In an ongoing effort to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities, the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center, along with Georgetown University, proudly presented The 3rd Georgetown University Conference on Employment of People with Disabilities on November 22, 2013. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. hosted the Conference where experts examined both the deep challenges, as well as the great opportunities, for employment advancement of people with disabilities.
Fox News Chief White House Correspondent, Ed Henry served as Master of Ceremonies and introduced Georgetown University Alumni Mike Marshall of JPMorgan Chase and Taylor Price of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Each spoke of their commitment to increasing and implementing plans of action that will reduce the unemployment rate of people with disabilities.
John D. Kemp welcomed Human Spirit Award recipient, Thomas J. Donohue, President & CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. During his acceptance speech, Mr. Donohue noted the Chamber's commitment to the disability rights movement and spoke of the personal relationship he had with Dr. Henry Viscardi, founder of The Viscardi Center, and the vision they shared – to ensure people with disabilities are given the opportunity to be included and accepted in society and the workplace. Randy Lewis also received a Human Spirit Award. Mr. Lewis captured the audience attention with stories of his personal challenges and successes and its affect on his professional life. Known for his innovation, Mr. Lewis pioneered a disability employment model in Walgreen's distribution centers which has been replicated at other national and international companies. He recently authored, No Greatness without Goodness, which is scheduled to release in April 2014.
By the afternoon, attendees were engaged in discussions with experts in the areas of public policy, business, federal contracting, and technology as it examined the history and future of disability employment.
Frances West, Director, IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center, Katie Haritos Shea, Senior ICT Accessibility & Compliance Solutions Specialist and Debra Ruh, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global, led the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) panel. All experts in the field of ICT, each provided participants with a clear vision of what employers should be doing in areas related to ICT best practices and global standards, web site accessibility, and social media as it relates to the ADA, Section 503, Section 508, as well as the efforts that should be taken to meet the recent Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs' (OFCCP) 7% goal for federal contractors as it relates to the employment of people with disabilities.
Andrew Imparato, Executive Director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, and Mike Eastman, the Equal Employment Advisory Council's Senior Council for labor law policy, conducted the Disability Employment Policy and Law panel discussion and provided valuable information on the impact of the 2008 ADA Amendments Act and recent legal developments around disability employment.
The Wounded Warriors and Work panel, moderated by Lisa Stern, included Ron Drach, President, Drach Consulting; Wounded Warrior Project, Andrew Godrich, USMC (Ret.), National Park Service, Law Enforcement, Security & Emergency Services; Lori Golden of Ernst & Young, Veterans and AccessAbilities Efforts; Anthony K. Odierno, VP of Military and Veterans Affairs, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; and Jared Sheppard, US Army (Ret.), President and CEO of Intelligent waves and Warriors Ethos. Each summarized the importance of their efforts in developing and implementing successful Employee Resource Groups, Veterans programs, and diversity initiatives which included discussions related to the accommodation process and workplace adjustments.
Plans for the 2014 Conference will begin early next year.
NBDC's services are offered through tiered membership levels or on a consultant basis and assist businesses in developing strategies to implement, grow, measure and create solid disability programs. These include talent acquisition, advancement and retention strategies; customized training seminars and workshops; facility and IT accessibility surveys; and an information hotline for disability-related employment issues. Its initiatives to assist employers with expanding their recruiting of people with disabilities include a Job Postings Service that aids in attracting qualified people with disabilities to their companies, the NBDC National Resume Database® that provides access to resume listings 24/7 and the Emerging Leaders summer internship program for college students with disabilities.
Founded by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., who served as disability advisor to eight U.S. presidents and became one of the world's leading advocates, The Viscardi Center provides Pre-K through High School education, school-to-work transition services, vocational training, career counseling and placement, assistive technology and workforce diversification assistance to children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and businesses. A global leader, it employs more than 300 professionals, including experts in education, human resources and technology.


text:
Notable Equipment:
1956 Fender Stratocaster
1959 Gibson Les Paul
1969 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe
Associated Artists:
Played With:
James Gang
http://www.joewalsh.com/
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands: the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles. He has also experienced success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B. King and Dan Fogelberg.
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 10/04/1972 Bitter End NYC New York USA
ELO 06/09/1973 Hollywood Palladium Hollywood California USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 07/22/1973 Youngstown State Theatre Youngstown Ohio USA
The Guess Who 08/02/1973 Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls Ohio USA
Sunset Concert Series 08/25/1973 Suffolk Downs Boston Massachusetts USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 09/20/1973 PNE Garden Auditorium Vancouver British Columbia Canada
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 10/11/1973 Atlanta Municipal Auditorium Atlanta Georgia USA
John Mayall 10/23/1973 Orpheum Theatre - Boston Boston Massachusetts USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 10/31/1973 Allen Theater Cleveland Ohio USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 03/08/1974 Academy of Music NYC New York USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 03/15/1974 Passaic Capitol Theatre Passaic New Jersey USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 03/23/1974 Toledo Sports Arena Toledo Ohio USA
World Series of Rock 06/23/1974 Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Ohio USA
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young 07/13/1974 Oakland Coliseum Oakland California USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 02/12/1975 Lakeland Civic Center Lakeland Florida USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 03/06/1975 Syria Mosque Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm 03/18/1975 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee Wisconsin USA

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Brittany and Foster
At a Park
Foster and I first met back in the summer of 2015 at a college gathering where we had both been working. We met in passing and weren't initially attracted to each other. HOWEVER, we reconnected later and it's been absolutely amazing ever since!
Foster & I love the Disney movie "Up" and just absolutely adore the couple from the movie (Carl & Ellie). We also just feel like we relate to the love they share and love making our lives together with a true adventure. Therefore, "Up" kind of just naturally became our relationship's theme. We had already had a day filled with "Up" themed activities such as making the "Carl & Ellie" mailbox for our "soon-to-be" house and a picnic-like the ones in the movie.
However, the next place we went to was a private venue (on the marsh of Saint Simons Island) that was totally & completely decorating like a popular scene right out of the movie. As we walked up, the "Up" theme song started playing as if we had walked straight into the movie. After taking everything in and chatting about all of the detail that was in the setup, Foster told me I was his greatest adventure, got down on one knee, and I said the easiest "yes" I've ever said in my whole entire life. As if this wasn't already enough, in came both of our families and our two dogs to come to celebrate this special moment. It was truly a dream come true.
Krystle Hollingsworth
| Photographer
Elmaz and Reyhan
Europe, Greece
He Pulled Off an Elaborate Surprise Proposal in Greece
Destination, Marriage Proposal Video
Georgia, Atlanta
Nicole and Braeden
Ray and José
Outdoor, Personal
Holli and Gray
Adventurous, Outdoor
Jessica and Alexander
Adventurous, Hiking
Hannah and Jared


text:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG
May 2000 , Volume 263, Issue 4, pp 664–673 | Cite as
Cloning and expression of the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene of Neurospora crassa and processing of its product
M. A. Hoyt
L. J. Williams-Abbott
J. W. Pitkin
R. H. Davis
S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) catalyzes the formation of decarboxylated AdoMetDC, a precursor of the polyamines spermidine and spermine. The enzyme is derived from a proenzyme by autocatalytic cleavage. We report the cloning and regulation of the gene for AdoMetDC in Neurospora crassa, spe-2, and the effect of putrescine on enzyme maturation and activity. The gene was cloned from a genomic library by complementation of a spe-2 mutant. Like other AdoMetDCs, that of Neurospora is derived by cleavage of a proenzyme. The deduced sequence of the Neurospora proenzyme (503 codons) is over 100 codons longer than any other AdoMetDC sequence available in genomic databases. The additional amino acids are found only in the AdoMetDC of another fungus, Aspergillus nidulans, a cDNA for which we also sequenced. Despite the conserved processing site and four acidic residues required for putrescine stimulation of human proenzyme processing, putrescine has no effect on the rate (t0.5∼10 min) of processing of the Neurospora gene product. However, putrescine is absolutely required for activity of the Neurospora enzyme (K0.5∼100 μM). The abundance of spe-2 mRNA and enzyme activity is regulated 2- to 4-fold by spermidine.
Key wordsNeurospora Polyamines S-adeno-sylmethionine decarboxylase Proenzyme processing
Received: 4 August 1999 / Accepted: 14 February 2000
1.Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA E-mail: rhdavis@uci.edu Tel.: +1-949-8245872; Fax: +1-949-8248551US
2.Monsanto Corporation, 700 N. Chesterfield Parkway, Chesterfield, MO 63198, USAUS
Hoyt, M., Williams-Abbott, L., Pitkin, J. et al. Mol Gen Genet (2000) 263: 664. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004380051215
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s004380051215


NYPD Wikipedia edits: Eric Garner, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo.
Capital identified 85 NYPD addresses that have edited Wikipedia, although it is unclear how many users were involved, as computers on the NYPD network can operate on the department's range of IP addresses.
At one point a One Police Plaza user attempted to delete the entry for "Sean Bell shooting incident" altogether. The NYPD says it is investigating Capital's findings.


text:
Leo Gabriel (ur. 11 września 1902 w Wiedniu, zm. 19 lutego 1987 tamże) – austriacki filozof, profesor Uniwersytetu Wiedeńskiego. Autor książki Wprowadzenie do myśli indyjskiej.

Bibliografia
 Biogram filozofa

Austriaccy filozofowie XX wieku
Ludzie urodzeni w Wiedniu
Urodzeni w 1902
Zmarli w 1987

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


published in the NIH Guide, Vol. 24, No. 13, April 7, 1995.
research capability and progress of its beneficiaries.
who has had equivalent research support is not eligible for this award.
research and applies to all areas of research supported by NIMH.
prepares part 1 and the career development plan of part 3 of this narrative.
prepares part 2, and the sponsoring program or department prepares part 4.
to the application in sealed envelopes.
The Scientist Development Award for New Minority Faculty is a mentored award.
principal mentor should appear at the end of the mentor"s statement.  "Per"
career goals of the candidate.
knowledge in the area, and methods to be employed.
(rev. 4/98) "Specialized Information: Research Plan" in the presentation.
provided.  This appointment must not be contingent on the receipt of an award.
indicate plans for use of released funds if the candidate receives an award.
for his or her development.
grant while this award is active.
notice countersigned by a representative of the grantee institution.
required for the conduct of research.
salary, and related staff privileges and obligations.
awardee to conduct research until regular research support can be obtained.
and travel to scientific meetings and research workshops.
and administrative assistants is not allowed.
fees or on equipment expenditures.
maintained and summarized as requested in progress reports.
with the policies and practices of the grantee institution.
NIMH awarding component is required for leave in excess of three months.
full five years of support.
costs supported by the award will be reduced accordingly.
and the right to appeal the decision.
DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR NEW MINORITY FACULTY."
one another in the extent of their prior research training and/or experience.
o  Quality and breadth of prior scientific training and experience.
research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities.


text:
Bringing the spirit of Patti Smith to Mills
By Emily Mibach
For the past 15 years, Robert Byler, the nighttime librarian's assistant, has been collecting and creating a Patti Smith Special Collection at Mills College.
The collection contains multiple versions of Smith's memoir "Just Kids" in several languages. (Emily Mibach)
Byler has been working with Janice Braun, the Associate Library Director and Special Collections Librarian, to create this expansive collection, which contains Smith's poetry, art, music, photographs and even a typed draft with Smith's hand written notes of Smith's 2010 bestseller, Just Kids, which Smith sent to Byler specifically for the collection.
Patti Smith, sometimes called the "Godmother of Punk," has been performing, releasing music, writing and releasing poetry and art since 1971.
The collection is focused on Smith's poetry and art, not necessarily her music, even though Byler does cite "Radio Ethiopia" as his favorite of Smith's albums.
"Focusing on music in a rare book room is kind of odd," said Byler, who discovered Smith's poetry in a book store as a teenager.
"I had never read anything like it before – it intrigued me," Byler said, referring to when he first read Witt, Smith's book of poems.
Byler feels like Mills is the ideal place to have a Patti Smith collection.
"She's like a feminist without explicitly saying she is a feminist," Byler said. "She's just herself and broke down so many boundaries, and there was no female at the time being that androgynous"
Tee shirts Smith's sister, Kim, donated to the collection.
Byler has been working at Mills' F.W. Olin library since 1995, which was an ideal time to start collecting Smith's books.
"She was just coming back, some early stuff had been re-released, some of her early poetry, and she had just played in San Francisco," Byler said. "I couldn't do this collection now, I wouldn't be able to find everything I have now."
Byler began searching for Smith's books locally, nationally and internationally. In addition to finding items on sites like eBay and various rare book stores, he got into contact with some of Smith's publishers in hopes they would have copies for him. Not only publishers and photographers have sent Byler items for the collection, but so has Kim Smith, Smith's younger sister, and Smith herself.
"I met her at a book signing and told her about the collection, and she wrote me about it later asking about it," Byler said.
Throughout the years Byler has kept in contact with Smith, and is very respectful of Smith in regards to the collection. If Smith wants something removed or sent to her because she doesn't have a copy, Byler will happily abide. He has also never asked Smith for anything for the collection. On the Just Kids manuscript that Smith sent, Byler said it was "out of the blue."
"I mean, people are people, just because you're in the public light doesn't mean that you're any different," Byler said.
While Smith has never visited Mills, Byler does admit to hoping maybe one day Smith will come to see not only the collection, but also the school.
"Bryn Mawr (College) just gave her some type of award, I guess we just need throw one together to get her out here," Byler said.
The collection includes all of Smith's published works, including international versions and various types of releases. The collection also includes various pictures and art work, along with some of Smith's tee shirts, donated by her sister. To date the mater list of the collection is over 100 pages long.
And as for credit, Byler wants none.
"People should always give something back," Byler said. "This is a gift to the future and a gift to now, and hopefully people can use it and be influenced by it."
Bringing the spirit of Patti Smith to Mills was published on March 19, 2013 in Arts & Entertainment, Features


Nikon presents Nikon SLR dedicated to astrophotography. The D810A is based on the D810 technology, with targeted modifications to make it suitable for photography of celestial objects.
The retina is naturally sensitive to visible light but this is not the case of digital sensors. Silicon photodiodes captures infrared images more easily. To avoid the stray light, the cameras are equipped with an infrared filter, which reduces their sensitivity to red (beyond 600 nm) and removes infrared light (700 nm past).


text:
Q: File writing command in pexpect not behaving as I thought it would There is a process that i can run from the command line which writes data to a file continuously until i tell it to stop, and can be accessed (read) while the process is running.
However, if I run the same command through pexpect, the file stays empty (although can be read) until I stop the pexpect instance.  Only then will the file fill up with the data.
Is this just a feature of pexpect or am I doing something wrong here?
pexpect command:
child = pexpect.spawn('airodump-ng', ['-a', '-w', '/root/Desktop/TEST', '--output-format', 'csv', INTERFACE])

A: I have never used airodump-ng; if it is a fire and forget exercise (no interaction), you should be using pexpect.run() for non-interactive tasks such as ls -la
results = pexpect.run('ls -la')

If you need interaction, just put your args in one string...
child = pexpect.spawn('airodump-ng -a -w /root/Desktop/TEST --output-format csv %s' % INTERFACE)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Vinyl flooring is the number one choice for hard surface flooring. Resilient flooring is defined as a non-textile floor that provides underfoot comfort, and characteristically bounces back from repeated traffic or compression.
Vinyl flooring provides substantial health, safety and performance benefits over other flooring options because it is durable and easily cleaned, which minimizes bacteria growth, and makes it ideal for use in kitchens, school lunchrooms, and hospitals.
Vinyl flooring is also a sustainable choice. Because it lasts for 30 – 50 years, it cuts down on waste sent to landfills, and conserves raw materials that would otherwise be consumed in manufacturing new products. The vinyl flooring industry engages in extensive recycling activity.
Many of its products contain 5 – 10% post-consumer recycled materials, and some contain much more. Based on the industry's Environmental Product Declarations, only between 0.3% and 4.5% of materials used in manufacturing vinyl flooring products, on average, are sent to landfills as waste.


The latest top-of-the range Beta motorcycles in the Trial segment have arrived: the Evo Factory My 2017.
The engineers from the Tuscany-based company have successfully achieved all their goals: reduced weight, increased performance and enhanced riding enjoyment.
The new Evo Factory range is made up of the following versions: the 125, 250, 300cc as well as the 300cc 4-stroke. As always, Factory versions are a further evolution of the Evo standard at both the technical and design level. Numerous special parts, some made of Ergal (machined aluminum), go hand-in-hand with eye-catching replica graphics. The bike thus represents the most advanced race-ready technology the Beta brand has to offer.
Black magnesium engine crankcase: provide major weight savings compared to the standard version.
Titanium front exhaust with conical cylinder connector which boosts performance significantly while reducing weight.
Profiled clutch discs: maintain clutch precision and control even under the most extreme conditions.
Titanium front exhaust: boosts performance significantly while cutting weight.
Ignition mapping: specifically tuned for enhanced ridability and better throttle response.
New silencer: which increases performance with respect to the standard version.
New port timing: for transfer and exhaust ports, lowered with respect to the standard version, consequently increasing torque at low revs.
Combustion chamber: with specially designed volume and squish to boost performance.
Titanium silencer: which, in addition to limiting weight, ensures improved performance throughout the power range and more linear power delivery.
New fork compression adjustment: for the first time – in addition to rebound damping adjustment via a manual knob – compression can now be adjusted via an adjustment screw, positioned on the left at the bottom of the fork leg, allowing riders to personalize compression to suit individual riding styles.
New black anodized triple clamp: ensures greater lightness and rigidity.
New rear suspensionwith more travel and shock adjustment of both compression and rebound. Thanks to the double oil remote reservoir tank the performance is improved, especially in the most challenging circumstances.
New rear linkage ratios: more sensitive and progressive, ensuing better traction and greater thrust in front of high obstacles.
New plate holder kit incorporating indicators: greater off-road practicality, finally letting users go Trial riding in full compliance with the highway code.
Lanyard-type kill switch, for safety in case of a fall.
Black anodized bar end plugs, to protect grips and ensure proper, long-lasting throttle operation.
Black anodized engine oil plugs.
Foot pegs, machined from solid, non-slip steel, ensure maximum riding grip even under the most extreme conditions as well as a significant weight reduction.
Racing brake discs deliver more powerful braking, weight savings and a more aggressive look.
BrakTec brake and clutch pumps for improved brake feel.
Michelin X-Light tires, lighter with even more grip.
By the end of February/early March. Prices to follow.


text:
Iran Economy News Iran oil-shipping insurance seen unusable on lack of clarity
Iran oil-shipping insurance seen unusable on lack of clarity
By Shahin Mahmoudi
Bloomberg: Insurance for tankers to export Iranian crude may be unusable even after the U.S. and the European Union eased sanctions against the Persian Gulf state, a group covering vessel owners said.
By Alaric Nightingale
Insurance for tankers to export Iranian crude may be unusable even after the U.S. and the European Union eased sanctions against the Persian Gulf state, a group covering vessel owners said.
Ship owners hauling Iran's oil may go unpaid if they claim against insurance policies after July 20, the date temporary relief of sanctions on the nation is due to expire or be renewed, Gard AS, an Arendal, Norway-based organization covering against risks including oil spills, said in an update on its website today. The Office of Foreign Assets Control, part of the U.S. Treasury, declined to clarify whether claims would be recoverable after July even if the incident happened before then, Gard said.
The U.S. and its allies agreed to ease some sanctions against Iran for six months starting Jan. 20, part of a deal designed to curb the Middle East country's nuclear program. The relaxation included suspending an EU insurance and reinsurance ban that had barred most international tanker owners from getting coverage to carry Iranian oil. The EU prohibition helped limit Iran's oil exports, which the U.S. estimated fell 60 percent since the measures started in 2012.
"This ongoing insurance-claims ambiguity places a cautious cloud on the willingness of carriers to ply this route, eventually restricting the pace of growth in Iranian oil exports during this six-month window," Miswin Mahesh, an analyst at Barclays Plc in London, said by e-mail today.
Export Curb
Hagar Chemali, an OFAC spokeswoman, declined to comment.
The U.S. estimates that Iran is exporting 1 million barrels a day and says the nation cannot expand sales beyond that figure under the deal, which was negotiated in November in Geneva. Iran's own estimate for sales was about 1.5 million barrels a day in November, according to a submission by the country to the Joint Organisations Data Initiative. U.S. officials say the Iranian estimate is inflated.
Andrew Bardot, the executive officer of the International Group of P&I Clubs, a London-based umbrella organization that includes Gard as a member and covers 95 percent of the world's tankers, said before the easing of the EU ban that OFAC was "on the same track" as the European Commission concerning relaxing the measures.
"Members and clubs should proceed on the basis that beyond 20 July 2014, clubs will not be able to respond to any claims presented in respect of liabilities arising during the 20 January/20 July suspension period," Gard, the largest P&I provider, said in its notice. "This has the effect of rendering the current suspension of sanctions on insurance cover, and in particular P&I cover, of very limited, if any, value to shipowners."
P&I refers to protection and indemnity insurance. Club members are owners who pool resources to cover vessels.
Previous articleUN inspectors in Iran to visit uranium mine
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text:
Q: Modifying the following methods so that I only call Nokogiri::HTML once? The following code scraps different sections of a site. Basically I have a few methods for each section, and then a method (parse_details) which merges all hashes into a single one:
class Parser
  def parse_details(html)
    merged_hashes = {}
    array_of_hashes = [
      self.parse_department(html),
      self.parse_super_saver(html),
    ]
    array_of_hashes.inject(merged_hashes,:update)

    return merged_hashes
  end

  def parse_department(file)
    html       = file
    data       = Nokogiri::HTML(open(html))
    department = data.css('#ref_2619534011')

    @department_hash = {}
    department.css('li').drop(1).each do | department |
      department_title = department.css('.refinementLink').text
      department_count = department.css('.narrowValue').text[/[\d,]+/].delete(",").to_i
      @department_hash[:department] ||= {}
      @department_hash[:department]["Pet Supplies"] ||= {}
      @department_hash[:department]["Pet Supplies"][department_title] = department_count
    end

    return @department_hash
  end

  def parse_super_saver(file)
    html        = file
    data        = Nokogiri::HTML(open(html))
    super_saver = data.css('#ref_2661623011')

    @super_saver_hash = {}
    super_saver.css('li').each do | super_saver |
      super_saver_title = super_saver.css('.refinementLink').text
      super_saver_count = super_saver.css('.narrowValue').text[/[\d,]+/].delete(",").to_i
      @super_saver_hash[:super_saver] ||= {}
      @super_saver_hash[:super_saver][super_saver_title] = super_saver_count
    end

    return @super_saver_hash
  end

As you can see I'm calling Nokogiri::HTML(open(html)) more than one time.
Someone suggested me to do something like this:
  def self.parse(html)
    doc = Nokogiri::HTML html
    self.parse_details(doc) unless doc.nil?
  end

So I call Nokogiri::HTML only once.
But I'm stuck, for instance I have no idea what to do with parts like department = data.css('#ref_2619534011') should they go in the new parse method or not? I'm also confused about what to do with the html and file argument. After having the new parse method, should I leave them there or remove them?
Any suggestions of how I can accomplish what I want?

A: Simple conversion:
class Parser
  def initialize(url)
    @data = Nokogiri.HTML(open(url))
  end
  def parse_details()
    {}.tap do |merged_hashes|
      array_of_hashes = [
        parse_department(),
        parse_super_saver(),
      ]
      array_of_hashes.inject(merged_hashes,:update)
    end
  end

  def parse_department()
    department = @data.css('#ref_2619534011')

    @department_hash = {}
    department.css('li').drop(1).each do | department |
      department_title = department.css('.refinementLink').text
      department_count = department.css('.narrowValue').text[/[\d,]+/].delete(",").to_i
      @department_hash[:department] ||= {}
      @department_hash[:department]["Pet Supplies"] ||= {}
      @department_hash[:department]["Pet Supplies"][department_title] = department_count
    end
    @department_hash
  end

  def parse_super_saver()
    super_saver = @data.css('#ref_2661623011')

    @super_saver_hash = {}
    super_saver.css('li').each do | super_saver |
      super_saver_title = super_saver.css('.refinementLink').text
      super_saver_count = super_saver.css('.narrowValue').text[/[\d,]+/].delete(",").to_i
      @super_saver_hash[:super_saver] ||= {}
      @super_saver_hash[:super_saver][super_saver_title] = super_saver_count
    end
    @super_saver_hash
  end
end

If you don't actually need @department_hash and @super_saver_hash as instance variables, you might choose to convert them to the tap style I used in parse_details.
If you don't actually need this to be a class at all, but just a collection of methods, then consider instead:
module Parser
  def self.parse_details(url)
    data = Nokogiri.HTML(open(url))
    {}.tap do |merged_hashes|
      array_of_hashes = [
        parse_department(data),
        parse_super_saver(data),
      ]
      array_of_hashes.inject(merged_hashes,:update)
    end
  end

  def self.parse_department(data)
    {}.tap do |department_hash|
      data.css('#ref_2619534011 li').drop(1).each do | department |
        department_title = department.css('.refinementLink').text
        department_count = department.css('.narrowValue').text[/[\d,]+/].delete(",").to_i
        department_hash[:department] ||= {}
        department_hash[:department]["Pet Supplies"] ||= {}
        department_hash[:department]["Pet Supplies"][department_title] = department_count
      end
    end
  end

  def self.parse_super_saver(data)
    {}.tap do |super_saver_hash|
      data.css('#ref_2661623011 li').each do |super_saver|
        super_saver_title = super_saver.css('.refinementLink').text
        super_saver_count = super_saver.css('.narrowValue').text[/[\d,]+/].delete(",").to_i
        super_saver_hash[:super_saver] ||= {}
        super_saver_hash[:super_saver][super_saver_title] = super_saver_count
      end
    end
  end


The Church Music Institute is dedicated to the advancement and stewardship of the best liturgical and sacred music for Christian worship, serving clergy, musicians and congregants. Connect Technologies worked with the Church Music Institute to redesign their website and improve their music library's search system.
The Church Music Institute contains an extensive Library of sacred choral and organ music for evaluation and study to support the educational purposes of the Institute. We worked with the CMI to refresh their library search system by improving the system's functionality and design.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Bryce Graven
Mixing and mastering music and multimedia
About the life
Bryce's versatility is the lifeline of his pasion. The often-underestimated Bay Area native has made some noise as a rapper and producer over the past 19 years.
Some know Bryce more for his work behind the boards, than his skills in the booth. He is familiar with the majority of audio and video production software, and has recorded, mixed and mastered for artist like Layzie Bone, B-Real, Berner, Jim Jones, Philthy Rich, The Jacka, Andre Nickatina, Berner and more.
Over the years, Bryce's dream to accelerate the evolution of music recording has led him down a rabbit hole of analog and digital media and all things related. Photography, graphic design, web design, print media, publishing and marketing are all handled under one roof by Bryce or as individual services in collaborative effort.
I"I was eight years old when I made my first drum pattern on the Alesis HR-16. Not long after, I wrote my first verse, overdubbed my first vocals and cut the first tape."
Examples of Bryce's work are available throughout the site and the world wide web. For more info, contact Bryce directly.
Group Albums (13)
Solo Albums (6)
Mastering Solutions
Audio Portfolio
Shies TV
https://youtu.be/1qAUO-eYvXE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3DtJCiJG8M
@shies.tv
Slap Market
Copyright © 2022 Bryce Graven


Filipino flyers get a chance to fly to their favourite destinations (local or international) for FREE as part of the launching of Tiger Airways Philippines.
"We at Tiger Airways Philippines embrace the simple belief that travel is about bringing people closer to their desires and experiences. One way of making air travel more accessible is through offerings such as the free fare promo," says Olive Ramos, President and CEO of Tiger Airways Philippines.
Flights booked on www. www.tigerairways.com from June 1 until June 30, 2013 and with travel dates from July 1 to September 30, 2013 can be availed with for free. Among the destinations that Tiger Airways Philippines flies to are Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and local destinations such as Clark, Laoag, Bacolod, Kalibo, Cebu, Iloilo, Tacloban, and Puerto Princesa. It has also increased its flight frequency between Manila and Bacolod, and Cebu and Kalibo. A Singapore to Kalibo route will also be launched on July 18, making the carrier the only one to directly fly this route.
"Travellers now have more freedom to choose an airline that is safe, reliable and seamless. We are offering this free fare promo for everyone to get a chance to experience the joy of finding a travel partner that understands their needs and truly cares for them." Ramos adds.
Tiger Airways Philippines carries a distinguished regional brand that gives importance to safety and reliability, while offering the best value fare to travellers. The airline operates Airbus A320 and A319, with wider leg rooms to give added comfort to its passengers.
Sometimes, the best things in life, are still, FREE.
It's nice that there's a direct flight from Singapore to Kalibo route which helps promotes Kalibo, Boracay and nearby islands better. I hope they also come up with direct flights to other areas like Batanes, Tagbiliran, etc.
I first heard their airlines when I was in Australia. But recently I've read a blog about Tiger Airways having problems like they cancelled a flight (promo).
A BIG thank you to our passengers and support crew for their patience over the flight delays due to the volcanic ash cloud.


text:
The Decline of American Universities
Victor Davis Hanson / @VDHanson / April 30, 2021
A view of a gate to Harvard Yard on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 8, 2020. (Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Victor Davis Hanson / @VDHanson
Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and author of the book "The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won." You can reach him by e-mailing [email protected]
Nothing is stranger than the contemporary American university.
Not long ago, Americans used to idolize their universities. Indeed, in science, math, engineering, medicine, and business, many of these meritocratic departments and schools remain among the top-ranked in the world.
Top-notch higher education explains much of the current scientific, technological, and commercial excellence of the United States.
After World War II—won in part due to superior American scientific research, production, and logistics—a college degree became a prerequisite for a successful career. The GI Bill enabled some 8 million returning vets to go to college. Most graduated to good jobs.
The university from the late 1940s to 1960 was a rich resource of continuing education. It introduced the world's great literature, from Homer to Tolstoy, to the American middle classes.
But today's universities and colleges bear little if any resemblance to postwar higher education. Even during the tumultuous 1960s, when campuses were plagued by radical protests and periodic violence, there was still institutionalized free speech. An empirical college curriculum mostly survived the chaos of the '60s.
But it is gone now.
Instead, imagine a place where the certification of educational excellence, the Bachelor of Arts degree, is no guarantee that a graduate can speak, write, or communicate coherently or think inductively.
Imagine a place that requires applicants to submit high school grade-point averages and standardized test results but doesn't require its own graduates to pass a basic uniform competency test.
Imagine a place where after an initial trial period, a minority of elite employees receive lifetime job guarantees.
Imagine a place supposedly devoted to equity where only 30% of the faculty are privileged enough to be tenure-tracked. The other 70% are second-class, categorized as part-time or "contingent" faculty. And they receive a fraction of the compensation per hour of instruction as their more elite counterparts.
Imagine a place that cherishes student interaction and criticism of the "establishment," yet the ratio of instructors to administrators is about 1 to 1. The money devoted to nonteaching administrative costs is now about equal to the money devoted to classroom instruction.
Imagine a place where "diversity" is the professed institutional ethos, while studies reveal that liberal faculty outnumber their conservative counterparts by over 10 to 1.
Imagine a liberal place where in 2021 race can still be used as a criterion in selecting and rejecting applicants, choosing prospective dorm roommates, organizing segregated dorms, and restricting access to special places on campus.
Imagine a progressive place that once renounced unconstitutional "loyalty oaths" but now rebrands them as "diversity pledges" and requires reeducation and indoctrination training.
Imagine a place with non-taxable endowments that restricts free speech and expression. Nonprofit universities make it impossible for some speakers to lecture, and often suspend constitutionally protected due process for students facing particular allegations.
Imagine a place loudly devoted to income, capital, and marketplace equity measured against the reality that 800 of the largest colleges and universities hold more than $600 billion in endowments. Yet just 20 elite universities account for half that total. And just four—Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Princeton—account for almost a quarter of all endowment funds.
Imagine a liberal place that has upped its tuition and total costs far beyond the rate of inflation, with its graduates now collectively owing $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. There is little hope that many of these student debtors will ever pay back their obligations, which average more than $30,000 each.
Imagine a place that has institutionalized human rights but welcomes nearly 400,000 students from human rights-violating China—a great many of whom are the offspring of elite Communist Party members who provide a lucrative source of university income.
Imagine a place where faculty and students now selectively change the names of campus streets, centers, and buildings that honored supposedly illiberal, long-dead donors, graduates, and former heroes.
Yet curiously, universities never alter their marquee founding brand names. Were founders or original funders such as Leland Stanford, Elihu Yale, and Lord Jeffery Amherst not as illiberal as Father Junipero Serra, Earl Warren, and Woodrow Wilson, whose names have been canceled on some college campuses?
As long as universities produced highly educated and open-minded graduates at a reasonable cost and kept politics out of the lecture hall, Americans didn't care much about peculiarities such as tenure, legacy admissions, untaxed endowments, rebellious students, and quirky faculty.
But once they began to charge exorbitantly, educate poorly, politick continuously, indebt millions of people, and act hypocritically, universities turned off Americans.
Just as a sermonizing Hollywood grates when it no longer can make good movies, a once-hallowed but now self-righteous university seems hollow when it charges so much for so little.
(C)2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email [email protected] and we will consider publishing your remarks in our regular "We Hear You" feature.


text:
OTHERWORLDLY POLAR BEARS
OTHERWORDLY ICESCAPES
ARCTIC WILDLIFE
ARCTIC LANDSCAPES
ANTARCTICA WILDLIFE
ANTARCTICA LANDSCAPES
GREENLAND'S ICE
ABSTRACT ICELAND
EARTH'S COLORS
LIFE ON EXPEDITIONS
OTHERWORLDLY ADVENTURES
SUMMER ADVENTURES
EXHIBITIONS / TALKS
Grand Prize Nature TTL Photographer of the year 2020
Gold medal Fine Arts Louvre Carrousel 2019
1st Prize Aerial Photography (video) HIPA 2019 Dubai
Drone Photographer of the Year 2018 SIPA
Grand Prize Drone photography 2017
1st Prize Wildlife The Nature Conservancy 2018
1st Prize Drone Video Animals 2018
1st Prize Landscape Arctic Biodiversity 2018
3rd Prize Wildlife Arctic Biodiversity 2018
3rd prize Drone Photography 2017
Highly Honored Nature's Best Photography 2018
"There are images that might impress you with their technical mastery, and then there are images that make you feel something. This photograph floored me. It is especially poignant given the climate crisis our world is facing right now."
Jarrad Seng, filmmaker, and Jury Skypixel/DJI
Known for his intimate and aesthetically dramatic compositions, Ledoux's distinctive fine art photography is born out of his passion for the preservation of nature, specifically of the Arctic. His camera lenses are the portals through which he communicates with the world. "My biggest motivation for creating has always been nature, to be able to bring it to the centre of our lives and give those who cannot speak a voice," he said. Throughout his childhood, he found inspiration through the work of many great photographers such as Paul Nicklen, Sebastiao Salgado, Ami Vitale, and Vincent Munier.
As a self-taught, he developed his passion until it became strong enough to become a photo reporter in the french military navy. In parallel, he started his own project in Greenland. There is no doubt that the beauty of nature, the search for isolated and wild places took him there.
Florian's artworks celebrate the beauty of the frozen continents, its incredible wildlife inhabiting the ice edge, powerful but yet so fragile, and the enormous importance they bear for the survival of our entire planet and all living species, by continually producing exceptional immersive visuals that draw the viewer into his sustainable development journey.
He is a curious, engaged, and caring individual who has committed his personal and professional life to sustainable environmental protection. Florian's work is inspiring and motivating and presents an intimacy that showcases a deep relationship with the Polar regions. Each of his photographs tells a story of the fragility of life on this planet.
Witness,
the fragile Poles
A large part of his work is based on aerial images, thus, he aspires to bring a new perspective on the fauna we already know through traditional photography.
He is convinced that these images provide us with a new approach to observe and document wildlife behaviour from a fresh angle, revealing animals in their entirety and in the context of a larger habitat and landscape in a way that has never been possible in the past.
"Photographing and immersed in the unique remote polar regions, are the moments when everything makes sense to me. In these moments the urge to create an image with a strong message that I will remember for the rest of my life comes naturally to me. The emotions that those places awake in me is what I use to inspire people to take action in their life, for change, and to care about our planet" Ledoux's said.
"Those moments are invaluable to me, something is happening within me. It's what I live for. When I photograph, I'm somewhere else. This is, I guess, what constitutes as passion, my passion to serve the conservation of the Arctic Wildlife".
Visually breathtakingly, landscapes can stir us into falling in love with the depicted scenes and environments, but Ledoux proves that Nature seen from above, by way of drone technology, arouses us to feel their beauty and fragility even more viscerally.
That wider perspective gives us context that is both powerful and deeply emotional, awakening in us a sense of connectedness with the Earth and with one another.
He has a strong belief that photography is a powerful tool able to create meaningful images that inspire emotionally as well as to create a logical connection to an issue, and in that way enhancing our human understanding of the challenges we are facing together.
Because it is critically imperative to mobilize as many people as possible in order to accelerate the development of solutions to the world's most urgent challenges, Florian Ledoux's initiative not only shines a light on the realities we face, but through its striking beauty is bound to attract ever more sectors of civil society, with governments and businesses to follow, and inspire them to collectively support international cooperation in transforming our world. His imagery is a profound nonpartisan and global call to action, as it requires no translation and goes directly to the soul and heart.
Florian Ledoux © 2013 - 2023 - All rights reserved - Forbidden Copy


text:
Share this Story: Pemex Suspends Business With Vitol After Bribery Settlement
Pemex Suspends Business With Vitol After Bribery Settlement
Lucia Kassai and Amy Stillman
(Bloomberg) — Vitol Inc. was suspended from doing business with Mexico's state oil company after the world's biggest independent oil trader paid just over $160 million to settle charges that it conspired to pay bribes in Latin America.
The trading arm of Pemex, as Petroleos Mexicanos is known, is imposing an informal temporary ban on doing business with Vitol, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
Pemex Suspends Business With Vitol After Bribery Settlement Back to video
Vitol, a closely-held company based in Rotterdam, had no comment. Pemex didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Vitol's U.S. unit agreed to settle charges that it plotted to pay bribes in Brazil, Mexico and Ecuador, in some cases as recently as in 2020, and also attempted to manipulate benchmarks for fuel oil prices, according to a deferred prosecution agreement. In response, Ecuador's state-owned oil company Petroecuador said it was excluding Vitol from its list of suppliers and customers.
Earlier on Thursday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Mexico will investigate allegations that bribes were paid to Pemex officials. The payments were made between 2015 and 2020, according to the settlement. AMLO, as the president is known, took office in December 2018.
Analysts expressed skepticism that Mexico could carry out an effective probe into the allegations, but said AMLO may use them to target other energy traders.
"The capacity doesn't exist, and honestly the political will doesn't exist either," said Duncan Wood, director of the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute in Washington. "It plays directly into the hands of the president in his attacks on the private sector and particularly on foreign companies."
Vitol made illicit payments through employees and intermediaries to Mexican officials in order to gain access to inside information, according to the prosecution agreement. The payments were made via fake consulting agreements using shell companies, it said.


Smooth, soft instrumentals pull you into Elza's second-single, "Endeavor." The track is off of Elza's new album, Nothing's Wrong, available now.
The song is somber, growing over the course of four and a half minutes. Comforting synths are combined with acoustic melodies to ease you through the slightly melancholy song. The main focus of the song however is the vocals from Elza.
Elza sings with a gentle croon that grows with the song. It curves and sweeps with melodies, ultimately urging the song along. The lyrics feel very retrospective but hopeful, as if they were written while looking through a rearview mirror.
The lyrics look back on past moments. We only get fragments of these moments, snippets from the greater picture. Metaphors and visual lyrics take the place of telling us what happened between then and now, but there's an absence felt even as the song grows.
As the lyrics look back, they also grow and sing about growth even in the face of diversity, about taking what's left to you and moving on, building up.
As the song builds, so does Elza's vocals.Eventually there's a confidence in both the melody and the vocals that wasn't there before, ending on the very triumphant, "I can still begin." Somber and sweet, "Endeavor" might be Elza's greatest one yet.
You can listen and purchase Nothing's Wrong now at Elza's website.


text:
ASX:LIT
Lithium Australia joins forces with Cazaly Resources
Published 03-MAY-2016 08:57 A.M.
Lithium Australia (ASX:LIT) and Cazaly Resources (ASX:CAZ) have signed an agreement to combine their respective holdings for the exploration and development of Pegmatite Minerals including lithium minerals in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.
The alliance is to be known as the Goldfields Lithium Alliance (GLiA) and puts LIT in a commanding position within the most prospective areas of lithium mineralisation in WA.
Existing and future holdings in the region will be combined to form a 50/50 alliance for a minimum of five years and Cazaly now has access to 50% of LIT's rights to the Coolgardie Rare Metals Venture (CRMV) including Lepidolite Hill.
The CMRV is a Lithium Australia initiative with Focus Minerals Limited (ASX:FML) and includes the historic lithium production centres of the Lipodilite Hill and Tantalite Hill mines.
LIT will also grant a SileachTM license to the Alliance for application of LIT's 100% owned processing technology, to projects within the alliance.
"At Lithium Australia we see the hard rock as being the future of lithium production. The Goldfields Lithium Alliance with Cazaly provides an extra piece of the puzzle within which we strive to reduce the cost of lithium chemicals to the lowest in the market," said Lithium Australia Managing Director Adrian Griffin.
"We value the partnership with Cazaly as it brings complementary expertise to our efforts in the Goldfields enabling greater penetration into the opportunities offered by the region."
The GLiA is expected to enable Lithium Australia to focus on aspects of its broader business plan including the establishment of processing hubs using available processes including Sileach, while drawing on Cazaly's specialised capabilities.


text:
Beniko Mason
About My Book Publications YouTube My Courses
Ms. Yasuko Katanoda
Jul 21, 2016 • Ms. Yasuko Katanoda
When Dr. Mason tells a story, she does not just tell a story, but she also tells the story with drawings and explanations of the characters, scenes and events. The content of the story comes into me through my eyes, ears and heart. I can feel the rhythm of English and see the flow of the story in my head like a movie. I have noticed that I now understand more smoothly when I hear a story in class than I first started last year. I have attended this class twice a week for two semesters. I have heard about 100 stories in 10 months.
Recently I have noticed that my mouth is moving while Dr. Mason is telling a story. I am repeating silently what she is saying to tell the story. After listening to a story, I feel like I want to express my thoughts and opinions about the story in English. I have never felt this way before when I was studying English.
I am charmed with the Story Listening time. It is not like reading a book in English, not like watching a TV show in English or not like listening to a radio program in English. The difference must come from her passion to want to help her students improve in English. It must also come from her confidence with many successful cases with her former students and her research findings.
When she starts drawing, the first thing that comes to my mind is a noun and a verb, and then other words are added to the meaning. This pattern of understanding has become very natural.
Every week I look forward to her class wondering what stories she is going to tell us that day. I feel lucky to have found Dr. Mason's SL/GSSR course.
benikomason@gmail.com
BenikoMASON
Beniko Mason, EdD, is professor emerita at Shitennoji University Junior College in Osaka, Japan. She first began her Extensive Reading (ER) program in 1984 at a vocational school in Osaka, Japan based on the Input (Reading) Hypothesis (Krashen, 1981, 1982, 1985). more ...


text: Therese "Terry" Mary (Kavanaugh) McHugh, age 86, devoted and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother peacefully passed away on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 surrounded by family at her home in Nashoba Park in Ayer. She was a former resident of Bedford and Boxborough. Terry was born and raised in the Reading and Philadelphia, PA area during the Great Depression, to the late Mary McLaughlin and William Kavanaugh. She had great affection for the city of Philadelphia, where she especially loved attending the all-girls Catholic Nazareth Academy High School in Northeast Philly (Class of 1951). She married her high school sweetheart, Joseph William McHugh, a Korean War veteran. After starting their married life in the U.S. Army in Missouri and Texas during the war, they returned to Levittown, PA, beginning a family of seven children. Terry and her husband moved the family to the Knoxville, TN area in 1960, where they were active in their parishes, including Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, where some of their children attended elementary school in Alcoa, and Pope John XXIII Church on the campus of UT-Knoxville. During the 1960's, Terry and her husband joined the historic Civil Rights Movement, working for the desegregation of public schools and to improve opportunities for the poor in their community, as well as the "End the Vietnam War" movement. Terry and her husband were leaders in the campaigns that elected a black City Commissioner and a black School Committeeman in Alcoa, TN in 1968, who were reported to be the first elected persons of color elected in a white majority town in the New South. Terry's family remembers her life as an exemplary Christian who studied the Bible and lived a life of devotion to help the hungry and less fortunate. As a Community Action Center volunteer, she led efforts to provide assistance to those in poverty in East TN with food, clothing, heat and necessities. Her children remember one family calling Terry to let her know they had a telephone for the first time in their lives, due to her support. Terry credited her parents with instilling in her a duty to offer help to those less fortunate than herself. Terry led a busy life, raising seven children, two dogs, and countless cats. As soon as her youngest child entered kindergarten, she commenced college at UT-Knoxville in 1970, and continuing upon moving to Massachusetts, worked her way through college simultaneously with her older children on her way to achieving a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Boston State College (now UMass-Boston). Along the way, she worked, sometimes as a volunteer, at Fernald Development Center, the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA Hospital in Bedford, and a state agency where she worked directly with released prisoners to find careers and jobs in the Boston area, as well as resettling Southeast Asian refugees after the Vietnam War. Terry's proudest legacy, second only to her cats, is her family. She leaves behind her children, Joseph McHugh Jr. and his wife Maureen Coleman McHugh, Maureen McHugh-Bigley and her husband Michael Bigley, Kathy McHugh Kendrick and her husband William Kendrick, Thomas McHugh and his wife Yuri-Anne Enomoto McHugh, Michael McHugh and his wife Trish McHugh, William McHugh and his wife Sharon Jansen McHugh, and Rosanne McHugh Fluet. Her 12 grandchildren are Jessica Bigley, Lauren McHugh, Dr. Lindsay Kendrick Anderson, Travis Kendrick, Ashley McHugh King, Carolyn Therese McHugh, Jacquelyn McHugh Prescott, Michael McHugh Jr., Fiona McHugh, Seretha McHugh, Quinn Fluet and Arden Fluet. Her six great-grandchildren are Oliver Akers, John King Jr., Liam Anderson, Leo King, Ana King and Ava Anderson. Due to COVID-19, the funeral was private. Burial was in Shawsheen Cemetery, Bedford. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Hope Center c/o New Hope Community Church, PO Box 456, Ayer MA, 01432.


text:
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More December Delights from The Horror Channel
By James Whittington, Wednesday 7th December 2011
We've already highlighted the devilishly good Hammer movies we're showing throughout December, but that' only a small selection of premieres we have this month. Below you''ll find a cornucopia of classic and contemporary shockers including one that's credited for kicking off the golden age of hack and slash horror, Black Christmas (pictured). Keep checking the online guide for broadcast times.
December 7th - Killer Fish
Experience marine mayhem in the premiere of Killer Fish. Starring the Six Million Dollar Man himself Lee Majors it concerns an expert thief who stashes priceless emeralds in the depths of a reservoir where a horde of flesh-eating piranhas hungrily wait.
December 9th - The Signal
Directed by David Bruckner, Dan Bush and Jacob Gentry, The Signal is a crash course in innovative nail-biting terror. When a mysterious transmission invades every TV, radio and cell phone it turns people into crazed killers, can those unaffected survive the malevolent madness?
December 10th - The Blood Of Fu Manchu
Euro horror director Jesus Franco is back in fine form with the shocker The Blood Of Fu Manchu. Starring Christopher Lee in the title role Evil Fu Manchu infects ten seductresses with a poison for them to transmit to ten world leaders with a lethal kiss of death.
December 14th - The Monster Club
Fans of anthology movies make a date with The Monster Club this month. Starring Vincent Price, John Carradine, Donald Pleasance, Britt Ekland and Patrick Magee to name only a few we follow a writer of horror stories who is invited to a secret club where creatures only seen in nightmares relax and tell their gruesome tales.
December 21st - Hawk The Slayer
Another cult classic hits Horror this month, Jack Palance stars in the sword and sorcery favourite Hawk The Slayer. After seeing his brother Voltan kill both his father and fiancée, intrepid hero Hawk sets out on a quest to defeat Voltan and end his tyrannical reign of terror.
December 23rd - Masque Of The Red Death
One of Roger Corman's most celebrated films comes to Horror in December, Masque Of The Red Death. A Satan-worshipping medieval Prince hosts a debauched masked ball amid a deadly plague. One of the most defining horror movies of the 1960s it stars Hazel Court, Jane Asher and Vincent Price in one of his most infamous roles.
December 25th - Black Christmas
Some seasonal style slayings hits Horror this December. Tune in for one of the finest hack and slash movies ever made and the one credited for starting off the slasher phenomena, Bob Clark's Black Christmas. Over the course of the Christmas holidays a terrifying stranger's prank calls to a sorority house escalate into a deadly killing spree.
December 30th – Obsession
John Lithgow stars in Brian De Palma's tense mystery Obsession this month. A man haunted by the death of his family in a botched kidnap rescue attempt falls in love with a woman who bears a striking resemblance to his dead wife.
Arrow Video FrightFest announces Glasgow Film Festival 2020 line-up
Posted in Frightfest, News, Thursday 16th January 2020
Welcome the transgressive, the traumatic and the terrifying as Arrow Video FrightFest, the UK's favourite horror fantasy event, returns to Glasgow Film Festival for a 15th fantastic year, from Thursday 5 March to Saturday 7 March, 2020.
Thirteen is lucky for some as that's the number of new films being presented at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre, embracing the latest genre discoveries from around the globe, spanning four continents, including one world, two European and seven UK premieres.
Alan Jones, FrightFest co-director, commented: "Welcome to another banner FrightFest and another invitation to explore the horror fantasy genre's fertile harvest bursting with creativity, ...
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Demon Records presents a double bill of unique full-cast BBC radio adventures for Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor
Posted in News, Thursday 16th January 2020
Demon Records continue their acclaimed run of Doctor Who on Vinyl releases by announcing an absolute must for fans of the timeless series.
They will release a double bill of unique full-cast BBC radio adventures starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. The Paradise of Death reunites the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and the Brigadier for an adventure that takes them from Hampstead Heath to the far-flung planet of Parrakon, where they face dangers aplenty from the hostile Freeth and Tragan.
In The Ghosts of N-Space, which features Jon Pertwee's final performance as the Doctor, the Time Lord is in Sicily where he discovers trouble in the form of spectral monsters from anothe...
Horror Channel marks February weekends with eight action-packed premieres
Posted in Features, Wednesday 15th January 2020
Killer parties, virtual dinosaurs, zombie flesh-eaters and Milla Jovovich in top form...Horror Channel makes February an action-packed month with eight premieres, including the UK TV premiere of Matty Beckerman's savage sorority slasher The Row and the channel premieres of Simeon Halligan's neon-drenched Mancunian horror thriller Habit, starring Elliot James Langridge, Roxanne Pallett and Jessica Barden. Plus there's the eerie psychological thriller Can't Come Out To Play, directed by John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), starring Samantha Morton, Michael Shannon and Peter Fonda.
There are also Channel premieres for the 2019 version of Cabin Fever, a remake of Eil Roth's 2002...
Morbius - New teaser trailer
Posted in News, Monday 13th January 2020
One of Marvel's most compelling and conflicted characters comes to the big screen as Oscar winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero, Michael Morbius.
Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa, with a screenplay by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway, Morbius stars Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson.
Sony Pictures UK will unleas...
Zombieland: Double Tap coming to HE in February
Remember to limber up and beware of bathrooms, as Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone return to the United States of Zombieland ten years after their first undead adventure for Ruben Fleischer's long-awaited Zombieland: Double Tap available to Digital Download from February 10 and coming to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on February 24 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Set one decade after the events of the first film, Zombieland: Double Tap finds Tallahassee (Harrelson), Columbus (Eisenberg), Little Rock (Breslin), and Wichita (Stone) working together as a well-oiled, zombie-killing machine with a new home in the now-vacant White House. These four slayers must ...
The Beyond - Blu-ray review
Posted in Reviews, Monday 13th January 2020
There are some movies that horror fans have multiple copies of, for me it's The Evil Dead, Halloween and Zombie Flesh Eaters. I have loads of editions in my loft on tape, laserdisc, DVDs, and now lovely Blu-rays and, where I can, 4K editions. Lucio Fulci's The Beyond (1981) is one movie that could also take up a shelf for all the different editions and versions I own as for some reason I'm drawn to it whenever I see a new release, even if it's just for a new cover!
This time around though Shameless have something rather cool and a bit different for fans of this Fulci classic but more on this later. For those new to this title, The Beyond i...
Horror Channel beams in Captain Sulu for "George Takei selects Star Trek" on Saturday January 25
Posted in Features, Monday 6th January 2020
George Takei, the legendary Star Trek actor, personally introduces some of his favourite Sulu episodes from the Original Series.
"George Takei selects Star Trek" will take over Horror Channel on Saturday 25 January, from 3pm, showing four specially selected episodes from Seasons 1 and 2 of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Here are George's chosen episodes with transmission order:
3pm: Star Trek: The Original Series - The Naked Time
A rescue party goes to save some scientists on a dying planet, but they are all dead when the team arrives. Can McCoy save the day?
4.05pm: Star Trek: The Original Series - Shore Leave
The crew enjoy some downtime on a peaceful p...
A Quiet Place Part II - Brand new trailer
Posted in News, Friday 3rd January 2020
One of the biggest hits of the last decade is getting a sequel quicker than most of us expected it to, A Quiet Place: Part II will be released into UK cinemas on March 20th.
Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
Based on Characters created by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck and written and directed by John Krasinski, this could easily be one of the first big h...
10 of the best from 2019!
Posted in Features, Sunday 22nd December 2019
The last 12 months has been a prime year for the horror genre fan with titles that stretched well-trodden ideas mixed with some truly original pieces.
We've had sequels, remakes, and more than our fair share of true oddities and for once the good outweighed the bad.
Here in no particular order are ten of the best the year had to offer either at festivals, in cinema or home entertainment.
The Man Who Killed Hitler and then The Bigfoot
Sam Elliott and Aidan Turner are The Man Who Killed Hitler and then The Bigfoot the critically acclaimed, genre-bending, breath-taking adventure that sees a legendary American war hero as a young man and in his twilight years, taking on two very different adversaries. Decades after serving in WWII and assassinating Adolf Hitler, Calvin Barr (Elliott/Turner) is enlisted as the only man for the job: to hunt down the fable...
Interview with acclaimed author Shaun Hutson
Posted in Interviews, Friday 20th December 2019
The British horror legend Shaun Hutson is back with Testament, a new novel featuring one of his fans most loved characters, Sean Doyle so we decided to catch up with this talented chap about his acclaimed work.
HC: Was there one author who inspired you to become a writer?
SH: My inspirations were always and still are cinematic if I'm honest. Even when I first started writing my influences and inspirations came from things like Hammer films, from TV series like The Avengers (with Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee) and from old Universal horror films. I read the Pan Books of Horror Stories when I was a kid and I think they were probably the first "literary" influences I ever had. I also read lo...
It takes guts to like a movie like Edge of the Axe!
Posted in News, Friday 20th December 2019
From cult Spanish filmmaker Jose Ramon Larraz (Vampyres, Symptoms) comes Edge of the Axe, the long-neglected late 80s slasher classic, finally unleashed on Blu-ray for the first time ever!
The rural community of Paddock County is being rocked by the crazed exploits of an axe-wielding psychopath, who stalks the night in a black trenchcoat and mask. As the victims pile up, the authorities attempt to keep a lid on the situation, whilst computer whizz-kid Gerald and girlfriend Lillian seek to unmask the killer before the town population reaches zero.
Nominally set in Northern California but shot primarily in Madrid, giving the film an off-kilter, American/European atmosphere akin to the likes of...
Vault of Horror presents The Gates of Hell Trilogy (Coloured Vinyl)
Posted in Reviews, Thursday 19th December 2019
Vault of Horror presents The Gates of Hell Trilogy
Following the success of the first two Vault of Horror vinyl releases, Demon Records have pulled out all the stops to deliver another sublime piece of audio that should form part of everyone's Christmas list this year.
Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell trilogy of movies delivered some of the most controversial pieces of horror cinema at a time when horror was entering the "video nasties" period and the genre, as a whole, was frowned upon. Fulci grabbed this chance to push the envelope further with movies which celebrated the limits horror could go to and by doing so opened the doors - ...
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News: Arrow Video FrightFest announces Glasgow Film Festival 2020 line-up
Features: Horror Channel marks February weekends with eight action-packed premieres
Interviews: Interview with acclaimed author Shaun Hutson
Frightfest: Arrow Video FrightFest announces Glasgow Film Festival 2020 line-up
Reviews: The Beyond - Blu-ray review
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Sen. Blackburn visits Wilson County
Craig Harris / Photos by Chandler Inions/Lebanon Democrat
Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto (at left) and United States Sen. Marsha Blackburn sat down for a discussion on Monday about what's going on in the county as part of the senator's 95-county, cross-state tour. Blackburn said that she insists on annual meetings with county officials to stay on top of her constituents' priorities and needs.
Craig Harris / Chandler Inions/Lebanon Democrat
United States Sen. Marsha Blackburn (at left) stops in and speaks with Wilson County Register of Deeds Jackie Murphy during her visit to the Wilson County Courthouse on Monday. Blackburn said that these visits are critical to the legislation that she proposes and votes for in Washington.
John Klemmer John Klemmer
Marsha Blackburn
As part of an annual sweep across the counties in Tennessee, United States Sen. Marsha Blackburn stopped by the Wilson County Courthouse on Monday morning to see the mayor.
There were multiple reasons for Blackburn's visit, from discussing matters pertinent to Wilson County to sharing an update on her dealings in Washington, D.C. After speaking with Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto about the county's strengths and opportunities, Blackburn said that these meetings benefit her tremendously by allowing her to keep a finger on the pulse of her constituents.
"They help us to know how to best help our counties and to keep track of what is going on," she said.
Blackburn mentioned that staying in touch with the people who elected her is a driving force behind her politics and that she sees benefit in being able to go straight to the source.
"Before COVID, we were over at the museum with some veterans," Blackburn said. "When you do things like that, you hear directly from people in the community. So, you know where the needs and pressures are."
However, not every event can be a town hall. So, she sees value in being able to meet with local elected officials whose job it is to be in the know on matters such as these, because those needs and pressures can take many shapes and forms.
"They are going to be different with every county," Blackburn said. "Some have difficulties with the workforce. Others may have educational needs, but you cannot represent well unless you understand fully what those needs are."
Blackburn said that she likes to let the local officials lead off the dialogue.
"The good thing is, it's an ongoing conversation, because we do this every year," Blackburn said. "You can button up where different issues are, like for instance how broadband expansion is going."
Other issues Blackburn cited were COVID regulations and employment opportunities for jobseekers.
These interactions have led Blackburn to push for legislation that obstructs the implementation of policies that go against what she calls "individuals' freedom to live their own version of the American dream."
Asked how that she turned those conversations into policy proposals, Blackburn offered up an example.
"I had been meeting with a lot of our mayors, and with individuals, and what I was hearing was that we had a lot of first responders, law enforcement, healthcare workers, airline workers, trucking and logistic workers, and grocery-store workers who were worried about increased COVID protocols," Blackburn said.
On one trip back to DC, Blackburn said that she was approached by a group of airline workers.
"We need your help ... we don't want to lose our jobs," they told the senator.
The subsequent policy that she put forth was called the Keeping Our COVID-19 Heroes Employed Act. This act protects those workers deemed "essential" during the pandemic from being fired for refusing to get vaccinated.
"We have had people from all across the country, Democrats and Republicans who have come out and endorsed this bill, because they think it's important to keep these people on the job," Blackburn said.
Picking up the peaches
By Miguel Detillier For the Democrat
Craig Harris / Submitted
A fire in April of 2020 destroyed the general store at Mt. Juliet's Breeden's Orchard.
Breeden's Orchard in Mt. Juliet offers storytelling events, with Adrian Stubblefield (pictured speaking to a group of children) being one of the individuals who leads those events.
Children are able to enjoy the playground area at Breeden's Orchard in Mt. Juliet.
Craig Harris / Submitted photos
Breeden's Orchard in Mt. Juliet is currently selling its products by utilizing a carport and a 10-by-20-foot shed.
Aimee Dorfman vividly recalls the night of April 29, 2020.
"Hearing the doorbell is never a good sound at that time," Dorfman said of 2:30 a.m. wake-up. "As a parent, I immediately went to, 'This is going to be the worst day of my life,' as I assumed that one of my children had died. Once I realized with relief that it was not one of my kids and just a fire at the orchard, I told my husband Andrew that as long as we had peaches, we would be okay."
Dorfman, the Breeden's Orchard co-owner, said that a Wilson County Sheriff Department officer was the one ringing her doorbell to tell her that the orchard was on fire.
The Dorfmans eventually made their way to Mt. Juliet peach and apple orchard within 15 minutes. When they arrived, they realized that the country store had burned to the ground.
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was unknown after 10 weeks of investigation from the Wilson County emergency authorities.
The kitchen survived, and so did the peach trees, which helped the orchard proceed with its season.
Breeden's Orchard was already dealing with COVID-19 before the fire.
The orchard, which is located on Beckwith Road, was previously owned by Tommy and Marynell Breeden for more than 40 years. The couple sold their property to members of the Dorfman family in 2017.
People would visit the orchard to pick peaches and apples, to munch on homemade fried pies and to look around the once-renovated, now-burned general store that was full of local produce and homemade products, including peach and pumpkin butter and apple cider.
The orchard — which is open from Thursday through Sunday — usually changes its products every week.
The Dorfmans and the rest of the Breeden's Orchard staff managed to salvage their business by selling their products at a carport and by utilizing a 10-by-20-foot shed. However, a short peach season made it difficult for them to keep the business going.
The orchard also had to deal with the hot weather during the summer and the chilly conditions during the fall in that environment.
"Luckily, I have a great team, and they followed me into battle so to speak," said Dorfman. "I think we all still have moments of (saying),'Where is that? Oh, that burned in the fire.' "
Breeden's Orchard is making a slow recovery from the fire, even though it still operates at a carport and shed.
However, they were fortunate to retain two things. The orchard recently obtained both a donut machine and a slushy machine.
Dorfman hopes they will have an open-air-covered market by 2022.
However, she said that she came away from 2020 much stronger and with more confidence.
"Although the loss of everything makes me sad, you can't wallow," said Dorfman. "And if I had just stood still, I probably would have been broken."
Veterans Day parade Thursday
Craig Harris / File photo
Flags representing each U.S. military branch fly high as Jim Harding of the Wilson County Veterans Service Office addresses the crowd during last year's Veterans Day program.
Mt. Juliet's American Legion Post 281 Commander Maxie Wix (at left) and Lebanon's Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1004 President Michael Myer salute Wilson County's fallen soldiers after laying a wreath at their memorial.
Since 1954, Americans have used Nov. 11 to honor veterans for their sacrifice. Wilson County is no exception, and this Thursday, local organizations will pay homage during the annual Veterans Day parade.
The parade officially begins at the Lebanon-Wilson County Library on Lebanon's West Main Street and wraps up at the plaza in front of the Wilson County Veterans Museum and Plaza.
Upon the parade's conclusion, a ceremony will begin, featuring guest speaker Steve Wilson, a retired army officer living in Wilson County.
Wilson plans to speak about unity and how that supporting our servicemen and women should be something that people agree on no matter what party a person aligns with.
Veterans Day celebrations are traditionally held every year on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 a.m. to recognize Armistice Day, which marked the end of World War I. Hence, the ceremony is starting at 11 a.m.
There will be a moment during the ceremony for recognition of gold-star families. A gold star is awarded to a service member's family if they die while enlisted.
The ceremony will also feature grand marshals from the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
"(We want to) make sure that no matter when they served, any veteran from anywhere that wants to come knows they are welcome," chairman of the Wilson County Veterans Day Committee Jim Harding said. "We're just trying to emphasize that. If you're a veteran, we want you there."
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5015 Commander Bill Moss said that parade organizers are preparing for approximately 30 different organizations from around Wilson County to participate. Those groups include high-school marching bands, Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JRTOC) students and the many veterans organizations that call Wilson County home, such as Moss' VFW, the Vietnam Veterans of America, and American Legion posts.
Moss said that members of the Lebanon Police Department, the Wilson County Sheriff's Office, Lebanon Fire Department and the Tennessee National Guard will all participate in the event as well.
According to Moss, for a long time, the parade had been a passion of former Lebanon mayor Don Fox, although the local veterans' organizations always put on the ceremony at the plaza.
"We're picking up where Don left off," said Moss. "We're taking up the mantle and running with it."
Last year, due to the pandemic, the parade was somewhat different. Moss said that he is excited about the prospects for this year.
"It's always been a big parade, but that doesn't stop us from trying to involve more people," Moss said.
To Moss and his fellow event organizers, the most important thing remains honoring the veterans, but that doesn't stop them from putting on a show for the spectators.
There will be a flyover during the parade, weather permitting. The aircraft are vintage World War II fighter planes, normally housed in Tullahoma in the composite squadron of the civil air patrol.
Harding pointed out that as long as it's not too overcast, the flyover should take place. As of Monday, Thursday's weather was calling for a significant chance of rain, so the flyover remains tentative.
Spectators are encouraged to find their locations by 9 a.m. for the parade's 10 a.m. start time.
Wilson County simplifies vet ID process
Jackie Murphy
Every year on Veterans Day, Tennesseans hold parades or ceremonies to honor the men and women who served the nation in uniform.
But how are those individuals honored the other 364 days each year?
Through a veterans benefit program that she envisioned and brought to life, Wilson County Register of Deeds Jackie Murphy aims to ensure that the service of veterans isn't forgotten on days when there is no parade.
"Those who have served our nation in the military deserve the full measure of our gratitude," said Murphy.
She believes the Thank a Veteran Program is a great way to show that gratitude day in and day out through tangible benefits and offers.
The program started in 2019 and works through a collaboration of local businesses that post discounts and deals for veterans on the register of deeds website. Murphy said that program was off to a great start before the pandemic struck and shuttered business doors, but she added that she is happy to see it picking back up now.
As of Monday, there were 147 local businesses advertising a discounted service or offer of some kind for veterans. The way that veterans access these discounts is by using their DD214 military discharge papers, which is where the register of deeds office comes in.
For years, veterans have recorded their DD214 paperwork with Murphy's office. That allows for an official copy to be preserved in the register's archives for future use or in the event that the original is lost.
Once the DD214 is filed, the register of deeds provides them with a current personal photo identification card to show the businesses that offer military discounts and other benefits.
"This program is simple and free of charge," said Murphy. "You just bring your DD214 discharge papers and a valid photo ID to our office at the Wilson County Courthouse, and a member of our staff will file a permanent record of it."
That permanent record ensures that a veteran's paperwork remains secure and protected.
President of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1004 Michael Myer said that the benefit can play out in more ways than one but that it can be very helpful if a veteran dies and the family is unable to locate the deceased's discharge paperwork.
If a veteran has already filed their paperwork at the register of deeds office, all they need to do is visit in person so that the office can take an updated photograph for the ID card. Murphy explained that with some veterans having been discharged decades ago, many veterans may not look like they once did, so it's important that they have recognizable and identifiable photographs for presenting to local businesses.
"We are working with the many local groups that serve our military veterans so that none of these heroes miss the valuable and well-deserved benefits," said Murphy.
Murphy also explained how that offering veterans discounts benefits the business that do so.
"Veterans appreciate the discounts and will more likely shop where the discounts are," Murphy said.
Myer added, "It means a whole lot that people are recognizing the veterans in the county or the area."
As Myer sees it, those service members are happy to do business with companies that recognize their sacrifice, and that through it all, healthy relationships flourish between veterans organizations and the businesses that call Wilson County home.
Murphy's office is continuously updating the list of businesses who participate in the program as new businesses are constantly signing up.
Anyone interested is encouraged to visit wilsondeeds.com to sign up or to call the register of deeds office at 615-443-2611.
Blue Devils explode for first-round win 42-7
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The thought of eating several plates full of fruits and vegetables to get your daily allowable amount your body needs, can make anyone cringe. There is no way to finish it all in one sitting and not feel yucky just trying to get it down. The first time my son introduced me to green smoothies, not only was I totally hooked, but I also noticed how good it made me feel and how it started changing my health to the better. Blending fruits and vegetables into a smoothie is so delicious and can offer you a tremendous amount of health benefits as well as giving you a good daily detox.
These delicious smoothies are so simple to make and easy to drink. Plus in this E-Book you also get quick tips and your own smoothie guide so you can create your own special smoothie. This book contains over 50 easy to make smoothie recipes.
As a FREE Bonus Gift you will also receive Getting Real - Teas and Detox Waters the Autoimmune way recipe book.
You just can't go wrong with these water mixes. Not only does it have wonderful benefits for your overall body, but it also adds such wonderful flavors to your water making it more fun to drink. It makes for a refreshing summer drink to keeping you warm during winter months.
These delicious recipes are so simple to make and easy to drink.