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Tag Archives: DAXAS
Avianca Holdings reports adjusted net income of $99.1 million in the third quarter
Avianca Holdings S.A. (Avianca) (Bogota) for the third quarter of 2013 reported a consolidated adjusted net income of $99.1 million (all amounts in US dollars) excluding FX effects related to liabilities denominated in Colombian Pesos and on the gain on sale of assets. This represents an increase of 151.3% over the same period in 2012. Avianca´s adjusted net profit margin increased by 450 basis points reaching 8.5%. Including the aforementioned effects on net income, Avianca Holdings S.A. and its subsidiaries generated a net income of $39.9 million.
Operating revenue came in at $1.182 million, representing an increase of 9.6% over the same period of 2012. Said increase is the result of a rise of 9.4% in passenger income resulting from a growth of 3.5% in carried passengers. Cargo and other revenues grew by 10.9%. This increase is mainly driven by the cargo and loyalty program business unit.
Revenue per Seat Kilometer (RASK) grew 3.6% whereas the Cost per Available Seat Kilometer (CASK) in 3Q 2013, grew from USD$10.3 cents to USD$10.4 cents, an increase of 1,5% with respect to the same period in 2013.
EBITDAR (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and aircraft rentals) increased 23.1% with respect to 3Q 2012. The EBITDAR margin reached 20.1%.
Operating income (EBIT) for 3Q 2013 rose to $132.2 million, a 32.2% increase with respect to the $100.0 million reached in the same period in 2012. The operating margin in 3Q 2013 came in at 11.2%, increasing by 1.9pp with respect to 3Q 2012. Said rise was generated by an increase in operating revenue as well as by cost control measures.
Capacity, measured in ASKs (Available Seats per Kilometer) grew by 5.87% throughout 3Q 2013. This growth is driven by the expansion of Avianca's operations in its core markets, the incorporation of larger aircraft as well as an improvement in operating cycles of 1.1%. Traffic measured in RPKs (Revenue Passenger Kilometer) grew 5.9%, resulting in a Load Factor of 82.0% representing an increase of 20 basis points with respect to the Load Factor of 3Q 2012.
In accordance with the fleet renovation and modernization plan, between July and September 2013, the company through its subsidiary Avianca S.A., took delivery of one Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with Sharklets (see above), one ATR 72-600 and one A330-200 freighter. As a result, Avianca Holdings S.A. subsidiaries ended the quarter with a consolidated operating fleet of 154 aircraft.
With these third quarter results, Avianca Holdings S.A. reports a consolidated net income for the last 9 months of $183.4 million, reaching accumulated net margin of 5.4% year to date.
During the remainder of 2013, the company expects to continue with a capacity expansion in its key markets, as a result the company forecasts ASK growth between 7% and 8% for the full year 2013 compared to 2012. In terms of passenger traffic, the company expects a sustained growth during the remainder of 2013. Passenger numbers are expected to increase between 9% and 10% for the full year 2013 and as a result the load factor should stand between 79% and 80%.
Avianca Holdings S.A. is an investment firm that serves as an instrument for the execution of the shareholders agreement which resulted in the integration process known as AviancaTaca and acts as the controlling company for the integrated operation of various airlines that operate both domestically and internationally: Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. Avianca (Avianca), Tampa Cargo S.A. incorporated in Colombia, Aerolíneas Galápagos S.A. Aerogal incorporated in Ecuador, and the companies that make up the TACA Group: TACA Internacional Airlines S.A., incorporated in El Salvador; Líneas Aéreas Costarricenses S.A., LACSA, incorporated in Costa Rica, Trans American Airlines S.A. TACA Peru incorporated in Peru, Servicios Aéreos Nacionales S.A., SANSA incorporated in Costa Rica, Aerotaxis La Costeña S.A., incoporated in Nicaragua and Isleña de Inversiones C.A. de C.V. ISLEÑA incorporated in Honduras.
Copyright Photo: Gerd Beilfuss/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Airbus A320-233 D-AXAS (msn 5840) was handed over to Avianca (Colombia) as N603AV on November 5.
Avianca (Colombia):
This entry was posted in Avianca, Avianca Holdings and tagged 5840, A320, A320200, A320233, Airbus, Airbus A320, Airbus A320200, Avianca, Avianca Colombia, Avianca Holdings, DAXAS, Finkenwerder, Hamburg, N603AV, Sharklets, XFW on November 16, 2013 by Bruce Drum.
Vueling Airlines' board accepts IAG latest raised bid, won't be merged with Iberia
Vueling Airlines' (Barcelona) board of directors has approved the latest bid by the International Airlines Group (IAG) (London) after IAG raised its bid for the remaining shares by 32 percent to €9.25 a share.
IAG CEO Willie Walsh also stated Vueling Airlines will remain a separate carrier and will not be merged with the higher cost and troubled Iberia (Madrid).
Read the full report from Bloomberg: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Gerd Beilfuss. Airbus A320-214 D-AXAS (msn 5533) with Sharklets at a snowy Hamburg (Finkenwerder) became EC-LVO when it was handed over on April 5.
Vueling Airlines:
This entry was posted in Vueling Airlines and tagged 5533, A320, A320200, A320214, Airbus, Airbus A320, Airbus A320200, aviation, DAXAS, ECLVO, Finkenwerder, Hamburg, hamburg finkenwerder, Sharklets, transportation, Vueling Airlines, vueling airlines barcelona, Vueling.com, XFW on April 11, 2013 by Bruce Drum.


SpaceX is getting back on the launchpad after their rocket explosion in June. The first payload is a constellation of eleven miniature relay satellites that will launch in late 2015.
"The Orbcomm 2 mission does not require a relight of the second stage engine following orbital insertion. Flying the Orbcomm 2 mission first will therefore allow SpaceX to conduct an on-orbit test of the second stage relight system after the Orbcomm 2 satellites have been safely deployed.
This will be the first launch since a SpaceX cargo run went critically awry when a strut brace broke on June 28, 2015. The payload is on-target to launch in six to eight weeks, with a currently-unspecified launch window likely in late November or early December.
The launch will be using a newly-modified design for the Falcon 9 rocket that was already in testing before the rapid unscheduled disassembly in June. The bulked-up rocket will be able to boost larger payloads into orbit while still preserving enough fuel for barge landing attempts. SpaceX released test footage of the new rocket in a static fire test with densified fuel in September.


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Q: A class number estimate Let $\mathcal{D} = \{D \in \mathbb{Z} : D \equiv 0, 1 \pmod{4}\}$ be the set of discriminants. It is well-known that each element in $\mathcal{D}$ is the discriminant of a primitive binary quadratic form, namely $x^2 - (D/4)y^2$ when $D \equiv 0 \pmod{4}$ and $x^2 + xy - (D-1)y^2/4$ when $D \equiv 1 \pmod{4}$.
For a primitive binary quadratic form $f$ the group $\text{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$ acts on it via substitution. Denote by $[f]$ the $\text{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$-equivalence class of $f$. Note that the discriminant is a $\text{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$-invariant, so that for each $g, h \in [f]$ we have $\Delta(g) = \Delta(h)$, so we may write $\Delta([f])$, the common value for $\Delta(g), g \in [f]$, to be the discriminant of the equivalence class. For each $D \in \mathcal{D}$, put
$$\displaystyle h(D) = \#\{[f] :  f \text{ primitive}, \Delta([f]) = D\}$$
for the class number of primitive binary quadratic forms of discriminant $D$.
Observe that the set of squares is contained in $\mathcal{D}$, and it is well-known that $h(n^2) = \phi(n)$, and representatives of the distinct $\text{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$-classes of discriminant $n^2$ are given by
$$\displaystyle ax^2 + nxy : \gcd(a,n) = 1, 1 \leq a \leq n-1.$$
My question is, what about $h(-4n^2)$? Is there a nice characterization of them like the case of positive squares? Equivalently, can one find all reduced forms, i.e., a form $f(x,y) = ax^2 + bxy + cy^2$ with $|b| \leq a \leq c, a,c > 0$ of discriminant $-4n^2$?
Certainly, factoring $n^2 = u^2 v^2$ with $\gcd(u,v) = 1$ gives a primitive form $(ux)^2 + (vy)^2$ of discriminant $-4n^2$... but there are other forms such as $4x^2 + 4xy + 5y^2$ with discriminant $-64$ that do not arise this way.

A: This is from Buell, Binary Quadratic Forms, pages 109-119.
Note that $h(-16) = h(-4) = 1.$
When $p$ is an odd prime, we use the Legndre symbol in
$$ h(-4p^2) = \frac{p - (-1|p)}{2} $$
After that, if $u > 1,$ while $u$ is allowed odd or even as needed; if $p$ does not divide $u,$ then
$$ h(-4u^2p^2) = h(-4 u^2) \cdot \left(p - (-1|p) \right). $$
If $p$ divides $u,$
$$ h(-4u^2p^2) = h(-4 u^2) \cdot p. $$
$$ h(-16u^2) = 2 h(-4 u^2)  $$
Let's see; note that $p - (-1|p)$ for an odd prime $p$ is always divisble by $4,$ so these class numbers are even, and the max power of $2$ grows. This is fair, the number of genera is  growing with each new prime and is always a power of two, while each discriminant has a constant number of classes per genus.
For example, with odd $n > 1,$ if $$   n = \prod_p p^{e_p}  $$  we get
$$  h(-4n^2) = \frac{1}{2} \prod_p \left( p - (-1|p)\right) p^{e_p -1} $$
The conclusion is that $h(-4n^2)$ is mostly pretty similar in size to $\frac{n}{2} .$  In order to deviate much from that, it is most efficient to have $n$ squarefree odd, with either $n = 5 \cdot 13 \cdot 17 ...$ the product of the consecutive primes $1 \pmod 4$ up to some bound $P,$ or $n = 3 \cdot 7 \cdot 11 \cdot 19 ...$ the product of the consecutive primes $3 \pmod 4$ up to some bound. In these cases, the growth or shrinkage of $h$ is still bounded by Merten's Theorem, in one version (H+W_thm427)
$\sum_{p \leq x} \frac{1}{p} = \log \log x + B + o(1).$ I guess if we are taking half the primes according to mod 4, we would expect the estimate to be halved.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
  n      -4 n^2      h      n factored
  1          -4      1      factor n  =  1
  2         -16      1      factor n  = 2
  3         -36      2      factor n  = 3
  4         -64      2      factor n  = 2^2
  5        -100      2      factor n  = 5
  6        -144      4      factor n  = 2 * 3
  7        -196      4      factor n  = 7
  8        -256      4      factor n  = 2^3
  9        -324      6      factor n  = 3^2
 10        -400      4      factor n  = 2 * 5
 11        -484      6      factor n  = 11
 12        -576      8      factor n  = 2^2 * 3
 13        -676      6      factor n  = 13
 14        -784      8      factor n  = 2 * 7
 15        -900      8      factor n  = 3 * 5
 16       -1024      8      factor n  = 2^4
 17       -1156      8      factor n  = 17
 18       -1296     12      factor n  = 2 * 3^2
 19       -1444     10      factor n  = 19
 20       -1600      8      factor n  = 2^2 * 5
 21       -1764     16      factor n  = 3 * 7
 22       -1936     12      factor n  = 2 * 11
 23       -2116     12      factor n  = 23
 24       -2304     16      factor n  = 2^3 * 3
 25       -2500     10      factor n  = 5^2
 26       -2704     12      factor n  = 2 * 13
 27       -2916     18      factor n  = 3^3
 28       -3136     16      factor n  = 2^2 * 7
 29       -3364     14      factor n  = 29
 30       -3600     16      factor n  = 2 * 3 * 5
 31       -3844     16      factor n  = 31
 32       -4096     16      factor n  = 2^5
 33       -4356     24      factor n  = 3 * 11
 34       -4624     16      factor n  = 2 * 17
 35       -4900     16      factor n  = 5 * 7
 36       -5184     24      factor n  = 2^2 * 3^2
 37       -5476     18      factor n  = 37
 38       -5776     20      factor n  = 2 * 19
 39       -6084     24      factor n  = 3 * 13
 40       -6400     16      factor n  = 2^3 * 5
 41       -6724     20      factor n  = 41
 42       -7056     32      factor n  = 2 * 3 * 7
 43       -7396     22      factor n  = 43
 44       -7744     24      factor n  = 2^2 * 11
 45       -8100     24      factor n  = 3^2 * 5
 46       -8464     24      factor n  = 2 * 23
 47       -8836     24      factor n  = 47
 48       -9216     32      factor n  = 2^4 * 3
 49       -9604     28      factor n  = 7^2
 50      -10000     20      factor n  = 2 * 5^2
 51      -10404     32      factor n  = 3 * 17
 52      -10816     24      factor n  = 2^2 * 13
 53      -11236     26      factor n  = 53
 54      -11664     36      factor n  = 2 * 3^3
 55      -12100     24      factor n  = 5 * 11
 56      -12544     32      factor n  = 2^3 * 7
 57      -12996     40      factor n  = 3 * 19
 58      -13456     28      factor n  = 2 * 29
 59      -13924     30      factor n  = 59
 60      -14400     32      factor n  = 2^2 * 3 * 5
 61      -14884     30      factor n  = 61
 62      -15376     32      factor n  = 2 * 31
 63      -15876     48      factor n  = 3^2 * 7
 64      -16384     32      factor n  = 2^6
 65      -16900     24      factor n  = 5 * 13
 66      -17424     48      factor n  = 2 * 3 * 11
 67      -17956     34      factor n  = 67
 68      -18496     32      factor n  = 2^2 * 17
 69      -19044     48      factor n  = 3 * 23
 70      -19600     32      factor n  = 2 * 5 * 7
 71      -20164     36      factor n  = 71
 72      -20736     48      factor n  = 2^3 * 3^2
 73      -21316     36      factor n  = 73
 74      -21904     36      factor n  = 2 * 37
 75      -22500     40      factor n  = 3 * 5^2
 76      -23104     40      factor n  = 2^2 * 19
 77      -23716     48      factor n  = 7 * 11
 78      -24336     48      factor n  = 2 * 3 * 13
 79      -24964     40      factor n  = 79
 80      -25600     32      factor n  = 2^4 * 5
 81      -26244     54      factor n  = 3^4
 82      -26896     40      factor n  = 2 * 41
 83      -27556     42      factor n  = 83
 84      -28224     64      factor n  = 2^2 * 3 * 7
 85      -28900     32      factor n  = 5 * 17
 86      -29584     44      factor n  = 2 * 43
 87      -30276     56      factor n  = 3 * 29
 88      -30976     48      factor n  = 2^3 * 11
 89      -31684     44      factor n  = 89
 90      -32400     48      factor n  = 2 * 3^2 * 5
 91      -33124     48      factor n  = 7 * 13
 92      -33856     48      factor n  = 2^2 * 23
 93      -34596     64      factor n  = 3 * 31
 94      -35344     48      factor n  = 2 * 47
 95      -36100     40      factor n  = 5 * 19
 96      -36864     64      factor n  = 2^5 * 3
 97      -37636     48      factor n  = 97
 98      -38416     56      factor n  = 2 * 7^2
 99      -39204     72      factor n  = 3^2 * 11
100      -40000     40      factor n  = 2^2 * 5^2
  n      -4 n^2      h      n factored

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Students at Boston College, with a little help from a librarian and her LibGuide, helped solve a mystery that began a century ago in a Chinese orphanage.
The students, undergraduates at BC studying history and art, were trying to determine what had happened to 86 intricately carved wooden models of Chinese pagodas carved in 1915 by boys at the orphanage under the tutelage of a German Jesuit and others.
The pagodas were brought to the U.S. for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915 and had gone from there to the Field Museum in Chicago. But their current whereabouts were unknown.
Adeane Bregman, head of the Bapst Art Library at Boston College, with one of the Chinese pagoda models she helped students to find.
BC Art Librarian Adeane Bregman was brought in to help the students with their research. Her classroom presentation, supplemented by a LibGuide, demonstrated research techniques and sources and ways to make connections.
Eighty-three of the pagodas were eventually found in a warehouse in the Boston area. (They had been sold to a private collector.) Bregman was invited to go with the students to see them.
For more on this story, see "A Cultural Treasure Hunt" and "Treasure Hunt Ends in Boston" in The Heights.
There's another key step — an opportunity, really — that's easy to overlook: getting a handle on your existing LibGuides content before making the transition to LibGuides 2.
It's a simple idea, one that will save work during the transition and after. But how should you go about it?
We thought a look at their process would be useful to other libraries as they prepare for LibGuides 2. Emily King, on behalf of the team, agreed to share with us — and with you — how they have gone about it. Here's part of our conversation.
Q. Tell us a little about the background of library guides at UNC. What did you have before LibGuides and why did you decide to switch?
UNC Libraries have a long history with subject guides. Librarians started creating online pathfinders in the late 1990s. These early guides were basically online bibliographies and were mainly designed by librarians who felt comfortable writing in HTML and managing files on a server. As our web presence grew, so did our guides. In the early/mid 2000s, we created an in-house database to manage our guides. Librarians would enter in the guide's medadata (title, owner, creation date, subject area, etc). This database allowed us to automate where guides were linked on our website and it also sent a yearly email to the guide owners reminding them to review their subject guides.
Around 2005, we noticed that many librarians were using these subject guides as instructional tools. The automated system did not provide an easy way to sync up the guides with the associated course. We then rebranded these instructional tools Course Pages and built another database to hold the metadata about course pages. We created a HMTL templates for this new type of guide. We were able to tie this database into the campus learning management system (Blackboard and later Sakai), which helped to put the course pages at the most likely point of need.
We knew that before we moved to a new content management system that we needed to have a sound content management strategy in place.
Until we moved to LibGuides, both Subject Guides and our Course Pages were created in HTML. We created css/html based templates to brand each type of guide. We also had style guidelines and naming conventions to help the guides to look uniform. When subject guides were each initially published we did a technical review and a content review. Librarians were responsible for monitoring and periodically updating the guide when prompted by a reminder email. It was also up to the librarian to remove the guide from the system when they thought it was no longer relevant.
Q. What prompted you to put a new management plan in place for LibGuides? What were some of the issues you were trying to address or anticipate?
We knew that before we moved to a new content management system that we needed to have a sound content management strategy in place. By the time we began to consider Libguides, we had been managing subject guides and course pages for over a decade and we were intimately aware of the issues. We had guides that no one knew existed or were thought to have been deleted years before. We also had guides that had been created as a student project but no longer had a guide owner when the student graduated. We also didn't have a defined strategy for how to deal with guides when the guide creator retired or left. In some cases the guide just languished on our servers for years. We also had a very busy staff who often felt crunched for time and just didn't have the resources to go back and evaluate their guides.
Q. How did you go about evaluating what guides you should and shouldn't have?
When we started this process, we wanted to make sure that our guides were well designed so that patrons would find them useful. We used three sources to help with shaping the goals: general web design studies, usability studies that other academic libraries have done on their LibGuides, and the results of usability studies we had done on our own instructional web pages (subject guides, course pages, and other online learning objects).
Some of the findings were not that surprising; we did not want to have broken links, we wanted to use formatting to convey meaning when possible, we wanted to give good white space, and we wanted to have scannable content. Other findings were more interesting, how students viewed the pages. What content students were drawn to and what features were ignored. One of the most striking findings was that we needed to have a clear purpose for the pages and meet student expectations about what they would be getting. This purpose needed to make sense to patrons that came to our website. For example, for our course pages, students expected everything on the pages would be related specifically to their course work.
Going through this process does take time and a lot of discussion if you have a large number of guides, but once the time is invested patrons and librarians benefit from the results.
Q. Are guide authors given the opportunity to make the case for guides that might fall outside the parameters you've established?
Yes, in a way. We are a LibGuides CMS campus, so we have parameters for each group that we have in LibGuides. There is definition for each group that the guides in that group need to adhere to (http://guides.lib.unc.edu/usinglibguides).
If someone wants to create a guide outside of the set parameters we meet to discuss the need they will be addressing and either create a new group to meet that need or determine an alternative solution. Our goal is not to restrict content creation, but to make sure that we are planning for the content we add.
Q. Who manages the process? How do you define the roles of the team managing the guides vs. those of the individual guide authors?
Currently the User Experience team for UNC Libraries manages this process, but librarians and department heads have ultimate say over the content as long as it adheres to our guidelines. They are the subject experts. That being said, the UX department worked closely with subject librarians to develop the guidelines we have. Our approach is very much a partnership to help librarians identify the goals of their subject guides and course pages and help them meet those goals.
I think that librarians feel better about the time that they choose to invest in their subject guides because they see how the guides fit into the strategic web presence of UNC Libraries.
Q. How have the guide authors/librarians responded to having rules and processes and procedures in place for their guides?
We have gotten this question a lot, and the answer seems to surprise people, but I don't think it should. We have had really positive feedback from our librarians. I think it is because we are working together to meet the same goal: help our patrons connect to the resources they need. That is how the guidelines are presented and practiced. I don't think any librarian wants a patron to come to a library web site and receive bad or out of date information. I think that librarians feel better about the time that they choose to invest in their subject guides because they see how the guides fit into the strategic web presence of UNC Libraries.
Q. You have a timeline for guide maintenance. Can you describe the different tasks it calls for at different times of year and how they are carried out?
We do. It is published as a LibGuide that all librarians can access (http://guides.lib.unc.edu/usinglibguides). Our major review happens over the summer because that is when the librarians at UNC have the most time to review their subject guides.
In April/May, we go through the guides and try to "measure" them to give librarians a sense of how long they will need to spend updating the guide and identifying specific problems that need to be fixed (broken links, display problems, etc.). Then when the spring semester finishes, we run the Google Analytics statistics for each page of the guide. We only pull two metrics, unique users and average time on page to give a snapshot of use. If librarians want to go more in depth with the metrics for a particular guide, they are able to look at the raw data in Google Analytics. We think it is important to include a maintenance time estimate with the usage statistics so subject librarians can see all their guides together and compare. Each librarian considers how much time they have to devote to guides and then sees which guides have the highest impact and spend their time on those.
We have found the most important pieces of this process is to define what user needs your guides are meeting and let those needs define the creation of guidelines and the review process and to plan for the whole lifecycle of the guide.
Q. Can you describe how you estimated the time it would take to update a guide based on the data you had on it?
20 minutes times the number of pages – We estimated this as the time it would take to look over the page as a page and ask questions like: Do I still want these boxes? Is this still the best way to organize the page? Are there any new resources that should be added? This estimate also includes time to fix any stylistic problems that were identified in the yearly review.
3 minutes times the number of resources – Because a web page can be any size, we decided to count the number of books, databases, services, and other library resources that were listed on the page. It is going to take librarians the same amount of time to review 500 links no matter how many pages they are on.
7 minutes times the number of unlinked resources – One of our web goals is to minimize repeated content on the web. To meet this end, we require all subject guides to link to the original digital material (if it is a digital item) or the official digital surrogate (for example, the catalog record for print items). Because librarians have to track down the correct link for this, we know that it will take a little longer than a simple review of a resource.
15 minutes times the number of broken links – I think it goes without saying that we don't want broken links on our pages. If there is a broken link, librarians need to either track down the right link, delete it the resource, or replace it. This investigation takes a bit of time, which is why we have 15 minutes for this.
Kim and I came up with the numbers based on our experience working with subject guides and course pages. We know that actual time may vary greatly, but this does help compare apples to apples when subject librarians are trying to figure out how to prioritize their guides.
Q. What did you use to gather usage reports with the old guides? Are you doing it differently now that you have LibGuides? How have the built-in statistics in LibGuides been useful?
We have used Google Analytics in the past for these reports. Because it took us a while to migrate all our existing content into LibGuides (we completed in February of last year), we wanted to make sure that the numbers were consistently generated for the guides in LibGuides and guides in HTML. Now that we have all our guides in LibGuides, we will explore if we can generate the stats we need with the LibGuides statistics. The most important stats for us are unique users and average time on page. It allows our subject librarians to see how much use the subject guides are getting and how much time people are spending on specific pieces of the guide.
Q. Your plan was developed to coincide with the change from your old guides to LibGuides? What advice would you have for libraries that already have LibGuides in place?
We have found the most important pieces of this process is to define what user needs your guides are meeting and let those needs define the creation of guidelines and the review process and to plan for the whole lifecycle of the guide. Ask questions like: "How will we know when we don't need this anymore?" "How will we know when this is out of date?", etc.
For our subject guides we have a thorough yearly review process because these are semi-permanent additions to our web site that anyone coming to our website could use. For our course pages that have a very specific user group for a specific length of time, we don't do an annual review. It's much simpler to just unpublish the guides when the user group doesn't need them anymore.
This is definitely something that is easier to do when people have to rethink their guides anyway, but I think it can be done at any time. Going through this process does take time and a lot of discussion if you have a large number of guides, but once the time is invested patrons and librarians benefit from the results. It is almost like a library building renovation.
One happy side effect of this process is methodically reviewing guides exposes content that may have been created as a workaround for a problem elsewhere in the library. This is a way of identifying needs that are not being met in your other library tools. For example, if we have a page that explains a complicated policy or process in the library, every year when you review that guide you have a chance to think again if that process could be improved to eliminate the need for the guide. If you can, then you are improving the patron experience and taking extra work off of a subject librarians' plate.


The Blessed Virgin Mary is known and venerated by countless names and titles throughout the world. Some of these titles are dogmatic; some are literary; and some are the result of popular piety. Through these titles, we learn about Mary's life, legacy, and loving care for God's people; we learn about our Lord Jesus Christ; and we learn something about ourselves and God's Holy Church. Whether we think of her as "Theotokos" (Mother of God), "Panagia" (Mother of Mercy), or as Our Lady of Angels, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, or Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Mary lives in our hearts and in the Church as the Blessed Mother of All Peoples.
In this spirit and in celebration of the various devotions to Our Lady during the month of May, all are invited to join Father Jim and Cliff Garvey for a "Spring Day of Prayer & Reflection: Mary, Mother of All Peoples" on Saturday, May 4th in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church (located at 142 Prospect Street in Gloucester, Massachusetts). During this four-hour morning retreat, we will explore the Blessed Mother's loving intercession and protection of God's family across the centuries. We will also consider how our devotion to Mary can help us overcome the growing darkness of bigotry, division, and exclusion that seems so prevalent in our own time.
Our day of prayer and reflection will proceed according to the following schedule: Celebration of Mass at 8:00am; First Reflection & Faith Sharing at 9:00am; Eucharistic Adoration & Rosary at 10:00am; Second Reflection & Faith Sharing at 11:15am; Angelus & Closing Prayers at 12:00pm. After our program, all are invited to join us for a delicious potluck lunch in the parish hall.
Throughout the morning, there will be scheduled breaks and time for faith sharing, fellowship, and questions. Coffee, tea, bottled water, and refreshments will be available throughout the morning. During Mass, a collection will be taken up in support of the adult and youth faith formation programs in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport. If you would like to participate in this special event, please contact Cliff Garvey at cgarvey@assisiproject.com. Please join us! Bring a friend! All are invited! All are welcome!
Founded in 2007 by Father Jim Achadinha and Cliff Garvey, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit that seeks to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the inspiration of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. Our mission is to serve the Church and to give witness to the Good News of Christ through formation and prayer, pilgrimage and retreat, and educating others about our way of life. On the last Saturday of each month (with some exceptions), the Assisi Project meets at 8:00am for "Saturday Morning with Saint Francis" in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church (located at 142 Prospect Street in Gloucester, Massachusetts). Each gathering is a two-hour mini-retreat that includes Mass, formation, faith sharing, and fellowship. Coffee and refreshments are served.
If you are interested in growing closer to Christ Jesus and learning more about Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi (and other Franciscan saints), please prayerfully consider joining us! You do not need to travel with us to Assisi to be part of the Assisi Project! Our members, friends, and followers range in age from 16 to 93! Please join us! All are invited! All are welcome! Always!
In case of inclement weather, please check our website for possible cancellations and schedule changes. All adults are welcome to join our fellowship. For more information about the Assisi Project, please contact Cliff Garvey at cgarvey@assisiproject.com. May the Lord give you peace! Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of Angels, pray for us!
Francisco Marto (1908-1919) and Jacinto Marto (1910-1920), brother and sister, and their cousin, Lucia dos Santos (1907-2005), were children from a small village near Fatima in Portugal, who were blessed to give witness to several apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Fatima. Much is known and much is often misunderstood about the apparitions and their meaning. But we can learn a great deal from these children, especially Francisco and Jacinto, about life, love, prayer, and healing.
In commemoration of the Feast of Saints Francisco Marto and Jacinto Marto (February 20th), all are invited to join Father Jim and Cliff Garvey for a "Winter Day of Prayer& Reflection: Prayer and Healing with the Children of Fatima" on Saturday, February 23rd in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church (located at 142 Prospect Street in Gloucester). During this special four-hour morning retreat, we will explore the different but complimentary spiritual lives of the Children of Fatima. We will also consider what these young saints can teach us about coping with illnesses of mind, body, and spirit.
Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with members, friends, and followers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Africa. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages to more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. Members of the Assisi Project, ranging in age from 16 to 93, pray for those who ask for our prayers. If you would like our fellowship to pray for you or your special intention, please contact Cliff Garvey at cgarvey@assisiproject.com. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of Angels, pray for us! May the Lord give you peace, now and always!
Since our founding, the Assisi Project has led thirteen pilgrimages (to Assisi, Fatima & Lourdes, and the Holy Land); twelve weekend or week-long parish retreats or missions; and dozens of days of prayer for adult disciples of all ages. For more information about how we can help you deepen your community's life of prayer, please contact Cliff Garvey at cgarvey@assisiproject.com. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of Angels, pray for us! May the Lord give you peace!
Thomas Merton once wrote: "Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real director, the Holy Spirit, hidden in the depths of our soul." In this spirit and in an effort to help adult disciples (in the Roman Catholic Church) grow closer to their Risen Lord in a confidential and supportive environment. Cliff Garvey, the Assisi Project's co-founder and spiritual director, is available for both individual and small-group spiritual direction on a regular or one-time only basis. For more information, please contact Cliff at cgarvey@assisiproject.com. Saint Francis, pray for us! Saint Clare, pray for us! Our Lady of Angels, pray for us! May the Lord give you peace!


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Q: How to colour multiple geom_lines on a gradient using ggplot2 in R? I asked a similar question here with regard to how to colour a pdp-ice plot. I have since figured out a way to colour the plots by the predicted value. However, I am still having problems with how to manually select a colour gradient. I am using the iml package to create the predictions... but I feel that this is essentially a ggplot2 problem, hence, I am opening a different question.
In the example below, I am creating a random forest model on the Boston data and using the rf model to create the ice-plot in iml.
library("iml")
library("randomForest")
library(ggplot2)

# We train a random forest on the Boston dataset:
data("Boston", package = "MASS")
rf = randomForest(medv ~ ., data = Boston, ntree = 50)
# Use iml to generate predictions
mod = Predictor$new(rf, data = Boston)
# Compute the individual conditional expectations for the feature room
ice = FeatureEffect$new(mod, method = 'ice', feature = "rm")

Now I could plot this using plot(ice) and this will create a ice plot with grey lines. However, I want to colour these lines on a gradient. I can colour them by the predicted values like so:
df <- ice$results
 ggplot(df, aes(x = rm, y = .value, color = .value)) + geom_line(aes(group = .id))

and this will produce a plot like this:

Which is what I want (i.e., an ice plot colour gradient), but I can't figure out a way to manually set the colours of the plot... for example, if I wanted the low values to be red and high values to be blue. I have tried a few of the ggplot2 options.. but I can't get them to work?

A: so,I solved this problem by using:
ggplot(df, aes(x = rm, y = .value, color = .value )) +
      geom_line(aes(group = .id)) +
       scale_colour_gradient2(low = "red", mid = "yellow", high = "blue", midpoint = 25)


Let us reflect on brief summaries from the report describing recent events in Muslim-majority nations that affected freedom of expression, promotion of human rights, and the extent of legal & governmental sanctions placed upon activists.
The government continued to severely restrict freedoms of expression, association and assembly. The authorities arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned human rights defenders and government critics, including under the 2014 anti-terror law, often after unfair trials. Some of those detained were prisoners of conscience. Torture and other ill-treatment of detainees remained common. Unfair trials continued before the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), a special court for hearing terrorism-related cases, with some trials resulting in death sentences. Discrimination against the Shi'a minority remained entrenched; some Shi'a activists were on death row awaiting execution. Women faced discrimination in law and in practice and were inadequately protected against sexual and other violence. Sudan: The authorities repressed the media, civil society organizations and opposition political parties, severely curtailing freedoms of expression, association and assembly. Armed conflict in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states continued to cause mass displacement and civilian casualties; human rights abuses were perpetrated by all parties to these conflicts. Government forces destroyed civilian buildings, including schools, hospitals and clinics in conflict areas, and obstructed humanitarian access to civilians needing support because of the ongoing hostilities.
Debate Question: Across the countries listed above, one of the underlying themes seems to be that rejection of any dissent is so strong among prominent Muslim-majority countries that it is invariably codified into law, and carried out by repressive government forces. What is it about Islam that makes it so hard for people to fully accept others, and makes it so easy to get angry at those seeking change?


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Chilliwack Jets look to bounce back after back-to-back Pacific Junior Hockey League losses
Chilliwack fell to the North Van Wolf Pack and Mission City Outlaws last weekend
Oct. 26, 2021 12:00 p.m.
One of the things that separates the best from the rest is the ability to take a punch in the face and get back up.
The Pacific Junior B Hockey League's Chilliwack Jets were knocked to the canvas last weekend with back-to-back losses to the North Vancouver Wolf Pack (5-3 on Saturday) and Mission City Outlaws (7-6 in overtime on Sunday), and they hit the road Wednesday night (Oct. 27) to face the league-leading Langley Trappers.
Chilliwack hockey boss Clayton Robinson is looking forward to seeing how his team reacts to the first real adversity they've faced this season.
"I am confident in our group," he said. "We will bounce back this week with three good efforts, but we have to be better defensively from the goalies out to the forward group. We just need to play our game well and we will be successful."
For Robinson, two setbacks are no reason to hit the panic button.
RELATED: Chilliwack Jets shoot down Abbotsford Pilots in PJHL season opener
RELATED: Chilliwack Jets trounce lowly Surrey Knights in Pacific Junior Hockey League battle
Mission City leapfrogged the Jets for third place in the Harold Brittain Conference, but Chilliwack has four games in hand.
The Jets are still one of the highest-scoring teams in the league on a goals-per-game basis (5.36) and despite last weekend's results they remain one of the stingiest defensive teams, yielding just 3.09 goals against per game.
After Wednesday's big game in Langley, Chilliwack gets a couple 'softer' opponents this weekend when they face the Port Moody Panthers and Abbotsford Pilots.
Port Moody is a road game on Saturday (Oct. 30). The Panthers are 2-13 through 15 games this season, dead last in the six-team Tom Shaw Conference.
The Pilots come to Chilliwack for a Halloween night clash. Abbotsford has muddled their way to a 4-10 record this season, which puts them sixth in the seven-team Harold Brittain Conference.
"Port Moody and Abby will both be hungry clubs," Robinson noted. "Both work really hard and we can't take anybody lightly after this last weekend. We need the points."
chilliwackJunior B Hockey
BCHL all-star festivities to include Top Prospects Game

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


You will have the morning free. Explore the Burmese metropolis on your own! If you're feeling in the mood and want to experience the Burmese culture up close, then just take an interesting tour on the public 'City Circular Train' (circular railway) or a leisurely stroll through the Bogyoke market (closed Mondays and public holidays) for some last‐minute shopping. There is a wide range of items for sale, including: wooden carvings, bronze statues, lacquer, mother‐of‐pearl cutlery, longyis and much more. Afternoon transfer to airport for your return flight.


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https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/
Christina Bergeron
Steve Strickland
Glen Jones
Visa, Inc.
Breach Notification , Data Loss Prevention (DLP) , Governance
Uber Faces Stricter FTC Oversight After Concealing Breach
Company Must Submit More Audit Reports, Keep Bug Bounty Records Jeremy Kirk (jeremy_kirk) • April 13, 2018
Photo: Sandeepnewstyle via Wikimedia Commons
Uber has agreed to stricter monitoring by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission following its concealment of a 2016 data breach while it was negotiating with the agency for a settlement tied to a separate, yet similar, breach two years prior.
See Also: Webinar | Beyond Managed Security Services: SOC-as-a-Service for Financial Institutions
The FTC said Thursday the ride-sharing company had agreed to a revised settlement that, if violated, means Uber could be subject to civil penalties.
"The strengthened provisions of the expanded settlement are designed to ensure that Uber does not engage in similar misconduct in the future," says Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen.
The revised version of an earlier settlement comes as the technology industry is facing a reckoning over how it protects and uses personal data. The concern has been fueled by mega-breaches at companies, including Equifax, and Facebook's massive data leak.
Earlier this week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress. His unprecedented appearance followed the uproar over the improper transfer of up to 87 million profiles to the voter-profiling firm Cambridge Analytica (see Probes Begin as Facebook Slammed by Data Leak Blowback).
2014 Breach
Uber reached a proposed settlement with the FTC last August, just two months before it reluctantly revealed another astounding data breach.
The August settlement covered a 2014 breach. In that incident, an attacker obtained a file of data containing 100,000 unencrypted names and driver's license numbers for Uber drivers. It also contained 215 unencrypted names, bank account and domestic routing numbers and 84 other names and Social Security numbers.
The breach occurred because Uber had left an access key on the code-sharing website GitHub for an Amazon S3 bucket.
The FTC subsequently accused Uber of failing to reasonably secure personal data as well as monitor access to consumer data by its own employees. As part of the original settlement, Uber agreed to implement a comprehensive privacy program and independent audits.
As those negotiations were underway, Uber already knew it had been breached again but failed to promptly inform the FTC as required.
Breach Déjà Vu
As the FTC notes, the 2016 breach was strikingly similar to the one two years prior.
Uber disclosed last November that hackers accessed around October 2016 a back-up file containing 57 million accounts of its riders and drivers worldwide. The credentials for the back-up file, which was stored on S3, had also been left on GitHub.
Uber knew about the breach for about a year, later disclosing it paid two informants a $100,000 bug bounty. But the two informants had initially tried to extort Uber. After the payment was made, Uber did not disclose the breach to consumers or regulators (see Uber Concealed Breach of 57 Million Accounts for a Year).
The FTC's revised complaint against Uber.
The FTC's revised agreement now tightens the conditions under which Uber reports incidents to the agency. Uber will have to submit all reports completed by independent third-party auditors and not just the initial one, the FTC says.
As far as bug bounties, Uber "must retain certain records related to bug bounty reports regarding vulnerabilities that related to potential or actual unauthorized access to consumer data."
Financial penalties
Uber is still facing probes by state attorneys general in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts.
In Pennsylvania, some 13,500 drivers were affected. The state could seek up to $1,000 for each violation, for a total of $13.5 million in civil penalties against Uber (see Pennsylvania Sues Uber Over Late Breach Notification).
In the U.S., there is no federal data breach notification law, but all 50 states now have notification laws on the books. The Facebook leak, however, appears to have nudged some lawmakers toward considering whether data-gathering companies should be under tighter rules (see Senators Raise Issue of Regulating Facebook).
Europe has already made that decision. Failing to protect data there will soon have stern consequences.
On May 25, enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation begins. It's perhaps the strongest legislation on personal data and privacy, with organizations required to notify of data breaches within 72 hours of discovery. Fines for violations can range up to a maximum of 4 percent of a company's annual global revenue or $28 million, whichever is greater.
Incident & Breach Response
RBI Mandates Domestic Storage of Payments Data
Don't Click This Link: Addressing the Human Factor in Cybersecurity
Jeremy Kirk
Managing Editor, Security and Technology, ISMG
Kirk is a veteran journalist who has reported from more than a dozen countries. Based in Sydney, he is Managing Editor for Security and Technology for Information Security Media Group. Prior to ISMG, he worked from London and Sydney covering computer security and privacy for International Data Group. Further back, he covered military affairs from Seoul, South Korea, and general assignment news for his hometown paper in Illinois.
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The Rays see Jose Molina in action and are already impressed.
PORT CHARLOTTE — The Rays have been watching Jose Molina for years.
The pitchers would look on enviously from the bench, admiring how he set up and caught the ball, his impressive game-calling, the way he shut down potential base-stealers and the remarkable job he did in getting borderline-at-best pitches called strikes. It was pretty obvious, starter James Shields said, "he might be the best receiver in the game."
Standing in the batter's box, Evan Longoria saw it a different way. "I've told him that I actually hate being a hitter against him," Longoria said, "because he just gets so many strikes."
Tuesday, the Rays got their first look at what it's like having Molina on their side. And though it was only the first pitchers-and-catchers workout of the spring, they couldn't help but be even more impressed.
From the meticulous way he prepared and checked his new blue-colored gear to how he talked to the pitchers before, during and after catching their bullpen sessions to the time he spent and knowledge he shared with young proteges Jose Lobaton and Robinson Chirinos.
"J-Mo may be the one thing that we've kind of been missing," manager Joe Maddon said. "Not to denigrate — I thought (Kelly Shoppach) did a really good job behind the plate last year — but J-Mo just brings a little bit more of an edge back there. … I know how he operates. I know how much pride he takes in what he does back there."
Molina's effectiveness is well-known and documented, from stats that show he has been the toughest catcher in the majors to steal against over the past four years by throwing out 36.5 percent of runners and that the 3.94 ERA pitchers have with him behind the plate is fifth best of all active catchers (with 500 games) to studies that seek to quantify the impact of his uncanny pitch framing, with Baseball Prospectus estimating that over a full season he could save his team a major-league-most 35 runs.
"I do my job, that's all," Molina said.
But what Molina hasn't done is play on more than an occasional basis. And that's why it's not possible to say exactly how much impact he will have on the Rays, especially since he turns 37 in June.
Unlike older brother Bengie, who retired after spending 2010 with San Francisco and Texas, and younger brother Yadier, the three-time All-Star in St. Louis, Jose Molina has never been an everyday player. Aside from 2008, when he started 81 games (and played in 16 others) for the Yankees, he has averaged 50 starts (and 59 appearances) over his eight other full big-league seasons, also with the Angels and Blue Jays. He hasn't started back-to-back games behind the plate since August 2010.
Maddon said a "legit number" of starts would be 80-90, with the idea Molina could be a defensive replacement in other games, with an eye toward maximizing the matchups offensively and defensively. Molina said he'll be ready every day and do whatever Maddon — a coach with the Angels when Jose and Bengie played there — asks.
The lack of opportunity has never been a source of frustration or envy, Molina said, especially not within the family. "I've never felt that way about my brothers or any other catchers," he said.
More so, he takes pride in the amazing accomplishment that the three sons of a factory worker — Benjamin Sr. — in Bayamon, Puerto Rico all made the major leagues as catchers, and each with two World Series rings. "It's great, it's awesome, it's hard to believe it but it's true," Jose said.
"They're they catching Molinas," Maddon said.
The combination of skills, effort, knowledge, personality and pride makes Molina a good fit for the Rays.
"I can't wait to throw to him," Shields said. "Anytime you put a Molina back there, you should be in good business."


In anticipation of tomorrow night's #SocialTech discussion about Instagram at Keystone Art Lab, I've decided to compile some tips I've learned along the way. Instagram can be a great tool for small businesses & creatives because it really helps with getting your work out there and attracting a following (and even better, a growing community of friends). While I wouldn't necessarily call myself an Instagram expert, I have been doing a lot of research on this topic lately. So far, some small changes have really helped my account (based on my numbers, at least), so I figured I'd share. If you're trying to take your Instagram account to the next level, keep some of these tips in mind!
Since Instagram is all about photos, consider using (or learning) some basic photo techniques to capture compelling images. Some key things to keep in mind include lighting (natural usually works best) and composition. Take your photos from a few different angles and play around with small changes that can improve your shot.
Since you'll be cropping your images down to a square, try to consider that aspect ratio while shooting. For example, a wide panorama won't translate well into Instagram, so try to capture your view in a different way. When taking photos, also try to consider if you would "like" the images you're taking if they popped up on your feed. Try to be prudent in your selection to only choose your best photos. It's easy to want to share everything but having a curated feed of fewer great photos is always better than having a ton of mediocre photos.
Even if you do your best when capturing your images, it's always worth improving them in a photo editing app afterwards. It's amazing what a few tweaks to brightness, contrast, saturation, and hue can do. Messing with those four things can really make a photo go from good to great. I edit every single photo of mine and often turn up brightness, contrast, saturation, and warmth to get the look that I want. I also try to crop my images with purpose and sometimes scale or straighten them to improve the composition. I'll apply a filter as well if any of them actually improve the look of my image. The editing choices you make really come down to personal preference and the look you're trying to achieve on your account. And don't worry, once you figure out what works for you, editing your photos really only takes a matter of seconds.
While Instagram does have some pretty good photo editing features in the app, I almost always bring my photos into VSCOcam to give them that extra pop. Sometimes I'll do a little more in the Instagram app afterwards, but the majority of my edits happen in VSCOcam.
Which brings me to...your color story. Depending on your brand (yes, even if you're just one person, you have a "brand"), you may naturally gravitate towards certain colors or types of images. Some Instagram accounts do a really good job at being super consistent with their images - going for a washed-out neutral look, sticking to only pastels, or going bold and bright.
My images are all over the map with the tiki, design, and life stuff I post. Generally, I think of tiki as very warm & colorful so I try to have a feel to my feed that's got a little bit of a saturated variety to it.
If someone can tell what your "brand" is all about based on your first few images, you're doing something right. My Instagram is mostly filled with images that represent the two topics that I'm mainly focused on - design & tiki culture. Even though they're not directly related, I also sprinkle in some images of my life, my dog, my neighborhood, etc. It's worth infusing your account with a few photos that represent you so that followers can "put a face to a name" and, as a result, feel more connected to your brand.
I personally like to have my feed look like a checkerboard where the variety is such that images right next to each other are never too similar in color. Semi-neurotic, I know. Totally ignore this tip if it seems like too much. But some of the most followed Instagram accounts do this and it looks pretty cool.
Do I stick to this advice all of the time? No! Sometimes I don't really care or I'm not paying that much attention or I really really really want to post something that happens to screw up the pattern. Don't worry too much about it - this is supposed to be fun!
I personally prefer to take advantage of the whole square for every post and I avoid borders or splitting images entirely. If you want to use some of those stylistic elements, just try to be consistent - you'll be amazed at how much more "professional" your feed will look overall.
This is social media after all! I find the more people I follow or interact with, the more people take a look at my account and follow me back. It's also fun commenting on photos of accounts you follow and starting up mini-discussions. I've managed to interact with a lot of people I've considered "mentors from afar" (or people who I follow that don't really know I exist) and that, to me, is really cool.
Another way to stay in touch is to tag other users and accounts with the @ sign (like, @moderntikilounge). I usually do this in the description of a post if I'm at a certain place (@tongahut), with a friend (@tamthyme), or sharing someone else's creative work (@sacha_baumann). This not only gives your followers awareness of other great Instagram users that you like, but it also makes the people tagged aware that you're talking about them.
Speaking of talking about people, try to always be positive! Social media is a great place to make friends, grow a community of followers, and support people & businesses that you like and appreciate. At the same time, it is all very public. In my opinion, the more love, the better (or, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all).
It's so easy to leave that little bio portion blank at the top of your Instagram feed but it doesn't take too much effort to fill it in. Try to summarize who you are, what your brand is about, or what you're up to in those few characters they give you. Just as viewers will skim your first few images up front, they'll also look to your bio to clue them in to your account. I feel like mine's not perfect but it's a start.
Oh, and if you've got a website, be sure to feature it as a link! I constantly reference my website in the captions of my photos that refer to my latest blog posts. It's great for my followers to be able to easily click that link to get access to the latest up on my blog.
For Instagram beginners, it's good to know that by using a #hashtag you're making your posts searchable. Click on a hashtagged word/phrase and you'll see that you can view all of the photos that have recently been posted with that hashtag. This is great when you're in a certain location, at an event, or are looking to attract people who might be interested in your photos. I'm constantly using #tikidrinks and #midcenturymodern on my photos (when they apply to the images of course) so that like-minded people can stumble upon my posts and my account.
Sometimes it's also valuable to come up with your own unique hashtags so that followers can see a grouping of similar photos that you've posted. I'm sure some of you have seen this at weddings or special events (#tikioasis2014). It helps to compile all photos specifically posted for that event or about that topic into one organized feed. Right now, I use #MTLgats for all of my posts that feature my dog, Gatsby. If my followers are interested, they can see all photos of him at once simply by clicking on that hashtag.
I really feel like most people are unaware that you can edit the text in the captions of your photos after they've been posted. This means, you can fix typos, add or remove hashtags, tag other users, etc. This has helped me improve the quality of my posts so many times especially when I've noticed that I've screwed something up!
So how do you do this? Go to your post. Right below the image there will be a heart ("like" button), text bubble ("comment" button) and three dots in a row (...). Click those three dots and you'll see that you have the options to delete, edit, or share. I usually only use "delete" if I'm not happy with the image quality (since photo edits, unfortunately, can't be made after the fact). When you need to fix your image caption, "edit" is your best friend!
While all of these tips may make Instagram seem more like a chore than it's worth, they most definitely will not make or break your account! Sharing your story with the world can be done in so many ways and you're already on the right track if you've decided to put yourself out there. Gradually work towards making improvements over time and you should start to notice your following grow. And what if you feel like your account doesn't look amazing at first? Guess what? No ones does! Everyone improves incrementally as they become more experienced with the app, so don't sweat it! Overall, enjoy the fact that Instagram is an easy tool that helps you paint a picture of your brand while making new friends, discovering other like-minded people, and stumbling upon endless sources of inspiration. Most importantly, have fun!!
On Instagram? Follow me @moderntikilounge!
If you're in the LA area and would like to join the conversation, swing by Keystone Art Lab for the #SocialTech discussion (7pm this Wednesday). It's going to be a great group with experience ranging from beginner to near-expert. I can't wait to hear what other tips people will have to share!
And, of course, if you're looking to join the conversation remotely, please share any questions or tips you have in the comment box below!


Condo owners have to pay for services the Town of New Canaan provides free of charge to home owners. Condo complexes are responsible for paving and maintaining their own roads. At Prides Crossing, we budget to spend $300,000-plus every 20 years to repave our roads. We reserve $15,000 per year in anticipation of that expense. In addition, we spend $30,000 annually for snowplowing and $5,000 per year to upgrade the lighting of our roads.
The New Canaan real estate property revaluation has raised the value of condominiums by an average of 9 percent, counter to the town-wide Grand List decline of 7 percent. This 16 percent delta, plus an anticipated mill rate increase, will surely increase property taxes on condos by 20 to 25 percent.
Condos are owned by seniors. At Prides Crossing, more than 90 percent of units are owned by residents older than 65, and 50 percent are single. The revaluation will increases the monthly (tax) carrying cost by at least $200 per month for our smallest unit. In the condo market, monthly increases in expenses directly correlate to lower market sales and values.


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Longview é uma cidade localizada no estado norte-americano de Washington, no Condado de Cowlitz.

Demografia
Segundo o censo norte-americano de 2000, a sua população era de 34.660 habitantes.
Em 2006, foi estimada uma população de 36.767, um aumento de 2107 (6.1%).

Geografia
De acordo com o United States Census Bureau tem uma área de
36,5 km², dos quais 35,5 km² cobertos por terra e 1,0 km² cobertos por água.

Localidades na vizinhança
O diagrama seguinte representa as localidades num raio de 8 km ao redor de Longview.

Ligações externas

Cidades de Washington
Condado de Cowlitz

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


HONOLULU (AP) — Officials are investigating the causes of death for three monk seals that were found on Oahu in the span of one week.
An adult female seal identified as RK60 was found floating offshore on Tuesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries said in a statement.
The seal had previously been sighted on May 2, but reported to be in good condition.
Officials believe she may have been "floating listlessly" or logging in Kaneohe Bay days before she was discovered lifeless.
On Wednesday, a female pup was found in Laie, and an adult female seal identified as RT10 or Ua Malie was found Thursday in Kahuku.
She is believed to have been the pup's mother.
Post-mortem exams have been conducted, although the bodies' decomposition limited any definitive conclusions that could be drawn.
Officials think the three deaths are unrelated and don't appear to be suspicious.
"There were no invert signs of trauma, fish hook ingestion, or entanglement, but we still don't know what the ultimate cause was," said Angela Amlin, the organization's Hawaiian monk seal recovery coordinator.
Lab results are expected to be completed in the coming weeks to determine the exact causes of death.
Officials are urging the public to report monk seal sightings so their health can be tracked.


TOMY is a leading global designer, producer and marketer of a broad range of innovative, high-quality toys sold to preschoolers, youths and adults under the TOMY®, Ertl®, Johnny Lightning® and Tomica® brands as well as nursery products for mothers, infants and toddlers marketed. For over 80 years Tomy toys have delighted children and their parents around the world. TOMY's mission is to inspire and fulfill the dreams of children and parents worldwide.


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UPGRADE NOTIFICATION: This service has been upgraded to the new interface. Access to this service is restricted to authorised personnel and subject to the policies adopted by RRC (RRConsultants) Ltd for the regulation of electronic communications. For security and audit purposes all data and user actions are logged along with the identity of the device you use to access the site.


July 20 — The Zionist enemy carried out a horrific massacre today against the civilians of Shuja'iya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, targeting homes with mortars, tanks, missiles and aircraft, killing dozens of martyrs and wounding hundreds, where many remain under the rubble of their destroyed homes amid a barrage of shells and rockets.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine pledged that the blood of the martyrs of the Shuja'iya massacre, of the war crimes and genocide committed by land, air and sea in every inch of Gaza against civilians in their homes, children, women and the elderly, will not be wasted, and that the enemy will never be able to break the will and steadfastness of our people and their valiant resistance which will fight and resist this cowardly and criminal enemy until the last breath.
The Front noted that the Zionist criminal occupation has brought death, destruction and devastation to our neighborhoods, camps and cities, saying that the occupation forces were incapable of stopping the resistance or its qualitative strikes against occupation forces, and have expressed their cowardice by targeting innocent civilians in their homes.
The Front saluted the brave resisters in all the Palestinian military organizations who are willing to sacrifice in order to block the progress of the occupation forces, for our people to survive and confront the war machine, and praised its ongoing painful strikes to the enemy.
Furthermore, the Front emphasized that the international community is responsible for the crimes against our people in Gaza with its ongoing military, financial and political support to the occupation entity, providing it with political cover to commit crimes against our people.
The Front demanded that Palestinian Authority officials and spokespeople stop engaging in the language of defeatism and to instead respect the Palestinian popular mood, which shouts that no voice is louder than the voice of the resistance. Our legitimate resistance is a point of pride for all of our people; we are convinced that we will win, and we will mend our wounds, we will rise from the rubble and the ruins to rebuild our homes again.
The Front saluted with pride the steadfast people in Gaza from Rafah to Beit Hanoun who have suffered so much pain and yet refuse to concede to the threats of the occupation. People with such steadfastness will inevitably triumph and no war machine will be able to defeat them or to force them to abandon their embrace of the resistance.
The Front saluted the inspiring sacrifices and commitment of medical personnel, ambulance workers and civil defense, who faced extreme danger and came under fire in order to evacuate the dead and wounded, as well as the journalists who lost their lives in order to deliver the tragic images in the streets of Gaza to the world.
The Front called upon the Palestinian people throughout Palestine, in the West Bank, Jerusalem and … everywhere in diaspora and exile, saying that the land of the West Bank must burn under the feet of the occupiers, in their settlements and everywhere the occupation is. It is time that the earth is turned to flame beneath the feet of the criminal enemy. There can be no more waiting as the horrific massacres continue in Bureij, Rafah, Khan Younis, Beit Hanoun, Shuja'iya, Gaza.
It also demanded [of] the Arab people and the democratic and progressive forces of the world to remain in the streets and squares, to occupy, surround and storm the Zionist and U.S. embassies and consulates in response to the crimes of the occupation forces, and to condemn the international and Arab official silence and complicity, demanding an immediate end to the siege on Gaza and the unconditional opening of Rafah crossing and in particular to facilitate the entry of medical personnel and aid.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine confirms that the crimes of the occupation will not go unpunished and resistance to the Zionist genocide against our people is our path. The banner of resistance and confrontation will be raised high by the Palestinian people.
The PFLP demanded that the PLO leadership immediately act to join the International Criminal Court and act to prosecute the fascist occupation war criminals for their massacres against the Palestinian people. The Front expressed its highest honor and salute and deepest mourning for the blood of the martyrs whose blood was shed on the land of Gaza, pledging to march on the path of freedom, self-determination, return and liberation, for which they were killed.


Happy Birthday to Angus | Happy Birthday Show!
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Governor's Council debate: Devaney vs. Shapiro
by Greg Reibman | Aug 22, 2014 | Newton | 6 comments
Tags: Charlie Shapiro | history | Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney
Here's a somewhat entertaining debate between the two Democrats — Marilyn Petitto Devaney and Charlie Shapiro — seeking their party's nomination for the Governor's Council on Sept. 9.
Hoss on August 22, 2014 at 10:23 am
The Govenor's Council, I think, was intended to be citizen participation in certain important government functions, mostly certain judicial nominations. This citizen participation is (1) only occasional (I think they meet once a month) and (2) occurs at the end of a process (final approval), they do not produce nominations or vet them against other nominations that didn't come to final approval.
So this citizen participation is in a sense like our various local Commissions — the Newton Traffic Commission for example. The difference is Massachusetts wants us to elect GC members, not appoint them. That's not a huge difference.
Where I'm going with is that it's quite odd for what are basically board members to be debating each other. What more odd, rather uncomfortable actually, is that these debates bring out the worst in people. A GC member should be a good judge of professional ethics and honesty in the applicant — being sure the applicant didn't try to hide a fault, etc. With such a basic task, why do I care about someone's belief's in abortion, for example. The GC member shouldn't be asking about abortion to the applicant, that none of their beez wax. Why should I care about a board member's thoughts on abortion?
In summary, we intended to make this citizen participation less political by vetting them in an election process as opposed to letting the Governor pick his/her team. Instead this is an political process in its a ugly sense.
Greg Reibman on August 22, 2014 at 5:19 pm
I have to confess that when I wrote that this was "somewhat entertaining" I had only watched the first half hour or so of this.
If you're a fan of down-ticket political theater, scroll ahead to about the 44:50 mark and be sure and watch at least through the segment about what Devany refers to as "a women's body or whatever."
Unbelievable to think that Devany could, yet again, be reelected.
BOB BURKE on August 22, 2014 at 8:02 pm
For pure excitement, nothing beats the primary contests that used to take place for Middlesex Registrar of Deeds, or was it Registrar of Probate.
Go Charlie Go.
Julia Malakie on August 22, 2014 at 8:10 pm
FYI, you can watch Newton's Evan Falchuk vs Jeff McCormick in the Lowell Sun/Middlesex Community College sponsored Independent candidates' debate here: http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_26385088/independent-debate-falchuk-and-mccormick-say-two-party (I did the video. Republican debate online, too.)
Any sign of this letter the other seven councilors are supposed to be writing?
Charlie Shapiro on August 23, 2014 at 9:15 am
@Greg- We can win this, but it's by no means easy. The Democratic core voters in town committees and such are very well informed and highly supportive of change. We're hopeful that there will be some print media coverage on the race since that's what informs a large number of voters who don't live and breathe politics on a daily basis.
@Julia-It doesn't exist. That reference was, shall we say, a "dramatic embellishment"


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Home»Classroom
How to Use Google Meet and Microsoft Teams for Remote Learning
Knowing about each platform's unique videoconferencing features can help educators unlock the full potential of a virtual classroom.
Micah Castelo
Micah Castelo is a web editor for EdTech: Focus on K-12. Her experience includes education and community news coverage for the Syracuse Post-Standard and international news reporting for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Videoconferencing platforms have become an essential part of K–12 education during the coronavirus pandemic. With many schools continuing remote learning through the fall, maintaining connections among students, parents and educators is even more crucial.
According to a Phi Delta Kappa International survey conducted this spring, 70 percent of high school students said increased communication would make them feel more connected to their peers and teachers during remote learning; 19 percent said video chats would help them feel that way.
Teachers also use videoconferencing to facilitate synchronous learning — education that happens in real time. With synchronous learning, students can feel a stronger sense of collaboration and community and stay more engaged in their learning despite missing in-person interactions.
"For students, the ability to see and interact with their teacher on a regular basis brings with it a sense of normalcy and comfort. For teachers, the ability to reach their students allows them to continue to provide each with the attention needed to keep the learning moving forward," notes a Consortium for School Networking brief on videoconferencing.
There's a wealth of videoconferencing platforms out there for educators to use. Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are two of the most popular.
However, some teachers may not know what each platform can deliver to their classroom. Knowing about the unique features each offers and understanding how best to integrate them into instruction can help educators unlock the full potential of a virtual classroom, now and in the future.
DISCOVER: Here's how you can ensure safe and secure videoconferencing.
The Google Meet Remote Learning Features You Need to Know
If your school uses G Suite for Education, you should have free access to Google Meet, formerly known as Google Hangouts Meet, already. This platform allows teachers, students and families to connect one on one or in a group chat over video.
In April, Google for Education announced that they're extending premium Meet features to all users at no additional cost until Sept. 30, 2020, to support schools doing remote learning because of the pandemic.
One feature gives users the ability to have meetings for up to 250 participants, which means teachers can have a group of classes join the same video call and learn together. Administrators can also leverage this feature to hold professional development sessions or schoolwide meetings at a larger capacity.
Also, educators who want to host a virtual assembly or stream a lecture live can now do so. A premium Meet feature allows users to livestream a video meeting for up to 100,000 people with view-only controls.
Another major draw: Meet is now fully integrated with Google Classroom, a popular learning management system used by K–12 educators. With a unique link, teachers can create a dedicated meeting space for each class. Teachers can also make their lessons more interactive by using Meet's screen-sharing tool to show online presentations on Google Slides and have students follow along.
READ MORE: Find tips for encouraging good student behavior while videoconferencing.
All video meetings also come with live captions and can be accessed with Chrome's screen readers and magnifiers, accessibility extensions and keyboard shortcuts. Teachers can also record video meetings so that students who aren't able to attend can catch up later and stay connected to their class. Students who don't have internet access can also dial in to a meeting from a mobile device.
Google Meet users can expect new features to drop later this year that will further improve student engagement and classroom management during remote or blended learning. For example, Meet will have a hand-raising feature and an integrated digital whiteboard to encourage student participation and collaboration. New safety features include blurred and custom backgrounds and a setting that requires a moderator to join before the meeting can start.
G Suite Enterprise for Education users will also get additional features, such as attendance tracking, breakout rooms and polling.
MORE FROM EDTECH: Find the blended learning platform that works best for your district.
The Microsoft Teams Remote Learning Features You Need to Know
Similar to how Meet is integrated with Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams for Education is built in to Office 365 Education. With Teams, Office 365 Education users can have a virtual classroom with videoconferencing capabilities.
Teams users can schedule video meetings with specific teams they create on the software for their classes, educator groups or even after-school clubs and enjoy basic features such as screen sharing and live chat.
Teams also supports up to 250 participants in video meetings and can be used to livestream an event with up to 10,000 attendees. Educators hosting an event featuring presenters can also leverage moderated Q&A controls to make it more engaging and encourage students to interact with the speakers.
Plus, Teams users can record all video meetings and easily share them in a specific class channel for students who aren't able to attend or need to access them for future use. Some teachers have even embedded videos in other Office 365 learning tools such as PowerPoint and OneNote so that they're all in one place.
In terms of accessibility, Teams meetings come with live captioning, and teachers can also use Microsoft Stream, a video service available to Enterprise Education users, to add or edit closed captions on any video meetings they've recorded. Additionally, students who can't access the Teams app can call in to meetings from their phones with the Office 365 audioconferencing system.
Collaboration is also an important aspect of learning and is something that can be replicated, thanks to the digital whiteboard students can use in a Teams meeting. For example, teachers can share the digital whiteboard with all meeting attendees, which they can then use to brainstorm and exchange ideas with visuals. Teams also has a polling feature teachers can use to quiz students on a particular subject or to get instant feedback from them.
Microsoft is also gradually rolling out new features for users to try out just in time for back to school. For instance, Teams meetings will now have a large, seven-by-seven gallery view that teachers can use to see up to 49 students in a single videoconference.
There are also new videoconferencing modes that help replicate the feeling of being in a classroom. Turning on Together mode places all meeting participants in one shared background like an auditorium. Also, students can turn on Focus mode, which hides video feeds during a live class or presentation if they get distracted by it.
Google Meet and Microsoft Teams both have videoconferencing features that can help educators improve the remote learning experience for all students. Professional development and collaboration with IT staff and instructional teams will be key to finding the best way to use them.
AndreyPopov/Getty Images
Holograms Add Depth to Remote Classes
Ed Tech Access and Competency Make Virtual Learning Options Equitable
Chatbots Allow Educators to Delegate Repetitive Tasks and Focus on Teaching


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Japanese fans are reacting positively to Banjo-Kazooie in Smash Ultimate
You like Banjo! You really, really like Banjo!
By John Friscia June 22, 2019
As I said just last night, people are extremely happy about Banjo-Kazooie coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, including the characters' original designer. However, when I say "people" are happy, I've mostly been referring to gamers in the West. The truth is I had no idea how Japanese gamers were reacting to the news, or if they cared at all.
Legends of Localization decided to find out. Japanese-to-English localizer Clyde Mandelin examined the comments sections of a few different Japanese news articles and Nintendo E3 Direct reaction videos. Then he translated a sampling of what he found. It was entirely informal and Mandelin insists his sampling shouldn't be taken as a direct reflection of how all Japanese gamers feel. Still — what he found was pretty positive overall!
Below is a small sampling of translated reactions. While there were occasional negative or "Who?" comments, Mandelin says there were positive comments "everywhere [he] looked":
I got so excited about Banjo-Kazooie that I cried! Now I gotta go buy me a Switch!!
Sakurai is really kindhearted. He listens too much to what players say. He clearly listened to the foreign audience with Banjo and stuff.
Coming from the N64 generation, having Banjo-Kazooie is so great. I was overjoyed when he did the peace sign. Please do a remake too.
The sound effect when Diddy wakes up K. Rool sounded so much like the balloons in Diddy Kong Racing that I cried
OK, so Sans announcement this winter (yeah right just kidding not gonna happen)
Dunno who Dungeon and Kazui are but I can tell they're good from how excited everyone is lol
Banjo-Kazooie? I have no idea who they are. Who are they?
I'm happy with Square's long-awaited Dragon Quest representation, but Rare's Banjo-Kazooie addition makes me many times happier. I can't believe we can finally see Donkey Kong and Banjo-Kazooie together at last!
They didn't add Sans from Undertale, but they did add the Hero from Dragon Quest and Banjo-Kazooie! So it was still great!
Now we just need Geno!! Please, give us Geno!!
Japanese people have no interest in Banjo-Kazooie, and foreigners have no interest in Dragon Quest. So it's a win-win.
I saw a lot of (Japanese) tweets saying "who?" so I'm glad to see a reaction like this
Seriously, please add Geno
Me, when Banjo-Kazooie was announced for Smash: Banjo! Kazooie! You're alive!
I fully support those Geno comments, and I'm very surprised (not in a good way) about the Sans comments. In any case, there are many more translated comments where that came from, and some of them are really funny and surprising. So make sure to check out Legends of Localization for more Japanese reactions. It's fun stuff.
John Friscia
Head Copy Editor for Enthusiast Gaming, Managing Editor at The Escapist. I'm a writer who loves Super Nintendo and Japanese role-playing games to an impractical degree. I really miss living in South Korea. And I'm developing the game Boss Saga!


Save up to 20% when booking up to 14 days in advance with The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence and Spa. Terms and conditions: Must book 14 days in advance. Rate available all days. Booking start date is 16 Nov 2015. Guarantee required. Tax not included. Gratuity not included. Non-refundable credit card pre-payment required at the time of booking for the entire stay. No changes, cancellations or adjustments to the reservation are permitted. Nore funds or cancellations.


See what makes the latest flagships from Samsung run like they do.
For the past couple of generations, Samsung has been able to fit everything we're asking for into a phone. It gets top-end specs and features into sleek and relatively compact devices, and that's the case again with the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Though many of these hardware features were found on the Galaxy S7, you'll find that the Galaxy S8 simply added to the equation without dropping anything in the process.
Here's the complete spec sheet for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.


Hard foam plastic BV is used for back filling redundant underground services including sewers and the stabilisation of industrial floors and roads.
This innovative system for backfilling redundant underground services has the added benefit of providing a cured strength of 30Kn, which on average is more than double that achieved when using traditional flowable cementitious grouts to backfill.
One of the main advantages of using Hard Foam is that the operation is self-contained in the site delivery vehicle and therefore offers an all-round cleaner solution when compared to cementitious based grouts, which has a process often require a significant amount of post work cleaning to take place.
The product, to give its full descriptive title QF 66 Hard Foam, has the advantage that the liquid is applied and cures without having to expand.
The final cured product is relatively light in weight, another major advantage when compared against concrete-related materials, and can be pumped with large amounts of substance in a relatively short period of time, more than halving that of many cementitious grout applications. This provides a significant time and cost saving and in addition helps further increase the green footprint of QF 66 Hard Foam.
This innovative alternative to back filling redundant underground services as well as other applications boasts so many clear advantages over cement based alternatives and although relatively new to the UK market is set to very quickly become the application and product of choice.


Thank you to everyone who took part in this consultation. A report detailing a summary of the feedback received is now available in the Summary of Results section below.
This report and the updated EqIA will be considered by the Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee on 19th March, who will be asked to make a recommendation about whether to progress with the changes proposed or not.
For more information regarding this meeting, please click here.
Last Summer, Kent County Council launched the Big Conversation to explore innovative and sustainable ways of providing transport to rural communities in Kent.
We have used the results of this consultation to develop a number of pilot schemes to test out the ideas. To find out more about the Big Conversation and any of the other pilot schemes, visit www.kent.gov.uk/bigconversation.
We are now proposing to revise the 58 service (Addington-Maidstone) operated by Nu-Venture to provide more frequent journey opportunities for the villages currently served. To facilitate these extra journeys, the 58 service would become a feeder bus and it would no longer run all the way into Maidstone.
Two proposals have been devised which would feed into existing commercial services that run into Maidstone Town Centre. Full details of these proposals can be found in the Consultation Document, which is available from the 'Documents' section below.
We want to hear your feedback on our proposals. No decision has been taken yet and your views are important in helping us to make a final decision.
Please tell us your views by completing the online questionnaire via the link under 'Respond' below.
In the 'Documents' section below you will also find our initial Equality Impact Assessments (EqIA) for this project for you to read and comment on via the consultation questionnaire.
Please note this consultation closes at midnight on 19 February 2019.
Alternative Formats: If you need this questionnaire or any of the consultation documents in hard copy or an alternative format, please email alternativeformats@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 421553 (text relay service number: 18001 03000 421553). This number goes to an answering machine, which is monitored during office hours.
Privacy: Kent County Council collects and processes personal information in order to provide a range of public services. Kent County Council respects the privacy of individuals and endeavours to ensure personal information is collected fairly & lawfully. We will follow our Data Protection Act guidelines to keep your information secure and confidential. For more information view our Privacy Notices.


Carrie Underwood dealt with, and is still dealing with, the fears, anxieties and stresses every working mother has to deal with. She admits "mommy guilt" follows her whenever she's away from (almost) 8-month-old Isaiah.
Parts of Storyteller were written before she became pregnant, but once she recovered and got into a routine with her new baby, she knew it was time to get back to work. She started very slowly, she tells Taste of Country.
Still, she had to fight off feeling like she wasn't doing enough, or ideas that she was missing an important milestone.
"Mommy guilt is so real. It's so real and I feel it everyday. I feel it right now, sitting here talking to you because I'm not home with him," she admits.
Eventually, Underwood will begin a full tour, and even though Isaiah is coming with her, she admits this brings a whole new set of worries and anxieties.
Setting aside for her emotions for a moment, Underwood acknowledges that even when she's not with him, Isaiah is with people who love him. But like so many mothers, she never feels like she's doing enough.
Storyteller drops on Oct. 23 and features the current single "Smoke Break" as well as the two additional instant-grat tracks she's released to those who pre-order: "Heartbreak" and "Renegade Runaway."


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Virginia Tourism Corporation Celebrates HAMILTON'S Arrival in Virginia with Alexander Hamilton-Inspired Experiences
November 19, 2019 by Andrew Cothern
RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) will be celebrating the arrival of the Broadway musical HAMILTON to Richmond and Norfolk with a number of Alexander Hamilton-inspired experiences.
On stage, Alexander Hamilton tells of his frequent interactions with notable Virginians, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, and how his travels in Virginia influenced the country for centuries to come.
As the first, largest and most prosperous of the British colonies in America, Virginia provided four of the first five presidents of the United States — eight in all, more than any other state.
"I am delighted to welcome the cast and crew of HAMILTON to Virginia, along with the many fans who will come to see this critically-acclaimed performance in Richmond and Norfolk," said Governor Ralph Northam. "So much of our nation's history happened right here in Virginia. This show brings these important stories to life and helps audiences of all ages discover even more of what our Commonwealth has to offer."
Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond opened the new exhibition, Founding Frenemies: Hamilton and the Virginians. Guests can discover rare artifacts related to themes from HAMILTON and experience an interactive exhibition that explores Alexander Hamilton's relations with the founding generation of Virginians.
A traveling panel version of this exhibition will be on display at the Slover Library in Norfolk from Wednesday, December 4, 2019, through Monday, January 12, 2020 to coincide with the Norfolk run of HAMILTON.
On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, historian Dr. Richard Bell will explore the musical's phenomenon to reveal what its success shows about the marriage of history and show-business.
In America's Historic Triangle, join Alexander Hamilton and James Madison (historic interrupters, of course) in the throes of writing the Federalist Papers to support the constitution over a hectic holiday season. Christmas and the Constitution will be performed at Colonial Williamsburg's art museum on Thursday, November 28, 2019, Sunday, December 15, 2019 and Sunday, December 29, 2019.
Ticket holders will also be able present their HAMILTON ticket or receipt of purchase for a variety of exclusive offerings at historic sites.
The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown Gift Shop will offer $5 off any Alexander Hamilton hardcover book in-stock. Guests are invited to shop for Alexander Hamilton souvenirs and special gifts in the museum's gift shops. This offer is valid through Tuesday, December, 31, 2019 and certain exclusions may apply.
George Washington's Mount Vernon is offering 20 percent off daytime adult and youth admission tickets when guests present his/her HAMILTON ticket or use promo code HAMILTON20. Certain exclusions may apply.
"We are excited to welcome visitors coming to Virginia to experience HAMILTON," said Rita McClenny, President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation. "We hope that everyone traveling here for the show gets to enjoy the many opportunities to explore the historic sites across Virginia that cover every important period of American history. These sites allow an enriched appreciation that expands on this story of our founding fathers."
HAMILTON will be performed in Richmond at the Altria Theater November 19, 2019 through December 8, 2019; and in Norfolk at the Chrysler Theatre December 10, 2019 through December 29, 2019.
For more information, visit virginia.org/Hamilton.
For information on HAMILTON, visit:
HamiltonMusical.com
Facebook.com/HAMILTONMusical|
Instagram.com/HAMILTONMusical
Twitter.com/HAMILTONMusical
About Jam Theatricals
Jam Theatricals (Presenter of Broadway In Richmond and Broadway in Norfolk) is a Chicago-based entertainment company that presents and produces Broadway engagements throughout North America and manages subscription seasons in 28 cities where they strive to bring the best of Broadway to the communities served. Current presentations include some of Broadway's biggest blockbusters: Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Jersey Boys, The Phantom of the Opera and many more. Jam Theatricals currently manages and operates the National Theatre in Washington D.C. Built in 1835, it is the oldest theatre for touring Broadway. Jam Theatricals and its principals have produced over 50 shows on Broadway, and have earned twelve Tony Awards® for the following shows: Glengarry Glen Ross (Best Revival of a Play, 2005), Monty Python's Spamalot (Best Musical, 2005), The History Boys (2006), August: Osage County (2008), Hair (2009), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2013), All The Way (2014), Fun Home (2015), The Color Purple (2016), The Band's Visit (2018), Hadestown (2019), and The Ferryman (2019). For more information, please visit www.JamTheatricals.com.
About Virginia Tourism Corporation
Virginia Tourism Corporation is the state agency charged with marketing the Commonwealth as a premier travel and film destination. Last year, visitors to Virginia spent $26 billion, which supported 234,000 work opportunities and contributed $1.8 billion in state and local taxes. In 2019, Virginia is for Lovers celebrates its 50th anniversary. To learn more, visit virginia.org/50YearsOfLove
Filed Under: News Releases