text:
Environment Texas
Help protect the places we love,
the values we share
In our emails, sent once or twice a week, you'll receive:
• alerts on new threats to Texas' environment
• opportunities to join other Texans on urgent actions
• updates on the decisions that impact our environment
• resources to help you create a cleaner, greener future
Environmental Defense
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Wildlife Over Waste
Tropical Forest Protection
Environmental Defense: Our Oceans
Environmental Defense: Our Public Lands
Environmental Defense: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Environment America Litigation Project
Energy Efficiency & Conservation
Clean Car Communities
Environmental Defense: Our Climate
Destination: Zero Carbon
UT's Dirty Little Secret
Texas Clean Air Project
FACT SHEET: Environmental and Health Concerns About Oil and Gas Spills After Hurricane Harvey
Release date: Tuesday, September 12, 2017
> Download Report (PDF)
Pollution Concerns with Oil and Gas Wells
An oil or gas well operating in normal conditions produces water in addition to oil and/or gas. The water comes from naturally occurring formations deep underground, and may be mixed with the targeted fossil fuel. As oil or gas is pumped from the ground, water also comes to the surface. That water is known as "produced water" and is too dirty to be released to surface waterways. This wastewater is typically stored at the well site in large tanks or open pits and is periodically trucked away, usually to be injected into deep underground disposal wells.
During extreme weather events, like we saw with Hurricane Harvey, wastewater storage tanks can be damaged or even float away, while open pits can flood, mixing wastewater into the floodwater.
Produced water can contain salt (which is why the produced water sometimes is called brine), naturally occurring radiation, and other naturally occurring contaminants like heavy metals.1 If the well has been fracked, the water that comes to the surface will also contain fracking chemicals (with the highest concentration of those chemicals in the first few weeks of the well's operation).
Environmental Impacts of Spills
Wastewater spills can cause environmental damage.Produced water is known to contain 83 different toxic chemicals.2 If produced water spills into the public water supply, these contaminants could threaten human health. Additionally, the high level of salinity has been found to harm soil health.3
In normal circumstances, the salt levels in produced water can kill all vegetation and prevent its regrowth,4 while spills into waterways can kill fish.5 For example, a 2012 spill of 3,000 gallons of oil wastewater north of Dallas killed trees in a wildlife refuge.6
We also know that oil and produced water will travel far and wide. In one post-Harvey spill, the Railroad Commission reported: "Oil stains are visible in trees 10-feet above ground level at a site about one-half mile from the location pad."7
Health Concerns from Oil, Gas and Wastewater Spills
While it is unknown exactly how much oil and produced water can be found in the floodwaters of Houston, there are health concerns for anyone who was exposed to the flooding or who is involved in the cleanup process. Currently, the Houston Chronicle and other outlets are reporting that residents in Houston are experiencing skin infections, itchiness, and coughing problems after exposure to floodwaters. Skin irritation and respiratory problems are common symptoms following exposure to oil and wastewater spills.8
Exposure to spilled oil is associated with health effects, such as headaches and dizziness.9 The chemicals in oil can affect the central nervous system, skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Researchers studying people living in the vicinity of past oil spills have found consistent evidence of acute toxic effects. These effects include neurological damage, eye irritation and damage, and respiratory or breathing problems among exposed residents.10
Poor Reporting Means Gaps in Knowledge
Unfortunately, we cannot know the extent of produced water spills since Texas does not require well operators to disclose them.11 In the aftermath of Harvey, most produced water spills have been reported in conjunction with oil spill reporting, which is mandatory, and we likely don't know about all of the wastewater spills that have happened.
The following is a list of spills from the Railroad Commission, as of September 6, 2017. We will continue to update the list as we gain more information.
Screen Shot 2017-09-12 at 9.43.28 AM.png
Preventing Future Impacts: Policy Recommendations
The only way to truly prevent future spills of oil, gas and drilling-related wastewater would be to transition away from fossil fuels toward a clean energy future. In the meantime, there are steps Texas can take to prevent future spills and limit damage.
Colorado faced similar threats in September 2013, when heavy rain and flooding caused 43,478 gallons of produced water and 48,250 gallons of oil and fracking condensate to spill.12 After the flooding subsided, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission inspected the damage and identified best practices for the future. The Commission eventually passed new regulations, including requirements that:
All new wells in floodplains can be shut-off remotely, and
All wells be retrofitted with containment berms on steel rings that can contain spills.13
Another way to minimize damage is to keep wells out of floodplains, and to mandate a substantial buffer between oil and gas drilling sites and bodies of water, as well as homes and development. Banning the use of open-air pits for wastewater storage would also improve safety.
In order to address ongoing safety concerns associated with floodwater cleanup, the state and federal government must fund monitoring activities so that residents and first responders know what chemicals and risks that they are being exposed to during this process.
Furthermore, the state should improve reporting requirements so the public knows which chemicals are being used in drilling operations and knows when wastewater spills occur.
Luke Metzger, Environment Texas Director: 512-743-8257
Kara Cook-Schultz, TexPIRG Toxics Director: 405-613-0970
Elizabeth Ridlington, Frontier Group Policy Analyst: 707-546-1913
Factsheet produced by Environment Texas, TexPIRG, and Frontier Group, which are members of The Public Interest Network.
1. Mike Soraghan, "Wastewater Spills Untracked in Texas, Masking Pollution," Energy and Environment News, 18 November 2015, www.eenews.net/stories/1060028166
2. Lindsey Konkel, "Salting the Earth: The Environmental Impact of Oil and Gas Wastewater Spills," Environmental Health Perspectives, December 2016.
4. Mike Soraghan, "In Texas, Wastewater Spills Get Less Scrutiny," Energy and Environment News, 2 August 2016, www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060041056
5. John Flesher, Associated Press, "Fatal Flow: Brine from Oil, Gas Drilling Fouls Land, Kills Wildlife at Alarming Rate," The Dallas Morning News, October 2015, dallasnews. com/news/news/2015/10/24/fatal-flow-brine-from-oil-gas-drilling-fouls-land-kills-wildlife-at-alarming-rate
6. See Note 1.
7. Fayette County - Vaclavik Unit (22772) Lease, Well No. 1, reported September 5, 2017.
8. BS Levy, et al., "The adverse health effects of oil spills: a review of the literature and a framework for medically evaluating exposed individuals," Journal of Toxicological and Environmental Health, April 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21618948
9. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ToxFAQs for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, August 1999, available at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/TF.asp?id=423&tid=75
10. B. Laffon, et al., "Effects of exposure to oil spills on human health: Updated review," Journal of Toxicological and Environmental Health, May 2016, https://www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27221976
11. See Note 1, and Nichole Saunders, Environmental Defense Fund, "Report Identifies Ways to Reduce Water Contamination from Oil and Gas Development in Texas," 20 June 20, blogs.edf.org/texascleanairmatters/2017/06/20/report-identifies-ways-to-reduce-water-contamination-from-oil-and-gas-development-in-texas
12. Matthew Lepore, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, "Lessons Learned" in the Front Range Flood of September 2013, 14 March 2014
13. Bruce Finley, "Colorado Adopts Rules for Oil and Gas Operations in Flood Zones," The Denver Post, 2 March 2015, www.denverpost.com/2015/03/02/colorado-adoptsrules-for-oil-and-gas-opera...
E-mail: info@environmenttexas.org
Environment Texas is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to getting things done.


A touching film about love, growing up, family troubles and a rather eccentric teenager! Submarine is a coming-of-age film about a very different teenager named Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) from Swansea wanting to lose his virginity to his girlfriend Jordana (Yasmin Paige) and stop his parents (Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins) from divorcing because of a new age guru (Paddy Considine) who also happens to be the ex-boyfriend of his mum moving next door. It's very different from most coming-of-age films I've seen, simply because it's very personal and gets inside Oliver's thoughts of his life and the importance he sees of it. It's a very humorous film, and yet it is quite dark as well, as Oliver imagines himself dead and how people would react if he came back as the Messiah for example, not to mention the possibility of his parents splitting, Jordana's mother suffering from cancer. These are all terrible things Oliver witnesses and thinks; yet he still manages to cope with it.


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Crystal Kay, artiestennaam van Crystal Kay Williams, onder haar fans vooral bekend als Kuri (Japans: クリ), (Yokohama, 26 februari 1986) is een Japanse J-pop-artieste. Crystal Kay spreekt vloeiend Engels en Japans en heeft ook Frans gestudeerd. Het merendeel van haar liedjes is tweetalig en heeft een erg westers R&B-geluid.

Biografie
Crystal Kay werd geboren op een legerbasis in Yokohama als de dochter van een Afro-Amerikaanse vader (een bassist uit New Jersey) en een Zuid-Koreaanse moeder (een professionele zangeres). Opgroeiend met muzikanten als ouders begon Crystal op haar dertiende zelf een muzikale carrière.

Crystal is geboren en getogen in Japan, maar terwijl haar vader in Yokosuka gestationeerd was ging ze naar een internationale school (Kinnick High School). Tegenwoordig studeert ze aan de Sophia-universiteit in Tokio.

Discografie

Albums

|- align=center
|align=left|C.L.L CRYSTAL LOVER LIGHT||23-03-2000||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|637 -always and forever-||22-08-2001||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|almost seventeen||23-10-2002||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|4 REAL||27-11-2003||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|NATURAL||17-12-2003||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|CK5||13-06-2004||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Crystal Style||02-03-2005||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Call me Miss...||22-02-2006||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|ALL YOURS||20-06-2007||-||||||
|}

Singles

|- align=center
|align=left|Eternal Memories||01-07-1999||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby||09-09-1999||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|こみちの花 / Komichi no Hana||03-11-1999||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Shadows of Desire||23-03-2000||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|LOST CHILD||15-02-2001||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|LOST CHILD||09-05-2001||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Ex-Boyfriend||04-07-2001||-|||||| met VERBAL
|- align=center
|align=left|think of U||28-11-2001||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|hard to say||07-08-2002||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Girl U Love||23-11-2002||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Boyfriend -part II-||22-01-2003||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|I LIKE IT (Crystal Kay loves m-flo)||18-06-2003||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|REEEWIND! (m-flo loves Crystal Kay)||18-06-2003||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Candy||22-10-2003||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Can't be stopped!||27-11-2003||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Motherland||12-05-2004||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Bye My Darling||27-11-2004||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Kiss||26-01-2005||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|恋におちたら / Koi ni Ochitara||18-05-2005||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Two as One (Crystal Kay x CHEMISTRY)||05-10-2005||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|Kirakuni/Together||08-02-2006||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|きっと永遠に / Kitto Eien ni||17-01-2007||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|こんなに近くで... / Konna ni Chikaku de...||28-02-2007||-||||||
|- align=center
|align=left|あなたのそばで / Anata no Soba de||16-05-2007||-||||||
|}

Externe link
 Officiële website

Japans zanger
Pseudoniem

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Technical data for 1996 Cadillac Eldorado 29,000 Mile Gorgeous White Diamond Coupe!
SubModel: 29,000 Mile Gorgeous White Diamond Coupe!
Trim: 29,000 Mile Gorgeous White Diamond Coupe!
"FLORIDA" vehicle - Carfax Certified showing "No Accidents"
miles of only 28,654 to be accurate.
The exterior finish in White Diamond Metallic is also clean and shiny.
no salt or winter conditions.
Plus, NO RUST anywhere, it is a true Florida vehicle!
We also had this vehicle's oil changed and a mechanical inspection done.
This Eldorado was really well kept with no leaks or issues.
not air shocks, so the service stability light stays on.
When you hit a bump it is quiet and solid.
4 matching Goodyear Integrity tires recently installed.
Never smoked in and probably garage kept based on the "breathtaking"
even the dash is in excellent outstanding condition.
leaks or other warning lights on.
Questions? Call Mike 239-895-3962 with Performance Autos of SW Fla.
even here in SW Florida where it will be 90 degrees in a couple days.
garage or condo and only driven occasionally.
plus we have no extra charges or dealer fees to add to the total.
Just pay your states sales tax and license.
and I promise, "I WILL ANSWER", or call back right away.
Payment will be made by cashier's check, money order or wire transfer. A $500 dollar non- refundable deposit (PayPal preferred) must be received within 3 business days following close of auction and remainder paid in 7 days.
Florida residents must include 6% sales tax. According to Florida law, if an out-of-state purchaser takes delivery of a vehicle in the state of Florida we are obligated as a licensed dealer to collect sales tax at a rate equal to the purchaser's state sales tax. The purchaser will then be given a receipt proving tax paid to present to their tax collectors office for sales tax credit. This does not apply to vehicles shipped out of state, only ones picked up in Florida.
2007 FORD F150 LARIAT CREW CAB 4X4 ACCIDENT FREE CARFAX CERTIFIED! RUST FREE!


text:
"That's Life" is a popular song written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon and first recorded by, Marion Montgomery in 1964 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaSUXRSxrDU.
The most famous version was recorded by Frank Sinatra, released on his 1966 album of the same name. Although Sinatra's vocal arrangement was nearly identical to Marion Montgomery's vocal arrangement, Sinatra gave credit to O.C. Smith, which was a completely different vocal arrangement. O.C. Smith was second to record the song (1965).
Both the album and the song proved major successes for Sinatra.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Tracking Property. Room by Room.
Family Home Inventory. Software for Windows PC, Laptop, Tablet, or Notebook:.
Fun interface uses simple drag and drop feature to organize property to match your house with your floors, spaces, and rooms. Add property items including name, description, acquisition date, value, photo, and planned disposition. Produce inventory reports (including photos).
Note: This is a stand-alone product also included in Family Finances (FwFF) and Family Software Bundle (FwFSB).


December 14, 2017 2017-18 season, Anthony Chiang, Erik Spoelstra, Hassan Whiteside, Injuries, Justise Winslow, Tyler Johnson.
MIAMI — Injuries derailed the Heat last season. And injuries are becoming a problem this season, too.
The Heat (13-14) will be without center Hassan Whiteside and forward Justise Winslow on Friday when they face the Hornets in Charlotte. Whiteside (left knee bone bruise) and Winslow (left knee strain) will not make the trip as they recover from their injuries.
Their next chance at a return will come Saturday when the Heat return home to face the Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back set.
Whiteside and Winslow are part of a long Heat injury list that also includes Rodney McGruder (left tibia surgery) and Okaro White (left foot surgery). McGruder and White are out indefinitely.
With those four players unavailable and Tyler Johnson out with a migraine in Wednesday's loss, the Heat used a short seven-man rotation in the second half against Portland. The Trail Blazers outscored the Heat 48-25 over the final 20 minutes and 10 seconds of the game. Was fatigue a factor down the stretch?
The good news is that Whiteside, who will miss his eighth consecutive game and his 13th game of the season Friday due to a bone bruise on his left knee, is inching closer to a return. After being evaluated Wednesday night by team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick, Whiteside was cleared to start working on the court.
Whiteside didn't go through the entire practice Thursday, but he participated in drills with a bulky brace on his left knee with assistant coach Juwan Howard and former Heat center and current team executive Alonzo Mourning watching on.
As for Winslow, Spoelstra said he has not needed an X-ray on his knee. Winslow exited Wednesday's loss to Portland in the first half with a left knee strain.
Winslow didn't seem worried about his injury after Wednesday's game, describing the pain as tightness in his knee.
While the Heat will be without Whiteside and Winslow on Friday, Johnson will return with "no restrictions" after missing Wednesday's game with a migraine.
Heat players combined to miss an NBA-high 328 games due to injury or illness last season, and that trend hasn't stopped yet 27 games into this season. The only thing that helps erase the frustration from the continuous injury issues is the fact that Miami is 13-14 through 27 games this year compared to 9-18 at this point last season.
What went wrong for the Heat down the stretch vs. Trail Blazers?
Heat played Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo together vs. Portland. Could two-big look continue when Hassan Whiteside returns?


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Road to Selection Sunday
The first two days of the major-conference tournaments have brought about several changes in the projected bracket and the status of bubble teams. One of the most important results was Cleveland State defeating Butler in the Horizon League championship game; with Butler already locking up a bid, this takes away an at-large bid from a bubble team. As for the bubble teams, some are playing themselves in, while others are losing games they can't lose and are playing themselves out. Moreover, teams that are locks have their seeds fluctuating by the hour. Who's in? Who's out? Answers to all that and more in a mid-week update of the "Road to Selection Sunday". Note: Complete "Bracket Breakdown" will be coming Friday.
Teams who locked up a bid:
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys solidified their spot in the Big Dance with a win over Iowa State and then really locked it up with their huge one-point win over Oklahoma.
Boston College: The Eagles basically needed one more win to wrap up an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and they handled Virginia easily by 13.
Dayton: The Flyers are very likely in after they defeated Richmond and now don't have to face Rhode Island in the semis. Win or lose against Duquesne, I think they're in.
Bubble teams trying to play themselves into the NCAA Tournament:
Virginia Tech: Pulled away in the second half to knock off fellow bubble-dweller Miami (Fl.). A win over North Carolina the quarterfinals would do wonders.
Minnesota: The Golden Gophers might be in after their excellent finish against Northwestern. However, a win over Michigan State would elimination any question.
Michigan: The Wolverines really sent a message, blowing out Iowa from the opening tip. They will face Illinois in the quarterfinals, and will lock it up with a win.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions were another Big Ten team helping its cause, as they dominated Indiana to advance and play Purdue. A win could clinch a bid.
San Diego State: Certainly ahead of UNLV in the MWC pecking order after defeating the Runnin' Rebels for the third time this season. Beat BYU, and they're in.
Utah State: The Aggies can't lose until the WAC final if they want a chance for an at-large bid in case of a loss, and they jumped out to an early lead on Fresno State en route to an easy win.
Maryland: The Terrapins defeated North Carolina State to keep their hopes alive, but they still probably need to knock off Wake Forest in the quarterfinals.
Florida: The Gators took care of Arkansas very easily, dominating the Razorbacks. They now face Auburn in what could be an elimination game for the loser.
Bubble teams not helping their NCAA Tournament case:
Texas A&M: Blew a 19-point halftime lead against Texas Tech and lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. Still probably in, but the loss hurts.
Saint Mary's: The Gaels probably could have helped their case for a bid even with a close loss to Gonzaga. However, Patty Mills didn't look good and they were blown out.
Miami (Fl.): The Hurricanes struggled most of the game against Virginia Tech and will now have to wait after a ninth-place finish and a first-round tourney loss.
Providence: The Friars likely needed to defeat Louisville to feel comfortable about a bid. With the loss, their 2-8 record vs. the top-50 is going to hurt.
Arizona: After the Wildcats' loss to Arizona State, they will now enter Selection Sunday having lost five of their last six. Plenty of good wins, but they will sweat it out.
Kansas State: The Wildcats received the No. 4 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and posted a 9-7 record, but they needed to beat Texas to get a bid, and fell short late.
UNLV: The Runnin' Rebels are probably fifth in the MWC pecking order after losing to SDSU for the third time, and will likely be heading to the NIT. Their big wins only get them so far.
Rhode Island: The Rams probably needed to make the finals – at the very least, the semifinals. However, they lost to Duquesne in the quarterfinals and are likely done.
New Mexico: After UNLV's loss, the Lobos just had to beat Wyoming to feel good about their chances for the Big Dance. However, they lost to the Cowboys and now have to pray.
Staying in the conversation for a bid:
Kentucky: The Wildcats came into the SEC Tournament losing four in a row, but their victory over Mississippi could potentially start a deep run to get a bid.
Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane jumped on Rice from the get-go and didn't look back. They still need to beat UAB and then hope should they lose to Memphis.
Temple: The Owls still have to get to the A-10 final by beating Xavier, but a solid victory over Saint Joseph's was a start. They now have 11 wins away from home.
UAB: Paul Delaney III's shot with the clock winding down in overtime against Southern Miss keeps the Blazers in the mix, but they still might need the auto bid.
USC: The Trojans are still on the outside looking in, but their win over California in the quarterfinals keeps them alive for an at-large bid. Need to beat UCLA.
See you in the NIT:
Cincinnati: The Bearcats were looking like a tournament team a few weeks ago, but lost to South Florida, Seton Hall and then DePaul to end the season.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish needed a deep run in the Big East Tournament to have any chance at a bid, and a blowout loss to West Virginia ends that.
Georgetown: If the Hoyas made a run to the Big East title game, they might have been in the discussion, but a loss to St. John's caps a disappointing campaign.
Nebraska: The Cornhuskers had a very surprising season under Doc Sadler, but a blowout loss to underachieving Baylor is not the way they wanted to go out.
Northwestern: The Wildcats had been on the periphery and needed to beat Minnesota to have a real shot, but they fell apart late and likely don't have a chance.
Posted by Jeff at 2:40 PM
Final Four Preview, Part One
Final Four Preview
Sunday's Elite Eight Previews
Saturday's Elite Eight Previews
Friday's Sweet Sixteen Game Previews
Thursday's Sweet Sixteen Game Previews
Sweet Sixteen Breakdown: South Region
Sweet Sixteen Breakdown: East Region
Sweet Sixteen Breakdown: West Region
Sweet Sixteen Breakdown: Midwest Region
Seven Figures
Dominic James Cleared to Play Sunday
2009 NCAA Tournament Bracket
South Region Preview
East Region Breakdown
West Region Breakdown
Midwest Region Breakdown
Major Conference Sleepers
Sleepers from Outside the Major Conferences
Potential High-Seeded Busts
Easiest/Toughest Roads
Best First-Round Match-ups
Top 30 Three-Point Shooters
Top 10 Trios
Top 10 Inside-Outside Combos
Top 10 Go-to-Guys
Mid-Major Stars You Will Get to Know
Top 12 Frontcourts
Top 12 Backcourts
NCAA Tournament Preview
Bracket Performance
Bracket Reaction
Who's In, Who's Out?
ACC Tournament Preview
Big Ten Conference Tournament Preview
SEC Tournament Preview
Southland Conference Tournament Preview
Pac-10 Conference Tournament
Big 12 Conference Tournament Preview
Mountain West Conference Tournament Preview
Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament Preview
Conference-USA Tournament Preview
Big West Conference Tournament Preview
SWAC Tournament Preview
Big East Conference Tournament Preview
WAC Tournament Preview
Mid-American Conference Tournament Preview
MEAC Tournament Preview
CHN Player of the Week, March 8
Summit League Tournament Preview
Big Sky Conference Tournament Preview
CAA Tournament Preview
West Coast Conference Tournament Preview
MAAC Tournament Preview
Southern Conference Tournament Preview
America East Conference Tournament Preview
Thursday, March 5 Predictions
Bubble Watch
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Northeast Conference Tournament Preview
Wednesday, March 4 Predictions
Sun Belt Conference Tournament Preview
Patriot League Tournament Preview
Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Preview
Tuesday, March 3 Predictions
Horizon League Tournament Preview
Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Preview
Big South Conference Tournament Preview
Championship Week
Key Games this Week
CHN Player of the Week, Mar. 1
Phillies closer Hector Neris suspended three games for throwing at Dodgers' David Freese


This is a cake I usually do when summer begins, when the berries are at their best.
It is an interesting cake, it is made by three different layers with different consistencies: crumbly, soft and rich.
Perfect for afternoon breaks outdoors.
Prepare the crumble first: cut the butter into small cubes, add it to flour and sugar and work them all together with your fingers, as quicker as you can. Create crumbles and chill in the fridge.
Then prapare the cheese layer: whisk together ricotta and egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff and add them to the mixture. Set aside.
Finally prepare the base: beat together butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then add the flour sifted with baking powder.
Assemble the cake: but the base in a 20 cm cake tin, spread evenly, then add the ricotta mixture, arrange the cherries and rasperries over the cheese and cover all with the crumble.
Bake at 180° for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Poi preparare lo strato di formaggio mescolando la ricotta con i tuorli e poi gli albumi montati a neve.
Infine preparare la base montando il burro con lo zucchero, unendo le uova uno alla volta. Aggiungere la farina setacciata con il lievito.
Per assemblare la torta mettere il composto della base sul fondo di una tortiera di 20 cm, distribuendolo bene, ricoprire con lo strato di ricotta, adagiarvi sopra le ciliege e i lamponi e coprire infine con il crumble.
Cuocere a 180° per 1 ora e 15 minuti.


THIS MUTUAL FUND WAS FOUNDED BY THE SYNDICATE OF CONTRACTORS AND GlobeMed Lebanon TO OFFER MEDICAL COVERAGE FOR THE LEBANESE CONTRACTORS, THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE FAMILIES.
HOW TO APPLY : AN APPLICATION SHOULD BE FILLED IN IN THE SYNDICATE PREMISES AS WELL AS A MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE.
- IT COVERS THE ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL WHETHER FOR COLD OPERATION OR FOR EMERGENCY CASE.
- THE CONTINUITY IS GRANTED IF THE NEW ADHERENT PRESENT WITH THE APPLICATION A PROOF OF PREVIOUS MEDICAL COVERAGE (WITH AN MAX. EXPIRY DATE 30 DAYS).
- THE GR FEATURE, GUARANTEED RENWABILITY LIFETIME LIMITATION IS GRANTED ON THE DATE OF THE FIRST YEAR RENEWAL.
WHAT IS "CONTINUITY" : THE ADHERENT HAVING A CONTINUITY ON HIS COVERAGE WILL BE COVERED FROM DAY ONE ON ALL PRE-EXISTING CASES.
WHAT IS GUARANTEED RENWABILITY LIFETIME "GR" : IT IS GRANTED TO THE ADHERENT ON THE FIRST YEAR RENEWAL IN CASE THIS ADHERENT DID NOT MEET ANY CHRONIC DISEASE (S). WHEN "GR" IS GRANTED, THE ADHERENT WILL BE COVERED ON CHRONIC DISEASES WITHOUT ANY RESTRICTION.
IT IS ALSO CALLED IN A POPULAR WAY "OUT".
THERE IS NO LIMITATION FOR THIS COVERAGE.
IT COVERS THE MEDICATIONS PRESCRIBED BY THE TREATING PHYSICIAN.
GlobeMed lebanon CREATED IN DIFFERENT REGIONS CLINICS WHERE THE ADHERENT CAN BE VISITED BY A FAMILY DOCTOR AND SPECIALISTS, ALSO HE CAN HAVE DENTAL CARE.
FAMILY DOCTOR'S FEES : 18000 L.L.
SPECIALIST FEES : 18000 L.L..
DIETETICIAN FEES : 30000 L.L..
THE UNION OF ALL MUTUAL FUNDS CREATED A CENTER IN HAZMIEH FOR THE EYE AND EAR.
A VERY SPECIAL PRICE WILL BE APPLIED ON ALL KIND OF LENSES.
AS FOR THE OTHER COUNTRIES, IT WILL BE COVERED THROUGH REIMBURSEMENT.
IN OUR FUND, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO GET ALWAYS MORE AND MORE BENEFITS FOR OUR POLPULATION.
IT IS A MUTUAL FUND WITH TH HIGHEST PERSISTANCY SINCE 2000 AMONG ALL OTHER MUTUAL FUNDS (ALL OUR ADHERENTSARE RENEWING YEARLY ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT AN OBLIGATORY FUND).
THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE A HIGH RATE OF SATISFACTION.


text:
Q: How can I use ogr2ogr & sqlite to create a new GeoJSON file that contains only a specific set of rows while renaming two of the keys? I need help with a syntax error from a sqlite command in ogr2ogr.
I'm trying to run a query on a geojson file. The query should create a new file that contains only a specific set of rows while renaming two of the keys.
What I have tried so far:
ogr2ogr -f geojson -dialect sqlite -sql "SELECT ID as aid, min as amin, max as amax, FROM contour WHERE amax >4 and amax <10" contour-pt5-middle.geojson contour-pt5-min4-max10.geojson

It results in the following error:
ERROR 1: In ExecuteSQL(): sqlite3_prepare_v2(SELECT ID as aid, min as amin, max as amax, FROM contour WHERE amax >4 and amax <10):
   near "FROM": syntax error

Simply removing a comma before my FROM statement seems to get me a bit closer, but it doesn't carry over the geometry object of coordinates:
ogr2ogr -f geojson -dialect sqlite -sql "SELECT ID as aid, min as amin, max as amax FROM contour WHERE amax >4 and amax <10" contour-pt5-middle.geojson contour-pt5-min4-max10.geojson

creates:
{
"type": "FeatureCollection",
"name": "contour",
"features": [
{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "aid": 6, "amin": 4.0, "amax": 4.5 }, "geometry": null },
{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "aid": 7, "amin": 4.5, "amax": 5.0 }, "geometry": null },
...

Here is a screenshot of how my data is structured in contour-pt5-min4-max10.geojson:

Expected output
Should be the same as the screenshot but only including features with "aid" from 6 to 16.

A: You can. You already found out most of the solution. You just need to ask for the geometry field e.g
ogr2ogr -f geojson -dialect sqlite -sql "SELECT ID as aid, min as amin, max as amax, geometry FROM contour WHERE amax >4 and amax <10" contour-pt5-middle.geojson contour-pt5-min4-max10.geojson

See the GDAL related doc https://gdal.org/user/sql_sqlite_dialect.html#geometry-field

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The weather for this match was actually semi-decent. The sun was bright but that means high-contrast photos. Commack's courts run east-west so the players are split-lighted with the sunlight coming in almost straight across the courts in the late afternoon. I'm pretty much restricted to shooting from the south side of the court due to the parking lot behind me with cars that would create a lot of nasty reflections. The backgrounds from this angle vary from the baseball field to the baseball dugout to black handball courts, which makes riding my exposure compensation a necessity.
There are five courts so I'm pretty much running back and forth trying to get players as soon as they switch to the side facing me. I try to get each player doing a mix of swings - serves, forehands, backhands - but that's not always possible. A lot depends on their opponent's ability to return the ball consistently and how long the match lasts.
For camera settings I'm using my usual outdoors sports setting - auto-ISO, 1/2000 sec., and a wide open aperture. I use my exposure compensation dial to take care of exposure shifts, which in the case of tennis, are mainly due to changes in background lighting.
These images were all post-processed in Capture One using an Extra Shadow film curve and a T-NEG08 film style for color grading from Thomas Fitzgerald Photography.
That's it for this post. Next up - maybe baseball on Monday, if the weather holds up (doesn't look too promising). If not, definitely girls track on Tuesday. Have fun.


text:
Memoir of a Visionary Artist on Death Row
by William A. Noguera
On the January 2018 ABA Indie Next List
Foreword by Walter A. Pavlo, Jr.
William A. Noguera has spent 34 years at the notorious San Quentin Prison, home to the nation's largest and deadliest death row. Each day, men plot against you and your life rests on a razor's edge. In Escape Artist: Memoir of a Visionary Artist on Death Row, he describes his personal growth as a man and artist and shares his insights into daily life and the fight to survive in the underworld of prison culture.
After being sentenced to death, he arrived at San Quentin Prison and was thrown into a rat-infested cell—it was there that he discovered the key to his escape: art. Over the next three decades, Noguera rebelled against conventional prison behavior, and instead forged the code he lives by today—accepting responsibility for his actions, and a self-imposed discipline of rehabilitation. In the process, he has explored his capacity to bring focus and clarity to his artistic vision.
An unexpected transcendent moment occurred while Noguera lay face down in the prison yard as guards fired shots at two men locked in battle. He realized the prisoners around him, their lives and experiences behind these walls, possessed significant worth.
Escape Artist exposes the violence, politics and everyday existence within the underbelly of society that is prison life. Noguera's story includes having been an abused child and a victim of racial discrimination and bullying. Ultimately, these challenges led him to the martial arts—and the lethal unknown side effects of Roid-Rage Syndrome caused by steroid use.
In an unprecedented narrative, Noguera reveals the emotional and heart-wrenching loss that landed him on death row and the journey he has taken to become an award-winning artist, speaker, and author, a tale of one man's transformation through tragedy.
Memoirs and Biographies
"[A] gripping insight into an unimaginable life . . . . The sensitivity with which Noguera writes about his art and emotional state is juxtaposed with his descriptions of the violence he witnesses, and perpetrates, among fellow inmates.""
– Adam Gabbatt, The Guardian, 10 January 2018
"The book is a chilling look through the eyes of a man who has nothing to lose in this life except going to his grave without being understood. Noguera is a gifted storyteller whose story is not only valuable, but must be told."
"...An inmate in a brutal, violent climate for more than 30 years and never formally trained as a painter or writer, [William A. Noguera] nonetheless produces expressive, award-winning art that is astonishing, as is the clarity and well-crafted technique of his literary voice."
– Bay Area News Group
"William Noguera's road from "the world" to San Quentin prison was a hard one. Even harder was life in the confines of the prison for 34 years, on death row, awaiting his end. But that life brought him to a realization about the value of life and he turned to art to express his new-found ideas, insights and feelings. Now an award-winning artist and speaker, as well as author, he wants to share the story of his move from roid-rage, caused by his use of steroids, to the life a new life – found where he expected his physical life to end. This is an insightful, encouraging autobiography that explains much and asks some hard questions about our system of justice and what it means to be a criminal."
– Linda Bond, Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA)
"This Memoir is rich with sincere storytelling. It is inspiring to know after reading that even in the harsh and unforgiving place like prison, it is possible for someone to produce such a creative expression. His art goes beyond the physical bars and expresses themes that represent his experiences and ideas. Readers will finds that William A. Noguera is not only an award-winning visual Artist; he is also a model of compassion and generosity."
– Alyson Turner, Source Booksellers (Detroit, MI)
"William A. Noguera is proof that the arts transcend the worst hells on earth. I've been saying this all my life. And I'm not the only one. This book begs the question—can we become more humane, more human, in face of the inhumanity around us? Noguera did, confronting his traumas and the pain he caused others, facing death and choosing life."
– Luis J. Rodriguez
As an award-winning artist, author and speaker, William A. Noguera has gained international attention and received accolades for his photographic hyper-realistic ink compositions, profound mixed-media paintings, hybridized abstract expressionism and neo-constructivist wall sculptures—exhibiting in Paris, New York and San Francisco. Noguera has been the subject of over 35 articles in such publications as Forbes, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and BOOM! A Journal of California. Besides being an artist and lecturer, Noguera is a former Hapkido Middle-Weight Champion.
Since writing his memoir, Noguera has aspired to help others through lectures at MBA programs and as a radio guest speaker, concentrating on prevention and intervention. Noguera's inspiration is simple: pay his debt to society by creating art for charitable causes and encouraging others, and writing and speaking about what it takes to make progressive self-change and the continuous effort that is required for someone to have a positive influence on others. Noguera's talks share an eye-opening, thought-provoking narrative on the realities of wrongdoing, prison life, ethical responsibility, prison gangs, their culture, the ramifications of destructive behavior, and the rewards of constructive rehabilitation.
More on William A. Noguera


text:
The Château de Nemours is a castle in the town and commune of Nemours in the Seine-et-Marne département of France. Located in the extreme south of the Paris conurbation, it stands on the banks of the Loing river. Transformed into a museum between 1903 and 1999, it houses collections of pottery.

The remains of the former chapel were added to the register of ancient monuments in 1926. The castle itself was made a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture in 1977.

History
Significant construction phases were in the first half of the 12th century, the 14th century, the 15th century and the 17th century.

The first stones of the building were laid around 1120 by Orson on left bank of the Loing. A village had been established on a nearby hill since the Merovingian era (according to the excavation in 1898 of Merovingian sarcophagi) in Saint les Nemours, on the left bank of the Loing. The first lords had probably installed a high castle mound on the right bank of the Loing in a place still called "le chatelet". The establishment of such a work next to the Loing was justified by the presence of a ford permitting crossing of the river before the construction of a later bridge.

In 1170, the second lord of Nemours (of which there is a record), Gauthier I de Villebéon, chamberlain to king Louis VII, obtained a charter  for his commune. At the time of the Hundred Years' War, the town was burnt in 1359 by the troops of Jean de Grailly and the Captal of Bush. In 1404, the town became a duchy-peerage but it fell 16 years later at the hands of English. It was released from their influence in 1437 by Jacques of Anjou.

The castle had only a few modifications during the following centuries. It was altered in the 15th century by Jacques d' Armagnac who added mullioned windows to make the keep a more pleasant place to live. At the time of the Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestants, it was the site of the signature of the Treaty of Nemours in 1585 between Catherine de' Medici and the Duke of Guise, which ratified the progress of the Catholic League and urged Protestants to leave the kingdom, before "good" King Henri IV finally put an end to the quarrels nearly a century later with the Edict of Nantes.

In the middle of the 17th century, the castle became a law court under Anne Hédelin, lieutenant general of the Duke of Orleans. The latter also changed the castle entrance to open it onto the main courtyard and its monumental staircase (perron).

Architecture
The castle is composed of a girdled keep of four round towers and a square watch tower overlooking the valley of the Loing. The main courtyard is surrounded by medieval houses which constitute the heart of the historical heritage of the town between the communal mills, the church and the district of the clerics.

See also
List of castles in France

References

External links
 Nemours: Château-Musée - museum site

 Article from La République de Seine et Marne

Castles in Île-de-France
Monuments historiques of Île-de-France
Art museums and galleries in Île-de-France
Museums in Seine-et-Marne


For the novelization of TriStar Pictures' GODZILLA, see Godzilla: The Novelization.
Godzilla: The Official Movie Novelization is a novel based on Legendary Pictures' Godzilla, written by Greg Cox. It was published by Titan Books on May 20, 2014.
A powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless.
In an extended opening, the USS Nautilus surfaces at Bikini Atoll, its arrival reminding islanders of a sea monster.
Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham visit irradiated survivors of the Universal Western Mining collapse. Footage from this scene appears on Godzilla's DVD and Blu-ray bonus features.
Ford Brody meets Elle and Sam at Travis Air Force Base after returning from his tour of duty. Sam is shy around him at first. A photo of this scene was available on the promotional site MUTOResearch.net, and footage is present in the film's b-roll.
Ford talks to a customs official at Narita Airport on his way to post Joe Brody's bail. A photo of this scene appears in the book Godzilla: The Art of Destruction, with the official played by prolific kaiju actor Akira Takarada.
Ford watches an old movie where "giant prehistoric creatures [battle] each other amidst balsa-wood sets" at Joe's apartment.
The male MUTO's influence causes electronics and lights to turn on throughout Janjira, starting while Ford and Joe are exploring their former home.
Monarch is studying the male MUTO to determine how it can convert radiation into energy.
When the male MUTO tears apart the Monarch containment facility, Joe saves Ford's life by warning him of a falling crane. Unfortunately, it knocks over the gantry where he was standing, mortally wounding him.
Sam is dismayed to wake up and find that Ford has already left for Japan.
Serizawa says "Godzilla" instead of "Gojira" when introducing the monster to Ford. His third-person narration explains that "[t]he name was derived from a legend of the islands: a mythical king of monsters known as Gojira."
The crew of the USS Saratoga gives Joe a burial at sea.
Cox describes the damaged inflicted by the female MUTO to the Las Vegas Strip in detail, including the replica Statue of Liberty. A shot of the Statue appears in the film's main trailer.
Godzilla uses his atomic breath against the male MUTO during their first battle in Honolulu.
Elle's call with an airline representative takes place after the female MUTO attacks Las Vegas, instead of after the male MUTO leaves Janjira.
During their flight to Lone Pine, California, Ford talks to the doomed Sergeant Morales, who reveals that he and his wife are expecting a baby daughter in a week.
Citizens stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic gape as Ford's train loaded with ICBMs speeds towards San Francisco. A girl holding a teddy bear catches his eye.
Admiral Stenz reveals to Serizawa that his father served aboard the USS Indianapolis when it was transporting parts for the atomic bomb which destroyed Hiroshima.
Ford feels "the thrum of high-tech sonic weapons" as the U.S. military battles the female MUTO in the distance.
As they approach a tunnel, an EMP emitted by the female MUTO buffets Ford and his fellow soldiers. Footage of this moment appears in the film's b-roll.
After recovering from the female MUTO's attack on the train, Ford notices the remains of one of the cars caught in traffic earlier, as well as a teddy bear.
Sam is nearly trampled during the evacuation of San Francisco after he follows some soldiers, looking for his father.
A squadron of F-35s attack Godzilla after he smashes through the Golden Gate Bridge and approaches Alcatraz. Their attacks injure him somewhat. This battle appears in some merchandise for the film.
The meeting between the two MUTOs is omitted.
Ford briefly reunites with Sam at the Oakland Coliseum before leaving to assist the military's efforts to disarm the ICBM abducted by the male MUTO. As promised, he gives Sam a toy Navy soldier he found in his old Janjira bedroom.
Before he leaves for the HALO jump, Serizawa hands Ford a photo of him and his parents and tells him his father would be proud.
An EMP from the male MUTO prevents Godzilla from firing a second blast of atomic breath to finish off the female. Cox describes Godzilla's signature weapon as having a bioelectric component.
The same EMP breaks all of the soldiers' flashlights, interrupting Ford's efforts to disarm the ICBM while inside the MUTO nest.
Godzilla kills the male MUTO by ripping off one of his wings, then tackling him into a building.
The female MUTO spares Ford after he destroys her nest because she notices the ICBM on the move, not because of Godzilla's intervention.
After firing his atomic breath at her, Godzilla beheads the female MUTO "with a single swing of his arm."
Godzilla and Serizawa briefly lock eyes before Godzilla wades back into San Francisco Bay.
In June 2014, Godzilla: The Official Movie Novelization placed 18th on the New York Times Best Sellers list for mass-market fiction in paperback.
This page was last edited on 8 March 2019, at 08:30.


text:
Q: Can you convert a .tflite model file to .coreml - or back to a Tensorflow .pb file or keras h5 file? General question: is there tooling to convert from tflite format to any other format?
I'm trying to convert a keras model to a CoreML model, but I can't because the model uses a layer type unsupported by CoreML (Gaussian Noise). Converting the keras .h5 model to a .tflite is simple, removes the offending layer (which is only used in training anyway), and performs some other optimisations. But it doesn't seem possible to convert out of the resultant tflite to any other format. Coremltools doesn't support tflite. I thought I could probably load the model from tflite into a tensorflow session, save a .pb from there, and convert that to coreml using coremltools, but I can't see a way to load the tflite model into a tensorflow session. I saw the documentation linked to in this question, but that seems to use the tflite interpreter to read the tflite model, rather than a "true" Tensorflow session.


Ellern Mede Eating Disorder Services is widely regarded as the UK's most specialist provider of intensive inpatient and outpatient treatment for children and young people. We have a higher proportion of staff to patients than any other UK specialist eating disorder provider, able to provide close personal care to all of our patients. In inpatient care, we treat people aged 8 to 18 years with eating disorders as well as young people 18 to 25. Our inpatient service is particularly suitable for patients with acute Anorexia Nervosa. Our outpatient services help people who have a clinical referral confirming they would benefit from outpatient services. We can see children and young people in outpatients aged 12 to 25. Our outpatient services treat the full range of eating disorders including selective eating disorders, bulimia or binge eating. Outpatients can be seen at our hospitals, or at our clinics in Harley and Wimpole Streets in central London.
We have two hospitals with specialist eating disorder therapists. Ellern Mede Ridgeway is in Mill Hill, North London and offers 26 inpatient beds for children and young people aged 8 to 18 years old. Ellern Mede Barnet offers 16 inpatient beds for children, young people, four of which are a separate ward for young adults between 18 and 25 transitioning into adult care.
Our high recovery rate for inpatients is based on the fact that our patients receive a holistic multidisciplinary range of therapies for body and mind until their eating disorder is sufficiently controlled for safe discharge, helping to avoid relapse. We never give up – until the day after the illness does.
Ellern Mede has the benefit of an independent school across both sites, which in 2018 was rated "Outstanding" By Ofsted. The Ellern Mede School provides specialist education for children and young people, aged 8 to 18 years with eating disorders, who are either admitted as inpatients to Ellern Mede and for those who need to continue their education with us after being discharged. The school also serves children and young people locally who have been unable to attend their mainstream school due to illness or anxiety.
Please contact us via our website or call us confidentially on 020 3209 7900 and ask for Private or NHS Referrals.
Ellern Mede has provided specialist Tier 4 eating disorder services to the NHS since 2000. We respond promptly to all enquiries. Contact us now.
Call now for immediate access to Ellern Mede specialist private eating disorder services. We will respond within 24 hours. We can offer treatment within two weeks or faster in emergencies.
We will safely support you to improve your quality of life and to challenge the negative impact of an eating disorder.
I consent to be contacted by Ellern Mede on the details I have provided above*.
I consent to Ellern Mede holding and processing my data in accordance with its GDPR Policy.
*Please note that your details shall only be used to contact you in relation to your message and not used for any other marketing purposes or shared with any 3rd parties without your consent.


text:
JAIPUR TOUR & TRAVEL
Jaipur is the city of princes and princesses, of tales of valour and courage, of romance and chivalry. Majestic forts, luxurious palaces, lively temples, colourful bazaars, vibrant streets and pink face, have given the city a unique and unmatched character that immediately endears itself to every visitor.
Showing an amazing mix of modernity, traditions and old world charm this city surges forward with its roots in the past. A bustling metropolis today, it is the perfect example of the very essence of India!
The Pink City, as Jaipur is popularly known, was not always pink. Its main thoroughfares and buildings are painted earthy pink in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales in 1876. It all came about due to the fact that it was thought that the glaring white starkness of its buildings would be too bright for the visiting prince and thus the idea to paint buildings pink, came about. Today, every home within the old city is obliged by law to maintain this facade. This amazingly symmetrical and thoroughly proportioned city came into existence as early as 1727 being the only city in India which was conceptualized and conceived on such a grand scale.
Through the great vision and scholarly skills of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and extensive works by his Chief Architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharji, Jaipur rose to fame as the most beautiful and the best planned place to live in. Liberal, protective and secular policies of the rulers attracted a wide range of artisans, artists and businessmen, which today make this city, a great arts, crafts, trade and cultural centre. Architecturally, the city proved to be a milestone and other great kings like Sawai Ram Singh and Sawai Mansingh II added many more public buildings and institutions to this existing masterpiece.
Jaipur is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with forts and enclosed by embattled walls. The Old City, the actual Pink City, is a great place to wander around. Maharaja Man Singh II had the whole city painted pink when the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, visited Jaipur in 1876. Fabulous, tall houses with latticed windows line the narrow streets of the old city, their rose pink colour lending enchantment to a scene which is almost magical at sunset. Today luxurious hotels and resorts offer comfortable accommodation to all who wish to visit and the tourist infrastructure is equally professionally handled.
Places of interest are the Jaipur Museum, Albert Museum, Birla Mandir Planetarium, Sisodia Rani Park, Lakshmi Narain Temple, Kanak Vrindavan, The Rajmahal Palace; Rambagh Palace (now a Luxury hotel) and other parks. No matter what you choose to do, your time in Jaipur will be remembered for a long time to come.
Amber is located at a distance of 11 kilometers from Jaipur and was the old fort of the Kachhwaha clan of Amber, which used to be the capital, till it was moved to Jaipur. The fort is built with white marble and red sandstone and look even more attractive because of the Maota Lake in the foreground. The fort in itself is a beautiful sight to behold but as one looks on the fort with its clear reflection on the lake in the front, one cannot help but wonder if it is a dream or a beautiful illusion. The tourists to this fort can either approach the fort by road or take an elephant ride, which though is quite slow yet is a lot of fun.
How often have we been told not to build castles in the air? Very often indeed, but if you are a dreamer and wish to see this 'palace of the winds' which is not just in your imagination but a real palace, then come to the 'pink city' of Rajasthan and see the Hawa Mahal. Each wall of the palace reinforces the idea that 'dreams truly can come true', The Hawa Mahal, which adjoins the famous City Palace wall, was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and has now become one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. The palace is shaped like a pyramid and is a five-storied building, with number of small windows and screens, with arched roofs.
Jantar Mantar is another important tourist attraction in Jaipur. Built by the astronomer king Sawai Jai Singh II, Jantar Mantar is one of the five observatories built by the king. The Jantar Mantar at Jaipur is the biggest and most elaborate observatory in India. Constructed between 1728 and 1734, the Jantar Mantar is located in the center of Jaipur. The name "Jantar Mantar" is a modification of the Hindi words "yantra" meaning instruments, and "mantra" meaning formulae. It was built to study various phenomenon of astronomy like latitudes, longitudes, constellations, local time, declination of the sun, planets and the stars, and to determine eclipses.
The City Palace in Jaipur is an important landmark in the Pink City. The City Palace complex is where the royalty of Jaipur used to stay. The City Palace is a perfect blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture. The palace complex was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II and his successors made various additions to the complex. Some of the beautiful buildings in the City Palace complex include Mubarak Mahal, Badal Mahal, Sh. Govind Dev Temple, Chandra Mahal and City Palace Museum. Tourism in Rajasthan offers complete information on various tourist destinations and hotels in Rajasthan.
Perched atop a pricturesque hill, the Nahargarh Fort offers a breathtaking view of the city below. Initially built by Sawai Jain Singh in 1734 A.D. It was enlarged and given its present shape by Sawai Madho Singh in1885 A.D. Decorative motifs in some of the rooms are delightful. From the windows of the nine identical suites, one gets a magnificent view of the city, complete witht he geometrical layout. From Amer there is a road to Nahargarh, which passes through the hills.


Here are some helpful observations on "walking in the light." (1) Sin is God's enemy, and yours. Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth." (Luke 11: 23). Neutrality and passivity aren't options; you must treat sin like the enemy it is. (2) Be honest with yourself and God. Don't excuse your sin as a "condition" or "tendency." You didn't just make a bad judgment—you sinned. You may have had a troubled past, but today you have choices! (3) Don't indulge in beating yourself up. You're not supposed to wallow in condemnation before acknowledging your sin. Making yourself miserable doesn't signify that you deserve forgiveness. That comes by grace, through faith alone. Every second spent in self-condemnation is time stolen from you by Satan. The moment that brings the acknowledgment of sin also brings the cleansing of sin. (4) If you repeat the sin, repeat the confession. "Won't God get tired of me coming to Him?" you ask. No. God accepted Jesus as a substitute for all your sins for all time, so He will never reject you. Isaiah told God's people, "Return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy...and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7). Above all, be patient with yourself. Give the Holy Spirit time to develop in you the strength needed to transcend your old nature and overcome your old sinful habits, and be assured it will happen (see Philippians 1:6).
God's children are bound to pour forth rivers of the water of life. In the wilderness, Moses brought forth water from a rock. Paul says that rock was symbolic of Christ. Just as Christ, the rock of our foundation, pours forth the water of life, so too shall we as His bride pour forth the same water! And this water is the very Spirit of God, who moves among men as He wills to forward the kingdom of heaven. Amen.


The SSF1/8B 2TS GPRJ GRW Gebr. Reinfurt bearing is a stainless steel ball bearing with a steel or standard cage, a cylindrical bore and a double Teflon seal.
Technical details (B 2TS GPRJ) B= 2TS=(Segment Seal, Code 2TS)=Two Teflon Seals Reinforced With Z-Shields. GPR=Noise Tested,, J=Steel Cage.


If you're tired of your current dentures moving around in your mouth, and think denture adhesive is bothersome, our denture replacement solution may be right for you.
A fixed replacement solution consists of a dental implant bridge (sometimes called a hybrid bridge) that is supported by four or more dental implants. By using dental implants to secure the teeth, the need for denture adhesive is a thing of the past. Because the dental implants function like the natural roots, the teeth will feel very much like your natural teeth did.
The first step is placing the implants to replace the lost tooth roots. The number of implants is based on your individual treatment plan. Temporary teeth can be attached that enable you to eat and function like normal while waiting for the permanent bridge to be installed. At no point during the treatment will you be without teeth.
The final bridge is securely installed on top of the implants. Once in place you can eat with confidence and smile with your individualized teeth. We will teach you how to take care of them at home and you will see us periodically to ensure your implants stay healthy.


Specifies the parameters that the notification includes in the web services request to authenticate with an external application. Examples of these parameters are the User ID and password. Refer to the documentation for that application for information about required and optional parameters and syntax.
The Authentication request parameters consists of one or more keyword/value pairs. Each pair must appear on a separate line and must be separated using a colon (:) or an equals sign (=).
You can use Ricoh ProcessDirector symbol notation in the Authentication request parameters property.
For more information about symbol notation and how to use it, refer to the help system.


text:
Peter Pitts Discusses Drug Price Increases and the Impact on Patient Outcomes
Podcast Transcript:
Hello, my name is Peter Pitts. I'm a former associate commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, and the president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. What I'd like to talk to you about today is the very hot political topic of drug pricing.
It seems that whenever you pick up the newspaper, or turn on the television, or listen to the radio, or attend cocktail parties, the topic du jour relative to healthcare and healthcare reform most certainly is the price of drugs. This is becoming even more intense as we welcome in the new Congress and the new House of Representatives under Speaker Pelosi.
I suppose the best place to start is with the customer, with the client, with the patient. When most people say my drugs are too expensive, what they generally mean is my copay or my coinsurance is too expensive.
Yet, when you pick up and read a story about the newest cancer drug, or the newest drug for hepatitis C, or high drug prices writ large, the numbers that are thrown around are about the list price. That's relevant and it's interesting, but it isn't really the whole story.
It's like they say, everything you read in the newspaper is true, except for those things you know about personally. When you talk about drug costs, you need to focus on not just the list price, which is the big sexy sounding number, but how that number is discounted through payers and PBMs, through to pharmacies, and ultimately onto the patient in the form of their copay and coinsurance.
More and more, the average citizen, the average patient, is beginning to understand that the price of drugs isn't exclusively due to the list price that they might read about in the paper, or hear about from their friends and family, that it really is an ecosystem that lots of people touch.
That's certainly true when it comes to members of Congress. For the first time ever, probably in a serious way, last year Congress and the administration began talking about not just drug prices from a manufacturer perspective, but also from the PBM and the payer perspective.
Why aren't, for example, these double‑digit 20-, 30-, 40% discounts, 50% discounts being passed along in the form of lower copay and coinsurance?
For those companies doing business with the government, whether it's through Part B, or Part D, or other programs, obviously there's going to be legislative language, rulemaking language, that's going to guarantee that a certain percent of the discount offered by the manufacturer be passed down to the patient. That's a new piece of information.
Clearly, doing away with things like the gag rule is long overdue. Games are being played by everybody. The fewer of them there are, ultimately the better off the patient is. Now, we talked a lot during the debate over the Affordable Care Act, about bending the curve. That's certainly important.
Bending the curve looks at healthcare expenses from a 30,000‑foot level. While that is crucial, and absolutely must be addressed, the average voter, citizen, patient is not thinking that way. They're thinking about what's coming out of their pocketbook, out of their wallet, on a per regional basis.
Obviously, the higher the copay, the higher the coinsurance, the less likely it is that a patient's going to be compliant and adhering to their doctor's program. That has significant financial implications. Where are we going to go from here? I think the days of having one group point the fingers at the other is over.
It had a long and successful shelf life. Payers and insurance companies pointed the finger at pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical companies didn't know what to do because they have to do business with payers and PBMs, so they don't want to bite the hand that feeds them.
At a certain point, the public perception of the pharmaceutical industry, at least as I see it, becomes so negative that it becomes deleterious to their ability to do business, and to deal with policymakers, regulators logically. I think what we're going to see as we move forward in 2019 with a new Congress, is a focus on drug prices.
I'll be curious to see how honest the various CEOs of innovative drug companies will be when they're asked why they're raising prices. Pfizer and other companies recently announced their 2019 price increases. Pfizer did a very interesting thing. They were honest.
They said that their drug price increases would result in a net corporate profit of zero. If you think about that, it opens up the conversation as to why that is. How can a company as large as Pfizer, or Merck, or Novartis, or Bristol‑Myers, Squibb, now plus Celgene, pick your company, how can they raise prices and yet their net profit is raised to zero?
To do that, you need to do the proper math. If you're going to do algebra, you need all parts of the equation to find X. In this case, how do you factor in discounts? How do you factor in formulary positions, and why that's relevant to discounting?
The things that were always kept very commercial confidential, things that were considered too complicated for the average person, the average legislator to think about, this is now clearly on the table. Certainly, for those payers and PBMs that are doing programs for state and federal governments, they're going to be playing under much brighter rays of sunlight.
The transparency regulations are going to have teeth, and people are going to want to know exactly what's going on. The theory here is that this will benefit the end user. Whether that results in being the case, I suspect, remains to be seen, but it absolutely is going to happen.
Initially, if you want to look back and say, "What really began this conversation?" I think you need to look back at the early days of this evolving conversation with this new discontinuous innovation within the hepatitis C group, where the large payer groups threw up their hands up and said, "Oh my God. $83,000 a pill. Can't afford it. It's going to bust the bank."
Very shortly afterwards, they recognized that the math of the cure versus a treatment that only 50 percent being the conjugated pegylated therapies, would pay for itself and then some. I was on a panel in Denver, when this first broke, with a Rocky Mountain PBM. They said, "Well, $83,000. We can't afford that. That's too expensive."
I asked the representative, "Well, most large PBMs receive significant discounts on this medicine. What's your discount?" "We get a 32 percent discount." I asked him, "What's 32 percent of $83,000?" She said, "I'm not sure." I said, "Well, somebody at your office knows the answer."
The dishonesty of harping on $83,000 a pill when, in fact, nobody paid, least of all the PBM was reimbursing at $83,000, began to make people realize that the canard of the list price versus the actual price was relevant. What also is going to come to bear here...This certainly brings in the Part B medications.
Can payers and PBMs continue to base their copay and coinsurance on the list price, even though that's not what they purchased the drug for? This can be clearly a case in 340B type programs, as hospitals come under the radar as well.
Clearly now with the HHS' new Inpatient Prospective Payment System, patients are going to begin to understand exactly what their costs per item are going to be when they consider going to the hospital, or in those areas where there's a choice choosing the hospital.
They're going to be shocked to learn that hospitals actually make money on the products that they use. In this case, specifically drugs and devices. It remains to be seen how they feel about that, or whether there's the ability to negotiate, or whether hospitals will use various types of pricing as competitive advantages over other hospitals in their region.
All this is really a relatively new thing. It's coming about because of this new concept of drug pricing as a healthcare ecosystem issue. Now, when you think about it, this does not sound revolutionary. It doesn't sound like rocket science. Unless you do think about it, you simply assume that the list price that you read about in the newspaper is the price that everybody pays.
That's not true, and it's never been true. Now, the pharmaceutical industries are smart enough to tee up the fact that they shouldn't be the only ones sitting in front of a congressional subcommittee, testifying on the cost of healthcare.
Clearly, we want to encourage innovation in all categories, certainly in orphan diseases and Alzheimer's disease, which unless we really focus in on it, is going to bury us all under the weight of that terrible burden, both from a societal standpoint and an economic standpoint. We all have to work together.
We're not going to get innovation on a discontinuous level that regularly, as you didn't have to see. We have to be willing to pay for incremental innovation because that's where the ultimate success comes year after year after year. All of a sudden, your five incremental innovations are working where you started, and it looks pretty discontinuous to positions.
Every time I speak to a reporter and I talk about the role of PBMs, payers, and pharmaceutical companies, they always ask me, "Well, can you give me examples on specific products, or services, or devices, and the discounts that they get that results in impact on the consumer?"
I really can't because these companies don't share their confidential information with me. The question becomes, will the government either on the federal or state level, or both, begin to share information based on their contracts with the various participants?
That would be very interesting. Once you make public these types of numbers, obviously, the negotiation process becomes much more complicated. People have more data points to fill in as they go forward to negotiate. How does that look over time? How does that look on a value‑based system?
If we're going to move towards a value‑based reimbursement system, we don't need to know only the price of the drug or the percent of the discount, but also the efficacy of the product that's being used. How's that captured and how's that shared? How do you do that within a HIPAA compliant way? How do you validate the data that you get?
We all agree that we want to pay for things that work, but value is in the eyes of the beholder. Perhaps a step forward...and this is probably a good place for me to conclude. As we move forward, it's in everybody's interest to understand that value, that positive patient outcomes are the denominator of this entire conversation.
The numerators are many, many different things that can include discounts, can include formulary positions, and can include all sorts of things, hopefully, all of which are legal. The denominator absolutely must be value‑based on positive patient outcomes. The technology is there to capture better information.
The systems are being developed to understand whether or not they are valid, and whether the information can be combined, and in what way. We're in for quite a ride. We're going to have to deal with the political, the regulatory, and scientific aspects of all of these issues.
It's worth it because we are in the business of advancing public health and making people's lives healthier and better. That's a never‑ending quest. It is almost a religious mission, which we should all remember that when we think about whether it's money first or patients first.
They're both important, but I think at the end of the day, therapeutic outcomes and driving better outcomes for every patient, needs to be at the heart of every conversation.
Thanks very much for your attention. Good luck and keep the faith.
Preparing Payers for the New Therapies in the Pipeline
Random Plasma Glucose Tests Predict Diabetes Diagnosis
Public Health Program Targeting CVD Risk Proves Cost-Effective
Improving Access, Quality of Care for Patients With Mental Health Disorders
Gaining a Better Understanding of the Role of HIEs in Health Care
Health Industry Breathes Easier As Post-Obamacare Path Stabilizes
Bipartisan Congressional Efforts to Stabilize ACA Heat Up
U.S. Insurer Lobby Group Seeks Delay in 2018 Obamacare Deadline
Incentivized Savings Sharing Could Cut Spending, Increase Price Transparency
Republican Plan to Repeal Obamacare Would Leave Millions Uninsured: Report


Perhaps we can persuade America that if the MUST vote for Obama, then they must also all vote for Republicans to the Senate and the Legislature. Maybe we can persuade the vast undecided middle that what they really liked about Clinton was the divided government that made him govern more conservatively.
Honestly, and to sorrow, lots of Americans want most of those things promised in that article. Socialism does not look like a threat, but as panacea and our media tells them they would be stupid not to take vast "blankey" of government that the Democrats offer.
When the American Dream has become things like universal health care and a government guaranteed mortgage, something wonderful of independence has been lost.


text:
D-Day: 75 years
Thread: D-Day: 75 years
06-06-2019, 4:16 PM #16
Edwin Santos
Originally Posted by Perry Hilbert Jr
The young ones of today would never even have tried.
Originally Posted by Nicholas Lawrence
Mr. Hilbert, you should think before posting something like that. Plenty of young men today would and have demonstrated their personal courage on a hundred battlefields around the world.
You may not read about them the same way you read about the men who landed on Omaha Beach, but that is a reflection of current politics, not a reflection on those who have served under fire over the last two decades.
Right on, Nicholas.
Heroism lives in every generation, country, ethnic group, religion, gender and so on.
The D-Day anniversary is a day to remember a certain special group of heroes.
But heroism is all around us all the time and as others have pointed out, every generation of military, including the current one, deserves the gratitude and respect of all.
Tom Stenzel
This old one of today wouldn't want to try either.
My Dad was late to the party but still went to Europe on the Uncle Sam Plan. He was in the Armored 3rd, driving a tank for Patton.
The only stories we heard involved stealing a jeep to go into town, trading fuel with the farmers for some fresh eggs and maybe a chicken and antics like that. He did say that in training they were told the tank was bullet proof. It was a vile lie. They were also told the American machine guns were better than the German machine guns. He said that was a lie too.
My Mom's youngest brother was a Marine somewhere in the Pacific. Her middle brother was on the Bergall when it was hit by a shell and opened a hole in the pressure hull. Her oldest brother was on a light cruiser when it was hit by a kamikaze. That they all made it home was by pure miracle.
It was years after my father passed away I was told he was in some "nasty scrapes", as describe by someone that been through some horrible battles. When Dad was alive didn't want his children to know about the bad stuff that happened. Respecting his wishes I haven't pursued it.
Edit: I just spent the last weekend at a paralypics, competing with and against a lot of disabled veterans. Our armed forces have a lot of heroes today whether we recognize it or not.
Last edited by Tom Stenzel; 06-06-2019 at 4:35 PM.
Dave Anderson NH
Chester NH
Kudos Nicholas. Todays military has been at continuous war since 9/11. Many have seen from 3 to as many a 10 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I served a single 13 month tour as a Marine grunt in Vietnam. I'm not sure that I could serve the multiple tours of today's men and women and still maintain my sanity. These folks too deserve our utmost respect and gratitude and are by no means any less strong and noble than our forefathers.
Dave Anderson
Chester Toolworks LLC
Chester, NH
Jim Koepke
Longview WA
Many of today's young not only take on the challenge of being in the military they have made many sacrifices for our country.
My father, brothers, nephews and son have been in various branches of the military and some still are. My son is in Korea and last I heard, one of my nephews is in Germany.
Please do not sell the millennial generation short just because of the ones at the mall with their pants hanging low.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Bruce Wrenn
Never forget that the United States has the largest ALL VOLUNTEER army in the world. Most of the guys in WWII were volunteers, either on their own, or at the direction of their local draft board. Very few shrugged their call to duty. My dad was put out of the Army (he fell in a mess hall and broke his leg,) so his youngest brother could be drafted. Dad was 32, married with four children when he was drafted. FIL never made into service as his job (bus driver) was considered to be "war critical." Wife's aunt served in England during the war. All sacrificed, some more than others. Thanks to all who served. Sometimes I remind some of our French friends, that if it wasn't for the GI's, they would be speaking German, instead of French.
Stewie Simpson
Lets not forget that for the "UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand" WWII commenced on September 1st 1939.
Last edited by Stewie Simpson; 06-06-2019 at 9:50 PM.
Ken Fitzgerald
Originally Posted by Stewie Simpson
We can never forget our allies. My father was a crewmember aboard a LCI in the South Pacific. One of the few war stories he told was of landing Aussie troops on a island in the South Pacific. No one country won WW-II.
John Stankus
I teach a lot of veterans using their GI Bill benefits. Some share their stories, some are very quiet, but all deserve our thanks and gratitude for answering the call to serve.
Frederick Skelly
[OP] Contributor
We remember Stewie. The Commonwealth fought long, hard and proudly.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Sir Edmund Burke
Dave Lehnert
I saw this story on TV this morning getting ready for work.
People like this is the reason we won the war.
"Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
- Rick Dale
Keith Outten
Hayes, Virginia
I have known a large number of combat veterans from my Dad's friends to my own. The one constant that I have observed is that they never expect to receive praise for their service but a sincere thank you is always appreciated and when you show them just a little respect it goes a very long way.
Johnson Plastics, Grizzly Industrial, Trotec Laser, Lee Valley, Laguna Tools, Felder Group USA, Wixey, SCMGROUP, Forsun CNC
Mel Fulks
I see Perry's comment not as insult, just recognition of the horrible task. Lots of young guys have thought
of such wars as a chance to travel and meet women. Lot of people in my family met their mates through
war travel. D Day survivors heard the dying calling for their moms. Every year D Day is a kind of sad
marvel.
Villa Park. CA
Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald
That's absolutely true. The one country that never gets talked about here in the United States is the Soviet Union. It was the Soviet Union that defeated the Germans (the US defeated the Japanese). The Soviet Union lost somewhere between 20 and 25 million soldiers and civilians KILLED during WWII, about 13% of their population. By comparison, the United States lost less than 500,000 soldiers and civilians killed during the war, significantly less than 1% of our population.
The Soviet Union destroyed close to 200 German divisions on the eastern front.
If not for the destruction of all those German divisions, the invasion on D-Day might not have succeeded. It was the Eastern Front that defeated the Germans, not D-Day. But what D-Day did was keep the Soviet Union out of Western Europe - which was very important.
[The US supplied the Soviet Union with much of the material required for them to wage war (almost 18 million tons). But it was the citizens of the Soviet Union who did the fighting and dying.]
[Another point: The Soviet Union was a backward country (from an industrial point of view) prior to WWII. WWII made them a powerful country.]
Last edited by Mike Henderson; 06-07-2019 at 9:54 AM.
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Aaron Rosenthal
My father was drafted into the Canadian army as was my uncle. Leaving a new wife like so many others, in order to go to England to support his company, and face the German bombing raids along with the rest of the population.
Uncle Jack was a master cabinetmaker, so naturally he fixed up the Hurricanes (J for Jake) and had to endure outside temperatures because there were hard stands, not heated hangers.
Dad was 32 when drafted - and you all are right. The soldiers of today for whichever country are dedicated. Patriotic, giving and idealistic: it's when they get home, disabled, shocked, many of them permanently marred mentally and physically that they are seen as useless.
"My" war was Vietnam, and the number of my friends and relatives who went over both from Canada and the United States and the treatment they got when returning was exactly what I was told 4F stay at homers did to our WWII vets.
Young enough to remember doing it;
Old enough to wish I could do it again.
06-07-2019, 1:06 AM #30
Brian Holcombe
Originally Posted by Mike Henderson
The Soviet Union destroyed approximately 200 German divisions on the eastern front.
I've listened to Dan Carlin's Ghosts of the Ostfront, it's very eye-opening.
My grandfather landed in France three days after D-Day. I'll never forget the phone call I had with him where he detailed a few episodes of his war experience. I called him to ask questions for my forth grade history paper on WWII, got a lot more information than I had expected.
Bumbling forward into the unknown.
Quick Navigation Off Topic Forum Top


SAN DIEGO and DONAUESCHINGEN, GERMANY, Oct. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NuVasive, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUVA), the leader in spine technology innovation, focused on transforming spine surgery with minimally disruptive, procedurally integrated solutions, today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Biedermann Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, a company that holds a broad and extensive patent and technology portfolio in the fields of spinal and extremity surgery, based in Donaueschingen, Germany.
Specifically, certain Biedermann Technologies' proprietary screw innovations will be integrated into the NuVasive RELINE® portfolio, offering surgeons a superior solution to treat complex spinal pathologies in both the adult and pediatric populations for open, as well as minimally invasive surgery, with customized screw placement and ability to facilitate various corrective maneuvers based on the clinical needs of the patient. NuVasive's RELINE system is the only technology on the market to offer a single tulip that accepts three posterior fixation rods of different diameters and is integrated into its proprietary Integrated Global Alignment (iGA®) platform designed to achieve global alignment across spinal procedures. This combination of Biedermann Technologies' propriety screw technology and NuVasive's RELINE system is expected to be commercially available to surgeons in the first half of 2019.
"Partnering with Biedermann Technologies —a highly innovative medical device design powerhouse—coupled with NuVasive's best-in-class engineering teams and innovation prowess—will accelerate the development and time-to-market to put the most advanced posterior fixation solutions in the hands of our surgeon partners," said Matt Link, executive vice president, Strategy, Technology and Corporate Development of NuVasive. "This partnership will help create better, more reproducible clinical outcomes in some of the hardest to treat spine pathologies, and further demonstrates our commitment to R&D investments to create the future of leading complex spinal innovation."
"Significant challenges demand smart collaborations," said Lutz Biedermann, founder and president of Biedermann Technologies. "And reconstructive spine surgery of complex deformities and instabilities of all age groups is still such a significant clinical challenge. With this in mind, I welcome the opportunity to work with NuVasive's very talented and skilled organization to offer clinically meaningful solutions to the global spine community."
NuVasive will showcase the upcoming RELINE system featuring Biedermann Technologies' innovations at the Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meeting held October 10-13, 2018 in Bologna, Italy.


text:
Taking the lead
How higher ed institutions can align the work of faculty and students with the needs, goals and interests of their communities
By Bill Fleak
Michael Bernstein is interim president of Stony Brook University in New York.
When the Flint water crisis first made national headlines in 2016, public consciousness about water quality in the United States grew exponentially. The devastating situation in Michigan, which is still not resolved, exposed over 100,000 residents to contaminated drinking water and resulted in at least 12 deaths. Although the circumstances that led to this disaster were unique, water contamination in our country is not isolated to one city in the Midwest.
Indeed, 21 million U.S. households—a full 1 in 5—depend on individual on-site or small community septic systems, rather than a public sewer system, to trap and filter their wastewater. This treated water is then used for drinking, even though it often is contaminated with high levels of contaminants, including nitrogen.
In New York alone, one-third of the state's population is impacted because of its dependence on groundwater for residential drinking. On Long Island, where Stony Brook University is located, 3 million residences rely on an underlying aquifer system for drinking water and, therefore, are at risk.
In total, some 63 million people from across the country are exposed to potentially unsafe water on a regular basis. Such exposure can lead to cancer, gastrointestinal diseases and other health problems.
The situation will only get worse. Just last month, the Trump administration announced it was repealing clean water regulations that limited the amount of harmful chemicals used and potentially discharged into nearby waterways.
What can public universities do?
Higher education is in a position to take the lead on the pressing issue of water quality by leveraging its unparalleled access to cutting-edge research and technology. Such efforts are already taking place at Stony Brook University, where I serve as interim president.
Higher education is in a position to take the lead on the pressing issue of water quality by leveraging its unparalleled access to cutting-edge research and technology.
Scientists at the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology on our campus have developed innovations that would completely mitigate emerging wastewater contaminants before they then pollute groundwater, drinking water and surface water. The center, administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, is a national prototypical effort to create a bridge between research institutions, regulatory agencies, and public- and private-sector resources to identify regional water quality solutions.
Stony Brook is part of a vast national network of public universities provisioned to benefit the well-being of their respective states and regions, particularly as they relate to ecological and public health concerns. The Planet Texas 2050 initiative, spearheaded by the University of Texas at Austin, is working with a host of community partners to ensure the state's sociocultural and environmental resilience in the wake of increasing urbanization and extreme weather conditions.
Similarly, the University of California at Los Angeles is convening students, faculty and community members to transition LA County to 100% renewable energy and locally sourced water to improve its ecosystem and the health of its citizens.
Building on innovation
These examples are a small fraction of the countless innovative programs built on the foundation on which public universities were established. In the summer of 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, which provided for land grants to each state to develop a network of universities that would facilitate and support agriculture and the mechanical arts—two industries that were at the time vital to the socioeconomic welfare of the states. At the same time, the universities would help the communities in which they were located to grow and flourish.
Read: How research propels undergraduates
As we reflect on these fundamental principles, it is more important than ever for public universities to take a powerful stand on society's current challenges. We must align the work of our faculty and students with the needs, goals, and interests of the wider communities in which we subsist. By doing so, we—like our predecessors—will link learning and research with practical application, with the goal of benefiting the greater good.
In the immortal words of Nelson Mandela: "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." Public universities are proud to embrace this call to action.
AdministrationWellness/Student SuccessCampus SafetyAcademicsEdtech/InnovationLeadershipOp-ed
Bill Fleak


here is my online compilation service..
Would be nice to know, what includes are there? does %fasminc% work, does it store sources, etc.
A bit more advanced system where users could have own accounts, sources would get stored as encrypted etc. but still allowing to share sources you want with other users would be interesting system.
Is it like a portable FASM environment, so anyone will be able to assemble sources even without FASM installed?
A place to share sources and be able to assemble, would be cool!
We could make some kind of FASM sources repository with the option to compile and test each other sources!
this is a nice service, i got some ideas for you.
the rfasm would upload the myfile.asm to ur server and get it assembled after that download it back and put the assembled myfile.exe on user directory.
Yes And it assembles sources for all platforms !
If you help programming , then i can do that..
But.. What sense is it ?
Somebody can install FASM.. So why install a remote fasm ?
(Couldn't test it... it didn't opened here)..
And i power it off at night..
If you want help / use .. you are welcome!
Or i must get a new server..
well, maybe more suitable for online .net code compilation, the .net framework is about 22mb. ~ but problem is each .net app requires the .net framework or its runtime. lol.
So you cant help ?
Have you ever seen a ASM file bigger than 1MB?
- NET must be compiled on Win..
I would like have an online ASM-editor, where you can also edit multiple files on the server etc. BTW: Nice idea.
Sorry, but I don't know why my browser always says the server connection has timed out..
ps: i am looking for somebody with a server..
To host this online fasm..
And please post all security holes and bugs.
If somebody wants a .asm.ltd.pl subdomain alias , please post it here.
Works good for me with the latest link, tried one of the examples that comes with fasm. Don't know why you would want do this online though.
I think one example might be that you have little resources - like a Palm or a cellular You can then manage with ASM upload and EXE (or other binary) download. No need to 'waste' süstem resources.


In partnership with DJI, we were thrilled to select Viktor Szabo as the winner of a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone in the epic "Views from Above" Quest as part of our 12 Days of Questmas photo contests back in December. Viktor transported us with his winning shot, "Island of Bali," and we couldn't wait to see what he could create with his new drone—the first one he's ever owned! So we asked him to take us along for the ride with an exclusive interview.
Here's what the photographer and self-described "coffee and f1.8 lover" from Budapest, Hungary had to say about his first flight with his new DJI Mavic 2 Pro, along with the shots he captured.
Q: Have you shot with drones before?
A: The DJI Mavic Pro was the first drone I tried out, but I had tried other photographers' DJI products, too. I decided that was the brand for me. Even then, the drone series was amazing, but I was craving a few things that have since been added to their newer series drones. The camera upgrade specifically was successfully done with Hasselblad—that's what made it amazing.
Q: How does shooting photos with a drone compare to shooting photos on the ground?
A: When I take pictures from the ground, I know what I will see, more or less. When I take pictures with a drone from the air, there are a lot of factors, like wind and weather. But the most exciting thing is that you don't know what's waiting for you up there. I don't know what I will see until I'm in the air.
I'm always searching out new perspectives when I fly a drone: the sunset, the textures. The city alone is so different from above in the winter and in the summer.
Q: What do you think of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone you won in the 'Views from Above' Quest?
A: The drone is outstanding: it's super fast and has an excellent camera. Its dynamic range is huge and it takes incredibly detailed photos. It's also very stable in the air. As an added bonus, the drone itself is beautiful, like someone from Apple had designed it. It's pure style.
Q: Where did you fly it for the first time?
A: I live in Hungary, where the weather is very cold and windy this time of the year. It's snowing, everything is bare and looks extinct, so it was a challenge to go out. But the drone is fast. It can reach incredibly high speeds and I haven't even tried out the sport mode yet.
I've stuck with shooting bird's-eye view photos for now, but there are many projects I want to do. I want to go abroad again. I also have projects planned in Hungary, one of which is called U5, where somebody stands with an umbrella in different places. These pictures will be uploaded to 500px too. The umbrella 500 project will be comprised of photos of different people holding umbrellas, but which hide the person. It's people-made textures meets nature.
Q: What is your favourite part of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone?
A: It's more advanced in pretty much every way, compared to older versions. But my favorite part of the Mavic 2 is the camera. Hasselblad itself is great—DJI chose well.
Q: Was there anything that surprised you about the Mavic 2?
A: I thought it would be more complicated and harder to use, but with the GO 4 application, it's really not hard. I watched the DJI Tutorials and learned how to set up and use it for the first time in only a few hours.
Q: What kind of photography is this drone best suited to?
A: I would recommend it for every photographer; it's good for portraits and travels, and it's useful in every branch of photography because of its high resolution. But it's perfect for weddings and events. Shooting weddings with drones is very popular in Hungary. It shows a new perspective and how many people were there. You can also take creative photos of the married couple. I would also recommend it for extreme sports because of its intelligent flight modes.
Q: Where would you most like to take it to shoot, if you could go anywhere?
A: I would fly around the earth with it—but just in sections, of course. I heard Canada is one of the most creative countries in the world. Toronto specifically is where I dream of visiting. There are a lot of sights to see there, such as the CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum.
For more information DJI's drones and products, visit dji.com, and keep up with the latest tips, regulation links and instructional videos to ensure a safe flight with DJI's Fly Safe resources.
What's your favorite aerial shot? Share a link with us in the comments below!