It is an unfortunate fact that cloth – fibers, textiles, and fabric – are poorly preserved and thus not well represented in the archaeological and historical record. Although some areas, such as New Mexico, have collections of historic period textiles dating back centuries, here in San Diego we do not have any preserved textiles from the early historic period. I decided to look at records and documents related to Mission San Diego de Alcala to help me understand the types of fabric and textiles produced and used in Old Town San Diego during the Californio period, roughly spanning the time from Mexican independence to territorial control by the United States (1821 – 1848). It is my hope that this information will support living history interpretation and programs.
Workshops for textile production were located at every mission, since each was intended to be self-sufficient. Weaver Antonio Henrique taught weaving to the neophytes throughout the California mission system and his Native wife taught the Native American women and girls how to spin (Schuetz-Miller 1994: 187). Beginning at Mission San Diego, she taught carding, spinning, and weaving at the southern Missions (Webb 1952: 210). Henrique made spinning wheels, warping frames, looms, combs, and taught the weaving of woolen cloth at the Native mission workshops (Engelhardt 1920: 147). According to Engelhardt, he taught the neophytes how to weave different types of woolen cloth, including "Sayal Franciscano", a coarse fabric worn by the missionaries (and probably the native people). In a report from 1797, the mission in San Juan Capistrano reported that the native women pick and spin wool and cotton.
Seeds for plant fibers – hemp, flax, and cotton – were planted at the California missions as part of their agricultural program. Royal orders were issued in 1793 for hemp to be grown to support shipbuilding in New Spain. The hemp fiber would be made into rope for rigging. This was most successful at the southern missions. In 1810, Mission San Diego shipped 44,781 pounds of hemp fiber to New Spain for rope manufacturing; however, after this year neither the funds nor ships were available to carry the resource (Archibald 1978: 120).
Cotton was grown in San Diego as well. The mission started growing cotton in 1819, but that year was a poor yield; in 1820 conditions improved and 14 arrobas (approximately 350 pounds) were harvested (Archibald 1978: 175). According to M. Duflot de Mofras, attaché of the French legation to Mexico from 1841-42, "The cotton raised is of a superior quality, but men are wanting to cultivate it…" (Engelhardt 1920: 244). As will be discussed below, the cotton harvest was stored at the mission at the time of secularization.
But the major textile production was in wool. The importation of Churro sheep into San Diego for use by the mission community was part of the Spanish strategy of establishing independent settlements that would expand and support the Spanish empire. Since the Churro sheep and their history has been discussed previously (Hector 2015), this information will not be repeated. Engelhardt (1920: 244) noted that at one time the mission had 32,000 sheep grazing on their lands.
Most of the Churro fleece was used in its natural colors of black, white, brown, gray, and tan. The missions also imported dyes from the port of San Blas, which was a hub for moving goods from New Spain into Alta California until 1810; after that date, and the withdrawal of the Spanish government from California, the port was closed and other means were used to transport goods (Archibald 1978).
The imported dyes were brazilwood (wine red), campeche/logwood (purple and black), and zacatascal (yellow) (Bancroft 1963: 658). Indigo (blue) was identified in numerous invoices to the missions (Webb 1952: 213-214). Zacatascal is Cuscuta spp., a type of parasitic dodder from Mexico. It is also called "zacatlaxcalli" and produces a yellow dye. Many species of dodder have been used historically as a dye plant, usually with alum as the mordant (Shibayama et al. n.d.). Local wildflowers were also used by the mission dyers, most likely to produce yellow or a pale color. Cochineal (red) may have been used, although it was a very expensive dye and was strictly controlled by the Spanish government. Brazilwood was a much more economical red dye to use.
Many of the padres preferred to wear imported cloth, and did not like to wear the fabric produced by the missions (Archibald 1978: 129); this preference is evident in the mission inventory. The native neophytes and gentiles wore most of the wool fabric produced, and perhaps suffered because of it. Due to a lack of water and ability to clean and launder clothing, the wool fabric was rarely washed. In 1816, one missionary blamed the filthy wool clothing for the high mortality of the native population (Archibald 1978: 157). Fabric and textiles were given to the native people as gifts for conversion or baptism, although these items were often returned in disgust over the insistence by the padres to wear European style clothing (Duggan 2000).
When the Mexican government decided to close the missions and turn their land holdings into private ranches, the churches were required to prepare inventories of their possessions so they could be sold. At secularization (1834), Mission San Diego's inventory cited 6 looms (2 identified as useless), 16 spinning wheels, 12 pairs of cards, and 3 combs (two for flax and one for blankets) (Engelhardt 1920: 341; Webb 1952: 210). The inventory also includes an extensive list of textiles. A close look at this inventory provides important information about how fabric was produced and used at the mission.
In New Spain, the church was a major consumer of imported fabrics such as velvet, damask, satin, and brocades, using these rich fabrics not only for their vestments but for ceremonial church coverings (Phipps 2014). Printed cotton fabric from India was imported to New Spain by the Manila galleons during the 16th through the 18th centuries (Benson 2008; Fisher 1994: 125; Phipps 2014). These were referred to as Indiana or Indianillas. Madder (red) and indigo were used in India to produce the block printed colors on these fabrics. There was some production of printed cotton fabric in Mexico, where cochineal was used instead of madder (Phipps 2014: 10 – 11). It was certainly less expensive to do the printing in Mexico than to import the printed cotton from India. The Santa Barbara Presidio community, for example, received printed cottons from Mexico when they requested Indiana cloth (Perissinoto 1998).
Of most interest to my research was the list of items from the San Diego mission warehouse, inventoried on September 25, 1834. This list is likely to contain items made at the mission for everyday use and for clothing the neophytes. From the beginning of the mission system, they supplied clothing and fabric for the local native population, both to preserve modesty and as gifts (Duggan 2000).
Some of the fabric stored in the warehouse consisted of luxury yardage, presumably for making priests' clothing and church goods. These fabrics are sangaleta, which is a silk fabric with patterned weft designs, and Indiana cotton, printed with large flowers. The inventory listed 18.5 varas of Indiana (over 16 meters) and 29 varas of sangaleta (over 24 meters). That is a lot of fabric, and very costly fabric at that. In addition to these items, the inventory listed another 14 varas of fine Indiana (almost 12 meters). There were 22 varas of scrap Indiana as well. Clearly this yardage was intended for construction of clothing and furnishings, since 23 copper thimbles, buttons large and small, and sewing thread was also listed.
This is ixtle, which is plant fiber (Aechmea magdalenae) used as warp for Saltillo serapes (Wheat 1994: 58). Agave fiber is sometimes used as a substitute for the bromeliad. In this form, it is sometimes referred to as henequen. Although I am tempted to suggest that perhaps local agave fibers, which were spun by the Kumeyaay as part of their traditional fiber technology, were used for this item, I doubt that they were. Pita floja is listed many times in the requisitions and invoices associated with the Santa Barbara Presidio community (Perissinotto 1998). Therefore, I have concluded that this material was imported from Mexico. But what of the association with Saltillo serapes? I can only conclude that both in San Diego and at Santa Barbara weavers were using the preferred ixtle for a traditional warp and were weaving serapes with yarn spun from local wool as weft.
This bulk cotton was stored in the textile shop with the spinning wheels, carders, and looms (Engelhardt 1920: 341). We do not know if this cotton, which was grown in mission fields, was for internal production or export like the hemp fibers. An arroba is approximately 25 pounds, so that is 625 pounds of cotton. It takes less than a pound of cotton to make a shirt, so based on my experience growing, spinning and weaving cotton that's a lot of cotton – plenty to spin and weave at the mission and to trade.
Manta would have been an easy fabric to produce at the mission. It is a plain woven wool, not fine, and used both as clothing and for blankets (as the saying goes, clothing by day, bed by night). Daily clothing for both priests, monks, and neophytes was made out of manta cloth. The question is, was it woven at the mission in these lengths? A pieza or bolt of fabric was a length of approximately 20 meters. Would a mission period loom be capable of holding a warp of 22 meters (20 meters of fabric plus approximately 2 meters of waste beyond the woven fabric). As a weaver myself, and having seen the large floor looms used in New Mexico, I know that a 20 meter warp is not unusual if a warping reel is used to wind the yarn. A fast weaver can easily produce a meter of fabric a day. So it is possible that these lengths were made at the mission.
Churro sheep produce a fleece that is long staple, glossy and silk-like in sheen, and low in lanolin. It is ideal for handspinning and weaving, particularly in areas where there is not an abundance of water to wash the fleece (Wheat 2003). I spun a series of singles yarns from Churro wool, and dyed them with a sampling of natural dyes that would have been available during the time that San Diego's mission was active (Photographs 1 and 2). The long staple of the yarn produces a fine single, and was easy to produce on both a spindle wheel and a flyer wheel. This material could be used for embroidery or weaving without plying. A two-ply yarn could be used as either warp or weft, although more traditionally as the warp yarn.
Bayeta, which was called sabanilla in New Mexico, was woven only if Churro sheep were available (Wheat 2003: 71). This fabric, which is loosely woven and was sometimes brushed into a flannel for outerwear, was the base material for traditional colcha embroidery (Benson 2008: 60-61). Later, cotton was used as the base material for colcha embroidery, and commercial yarns were used instead of handspun Churro singles. Without the glossy Churro yarn, the pieces lost their luster and quality.
Jerga fabric was also a commonly produced cloth. It was woven as a twill, in checks or plaid. Although most commonly woven as floor covering, it was also used for outer clothing, including shawls (Minge 1994). It is worth noting that twill weaving on a treadle floor loom requires at least three harnesses. We do not know what kind of looms were at the mission.
The 173 blankets listed in the inventory were probably made from these types of coarse, plain cloth. Lucero and Baizerman (1999: 12 – 13) noted that wool utilitarian cloth was produced as yardage on a loom for everyday use: work clothes, bedding, floor coverings, and blankets for "… laborer, farmer, Indian." The imported fabrics were used by the upper class military, landowners, and priests.
There are also arguments against these items having been produced at the mission. The detailed requisitions and invoices related to the Santa Barbara Presidio community list all of these types of cloth as having been obtained from San Blas (Perissinotto 1998). Or, it could be that as soon as fabric was woven, it was used or distributed to the neophytes or other Native people – and not stored.
The specific mention of a wool comb for making mantas is a direct statement that this fabric was manufactured at the mission. The list indicates that wool, at least, was combed, carded, spun, wound into skeins, and woven into fabric.
Inventories from the missions and presidios demonstrate that the colonial Spanish had access to the world's textiles. European linen, Chinese silk, and Indian printed cotton fabric were all available in abundance at the missions, presidios, and pueblos of California while Spanish government ships were supplying the colonies. This ended in 1810, due to conflicts that led to Mexican independence in 1821. However, even after Spanish government support of the colonies ended, privately funded Spanish ships continued to bring goods from Mexico and Peru (Archibald 1978: 123-124). In addition, other trade resources opened up, although with higher prices and shipping charges. Smuggling had always been a source of goods, particularly ships from the United States trading for pelts. The economic independence of California from New Spain in 1810 resulted in some very lean years, but also provided opportunity that had been illegal previously under Spanish control (Archibald 1978: 140-141).
By the time Old Town San Diego was settled, in the early 1820s, Mexico had opened up trade with the United States. Goods came west on the Santa Fe Trail (to Los Angeles), and by ship from Boston. Hides were shipped to the east from California, and returned as shoes and other leather goods. Commercial yarns were available after 1821, and were shipped from the eastern U.S. Saxony yarn, a 3-ply Merino dyed with plant and mineral dyes, was available as a replacement for single and plied handspun Churro (Fisher 1994: 158).
What dyes, if any, were imported into San Diego for use in producing textiles? Between 1769 and 1810, the mission had to order dyes from San Blas or smuggle them from elsewhere. Between 1810 and 1821, goods were obtained from a variety of both legitimate and illegal sources, including Yankee traders and Spanish ships (but not government ships). Peru was also a source for shipped goods.
After 1821 and Mexican independence, dyes could have been obtained from the world's markets, most likely brought by ship from the eastern US. We know from the 1834 inventories that the mission community was still spinning and weaving at that time, and assume that they were dyeing as well. Dyes used in the early 19th century US included the same ones imported from San Blas, as well as madder, walnut, woad, and many other dyes (Bemiss 1815 (1973); Ellis 1798). I propose that beginning with the Mexican rule of California a wide variety of dyes would have been available in San Diego, both at the mission community and in the growing town. However, no dye house has been identified in Old Town San Diego.
The mission inventory from 1834 is direct evidence that spinning and weaving took place in the workshop; the unknown is what textiles were made there. Again, we know that coarse wool fabric was produced; it is possible, and likely, that the mission workshop was used to make a variety of other textiles as needed.
It is most likely that spinning, weaving, and dyeing was practiced in Old Town both before and after the mission was secularized – at least for durable wool fabric. This would have been a continuation of the practices at the mission, and with 32,000 head of Churro sheep it is assumed that they were sheared for their wool. Production of jerga, manta, sabanilla, and serape fabric would have been possible, and if so these were made of dyed fibers from Churro sheep. The historic record and inventory lists from the mission provide direct evidence for textile production in early historic period California.
1978 The Economic Aspects of the California Missions. Academy of American Franciscan History, Washington, D.C.
1963 History of California. Volume I – 1542-1800. Wallace Hebberd, Santa Barbara.
1815 The Dyer's Companion. Dover Reprint 1973.
2008 New Mexico Colcha Club: Spanish Colonial Embroidery and the Women Who Saved It. Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe.
2000 Market and Church on the Mexican Frontier: Alta California 1769 – 1832. Doctoral dissertation. New School University.
1798 The Country Dyer's Assistant. E. Merriam and Company. Brookfield, Massachusetts.
1920 San Diego Mission. The James H. Barry Company, San Francisco.
1994 Colcha Embroidery. In: Rio Grande Textiles, pp. 119 – 131, edited by Nora Fisher. Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe.
2015 Spanish Colonial Textile Production and Spinning Wheels in San Diego, California. Manuscript on http://www.Academia.edu.
1999 Chimayo Weaving. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.
1994 Efectos del Pais. In: Rio Grande Textiles, pp. 5 – 21, edited by Nora Fisher. Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe.
1998 Documenting Everyday Life in Early Spanish California. Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.
2014 New Textiles in a New World: 18th Century Textile Samples from the Viceregal Americas. Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings, Paper 898. Digital Commons, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
1910 Technological Dictionary: English-Spanish and Spanish-English. Volume II – Spanish-English. Hirschfeld Brothers, Limited. London.
1994 Building and Builders in Hispanic California 1769 – 1850. Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, Presidio Research Publication.
n.d. Identifying Natural Dyes to Understand a Tapestry's Origin. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/research/conservation-and-scientific-research/identifyin-natural-dyes. Accessed 4/15/2015.
1952 Indian Life at the Old Missions. University of Nebraska Press.
1994 Saltillo Serapes of Mexico. In: Rio Grande Textiles, pp. 58 – 63, edited by Nora Fisher. Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe.
2003 Blanket Weaving in the Southwest. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson.
 Various sources were used to identify and translate the inventory items. Engelhardt noted that the handwriting and illiteracy of the scribe who noted the items resulted in misspellings. Sources included Fisher 1994; Ponce de Leon 1910; and Wheat 1994; thank you to Larry Felton, who did substantial research to identify sangaleta.
 A vara is 0.84 meter and a pieza was a standard bolt of whole fabric measuring approximately 18 – 20 varas, estimated here as 20 meters.


My kids think I sound very old when I constantly point out how "fortunate and privileged" we are in most ways. I don't agree with them.
Is there such a thing as enough money, and if so, how much is it?
I believe that's a very individual matter, and in my case, I am more concerned with having enough time.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling, who unfortunately died in 2017, and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.
What's the one book everyone should read?
I like Ernest Hemingway, so I would say any of his books.
An outdoor airport with two gates in Belize, Central America. The country has a very pleasant climate, though.
I might exaggerate, but I don't lie.
My first part-time job was on a production line during my studies, when I was 14 years old, and my first job with Volvo was as credit controller 21 years ago.
A combination of Pippi Longstocking and Indiana Jones.
I used to do mountaineering, and I got engaged to my wife on top of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe.
One of my role models is the second UN secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjöld.
I am not very much into investments, but I wish I had bought my house in Sweden before the house market started to rocket.
Running and reading. Running or hiking is by far the best way for me to deal with stress and recharge my batteries.
Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru with my wife and three children.
Make sure you create a win-win solution for yourself and your customer, otherwise it is not a sustainable deal and the customer will not come back.


New Year is a Christmas tree, Bengal lights, a festive table, fun and joy. To create a bright, lively and warm atmosphere of celebration, and not to turn a corporate holiday into an ordinary booze, you need to prepare in advance and come up with New Year's contests for the corporate.
Before deciding on the games for the New Year's corporate, consider the characteristics and composition of the team: the number of women, men and their age.
In the early evening , after congratulating the management, you need to entertain guests simple feast competition . For example, the presenter asks simple questions, and who gets more answers – gets a prize.
The phenomenon of nature, which without sprinkling of sand can cause the New Year's case of people (Ice ).
Casting from ice (Skating rink).
The time of life of the Snow Maiden (Winter).
Winter sculpture made of natural material (Snowman).
The host reads the phrase in which each word is an antonym of the encrypted phrase. For example, "in the forest the Christmas tree lay", the correct phrase: "in the field there was a birch tree"; "He does not want to die on Piccadilly" – "she would like to live in Manhattan".
Competitions and games in the hall are best spent after the solemn part at the table is completed , and the transition to a merry celebration has come.
Santa Claus goes in, where he first congratulates all those present on the coming 2014 and says: "When I was going to see you on a holiday, I took a bag of gifts with me, and in it: a fir cone, a candy ..".
Subsequent participants should add one more subject to the words of Father Frost. For example, "Gathering to us for a holiday, Father Frost took a bag of gifts with him. And in it: spruce cone, candy, mandarin, "etc. The game continues until one of the contestants can not list all the items.
You can use a feather or a small piece of cotton wool as a flying snowflake. It is necessary that the "flying snowflake" can fly from the slightest blows. The essence of the contest is to keep a snowflake in the air with the help of a blow, and touching hands is prohibited. At whom the snowflake will fall, that leaves. The remaining last two contestants receive prizes.
The host gathers from the contestants one of their personal things, and they, in turn, write on the leaves are not very difficult tasks. Then, confiscated things are put in one bag, and in the other – leaves with tasks. Everything is mixed. Then each of the contestants comes up and pulls out of the pouches one thing and a task. Whose thing is pulled, he performs the task.
Two teams of 2-3 people take part. Teams are given a glass, larger than the average, filled with juice or mineral water. And also each contestant receives two straws, which must first be combined into one long tube. The task of each team: as soon as possible to empty the glass with the help of a long straw. The fastest team wins.
Guests are divided into teams. By the way, this can also be done unusually. For example, to offer to unite in creative collectives of namesake. Victors, Marines, Boris and Tatiana let them create an ideological unity.
Then they bring in the hall black boxes, in which lie champagne or ice cream, or something else. The task of each team is to advertise within 2-3 minutes what is in the black box. The best creative team is a prize.
You can pre-intrigue the audience by announcing that now that people of all ages will be advertised, it is of different colors and contains fats, proteins, but most importantly, it brings joy!
Prepare several well-known songs about birds of course, mainly – about chickens, rooster and chicken).
The song turns on. In the middle of the verse the song is turned off, and participants are asked to finish the verse to the end. Successfully coped with the task, receives a valuable prize – a souvenir in the form of a trinket or a magnet on the refrigerator with a picture of a cockerel.
Choose one leading (blindfolded to him), the rest – cockerels, chickens and chickens. The chairs are arranged in the hall.
At the command of the males and hens begin to tease the host, who tries to catch them. Chickens and cockerels jump on chairs – so, on a chair they become out of the game, it's defense.
Caught cockerel changes with lead roles.
The luckiest leader gets the right prize (notepad, flashlight, packing of batteries, etc.).
If you responsibly approach the holiday scenario, carefully consider New Year's contests and games in the Rooster Year , then the New Year's meeting in the team of employees will be held creatively and fun atmosphere .


Healthcare made easy is what we're all about—and that includes helping you understand your Medicare benefit. Join Zach Luick, Walgreens Pharmacist, on Tuesday, February 24 at 10 am. He will outline their Medicare services so that you can select the plan that best fits your needs. Call 266-6581 to register. NOTE: new date!


In Summer 2016, I led Urban Outfitters' Creative Marketing and Imagery teams in the conception and execution of the global "We The Future" campaign for adidas Originals, a key brand partner for UO.
Photographed by Petra Collins and featuring a cast of 20 emerging talents chosen by Urban Outfitters, the campaign honors adidas and UO's shared brand values and holds a respectful understanding of our audience as a true community - rather than simply as customers.
The content-led campaign was released in August 2016 and showcased confessional-style mobile social videos and interviews from the cast alongside traditional e-commerce, digital, and brick-and-mortar components. A collaborative invitation-only music event was held in Los Angeles to celebrate the partnership, inviting attendees to co-create within a live performance atmosphere.
"Party goers were prompted to #CREATEOURFUTURE by expressing themselves in virtual reality, augmenting 3D self-portraits. The results were then displayed in a massive gallery via projection mapping which doubled as visuals for performing artists Phantogram and Remy Banks.


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Friends Intelligencer, Том 14
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viz., from S. E. by way of S. to N. W. Thus, you perceive, we are ia a sort of a bend in the river. Most of the marshes are just "a wash" at low water, parts of them are bare when the tide is out, and all of them, in the early summer, are covered with a rauk growth of grass and weeds, which begins to decay in August. This is the commeneeuieut, too, of the sickly season, and a few minutes' walk about the grounds of the Observatory after sunset has been found sufficient to bring upon strangers an attack of ague and fever. The place is so unhealthy that my family are compelled to desert it for four or five months every year. Last year they broke up early in May, and did not return till November.
"healthy" to have them. This was so much more in favor of making the experiment with sun-flowers.
An acre of sunflowers will absorb during their growth many thousand gallons of water more than are supplied by the rains. They are great absorbents. They are of easy cultivation, are' more rank than hops—they require no poles and the seed are very valuable. I paid $8 a bushel for them. This plant, therefore, apparently offered to fulfil all the conditions required to satisfy the problem ; for if the supposition that the ague and fever poison be imparted to the atmosphere by the decaying vegetable matter in the marshes, and if this poison is set free during the process of decay, why should not the sun
Now, I am not going into a dissertation con-! flowers in their rank growth absorb it and again
cerning malaria or miasm, for, bo the seeds of the pestilence what they may, those of these in termittents are supposed to be due in a great
elaborate it iuto vegetable matter, and so fix it, at least for a while, and until cold weather? I consulted upon this subject with one of the most
measure to the marshes of the Potomac. The j useful men this country ever produced—the late decay of the vegetable matter upon them infects A. J. Downing, of Newburgh—and he thought the air with impurities of some kind, which pre- the idea a good one.
dispose to chills and fevers—such is the popular i Finally, I resolved to make the experiment.
belief, at any rate.
This brings me to the history of the sunflower experiment. A process of reasoning like the following led me to try it.
If it be the decay of vegetable matter on the marshes that produces the sickness on the hill, then the sickness must be owing to the deleterious effects of some gas, miasm or effluvium, that is set free during the decomposition, and if Bo, the poisonous matter, or the basis of it, whatever it be, must have been elaborated during the growth of the weeds, and set free in their decay. Now, if this reasoning be good, why might we not, by planting other vegetable matter between us and the marshes, and by bringing it into vigorous growth just about the time that that of the marshes begins to decay, bring fresh forces of the vegetable kingdom again to play upou this poisonous matter, and elaborate it again into vegetable tissue, and so purify the air?
This reasoning appeared plausible enough to justify the trouble and expense of experiment, and 1 was encouraged to expect more or less success from it, in the circumstance that everybody said, "plant trees between you and the marshes—they will keep off the chills." But as to the trees, it so happens that at the very time when the decomposition on the marshes is going on most rapidly, the trees, for the most part, have stopped their growth to prepare for the winter, and though trees might do some good, yet a rank growth of something got up for the occasion might do more. Hops climb high; they are good absorbents, and of a rank growth, but there were objections to hops on account of stakes, poles, &c. I recollected that I had often seen sun-flowers growing about the cabins in the West, and had heard, in explanation, that it was
at the risk of spoiling the looks of a beautiful lawn. Accordingly, in the fall of 1855, the gardener trenched up to the depth of two and a half feet a belt about forty-five feet broad around the Observatory on the marshy side, and from lf)0 to 200 yards from the buildings. The conditions of the theory I was about to try required rich ground, tall sunflowers and a rank growth. Accordingly, after being well manured from the stable yard, the giound was properly prepared and planted in sunflowers last spring. They grew finely; the sickly season was expected with more than the usual anxiety. Finally it set in, and there was shaking at the President's House and other places as usual, but for the first time since the Observatory was built the watchmen about it weathered the summer clear of chills and fevers. These men, being most exposed to the night air, suffer most, and heretofore two or three relays of them would be attacked during the season ; for as one falls sick another is employed in his place, who, in turn being attacked, would in like manner give way to a fresh hand. And, last year, attacks of ague and fever were more than usually prevalent in the neighboring parts of the city.
Here is encouragement, not discovery or proof —but it is worth further trial, at any rate. Accordingly the gardener is making ready to try the experiment again this year, but with variations. The seeds are not to be planted quite as early as in the first instance; and, in the next place there are to be two plantings, so that the last crop may be caught by the frost while yet the plants are flowering, and therefore, in full and vigorous growth during the season of actire decay in the marshes.
Suppose the fact should be established that a hedge of sunflowers between the dwellings of farmers and the ponds or marshes and standing pools would generally keep ague and fever away, the discovery that such a simple contrivance would constitute an impassable barrier to "the pestileuce that walketh in darkness" would be an achievement worth recording.
"The destruction that wasteth at noonday" may form the subject of another communication, if you can find room for it. Indeed, other remarks upon the subject in hand are suggesting themselves, but with your leave, I will reserve them for the next number of the Rural. In the mean time, I hope that all who can, but especially those who live in noted ague and fever districts, will prepare to try the sunflower experiment this summer.
The readers of the Rural are mostly in the region of westerly winds, and that the results of each experiment should throw light upon the rest, it is desirable to know, approximately at least, in each case, the situation of the dwelling, its distance from and height above the supposed region of miasma, as well as its distance from the hedge of sunflowers, their height, &o. We know that one of the oflices of the vegetable kingdom is to preserve the purity of the atmosphere ; and that during their growth many plants take up from the air and fix for awhile various noxious vapors. In the southern country it is common to see among the negro quarters sunflowers growing about the pig sty; and the negro, if asked why he plants them in such a place, will reply, "He make it healthy, Massa."
The Rural boasts of the intelligence of its patrons, their cleverness and love of the useful, and why should not those of them who are in a condition to do so try this experiment, and so let each have the benefit of all the rest to guide us next year.
P. S. Since writing the foregoing I have been conversing with Mr. Watt, the gardener, upon the subject. He informs me that many years ago similar experiments were made in France with like success. Accounts of them have been published in the Cultivator. With these facts and other circumstances to which I shall allude in my next, still further to inspire faith in the proposed preventive, I hope all of your "ague and fever" readers will be encouraged to try this simple sunflower experiment. Those who live apon the prairies, in the ague and fever districts of Illinois and other western states, would do well to surround their dwellings with the plants having the thickest part of the hedge on the west side.
The Use Op Little Time.—One of the hours, each day wasted on trifles or indolence, saved, and daily devoted to improvement, is enough to make an ignorant man wise in ten years; to provide the luxury of intelligence to a
mind torpid from lack of thought; to brighten up and strengthen faculties perishing with rust; to make life a fruitful field, and death a harvest of glorious deeds.
PLANTING POTATOES.
In olden time, when land planted in a slovenly manner produced from three to ceven hundred bushels of potatoes to the aero, and the farmer thought himself a lucky man if he found a purchaser of his crop at a shilling a bushel, for such has been the case within easy distance of this city, not too long ago for us to remember, any direction how to plant so as to get a greater crop would not have been found particularly interesting to the agricultural reader. But such a change has come over the spirit of their dreams since, in Western parlance, the crop is "powerful onsartin," and the product brings from $1 to $2 a bushel, instead of a shilling, perhaps they will be willing to listen to a few general rules, well calculated to increase the yield and improve the quality.
Do not select muddy soil, or ground that was manured high last year with unfermented stable or hog pen manure; and do not use either of these manures on the crop. Use none but the very best compost, or guano, thoroughly mixed with the soil; and do use lime, plaster and salt, one or all. Twenty bushels of salt, or 50 bushels of lime, per acre, would not frighten the potatoes out of one year's growth; and a handful of plaster upon each hill would tell you a most interesting story.
But to begin with, plow your ground—don't scratch it and call it plowed. We should prefer the Michigan plow, run twelve inches deep, with a sub-soil plow following in each furrow, twelve inches deeper; and the potatoes planted and cultivated on the level system, the work all being done by horse-hoes instead of hand hoes.
For seed, we should use medium-sized tubers; and as for the quantity per acre, no specific directions can be given as to the right number of bushels, because one kind has four times as many eyes as another kind, and it is the number of eyes and not the number of tubers that must be counted to get the exact right quantity per acre. Again, opinions differ as to the quantity of seed proper to be used. In our opinion, too much rather than too little is generally used in each hill, particularly where whole tubers are used. We are in favor of planting potatoes in drills, as well as almost every other farm crop. If whole tubers arc planted, twenty stalks to a hill may often be counted, and invariably they are not vigorous, and produce small potatoes and a poor yield.
The seed end of potatoes, we have no doubt, is equally valuable as any other part for planting, if cut so as not to have too many eyes and sprouts huddled together; yet we have known some over nice planters cut off and throw away the seed end as worthless, just as some do the butt ends of ears of corn, without being able to assign the reason wherefore. To sura up : Plant potatoes on dry land, deep plowed and subsoiled, manured with compost in the drill, or covered and mixed with all the surface soil with a cultivator harrow. Plant medium-sized tubers, in medium quantities, cut so as to divide the eyes equally, and take pains to drop them carefully and with regularity. Use salt and lirae broadcast at the first or second tending, mixing with the soil by the cultivator. The plaster may be put on at any time after the vines are well grown. Take care to keep the field clear of weeds, cost what it will, and you cau grow potatoes in these latter days, with more profit than you ever did in ancient times of great crops and low prices. Even if the crop of 1857 should be large, you need not fear low prices—that day has passed away. But we do urge you to increase the potato erop, and trust to Providence and extra care that the epidemic that has so long afliicted anu discouraged farmers can be overcome.
HOW WATCHES ARE MADE IN SWITZERLAND.
A hirgc proportion of the work bestowed upon the manufacture of watches in Switzerland is done by cottagers, who cultivate tbe earth in the Summer, and ia the Winter shut themselves up with their families during the inclement season, which lasts three or four months. The whole family then devote themselves to the work of making watch movements. Not only the children work, but the dog turns a wheel, and puts in motion a lathe or a pair of bellows. First, the rough part of the movement is made by water power. Particular parts are assigned to the young members of the family, while others are cmpJoj cd in putting the plates and wheels together. When a sufficient number have been prepared, the master transports them on the back of a mule to some town or village, where he sells them to little master watchmakers, who complete the movements, or else they are sold to travelling agents, who case them in silver or gold.
INDIAN SUMMER OF LIFE.
In the life of the good man there is an Indian Summer more beautiful than that of the season; richer, sunnier, and more sublime than the most glorious Indian Summer the world ever knew— it is the Indian Summer of the soul. When the glow of youth has departed, when the warmth of middle age is gone, and the buds and blossoms of Spring are changing to the sear and yellow leaf, then the mind of the good man, still ripe and vigorous, relaxes his labors, and the memories of a well-spent life gush forth from their
secret fountains, enriching, rejoicing, and fertilizing; then the trustful resignation of tht Christian sheds around asweetand holy warmth, and the soul assuming a heavenly lustre, is no longer restricted to the narrow confines of business but soars beyond the Winter of a hoary age, and dwells peacefully and happily upon that bright Spring and Summer which await him within the gates of paradise evermore. Let u.strive for and look trustingly forward to an Indian Summer like this.
Be Chabitable.—When the veil of death has been drawn between us and the objects of our regard, how quicksighted do we become to their merits, and how bitterly do we remember words, or even looks of unkindness, which may have escaped in our intercourse with them! How careful should such thoughts render us in the fulfilment of those offices of affection which may yet be iu our power to perform; for who cau tell how soon the moment may arrive when repentance cannot be followed by reparation!
Bishop Heber.
Discussion.—Whoever is afraid of submitting any question, civil or religious, to the test of lree discussion, is more in love with his own opinion than with truth.—Bishop Watson.
PHILADELPHIA MARKETS Flouk Awd Meal.—Flour is firm but inactive. Good brands are still held at $7 SO per bbl., and brand;, lor home consumption at $7 75 a $8 00, and extra act fancy brands at $8 25 a 8 75. There is very little demand lor export, and little stock to operate in. Rye Flour is dull at .$5 00 per barrel. List sales o( Pennsylvania Corn Meal at $4 00 per barrel.
Grain.— Wheat is quite dull and little offerihg. Las; sales ol prime Pennsylvania red were made at $1 7tt * $1 80, and ifcl 90 lor good white. Rye is scarce. Penna. is selling at #1 10. Com is lest active at 88 a 90c tor Southern yellow in store. Oats are steady: sales of Pennsylvania and Delaware at 60c per bu.
UUiMMER RETREAT AT HIGH LAND DALE. O The season of tbe year is at band, when many cilizens leave their homes for the benefit of pure air; the attention of the readers of the Intelligencer is called to the pleasant Retreat of Charlks anil Catharine P. Fovlkk, who have again enlarged theit premises, and are prepared as heretofore to receive summer boarders.
Their farm and residence is near the crown of one of tbe mountain ridges in MonroeCounty, Pennsylvania, about two miles from Stioudsburg, the county town, and three mires from the Delaware Water Gap, in one of the healthiest situations to be found in Pennsylvania.
Un this high elevation and near the domicile is a large spring of excellent water, which supplies a Bath House attached to the premises,—while within doors there is much to give comfort and create a home feeling, and make this a very desirable mountain Retreat.
The cars leave Camden in the morning and arrive at the Stroudsburg station within two and a halt miles of High Land Dale, early in the afternoon.
5th mo. 16- 6t. T. B. L.
Merrihow A Thompson, Prs., Lodge St., North side Penna.Iiaak.
FRIENDS' INTELLIGENCER.
VOL. XIV.
PHILADELPHIA, SIXTH MONTH 20, 1857.
EDITED BY AN ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS.
PCBLISHED BY WM. W. MOORE, No. 324 Sonth Fifth Street, PHILADELPHIA, Every Seventh day at Two Dollars per annum, payabl» in advance. Three copies sent to one address for Five Dollars,
Communications must be addressed to the Publisher, free of expense, to whom all payments are to be made.
An account of the life, travel*, and Christian r.xperiencesin the work of the ministry of Samxiel Boirnns.
(Continned from page 193.)
I have been more particular in the relation of this day's work than I otherwise should have been, as containing in it such signal marks of Providence; first, That we should be detained in hold, just till the people from the country were come in. Secondly, and then set at liberty to say what the Lord gave us. And thirdly, That we had so seasonable an opportunity to explain our practice as to the ministers, viz. *he conduct of the Society towards them; and likewise the service of our Monthly Meetings respecting the poor, marriages, admonishing offenders, making up differences, granting of certificates to such as saw cause to remove themselves from one Monthly Meeting to another, as well as to ministers. Which by their shewing so much kindness, and raising no objection to any thing said on these heads, did plainly demonstrate their good liking and satisfaction therewith.
The next morning we set out for England, and by the evening got amongst Friends in the border, within the compass of Sowport meeting, and had some few meetings, as at the border, Scotby, Carlisle, and some others. I came to my old master Famuel Parrot's having no place to retire to as a home, but sometimes I was at Sedgwick, and sometimes quartered with my friend Kobert Chambers, and sometimes at Kendal, and at Qatesidc, at honest William Simpson's, where I did sometimes help them in their business, he being a blacksmith. But I was now preparing myself for a journey into America, and was near ready. And I had an opportunity to take my leave of the neighboring meetings, as Dent, Garsdale, Sedburg, Grayrigg, Kendal, Preston, with divers other neighboring meetings thereabouts; but that at Preston was the most mem
orable and solid, the sense whereof continued with me all over America, at times; I went thence to Yellaod, and many Friends came to that meeting from divers places to take leave of me, so that it was a very large and living meeting; and I parted with my brethren in great love and unity. I then came by Wray, Bentham, Settle and Airton, that great and good man William Ellis being then living, and full of power, having great and solid experience concerning the work of the mini.-sy, who w<ij very edifying to me, by the wholcscme counsel he gave. James Wilson was tli^n with me, who was not at that time a pub!:o minister, yet of great service in visiting families, being closely engaged in spirit for the maintaining good order and discipline; and we being both very young in these things, this worthy Friend gave such advice to us both, with respect to a faithful coming up in our services, that we could with good reason say, that his words were like "apples of gold in pictures of silver;" for a long time after, the sense and virtue of them dwelt on my mind, to my great advantage. We stayed with him one night, and had a small meeting, in .which the preference and value I had for him, together with an awe that was on my spirit concerning his great services and experience as a minister, took such place in my mind, that I was silent before him.
Next day we took our leave, and he brought us on our way a little, heartily praying at parting, that I might be preserved in my place, and return with safety.
James Wilson came with me as far as Leeds, and then we parted, and I went through Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, visiting sundry meetings, (where some time before I met with great trials and afflictions in mind, as already hinted) and some were convinced. My mind was strongly engaged to see them in my way, and I had good satisfaction in that visit. ,
Having done this, I'wentby the way of Hitching and Hertford, visiting sundry meetings, finding encouragement to go on: But I still expected that I should be stopt by the morning meeting, for want of a companion. I came to London the latter end of the Tenth month, 1701, being by letters advised the ships would sail in a week's time, or very shortly; but a war breaking out between England and France, an embargo was laid on all shipping for two months, so that there was no expectation of getting off. I staid in London about three weeks, visiting all the meetings in and about the city, which gave the brethren a thorough taste of my service; some of my best friends advising, that 1 should not lay my concern before the meeting, that I designed for America, until the general or Monthly Meeting of ministers did come round, and in that time my service as a minister would be generally known. I readily complied; and when the time came, I went in great fear to lay my concern before that meeting, being still apprehensive I should not be permitted to proceed, for want of a suitable companion; but as no object did arise, they perused the certificates that I had from the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, and did well approve thereof; and a minute was made, appointing some Friends to prepare a certificate against the next meeting; which was accordingly done, brought there, and signed.
All things now being clear for my going the first opportunity, it was thought proper to see for a ship, which by the assistance of some Friends was done, but no likelihood of going quickly, by reason of the embargo.
I had some desire to visit the west, in particular Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and Wilts, but at a loss for a horse, having sold my own soon after I came to London; but the friend to whom I sold him offered that I should have him that journey, which I accepted, and so set out, having in company a young man that hud been bred at a college, his name was Samuel Crisp, a pretty meek spirited youth, and rightly convinced. When we got forty or fifty miles from London, he had strong inclinations to go back. I made a kind of a running visit; and when I was at Bristol, my friends there were exceeding kind, and would willingly have had me gone from thence; but my prior engagement at London would not permit it.
I staid there two weeks at least, and taking my leave, sundry Friends brought me on my way to Bath, Bradford, &c. They returned, and I went on for London, and quartering at an inn at Hungerford, (not being easy to take any more meetings till I came to London) I fell in company with a couple of tradesmen, who, when we sat down to supper, complimented each other about which should crave a blessing, at last they pulled off their hats, and one of them did it in some sort; but my sitting with my hat on was such an offence, that they began to reprove me very sharply. I said but very little for some time, until they had spent their reproach upon me, and then I spoke to this effect, " that the appearance they made, just before supper was brought to the table, was so very void of grace in their hearts, that I could not think it my place to pull off my hat to their formal prayer. And besides, as soon as the words were out of their mouths and over,.it appeared to me that
they were the same, and I saw by their conduct that they did not understand the nature of true prayer, which is to be performed both with the spirit and understanding; and if you had not wanted both, you could not pass such silly compliments on each other about it." I was now very quiet, and they said no more to me. But as soon as supper was over, and the reckoning paid^they left me with free consent, for our company was unsuitable.
Next day I went towards London by Newbury, where I stopt at a fuueral. and so to Reading, and by Maidenhead to the city, but found the embargo not yet taken off. It being now pretty near the middle of the First month, I visited some parts of Hertfordshire, having my dear friend John Tompkins part of the time, and Saml. Crisp, who was a sweet companion, having received the knowledge of the truth the right way.
About a week or two in the Second month, orders were given for the merchants to get ready, and a convoy was to go with them. But for all this, it was the latter end of the Third month before we got off; so I had an opportunity to visit the greatest part of Kent. And after we sailed from the Downs, we were put into Portsmouth harbor by contrary winds, and lay there two or three weeks, which was very tiresome. But all this time 1 never considered any danger of being taken by the French; it did not so much as enter into my mind, until I came into Philadelphia, where hearing that Thomas Story, Richard Groves, and others, were takeu some time before, and carried into Maitinico, a French Island, I thought of it more closely.
I left England in the Third month, 1702, about the time of the Yeirly Meeting, with inward satisfaction and peace of mind, and wrote a few lines to be sent to the meeting of ministers in Kendal, or elsewhere, in Westmoreland, my native place; which I here insert, being the first fruits of that kind to my brethren.
To the meeting of Ministers at Kendal, in Westmoreland. These. My dearly beloved Brethren and Sisters,
In that love which in time past we have enjoyed together, do I heartily salute you, having in mind some few things to impart, as counsel and caution to us all, including myself therein.
We who apprehend ourselves called into this public station of preaching, ought closely to wait on our Guide, to put us forth in the work. And dear friends, I see great need for us to carefully mind our openings, and go on as we are led by the Spirit; for if we overrun our Guide and openings, we shall be confused, not knowing where, or how to conclude: But if we begin and go on with the spirit, we shall conclude so, that all who are truly spiritual will sensibly feel that we are right. Thus will our ministry edify them that hear it.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Analysis news Company cars Company cars
Do employee car ownership schemes still have a place?
By Robert Crawford	 3rd November 2014 12:00 am 6th April 2017 10:53 am
Not that long ago employee car ownership schemes (Ecos) had begun to replace company cars in the UK, however, the rise of salary sacrifice car schemes appears to have halted this ascent.
If you read nothing else, read this…
Ecos take the form of an agreement made between the employee and the leasing company.
Demand for Ecos has reduced because of the popularity of salary sacrifice schemes.
Eco schemes often still appear when organisations offer blended funding arrangements.
Ecos could rise in popularity when new international accounting standards are introduced.
Ecos are defined as a structured cash-for-car scheme. Ownership of the car passes to the driver at the outset of the agreement, in return for which they must make repayments covering finance and maintenance. These are often underwritten by a corporate guarantee.
In some cases the employer will make monthly cash payments to the driver, which are then used to fund the employee's finance and maintenance repayments.
The definition that HM Revenue and Customs adopts is: "…a set of arrangements whereby employees acquire cars from a specified, often single source and within a specified financing framework."
Jon Burdekin, head of consultancy services at Alphabet, says: "It is a much lighter touch for the employer with low risks, with the scheme agreement sitting with the leasing company and the individual. We would have a direct debit in place with the member of staff, it is almost like a retail transaction."
Complexities involved in running Eco schemes
Although the Eco funding method remains in a number of leasing providers' tool kits, they are not as popular as they were a decade ago.
Demand for such schemes has reduced due to a number of reasons, including complexities involved in their running. Also, there is often a misconception among employers as to what constitutes an Eco scheme and how to avoid falling into any potential financial traps.
John Pryor, chairman of the Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO), says: "Demand for Eco schemes has reduced because of complexity around their administration; the cost savings as a replacement for company cars, promoted by many providers, did not accrue in the real world; concern around employees driving their own cars on business, from a road risk management perspective, and the fact that Eco funding was calculated using mileage rates."
In an increasingly environmentally focused and cost-conscious fleet arena, which has seen the rise in popularity of low-CO2-emitting cars offered via salary sacrifice arrangements , Eco schemes are being starved of take-up and, in some cases, are being replaced as a result of the tax efficiencies available through salary sacrifice arrangements.
Alastair Kendrick, director at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, says: "[Ecos] seem to have been relegated to the conference league in light of salary sacrifice. At present, a lot of employees pay a limited amount of tax on low-emission cars, so interest in Ecos is limited."
Pryor adds: "Employers that have implemented Eco schemes have withdrawn these and reintroduced atraditional company car policy focused on low-emission cars complemented by a salary sacrifice [arrangement]."
Interest-free loans
Having said that, a number of cars are still provided through Eco schemes. According to Alphabet's Burdekin, this makes up some 12% of its core business.
Eco schemes can be more cost effective and useful for employers that have employees covering high mileage in their company cars. Employers can also make cost savings if staff take up the£10,000 interest-free loan allowance offered by their employer to help them fund a car. Employers can then top this up by a third-party finance arrangement. As the cost of finance is reduced, savings will increase.
Burdekin says: "Interest-free loans make Ecos even more competitive. Employees can get a maximum of £10,000 tax free, which means we, as providers, can reduce the cost of the car by that amount, making the interest lower for the period of the loan and at the end give the £10,000 back. It helps make an employee's loan payments cheaper."
Ecos are also benefiting from employers offering schemes with blended funding arrangements.
Insurer Axa, for example, structures its car scheme for all employees around three funding methods: employee car ownership, contract hire and a salary sacrifice scheme.
Andrew Kirby, commercial director of employee benefit schemes at Zenith, says: "Through blended funding methods, different solutions can be used for different drivers. This means that the car will be funded by whichever method is the cheapest at the time of order, which could mean an Eco scheme, or another method."
The popularity of Ecos could see a considerable rise if, and when, new international accounting standards are introduced, although no date has yet been set for this.
These proposed standards will mean that employers will have to split their lease costs into the finance elements, which will then be entered on to the organisation's balance sheet, and maintenance and management fees, which will be reported on its profit and loss account.
If this is the case, contract hire could potentially decrease in popularity, because schemes operating under such circumstances will need to appear on balance sheets.
Kendrick adds: "It should be borne in mind that Eco scheme interest is likely to grow in the next five years because of the international accounting standards. Cars on traditional lease, including salary sacrifice, will appear on balance sheets. This may create interest in Ecos which will not need to be reported."
50% to offer new pension flexibility to older staff
4th November 2014 12:00 pm 3rd November 2015 4:54 pm
UK universities strike over pensions dispute
1st November 2014 12:00 am 5th April 2017 12:15 pm
Employee Benefits Insight news Pensions
DOD's blog: The holiday pay debacle
European Global Mobility Summit takes place on 7 November in London, UK
4th November 2014 6:30 am 3rd November 2015 4:55 pm
Analysis Motivation and recognition
How to reward those at the top of their game
Latest ArticlesComments (3)
Maya Ciallella 31st May 2015 at 4:36 pm
I usually think of informative content as dull but necessary for learning. Interesting informational articles like this are rare. This material is informational without being boring and intimidating. Thank you.
Reply	Link
Otis Whitehead 7th June 2015 at 1:15 am
The points of interest you present in your article are very impressive. I must agree with you on most of these points and I appreciate the effort you obviously put into this very informative article.
Ewan Borthwick 27th February 2018 at 3:32 pm
My employer ran a true ECO scheme previously which was a good system, but has now decided to change this and charge the employee's at the same level as BIK. However it still maintains this as an ECO scheme and therefore effectively I have a company car but the liability of the car is mine. Furthermore my fuel rate is based on Gov PPM maximum rates, and the company claim the EMAPS rather than allowing the employee's to claim. Therefore my car charges are significantly higher than previous. Be very careful if you join a company with an ECO car scheme, they are extremely complicated and my experience is that it is almost impossible to work out the true cost!


I told you there was some amazing things in store for the blog this summer. Today, it's my 5th interview with Diana Murray. FIFTH! She is a writing fiend!
Diana Murray is an author to watch out for. She has published at least two picture books every year for the past few years. She has several books already assigned contracts and several poems sold to Highlights as well. I have a feeling that she is a writer we are going to see quite frequently over the next few years. You can learn more about her at her website or from some of the previous Simply 7 interviews tagged here.
"Doris the Bookasaurus" is an adorable story about a little dinosaur who looooooves books. She is CRAZY about ALL kinds of books: joke books, adventure stories, etc. There is NO limit to Doris's love.
Me: Welcome again Diana! You now have 5 picture books out, another one out soon, and several more that have been sold (as well as poetry). What's your secret to success?
Diana: Writing, writing, and more writing! I'm very passionate about what I do. My husband yells at me for working on vacation, but it's what I enjoy! It's fun for me, even when it's hard work. Another big motivator is financial need.
Also, over the years, I can't tell you how helpful it's been to exchange loads and loads of critiques with other writers. When you crit the work of others, it helps you build revising skills when you look at your own work.
Me: SO true! I learn from others critiques as well as getting feedback. Can you describe what your writing process looks like? Do you write ALL the time?
Diana: Yes, I pretty much write all the time. LOL. Whenever I have a spare moment. I'm perhaps a little too obsessive. Which sadly leads to things like not putting away the laundry or not doing the dishes for far too long. But hey, that lead to a book idea, too–GRIMELDA, THE VERY MESSY WITCH–so it's cool.
Me: LOL! Touche! "Doris the Bookasaurus" is basically about a dinosaur that likes to read. What gave you that idea?
Diana: Firstly, I wanted to write about a bookish character that might be described by some as a "nerd." Because I like to smash together opposing characteristics, I thought it would be fun to make it about dinosaurs. Secondly, one of my favorite things about watching my kids read is when they incorporate books into their playtime. I love it when reading time and playtime mesh together. That was the main thing I wanted to show. That reading enhances play. That the two aren't so separate.
Me: Ohh! Good point! Were you an avid reader when you were young? Or did you struggle to learn to read?
Diana: Not at all. I enjoyed books that were assigned in school but I could never find books that interested me on my own, for some reason. I tried. I remember buying a book with a really cool dragon cover. Alas, all the characters were male and it wasn't my cup of tea. My parents weren't into reading either and they also weren't native English speakers. My mother used to read me a Russian version of Thumbelina, which I remember fondly. I also listened to books on records. But that's about it. I do recall reading dictionaries and encyclopedias just for fun. That's what I had easy access to. If I could go back in time, things would have been different.
I always loved libraries, though. The quiet. The smell of books. The endless possibilities. But no, I can't say I was an avid reader.
Yet I did love writing, on the other hand. I wrote my first book in third grade. I buried it under a willow tree in front of my apartment building in Queens, imagining that future archaeologists would dig it up someday. I guess I didn't understand the properties of construction paper.
Me: Oh dear. I buried some toys when I was a kid too for a time capsule. Interesting. Speaking of kids who don't like to read, I heard somewhere recently that girls will read books with boy characters, but boys won't read books with girl characters. In this story you have a boy-friendly subject (i.e., dinosaurs), but the main character is a girl (although the two brothers are there too). Did you think about this when you were creating this story at all? Any thoughts about the struggle to get reluctant readers to read?
Diana: Wow, so glad you brought this up! Great question. Because, guess what? I had this story under consideration at another house and they asked me to change the MC to a male for that very reason! So I played around with "Boris the Bookasaurus" for a while. It just never felt right. Also, it kind of upset my daughters when I told them. That was the worst.
As far as reluctant readers, I think incorporating book topics, characters, or themes into playtime is one of the best things you can do. And of course, finding the right kind of book. I wanted this book to show how many different kinds of books are out there. Maybe a book of records could spark imagination? How about a joke book? There's a book out there for everyone!
Me: As an avid fan of books, I have to agree! Do you have any stories you can share that are unique to this book? Did it have a unique publication journey? Or a struggle with revision? Or a surprise in the illustrations that you didn't know was going to be there?
Diana: Struggle with revision? Oh boy. This started out as a prose story about a dinosaur who builds the first library because she can't find a quiet place to read. Slowly evolved into this. Over about a year. Many, many, many versions.
Me: Really? Well, that's a surprise! I saw the rhyme in this one and I know how much you like to write in rhyme. I never would've guessed. When I was a kid the Triceratops was my favorite dinosaur. Seeing "The Land Before Time" almost changed my mind on that, but when I saw "Walking with the Dinosaurs" I knew I would always love the Triceratops. What is your favorite dinosaur (or do you have one)?
Hmmm, I think I like sauropods. They're gentle giants.
Interesting! Long necks. How can you not love them (especially after "Land Before Time")? If you haven't had a chance to read this book yet, track down a copy. It's adorable and sure to absorb some of those reluctant readers.
What a great interview, Jena! I'm a big fan of Diana's books, particularly City Shapes. I read it to my preschool class and they loved it! How interesting to learn that Doris the Bookasaurus started out as a prose story and evolved into a rhyming book. I guess you really do have to try everything sometimes to before finding a story's voice and heart.


text:
Tensorflow Data (Java)
==

TensorFlow Data provides abstractions for loading data of various
formats, and preparing it for use with machine learning models.
. This package provides a simple API for configuring and iterating over
datasets in both "graph" and "eager" mode.

Usage
--

The `Dataset` class represents a sequence of elements which can be iterated over and
transformed. Each element is a list of "output" operands, represented by the type `List<Operand<?>>`.

Note: An `Output` is a symbolic handle to a tensor produced by a TensorFlow op. In graph
mode, `Output` objects will not have a concrete `Tensor` value unless all dependent operations
are run in a `Session` (this is done "in-real-time" in eager mode).

### Construction

Datasets can be constructed either directly from a data source (e.g. a list of tensors representing the components of the dataset), or as a transformation on an existing dataset.

#### From Data Source

To construct a dataset from a list of tensor components, use
`Dataset.fromTensorSlices( ... )`. For example, say we are working
with a standard feature/label dataset which has 4 elements.

```java
FloatNdArray features = StdArrays.ndCopyOf(
        new float[][] {
        {1, 2, 3},
        {4, 5, 6},
        {7, 8, 9},
        {10, 11, 12}
});

FloatNdArray labels = NdArrays.vectorOf(0, 1, 1, 0);
```

A dataset can be constructed from a list of the constant `Operand`s generated
from this dataset, and a list of classes corresponding to the tensor type of each component:

Note: Each of the input components must share the same first "batch" dimension.

```java
Ops tf = // ... TensorFlow Ops accessor (either graph or eager)
Dataset dataset = Dataset.fromTensorSlices(
    Arrays.asList(tf.constant(features), tf.constant(labels)),
    Arrays.asList(TInt32.class, TInt32.class)
);
```

Other data sources are also possible, using `tf.data` ops; these include TFRecord files, CSV files, and more.

#### Transformations on Existing Datasets

Once a dataset has been created from a data source it can be transformed by calling
methods on the `Dataset` object. For example, to group elements in the above dataset into batches of size `2`, use `Dataset.batch(int batchSize)`:

```java
dataset = dataset.batch(2)
```

Each dataset transformation alters both the values and shapes of the original
 elements, and returns a *new* `Dataset` object.

In this case, the original dataset had 4 elements of shape `[features: (3,) labels: (1,)]`.
Once the `.batch` transformation is applied, the new dataset has 2 elements (batches) of shape `[features: (2, 3), labels: (2, 1)]`.

Similar transformations include `.skip`, `.take`, `.map`, `.filter`, etc.

### Iterating over Dataset Elements

The primary use of a dataset is for iteration over its elements.
Each row (or batch) element is represented as a list of tensor components, with
type `List<Operand<?>>`. The tensor components of this element can be accessed using `List.get(int index)`.

#### Using DatastetIterator
The `DatasetIterator` class provides abstractions for creating and using
iterators in graph and eager mode. These will be explained here; however
end-users should only interact with `DatasetIterator` objects through the methods
provided in the `Dataset` class (examples to follow).

To construct an iterator for a dataset of a specific structure, use
the static method `DatasetIterator.fromStructure(Ops tf, List<Class<? extends TType>> outputTypes, List<Shape> outputShapes)`. This creates a `DatasetIterator` object
which can be used with any dataset of a matching structure.

Once a `DatasetIterator` is created, it can be initialized on a `Dataset` intsance using `DatasetIterator.makeInitializer(Dataset dataset)`. This will initialize (or re-initialize) the iterator to start at the beginning
of this dataset.

The `DatasetIterator.getNext()` method can be used to retrieve dataset elements.
In eager mode, each call to `getNext()` will return the next dataset element as
as `List<Operand<?>>`. In graph mode, this method should be called just once
to retrieve the components. These can be fed into additional operations as
a computation Graph is built. On successive `session.run` operations, the
successive dataset elements will be automatically passed through the graph.

#### Eager Mode: Iterable
The `Dataset` class implements the `Iterable` interface, so in
eager mode, iteration over dataset elements is possible using a standard for-each loop (this is a wrapper around `DatasetIterator` constructs).

Using the same example dataset from above, dataset elements can be extracted and
used as follows:
```java
// Use default EagerSession
Ops tf = Ops.create()

// Dataset of (features, labels) from above
Dataset dataset = Dataset.fromTensorSlices(tf, ... );

// batch dataset elements into batches of size 2
dataset = dataset.batch(2);

Optmizer optimizer = ... // TF Optimizer

for (List<Operand<?>> batch : dataset) {
    Operand<?> featureBatch = element.get(0);
    Operand<?> labelBatch = element.get(1);

    // Perform batch-wise computations on featureBatch and labelBatch
    // e.g. computing model losses, running optimizers.

    Operand<TFloat32> loss = myModelLoss(featureBatch, labelBatch);

    optimizer.minimize(loss);

    ...
}

```

#### Graph Mode: OneShotIterator

The above code will not work in graph mode, which requires the use of
 `Session` instances
to run the computations. In graph mode, datasets can be iterated over using the `DatasetIterator` abstraction, and a while loop.

Once the iterator is initialized, repeated calls to `Session.run` will populate the components with new values, until all elements have
been retrieved. After this, `Session.run` will result in a `TFOutOfRangeException`.

Note that the make-iterator operation can be re-run to re-initialize
the iterator, to iterate over the dataset a second time.

```java
try (Graph graph = new Graph()) {
    // Graph mode Ops accessor
    Ops tf = Ops.create(graph)

    // Dataset of (features, labels) from above
    Dataset dataset = Dataset.fromTensorSlices(tf, ... );

    // batch dataset elements into batches of size 2
    dataset = dataset.batch(2);

    DatasetIterator iterator = dataset.makeInitializeableIterator();
    List<Operand<?>> batch = iterator.getNext();

    Operand<?> features = batch.get(0);
    Operand<?> labels = batch.get(1);

    // Run additional computations on `features` and `labels`,
    // e.g. computing model losses, instantiating Optimizers

    Optimizer optimizer = ... // TF Optimizer
    Operand<TFloat32> loss = myModelLoss(features, labels);

    Op trainOp = optimizer.minimize(loss)

    // instantiate graph-mode session
    try (Session session = new Session(graph)) {
        // Run graph initializers
        session.initialize();

        // Iterate over dataset elements
        while (true) {
            session.run(iterator.getInitializer());
            try {
                // Run training ops / fetch loss
                List<Tensor<?>> outputs = session.runner()
                    .addTarget(trainOp)
                    .fetch(loss)
                    .run();

                ...

            } catch (TFOutOfRangeException e) {
                // Finished iterating
                break;
            }
        }
    }
}
```

#### Applying a `map()` Function

In both graph and eager mode, the `Dataset` object provides
methods to allow mapping over dataset elements. `Dataset.map`,
`Dataset.mapOneComponent`, and `Dataset.mapAllComponents`.
See the javadoc for a detailed description of each method.

As an example: Say we have a `Dataset` with two components. The first component
is a 2D image (tensor of pixel values in the range `[0-255]`), and the second component is
a classification label for that image. Often, it is helpful to normalize
the pixel values to the range `[0, 1]` by dividing by 255.

To do this, we'll use `Dataset.mapOneComponent`.

```java
Ops tf = // Get Ops instance
Dataset dataset = // image, label dataset;
dataset = dataset.mapOneComponent(0, component -> tf.math.div(component, tf.constant(255.0)));

for (List<Operand<?>> components : dataset) {
  // Fetch the normalized image tensor
  Operand<?> image = components.get(0);

  // The label tensor remains unchanged.
  Operand<?> label = components.get(1);
}
```

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Industry and Expert Views
Investing and Market Views
Capitol Insights
AGF.com
Insights and Market Perspectives
What if the Fed Doesn't Hike?
Author: David Stonehouse
After its September meeting, the U.S. Federal Reserve signalled it was poised to pull forward its expected timeline to begin raising interest rates. Half of the 18 members of the Fed's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said they expected a 25-basis point (bps) move off the zero-to-0.25% range would be merited next year, up from seven members three months ago. That move in the so-called FOMC dot plot has been led by a corresponding move in market expectations. According to CME Group Inc., markets see a better than 75% probability that the Fed will hike its benchmark rate by at least 25bps by September 2022, and a 75%-plus likelihood it will raise rates at least twice, if not more, by December of next year.
Yet, when most observers expect the same directional outcome, it's worth contemplating other possibilities and ask, What if the consensus is wrong? What if the Fed does not hike that aggressively, or more intriguingly, does not hike at all? To be clear, this is not the base-case scenario. But the counterproposition has enough supporting points that it should not be dismissed as a mere intellectual exercise – and it might be a more plausible outcome than many Fed-watchers seem to believe.
Let's look at some of the factors that militate against a hike this cycle:
Slowing growth: U.S. economic growth is projected to decelerate back into the 2%-plus range by the fourth quarter of 2022, according the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis – precisely the time markets are currently expecting a hike. It will probably slow further afterwards, especially as fiscal stimulus abates. That means the U.S. economy may exit next year into an environment similar to the post-Global Financial Crisis (GFC) period of the last decade, characterized by mediocre growth. (The same could be said for most developed economies, and Europe and Japan may be even slower growing than the U.S.)
Taper timing: The current expectation is that the Fed will begin to wind down quantitative easing later this year, and finish tapering around the middle of 2022. Fed officials have made it clear they are not contemplating raising rates while still winding bond-buying down to zero. So it will probably be into Q3 before a rate-hike window appears, and if growth is mediocre by then, it might deter the Fed from making a move.
Recent history: After the Global Financial Crisis, it took most central banks, including the Fed, many years to raise rates – against market expectations, which proved to be far too optimistic about policymakers' ability to hike. Current economic projections could once again turn out to be too rosy and the reality more sobering.
The bond bull: The post-GFC world of lower lows – and lower highs – for 10-year Treasury yields has endured for more than a decade. Until yields decisively and sustainably break above prior levels, the secular bull market for bonds is not over, reflecting long-standing concerns about long-term growth and inflation. Perhaps more to the point, the underlying drivers of the bond bull are still in effect. There is now even more government and corporate debt than there was before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Moody's Investor Service; the putative disinflationary impacts of new technologies have accelerated in the pandemic environment; the developed world is still aging rapidly, and COVID-19 halted population growth from immigration, which may or may not recover in the U.S., where anti-immigrant popular and political sentiment remains a factor. In short, debt, demographics and technology remain headwinds to higher growth and therefore higher rates – and perhaps those factors are stronger now than ever.
Inflation headwinds: Simple math suggests that the year-over-year inflation numbers are going to start to subside next year. From last April to this April, oil prices rose from less than zero to about US$65 a barrel, according to Bloomberg. Using the trough monthly close of US$19 in April of 2020, the April 2021 price represents a more than threefold increase. Oil is highly unlikely to hit US$250 a barrel next April, meaning that energy inflation is very likely to slow. Nor is it likely that other commodities will repeat their substantial 2021 price increases in 2022. Also, if the supply chain bottlenecks that have fuelled inflation this year are resolved next year (a reasonable expectation), then that will likely provide further disinflationary impetus. Furthermore, according, to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the year-over-year growth rate of overall economic activity peaked in Q2 '21 in the face of easy comparables to the Q2 2020 recession, and Q2 2022 comparisons vs. 2021 will be much tougher. Confronted with what could be a much more benign inflation outlook, the Fed might decide to sit tight when the window opens to hike.
Wrong tool to cure supply problem: Rate hikes can combat demand-driven inflation, as well as inflation expectations, but they won't do anything to solve supply chain constraints. If anything, hikes may prolong the issue if they provide a disincentive for companies to invest more to alleviate bottlenecks.
Wobbly sentiment: This is a wild card, but corporate surveys of inflation and growth expectations merit watching. Right now, most indicators of corporate sentiment are running at unsustainably hot levels, which should moderate if or when growth starts to cool next year. U.S. consumer confidence is already ticking down.
Fed leadership questions: The trading scandal that erupted in September – leading to the resignation of two members of the Fed's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee– has undermined the reputation of the Jerome Powell-led central bank, and the damage could spread. Powell's four-year term ends in February, and the scandal makes his reappointment as chair far from a fait accompli. Politically, replacing him with a more dovish Fed leader could allow President Joe Biden to appease the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. As well, six seats on the FOMC are now open or due to expire by early next year. Given that 2022 is a mid-term election year and Democrat prospects do not currently look favourable, the Biden administration is likely to make every effort to ensure the Fed is as dovish as possible going into the campaign months.
Put all those factors together, and it does not seem implausible to speculate that the Fed's ability to raise rates will be constrained next year. If slow economic growth continues into 2023, that situation could persist for some time. It may be a surprise to most people, but in November 2008 – the nadir of the Global Financial Crisis – Fed fund futures predicted a rate hike just five months later, in March 2009, according to Bloomberg data. Instead, the Fed didn't raise rates for six years. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan have not hiked in more than a decade. To repeat, the no-hike scenario is not the base case, but it's legitimate to ponder whether the Fed will truly be in a position to raise interest rates if it faces significantly decelerating growth and inflation as the cycle matures.
David Stonehouse is Senior Vice-President and Head of North American and Specialty Investments, AGF Investments Inc. He is a regular contributor to AGF Perspectives.
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The commentaries contained herein are provided as a general source of information based on information available as of October 20, 2021 and should not be considered as investment advice or an offer or solicitations to buy and/or sell securities. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in these commentaries at the time of publication, however, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Investors are expected to obtain professional investment advice.
AGF Investments is a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of AGF Management Limited, a Canadian reporting issuer. The subsidiaries included in AGF Investments are AGF Investments Inc. (AGFI), AGF Investments America Inc. (AGFA), AGF Investments LLC (AGFUS) and AGF International Advisors Company Limited (AGFIA). AGFA and AGFUS are registered advisors in the U.S. AGFI is registered as a portfolio manager across Canadian securities commissions. AGFIA is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. The subsidiaries that form AGF Investments manage a variety of mandates comprised of equity, fixed income and balanced assets.
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About AGF Management Limited
Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. AGF brings a disciplined approach to delivering excellence in investment management through its fundamental, quantitative, alternative and high-net-worth businesses focused on providing an exceptional client experience. AGF's suite of investment solutions extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and individual investors to institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds and endowments and foundations.
For further information, please visit AGF.com.
© 2023 AGF Management Limited. All rights reserved.
David Stonehouse, MBA, CFA®
Senior Vice-President and Head of North American and Specialty Investments
AGF Investments Inc.
More from David Stonehouse
The Most Important Indicator to Watch Right Now? The Two-Year U.S. Treasury Yield
Quantitative Tightening: The Potent but Underappreciated Sister of Interest Rate Hikes
Inflation: From Peak Transitory to Peak Persistent?
Is This "Peak Transitory"? Why Inflation Might Be More Persistent Than Expected
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Kevin McCreadie, AGF's CEO and Chief Investment Officer, discusses the AGF Asset Allocation Committee's latest quarterly update and the "return to normal."
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Every month (or so), AGFiQ highlights the quantitative investment factors that are helping shape equity markets. Today's focus is oversold conditions and the risk of weakening economic and earnings data.
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John Lewis' advertisement featuring trampolining animals and a little girl's christmas present is this year's most-shared ad on social media.
John Lewis's Christmas campaign is set to a cover of 'One Day I'll Fly Away'. The ad features a little girl who loves to jump and her pet dog who likes her new Christmas present even more than she does. It follows the story of a young girl, four animals and a dog, who on Christmas Day, are waiting for their new present. The present is a trampoline, which is revealed to the girl, by her father, on Christmas morning.
The ad has received more than 2 million shares and according to sources. The John Lewis "Buster the Boxer" ad is already the 5th most-shared Christmas ad of all time and the most-shared John Lewis ad ever. John Lewis is also working with Snapchat for the first time to heighten campaign activity. Check out the ad below.
John Lewis has become known for producing memorable Christmas advertsiments since 2007. Most of them have gained heavy exposure and traction on social media. Some of the more prominent campaigns featured The Bear and the Hare, Monty's Christmas and Man on the Moon.
Their advertsiments typically rely on emotional content and have become something of an annual tradition in the UK. The music used in John Lewis campaigns have reached high positions in the UK Singles Chart.
John Lewis's ad so far has received little criticism. However the brand has been criticized by Stop Funding Hate's founder Richard Wilson. He has criticized John Lewis funding papers like the Daily Mail whose values he considers are 'the opposite' of those John Lewis stands for in its Christmas ad.


Abiraterone is a CYP17 inhibitor indicated in combination with prednisone for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Abiraterone is an orally active inhibitor of the steroidal enzyme CYP17A1 (17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17,20 lyase). It inhibits CYP17A1 in a selective and irreversible manner via covalent binding mechanism. CYP17A1 is an enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of androgen and is highly expressed in testicular, adrenal, and prostatic tumor tissue. More specifically, abiraterone inhibits the conversion of 17-hydroxyprognenolone to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by the enzyme CYP17A1 to decrease serum levels of testosterone and other androgens.
The recommended dose of Abiraterone is 1,000 mg (four 250 mg tablets) administered orally once daily in combination with prednisone 5 mg administered orally twice daily. Abiraterone must be taken on an empty stomach. No food should be consumed for at least two hours before the dose of Abiraterone is taken and for at least one hour after the dose of Abiraterone is taken. The tablets should be swallowed whole with water. Do not crush or chew tablets.
Hypersensitivity to the Abiraterone acetate or to any of the excipients of Abiraterone. Women who may potentially be pregnant.
There are no human data on the use of Abiraterone in pregnancy and it is not for use in women of childbearing potential. Maternal use of a CYP17 inhibitor is expected to produce changes in hormone levels that could affect development of the foetus.
Pregnancy: Abiraterone is not for use in women. Abiraterone acetate is contraindicated in women who are or may potentially by pregnant (see Pharmacology: Toxicology: Preclinical Safety Data under Actions and Contraindications).
There have been no reports of overdose during clinical studies. There is no specific antidote. In the event of an overdose, administration should be withheld and general supportive measures undertaken, including monitoring for arrhythmias, hypokalaemia and for signs and symptoms of fluid retention. Liver function also should be assessed.
FILTER BY COMPANY Beacon Pharmaceuticals Ltd.


text:
Home / Climate Change / More people die as heat wave continues to scorch Japan
More people die as heat wave continues to scorch Japan
July 25, 2018	Comments Off on More people die as heat wave continues to scorch Japan 816 Views
More people died of heat-related illnesses as heat wave continued to scorch wide swathes of Japan on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.
Children play in a fountain in a Nagoya park as the heat wave continued
According to public broadcaster NHK, no fewer than eight people across Japan died of suspected heatstroke and 1,830 people were sent to hospitals on Tuesday.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), 630 of its 927 observation points across Japan logged temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, and 211 registered readings surpassing 35 degrees Celsius.
The agency warned of heat-related illnesses, such as heatstroke and dehydration and asked the public to take preventative measures.
ALSO READ: Report says most developed countries on track to meet their 2020 emission reduction targets
A protracted heat wave over the past two weeks has caused dozens of deaths and tens of thousands hospitalised in Japan.
Japan logged its highest ever temperature on Monday, as the temperature in Kumagaya, a city in Saitama prefecture near Tokyo, hit a record high of 41.1 degrees Celsius.
Previous: Group clamours tree planting to address climate change
Next: Wildfire kills 50 near Athens, families flee to beaches
The new Director General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof Abdullahi Mustapha, has ...


At Stanford Law Office, we provide experienced and honest representation to clients with immigration issues. We help employers secure visas and immigration authorizations for employees. We help individuals achieve their dreams of U.S. residency and citizenship. We reunite family members so they can grow and prosper in America.
At Stanford Law Office, you will find a concerned lawyer committed to helping you resolve immigration matters. Call our Louisville and Bowling Green immigration attorney. Call 502-365-4990 in Louisville, 270-846-1440 in Bowling Green or send us an e-mail.
Mr. Obi practices immigration, family and business law. Mr. Obi is experienced in the various forms of immigration-related benefits available to immigrants and non1immigrants. He practices before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Do you want to come or stay in the U.S.?
We know that the immigration and visa process can be complex and confusing. Our firm provides clients with confidence in knowing that their cases will be handled by an experienced attorney who understands their needs. Our principal attorney, Stanford Obi, is an immigrant himself and understands the emotions and stresses that you are going through.
Whatever your immigration matter, Stanford Law Office can help. We are committed to professionalism, client care and successful results.
If you need an experienced, understanding and knowledgeable immigration attorney, contact Stanford Law Office. We dedicate our practice to immigration law. We know what we are doing and we do it well. We have two convenient office locations, one in Louisville and one in Bowling Green. Contact us today by calling 502-365-4990 in Louisville and 270-846-1440 in Bowling Green or by sending us an e-mail. We look forward to hearing from you.
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"Despite the recent industry excitement around VR, overall consumer awareness of this technology is low< " according to Brett Sappington of Parks Associates.
"Virtual reality has the potential to have significant impact on many market sectors, particularly those that benefit from immersion and engagement," Sappington said. "Despite the recent industry excitement around VR, overall consumer awareness of this technology is low.
He made the remarks during last week's Connections even in San Francisco. Sappington and Barbara Kraus also presented their top 10 list of disruptors in connected entertainment: 1) Virtual reality; 2) Live streaming; 3) Voice control; 4) Pay TV as the new OTT; 5) Devices as smart home controllers; 6) Integrated discovery; 7) Device makers and streaming services; 8) 4K + HDR; 9) Privacy and security of data; and 10) Redefining video game entertainment.
Other topics discussed during Connections topics included consumer privacy, media piracy, big data, and the emergence of voice as a key user interface, with Amazon driving this change through Echo and Alexa.
"As discussed in the Risky Business: Piracy and Protecting Content in an OTT World session on Wednesday, piracy of premium and pay-TV content can be successfully mitigated by technological means in combination with effective policies, business models catering to consumers' expectations, and ease of content discovery, navigation, and use," said Petr Peterka, CTO of Verimatrix.


text:
title: "The Staggering Ways America Is Rigged to Traumatize and Impoverish Kids Coming Out of College"
publication: "Alternet"
category: what-im-watching
image_path: /assets/img/college-student.jpg
featured: true
link_to_original: "http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/staggering-ways-america-rigged-traumatize-and-impoverish-kids-coming-out-college"
---
Today's college students are inheriting a world far scarier than any generation before them.


text:
San Francisco Giants World Series trophies head to Salinas
Event supports Police Activities League
Updated: 11:17 PM PST Feb 20, 2015
Lauren Seaver
Hundreds of Giants fans waited in line to get a glimpse of the three San Francisco Giants World Series trophies Friday.For most who attended, Friday was the chance to see the trophies together for the first time."Here to support my team, excited to check out the trophies," said fan Robert Chavez."We couldn't miss this one," Diane Pemberton said.But Santos Martinez said the event meant much more after his father died in September."My dad didn't get to see the third trophy, so I wanted to have my dad here with me," he said.Salinas is one of 40 stops along the trophy tour that stretches from January to March. Many of those stops support local Junior Giants programs, including the one in Salinas: the Police Activities League."To get it two times in a row, is pretty special," said Officer Angel Gonzalez, executive director of PAL.Gonzalez said the organization is a way for police officers to connect with the youth of Salinas from a young age. He said events like Friday's are crucial to continue to fund their free program."The kids are taught the fundamentals of baseball and ultimately it's a character-building program," Gonzalez said.Those who missed the trophies Friday can find them at the Marina Airport Hanger Saturday morning and Monte Vista Christian High School on Saturday afternoon.
SALINAS, Calif. —
Hundreds of Giants fans waited in line to get a glimpse of the three San Francisco Giants World Series trophies Friday.
For most who attended, Friday was the chance to see the trophies together for the first time.
"Here to support my team, excited to check out the trophies," said fan Robert Chavez.
"We couldn't miss this one," Diane Pemberton said.
But Santos Martinez said the event meant much more after his father died in September.
"My dad didn't get to see the third trophy, so I wanted to have my dad here with me," he said.
Salinas is one of 40 stops along the trophy tour that stretches from January to March. Many of those stops support local Junior Giants programs, including the one in Salinas: the Police Activities League.
"To get it two times in a row, is pretty special," said Officer Angel Gonzalez, executive director of PAL.
Gonzalez said the organization is a way for police officers to connect with the youth of Salinas from a young age. He said events like Friday's are crucial to continue to fund their free program.
"The kids are taught the fundamentals of baseball and ultimately it's a character-building program," Gonzalez said.
Those who missed the trophies Friday can find them at the Marina Airport Hanger Saturday morning and Monte Vista Christian High School on Saturday afternoon.


Jean Stoddard Gould age 78 of Bantam passed away Wednesday November 28, 2018 at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Torrington. She was the widow of Howard T. Gould.
Jean was born September 25, 1940 in Newtown, CT, a daughter of the late Frederick and Emma (Richmond) Stoddard. She was a graduate of Newtown High School and was employed as a machine operator by Amphenol Manufacturing in Danbury, CT. Jean loved spending time with her family, especially her two great grandsons Hunter and Sawyer who adored her and will miss her immensely .
Jean is survived by her son Frederick Gould of Bristol, CT ; two granddaughters, Amanda Rapp-Smith of Washington, CT and Angel Woodin of Texas; a grandson, Patrick Woodin of New Milford, CT; five great grandchildren, Jesse, Eli and Jackson Woodin of Texas and Hunter and Sawyer Smith of Washington, CT.
She is predeceased by two children, Debra and Patrick Gould of New Milford.