Morgan Stanley spokesman Mark Lake tells TechCrunch that the New York Post report was flat-out wrong, providing us with the following statement: "Morgan Stanley did not market or execute, directly or indirectly, a sale, short sale, hedge, swap, or transfer of risk or value associated with Lyft's stock for any Lyft shareholder identified by the company or otherwise known to us to be the subject of a Lyft lock-up agreement.
"Our firm's activities have been in the normal course of market making, and any suggestion that Morgan Stanley engaged in an effort to apply short pressure to Lyft is false."
What went wrong is hard to know, given that the Post shielded its sources. But it was descriptive in how it characterized the purported short-selling scheme. From its story:
Driving the unusual bets is language in Lyft's lock-up agreements that has hedge funds and other early Lyft investors giving themselves a green light to make limited "short" bets, which make money on a stock's decline. The goal is to position the bets in such a way that investors don't benefit from a decline or a rise in the stock, but simply to lock in their IPO gains, which were significant.
"If I can lock in $70 now, I'm going to do that," said an investor.
"Lyft made a mistake," one investor who bought into Lyft shares prior to the IPO told The Post. "People who own the stock are allowed to hedge their positions. You are not allowed to reduce your economic interest."
The investor was referring to a recent e-mail Lyft sent to investors reminding them that they are not allowed to engage in any transactions that might affect a holder's "economic interest " in the stock. This — and other "lock-up" language around the IPO — has Lyft investors protecting against a decline in an amount identical to their stock holdings, rather than betting on the stock's decline.
We've reached out to Lyft for comment, which has yet to respond.
A source familiar with the situation confirms that Lyft's ire with Morgan Stanley rests entirely on that Post piece, as noted in The Information. We're told that no further action has been taken, beyond the letter sent to the bank by Lyft's attorneys.
Whether the story ends here remains to be seen. The Information has updated its original post to include part of Morgan Stanley's statement of denial, but it continues to report that, according to one of its sources, Morgan Stanley had been calling early Lyft investors for weeks during its roadshow and pitching them on a short-selling transaction that would enable them to lock in gains, regardless of the lockup.
Assuming Morgan Stanley is telling the truth — and we can't imagine the bank would go on the record otherwise — there's still the question of who floated misinformation about a short-selling product in the first place. It may be one that regulators want to dig into. Stay tuned.


Washington safety Su'a Cravens reportedly informed team president Bruce Allen Sunday morning that he is retiring from the NFL, before the start of his second season as a professional. Cravens started three games for Washington last season as a rookie, and recorded 23 tackles and an interception in 11 games.
You may remember Cravens being involved in a mild social media controversy last season after he suffered a concussion while making a tackle in an October 2 game against the Cleveland Browns. Cravens reportedly was prescribed glasses in the immediate aftermath, to deal with symptoms of the concussion related to vision. Cravens alarmed fans by describing the glasses as something he'd have to wear for the rest of his life, but later said he'd in fact suffered no permanent damage from the concussion. Given what is known (and unknown) about brain injuries, that's a bit of an open question.
But Saturday night, Cravens informed his fellow defensive backs in a group text message that he was retiring, a second person familiar with the situation said.
Cravens, in the group message, praised each of his teammates for their skills and expressed gratitude for them and their role in his life. He said that he had enjoyed playing with them, but was retiring on Sunday and ended the text message with, "Peace out," and then removed himself from the group chat.
Cravens had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in early August, and though he hasn't yet returned to practice, he was expected to return to action before Week 1, and was projected as Washington's starting strong safety. It's unknown how much of the decision (if any) is health or injury related—the Post report mentions "personal issues that played a role in his decision." Allen reportedly convinced Cravens to postpone the decision in order to take time to resolve those issues, and the team placed Cravens on the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission List while his playing future is still up in the air.


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Home » Featured, Miscellaneous, People & Places, Trials » Glenn D. Godfrey Wants His Forty-Four Million Pound of Flesh
Glenn D. Godfrey Wants His Forty-Four Million Pound of Flesh
Glenn Godfrey
On the heels of three arbitration awards upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last week and a fourth involving the Belize Bank still making its way through the U.S. court system, the last thing the Government wants to hear about is further litigation. But that is exactly what it faces from Glenn D. Godfrey's G.D.G. Acquisitions LLC, which is renewing its pursuit of forty-four million Belize dollars owed for leasing equipment from the now defunct International Telecommunications Limited (Intelco). The case was originally dismissed in 2013 in lower courts in the state of Florida, but G.D.G. successfully appealed the verdict to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal in 2014. That court vacated the verdict and overruled the lower court's assertion that Belize, not the U.S., was the proper venue for litigation despite the fact the G.D.G. Acquisitions is a Florida-based company and the original agreement allowed for the settlement of disputes in U.S. courts rather than Belize. The Said Musa administration paid more than thirteen million dollars originally for the network and equipment bought by Intelco and governed by a Master Lease Agreement which was extended, then cut off by the succeeding Dean Barrow administration on the basis that it was defective. The Government has moved the appeal court to dismiss the current case. We visited Godfrey's Belize City offices seeking comment, but he offered none, indicating that he would issue a formal statement at some point addressing the issue.
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This afternoon I was fortunate to be a guest at the IBM plant in Essex Junction, Vermont, where they were holding a diversity event focusing on Franco-American culture. I was invited to perform my solo show, Piecework: When We Were French, and it was great fun to be part of the day. When I first wrote the show, I envisioned it as something I would be able to travel with and perform in informal, non-theatrical environments, and the IBM show was just that. Without all the theatrical bells and whistles, the piece becomes much more intimate, and it was an honor to performit for those friendly IBMers, many of whom generously stayed behind afterward to share their own stories about meat pie and Catholic school.
Now I'm headed south to Bennington, where I'll perform at Southern Vermont College in conjunction with a Franco-American event series there. (Here's the associated story that ran in the Bennington Banner last week.) This is a FREE show, so tip off all your Bennington friends! I'll be looking for them at Everett Mansion Wednesday night!


Telco Systems announced a strategic investment and joint development agreement with Arm, for Telco Systems to lead the development of new advanced, service-ready uCPE and NFV Edge solutions based on Arm architecture.
Telco Systems will focus on the development of performance acceleration solutions that utilize Arm and its SoC vendors' competitive edge, containerization of VNFs and cybersecurity solutions based on Arm TrustZone.
These new solutions will also serve as the foundation for future Arm-based Edge compute, IoT and MEC solutions.
In order to introduce and promote these uCPE and NFV edge solutions to the market, Telco Systems and Arm will work together to expand the technology partner ecosystem, customer pipeline and other go-to-market activities.
This technology partner ecosystem will include VNF and hardware vendors and will address the needs of Tier 1 service providers and network operators.
This Arm-NFVTime ecosystem will also allow VNF and whitebox vendors to unlock new business opportunities, create competitive differentiators and demonstrate superior performance.
Telco Systems CEO Ariel Efrati says, "After of successful collaboration with Arm, we are excited to now announce this significant investment and development deal to bring to market new uCPE and NFV Edge solution and drive the execution of Arm's strategy for the telecommunications networking infrastructure market.


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Home Features	Teacher and student experiment with spider venom
Teacher and student experiment with spider venom
written by Sara Denney November 5, 2015
There aren't many students on Harding's campus who could tolerate catching hundreds of spiders at 1:00 a.m., according to Dr. Ryan Stork, assistant professor of biology. This is why he said he was happy to find senior biology major Sara Wilmsen, who was willing to spend her summer working on a research project about spider venom.
"At this point, they're cute to me," Wilmsen said. "I guess staring at them under a microscope for a while gives you a new perspective on things."
At the beginning of the summer, Wilmsen and Stork spent many late nights catching spiders at Berryhill Park, Stork said. Over the course of the summer, they caught approximately 800 spiders, catching 100-150 spiders per trip.
"(They're) relatively easy to catch, except they like to hang out in thorn bushes and places like that, so sometimes it's more exciting," Stork said.
The purpose of Stork and Wilmsen's project was to evaluate if the rabid wolf spider needs venom in order to catch prey. To test their hypothesis, Stork and Wilmsen divided the spiders they caught into two groups and put superglue on the fangs of one of the group. After Stork and Wilmsen fed them, they learned that the venom is not necessary to capture the prey that they were fed.
Stork said one of the goals of the project is to build background information that graduate students can use to answer further questions about spiders, because there are gaps in information pertaining to questions like these.
"This is a descriptive project," Stork said. "With spiders, there aren't a lot of answers for simple questions like this."
Although spiders are not something that Wilmsen is passionate about, she said it has focused her on what she wants to do.
"I think I will work with them in the future, but I'm interested in a broader spectrum – venom physiology, it's affect on what it's being injected into and what it's composed of," she said.
Wilmsen said she plans to attend graduate school next year, then continue on to get her Ph.D. Ultimately, she said she wants to do research with venomous creatures and snakes. In the mean time, Stork said he will be searching for a new student to continue on in Wilmsen's place.
Teacher and student experiment with spider venom was last modified: by Sara Denney
Sara Denney
Badges and bottle caps
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Dr. Mike James prepares to sign off
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For generations heaven has watched and waited… for the champions to arise—the ones with the heart of the Father, crying out for mercy and justice. Join Zoe as she is transported to the moment that Jesus dies on the cross. Travel into realms of glory and discover the mystery of the Tower of Light. Receive the key of heaven—the revelation that will set Jesus' captive Bride free…who is this Bride and why has no one rescued her?


In order to generate a consensus across child health professionals in the NHS and local government, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the NHS Confederation, with support from the Office for Public Management (OPM), held an event in September 2011 to discuss the key priorities for child health and the reforms. This report highlights the key findings and recommendations from the event about involving children and young people in decisions about health and well-being services and developing a culture of participation.
This report was published by the RCPCH and NHS Confederation, in association with the Office for Public Management.


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Dividend Stocks / 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy That Make the Grade
7 Dividend Stocks to Buy That Make the Grade
It's always good to have a couple total return picks in your portfolio
June 5, 2017	 By Louis Navellier, Editor, Growth Investor	Jun 2, 2017, 3:14 pm EST	 June 5, 2017
As you know, I'm very much focused on growth. But that doesn't mean you ignore the income side of investing altogether.
There are a handful of companies that make the grade that are delivering solid dividends as well as hold great prospects for growth. Call them income plays, total return plays or growth stocks with a kicker, it's not important. What is important is these are seven dividend stocks that make the grade.
They come from various industries, but the one common feature is, the industries they're in are growing. And they are set to benefit handsomely from that growth. The dividends simply provide an extra boost, or in some cases, a payment for your patience while the sector turnaround.
7 Must-Have Tech Stocks for the Next 5 Years
And as dividend stocks, the point in holding them is to hold them, not trade them. You only get the benefit of dividends if you plan on sticking around long enough to collect them.
Dividend Stocks: Boeing (BA)
Dividend: 2.9%
Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) is the largest aerospace company in the world and the biggest exporter in the U.S. With more than 140,000 employees in all 50 states, and 13,600 subcontractors that employ 1.5 million people, BA is one of the most established corporate brands in the world.
On the upside, its aerospace business — military aircraft, satellites, space station, drones, homeland security, etc. — will see a boost from the current administration in Washington. Also, its commercial airplanes will also benefit from the continuing long-term trend of growing air travel demand around the world.
Also, as we near the next election cycle, because BA has workers in every state, it keeps politicians aware that cutting programs means their constituents lose jobs. And in this environment, that's not the smart choice.
Yielding a rock-solid 3% after a 21% run-up since the beginning of the year, BA is in a great spot now.
Dividend Stocks: DTE Energy (DTE)
Dividend: 3%
DTE Energy Co (NYSE:DTE) is a diversified power company that is based out of Detroit, Michigan. It has a regulated energy business providing utility services to 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, as well as a gas business serving 1.2 million customers. It's one of the oldest and largest natural gas utility businesses in the U.S.
As you well know, times have been tough in the Midwest in general and Detroit in particular in the past decade. But DTE has adapted to the challenges and is currently expanding its nonregulated energy operations.
DTE supplies and stores natural gas that it distributes around the U.S. and into Canada. This is where the nearest opportunities lie. It's generating high-margin energy from biomass and its pipelines are increasingly valuable.
3 Earnings Reports to Watch Next Week
Delivering a 3% dividend yield, DTE is taking advantage of the market opportunities on the unregulated side and is doing a very good job, up 12% year to date.
Dividend Stocks: CenterPoint (CNP)
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) is Houston-based energy provider that has been powering homes and businesses in one form or another for the past 140 years.
It delivers electricity and natural gas across the U.S., on its own and with a network of partners. CNP serves 100,000 customers in 32 states. Considering that CNP sits close to the Eagle Ford Shale, which is the heart of one of the biggest energy rich regions in the U.S., and there is a focused effort to increase reliance on U.S. energy, CNP is in the catbird seat for growth in the energy distribution sector.
But those gains will come over time, although CNP is up 17% year to date. Fortunately, CNP kicks off a nice 3.7% dividend yield to pay for your patience.
Dividend Stocks: Permian Basin (PBT)
Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT) is basically a exploration and production company that has properties in the Permian Basin, which extends from West Texas into New Mexico.
Considering the past few years, PBT has had a tough go of it when prices were so low that it was hard to be profitable as a U.S. producer.
But now times have changed, as have technologies. PBT can now extract oil and gas much cheaper, so it can make more money when prices are low. Previously, breakeven was around $50 a barrel. Now producers can be profitable closer to $40 a barrel.
5 Top Stocks to Buy in June
Right now, PBT is off almost 100% from its 2012 highs, but the stock is moving up again. It's up 31% in the past 12 months. And just to reward your patience, PBT is delivering a 6.5% dividend yield.
Dividend Stocks: Alliance (AHGP)
Alliance Holdings GP, LP. (NASDAQ:AHGP) is the general partner that owns a number of limited partnerships focused on coal production and distribution to utilities and industry.
AHGP has had a tough couple of years, to say the least. With the abundance of U.S. natural gas and the ensuing low prices, coal companies had a tough time competing. While coal is cheap, it's a much different logistical process to get coal where it needs to be versus natural gas. Plus, natural gas is far more efficient and clean.
But the new administration is backing coal and repealing legislation that made competition difficult for coal companies. And as usual, this oversold sector is now starting to gain traction and has a solid multi-year run ahead of it.
Up 50% in the past 12 months and still delivering a nearly 8% dividend, AHGP has its best days before it.
Dividend Stocks: Armour Residential (ARR)
Dividend: 8.7
Armour Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) is a REIT with a twist. Instead of buying properties, ARR manages a portfolio of mortgages on residential properties that are mostly owned by Government special entities (GSEs) like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae.
Since it's structured like a REIT, by law it must distribute 90% of its revenue to its trust holders (aka, investors), which it does in the form of a dividend. In the past few years, this has not been a very active market because the housing market was so slow.
But now, as the economy shows signs of recovery, and interest rates are rising, ARR is seeing renewed interest in the market. In the past 12 months the stock is up 33%.
10 Boring Stocks to Buy for Red-Hot Returns
More stock gains are likely, but right now, the compelling reason to own ARR is its 8.7% dividend. As long as the economy keeps chugging along, ARR is safe.
Dividend Stocks: Arbor Realty (ABR)
Arbor Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:ABR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that provides financing for multifamily and commercial real estate properties.
In layman's that means ABR finances new and existing properties, whether they're hotels, apartment buildings, industrial office space or commercial space around the country. It currently has a portfolio valued at $13 billion.
As the economy recovers, this is a unique company that has a lot of headroom. Interest rates will rise, which will mean its margins will improve. As more people get back to work or make more money, property values will rise and that only helps ABR's bottom line and its investors' bottom line as well.
As a REIT, ABR passes its profits on to investors like they were business partners, because by law they are. Right now, the stock is yielding a stunning 8.7%. And it's up almost 11% year to date.
Louis Navellier is a renowned growth investor. He is the editor of five investing newsletters: Blue Chip Growth, Emerging Growth, Ultimate Growth, Family Trust and Platinum Growth. His most popular service, Blue Chip Growth, has a track record of beating the market 3:1 over the last 14 years. He uses a combination of quantitative and fundamental analysis to identify market-beating stocks. Mr. Navellier has made his proven formula accessible to investors via his free, online stock rating tool, PortfolioGrader.com. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more of his newsletters.
Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2017/06/7-dividend-stocks-that-make-the-grade/.


The self-organized nature, the high mobility of vehicles, dependency of vehicles on geographic location, lack of security mechanisms and the irregular connectivity between vehicles can lead to several issues in security of VANETs. The malicious nodes in the vehicular ad hoc network aim at jeopardizing the delivery of messages. Compromised vehicles can severely degrade the routing performance of the network by performing several malicious activities such as selectively dropping messages, and manipulating the messages. The basic solution to tackle with these attacks is based on the notion of watchdog nodes (guard nodes) that assists in the data packet forwarding process in the presence of malicious nodes in the network. The secondary solution for dealing with these attacks is based on the beacon-less routing algorithm that can be embedded in the vehicular routing protocols.
Data Transmission is established in the network environment that contains attacker nodes that are modeled to drop the packet.
Guard nodes are configured to perform the seamless data transmission on the observation packet dropping activity of the attacker.
Packet loss can be reduced due to the usage of guard nodes. Packet delivery ratio is improved and end-to-end delay is reduced caused by the retransmission of data over alternative path.
Juan A. Martinez, Daniel Vigueras, Francisco J. Ros, and Pedro M. Ruiz "Evaluation of the Use of Guard Nodes for Securing the Routing in VANETs" JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS, VOL. 15, NO. 2, APRIL 2013.


The relational and the entity-relationship model made a huge impact in the IT world for nearly half a century. But during this long period of standardization it meant also one thing, everyone had to comply with the rules and requirements of the model. Everyone had to think in terms of Entity-Attribute-Value or Subject-Predicate-Object as it is known in the RDF semantic model. Programming languages have been affected to from this monolithic way of thinking. Although it proved to be advantageous to program with classes and objects, it created an artificial problem of how to map these onto persistent data structures on the disk, also known as the object-relational impedance mismatch problem. Knowledge representation frameworks did not escape from this too. Ontologies expressed in OWL followed the same paradigm with classes, attributes, and values. Serialization methods such as JSON (object-name-value) and XML (element-attribute-value) also came after the same rationale.
Can you think of a better alternative ?


The PG course offered in various engineering disciplines at Alliance College of Engineering and Design supports professionals holding undergraduate engineering degree to move forward in academics in context of challenges and opportunities in National development. The PG course is spread over two years in four semesters and inclusion of mini project, minor electives and dissertation are the special features of the curriculum. The contents of course are focused to facilitate its execution.


Jamie Lynn Spears' daughter Maddie had a special early birthday celebration with her mom's family.
Jamie Lynn, 27, posted on her Instagram page on Friday a photo showing her with her eldest child, who will turn 10 next week, her 2-month-old daughter Ivey, her sister Britney Spears, 36, with her sons Sean Preston, 12, and Jayden James, 11; plus her and Britney's brother Bryan Spears and his daughter Sophia.
Maddie is holding her baby sister on her lap, while Sophia sits on Sean Preston's.
Ivey is Jamie Lynn's first child with her husband of four years, Jamie Watson.
This mark's the baby's first public family photo with her aunt, uncle and cousins.
In the photo, Jamie Lynn tagged Jamie and her mom, Lynne Spears.
In April, Jamie posted on Instagram a sweet photo of Maddie with Britney's sons.
"Cousins came to watch Maddie play," he wrote.


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Particle size matters for porous building blocks
by Rice University
Thin (left) and thick films made of porous nanoparticles of calcium and silicate reacted differently under pressure as tested in a Rice University lab. Particles in the thin films moved out of the way for a nanoindenter and allowed the film to stay intact, while thick films cracked. Credit: Multiscale Materials Laboratory/Rice University
Porous particles of calcium and silicate show potential as building blocks for a host of applications like self-healing materials, bone-tissue engineering, drug delivery, insulation, ceramics and construction materials, according to Rice University engineers who decided to see how well they perform at the nanoscale.
Following previous work on self-healing materials using porous building blocks, Rice materials scientist Rouzbeh Shahsavari and graduate student Sung Hoon Hwang made a wide range of porous particles between 150 and 550 nanometers in diameter—thousands of times smaller than the thickness of a sheet of paper—with pores about the width of a strand of DNA.
They then assembled the particles into micron-sized sheets and pellets to see how well the arrays held up under pressure from a nanoindenter, which tests the hardness of a material.
The results of more than 900 tests, reported this month in the American Chemical Society's ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, showed that bigger individual nanoparticles were 120 percent tougher than smaller ones.
This, Shahsavari said, was clear evidence of an intrinsic size effect where particles between 300 and 500 nanometers went from brittle to ductile, or pliable, even though they all had the same small pores that were 2 to 4 nanometers. But they were surprised to find that when the same big particles were stacked, the size effect didn't carry over entirely to the larger structures.
Rice University materials scientists tested structures made of calcium-silicate nanoparticles and found that particles go from brittle to ductile as they increase in size. The compressed single particle at left deformed under the pressure of a nanoindenter. At center and right, large particles did not crack under pressure. Credit: Multiscale Materials Laboratory/Rice University
The principles revealed should be important to scientists and engineers studying nanoparticles as building blocks in all kinds of bottom-up fabrication.
"With porous building blocks, controlling the link between porosity, particle size and mechanical properties is essential to the integrity of the system for any application," Shahsavari said. "In this work, we found there is a brittle-to-ductile transition when increasing the particle size while keeping the pore size constant.
"This means that larger submicron calcium-silicate particles are tougher and more flexible compared with smaller ones, making them more damage-tolerant," he said.
The lab tested self-assembled arrays of the tiny spheres as well as arrays compacted under the equivalent of 5 tons inside a cylindrical press.
Rice University materials scientists synthesized spherical, porous nanoparticles of calcium and silicate, formed films and pellets and tested their toughness under pressure from a nanoindenter. They found films made of larger particles approaching 500 nanometers were much tougher and the films and pellets less prone to cracking under pressure. At right, small particles are deformed after nanoindentation. Credit: Multiscale Materials Laboratory/Rice University
Four sizes of spheres were allowed to self-assemble into films. When these were subject to nanoindentation, the researchers found the intrinsic size effect largely disappeared as the films showed variable stiffness. Where it was thin, the weakly bonded particles simply made way for the indenter to sink through to the glass substrate. Where it was thick, the film cracked.
"We observed that the stiffness increases as a function of applied indentation forces because as the maximum force is increased, it leads to a greater densification of the particles under load," Shahsavari said. "By the time the peak load is reached, the particles are quite densely packed and start behaving collectively as a single film."
Pellets made of compacted nanospheres of various diameters deformed under pressure from the nanoindenter but showed no evidence of getting tougher under pressure, they reported.
"As a next step, we're interested in fabricating self-assembled superstructures with tunable particle size that better enable their intended functionalities, like loading and unloading with stimuli-sensitive sealants, while offering the best mechanical integrity," Shahsavari said.
Scientists develop 'programmable' cement particles to attain enhanced properties
More information: Sung Hoon Hwang et al, Intrinsic size-effect in scaffolded porous calcium silicate particles and mechanical behavior of their self-assembled ensembles, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2017). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b15803
Journal information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Provided by Rice University
Citation: Particle size matters for porous building blocks (2017, December 18) retrieved 19 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2017-12-particle-size-porous-blocks.html
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Home Columnist Marcus Maddison to return to football
Marcus Maddison to return to football
Whilst there would have been some disappointment to the news that Marcus Maddison had decided to retire earlier in the season despite being in the prime years of his career, his reasons for doing so would have been extremely difficult to argue against.
A former Championship player, Maddison had revealed that he had fallen out of love with the professional game and that "the abuse, pressure and monotony has gotten to me" after sharing an emotional post on Instagram when he made his decision public.
The attacking midfielder managed to go on to make over 250 appearances in the English Football League across multiple divisions, scoring 65 goals for the likes of Charlton Athletic, Bolton Wanderers, Peterborough United and Hull City, who he was playing for in the Championship and was perhaps a favourite for those bettors who continued to look for the best football odds available at the Chinese allvideoslots website.
Having retired, it seems he is now back to playing football, albeit at a lower level where the limelight does not shine as bright and where he will be able to enjoy his football with someone he knows rather well and can have a laugh with.
Maddison has decided to sign with local amateur side, Spalding United, as he reunites with former team-mate, Gaby Zakuani who is the current manager of the Northern Premier League Division One side.
"When Gaby reached out and offered me the opportunity to get involved with what he's trying to build at Spalding, I felt like it was something I wanted to be part of," said Maddison.
"I look forward to getting fit and showing the gaffer what I can do."
Zakuani, a retired defender who was capped 29 times by DR Congo and played alongside Maddison at Peterborough, explained on Twitter: "I reached out to Marcus at a time of need.
"I've played with him, I've captained him, I understand him.
"The boy just wants to enjoy his football without constant judgement, he's a human being first of all. I'm able to provide what he needs right now. Perfect fit for Spalding United."
Indeed, whilst there will be a disappointment that Maddison will not be performing on an English Football League pitch in the immediate future, at least he is going to get the opportunity to play the sport many of us love without thousands of fans judging every single action he takes when on the pitch.
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EFL played a role in providing England's Euro 2020 squad with talent


Sticky: SOX Filing Status - Accelerated Filer or not?
"Churning" a decedant's stock portfolio.
How does external auditor perform fluctuation analysis?
Should internal audit 'do SOX'?
Can Independent Auditors Share Risk Assessment with IA?
Basic:-Guideline, when to start SOX.


KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb 4, 2019) — Even as Coles College senior Lacy Bernhardt holds the physical book in her hand, she has trouble believing that she is actually a published author.
Bernhardt, a management major earning a minor in marketing, published her first book in December, called Whiskey Flavored Cigarettes. A collection of poetry written throughout Bernhardt's time as a Kennesaw State University student, the book represents years of writing, re-writing, and perseverance.
She describes Whiskey Flavored Cigarettes as a celebration of life and all of its joys and sorrows.
Bernhardt's poetry addresses universal themes of love, loss, hope, and regret. While many of her poems are about coping with unrealized goals, she says that writing the book is one dream that she refused to let die.
Writing poetry has been Bernhardt's passion since she was a child, and she has always pictured herself as an author. However, for years she has juggled the demands of being a full-time student along with her full-time job managing a call center for Carl Black Chevrolet, which left little time for pursuing writing professionally. Inspired by the encouragement of friends and family, Bernhardt decided the time was right. She spent several months last year compiling and editing her poems for publication.
Using the Blurb self-publishing platform, Bernhardt printed a physical run of Whiskey Flavored Cigarettes for sale on the Amazon store and created a digital version for the Apple iBooks digital store. Her book officially went on sale December 27.
By opting to self-publish, Bernhardt knew she would face an uphill battle as she assumed full responsibility for marketing. Fortunately, her skills gained as a student in the Michael J. Coles College of Business have helped her tackle that and other challenges.
Social media has been Bernhardt's most successful marketing tool. Leading up to the book's release, she began posting excerpts on her Instagram page – @thrublacknwhite – to build positive word of mouth.
Bernhardt has always been motivated to succeed. According to Dr. Deborah Roebuck, a management and entrepreneurship professor who has taught Bernhardt, she always takes the lead in group assignments and is proactive about engaging with faculty when she has questions about the material or her grades.
Now that Whiskey Flavored Cigarettes is out, Bernhardt will continue promoting it on social media and plans to host book signings. Although editing, publishing and marketing the book has required a significant time investment, Bernhardt has not let that interfere with her plans to graduate in May and to achieve her career goals.


Coming as no surprise, companies update their products periodically, making them run more efficiently, increasing performance, adjusting prices to make them more marketable. AMD's current position is not the best one, of that there is no doubt. With Intel's Core i7 CPUs tearing through synthetic benchmarks like nobody's business, AMD is left to try to stand out in some fashion.
Because AMD has no direct competition in terms of pure performance horsepower to the Core i7, they are focusing more on the Core i5 and Core i3 chips. The more value-oriented market is likely the most competitive, as overclockers on a budget pick up cheap chips, and make them perform like the big boys, for much less, and consumers aren't likely to blow several thousand dollars on a system.
AMD is introducing several new chips, though they are new only in name. The Athlon II X3 440, Athlon II X4 635, and Phenom II X4 910e (the e denoting low power usage) are just three of several new AMD chips, and they do look rather familiar, particularly the X4 635 which reminds us of the impressive X4 620 that proved to be a tremendous overclocker on the cheap. Continuing that trend, these processors are essentially refresh chips with lower prices and higher clocks, plain and simple. AMD is going for computing value, and these new processors are their response to Intel's Clarkdale launch for the most part.
So can these new processors overclock any better than recent AMD offerings, and if so, just how far can they go? How do they stack up against Intel's offerings? We'll answer these questions today, and we promise you, there are some very interesting surprises in store for you.


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Driving force behind Thompson-Boling Arena, Tim Reese, retires
The man behind Thompson-Boling Arena retires.
By Rick Russo
Published: Dec. 29, 2020 at 1:03 PM EST|Updated: Dec. 29, 2020 at 9:05 PM EST
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -For 30 plus years, Tim Reese has been the driving force behind one of the most recognizable buildings on UT campus.
Thompson-Boling Arena has been on UT's campus for more than 33 years and is one of the best multi-purpose facilities in all of sports. Reese has been there for each of those years as a manager for the building.
"33 years is kind of a blur, but the people are really what stands out you know, we just have great people around here," said Reese.
Reese witnessed the arena open in 1987 and continued to watch it grow throughout renovations.
"There were 24,000, plus orange seats. There were not the suites there was not the center hung scoreboard. You know the institution I think has done a marvelous job of having the building evolve as time has gone, and this is where Peyton announced he was staying in a lot of head coach announcements here," said Reese.
Reese says he's seen many coaches come and go, but among his favorites was the ability to know and work side-by-side with the legendary Pat Summitt.
"Coach Summitt was right next door. And she said, 'What are you doing in the office?' And I said well Coach I just stopped in to pick up a check and she said 'For what?', and I said, it's for breast cancer where she said, 'Get over here.' So she called me at her office, wrote me a check. Eventually, to do that, you know, there's a lot of one off moments like that, that I'll remember."
Reese is more of a patron now but still will still continue to work on hand through February. Reese smooth is just the kind of legacy Reese was hoping to leave behind.
"It's kind of been a success," said Reese. "Those associated with the facility should have a great sense of pride and what we have done for the community."
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