text:
at 7:38 PM Labels: being a writer, exercises, impossible things, things every writer needs, writing
Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said, "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." - Alice in Wonderland.
The other day I was thinking about inspiration. Thinking about where the ideas for stories come from. And something I've heard from many parents sprang to mind. The statement that their children have helped them see things in a different light. That old, familiar stories suddenly become new again when they see how their child reacts to them; that walks in the park suddenly become a venture to a far away land; that shadows (unfortunately) become monstrous creatures ready to devour you whole.
It's not surprising. When you're a kid, everything is new and fascinating. Sometimes strange and scary. The world is bound only by your imagination.
And when you're untried, your imagination is limitless.
If you're lucky, you'll have quite a few years before people start telling you that something just isn't possible. To get your head out of the clouds. To stop acting silly.
Growing up with parents—one of whom was a big reader—both of whom had active imaginations and lots of ideas, I don't ever remember the word "impossible" passing their lips, except in jest. I don't ever remember being told to come back down to earth. (At least, not for a permanent stay. Occasional jaunts to the soil were required for things like cleaning rooms or scooping litter boxes.)
But getting older is inevitable. And the older you get, the more the world changes.
Bereft at the more of less in the world.
Only...not really.
To crib a line from Captain Sparrow, "World's still the same. There's just less in it."
We're the ones that change. With age, come knowledge and experience. Obligations. Responsibilities. And if you're not careful, with all of those come boundaries.
I'm reminded, at random, of a scene in one of my favorite movies.
In Labyrinth, as Sarah sets out on her quest, she finds it impossible to find her way into the maze. All she sees is a long, seemingly endless corridor. Until a little worm says the labyrinth's full of openings, it's just you ain't seein' em.
I'm just a worm. But I see things you don't.
When we get older, we stop "seeing" the things we did as children. Maybe out of some misguided idea that "growing up" means putting away our sense of wonder. Maybe because we just don't have the time. Or maybe because our knowledge and experience are at war with our imagination, telling us that such things "just aren't possible."
That rabbit hole is not a doorway to a strange land. That toadstool ring is not evidence of nightly dancing faeries. That light in the woods is not a will o' wisp ready to lead you astray.
But it's important as a writer—especially a fantasy writer—and as a human being, to be able to see these things.
To look at the world with the same untried eyes you had as a kid. To ask "What if?" To see the world for what it is and then envision what it might be.
And I've gone through this long winded spiel to say that I've taken "believing the impossible" on as a journaling exercise.
The goal is simple: Every day (at least), in the journal I've identified for the task, I write down six impossible things.
The "Six Impossible Things" journal
Sometimes what I write down is a simple statement.
Trees have secrets.
Other times, I get a little more in depth.
Mirrors have memory. They've seen many things. Sometimes, if you look just right and quickly enough, you'll be able to see what they've seen.
But I never go further than a basic idea.
Because the purpose of the Six Impossible Things exercise is not to write a story or even the humble beginnings of a story. (And it's sure as hell not to get caught up in the logistics of why something is the way it is.) The purpose is to open your mind. To take a brief respite from the demands of daily life and look at the world as if it's your first time seeing it.
In the end, you'll have another resource to turn to when you're having one of those moments where you feel like the well of inspiration has dried up.
And something to rejuvenate your mind when the world starts to seem a little smaller.
100 Word Challenge: Some Days Alice
at 2:03 PM Labels: 100 word challenge, exercises, flash fiction, micro fiction, writing, writing prompt
The doctors encouraged familiarity for calmness.
Mom had never seemed more at peace than when Alys was a girl and they curled together in her room, giggling over nonsense words. She's thankful she saved Mom's battered old Carroll book, her own Alice-Blue drapes and antique Sweetheart Mirror with its White Rabbit decal.
Tea for Two.
Via Laura Mardon - Flickr
Mom shifts suddenly, says "Tea time!"
"Yes, Mom. It is."
Their places are set.
Alys pours tea, holds out a saucer. Mom plucks the two pills, crunches them and says "I do enjoy these cakes."
There are worst places, Alys supposes, for her mother to be than Wonderland.
This week's entry for the 100 Word Challenge at Velvet Verbosity. The word was "whismy." As I've recently had my brain sucked into Burton's rendition of Alice in Wonderland, this is what came to mind.
Flicker of Inspiration: A Cure
at 10:40 AM Labels: exercises, flicker of inspiration, morgue file, writing, writing prompt
"A Cure" - Emilie Autumn
"Alicia Hankins. So...you're a doctor?"
"I was. Before."
"And now...ha. I guess it's like one of those old Buddhist riddles or something: is a doctor who has no patients still a doctor?"
"Something like that. How's your arm doing, Sergeant?"
"It's...good. I can move. And the pain is... How? That thing felt like it'd ripped it out of the socket."
"Strong pain killers. Antibiotics. A stitch and a prayer. You're lucky I found you when I did. You might have died from good old fashioned infection."
"I'd count my lucky stars but I think all of 'em have burnt out at this point."
"What were you doing all the way out here?"
"Playing at being heroes."
"Never mind. My men and I.... We were on our way back to Edwards air base. Lost our truck on the road; blown tire and no spare. Of all the fuckin' things to happen. We hoofed it into the canyon and they just came out of nowhere. Like wild dogs. Tore into us before we knew it. Still amazed I came through."
"I've heard reports, on the radio, of the small towns out this way being wiped out completely. That's probably where they came from. I haven't run across any, myself. But then, I try not to go up that often."
"And you? How'd you end up out here? Down here?"
"Luck again. My dad used to bring us into these hills when we were kids. To camp. Fish. One trip, we got turned around and stumbled on a door in the hillside. This was a fallout shelter, built in the 50s for military and medical personnel."
"Really? Doesn't look that old."
"Some of it isn't. From what I can tell, they started doing upgrades as soon as news of the first outbreaks spread. Anyway, when everything started going to hell in the city, I came here and decided to stay."
"Seemed like the best place to go. Unpopulated area. Nearby water supply. Food, storage, and a lab."
"And you've been working."
"On a cure."
"Wha—"
"I was looking for something to eat... Saw the blood in the fridge and figured. Didn't mean to snoop. Really."
"It's fine. And...yes. I have been working on a treatment. Something to slow the virus, if nothing else. But it's not going well."
"How come?"
"Aside from the fact that I'm working with a lot of equipment that was obsolete twenty years ago? The black outs are a major impediment."
"No generator?"
"There's a generator. Two, actually. Brand new. But they keep going dead."
"Well…hell. I've been sittin' on my ass long enough. You got a toolbox? Point me in the right direction."
"Only took two days, but these girls are humming like honey bees. Looks like you got plenty a fuel in here to run 'em too. With any luck, grid power'll hold out for a while and you won't have to worry about running 'em for a while. In fact, why don't--"
"Hold on. I can barely hear you. Just give me—one sec. Alright. What were you saying?"
"This... This was from Reeves. One of my men. What's it doing here? Where is he?"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"He didn't make it. I'm afraid. I am sorry. I really thought he would pull through. That I had the compound right."
"What the hell are you talking about? What are you doing? What is—you caught one of the walkers?"
"This is Mr. Hankins."
"Fuck, lady...."
"And, you see, Sergeant. I need subjects—ones who are infected—to test the cures. Reeves was infected. The only one of your men who hadn't been torn completely apart."
"He wasn't a fucking guinea pig."
"But…so far, none of my serums has worked. One of my recent ones, unfortunately, sped up the rate of infection. Reeves had to be destroyed."
"You've got an infected right here. What the hell did you need Reeves for?"
"I'm trying to cure Mr. Hankins. And I am getting close. While you were banging away down here, I think I finally managed to incapacitate the virus. Unfortunately, you do need to be infected for me to determine if the cure will work."
"Don't come near me."
"And Mr. Hankins needs to eat."
"I told you not to—fuck... What is—"
"A tranquilizer's the least I can do for you. I'm sorry about this. Really I am. But if it works, Sergeant...you won't have to play at being a hero."
This is my quickly written response to The Lightning and the Lightning Bug's Flicker of Inspiration Prompt #14:
For this week's prompt, we'd like you to tell us a story using only dialogue. That's right. There can be no "he said/she said," no modifiers at all in fact. Just conversation, plain and simple, between quotes. Not that you necessarily have to use quotation marks...just look at Cormac McCarthy, he uses no quotations marks at all. But I digress. Tell a tale through conversation and dialogue between your "characters." This can be fiction or non-fiction...and can even be poetry. Take it anywhere you like, just talk it out and come back here next Sunday to share.
I pulled a portion of this one from my Morgue File. I'd tried to write a zombie flash fiction last fall for an anthology submission and it just never came together. But I had some dialogue lying around, so I figured I may as well use it as a spring board.
100 Word Challenge: On the Trail
at 11:05 AM Labels: 100 word challenge, apocalypse, exercises, micro fiction, writing
Lightning strike. Via Cafrine - Flickr
Continued from my last 100 Word Challenge: "Game Change."
"We have a deal then, Reyes?"
And she'd shaken her new…Boss's hand. Thought of old stories. Faust. Theophilius.
Thought more about Rory—who should've been west of the Mississippi by then—bleeding on the floor before the Boss's desk.
She saw his face now, in the churning river beneath the ruin of the bridge. The man had always been nothing but trouble for her; he'd poached her purse last time they were together. Still…
Lightning split open the sky, forcing her retreat to the rotting remains of a nearby house.
Her hunt would have to wait until the storm passed.


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Posted on Tue, Mar 27th, 2018 Tue, Mar 27th, 2018 by Leo Vidal
37 State Attorneys General Are Now Demanding Answers From Facebook
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Facebook's legal troubles continue to grow in number and intensity. Over recent days we have reported that:
Facebook is being sued in U.S. by its users over improper data harvesting,
The FTC Opened an investigation into Facebook's violation of a 2011 consent decree, and
Facebook CEO Zuckerberg was invited to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing.
And now it has been reported that the Attorneys General of 37 states have joined forces to investigate Facebook.
The 37 state attorneys general issued a statement saying they have sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg "demanding answers…about the company's business practices and privacy protections."
"Businesses like Facebook must comply with the law when it comes to how they use their customers' personal data," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is leading the effort, said in the public statement. "State Attorneys General have an important role to play in holding them accountable and I'm proud to partner with so many of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle in this effort."
"As a bipartisan group of Attorneys General, we care deeply about the privacy of our constituents personal information," Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum also said in the statement announcing the letter.
"Just because they use Facebook and signup for apps does not mean consumers have signed a lifetime agreement to give up their privacy. We have asked Facebook several important questions and we expect clear answers from them. We must be assured that a breach or 'leak' of this nature will not happen again."
In an effort at damage control Facebook took out full-page ads on Sunday in various British and American newspapers. For the first time Facebook actually apologized for their "breach of trust."
"You may have heard about a quiz app built by a university researcher that leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014," said the ads signed by Zuckerberg. "This was a breach of trust, and I'm sorry we didn't do more at the time. We're now taking steps to ensure this doesn't happen again."
The press release from Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro recites the list of questions the state AG's have for Facebook, as shown below:
"The letter to Zuckerberg, initiated by Attorney General Shapiro and joined by a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General, raises a series of questions about the social networking site's policies and practices, including:
Were those terms of service clear and understandable?
How did Facebook monitor what these developers did with all the data that they collected?
What type of controls did Facebook have over the data given to developers?
Did Facebook have protective safeguards in place, including audits, to ensure developers were not misusing the Facebook user's data?
How many users in the states of the signatory Attorneys General were impacted?
When did Facebook learn of this breach of privacy protections?
During this timeframe, what other third party "research" applications were also able to access the data of unsuspecting Facebook users?
The Attorneys General write in the letter: "Facebook apparently contends that this incident of harvesting tens of millions of profiles was not the result of a technical data breach; however, the reports allege that Facebook gave away the personal data of users who never authorized these developers to obtain it, and relied on terms of service and settings that were confusing and perhaps misleading to its users."
As concerned citizens we can only hope that Facebook will be held accountable for its privacy violations in the past and will be forced to make changes in the future in order assure that we do not have firms like Cambridge Analytica misusing our personal data in order to illegally influence the outcome of our elections.
Leo Vidal
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
CategoriesFeatured News TagsCambridge Analytica, Facebook, lawsuits, Zuckerberg
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Kounkané peut désigner :
 Kounkané, la localité du Burkina Faso,
 Kounkané, la localité au Sénégal.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
NauruPNGSamoaTongaVanuatu
2019 Pacific Games
Large blaze erupts in port a month after explosion
BY: Loop Pacific
10:10, September 11, 2020
Lebanon has launched an investigation into a huge fire at a warehouse storing aid that erupted in the port of Beirut - one month after a massive explosion there killed more than 190 people.
The blaze broke out where an aid agency had been storing food and cooking oil.
Firefighters and military officials spent hours battling the fire, using helicopters to drop water on it, before getting it under control on Thursday.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is not yet known.
Footage shared on social media showed port workers running away as the fire broke out at the duty-free zone in the port on Thursday. The blaze sent a plume of dark smoke over the Lebanese capital.
The head of Lebanon's Red Cross, George Kettaneh, said some people were suffering from shortness of breath, but there were no reports of injuries.
Red Cross Regional Director Fabrizio Carboni said the warehouse stocked thousands of food parcels.
He added that the humanitarian operation is at risk of serious disruption.
The area around the fire was cordoned off to prevent it from spreading. Civil defence director general Raymond Khattar told the state-run National News Agency that those working to extinguish the fire would not leave "until the flames are fully quenched."
By the evening, officials said most flames had been extinguished.
Beirut port fire
All 50 US states on alert for armed...
Women test positive for Covid in...
Islands move quickly on Covid-19...
Rap legend Dr Dre returns home...
Players unable to practice before...
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Los Angeles, CA (February 6, 2019)—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has awarded $9.6 million for new and expansion projects to the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (LA CoC). In addition to earlier renewal awards, the LA CoC has received nearly $124 million from HUD in the last two weeks. The figure represents the largest HUD Award the LA CoC has ever received, and an increase of $15 million compared to the total amount awarded last year.
LAHSA is a joint powers authority of the city and county of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problem of homelessness in Los Angeles County. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages over $300 million annually in federal, state, county, and city funds for programs providing shelter, housing, and services to people experiencing homelessness.


Helping you unlock your full potential!
Students are encouraged to communicate with Momentum Learning Centre staff, and calls/emails/text messages will be accepted throughout the week.
Minimum 1 week notice is required for cancellation of your child's session due to family events, vacations and other appointments. The opportunity to rebook will be based on availability.
Minimum 24 hours' notice is required if your child cannot make the session due to sickness. Less than this and your session time will be forfeited, coming out of your pre-paid sessions. I do have a few students who are willing to book sessions on a short-notice basis. If I can fill your child's particular session, I will notify you and your child's session will not be forfeited.
If your child does not show up for his/her session, it will be forfeited and come out of your pre-paid sessions.
Please remember that I do have a long list of families on a waitlist. Many of them have been waiting for over two years and are still eager to join us at Momentum Learning Centre. It is out of respect to everyone involved that I have these cancellation policies in place.
Each person will be treated in a fair and respectful manner; it is your responsibility to also treat staff in this way.
Depending on your child's needs, Momentum Learning Centre may provide access to activities and learning opportunities outside of Momentum Learning Centre.
During various events and programs, children or staff may take pictures where other group members are present. Momentum Learning Centre would like to share exciting discoveries and experiences with others (print, website, social media). This will be done with utmost discretion and professionalism. Momentum Learning Centre will discuss this policy prior to your child's enrollment and reach an agreement.
We are here to help, if you become curious about the learning activities your child is discovering, or if you would like to learn more about different methods of learning, Momentum Learning Centre will help guide you as well.


Architect Unveils Design For Emanuel AME Church Memorial The memorial honors the nine worshippers murdered by a white supremacist at the church in Charleston, S.C., in June 2015. It is designed by the architect behind the Sept. 11 memorial in New York City.
John Darby, president of the Beach Company (left); the Rev. Eric S.C. Manning, pastor of Emanuel AME Church (center); and architect Michael Arad stand in front of the church in Charleston, S.C. Darby is helping lead efforts to fundraise for the memorial, which Arad is designing.


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Tragedy at Sea
Oprah's best friend Gayle King, a former news anchor, is a total news junky! The cruise ship mystery has a hold on her because the newlyweds are from her hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut. Gayle went on special assignment to talk to Jennifer about the events leading up to her husband's disappearance.
Jennifer claims she remembers nothing from the time she and George arrived at the bar. "[That] sounds very suspicious," Gayle says. "Had you been drinking heavily?"
Jennifer says they had been drinking socially—not enough to cause a blackout. "People are going to slam me either way," she says, "If I say, 'Oh, maybe I was drinking too much,' I'll get slammed—I'm the drunk bride. If I say, 'Well, maybe I was drugged,' they'll say, 'Oh, she's just making excuses for herself.'"
What about reports the couple had a nasty argument? Some witnesses say they heard George swearing at his wife and saw Jennifer knee him in the groin. Jennifer, who has no memory of their time at the bar, says she cannot deny or confirm the alleged fight. "If that is the last encounter that I had with my husband ... then that is something I will have to carry for the rest of my life," she says, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't remember anything from a certain time period. We just aren't angry people. George would never call me names. And I would never do something like that out of anger to George."
Gayle has another question about Jennifer's behavior that morning—why didn't she think there was a problem when she woke up in her cabin without George? "At that point, I obviously wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer," she says. "I was just found unconscious four hours earlier; [I was] very groggy." Jennifer says she assumed her husband had spent the night in a friend's room. She didn't worry until cruise staff approached her at the spa after her massage, informing her that they were looking for George—and they had found blood.
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^ Global OECD boosted by decision to open membership talks with Colombia and Latvia with more to follow. OECD官网. 2013年5月30日 (英语).
^ 经合组织正式启动哥伦比亚的加入程序. 中华人民共和国商务部网站. 2013年10月29日 [2014年3月13日] (中文).
^ Costa Rica and Lithuania invited to open formal OECD accession talks. OECD官网. 2015-04-09 [2015-07-22] (英语).
^ OECD establishes roadmap for membership with Costa Rica. OECD官网. 2015-07-15 [2015-07-22] (英语).
^ 俄外交部对经合组织暂停与莫斯科进行对话表示遗憾. 中俄交流网. 2014-03-16 (中文).
^ Chinese Taipei - OECD. www.oecd.org.
^ Where are your data on Taiwan?"Taiwan, China, is added to the world aggregate and the high-income countries aggregate."


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Man behind one of New York City's most infamous crimes dies in prison
Julio Gonzalez, 61, was serving a 25 years to life sentence for setting the 1990 fire at the Happy Land social club. (DOCCS)
BRONX, New York (WABC) -- The man convicted in one of the more infamous crimes in New York City history, a Bronx fire that killed 87 people, has died in state prison.
Julio Gonzalez, 61, was serving a 25 years-to-life sentence for setting the March 1990 fire at the Happy Land social club.
DOCCS Spokesperson Thomas Mailey confirmed that Gonzalez was pronounced dead at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
He appeared to have suffered a heart attack. Mailey said the official cause of death will be determined by the Clinton County Medical Examiner's Office
Gonzalez was an inmate at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora.
He lost his first bid for parole in 2015, and would have been able to apply again in November.
inmatesbronx news


This tip is for all my acne sufferers out there! We all suffer with nasty pimples from time to time and one of the best tips for treating pimples is to just not pick them!
Now this will in no way prevent acne, however squeezing pimples really makes the situation a million times worse - we're talking bigger pimples, more pimples and permanent scarring.
The problem with squeezing a pimple is that it aggravates the pore and its surrounding area, causing skin to become inflamed, damaged and unable to hold on to any type of cover-up. Squeezing a pimple also spreads oil and bacteria, resulting in a longer healing time and a strong chance of more pimples. Even worse, squeezing a spot can break the skin, leading to permanent acne scarring. So stay strong and say no to the squeeze!


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Should We Be Worried About 'Joe Biden For President'
Joe Biden is running for president on 2020 US election.
Biden has always been against cannabis, but his views may change in future
Last month, the former Vice President of the United States (US), Joe Biden, confirmed that he would run for president in the 2020 US election. Cannabis legalisation advocates are dissatisfied with Biden's announcement, as it comes amid significant progress in the US legal cannabis industry that has seen over half of the country legalise marijuana use in some form, as well half its population now supporting recreational cannabis legalization.
Support for cannabis legalisation continues to grow in the US. Source
The former senator, who served as vice president under President Barack Obama, helped shape the US drug policy during the heightened era of scaremongering and criminalization. He was among the most prominent Democratic figures in Congress calling for drug penalties for many years.
Biden's tough-on-drugs record
During the 1980s, lawmakers pushed countless bills to keep people away from using or abusing controlled substances. These were backed by way of propaganda and incarceration threats. Among these lawmakers, Biden was the loudest and most extreme voice in the Democratic party supporting anti-drug measures.
Biden introduced the Comprehensive Narcotics Control Act of 1986, which called for a cabinet position to develop the federal government's drug enforcement policies.
The bill also expanded the Justice Department's authority to seize assets collected in drug cases, impose mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, increase drug penalties, and add new substances to the CSA (Controlled Substances Act). It also authorized appropriations for the US Department of Defense to enhance drug enforcement assistance and asked the military to create a list of defense facilities to be used as detention facilities for felons.
In 1989, Biden introduced another bill to make the US propose a program to the United Nations under which debts of member states could be partially forgiven if they use resources to reduce international drug trafficking.
Another expansive anti-drug bill Biden introduced was the Federal Crime Control Act of 1989 that would have required individuals charged for drug crimes to be held for sentencing or appeal rather than released on bail.
Biden also proposed the National Drug Control Strategy Act in 1990 that introduced many jarring provisions to deter drug use. It included establishing military-style boot camp prisons to be used as alternative sentencing options for people convicted of drug-related offenses.
Yet another bill introduced by Biden in 1990 was amended as the Drug Kingpin Death Penalty Act, which involved imposing capital punishment for anyone who murdered someone while committing federal drug offenses, and a mandatory life sentence for the leader of a criminal organization.
About 20 years later, the senator sponsored a bill to make up for the crack-powder cocaine disparity by increasing the amount of cocaine to qualify individuals for a mandatory minimum sentence. The bill also aimed to eliminate the five-year mandatory minimum for first-time possession of crack cocaine.
Biden also voted in favor of Anti Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and another massive omnibus bill in 1999, directing the drug czar to take necessary actions to oppose efforts to legalize the use of a substance in Schedule I.
Joe Biden's view on cannabis. Source
Final words - Joe Biden's current stance on marijuana legalization
There is no clear answer to what Biden thinks about cannabis legalization now. On his presidential campaign website, he has not made any particular reference about his view on the current cannabis policy. However, the campaign has made veiled references to cannabis policy reform by stating reforms in the criminal justice system and efforts to eliminate sentencing practices that don't suit the crime, etc.
However, it has been seen that many hardline opponents have changed their views on cannabis in recent years. John Boehner, the former Republican Speaker of the House, remained anti-marijuana during the 2000s. Later, in April 2018, Boehner made a statement that his thinking on cannabis has changed. He emphasized the de-scheduling of cannabis to make it available to those who need it, and to help veterans and reverse the opioid epidemic.
Boehner joined the board of advisors for Acreage Holdings, a multistate dispensary operator. Since then, Acreage has expanded its services to 20 states. Now, Acreage is one of the largest cannabis stocks by market cap. Similarly, John Hickenlooper (R-Colo.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and many more have reversed their views, now supporting cannabis legalization.
Thus, we can expect that as the cannabis industry evolves and scientists bring out more surprising benefits of cannabis, chances are that Biden's opinions on the drug may also evolve. However, for now, the presidential front-runner has given no clear views on cannabis, creating an uncertain landscape for US cannabis proponents.
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text:
IJAT Vol.9 No.4 pp. 436-443
Stereo Camera System with Digital Image Correlation Method for Accurate Measurement of Position and Orientation of Positioning Stage
Yusuke Horikawa, Akio Mizutani, Tomoaki Noda, and Hisao Kikuta
Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University
1-1, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
3D measurement, digital image correlation, stereo camera
A stereo camera system with digital image correlation (DIC) was developed for accurate measurement of the position and orientation of a precision positioning stage. Stereo correspondence was carefully calculated by sub-image matching based on the DIC method. Camera parameters for the triangulation were determined from the measurement results of x, y, and z translation of an accurate positioning stage. The measured root mean square random errors were 0.6 μm in the in-plane direction and 1.7 μm in the out-of-plane direction. The proportional errors in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions were 0.2 μm/10 mm and 0.5μm/10 mm, respectively.
Y. Horikawa, A. Mizutani, T. Noda, and H. Kikuta, "Stereo Camera System with Digital Image Correlation Method for Accurate Measurement of Position and Orientation of Positioning Stage," Int. J. Automation Technol., Vol.9, No.4, pp. 436-443, 2015.
[1] T. Oiwa, "Precision mechanism based on parallel kinematics," Int. J. of Automation Technology, Vol.4, No.4, pp. 326-337, 2010.
[2] P. Vischer and R. Clavel, "Kinematic calibration of parallel Delta robot," Robotica, Vol.16, pp. 207-218, 1998.
[3] J. Zhang, T. Yamaguchi, K. Iwata, H. Kikuta, and C. S. Park, "Measurement by multidirectional interferometers of the position and orientation of a positioning stage," APPLIED OPTICS, Vol.42, No.28, pp. 5661-5669, 2003.
[4] T. Takatsuji, M. Goto, T. Kurokawa, T. Tanimura, and Y. Koseki, "The first measurement of a three-dimensional coordinate by use of a laser tracking interferometer system based on trilateration," Measurement Science and technology, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 38-41, 1998.
[5] R. Hartley and A. Zisserman, "Multiple View Geometry in Computer Vision," 2nd Ed., Cambridge University Press, 2004.
[6] H. Bruck, S. McNeill, M. Sutton, and W. Peters III, "Digital image correlation using Newton-Raphson method of partial differential correction," Experimental Mechanics, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 261-268, 1988.
[7] M. Sutton, "Digital image correlation for shape and deformation measurements," in Springer Handbook of Experimental Solid Mechanics, W. N. Sharpe Jr. (Ed.), pp. 565-600, Springer US, 2008.
[8] Z. Zhang, "A flexible new technique for camera calibration," IEEE transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence, Vol.22, No.11, pp. 1330-1334, 2000.
[9] C. Harris and M. Stephnes, "A combined corner and edge detector," Proceeding of 4th Alvey Vision Conference, pp. 147-151, 1988.
[10] Y. Cui, F. Zhou, Y. Wang, L. Liu, and H. Gao "Precise calibration of binocular vision system used for vision measurement," Optics Express, Vol.22, No.8, pp. 9134-9149, 2014.


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Contents of the oldest rock hyrax middens ever found, in present-day southern Yemen, provide valuable information on long ago climate changes, according to U.S. Geological Survey ecologist Kenneth Cole and colleagues. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, The Ohio State University, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland, studied six hyrax middens dating between 2159 and 5239 years ago. A midden is an archaeological term meaning "garbage pile."
The scientists studied the middens left by rock hyraxes in desert caves. They found that each midden contained microscopic plant fossils and pollen, which are used to reconstruct the paleoenvironments and climates typical of that time. One deposit also contained an assortment of hand-carved amber beads, linen cloth, and a human finger bone, suggesting that a human burial was also present in the cave.
Among the many items found in the middens were the microscopic fossil remains of two species of shrub that lived in southern Yemen in abundance 5239 years ago and a third shrub species that did not appear in the area until much later, about 2159 years ago. The late arrival of the third species could indicate a return to a moister climate in the region following an extremely arid period in the middle Holocene, between about 5500 and 2500 years ago. Nearby archaeological deposits indicate human habitation prior to 6000 years ago in what is now a very inhospitable environment.
This information suggests that the area supported agricultural villages during the wet early Holocene, between about 9000 to 6000 years ago. But by 5200, the climate had become extremely dry, making the area inhospitable. After another 2500 years, the climate may have evolved to a wetter climate, increasing the abundance of plant fragments found in the middens. Today, the landscape is barren, likely from a combination of harsh climate and millennia of grazing by goats. Future climates could either be similar to the wet environments of the early Holocene, or the hyperarid environments of the middle Holocene, depending upon the effects of global warming upon climatic circulation.
The hyrax is a strange mammal the size of a groundhog but may be related to the elephant or perhaps to horses and rhinoceroses. They are chiefly found in Africa and in parts of the Middle East and can scale vertical rock walls using tiny suction cup-like features on their toes.
Find out more about ancient hyrax middens and the information that they contain for climate change studies at a lecture entitled: "Holocene paleoenvironments of the southern Arabian highlands reconconstructed using fossil hyrax middens," by Kenneth Cole from the U.S. Geological Survey, Joy McCorriston from The Ohio State University, and Anthony Miller from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Scotland, at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, in Madison, Wisconsin, in Oral Session #10: Paleoecology, Monday, August 6, 2001, at 11:00 a.m. in the Hall of Ideas J at the Monona Terrace Conference Center.


It has a bit of a different tone than the other games, with an African setting and rather smart enemies, and is considered by some to be a cult classic. What does an Xbox Live Gold membership grant you? As well as offering exclusive discounts and gifting access to multiplayer mayhem, Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold membership club also gives its members a selection of free games every month for the and. Celeste, from the creators of TowerFall, invites players to help a girl named Madeline to battle her inner demons and climb a whopping great mountain. It makes the pill that is having to pay to play online much, much easier to swallow. You'll play as a young girl and her Arctic fox companion, exploring your way through a series of gorgeous landscapes to the sound of a chilling score. That's what's coming in January.
This visually arresting game would ordinarily cost you. Make sure to grab these while they are available. Then, each month you receive four free games, two on the latest console and two for the previous generation. These are yours to keep for as long as you have your Xbox Live Gold membership running. Starting today, One owners who have an active subscription to Xbox Live Gold can get their hands on the indie darling, Celeste, at no additional cost, with the platformer from Matt Makes Games being available for free all month long. On Xbox One the games available for free download were Forza Horizon 2 and For Honour.
This survival game from 11 bit studios draws inspiration from the historic Siege of Sarajevo, and puts players into positions where they must make strategic choices while also weighing moral considerations. Perhaps since there is precedent, it might be offered again now. On Xbox One, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can download a copy of Celeste all month. As is Far Cry tradition, you have the open-ended freedom to take down the Jackal's forces through whatever means you see fit, whether that be stealthily eliminating enemies one by one, or charging into the fray in a high-speed jeep and wreaking havoc in a guns-blazing shootout. The cult status title was developed by studio Pandemic and published by LucasArts - and was launched in 2005 on Xbox and PlayStation 2.
You could then pass your physical copy on to a friend or trade it in. It's available for Xbox Live Gold members until January 15th. Xbox One Games With Gold this month Never Alone Also known as Kisima Ingitchuna, this indie puzzle platformer is a beautiful rendering of traditional Alaskan folklore. This one is free from 16 December until 15 January 2019. It's difficult, yes, but also gentle in the way it lets you retry painlessly and offers collectible strawberries as nothing more than their own reward. Xbox Live Games with Gold February 2019 Free Games: January Selection What free games can we play through Xbox Games with Gold in January? This pixelated platformer is all about jumping and dashing through expertly designed but seriously challenging obstacles as you make your way to the peak of a mountain.
What were October's Games with Gold? We'll keep this list updated as Microsoft unveils more Games with Gold for Xbox Live. The first sequel in the award-winning franchise features real-time storytelling, where every decision you make will affect the final outcome of the game. July had an indie vibe on Xbox One and a little bit more of a feisty vibe on the backwards compatible games. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's in accordance with our. Here's the rundown for January 2019.
Xbox Live: what are the Games With Gold for January 2019?
What are your thoughts about today's video? This must-play platformer is among the , striking the perfect balance of surmountable difficulty, optional secrets, and a surprisingly affecting story. Next, we are predicting that Outlast may be made free in February. On Xbox 360 and Xbox One via Backward Compatibility, get set to raid more tombs in Lara Croft: Guardian of Light, and then fight your way across deserts, jungles, and savannas in Far Cry 2. Take your driving skills to the limit in World Rally Championship 6. Luckily, we've got you covered: these are the free Xbox Live Gold games that are available in January 2019, across both consoles, and we'll keep this space updated with each month's new picks. On Xbox 360 and Xbox One via Backward Compatibility players can download a copy of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light from January 1st until January 15th.
Note that the game is also backward compatible with the Xbox One. To give you an idea of how much money you'd be saving through Xbox Live Gold, it's worth noting that the Microsoft Store is currently selling this game on its own at. With the end of December drawing near, Microsoft has announced the Xbox Games With Gold for January 2019. You've got four games to play with -- and they're all playable on Xbox One What were September's Games with Gold? With the power of her mid-air dash and some pristine controls, you'll guide Madeline through seriously challenging levels full of pixel-perfect jumps, beautiful backgrounds, and supremely catchy tunes. Far Cry 2 From January 16th until the end of the month, Xbox Live Gold members can also play the second instalment of the Far Cry series. Please leave a comment below and a like rating! The backwards compatible Xbox 360 games are solid picks this month too.
Whether you'll actually want to play a 2005 open-world game in 2018 is your call to make, of course. The other Xbox One freebie is the racing game. Each and every month you'll find a handful of gratis games to download on Xbox One, as well as a couple for Xbox 360, and they're yours to keep so long as you keep paying for the subscription. The first sequel in the award-winning franchise features real-time storytelling, where every decision you make will affect the final outcome of the game. Membership of this club isn't that dear, either: at the moment, the will sell you 1-month membership for £1 that's a special discount price , 3-month membership for £14. You can also buy a membership through , where the prices are sometimes a bit cheaper.


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A survey of recreational boat owners who make Hampton their home port concludes that these boaters bring $55 million to the city and help create nearly 700 full-time jobs.
The study, conducted by Tom Murray and James Kirkley of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Doug Lipton of the University of Maryland, was commissioned by the city of Hampton. The authors surveyed both Hampton residents and non-residents who keep boats in the city to determine the economic impact of their boating-related activities.
The city plans to use the study as it considers whether to change its tax policies towards recreational boats. In 2002, the boat tax in Hampton was reduced from $1 per every $100 of assessed value to $0.000001, and boat taxes have not been collected by the city since then. The City Council will meet in mid-March to vote on whether to reinstate the boat tax.
The city gains $2.29 million in additional tax revenues from spending by recreational boaters, $1.31 million of which are derived from non-resident boaters.
The full report on the study can be downloaded at http://web.vims.edu/adv/econ/analyses.html.


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Taylor Swift Will Headline Amazon's First 'Prime Day Concert' — But Only for Prime Members
Posted on March 14, 2019 by Finlayson Elmer
Amazon Music has announced a Prime Day Concert headlined by Taylor Swift starting July 10th.
The Prime Day Concert will stream live on Prime Video at 9 pm EST. The cost of admission: your Prime membership.
The concert is exclusively for Amazon Prime members and will offer several performances from high-profile artists. Dua Lipa, SZA, and Becky G are just a few of the artists performing.
Of course, Amazon likely wrote a huge check to secure the Taylor exclusive. But that's probably pennies compared to the new customers Amazon expects to score during its now-annual Prime Day festivities. Amazon reports that Prime Day is its single-largest member acquisition campaign.
Of course, the sneaky play leverages something that Spotify sorely lacks: a massive bundling play.
But it also raises the value of Amazon's ultra-successful Prime membership, which now goes far beyond free shipping.
At this stage, we're unclear if Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers will also be granted access. But Amazon will be hawking special deals for Music Unlimited subscriptions during the Prime Day Concert broadcast. Just recently, Bloomberg estimated that Amazon counts 30 million streaming music subscribers.
Jane Lynch will be hosting the Prime Day concert. After the live performance, the Prime Day concert will be available to stream on-demand for a limited time on Prime Video.
Amazon released a brief 30-second trailer to alert their Prime customers to the event.
Taylor Swift will perform both of her new chart-topping singles, "You Need To Calm Down" and "ME!"
Swift broke records on Alexa and Amazon Music with "ME!", with the song becoming the most requested single on the streaming service. Swift is the only artist in history to have four consecutive albums sell over one million copies in the week of release, so this is a huge get for Amazon.
Expectedly, there's also the Alexa tie-in.
Prime members can ask Alexa to play the Prime Day Concert playlist for a taste of what to expect. You can also ask Alexa to play the concert starting on July 10th after it airs.
Amazon is hoping to use the opportunity to promote its original TV series, too. Prime Day concert viewers will get a taste of Carnival Row, an upcoming fantasy drama. New clips of Modern Love and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan will also be showcased.
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Mobile payments to pass $171B in 2012
Krystal Peak · May 29, 2012 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/2712
Gartner believes that transactions to reach a volume of $617 billion by 2016, but growth is slowing
Cash is going to be a thing of the past if mobile and Web payments continue to work their way up the ladder in commerce.
Research out today from Gartner says that this year will see more than $171.5 billion in mobile payment transactions. That's a whopping 60% increase on 2011′s $105.9 billion. This means that 212.2 million people (up 32% from 160.5 million in 2011) are using some form of mobile payment service.
And while the technology is out there to offer near-field-communication between smartphones and POS systems, it is Web transactions and SMS services that are making up the bulk of these digital transactions.
I can't imagine what the numbers will look like in the mobile payment world when devices like the iPhone and more Android smartphones start adopting the NFC-chips needed to turn your phone into a wallet.
Gartner sees digital mobile transactions reaching $617 billion by 2016 — but these factors in a slight slowing-down in growth to 42%.
SMS, Gartner research director Sandy Shen notes, is still the primary method used in making payments in developing markets, while in more developed markets, most transactions are made via mobile Internet portals.
Shen also predicts that NFC will be used, but not for payments primarily: "Ticketing, rather than retail payment, will drive NFC transactions," she says.
Gartner also predicts that merchandise purchases will drive transactions in North America and Western Europe in the years to come. These will include e-commerce purchases where users buy online, as well as in-store purchases. Major e-retailers such as Amazon and eBay have developed strong mobile storefronts and have seen significant growth from the mobile channel.
In developing markets, money transfer and airtime will account for most transaction volume, and money transfers will account for the largest portion of the transaction value because of the demand for secure and efficient ways of storing and transferring money.
It is also worth noting that Africa tops all regions in transaction value throughout the forecast period, benefiting from a higher proportion of money transfer transactions that have higher value per transaction than other use cases.
Other advances in mobile payment
This report comes just two weeks after the two of the biggest players in the credit card players are now in the mobile payment game: Visa and MasterCard. Each launched their online digital wallet services: V.me (Visa's) and PayPass Wallet Services (MasterCard) and now we are off to the races to see if either of them can break the lead away from Square.
These new digital payment services were clearly created in response to the growing market Square has built and that companies like PayPal, LevelUp, PayDragon and Bump have put their own spins on.
MasterCard unveiled its new PayPass Wallet service this month as an extension of its PayPass brand, which already offers tap-and-go, NFC-enabled payments that work via NFC phones, cards, key fobs, or mobile tags at more than 441,000 locations worldwide.
MasterCard's PayPass Wallet is an open solution, and allows consumers to add any of their Visa, American Express and Discover cards to the app and pay without pulling out any plastic.
The app will also keep your shipping info on file if you want to use the service for online purchases.
Partners that have already signed on to offer this payment option are American Airlines and Barnes & Noble. Both merchants will add the PayPass Online checkout button on their websites.
V.me also released a mobile option to help those who are shopping online, whether via web, mobile or tablet. The service stores any of you Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards in it for fast Internet transaction.
Visa thinks that this is a more efficient and secure way to shop online since the merchant still receives your payment through Visa's network, but your 16-digit card number is not displayed on the site, which adds another layer of security.
Visa also plans to introduce a mobile payments element using NFC, QR codes and app technology to allow people to buy products through the Visa network much like they use Square and the like but is not releasing a timeline when that will be live.
The company announced its beta launch for V.me, with merchants PacSun.com and Buy.com. Now, on both websites, you will see the V.me seal and can make impulse buying even faster.
POS in the future
Both V.me and MasterCard's PayPass Wallet highlighted that they will roll out point-of-sale and as a mobile application in the future.
Square already has a POS system that leverages the iPad called Register. And PayPal is working on its own so it seems like Visa and MasterCard are following suit but certainly not keeping pace as you would think their money could assist in doing.
American Express in also in the game, or at least announcing its hat in the ring. The company previously announced Serve platform, which allows peer-to-peer payments much like Bump and Square offer.
Last month we reported that Square appears to be hitting the pavement for new funding and an awe-inspiring valuation of $4 billion, according to multiple sources.
If the company hits its goal, and with all the buzz around the mobile payment service I bet it will, it will have quadrupled its worth in a matter of just 10 months.
The three-year-old company founded by Twitter pioneer, Jack Dorsey is changing the whole system of transactions across the nation by providing cardless, and now register less, systems of retail.
Over the last few months, Square has been rolling out new apps, services and deals with millions of individuals, restaurants, and retail locations that want to reduce hardware costs and join the techno-savvy paperless revolution.
Also reported last month, was the information that mobile payments could become as common as swiping a credit card by 2020.
Approximately 65% of experts surveyed in the study agreed that mobile payments would take off by 2020, while 33% of experts agreed with a more negative statement, which said that consumers wouldn't trust mobile payments to replace cash and credit cards by 2020.
Recent Pew Internet surveys have found that one in 10 Americans have used their cell phone to make a charitable contribution by text message; more than one-third of smartphone owners have used their phones to do online banking services like paying bills or checking a balance; and 46% of apps users have purchased an app using a mobile device. So the comfort is growing with phone transactions, but all of these mobile payment companies that have been making waves over the last few months are hoping that you'll feel fine leaving home with just your phone in the very near future.
Now may be the time when everyone jumps in the pool, but the next big deal will be how each company differentiates its service and who can continually innovate their products and sign-on the most customers. There is always room for many players in the payment game, but as far as technical innovation and imagination, Square may still prove to have the upper hand.
(Image Source: Mobile Payments)
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August 2015 Around Town
MEDI-WEIGHTLOSS® IS NOW OPEN IN CHESTERFIELD
Physician-supervised weight loss brand, Medi-Weightloss® is now open at 16211 Baxter Road. Known as "The One That Works!®," the Medi-Weightloss® program is administered by physicians and medical professionals who provide individualized care based on each patient's goals, current health status and medical history. The program includes weekly consultations that focus on nutrition, lifestyle and exercise. Education is provided on how to lose weight in the real world using real food without prepackaged meals. Patients learn how to keep weight off through a specialized Wellness Phase.
In addition to weight loss programs for adults, Medi-Weightloss offers specialized weight loss programs for adolescents and diabetics. Medi-Weightloss also offers FREE onsite Wellness Workshops to employers.
Dr. Tana Settle, medical director at the Chesterfield office, currently specializes in anesthesiology, practices in Saint Louis, and has more than 24 years of experience. She attended medical school at University Of Oklahoma College Of Medicine and graduated in 1991. In addition, Dr. Settle is affiliated with multiple hospitals in Saint Louis area, including St. Luke's Hospital.
Thelma (T.J.) Sampson, APRN at the Chesterfield office, is a family nurse practitioner certified with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Sampson has been in healthcare since 1998 and received her master's degree in nursing from Maryville University in 2014. T. J.'s interests include disease prevention, behavior modification, education and promoting a healthy lifestyle. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, running, reading and creating a variety of crafts.
The Chesterfield office is welcoming new patients. Medi-Weightloss, 16211 Baxter Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017. 636.536.9679 MediWeightlossClinics.com
DUCKS WALK OUT: FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE
Once again, as they have every year since the community's start 40 years ago this summer, North American Wood Ducks nested in a courtyard of the Village Care Center at Friendship Village Chesterfield at 15201 Olive Blvd.
After the traditional 32 days of nesting, the eight ducklings hatched; delighted residents and staff purchased feed and also supplied the mother duck and her ducklings with a makeshift pool. Each year, the ducklings provide amusement, contact with the natural world and a new distraction and activity dubbed "Duck Theater" for the senior living community's residents.
But, in a life lesson, everything has its season, according to Anita Martineza, Village Care administrator, so early in July the ducks "walked out" (with the help of 10 community maintenance volunteers) to the larger campus grounds and lake. "We miss them," says Ruth Miller, an assisted living resident who grew up on a farm.
Shaun Fegan, "Duck Whisperer" and a seven year community employee as a HVAC technician, demonstrates a special knack with the mother duck and ducklings; his colleagues call him, "Dr. Quack."
ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL: WOMEN'S HEALTH EXCELLENCE AWARD
St. Luke's Hospital is the only Missouri hospital to achieve the Healthgrades® 2015 Women's Health Excellence Award™. The recognition distinguishes St. Luke's as a top-performing hospital in women's health services, including cardiac care, vascular surgery, stroke care, respiratory services, orthopedic surgery and spine surgery.
This is the seventh consecutive year that St. Luke's has received this award (2009-2015).
"Improving the quality of life for all of our patients is our mission at St. Luke's Hospital," says Jan Hess, St. Luke's Hospital vice president and executive sponsor of St. Luke's Spirit of Women program. "And as St. Louis' exclusive Spirit of Women hospital, St. Luke's is committed to providing exceptional gender-sensitive healthcare."
To identify the 2015 Women's Health Excellence Award recipients, Healthgrades examined Medicare hospitalization records from 2011 through 2013 for female patients across the nation. The data is risk-adjusted, which takes into account differing levels of illness severity at different hospitals and allows for hospitals to be compared fairly.
"The identification and treatment of medical conditions for women is very different than diagnosing and treating men, therefore it is vitally important that women understand their risks and select a hospital accordingly," says Evan Marks, Healthgrades chief strategy officer. "The Healthgrades 2015 Women's Health Excellence Award recipients have demonstrated exceptional performance and a dedicated approach to delivering superior quality care for women."
For more information or to select physicians from St. Luke's, visit: StLukes-StL.com
CHESTERFIELD DAY SCHOOL STUDENTS PUBLISHED IN NATIONAL MAGAZINE
Still finalizing last minute travel plans before school starts? Ask a Chesterfield Day School Second or Third Grader for his or her opinion on the best places to visit… Better yet, read all about their top regional picks in the July/August 2015 issue of AAA's Midwest Traveler magazine. The sixth-annual "Best of the Midwest" feature takes you from the Children's Zoo in Fort Wayne, Ind. to Exploration Place in Wichita, Kan. The students spent months researching, writing, and even presenting their ideas to AAA management. They focused on destinations that they would be excited to visit as part of a weekend getaway.
Deborah Reinhardt, managing editor of Midwest Traveler, worked with the CDS students throughout the project. She visited the school to talk with them about research and writing, and she coordinated student presentations with AAA management. "I was struck by how exceedingly polite and confident these children were," Reinhardt says. "And they were so well prepared. Nobody referred to any notes; everything had been memorized. They did a fantastic job."
AAA also featured the students' project in a full-page article in the organization's bi-monthly newsletter.
For more than 50 years, CDS has provided a personalized education of unparalleled excellence for students of diverse backgrounds to children–toddlers through sixth graders. Projects like this illustrate the school's emphasis on growing not only their students' fundamental skills of reading and writing but also 21st-century executive skills like planning, organization and goal setting; these skills teach students how to collaborate to create unique products that are presented to an authentic and meaningful audiences. ChesterfieldDaySchool.org
POLKA DOT PEONIES: NOW EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE
As of August 1st, Polka Dot Peonies' full line of unique, personalized gift items, stationary, local artisan creations and custom embroidery will be available by visiting their new online gift boutique. Orders can still be placed via: Facebook, Etsy and Pinterest by searching "Polka Dot Peonies." Owner and longtime Chesterfield resident, Ruth Greco, appreciates your continued patronage and encourages new and existing customers to visit the online boutique at PDPGIFTS.com.
YOU GUESSED IT!Physician-supervised weight loss brand, Medi-Weightloss® is now open at 16211 Baxter Road. Known as "The One That Works!®," the Medi-Weightloss® program is administered by physicians and medical professionals who provide individualized care based on each patient's goals, current health status and medical history. The program includes weekly consultations that focus on nutrition, lifestyle and exercise. Education is provided on how to lose weight in the real world using real food without prepackaged meals. Patients learn how to keep weight off through a specialized Wellness Phase.
July's Mystery Picture is a close-up of the rocky waterfall fountain that is part of the William F. Dierberg Meditation Park, located at 13701 Olive Blvd–just west of River Valley Drive–in front of Montgomery Bank.
A special thanks to all of our readers who took the time to write; keep those guesses coming. Congratulations to the following readers whose names were drawn from the pool of correct guessers:
Dustyn Arney, Barbara DeLuca, Laura Houck, Rob Kilo, Pam Morse, Joe Stephens and Diane Williams
MONTHLY MYSTERY PICTURE: WHAT IS IT?
Each month a Mystery Picture will be included at the end of Around Town. The Mystery Picture is a photo of something in Chesterfield; the picture may depict a close-up view or be taken from a unique vantage point. The answer to "What is it?" will be included in the next month's issue of Chesterfield Lifestyle, along with a new Mystery Picture to solve. Readers are encouraged to submit one guess per month to LMullen@LifestylePubs.com. Any reader whom submits an email, correctly identifying the subject of the Mystery Picture, will be given the opportunity to have their name included in the next month's issue, if their name is drawn from the pool of correct guessers. Chesterfield is home to many hidden treasures, and we want to encourage you to always be exploring and discovering new things around town.


Week 13: What's going well and next steps?
If you ask me what's going well, I would have to say students are really taking on the behaviors of active listening as we enter the second semester. Since the Thanksgiving break, I've worked on our messy anchor chart by revising the icons to represent the kinds of responses a listener makes to what the speaker says. (I'd like to credit my niece Sara and nephew Matthew for their drawings and input.) On our first day back, I reviewed what is active listening and showed them the revised pictures. By now, students know they are accountable to speak and listen. What is even more wonderful is they are now holding each other accountable.
I capitalized on opportunities when students would respond inappropriately and intentionally taught the way to respond rather than "reprimand". (Example: "Hey, you stole my idea." I'd say, " It sounds like you had the same idea. Say instead, " I agree with your idea.") I would have the student orally rehearse by saying it with me then repeating it while I would scaffold as needed.
Providing conversational opportunities to use active listening during small group instructions helped to reinforce the skills and allowed me to scaffold individuals with specific support they needed.
Using daily routines, such as calendar time, to teach and review conversational skills have also been effective. For instance, early in the year, when I would ask, "If today is Wednesday, what was yesterday?" Students would reply, " Tuesday." We talked about the difference between a word and a sentence. I or another student modeled what a complete sentence sounded like. Once we established the expectation to respond in complete sentences, students began to hold each other accountable. When a student responded using a word or a phrase, they used to say, " I disagree because it's not a complete sentence." Recently during calendar time, I was able to point out what it means to build on each other's idea. A student replied, "Yesterday was Tuesday." Another student said, " I agree, yesterday was Tuesday and I'd like to add, November 27." Another student then added, " I agree and I would like to add yesterday was Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012." I affirmed what they did was build on each other's thinking and showed the corresponding icon with light bulbs on building blocks on our Active Listening anchor chart. I'm confident students will be able to apply the skill in more complex situations now that they have a better understanding of what is means to build on each other's idea.
The past week, we had observers come during one of our class discussions. I told the students one observer noticed one partner did not get a chance to speak. So, we talked about equity of voice and they agreed we needed to add this to our norms.
So, with our room environment set up for purposeful talk, partners and groups strategically formed, and structures in place for active listening, my next step is to focus my energy on how to bridge all this good thinking and oral language to written language - their reading and writing.
Whatever thoughts you might have from this week's post, please be sure to comment. I believe it is in our collective efforts that we find the ways to better serve our students.
I am SO impressed by your students' abilities to build on each other's ideas. This shows that they are truly listening to each other, which is what I have been trying to get my kindergarten students to do. During writer's workshop we use the 5-finger helping hand chart (When? Who? What? Where? How?) to respond to partner's story. I interactively modeled how to use this chart when listening to students tell their story, and now the students are fairly consistently using this when listening to their partners' stories.They usually ask, "Who were you with?" and they especially love to ask,"How did you feel?"
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Franz Fiedler (* 16. Juni 1852 in Graz; † 13. Oktober 1915 ebenda) war ein österreichischer Komponist und Klavierlehrer.

Er war der erste Sohn von Franz Fiedler (I.) (1815–1876) und der aus Berlin stammenden Auguste Theresia Amalie geb. Lissmann (1820–1880), die eine Freundin Clara Schumanns war.

1870–75 war er Schüler in der Klasse Harmonielehre der Musikvereinsschule, seine Kompositionsversuche (Variationen für Klavier und Ouverture für Orchester) wurden bei Schülerkonzerten aufgeführt. Er unterrichtete an der Klavierschule Buwa in Graz, 1879 suchte er um Eröffnung einer eigenen Klavierschule an, die 1880 genehmigt wurde. Wilhelm Kienzl zählte ihn sogar zu den bedeutenden Komponisten der Steiermark in der Nachfolge von Robert Schumanns Klavierstil. Fiedler komponierte Klavierstücke und Lieder.

Sein jüngerer Bruder Albert Fiedler (1855–1939) leitete die Klavierunternehmen Albert Fiedler & Sohn und wurde zum k.u.k. Hoflieferanten ernannt.

Werke (Auswahl)
Zu seinen Werken gehören op. 2 (Ballade für Klavier), op. 4 (Ideale, sieben Fantasiestücke für Klavier, F. v. Hausegger zugeeignet), op. 6 (Eine elegische Fantasie für Klavier, Georg Gottfried Müller zugeeignet), op. 7 (Stammbuchblätter. 10 kleine Kleine Charakterstücke für Klavier), o. op. (Auf Laßnitzhöhe [Waldfrieden], ein Idyll für Klavier) und op. 5 (Eine Helgoland-Symphonie).

Literatur
 Familie Fiedler: Franz (II.) In: Rudolf Flotzinger (Hrsg.): Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien 2002, (Band 1), S. 443–444.

Komponist (Romantik)
Komponist klassischer Musik (20. Jahrhundert)
Komponist (Österreich)
Musiker (Graz)
Person (Cisleithanien)
Geboren 1852
Gestorben 1915
Mann


Worlds collide in this intriguing hybrid game.
Block Fortress certainly isn't the first game to take Minecraft as its base inspiration, but as long as a title can deliver something genuinely refreshing alongside the classic sandbox gameplay, we think it's fair to say that Mojang has created a genre for other developers to work in. In this instance, that means combining tower-defense gameplay with sandbox construction - and a little slice of first-person shooting action on the side.
There are a number of different gameplay styles to get stuck into, but in each case the action is split into two stages. First, you'll need to actually construct your fortress and ensure that it's adequately defended before the horde attack in waves. With limited cash and blocks, you'll need to very carefully choose your base position, set up assault turrets, build walls, cap mine-shafts to gather precious resources, and also make sure there's enough power to keep the energy flowing all round. It's a delicate balancing act, and the game's been well-tuned to keep you thinking every step of the way.
Once you're satisfied that your barracks are secure, you can tap on the mini-map to start the invasion itself. It's at this point that you drop into FPS mode, and while in the early days this isn't a particularly exciting experience, as you play second-fiddle to your more powerful defenses, there are a huge number of weapons to unlock and a generous assortment of enemy types to deal with.
We mentioned a number of playstyles available in Block Fortress. The core mode is Survival, where you level up more quickly as you alternately work through planning and defensive stages. Quickstart, on the other hand, simply gives you one chance to build your fortress before an endless assault begins. Sandbox mode is great for the newcomer, as resources are unlimited, and enemy assaults can be paused at will.
All three are enjoyable enough, but the real draw of the game comes from the delicious upgrades that are available as you level up, gather special mineral resources from different maps, and enter the crafting system, where the goodies you cook up persist through future matches. There are a huge number of different objects and weapons to unlock as you level up, from spotlight systems that keep your turrets tracking enemies even in the dead of night, to plasma guns that melt through an enemy's armor, to orbital lasers. The temptation to have just one more go, and unlock just one more juicy upgrade, is very strong in this game.
The only real drawback we experienced during our time with Block Fortress - and it's a problem that blights even the mighty Minecraft - is that the movement controls can be a little clumsy. To actually move around the landscape, rather than rotate the screen, you need to make a very firm press down and then move your finger - and it doesn't always have the desired effect. It's less of a problem when you're down on the ground in FPS mode, but can be frustrating when you're putting your initial base together.
With that said, we expect Block Fortress to be extremely successful on the App Store. It's a very clever blend of genres, and the upgrade system will sink its hooks deep into every gamer. The FPS component of the game may not be thrilling in the early stages of the game, but the scope for experimentation in defenses make this a very compelling purchase from the very start.
What's Hot:An intriguing blend of genres that offers up a different experience every time.
What's Not:Certain areas of the game controls are sluggish and frustrating.


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2018 World Cup — Group B Spain vs Portugal Match Preview
Already perhaps the most attractive of the opening matches in group play, Friday's contest between eternal rivals Spain and Portugal has been turned on its head following the stunning sacking of Spain coach Julen Lopetegui.
The 2010 World Cup champions were blindsided Tuesday when Lopetegui announced he would be the next coach of Real Madrid, the reigning three-time Champions League winner, following the surprise departure of Zinedine Zidane from the Spanish club.
Furious with being left in the dark and upstaged 72 hours before La Roja's opening contest, Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales flew from Moscow where he was supposed to cast his vote for the 2026 World Cup host to the team's training headquarters in Krasnodar and fired Lopetegui despite the pleas of his players following a two-hour meeting.
In Lopetegui's place will be technical director Fernando Hierro, a former standout defender for the national team whose lone coaching experience was one season at Oviedo in La Segunda. The backroom staff also will have a makeover as Lopetegui's assistants Pablo Sanz and Oscar Caro also left the squad.
While Spain is a veteran side, Lopetegui's timing could not have been worse as it faces one of the world's best players in Cristiano Ronaldo. He is making his fourth World Cup appearance, having scored one goal in each of his previous three appearances, and looking to atone for the Selecao's group exit from the 2014 edition.
The sting of that disappointing performance erased two years ago when Ronaldo and Portugal emerged as surprising winners of the 2016 European Championship in France. But there are questions of how much the 33-year-old Ronaldo can give after the grind of the regular season with Real Madrid on top of the cumulative grind of a standout career for club and country.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Spain stormed through Group G in European qualifying, finishing five points clear of Italy as it claimed 28 of the 30 available points and outscored opponents 36-3 as part of Lopetegui's overall 14-6-0 mark while guiding La Roja. There was balanced scoring throughout the qualifying process as Diego Costa, David Silva, Isco and Alvaro Morata each had five goals.
The 2008 and 2012 European champions also got another four goals from Vitolo as 12 different players bagged a goal in qualifying. This is the 10th consecutive World Cup appearance for Spain, which crashed out in the group stage in Brazil as defending champion. La Roja have not missed out on back-to-back knockout rounds since a three tournament run in 1962, 1966 and 1978.
Portugal avoided the drama of a two-legged playoff this time around, finsihing atop Group B on goal difference over fellow qualifiers Switzerland while outscoring teams 32-4. Ronaldo ran riot in those 10 matches, racking up 15 goals, while Andre Silva emerged as his strike partner with another nine markers.
This is Portgual's fifth consecutive World Cup appearance, having mixed results in the previous four with two group exits and highlighted by a fourth-place finish in 2006. The Navigators' best finish remains their third-place showing in 1966 led by the great Eusebio.
Spain is expected to use a 4-2-3-1 approach, with Sergio Busquets sitting in front of the back four to begin the buildup through midfield similar to how his new coach did a generation ago. Andres Iniesta will pull the strings in the midfield along with David Silva, while Diego Costa and his pantomime villain routine will come across his equal in fellow antagonist Pepe on Portugal's backline.
La Roja have four players in their starting XI with at least 100 international appearances in Sergio Ramos (152), Iniesta (127), David Silva (121) and Busquets (103). Ramos' partner in central defense, Gerard Pique, is two caps shy of the century mark.
Portugal will use a more traditional 4-4-2 set-up, with the challenge coming in maintaining possession and hitting Spain on the counter through the flanks. The Selecao's midfield took a hit when FC Porto's Danilo Pereira was lost to an Achilles injury playing for his club, and Renato Sanches, named the best young player at the European Championship, struggled so badly over the past two seasons he did not make the team.
In addition being Portugal's top goal-scorer with 81, Ronaldo is the Selecao's most capped player with 150 international appearances. Moutinho is the only other centurion on Portugal's side with 110, though the central defense tandem of Bruno Alves and Pepe could join them if the Navigators get out of group play as they enter Russia with 96 and 95 caps, respectively.
Spain – Andres Iniesta (MF)
After bringing his time at Barcelona to a close with a ninth La Liga title, the 34-year-old Iniesta continues to be the linchpin of Spain's possession-based offense. There is no wasted effort in any of his actions on and off the ball as he will poke and prod Spain's defense in finding the smallest of creases to exploit for his teammates.
Portugal – Andre Silva (F)
For all the talk and praise of Ronaldo, Portugal's chances of advancing to the knockout round may hinge on the 22-year-old Silva, who already has 12 goals in 23 international appearances. The AC Milan striker had three match-winning goals in World Cup qualifying and also opened the scoring in Portugal's 2-2 friendly versus Tunisia in the run-up to the World Cup.
RUMORED TO MOVE
Iniesta's move from Barcelona to Japanese side Vissel Kobe was already confirmed, and the annual rumors regarding keeper David De Gea moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid have again started. Rodrigo, who plays for Valencia, has been linked with both Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, while midfielder Thiago could be in play for Barcelona.
On the Portuguese side, the unrest taking place at Sporting Lisbon has created an exodus that involves starters Rui Patricio, Bruno Fernandes and William. The trio all filed to end their contracts with the club and will be pursued to various degrees on the transfer market, and Ronaldo has dropped subtle and not-so-subtle hints he may be keen to leave Real Madrid for the final club act of his career.
BETTING ANGLE
Per Ladbrokes, Spain is listed as 21-20 favorites while Portugal check in with 14-5 odds. The match ending at a draw is 11-5. For first goal-scorers, Diego Costa edges out Ronaldo as the favorite, with the Atli forward checking in at 7-2, closely followed by Ronaldo and Spain's Rodrigo at 4-1.
If there was one team which can absorb a shock, it is Spain, though the firing of Lopetegui 48 hours before their World Cup opener is a sizable one. La Roja, however, are a veteran cohesive squad that practically run themselves on the pitch. The only weakness continues to be a low rate of return on goals with so much possessions, but Spain does not lack for options in trying to find the combination that will provide those goals.
That is where Hierro's personnel management will be scrutinized. He has been around the team as technical director, but having the feel to make substitutions on the fly from the touchline is an entirely different situation.
And facing an eternal rival in Portugal does not help the situation. Ronaldo instantly makes the European Championship winner dangerous, and the Navigators' 3-0 win over Algeria in their final World Cup tune-up has this team in the right frame of mind.
While he may not be in the starting XI for Portugal, winger Ricardo Quaresma may emerge as a swing vote in this match. He has the ability to make things happen on the flank, and given how Spain will likely dominate possession through the middle of the field, if the Selecao can get the ball to him quickly on the counter, Quaresma than can provide service for both Ronaldo and Andre Silva.
It's tempting to say the distraction of Lopetegui's firing will lead to on-pitch issues for Spain, but look for La Roja to have put it all behind them and emerge with a 2-1 victory.
Chris Altruda
Currently a freelance sportswriter on the hunt for full-time work. If you like my work or have constructive criticism, please share it and/or contact me at chris.altruda@hotmail.com or via Twitter at @AlTruda73 My portfolio of clippings can be viewed at http://www.clippings.me/caltruda And thank you for taking time out of your day to read my posts.	View all posts by Chris Altruda
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