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Covid-19 has brought out the worst in some feminists. One common theme is that that the pandemic is affecting women more than men; no surprise then that Meghan Markle, who speaks fluent feminist cliché, has jumped on this bandwagon and no surprise either that her comments have been uncritically reported across a range of news outlets. For example, her unfounded assertions were reported without comment or fact checking on the BBC website –here.
The most salient statistic is that men are more severely affected by COVID-19. They have a three times greater risk of ending up an intensive care unit and are 1.39 times more likely to die. This latter figure is not adjusted for age distribution so the true difference in risk of death is likely to be higher. You can find the data in a publication in Nature Communications that is not hidden behind a pay-wall. Feminists have responded to this sort of data by blaming men. After all, men live a life of privilege and any outcome that doesn't favour them, whether it be deaths from COVID-19 or suicides, has to be explained away and can only be their own fault.
A common approach was that men's poor hygiene puts them at higher risk. There are two big problems with this. First, data about hand-washing is mixed and studies looking at the hands of male and female commuters have found no difference in the carriage of faecal organisms and that in turn suggests no difference in hand hygiene. Second, the data shows no difference in infection rate between men and women; it is the case-fatality rate that is higher among men(see figures below).
Click to enlarge. First figure, infection by gender. Second figure, mortality odds ratio.
Once again, feminists in the media have responded to this data by victim-blaming and claiming, without evidence, that differences in smoking or obesity accounted for the observed differences in mortality. These explanations do not stand up to scrutiny; morbid obesity is more common among women and there is little difference, between men and women, in the prevalence of smoking and certainly not enough to account for the observed difference in mortality and morbidity.
The female members of the Cross Party Parliamentary Committee on Women and Equalities also launched into some ill-founded prejudice of this sort (see this YouTube video) and the tweet above from Chairwoman Caroline Noakes. This might be okay form an immature teenager but not from the chair of a Cross Party Parliamentary Committee with an equalities remit.
Back to Meghan Markle, who makes several interesting and unfounded assertions about the impact of COVID-19 on women. One of her claims is that, worldwide, 47 million women and girls are expected to fall into extreme poverty, as a result of the pandemic. This is true as far as it goes, however, the same data source suggested that 49 million men and boys will also fall into extreme poverty (the missing 49 million of my title). If there is a meaningful difference, it is that men and boys will fare slightly worse.
Similarly, Meghan claims that women are more likely to lose employment as a result of COVID-19. Hard data is not easy to come by, but in the US between May 2019 and May 2020, the fall in male employment was estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be 11.4% among men and 13.4% among women – a small difference. However, the latest data show a higher unemployment rate among men at 6.1% compared to women at 5.6%. It is probably too soon to draw conclusions about who will be most affected by loss of employment but my hunch would be that there will be no significance difference between men and women.
Meghan goes on to make another sweeping claim that 'women have seen a generation of economic gain wiped out'. No explanation was given for this statement and it was accepted a face value by most news outlets. However, it seems unlikely that this is true. Although we seem to have lost 1-2% of economic growth over the last year and that is a problem for us all, it certainly would not take us back to the economy of 20 years ago.
There are indeed differences in the way COVID-19 has affected men and women apart from the grim statistic about the risk of death. More women worked in jobs that could be continued from home and that brought with it pressures that affected women more. On the other hand, more men worked in jobs managing our critical infrastructure. You couldn't remove a fatberg form a sewer while working at home, you couldn't drive an HGV working from home, you couldn't empty the dustbins working from home and you couldn't drive a bus working from home. That is a contribution that men have made and one that has rarely been acknowledged and certainly won't be by Meghan Markle and her ilk.
Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Covid-19, Meghan Markle, toxic feminism
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Laura Bates and pervasive misogyny


Gallura. It is suitable for active tourists wanting to experience the life of Porto Cervo and discover the coast by car, beach after beach.
Just 250 metres from Porto Cervo's famous square and from its luxury marina, Hotel Luci di la Muntagna is one of the Costa Smeralda's top hotels. The hotel is located up on the hill on a quiet position surrounded by a big garden and offering a wonderful view over the port and the Costa Smeralda's colourful sea. The area's most stunning beaches are a 10 minute drive away. We recommend the airport Olbia – Costa Smeralda to fly into, the distance is approx. 32 km..
Designed by architect Michele Busiri Vici, the Luci di la Muntagna is an icon of elegance and hospitality within the most chic of Sardinia's circles. Fully renovated in 2014, it has retained all the details of its "Mediterranean Architecture", fluidly mixing traditional elements from Morocco, Greece, Spain and Tunisia. The white colour is dominant, terraced archways and rounded steeples feature in the internal and external areas of the hotel. The Hotel Luci di la Muntagna offers a panoramic pool with sun deck, a restaurant and two bars.
The hotel's 53 rooms are tastefully designed and furnished. All rooms provide the highest level of comfort to ensure that guests enjoy a relaxing and refreshing stay, as one would expect on the Costa Smeralda. All rooms have a TV, safe, mini bar, air conditioning/heating, bathroom with shower and hair dryer.
Comfort – Queen-size bed, white walls, bathroom with glass shower cubicle and extra-large showerhead, hill view.
Superior – Double or twin room, large bathroom with snowflake marble and stucco walls, large glass shower cubicle, double shower head – one extra-large fixed shower head and one handheld shower head. The terrace is furnished with a table and chairs and offers a sea view.
Junior Suite 22-35 sq.m. – entrance into the living area with a sofa, large separate bedroom and bathroom with sizeable glass shower cubicle with double shower head – one extra-large fixed shower head and one handheld shower head.
Suite 35-55 sq.m. – large entrance into the living area with a sitting room that can also be used for private dinners, wardrobe, spacious bathroom with sizeable glass shower cubicle with double shower head – one extra-large fixed shower head and one handheld shower head (some suites also have a bathtub). Tea lovers will particularly appreciate the tea corner kitted out with a kettle, cups, teapot, a selection of teas and infusions, milk and anything else you may need for tea time.
International dishes and Km 0 products await guests in the hotel restaurant's elegant indoor dining room or on the terrace that enjoys panoramic views. The restaurant, which is also open to non-residents, offers an international buffet breakfast (08:00–10:30) and dinner with table service (19:00–23:00) for guests on half-board. Lunch (12:30–14:30) and à la carte dinner are also available. Aperitifs and light lunches are available from 11:00 to 23:00 at the snack bar located close to the pool and at an indoor bar that offers guests a welcoming dining room and panoramic terrace with views over Porto Cervo.
Various activities such as golf, surfing, sailing, snorkelling and diving, trekking, Nordic walking, and horse riding can be organised in the hotel's immediate proximity. A 24 hour reception desk is available for information on boat or land excursions and on historic sites not to be missed. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.
The hotel Luci di la Muntagna also welcomes small pets in possession of documents and insurance (extra charge, to be requested upon reservation).
Comfortable rooms with big windows facing the southern side of the hotel with hill view. They have a large wardrobe, terracotta tiles and soundproofed fixtures. The bathroom has a shower, hairdryer, complimentary toiletries and high-end terry towels.
Welcoming and bright thanks to their large glass doors, these rooms have spacious bathroom in snowflake marble (shower, hairdryer, complimentary toiletries' set, terry towels). The pastel colours of the sophisticated Sardinian-style decor foster true relaxation. The terracotta tiles and white walls create the warm intimacy so typical of island settings. A balcony with table and chairs provides you with stunning views of Porto Cervo's marina.
One of our best-loved rooms, the Harbour Junior Suite has a welcoming entrance area with large wardrobe, a living room, a separate bedroom with bathroom. The traditional and sophisticated Sardinian furniture and finishing touches, as well as the pink terracotta tiles, create an intimate and enchanting ambiance. Each room has a little balcony facing the sea. The sofa in the living room can be converted into a bed.
Elegant and romantic, the suite offers two separate main rooms – one for the day and one for the night, with pink terracotta tiles and soundproof fixtures. The living room is perfect for hosting private dinners, and opens onto a veranda with a stunning view of Porto Cervo's marina. A charming terrace adds to the beauty of the bedroom, and the bathroom has a shower, hairdryer, personalised complimentary toiletries' set, high-end terry towels, soft cotton bathrobe and slippers. Tea lovers will particularly appreciate the tea corner kitted out with a kettle, cups, teapot, a selection of teas and infusions, milk and anything else you may need for tea time.


Jeep has officially unveiled the Jeep Renegade Dawn of Justice Special Edition, The car was designed to tie-in with the upcoming Batman vs.
Jeep has officially revealed two special editions ahead of their debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Jeep has unveiled the all-new 2015 Renegade model at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
Jeep revealed the all-new 2014 Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Altitude editions.
Vilner, the Bulgarian aftermarket specialists, have revealed a unique exterior and interior kit for the 2014 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited.
Jeep will unveil at the 2013 Los Angeles Motor Show the 2014 Wrangler Willys Wheeler Edition.


text:
Siemens Gamesa and Siemens Energy…
U.S. Shale Drillers Begin To Hedge Oil Price Production
U.S. shale oil companies are…
Irina Slav
Irina is a writer for Oilprice.com with over a decade of experience writing on the oil and gas industry.
Trump Threatens Iran's Oil Clients
By Irina Slav - Oct 11, 2018, 9:30 AM CDT
President Donald Trump said the United States "will take care" of countries that continue to buy Iranian oil after the second round of U.S. sanctions kick in on November 4 this year. Trump made the comment speaking to reporters in Washington, days after India said it will buy 9 million barrels of crude from Iran and Reuters reported a VLCC carrying Iranian crude had offloaded it in bonded storage at the Chinese port of Dalian.
The Economic Times reports that Indian Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had told media that India had its own energy needs to satisfy, which reaffirms the message sent by New Delhi to Washington earlier this year: although the two may be allies, they sometimes have different priorities. India is facing popular unrest because of rising inflation, and one of its causes is more expensive oil.
The country is Iran's second-biggest crude oil buyer, with Iranian crude accounting for almost a tenth of India's total oil imports in financial 2017/2018.
China, for its part, has made it clear on numerous occasions it has no intention of cutting Iranian imports of crude oil. Despite media reports that it has been taking less Iranian crude, it seems this was a temporary situation as the trade row between Beijing and Washington deepens.
Related: Trump Sides With Farmers In Battle Against Refiners
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has been assuring the market that it can replace all lost Iranian supply by boosting production to a record-high 10.7 million bpd—not even a million bpd more than what The Kingdom pumped prior to the OPEC+ agreement in November 2016. To compare, Iran's exports as of April, the month before Trump pulled the United States out of the nuclear deal, were more than 2.5 million bpd.
Traders remain tangled in uncertainty about the actual loss of Iranian supply as Iranian tankers conceal their routes by turning off the transponders used to track vessel movement.
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Mamdouh G Salameh on October 11 2018 said:
The overwhelming majority of the nations of the world with the possible exception of Saudi Arabia and Israel are against US sanctions on Iran as unfair since Iran has not violated any of the clauses of the nuclear deal. Is President Trump going to impose sanctions on the world? Were he to do that, he will isolate his country completely from the world.
May be President Trump was irritated by India's announcement that it will buy 9 million barrels of crude from Iran in November right after US sanctions have been implemented and also by Reuters' report that a VLCC carrying Iranian crude had offloaded it in bonded storage at the Chinese port of Dalian.
India with the world's third biggest economy based on purchasing power parity (PPP) and a nuclear power in its own right will look after its own interests. India is affirming the message that it doesn't recognize any sanctions except UN sanctions and it will therefore ignore US sanctions and continue to buy Iranian crude.
China, for its part, has made it clear on numerous occasions it has no intention of cutting Iranian imports of crude oil. Moreover, when it comes to US sanctions against Iran, China has the upper hand. It could singlehandedly nullify US sanctions on Iran by importing the total oil exports of Iran amounting to 2.125 million barrels a day (mbd) and paying for them in petro-yuan. Furthermore, the petro-yuan has made the US sanctions useless and has provided a way by which Iran could bypass the petrodollar and the sanctions altogether.
Threats by President Trump to buyers of Iranian crude are a manifestation of deeply rooted fear of the US losing hegemonic status as the "only indispensable superpower' as can be witnessed by his escalation of his trade war with China, sanctions on Russia and threat of sanctions against Germany for going ahead with the Nord Stream 2.
The Trump administration is deluding itself when it says that it expects Iranian oil buyers to bring their purchases down to zero or sanctions will be imposed on them.
Dr Mamdouh G Salameh
International Oil Economist
Visiting Professor of Energy Economics at ESCP Europe Business School, London
Mike on October 11 2018 said:
Does this buffoon *really* think he gets to dictate what the rest of the world can and cannot do? The rest of the world has been giving him the giant middle finger one country at a time, everyone he throws one of his juvenile and emotional knee jerk tantrums. The rest of the world is laughing at us as a country and mocking us behind our backs thanks to our emperor with no clothes. All one can say at this point. is November is just around the corner.
Andre on October 12 2018 said:
Who even pays attention to the US anymore.....its a laughing stock to the rest of the world.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If any of the academic performance and/or behavioral parts of this statement sound familiar to you, there is a good chance that your child may be suffering from ADHD, a learning disorder, or a learning disability. The destruction of the child's self-esteem, and the conflict and chaos wrought on the family dynamics can be very difficult to live with.
The problems mentioned above and the hectic schedule of school, sports, etc. often make it near impossible to get help during the school year. However, when the school year ends, and summer is finally here, an opportunity presents itself to make a big change for the better. I think the key part of the word "summertime" is "time", there is much more of it. With the pressure of school, tests, and homework gone, it is a more relaxed time for kids and parents alike. In the summertime the opportunity presents itself for an easier to do four week Neurofeedback treatment, which is much less stressful on parents and children.
There are three core types of students who benefit the most from the summer intensive programs. The first type is the student who struggles significantly with homework (which increases in amount and difficulty each year) and tests. This is usually a problem with attention span, task completion, and/or organization. Problems such as homework taking too long, not being completed, not being turned in, or not being brought home, as well as difficulties taking tests, all fall into this category.
A second type is the child who has to work too hard to get what success they can. Poor grades and difficulty with testing are typical for this child. These are children who often can do okay when the work is done "one-on-one", but are too distracted in group settings such as the classroom or group activities.
The third type is the student who has significant difficulties with his/her behavior. They may be getting into trouble frequently, and as a result may even be getting blamed for things that they don't do. This behavior may make it hard to make friends (or the right kind of friends) and lead to feelings of isolation. They can often be held in or punished at recess (further isolation), and may begin to believe that they are troublemakers, or "bad" kids. The resulting damage to self-esteem from this, and the other above patterns, can shape self-fulfilling self-images that are very sad to see develop.
If the problems in the beginning of this article sound familiar to you, and you would like to see your child improve their attention and mental processing, think and react faster in school and social situations, be more confident, and improve college readiness, then this type of program is essential for them.
Neurofeedback, a type of biofeedback that utilizes EEG to provide information on brain signaling activity and allows for re-training that lasts for life, is an alternative to medication. This form of treatment mitigates the symptoms of ADHD in a beneficial and side-effect-free manner by re-focusing the thought processes of brain.
If your child struggles with these problems, or you know a student that we can make a difference for, please let us know. We will be happy to follow up.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder- "ADD" or ADHD- affects approximately nine percent (9%) of the children in the United States. It is one of the more prevalent, and most studied, of all childhood psychiatric disorders. A new study reports that only about a third of them are getting proper treatment.
Also of importance are the findings of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The researchers found that of the children who met the criteria for ADHD, only 47.9% had been diagnosed with the disorder, and of these, only 32% were being treated consistently with medications.
There are three sub-types of the disorder: primarily inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined (a combination of the two previous types). Attention Deficit Disorder is not a trivial problem; it can have a serious, detrimental impact on a persons life in terms of learning, social relationships, and self-image, as well as success and happiness in adult life. In addition to the negative impact the disorder has on the individual, it can wreak havoc on family dynamics.
As we saw earlier, approximately fifty percent of the actual cases of ADHD are identified, and of these, only a third are receiving proper treatment. One of the major reasons for these unfortunate facts is parents' understandable fears of the serious side-effects and rigors of medication. Fearing that medicating their children is the unavoidable response to testing them, or, if the disorder is already present, thinking that medication is the only treatment available. Many parents avoid testing and treatment altogether and abandon their children to their fate. This is a distressing scenario.
The good news however, is that medication is not the only, and certainly not the most successful, form of treatment for ADHD. There is an alternative to this scenario.
The alternative is Neurofeedback. It is a drug-free, painless procedure which a child or adult does to re-train the mechanisms in charge of attention within the brain. Neurofeedback is permanent; once treatment is complete, no further treatment is necessary. Parents no longer need to avoid testing and/or treatment for fear of the "drug solution". They do not have to be forced to accept poor grades, endless hours of homework, calls from the school, and feelings of hopelessness.
They can get help for their children if they so need.
Ideally, for most parents, a new school year brings the pride and feeling of accomplishment of seeing their children grow and mature in aptitude, knowledge, and social skills. For some parents, however, it only brings long nights of homework, calls from the teacher, frustrated and discouraged children, and parenting fights about whose fault "all of this" is. There is also the pain of watching your child sink deeper and deeper into believing that they are not smart, are a "bad boy or girl", and as a person, are not worth much. No parent or child should ever have to experience this.
A typical school year requires sustained attention, sitting quietly, and refined social skills. Some children are not capable of this. One mother from Orange County recently told me: "I'm worried… Sammy had such an awful time in second grade last year." Sammy had spent the year grounded in the classroom… no recess, no field trips, no parties, all because he constantly was behind in his work. " We were constantly doing homework or tutoring, and he was still behind," she continued. To add to his academic problems, Sammy had spent most of second grade in social isolation, even when he was free from being "grounded" in the classroom. He was the last one picked for teams, and the first one to be teased. This downward spiral in confidence, spreading from one part of life to another, is tragic.
A very significant possibility exists that some or all of the conditions described above are being caused by a disorder called ADD or ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder). This disorder is caused by a minor neurological imbalance (not parenting style!), and for the vast majority of those with ADHD (as we shall see shortly), can be corrected relatively easily. What makes the aforementioned tragic self-image even more unacceptable is the fact that the opposite is usually true. Individuals with ADHD (ADD) typically have a higher-than-average IQ, and although sometimes hidden behind the disorder, a very pleasant disposition.
Whenever such problems are occurring, it is extremely important to determine if ADHD is behind them, as soon as it is possible. Don't wait until your child's first report card to initiate testing or treatment because, by then, your child is already significantly behind. If there's one thing harder for a child with ADHD than school, it is the downward sliding struggle to catch up.
Unfortunately, many parents of children with ADHD, or those who suspect that it might be present, avoid testing and treatment because of their understandable dread of what they think must be the inevitable "drug" solution. Fortunately, for most individuals, there is a much better alternative.
This treatment is called neurofeedback– an effective, drug-free, painless procedure in which the child learns to re-train the attention mechanisms of the brain, alleviating the condition. Once training is completed, no further treatment is necessary.
As parents, we do have a choice as to whether this year will be a time for learning, full of joy and pride, or another year of dread… for both our children and ourselves. What will your choice be?


San Francisco, Ca. – Cushman & Wakefield today released Tech Cities 2.0 an annual report that identifies existing and emerging tech centers increasingly driving the North American economy and details their impact on the commercial real estate sector.
"Both start-ups and big tech companies have recognized they need a footprint in the central cities to keep attracting millennial workers, and as a result, they are taking large chunks of high-rise buildings and trophy assets in dense urban areas - in addition to keeping their sprawling campuses in the suburbs," Sammons said.


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Q: AppWidgetProvider How to change background onclick button? I have this code
public class SMWidget extends AppWidgetProvider {

@Override
public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager,
        int[] appWidgetIDs) {
    RemoteViews views;
        views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.smw_layout);

        Intent intent1 = new Intent(context, Receiver.class);
        intent1.putExtra("intent", "1");
        PendingIntent fstpendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, 0,intent1, 0);
        views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.box1, fstpendingIntent);

        Intent intent2 = new Intent(context, Receiver.class);
        intent2.putExtra("intent", "2");
        PendingIntent sndpendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, 1, intent2, 0);
        views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.box2, sndpendingIntent);
                    for (int appWidgetID : appWidgetIDs) {
        appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetID, views);
    }
}

i want to change the design of a button onclicklisntener, i try this
Button btn1 = (Button) findViewById(R.id.box1);

but it say "The method findViewById(int) is undefined"
Help please ..

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Dr. Gupta Verlags GmbH
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Novomer: Uhrig new Chief Executive Officer
Exhibition Spotlight
Jeff Uhrig has been appointed as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Novomer, Inc., effective from 18 November 2019. The appointment was announced by Anthony Eisenhut, Chairman and Co-Founder of Novomer. Uhrig will oversee day-to-day business operations and direct efforts to further develop and commercialise Novomer's catalyst technology.
Jeff Uhrig (Source: Novomer)
"Novomer is excited to have Jeff join our team and help us manage and direct our business through an exciting period of emerging growth," said Eisenhut. "Jeff has been a highly successful business leader and brings a unique skill set immersed in finance and complemented by his chemical industry experience. We believe he is uniquely qualified to help move our company forward to its full potential."
Uhrig has held wide-ranging corporate responsibilities during his career including his most recent position as President and Chief Executive Officer for Sirrus Inc., a developer of methylene malonate technology. At Sirrus, he led a successful sale process to Nippon Shokubai and managed engineering, intellectual property, and commercial activities. Uhrig also served as vice president of corporate development at Elevance Renewable Sciences and was vice president in the clean technology investment banking group at Piper Jaffray & Co.
"I am thrilled to join this outstanding and highly respected organization which continues to develop cutting-edge catalyst technology," said Uhrig. "I look forward to working closely with our highly talented staff to bring our carbon-efficient process technology to commercialization."
Uhrig holds a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and an MBA and Master of Engineering Management with Distinction from the Kellogg School of Management and the McCormick School of Applied Sciences at Northwestern University, respectively.
www.novomer.com
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Piotr Gąska has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CQLT SaarGummi Technologies S.à r.l. based in Remich, Luxembourg. Gąska has extensive international expertise in the automotive industry. Through his former position as Director European Region at SaarGummi Automotive in 2014 and 2015 Gąska already knows the company very well.
Michelman: Xue new Country Manager for Greater China
James Xue has been appointed as Michelman's new Country Manager for Greater China. Hired in 2017, he has lead the company's sales efforts over the past two years, developing customer relationships and building its regional sales team.
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Questions to complete whilst you are at the museum.
Are they made of real dinosaur bones?
How are the fossils formed?
Where do we find these fossils, in what types of rocks do fossils form best? Why?
Look at the crystal sizes, what does this tell you about the rocks?
Are there any special features in the rocks?
How are they formed? How can you tell?
What is the oldest fossil that you can find?
What is the largest living thing that you can find?


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The newspaper's Tree of Knowledge
Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert
Україна Incognita
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In just a few days!
Dnipro is preparing for the opening of a new book festival
Vadym Ryzhkov
26 September, 2018 - 17:04
Photo courtesy of the Book Space International Book Festival's organizers
The largest book festival of Ukraine, which is held in Lviv, has turned 25. That forum has already become a significant cultural event not only for this country, but also for the whole of Eastern Europe. To mark the anniversary, President Petro Poroshenko visited Lviv recently. Let us recall that the launch of a new book, entitled Ave: The Centennial of Pavlo Skoropadsky's Hetmanate and published in Den's Library series, was featured as an event of this year's Publishers' Forum in Lviv.
Meanwhile, Dnipro is finishing preparations for the opening of its own cultural forum – the new Book Space International Book Festival. The program of this event includes book fairs, launches of literary novelties, poetry readings, exhibitions, lectures, and musical performances which will take place at several venues in the city center. Also, there will be opportunities to communicate with authors from around the world. All this awaits visitors to the Book Space festival at the end of the month, namely on September 28-30.
"We strive to popularize reading, to instill love for books. We set up book crossing locations and donate books to state administrations and schools throughout the region, which has already become a good tradition that began with the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration (RSA) itself," advisor to the head of the Dnipropetrovsk RSA Yurii Holyk remarked. "Now, we are organizing the first book fest in Dnipro. We want to do something larger than similar events in other cities of Ukraine, it should be not just an exhibition and sale, but a platform for communication as well."
According to the organizers, approximately 60 publishers and 80 authors from Ukraine, France, Poland, Denmark, the US, Germany and other countries will attend the Book Space festival. The expected guests include businessman and writer Garik Korogodsky, writers Oksana Zabuzhko and Irena Karpa, and satiric poet Orlusha. Historian and Harvard University professor Serhii Plokhii will come from the US, while historian and writer Andre Roche will arrive from France. "We will have children's, military, poetry, historical, educational programs. Most Ukrainian and foreign guests will take part in the core program called 'Transformations,' which will involve various discussions, book launches, and film screenings," art director of the festival Viktoriia Narizhna told us. "We will set up lounge areas and food courts. One will be able to spend the whole day at the festival communicating and reading interesting books."
Books will be available for sale at book exhibitions to be held in the adult and children's areas. The festival will take place at several locations: near the Dnipropetrovsk RSA building, in the building itself, and next to it in the Rocket Park and the Heroes Public Garden. The music stage will be located in the garden of the Museum of Ukrainian Painting. Each festival day will end with concerts to be held there, which will be performed by DZ'OB and Quarpa bands and participants of Mariana Savka's V Sadu ("In the Orchard") jazz project. The festival is organized by the Dnipropetrovsk RSA and the Cultural Capital program of the Dnipro City Council. The Book Space event will last for three days, the entrance to the festival will be free.
The very first day of the forum will see the launch of books from Den's Library series. In particular, we will launch our newest book, entitled Ave: The Centennial of Pavlo Skoropadsky's Hetmanate. Den/The Day's editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna and the authors who contributed their essays to the collection will present it to the reading public and the culture community.
The detailed program of the Book Space International Book Festival is impressive in its scale. It has been published on a dedicated page on the Facebook social network and at https://bookspacefest.com/ Home/Program.
By Vadym RYZHKOV, The Day, Dnipro
№48, (2018)
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Materials published in The Day are the property of the publishers, safeguarded by international and Ukrainian legislation, and cannot be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. In using our publications, reference to The Day is mandatory.


Maya Gibson, a high school freshman in Pickerington, is not only working on her resume: She knows exactly where she wants to apply for a job, thanks to a summer learning collaboration between Homeport Ohio and Boys and Girls Club of Columbus.
"I want to be a sound engineer at Nationwide Arena," she said. "When I'm a senior, I'm going to apply for an internship."
She and two other students from Pheasant Run Apartments on Orono Pike off Tussing Road, eighth-grader Desiree Settle and her brother, James, in seventh grade, led open house tours July 29 of the Pheasant Run Community Center.
Dressed up and smiling, the students were articulate and enthusiastic as they told visitors about their classes.


Gully is a superb and very well equipped, pet friendly, four bedroomed cottage situated midway into Highcliffe with a large south facing patio. The family owners of Gully have cherished their home since it was first built. They have a long association with this part of north Cornwall and hope that future generations will carry on the tradition. Gully is generally only available during the school holidays. Many families who stay at Gully return year after year to enjoy the tranquility of Highcliffe.


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Home » Pole Barn Kits » The Best Pole Barn Builders
Best pole barn builders, around the country tend to offer a full expertise when it comes to building a pole barn construction for you; they will start by presenting some pole barn plans to you, after that they will present to you the options that you have regarding the materials you may want to use for the construction and as a last step they will build for you the perfect pole barn construction.
However even with these things being said, it's still very hard to decide on which of the pole barn constructors in the country are the best, because each and every one of them are good on a different domain since they specialize in different type of constructions, they have a different price list and they have different areas in which they work so unfortunately in the end, this decision will be up to you.
With the time passing, some of the pole barn builders became more known around the country because of the very good projects that they have built until this moment thus creating a reputation for themselves. Probably the best known pole barn builder company around the country is the National Barn Company which offers full service for you when you wish to build a pole barn construction and have been around since the beginning of 1992. Their full service includes creating the plans for you, helping you to decide on the best area to build in, and continuous help after the building has been finished regarding its maintenance and of course building the pole barn construction for you. They have a very big gallery with pole barn constructions that they had built all over the country, so you have a very large selection of buildings from which you can make a choice for your storage or even for the home of your dreams.
Another big pole barn constructor is Lester Buildings, which is a leading pole barn builder. They have been around for almost 60 years, and they have built somewhere around 120,000 buildings all over the country, their barns being spread all over the rural America. They also have a very large list of buildings you can choose from, they specialize in the use of both metal and wood for their buildings and in all sorts of buildings from garages, barns and horse barns all the whey to houses and farms.
Another pole barn builder which has a very big reputation behind him is CB Structures which have been in the building business since 1989. They've started off as a family-owned lumber yard selling pole building materials packages exclusively to the professional building trade. After a few years they've decided to expand their company and started building pole barns on their own and had a huge success doing that.
Having presented some of the best pole barn builder around the country, now the decision is all up to you, whether you want to hire a professional contractor for building your pole barn construction or if you think that you can be better than them, save some money and build it on your own.
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How much a pole building cost depends on various factors such as size, customization, and location. However, whatever purpose it may serve – a workshop, animal barn, storage facility, garage, or other function – a pole building or a pole barn is an affordable means of providing basic shelter. Also commonly referred to as post-frame construction, a pole building is
Hansen Pole Buildings offers customized agricultural, commercial and residential pole barn kits. The company which is based in Brown Valley, Minnesota, and was formed in 2002, bills itself as the first to offer post frame kits on the internet. It was founded by Judy Hansen who was a registered nurse by profession at the Spokane VA Hospital. She eventually ditched
Arkansas Pole Barn Kits – Arkansas, a state situated in the southeastern region of the United States, is the nation's largest producer of rice, broilers and turkeys. It is also amongst top three producers of cotton, pullets and aquaculture. Agriculture remains a major contributor to the state's economy, ranking 13th in the value of products sold across the US. This


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Taylor Swift Performs at TIME 100 Gala, Gushes Over Sandra Oh (WATCH)
Time Magazine for Getty Images
Taylor Swift gave a few hundred fans the concert of a lifetime when she performed at TIME's 100 Gala on Tuesday (April 23).
Backed by her acoustic guitar and piano, Swift performed five songs from her hit discography, including, "Style," "Delicate," "Love Story," "New Year's Day," and "Shake It Off."
The pop star commanded the room and spoke in between each song, joking with the audience at one point that nobody should look when she had to take off her shoes to play the piano.
"I've always known it was the main pillar of ... my sanity," she said about the importance of songwriting. "I always looked at writing as sort of a protective armor, which is weird, because [when] you think of writing about your life, that's usually a vulnerability. But, I think that when you write about your life, it gives you the ability to process your life. I use it as a way of justifying things that have happened to me, whether they're good or bad. I like to honor the good times and process the bad times."
During the event, attendees shared images and videos of Swift on social media. At one point, Swift was seen speaking with Grey's Anatomy star Sandra Oh. (Swift is a huge fan of the show, and even named one of her cats after the character Meredith Grey.)
The performer also mentioned how she was shaken that Oh was in attendance, right before performing "Love Story." During her set, Swift also praised Khalid's latest album, Free Spirit. She was photographed talking to the musician after his performance earlier in the evening.
Interestingly — and something that the untrained eye may not have picked up on — the new acoustic guitar she performed with featured the exact same hearts seen on her website's countdown to April 26, the date she is rumored to release new music.
See footage from Swift's set and appearance, below:
Taylor Swift's Most Memorable Music Video Looks
Source: Taylor Swift Performs at TIME 100 Gala, Gushes Over Sandra Oh (WATCH)
Filed Under: Taylor Swift
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Covid-19: How racism kills
Wilf Sullivan
When the revelation emerged that Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers were dying in disproportionate numbers as a result of the coronavirus crisis, I was surprised. Surprised, by the fact that anybody would think that this was not going to an inevitable consequence of the crisis. That the institutional racism and structural inequalities that exist, were not going to impact on health outcomes in the context of this pandemic. Any casual observer of the way that our current economic system has exploited and impoverished BME communities nationally and internationally over the past five hundred years needs to understand that racism is a matter of life and death. Tragically, it took the pictures of those that had died to bring this truth into the spotlight. Strategies for dealing with the pandemic did not take account of the economic position of people in BME communities, the structural and racial inequalities that shape the lived experience of people from BME backgrounds and the role that they play in the world of work.
Unfortunately, the response to these revelations are problematic. The thesis that is being promoted is that a range of genetic and cultural factors are likely to be driving higher rates of death among Britain's Black and Minority Ethnic communities. It is as if race has become real rather than a human construction. Once again Black and brown bodies are being talked about as somehow flawed, a classic narrative in the history of racism. In other times these narratives have focussed on intelligence, character, work ethnic or a myriad or one other failing that are used to blame the iniquities experienced by BME people in their working and community lives. It's as if somehow, if they were white the number of deaths would not be so high. This of course ignores the large number of white elderly people who are dying in care homes, where the ability to isolate and socially distance is problematic and where the failure to provide PPE equipment and testing in a timely manner has resulted in countless tragedies.
Unions stand up for the workers in times of trouble Join a union
Social, economic and politic context cannot be ignored if an accurate assessment of any situation is to be reached and must not be ignored when it comes to the causes of the high rates of death among Black and Ethnic minority people. When these contexts are taken in to account it becomes clear that:
Levels of in work poverty are disproportionately higher in BME communities because the racial discrimination that in the world of work traps BME workers into low waged occupations and into situation where they are expected to do the hardest and most dangerous work.
BME workers are disproportionately working in the emergency occupations that are keeping our communities going during this crisis. Whether it is nursing the sick in hospitals, looking after the elderly in care homes, keeping public transport going or producing and distributing food, BME workers are having to go out to work in environments where their risk of exposure to the virus is higher.
The growth of casualised forms of work designed to circumvent employment right has meant that disproportionately more BME workers find themselves in a position in this crisis where they have to go out to work to pay the rent and feed their families. Where the safety net that is being provided does not help because of the tenuous nature of their employment status or the fact that they have to do two or more jobs. Where they are not in the type of jobs that affords them the luxury of working from home.
The hostile environment constructed as a result of years of vilification of migrant workers and asylum seeker by the press, demonised by politicians eager to pick up some cheap votes for the social and economic sins in our society are forced to work in the midst of this crisis. This is because many have no recourse to public funds or because they are at the mercy of unscrupulous employers who know that because of some arbitrary change in immigration rules they are now undocumented.
In response to the situation Public Health England have announced an Inquiry into why increasing numbers of victims of the coronavirus pandemic are from BAME backgrounds. NHS England has written to all hospital trust chief executives, GP practices, and providers of community health services, saying that they should treat staff from black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds as being at a higher risk and have asked health care trust to "make appropriate arrangements accordingly".
This is all very well, but we have had countless inquiries with many recommendations that if implemented would have improved the situation. That is not to say that, the situation should not be assessed, or action taken, it is desperately needed. But whatever is done needs to address the wider social, economic and political factors that have left BME communities so vulnerable during this pandemic. If these factors are not addressed, then what becomes common currency is the idea BME people are at higher risk of coronavirus because they are BME. The institutional and structural racism that has placed BME workers in this vulnerable position will be ignored, racial discrimination will increase and BME workers will continue to die, because of a continued refusal to accept the consequences of racism in our society and a refusal to act to eradicate it.
Coronavirus - protecting workers
The coronavirus pandemic poses huge risks to workers' health, jobs and livelihoods. Unions stand ready to work with government to do everything we can to protect health, jobs, and livelihoods.
Workers asked to shield should not have to choose between their life and livelihood
Quinn Roache - 06 Jan 2021
Working parents must not pay the price for the government's last minute approach on schools and coronavirus
Sian Elliott - 04 Jan 2021
The struggle for workers' rights cannot be separated from the struggle for equality for discriminated groups
Lester Holloway - 17 Dec 2020
Change is coming. Why I'm chairing the TUC's new anti-racism task force
Patrick Roach - 11 Dec 2020


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Freshfields research: Employers fear changes to retirement age will damage economic recovery
By Tynan Barton	 5th April 2011 11:12 am 3rd November 2015 5:57 pm
UK employers believe the removal of the default retirement age (DRA) will have a bigger impact on business than other legislative changes, according to research by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
In a survey of HR directors from the UK's largest employers, the law firm found that 63% of respondents argue that the DRA changes will have a bigger impact on their organisations compared to other changes such as the extension of maternity and paternity leave provisions (61%) and equal treatment for agency workers (59%).
Just under three-quarters (68%) believe phasing out the DRA from 6 April has more potential to damage economic recovery and job creation in the short term compared to other legislative changes.
Over half (54%) of respondents support the government's decision to phase out the DRA from 6 April, and 45% of those questioned agree that the government was right to enact the new legislation now rather than wait until the economy is more stable.
Caroline Stroud, co-head of Freshfields' London employment practice, said: "There is no doubt that removing the default retirement age has led to widespread concern about the effects on the workforce and the implications for businesses and the economy as a whole.
"Despite these apprehensions, it is clear that a majority of employers accept that it is a necessary step to take as more people want to work beyond 65 or simply cannot afford to retire."
More than two-thirds (61%) of respondents stated that maintaining expertise and skills in the workforce is the single most attractive opportunity arising from the removal of the DRA. A large proportion of those questioned (45%) also believe that there is an equal balance of cost and benefit to organisations.
Stroud added: "It is clear that removing the DRA represents a good opportunity for businesses to retain skills, expertise and talent, as well as promoting the benefits of a diverse workforce.
"While UK companies acknowledge the advantages, there needs to be a cultural shift in perceptions about the capabilities of older workers and the costs associated with them. HR will have to invest time and money in change programmes in their organisations to ensure a smooth transition."
More than three-quarters (78%) of those questioned identified embedding cultural change in relation to effective performance management as the most critical challenge facing their organisations as a consequence of phasing out the DRA.
The majority of those surveyed also agreed that removing the DRA will certainly lead to more unpleasant and costly legal action, with 55% believing age discrimination claims will increase and 53% predicting a similar trend for unfair dismissal claims.
Stroud added: "The abolition of the DRA will almost certainly expose employers to a greater number of tribunal claims for age and disability discrimination and unfair dismissal.
"Compensation for age and discrimination claims is uncapped, so employees may feel they have a lot to gain by bringing an age discrimination or unfair dismissal claim. Employers should consider implementing company-wide training to change cultural attitudes to older workers and to avoid harassment and discrimination on the grounds of age."
Additional findings include:
49% of respondents believe the change will have little influence on their workforces' composition.
12% predict that more than half of their current workforce eligible for retirement from 30 September 2011 will continue to work.
70% of respondents are not proposing to retain a compulsory contractual retirement age.
64% agree that removing the DRA will have a more negative impact on employers with less than 250 staff than it will on larger employers.
Read more articles on the removal of the default retirement age
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Mazars Financial Planning acquires Redbourne


text:
package model.persisted

import org.joda.time.LocalDate
import play.api.libs.functional.syntax._
import play.api.libs.json.{Format, Json, __}

case class FSACIndicator(area: String, assessmentCentre: String, version: String)

object FSACIndicator {
  implicit val jsonFormat = Json.format[FSACIndicator]

  // Provide an explicit mongo format here to deal with the sub-document root
  // This data lives in the application collection
  val root = "fsac-indicator"
  val mongoFormat: Format[FSACIndicator] = (
    (__ \ root \ "area").format[String] and
      (__ \ root \ "assessmentCentre").format[String] and
      (__ \ root \ "version").format[String]
    )(FSACIndicator.apply, unlift(FSACIndicator.unapply))

  def apply(indicator: model.FSACIndicator, fsacIndicatorVersion: String): FSACIndicator = {
    FSACIndicator(indicator.area, indicator.assessmentCentre, fsacIndicatorVersion)
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Alternative Settings Placement
TRENTU.CA / School of Education / Guest Lecturer
At the School of Education, we are fortunate to have many influential trailblazers and knowledgeable others, join us throughout the year to speak with our Teacher Education Stream students, our Teacher Candidates, and our graduate students, as well as faculty, staff and school partners. Below are a few of our most recent guests.
Guest Lecturer, Environmental Advocacy
In a legendary career as a music and entertainment producer, personality and entrepreneur that spans nearly 50 years, Toronto-born Bob Ezrin has worked with a wide variety of artists including Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Andrea Bocelli, Jay-Z, KISS, U2, Peter Gabriel, 2Celllos, The Tenors, Nine Inch Nails and many others. He remains one of the most sought-after producers in the world today.
Mr. Ezrin was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in April 2004, and into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame in March 2006. In 2012 he was named a Fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and in 2013 was inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame.
He is also a serial activist with an emphasis on the Environment, a Free and Responsible Press, Mental Health and Music Education. He is a member of the boards of directors of The Canadian Journalism Foundation in Toronto and The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation in Los Angeles. He is a Leadership Circle member of MusiCounts in Toronto; Chairman Emeritus of the Los Angeles Mentoring Partnership and, along with U2′s the Edge, the co-founder of Music Rising, an initiative to replace musical instruments that are lost in natural disasters.
Mr. Ezrin lives with his wife Janet in Nashville and Toronto.
"On the world's climate emergency, we should be more afraid than we are" by Bob Ezrin, The Globe and Mail Opinion - September 22, 2020
"Introducing Bob Ezrin"
Linda Schuyler
Guest Lecturer, Media Artist in Residence
Dedicated to the art of storytelling, Linda is best known for work that explores the human experience, breaks stereotypes and encourages communications. As executive producer and co-creator of the multi-award winning Degrassi television franchise, her work has garnered international recognition. Consisting of over 500 episodes, the Degrassi franchise (1979-2017), won the prestigious Peabody Award, two International Emmys, over 25 Gemini/Canadian Screen Awards, two Prix Jeunesse International Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, the Critics' Choice Award and was nominated four times for a Prime Time Emmy Award. In 2010, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television honoured Degrassi with a special on-air tribute, and Linda with an Academy Achievement Award.
As a strong advocate of both education and the mentoring process, Linda has been a guest lecturer at Yale and Ryerson Universities and at the University of Toronto. She also maintains an active involvement in a range of community and professional organizations, currently serving as vice chair of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. In 1994, in recognition of her contribution to Canadian television programming, Linda was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. In 2012, she was also appointed to the Order of Ontario, and has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from both Wilfrid Laurier University, and the University of Toronto.
"Degrassi co-creator Linda Schuyler on why the franchise resonates with so many" by the CBC
"Linda on Empathy"
David Newhouse
Guest Lecturer, Professor Indigenous Studies, Trent University
David Newhouse is Onondaga from the Six Nations of the Grand River community near Brantford, Ontario. He is a Professor of Indigenous Studies and Chair of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, was the first Principal of the new Peter Gzowski College at Trent University and has been Chair of the Department of Indigenous Studies, now the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies since 1993. He is also a Professor in the School of Business. Professor Newhouse is Co-Chair of the Trent Aboriginal Education Council. He was the IMC/U of S Aboriginal Scholar in Residence at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in 1998/99. He also teaches in the Graduate CED Program at Concordia University. In 2016, he received the Trent Award for Education Leadership and Innovation. He has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Trent University Faculty Association for the past decade serving for three years as President and currently serving as Grievance Officer.
His research interests focus on the emergence of modern Aboriginal society.
He is the founding editor of the CANDO Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development the first peer-reviewed academic journal devoted to Aboriginal economic development issues and a founding editorial board member of aboriginal policy studies, an academic journal focussing on urban Aboriginal issues. He is the past Chair and a current member of the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) Standing Committee on Education. He also served as a member of the Policy Team on Economics for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. He is a member of the National Aboriginal Benchmarking Committee of the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board and the AFN Chief's Committee on Make Aboriginal Poverty History. He serves as the Science Officer for the Aboriginal Peoples Health research adjudication committee for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He is currently National Director for the SSHRC 'Urban Aboriginal Research Network' project and co-director of Ontario-Quebec Region of the project with Kevin Fitzmaurice, from the University of Sudbury. He is also the Ontario lead for a 5 year CIHR research project: Poverty Action Research Project on Aboriginal health, economic development and poverty with the Eabametoong First Nation and the Assembly of First Nations.
"From ideas to impact: Indigenous Studies has educated a new generation of leaders" by Trent University
"David on Teaching"
B.Ed. Calendar 2020-2021
B.Ed. Indigenous Pathway
M.Ed. Pathway
G.Dip. Course Progression
Trent University Academic Calendar
Centre for Teaching & Learning


College admission has become increasingly competitive, but one Des Moines teenager found a unique way to distinguish himself from the pack.
Dezell Turner, a senior at East High School and Central Academy, submitted a video explaining the history of calculus on an Etch A Sketch when applying to some of the country's top engineering and technology schools.
The 18-year-old recently learned he'd been accepted to MIT and Caltech — two of his "dream" colleges.
Although there's no way to know for sure, Turner said the video, which he originally created for an AP calculus course his sophomore year, might have played a role.
Like thousands of teenagers, Turner said he was looking for a way to display a bit of his personality — beyond his excellent grades and test numbers — and possibly catch the eye of admissions officers.
and nearly every Ivy League school set record-low admission rates this year.
Grinnell accepts about 25 percent of applicants.
Instead, she encourages students to share something about their lives, whether it's caring for a sibling, a passion or their long-term goals.
That's the approach Turner took.
In his college essay — which Iowa admissions officers said was the best way for students to share themselves — he wrote about volunteering at a camp for autistic children.
He knew he had a good resume, but the odds of gaining entrance were still slim. He applied to five colleges — four of them he called his "reach" schools.
One, MIT, admitted just 7 percent of applicants in 2017.
To ease the stress, Turner reminded himself that he'd be alright wherever he landed.
Do you need a 'hook' to distinguish yourself?
Many colleges allow students to include things like music, art, a computer programming project or a YouTube video when applying.
But not every student needs "a hook," Iowa admissions officers say.
"The rhetoric around what you have to be to get into college these days can be really overwhelming," said Anne Kremer, dean of admissions at Drake University.
And she cautions against taking on a project just to build a college resume. "My advice to students is to always make sure, with your essays or anything you do, that you're using your authentic voice," she said.
Admissions officers can sense when a student is trying to fit into a certain mold, she said.
A family friend, who's a student at MIT, suggested Turner include the Etch A Sketch video.
The time-lapse video, which took about 20 hours to make, details the history of math to ancient Greece and centers on a mathematical controversy: Who invented calculus, Gottfried Leibniz or Isaac Newton?
But Turner also ad-libs jokes about the mathematicians' hairstyles and the stress he's understudying for an AP calculus test.
It's a no-frills video. A shadow can be seen across the Etch A Sketch, cast from where his iPhone was propped on a stack of books.
The video also shows his skills with an Etch A Sketch — he started doodling on the toy as a seventh-grader, first drawing the Millennium Falcon from "Star Wars" while home sick from school.
Turner began Etch A Sketching on weekends — mostly superheroes and characters from science fiction shows. He'd record the process and post time-lapse videos online.
The senior has since taken at least 11 AP courses — when listing them out he loses track and says there might be others — and other college-level classes at Central Academy.
He's earned 4.5 GPA in high school. This year he was named valedictorian at East High and was voted Senior Scholar at Central Academy by his classmates.
Turner said he's still trying to decide whether he'll go to Caltech or MIT.
His ultimate goal is to work as an aerospace engineer at NASA. He wants to help design spacesuits for a mission to Mars.
Tips for college applications: Start early. Include "mid-range" schools in addition to "safety" and "reach" schools. Figure out what makes you "you" and embrace it.


So I have some old 1997 Shimano Altus brakes on my 1997 Trek 800 Sport (winter bike).
Well I want to upgrade to a set of Avid Single Digit 7s with Kool Stop salmon pads for winter use, I hear the salmon pads are best for wet riding. My question is are the canti stud mounts the same for v brakes?
Yes...and I assume you'll be swapping levers too?
Yeah. I have some Speed Dial 7s laying around.


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Partners celebrate the successful completion of battery project
Categories: News.
by News Editor | Feb 22, 2018 | News | 0 comments
Partners celebrate the successful completion of the High Energy Density Battery project.
APC project powers Nissan LEAF and develops the UK supply chain
UK research project enables production of 40kWh battery for the new Nissan LEAF
New high energy density cells to be used by Hyperdrive in custom battery modules
Project learnings to help train next generation of UK battery engineers
A UK research programme, funded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), has enabled Nissan to produce high density battery technology for the new LEAF, as well as help strengthen the electrified supply chain capability in the UK.
The project, which completed in February 2018, saw Nissan collaborate with Hyperdrive, the University of Newcastle, Warwick Manufacturing Group and Zero Carbon Futures to develop a new manufacturing process at Nissan's Sunderland plant, which allows the carmaker to produce 40kWh battery cells in the UK and for European markets.
The batteries, which are already being fitted to the new Nissan LEAF, improve the vehicle's range and reduce production costs. The facility is the first major producer of the new high energy density batteries in the UK and is currently the largest in Europe.
Hyperdrive, which utilises Nissan's UK-manufactured battery cells in low volume highly-customised non-automotive applications, has also installed its own pilot line to produce prototype battery modules using the 40kWh cell. Hyperdrive is the first SME to be supplied Nissan's UK-produced battery cells, and will now integrate them into its latest products. Before the APC-funded project, the company was importing 40kWh cells from South Korea.
The University of Newcastle, Warwick Manufacturing Group and Zero Carbon Futures were all able to input valuable knowledge and expertise to the project. They were also able to take learnings from the project to help train the next generation of UK engineers in the latest battery technology, as well as create open-access training for the whole industry.
Jon Beasley, Director of Technology and Projects at the APC, said: "This project exemplifies the value of consortia projects, with partners working together to exploit their capabilities, both jointly and individually."
A winner of the fourth APC funding competition, the Nissan-led consortium was awarded £9.7m government-industry funding in January 2016. The APC recently launched its ninth funding competition (APC9), in which up to £30m will be awarded to eligible projects. For more information on APC9, visit the APC website.


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What is coal?
Coal is a sedimentary rock made predominantly of carbon that can be burned for fuel. Coal is readily combustible, black or brownish-black, and has a composition that, including inherent moisture, consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume of carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically altered, and metamorphosed by heat and pressure over geologic time.
Coal is found all over the world including our country, predominantly in places where forests and marshes existed prehistorically, before being buried and compressed over millions of years. Some of the largest deposits, though, are located in areas of the Appalachian basin in the eastern U.S., the Illinois basin in the mid-continent region, and throughout the Rocky Mountain basins in the western U.S.
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What is the biggest coal deposit in the United States?
The biggest coal deposit by volume is the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana, which the USGS estimated to have 1.07 trillion short tons of in-place coal resources, 162 billion short tons of recoverable coal resources, and 25 billion short tons of economic coal resources (also called reserves) in 2013.
Which country has the most coal?
The United States has the largest proven coal reserves, with an estimated 260.5 billion short tons of coal in 2008, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
What are the types of coal?
There are four major types (or "ranks") of coal. Rank refers to steps in a slow, natural process called "coalification," during which buried plant matter changes into an ever denser, drier, more carbon rich, and harder material. The four ranks are: Anthracite: The highest rank of coal. It is a hard, brittle, and black lustrous coal, often referred...
What is coal used for?
Coal is primarily used as fuel to generate electric power in the United States. The coal is burned and the heat given off is used to convert water into steam, which drives a turbine. In 2012, about 39 percent of all electricity in the United States was generated by coal-fired power plants, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration...
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Assessing U.S. coal resources and reserves
The U.S. Coal Resources and Reserves Assessment Project, as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Resources Program, conducts systematic, geology-based, regional assessments of significant coal beds in major coal basins in the United States. These assessments detail the quantity, quality, location, and economic potential of the Nation's...
Shaffer, Brian N.
Attribution: Central Energy Resources Science Center, Energy Resources Program, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
Shaffer, B.N., 2017, Assessing U.S. coal resources and reserves: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2017–3067, 6 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20173067.
Coal--a complex natural resource : an overview of factors affecting coal quality and use in the United States
Schweinfurth, Stanley P.; Finkelman, Robert B.
Coal--a complex natural resource : an overview of factors affecting coal quality and use in the United States; 2002; CIR; 1143; Schweinfurth, Stanley P.; Finkelman, Robert B.
World coal exploration and development
Wood, Gordon H.
World coal exploration and development; 1983; OFR; 83-741; Wood, Gordon H.
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Assessments Evolved: USGS Coal Research in the 21st Century
Although often associated with helping fuel the Nation's growth during the Industrial Revolution, coal is very much part of our space-age present. In 2016, coal-fired power plants provided 30.4 percent of the country's electricity, and it is an important source of employment in many states.
Attribution: Energy and Minerals, Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
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Cannel Coal
Cannel coal is a type of bituminous coal, which is the second-highest rank of coal (just behind anthracite). This particular sample has a high carbon content with high pollen and spore content as well. Unlike most bituminous coal, Cannel coal can be carved into ornaments. This sample came from the Eastern Interior Coalfield in Kentucky.
Attribution: Energy and Minerals, Energy Resources Program
Peacock Coal
This sample is of peacock coal. Peacock coal is not a specific class of coal, but rather the name for an effect in which oxidizing materials in the coal create a dazzling array of colors on the surface of the coal. Usually it is short-lived, as the material fully oxidizes away shortly after exposed to air. Read more about our coal research here:
Bituminous Coal
This sample is of bituminous coal, a middle rank coal (between subbituminous and anthracite) formed by additional pressure and heat on lignite. Usually has a high Btu value and may be referred to as "soft coal." Read more about USGS coal research here:
Cannel coal is a type of bituminous coal that is also sometimes referred to as a type of oil shale. It's name likely came from the word "candle." Cannel coal was once used as a source for kerosene. Read more about our coal research here:
Attribution: Energy and Minerals
Anthracite Coal
This is anthracite, the highest rank of coal. It is a hard, brittle, and black lustrous coal, often referred to as hard coal, containing a high percentage of fixed carbon and a low percentage of volatile matter. Anthracite is not as commonly mined as other ranks of coal. It played a significant role in Pennsylvania coal during the Industrial Revolution in the United
Lignite Coal
A sample of lignite, the lowest rank of coal. It is primarily mined for burning in steam-generation power plants. Read more about our coal research here: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/cersc/science/us-coal-resources-and-reserves-assessment
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TN at GABF: Wiseacre, Yazoo, McHale's win medals at 2014 Great American Beer Festival
October 04, 2014 By: mike Category: Breweries, Competition, Craft beer, Events, Memphis
Three Tennessee craft breweries — Memphis' Wiseacre Brewing Company, Nashville's Yazoo Brewing Company and Chattanooga's McHale's Brewhouse — won medals today at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
The festival, in its 28th year, is the largest commercial beer competition in the world. A total of 234 different breweries won either gold, silver or bronze medals in 90 beer categories covering 145 different beer styles.
Wiseacre won a bronze medal for its Tiny Bomb in the German-Style Pilsener category (75 entries). This was Wiseacre's first year to compete at GABF.
Brothers Davin and Kellan Bartosch opened Wiseacre on Broad Avenue in 2013. Tiny Bomb, available on draft and in cans in the Memphis area, is one of the brewery's two year-round beers, along with Ananda IPA.
"It's great to be recognized for something that you have worked so hard on for so long, especially by my peers, the greatest beer judges in the world. Pilsner is among the most difficult styles of beer to produce and we are glad to be honored in this way. I almost cried," brewmaster Davin Bartosch said in a press release.
Added Kellan Bartosch: "With Firestone and Russian River being the other medalist in the category as two of the most highly acclaimed breweries in the country, it says a lot about the internal admiration for Pilsner among brewers. Craft beer drinkers often stick to mega hoppy IPAs or big stouts, but external appreciation for tasty lower ABV beers is on the rise and Tiny Bomb made here in Memphis can now be considered a leader of the pack on a national scale."
Bronze medal for Tiny Bomb #gabf
Meanwhile, Yazoo captured the bronze medal in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer category (65 entries) for its Cherry Deux Rouges, part of the Nashville brewery's Embrace the Funk series. The medal is Yazoo's fourth overall, having won twice for its Hefeweizen and once for Sue.
We won GABF! Cherry Deux Rouges @YAZOOBREW @jdlightell @yazoobrewmaster pic.twitter.com/LvDi0AQCJy
— Embrace The Funk (@EmbraceTheFunk) October 4, 2014
The final Tennessee winner was Chattanooga's McHale's Brewhouse, which won a gold medal for its Scottish Pride beer in the Scottish-Style Ale category (51 entries). It's the first GABF win for McHale's Brewhouse.
A huge congrats to all the Tennessee winners!
Tags: Chattanooga, Embrace the Funk, Great American Beer Festival, McHale's Brewhouse, Nashville, Tiny Bomb, Wiseacre Brewing Company, Yazoo Brewing Company
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visits the Great American Beer Festival [video]
October 23, 2013 By: mike Category: Funny, Video
As Conan O'Brien's website put it, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog went to the Great American Beer Festival "to see beer snobs in their natural habitat."
Hilarity ensues.
Tags: Great American Beer Festival
GABF recap: Three days of beer, beer and more beer in Denver
November 07, 2012 By: mike Category: Breweries, Craft beer, Events, Travelin'
The 2012 Great American Beer Festival drew 49,000 attendees to the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on Oct. 10-12.
The festival is the largest commercial beer competition in the world, and for craft beer enthusiasts, it's heaven.
I was able to go as an entrant in the 2012 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition, thanks to Ghost River Brewing and the Bluff City Brewers & Connoisseurs homebrew club. I had a brewer's pass and was able to go all three days.
At the festival, I tried as many beers as possible, but ultimately one can only sample of fraction of what's on tap. More than 2,700 beers were served by 578 breweries in the festival hall.
Among my new favorites: Alpine Beer Co.'s Duet, a West Coast IPA; Firestone Walker Brewing Co.'s Wookey Jack, an American-Style Black Ale; Redrock Brewing Co.'s Redrock Organic Zwickel Bier; and Laurelwood Brewing Co.'s Organic Deranger Imperial Red Ale.
The sample glasses at GABF have a line showing the 1-ounce mark. The festival is fairly strict about pouring just an ounce, but the pours did get more liberal as the festival went on.
At GABF, you can't bring in food unless you are wearing it, so you see a lot of people with homemade pretzel necklaces. There were also people wearing bagels, Funyuns and even bags of beef jerky!
The layout in the festival hall is divided up by region. I spent a lot of time hitting up the California breweries, including one of my favorites, Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse.
One of the highlights for me? Getting to meet Charlie Papazian, who founded the Association of Brewers and the Great American Beer Festival and wrote The Complete Joy of Home Brewing.
Beers from San Francisco's 21st Amendment Brewery, which is known for its cans and sweet designs, were pretty popular at GABF.
I've spent some time in the Silent Disco at Bonnaroo, so I skipped it at GABF. But there was always a long line to get in. The concept is this: it's a disco where people dance to music via wireless headphones. Fun to watch from the outside.
He's with the idiot.
The Designated Driver Lounge offered DDs free chair massages and the opportunity to taste craft-brewed sodas and root beers.
San Diego's Stone Brewing Co. didn't win any medals for its beers. But the brewery's booth, a popular destination at the festival, won the GABF Festival Flair Award for its awesome design.
One of the cooler sites at GABF — the 30-foot wall of T-shirts for sale. I picked up shirts from New Belgium Brewing and Boulder Beer.
The Beer Enthusiast Bookstore had a nice selection of homebrewing books and featured a full slate of book signings all three days, including authors Charlie Papazian, Garrett Oliver, John Palmer, Ray Daniels and Greg Koch.
Porter's Pride, an imperial porter with chocolate, was brewed as part of a collaboration of Colorado breweries exclusively for the GABF awards ceremony.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, one of the founders of the original Wynkoop Brewing Company brewpub, spoke at the awards ceremony.
I met up with a monkey in a spacesuit and Abraham Lincoln, who were representing 21st Amendment.
Woo hoo! Hope to make it back to GABF soon!
Tags: 21st Amendment Brewery, Alpine Beer Co., Bluff City Brewers & Connoisseurs, Charlie Papazian, Colorado, Denver, Firestone Walker Brewing, Ghost River Brewing, Great American Beer Festival, Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Redrock Brewing Co., Silent Disco, Stone Brewing, Triple Rock
2012 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition winners (and a gripe)
October 26, 2012 By: mike Category: Competition, Events, Homebrew, Memphis, Travelin'
For homebrewers, one of the highlights of the Great American Beer Festival in Denver is the Pro-Am Competition.
Homebrewers from across the U.S. who are members of the American Homebrewers Association team up with professional brewers and scale up homebrew recipes on professional brewing systems. In its seventh year, the 2012 competition earlier this month saw a record number of entries, with 94 different beers. All the beers were served over the three days at GABF, and many of the homebrews were really fantastic.
I was lucky enough to enter this year's competition with Memphis' Ghost River Brewing, and my Red Hop Ale was served on the first night of the festival. (Click here to read all about my awesome brew day at Ghost River's sister brewery, Boscos Squared.)
And while that's me in the photo above with the pitcher, I didn't actually get to serve my beer at GABF. The photo, sadly, was staged before the doors opened. Only volunteers were allowed to serve beers at the homebrew booth, a policy I really don't understand. I was told by the Pro-Am organizer that the presence of homebrewers serving their beers somehow overshadowed the other beers at the booth whose brewer could not make it to Denver — a really lame excuse. I was told I could stand in front of the booth, if I really wanted to.
One of the main reasons I like brewing for festivals is the opportunity to get immediate feedback — good and bad — from folks who try my beer. And what better setting to get feedback from beer lovers than the Great American Beer Festival? Making it all the way to Denver and being told I couldn't serve my beer was a real disappointment. Brewers from professional breweries are encouraged to staff their booths and pour beer at the festival, and I hope the Pro-Am organizers re-think this policy for the Pro-Am booth. Homebrewers stand to learn a lot from those brief interactions with beer drinkers.
Anyway, I was thrilled to be at the festival. And to the winners below, cheers!
Gold: More Fun Blonde, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, Colo.
Brewmaster: New Belgium Brewing Co., AHA Member: Jay Shambo
Silver: Pointon's Proper – An English Mild, RAM Restaurant and Brewery – Wheeling, Ill.
Brewmaster: Lanny Fetzer, AHA Member: Scott Pointon
Bronze: Classic American Pilsner, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, Minn.
Brewmaster: Mike Hoops, AHA Member: Kyle Sisco
Tags: Boscos, Denver, Ghost River Brewing, Great American Beer Festival, Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am, Red Hop Ale


We had a really interesting discussion Feb. 13 in my introductory public management class for master's of public policy students at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. As part of our discussion about using performance measurement to improve organizational performance in the public and nonprofit sectors, we talked about using standardized tests as a tool to improve the performance of public schools.
The discussion was interesting from several perspectives. First, I was surprised when I took a vote at the beginning of the class about whether people were "enthusiastic," "somewhat positive," "somewhat negative" or "very critical" about this idea (I stipulated that we would talk about school testing as a school improvement tool, not as an individual graduation requirement), to find that the clear balance of sentiment was to be relatively sympathetic -- 37 students put themselves in the first two categories, nine in the second two. Given that Kennedy School students are more often Democrats than Republicans, this was an interesting result, especially because of the skepticism about school testing among many Democratic political leaders, who may be reflecting the views of some (not all) teacher interest groups more than sentiment among (at least young) supporters. Just as interesting is that the class includes six students who have worked for Teach for America and taught in disadvantaged schools. The three students in the class who described themselves as "enthusiastic" about school testing were three of the Teach for America teachers (as was one student, also a veteran of the program, who had written an undergraduate thesis on school testing).
The students highlighted several things during the discussion. There was a lot of sentiment that the numbers didn't help with anything unless schools used them to diagnose problems and promising approaches, and to pinpoint areas for management priority. I agree completely -- if we just display numbers, without using them as a management tool to improve performance, they are worthless. Particularly the Teach for veterans were strong on the point that test scores created more urgency for improving the education that disadvantaged students receive. And there was, from some students, skepticism about the punitive elements of the No Child Left Behind Act, which many students worried encouraged gaming and resentment. I am also inclined to agree with this view.
This was a good discussion, and there is broader good news here for good government. Most of the next generation of people in public service -- or at least the next generation coming out of the Kennedy School -- looks ready to embrace the idea of using measurement to improve the performance of public and nonprofit organizations. I have expressed to them my hope that managing using performance measures will become as natural to their generation of people in public service as it is to their counterparts in the business world.