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Oscar Winner Freida Lee Mock Named 2019 Guggenheim Honoree – American Film Institute
Oscar Winner Freida Lee Mock Named 2019 Guggenheim Honoree
Acclaimed filmmaker Freida Lee Mock is this year's AFI DOCS 2019 Charles Guggenheim Symposium honoree. Mock's career includes five Academy Award® nominations for her work, and an Academy Award® for her documentary MAYA LIN: A STRONG CLEAR VISION (1994).
Each year, the AFI DOCS Charles Guggenheim Symposium honors a master of the nonfiction art form. This year's Symposium will include an in-depth conversation with Mock, along with a sneak preview of her new film, RUTH – JUSTICE GINSBURG IN HER OWN WORDS, at the Arleigh & Roberta Burke Theater at The Navy Memorial, on June 22, 2019. The Symposium will be moderated by author and Washington Post film critic, Ann Hornaday.
Buy tickets to the Guggenheim Symposium here.
"Freida Lee Mock's work offers not only a look at remarkable people with amazing stories, but also a way to truly connect with them and their lives," said Michael Lumpkin, Director of AFI Festivals. "We are honored to celebrate her and look back on her prolific career, as well as shine a proper light on her continued impact on documentary filmmaking with a special preview of her latest film."
Image from RUTH – JUSTICE GINSBURG IN HER OWN WORDS
Mock's new documentary RUTH – JUSTICE GINSBURG IN HER OWN WORDS is an intimate portrait of the extraordinary life of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Using archival footage and new interviews, Mock gives audiences a poignant and powerful look into an extraordinary woman's personal and public life.
The documentary short TO LIVE AND LET DIE (1983) was the first of Mock's films nominated for an Academy Award®, followed by the short ROSE KENNEDY: A LIFE TO REMEMBER (1990). In 1995, Mock's documentary feature MAYA LIN: A STRONG CLEAR VISION (1994), which follows artist Maya Lin's work on the Vietnam Memorial, won the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature. Two more of Mock's documentary shorts went on to be nominated for Academy Awards®: NEVER GIVE UP: THE 20TH CENTURY ODYSSEY OF HERBERT ZIPPER (1995) and SING! (2001).
Mock joins a renowned list of Guggenheim Symposium honorees: Charles Guggenheim (2003), Barbara Kopple (2004), Martin Scorsese (2006), Jonathan Demme (2007), Spike Lee (2008), Albert Maysles (2009), Frederick Wiseman (2010), Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker (2011), Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (2012), Errol Morris (2013), Alex Gibney (2014), Stanley Nelson (2015), Werner Herzog (2016), Laura Poitras (2017), and Steve James (2018).
AFI DOCS is proud to have AT&T return as this year's Presenting Sponsor. Passes and tickets to AFI DOCS, including the Charles Guggenheim Symposium, are now on sale at AFI.com/afidocs.
afi docs 2019
AFI DOCS News


Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to the process of making a website more visible within search engine results pages. The process itself includes a variety of strategies and techniques aimed at improving search engine rankings, and ultimately increasing the amount of organic traffic to your website. Whether by creating high-quality content, obtaining inbound links from other websites, or by doing off-page optimization, there are a number of methods to improve a certain web page in the eyes of search engines.
StatCounter gives you all the necessary tools to track your visitors and the effects of SEO on your website. We also strive to provide any information necessary so our members can thrive on competitive search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. This guide intends to define the fundamentals of SEO, as well as some of its basic methodology. Let's take a look.
Produce Quality Content: One of the biggest aspects of SEO is the production of content. When writing SEO content, you need to consider what people are searching for and include keywords that are commonly searched and relevant to your business and industry. SEO content should be clear, concise, and should aim to satisfy a user's intent when they search for particular keywords.
Get Quality Backlinks: Backlinks refer to any inbound link to your website, which is when another site links to yours. Search engines look fondly at websites that have high-quality links leading back to their site. Finding quality backlinks will increase the legitimacy of a website in the eyes of search engines. They also create an avenue for new traffic to visit your website.
On-Page Optimization: There are a number of on-page optimization strategies that can improve a website's competitiveness within search engines. Title tags, meta descriptions, and image alt text can all be optimized to drive more traffic. Even seemingly negligible factors like fast-loading pages can improve search engine rankings.
Off-Page Optimization: Not all SEO efforts are obvious to the outside eye. There are a number of off-page optimization strategies that can improve a website's competitiveness within search engines. Besides link building, social media and social bookmarking can help improve a website's search engine standing. However, social media is also a viable option in engaging your audience and providing yet another avenue for them to reach your site and learn more about your business.
SEO aims primarily to improve a website's search engine rankings for a variety of keywords. But why is that important? First, improved search engine rankings will ultimately drive more organic traffic to your website. The majority of those using search engines won't look beyond the first results page to find what they're looking for, so improving the visibility of your website matters. More traffic can increase brand awareness and increase sales for e-commerce sites.
While there are other avenues to increase your online visibility, organic search optimization is remarkably inexpensive. For example, pay-per-click advertisements can perform well, if you know what you're doing, but this requires a bit of money. Additionally, you can pay to have your website ranked above organic results in search result pages. This, like pay-per-click, can be expensive and may not benefit your website as much as you might expect.
SEO may be immensely important, but it's not something you can implement once and assume it will continue to drive traffic to your site. You will need to constantly optimize your site, revise your SEO strategy, and continue to publish fresh and engaging content.
With StatCounter, you can track the progress you have made on your website through our SEO training to ensure your website is competitive online. If you have questions or comments, you can contact StatCounter member support for help by filling out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Know the procedure to calibrate the High Performance Liquid Chromatography ( HPLC) including leakage test, flow rate, reproducibility and linearity, lamp energy and pump pressure drop in Pharmaceutical Quality Control.
1. Ensure that, the instrument is ready for calibration and Start-up procedure is followed.
2. Place inlet tubing of the Pump into the Water HPLC grade through a suction filter.
3. Allow the mobile phase to flow for about 5 min.
4. Block Pump outlet with the block screw.
5. The pressure rises and on crossing the 300 bar, "ERROR P-MAX" appears on the display window. Note the time. Press "CE" key and observe the pressure drop for 5 min.
6. After 5 min., record the pressure in the Calibration Log.
7. Make entry of the HOLC column usage in the Column Usage Log Register.
8. Make entry of the user into the Instrument Usage Log Register.
9. Compare the result for its compliance with the limit given in the Calibration Log and put the remark regarding the HPLC chromatography Calibration Status.
10. In case of non-compliance, follow the Maintenance Program.
2. Ensure that, the Pump is passing the "Leakage Test (By Pressure Drop)".
3. Keep the Drain tube in such a way that the mobile phase (Water) drops falls into 10 ml clean, dry volumetric flask without touching the walls of the flask and start immediately the stopwatch when the first drop falls into the flask.
4. Wait till the collected mobile phase reaches 10 ml mark of the volumetric flask and Stop the stopwatch.
5. Record the time required to collect the 10 ml mobile phase in the calibration log.
6. Repeat the procedure for 1.0 ml, 1.5 ml and 2.0 ml/ min. flow rates.
7. Repeat step 3 to 6 but using methanol HPLC grade as mobile phase instead of water.
8. Compare the results for its compliance with limits given in the Calibration Log and put the remark regarding the Calibration Status.
9. Make entry of the usage of the instrument and HPLC column in the Instrument Usage Log Register and Column Usage Log Register respectively.
10. Prepare Calibration Status Label and display on the instrument at the designated place.
11. In case of non-compliance, follow the Maintenance Program.
1. Take clean and dry 50 ml volumetric flask.
2. Pipette out 1.0 ml of Benzene and Toluene into the clean and dry 50 ml volumetric flask.
3. Make up the volume to 50 ml with Methanol and mix well.
2. Ensure that, the instrument is set according to the Chromatographic conditions.
3. Follow the Instrument Operating procedure, Inject 10 µl in triplicate and record the chromatograms.
4. Repeat the injection of the above solution by injecting 15, 20, 25, 30 µl in triplicate.
5. Take the print out of the chromatograms and attach to the Calibration Log.
6. Record the Area and Retention times of the of the Benzene and Toluene peaks in the Calibration Log.
7. Make entry of the usage of the instrument and HPLC column in the Instrument Usage Log Register and Column Usage Log Register respectively.
8. Plot the curve for the area corresponding to Benzene to Toluene peaks v/s injection volume, Find out the RSD (reproducibility) and record in the Calibration Log.
9. Find out the Correlation coefficient "r2" for each peak at five levels and record in the Calibration Log.
10. Compare the result for its compliance with the limit given in the Calibration Log and put the remark regarding the Calibration Status.
11. Prepare Calibration Status Label and display on the instrument at the designated place.
12. In case of non-compliance, follow the Maintenance Program.
2. On the Detector's display window, some values at the functions "l(nm)", "abs(AU)", "range(AUFS)" and "lamp" appears.
3. On the display, previously set value blinks at "l(nm)" function, enter the wavelength to 254 nm by pressing numeric keys.
4. Press "Func Back" key and select "lamp" functions, enter 1 to select D2 lamp.
5. Further press "Func Back" key till "REF EN " appears.
6. Record the Reference Energy of the D2 Lamp at 254 nm in the Calibration Log.
7 Compare the result for its compliance with the limit given in the Calibration Log and put the remark regarding the Calibration Status.
8. In case of non-compliance, follow the Maintenance Program.
1. Take three clean and dry 50 ml volumetric flasks.
2. Pipette out ml of Benzene and Toluene as per the following table into the clean, dry 50 ml volumetric flask separately.
1. Set each of the equipment to the following parameters as per the Equipment's Parameter Setup Procedure.
3. Follow the Instrument Operating procedure, Inject each of the Solutions in triplicate and record the chromatograms.
4. Take the print out of the chromatograms and attach to the Calibration Log.
5. Record the Area and Retention times of the of the Benzene and Toluene peaks in the Calibration Log.
6. Make entry of the usage of the instrument and HPLC column in the Instrument Usage Log Register and Column Usage Log Register respectively.
7. Calculate the Area Ratio of Benzene to Toluene, Find out the Mean value of the ratios and record in the Calibration Log.
8. Find out the Correlation coefficient "r2" from the Mean area ratio values of the three levels.and record in the Calibration Log.
8. Plot the curve for area ratio corresponding to Benzene to Toluene peaks v/s concentration, Find out the RSD (reproducibility) and record in the Calibration Log.
9. Compare the result for its compliance against limit given in the Calibration Log and put the remark regarding the Calibration Status.
Taken _____ ml (1.0 ml) of the ________ (Benzene) and ________ (Toluene) in to a _____ ml (50 ml) clean, dry volumetric flask, make up the volume with methanol, mixed well.
Mobile Phase Preparation : Taken ______ ml of ___________ (Methanol HPLC grade) in to a _______ ml clean, dry volumetric flask, added ____________ ml of ___________(Water HPLC grade), mixed well, allowed to cool to room temperature. Filtered through 0.45/0.22 m membrane filter, degassed for _____ min. by vacuum / sonication.
What is the difference between calibration and performance check?
Some time caffeine is using for the calibration why caffeine using for calibration?
Very good Very useful for HPLC users. Expect such helpful information in future. Thank you.
what is the importance of carryover test in calibration? why we have to do?


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Through High School Redesign, the school has demonstrated continuous growth and positive progress. The state awarded New Smyrna Beach High School a grade of 'A' for 2011-2012, 2009-2010, 2007-2008 and 2014-2015 school years. New Smyrna Beach High School is a comprehensive high school serving a diverse population of approximately 2,000 students in grades nine through twelve. New Smyrna Beach High School draws students from the communities of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill, Samsula, and unincorporated areas of the south beach and outlying rural areas.
New Smyrna Beach High School opened a new facility for the 2006-07 school year. With a state-of-art facility, equipment, and technology, the faculty and staff are extremely proud of the excellent educational opportunities available to the students in Southeast Volusia. The school has been recognized for its outstanding programs and student achievements by receiving the 1998 Florida School Recognition Award and the 2000 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. New Smyrna Beach High School was selected in 2005 as one of the "25 Most Promising High Schools in Florida," was a recipient of the 2003-2005 National Smaller Learning Communities Award, a member in the National Successful Practices Network, and a participant in the 2006-07 K-12 Conference and Innovation Fair. In addition, the school was selected by William Daggett as a Model School. In 2008, New Smyrna Beach High School was awarded a $50,000 grant from State Farm in conjunction with the Ford Foundation to build a Habitat for Humanity home.
All Volusia County high schools are on a traditional 7-period school day. At NSBHS, teachers have office hours each day. This allows teachers or students to elect to have additional time for student to teacher connection to assist, further teach, or reteach a concept. New Smyrna Beach High School prides itself on its high commitment in all areas. We are proud of the variety and caliber of programs we are able to offer. This tradition of excellence would not be possible without the commitment of our award winning faculty, the efforts of our students and the support of our parents and community.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Gallatin County Zero COVID-19 Deaths; 1 Hospitalization
(Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
Only three more positive cases of the coronavirus have been documented in the past 24-hours, according to the Gallatin City-County Health Department. That's 23 cases for the past seven days here in the county. Our total is 138 cases of COVID-19 with zero deaths. There is one person hospitalized for the virus at this time.
Here is the breakdown for the month of April for positive COVID-19 cases in the Gallatin Valley:
April 1: 79 cases (+5)
April 2: 93 cases (+14)
April 3: 101 cases (+8)
April 7: 119 cases (+1) *Based on changed reporting method
April 10: 134 cases (+6)
For the state of Montana, the total now sits at 387. The state saw 10 new cases of the virus since Saturday. There are currently 22 people hospitalized due to the virus while 167 patients have recovered. The state has seen six deaths from COVID-19, none of those in the past week.
How to Sew a Face Mask


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Home / Scuba Dive in Kerala to Make a Difference
Scuba Dive in Kerala to Make a Difference
Bond Safari Kovalam, a company that provides scuba diving and snorkelling services to tourists in Kovalam, has since taken up a campaign that goes beyond the cheer of personal highs and tries to address an issue that poses a serious threat to marine life and beaches – piling plastic waste. The campaign, titled Ocean Love, was launched on February 14. The idea was to make a departure from the Valentine's Day staples of red roses and surprise declarations, and on the sidelines, have Bond Safari divers and students from a local school – run by an NGO, Sebastian Indian Social Projects – collect plastic dumped under the sea, segregate and dispose it.
As part of the International Women's Day celebrations, the Ocean Love campaign saw eight women diving in for an underwater clean-up. Bond Safari is tagging the first leg of the campaign with popular festivals and special events but it also becomes imperative to bring local administrators and stakeholders in to ensure that the efforts translate to results.
"It's an interesting initiative – tagging scuba diving, something that is widely seen as part of leisure or adventure tourism, to an environmental cause of this nature. But it also takes the policy-makers to make that crucial difference when it comes to actual implementation of these plans," says Jayakrishnan M, a traveller and adventure sport enthusiast.
Jackson Peter, Managing Partner of Bond Safari Kovalam believes that scuba diving, despite being relatively new in these parts of the country, could provide the right platform for a campaign like Ocean Love. "Tourism the world over is shifting from the sight-seeing drills to experiences and activities. And wherever beach tourism is being promoted, scuba diving is a key feature," he says.
Bond Safari was launched in 2016 in partnership with the Spain-based Cool Divers SL. Apart from offering services like Sea Life Safari, the group conducts courses in swimming and diving. "My experience in Spain had me planning for a similar set-up in Kerala. The state was also losing out to other destinations because it didn't offer scuba diving services," says Jackson.
His team members are taking more enquiries on the Ocean Love campaign and collating feedback on social media. For inspiration and that push to deliver, perhaps they can always revisit the message on a placard one of the campaigners held during the Women's Day event – "There's no Planet B".
We would be more than happy to help you. Our team advisers are 24/7 at your service to help you.
enquiry@bondsafarikovalam.com


Rail Seir Kousar Company has begun its activity since 2006 in transportation of passengers by railway. In 2013, after purchasing freighter wagon, cargo activities have started. Now this company offers passengers best service with more than fifty wagons.


Hurunui District Council's Mayor, Winton Dalley, has received a Kiwibank Local Hero Award. As part of the New Zealander of the Year Awards, these awards provide a unique and special way to acknowledge the enormous contribution, sacrifice and commitment of Kiwis who selflessly work to make their local communities a better place.
Mayor Dalley was nominated by community members for his tireless work in the district throughout recent tough times, and always being on hand and available when our communities needed him. He will be presented with a Kiwibank Local Hero medal at one of 16 special events held by the award organisers.
Hurunui District Council CEO, Hamish Dobbie says the council is incredibly proud of its Mayor for the work he has done and continues to do in order help people get through their own individual earthquake recovery.
Another notable mention must go to both Debs Moody from Hanmer Springs and Verdon Kelliher, a well-known former Waiau resident, who will be recognised for their voluntary work in their respective communities.


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Q: Prevent direct access to url I know this question has been asked a number of times but I am still lost!
I have a website project (php) that is hosted internally on the Apache server. The site loads with the homepage. The home page contains a login link. When the user clicks on login a .htm page opens in a separate tab that is hosted on another server (outsourced) in IIS. I would like to prevent the users from directly entering the URL of the login page in the address bar. Instead the users should always navigate to the login page through the project homepage.
The only work around I understood was through the htaccess file. This works when the page is on the same server. However, on IIS there is no htaccess file.
The other solution was to do a http post variable when login is clicked. If the variable exist (accessed through homepage) the login page should load otherwise the user should be redirected to the homepage (if the login URL is entered directly). However, I am able to post a variable but I do not understand where to make the call to load the appropriate pages. The following is used to post the variable:

<form id="loginForm" name="loginForm" method="post" action="redirectTest.php">
<input type="hidden" name="total" id="total" value="">
Login
</form>

The redirectTest.php is currently empty as I am not sure how to redirect accordingly.
EDIT:  For instance, my site is www.abc.com and the login page is at www.xyz.com/login.htm. How can I identify whether this is routed through www.abc.com or the URL directly entered into the address bar?

A: On the login page, you can use the variable $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']. This will contain the name of the page where you clicked the link on. You can then use it in an if statement like so:
if(isset($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']) && $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] == "http://domain.com/page_with_login_link.php")

In javascript, the http referer can be accessed through document.referer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Band is made up of experienced professionals both young and old. Many have decades of experience and some have previously worked with the world's top artists. A short list of musicians STLBB members have performed with include Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, 2 time Grammy award winning songwriter Howard Levy of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, The Canadian Brass, Greg Pattillo (The Beatboxing Flutist), and many more.
Excellent site-reading skills, access to reliable transportation, and clear criminal history record required.
College-level ensemble or equivalent experience required.
Applicant must consent to our Drug-Free Work Place Policy.
Thank you, we will be in touch with audition information.


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In-vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market
"Designing Growth Strategies is in our DNA"
In vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Instruments and Reagents & Consumables), By Technique (Immunodiagnostics, Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Hematology, and Others), By Setting (Laboratories and Point-of-care), By Application (Infectious Diseases, Cardiology, Oncology, Gastroenterology, and Others), By End-user (Clinical Laboratories, Hospitals, Physicians Offices, and Others), and Regional Forecasts, 2022-2029
PUBLISHED ON: Jun, 2022


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ROBERT Rich, founder and chairman of Rich Products Corporation, has died, aged 92.
Robert Rich invented the world's first non-dairy whipped topping, Rich's Whip Topping, in 1945. Based on soybean, the topping was developed because of the shortage of milk during the war years.Nevin Montgomery, president and CEO of the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association in the US, described Robert Rich's contribution to the frozen food industry as "both monumental and legendary".Robert Rich had a strong commitment to educating people and a pledge, made on his 90th birthday, supports four scholarships annually for undergraduate students who pursue careers in the restaurant and foodservice sector. Rich Products was founded on the invention of the non-dairy topping. The family-owned business will now be led by Bob Rich Jr.


Apparently, there's a food district in Hamra called "The Food District" hosting Aloha Poke, Soul Food, Taco Diablos and City Wok. Craving a poke bowl, I ordered from Aloha Poke.
I'd say "not bad" for the bowls. The first impression when receiving a bowl half full is not too appetizing until you have the first bite. A bit too much mayonnaise, the salmon is not too cold, a load of lettuce to fill up the big bowls but the taste is good enough.
I liked the green edamame, the crunchy macadamia, the brown rice and the quality of crab sticks. I didn't like the excess of mayonnaise, the pineapples and mangos adding too much sweetness to the bowls.
Five bowls which I paid 55$ is a good value for money. Not bad as a delivery choice... to be honest, I prefer "Ahi Poke" and and "Pick a Poke" where passion and know-how are felt in every bowl much more than simply being a mix of edible creamy ingredients mixed together.
Aloha is not what Poke is all about.
Fly in to Beirut for BDL Accelerate 2016, Stay for the World's Best Gastronomy!


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Home › Bible Prophecy › BREAKING: Israeli officials tell nation to prepare for 7 weeks of war
BREAKING: Israeli officials tell nation to prepare for 7 weeks of war
I'm in a hotel watching wall-to-wall coverage of the escalating violence here. We're now getting breaking news. Israeli PM Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet have just concluded their classified meeting, which has lasted for hours. Only a few details have been released concerning their conclusions. But the main two are ominous:
Israel's Home Front Command has been ordered to tell the nation to prepare for 7 weeks of war.
75,000 IDF reserve soldiers are definitely being called up for action — up from 30,000 on Thursday, and 16,000 on Wednesday.
"Home Front Command asks local authorities to prepare for seven-week fighting period," reports Ynet News. "In discussions held between Home Front Command Chief Major-General Eyal Eisenberg, regional commanders and heads of local authorities in the center and in the south, authorities have been instructed to prepare for a seven-week period of combat as part of Operation Pillar of Defense and to prepare emergency supplies, accordingly. Some supplies were prepared in advance. The Home Front Command estimates that terror organizations in the Gaza Strip are still capable of launching long-range rockets, even further than a 75-kilometer range. The Home Front Command sharpened instructions for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and southern residents and, accordingly, communities located in a range of between 40-75 kilometers from the Gaza Strip must enter nearby, protected spaces the moment blasts or sirens are heard. If there is no protected space in the vicinity, residents should enter the nearest structure or stairwell. In light of the long-range rockets fired over the past few days, these instructions apply to all communities within a 75-kilometer range and not only in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area."
I've been consulting with The Joshua Fund staff today. At the moment, we're blocked from providing any humanitarian relief to those in the thick of the rocket fire because all roads in the region are closed to civilian traffic. But we believe specific opportunities will open soon. We're closely monitoring the situation and making preparations to move the moment the Lord gives us the green light. Please pray for us to have wisdom. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to The Joshua Fund, please go to www.joshuafund.net. Thank you so much for faithfully standing with us as we seek to bless Israel and her neighbors — Jews and Arabs — in the name of Jesus, especially in this time of crisis.
"Israeli citizens, like any other people, deserve peace and quiet, so they can go about living their lives," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told CNN on Friday. "If we will see in the next 24, 36 hours more rockets launched at us, I think that would be the trigger" for a ground operation, he said.
Please pray for Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet that they would be like the "men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do." (I Chronicles 12:32) Please pray for the Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his advisors to know what to do to stop this violence, as well. And continue to pray for the millions of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
Morsi warns Israel will pay heavy price – Egyptian president sharpens his tone against Israel, threatening: 'If I see the homeland in danger, I won't hesitate to take unusual steps.' He vows that his country will 'stop this brutal aggression'
Abbas: Israel trying to undermine Palestinian UN bid
‹ Cabinet OKs 75,000 reservists for possible Gaza operation
Is this war number eight for Israel? ›
Categories: Bible Prophecy, Breaking News
Tags: Danny Ayalon, Eyal Eisenberg, Gaza Strip, Home Front Command, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Mahmoud Abbas, Tel Aviv
Top White House Agent Reveals Information So Shocking, May the Lord Have Mercy On Us All! (Video)
Dexter Americus
November 16, 2012 • 4:49 pm
Reblogged this on DEXTER AMERICUS and commented:


IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Therapy is now available at Heather Polak Esthetics Studio! IPL is a non-invasive treatment that uses high intensity pulses of visible light to improve the appearance of various skin conditions. The light emitted is attracted and absorbed by chromophores (specific cells). By triggering different chromophores, the IPL is able to treat many skin conditions such as wrinkles, rosacea, acne, and hyperpigmentation.
IPL hair removal is an effective, safe method of removing unwanted hair and can be used to treat most areas on the body or face. Compared with other methods such as electrolysis and waxing, IPL hair removal is less painful and less invasive. The number of sessions needed depends on density growth cycle of hair. IPL uses a broad spectrum visible light which can more effectively treat lighter (blonde/grey) hairs, as opposed to traditional laser hair removal targeting only dark, course hairs.


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Best Of Houston® 2020: Best Fried Chicken
Best of Houston® 2020: Best Sandwich
Openings and Closings: Satisfy Will Open, Reef Closes
Lorretta Ruggiero
Vegetable spring rolls will be a healthy choice in the New Year.
Photo by Shannon Smith
Lorretta Ruggiero | November 29, 2019 | 5:00am
Satisfy, 2229 San Felipe, will open on the first floor of San Felipe Place in spring 2020. The healthy eating concept comes from Grant Cooper and Charles Clark of Clark Cooper Concepts, with Houston restaurants Ibiza, Coppa Osteria, Punk's Simple Southern Food, Brasserie 19 and The Dunlavy in its portfolio. Ibiza, however, will close February 2020 while The Dunlavy will begin full service in January.
Chocolate and avocado make a delicious mousse at Satisfy.
Satisfy will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with the mission of "Nourishing to Fuel." The focus will be on pure, ethically sourced sustainable foods and goods. The restaurant will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Besides the dine-in menus, there will be meal planning items, grab-n-go and retail products.
Chef Samuel Walter, former chef de cuisine at Uchiko in Austin and Lenoir, has created a nutritious menu that also allows for more indulgent treats. Vegetable spring rolls with sprouted cashew coconut dipping sauce and the Big Mac-robiotic Wrap will offer nutritional, vegetarian hits while Bison Tartare and Bison Tenderloin will satisfy carnivores. There is also a Jackfruit "Pulled Pork" Sandwich and Beet Gnocci. Wine and beer are also on the menu.
Chef Walter will be doing pop-ups at The Dunlavy to preview the menu.
Chef Bryan Caswell (center) was a judge at Houston Press Tacolandia 2018.
Photo by Bob Ruggiero
Reef, 2600 Travis, has closed. The restaurant and its adjacent 3rd Bar have shuttered, as we reported here in the Houston Press. Owner and chef Bryan Caswell has been one of the top stars in the Houston dining scene after opening Reef in 2008. The restaurant quickly became notable for the Louisiana native's use of Gulf seafood, including bycatch, the fish that most restaurants overlook. The chef discussed it with Bon Appetit's Andrew Knowlton in 2012, along with other Houston chefs, including Chris Shepherd and Justin Yu. Caswell was one of the young pioneers to help Houston break through nationally as a top dining destination in the country, though long overdue.
The restaurant was named Food and Wine magazine's " Best Seafood Restaurant" in 2008, catapulting Caswell onto the national scene with two subsequent James Beard nominations and a stint on The Food Network's "The Next Iron Chef" in 2010 . That success also led to more restaurant concepts with partner Bill Floyd.
Unfortunately, in August 2017, his restaurant, Reef, was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Harvey. However, he, wife Jennifer, and his crew managed to use the kitchens to cook meals for first responders and victims of the hurricane. In September, however, Caswell closed his Montrose burger slider joint, Little Bigs. At the same time, the Caswells opened Oxbow 7 at Le Meridien. This was to be a very personal concept, driven by the chef's creative cooking. Four months later, the Caswells parted ways with the hotel without much transparency from either side.
In the meantime, fans of Reef began to wonder if the celebrated restaurant would ever reopen. The Caswells also suffered another natural disaster when their home was struck by lightning in July 2018, resulting in the loss of the third floor, according to ABC13. Fortunately, the nanny was able to get their children out of the home safely, as the couple were busy working at Reef at the time.
3rd Bar had just rolled out an awesome happy hour.
Photo by Pop Studio
In June 2019, Reef finally reopened after nearly two years of being shuttered. However, there was very little publicity and no one was really sure if the restaurant was doing full service, though the adjacent 3rd Bar was operating. In that time, it was also announced that the Caswells were divorcing. Caswell had also parted ways with partner Bill Floyd, who currently has a lawsuit against him.
Then, this past October, Caswell's Tex-Mex restaurant,El Real, abruptly shuttered and news spread fast that there were employees who alleged that they had not been paid, some for weeks, according to Eater Houston. The press release only furthered online speculation in regards to Caswell's impending divorce, financial situation and health.
And now it seems, Caswell's health is a contributing factor to the closure of his signature restaurant. The statement from the restaurant said, " After a recent cardiac event that necessitated a hospital stay, combined with other economic factors, chef Bryan Caswell has made the decision to close Reef & 3rd Bar".
While there are rumbles about unpaid wages and employees left in the dust, there are also plenty of supporters who are concerned about the chef's future and well-being. Many of them would love to see Caswell return to the Houston restaurant scene with a concept equal to the much-loved Reef.
Lotti Dotti Patio Bar served up Houston-themed cocktails.
Photo by reggieturtle@icloud.com
Lotti Dotti, 601 Richmond, closed November 22. It opened in the former Brooklyn Athletic space June 15, 2019. With favorable reviews and Houston-themed cocktails, we are still in the dark as to why the popular cocktail bar closed. When we contacted the business through Facebook, we were told, "No comment", as we reported here in the Press.
However, on its Facebook page a post referred to "unforeseen circumstances" as the cause of service being stopped.
The bar was a partnership between Adam Dorris, of Presidio and Pax Americana, and Michael Riojas, formerly of Beaver's and Goode Co.
Tom N Tom's Coffee Bellaire, 9393 Bellaire Boulevard, opened early November. The global coffee chain began in South Korea in 2004 and has since grown to over 500 locations worldwide from China to Australia to the United States. The first U.S. location opened in 2010 and the Bellaire Food Street store is the first in Houston.
The shop sells a variety of coffee drinks including its TomNccinos, which come in flavors such as vanilla, mint, mocha and caramel. There are yogurt smoothies and tea drinks as well. A popular choice is the horchata latte.
There are a few snack options such as the caramel cinnamon bread, but the pretzels are the best selling munchies at Tom N Tom's.
These gorgeous tacos are vegan.
Photo by David Vu.
Cascabel, 1415 Murray Bay, softly opened November 16 in Spring Branch. After a couple of days of tweaking some things, it opened solidly for business November 19. The restaurant serves vegan Mexican favorites like tortilla soup, quesadillas and tacos. Diners can choose from three different proteins: chorizo (soy), al pastor (soy) and chipotle flavored jackfruit. There's even chile con queso made with potato-based cheese. And for dessert, there's a delicious vegan flan.
No animal products in this chile con queso, just potatoes.
Owner Crystle Austin began her full-on vegan lifestyle six years ago. Wanting more than fruit and salads, she set out to create a menu that is faithful to her Mexican roots with plant-based ingredients. Along with her business partner, Chef David Arreguin, the restaurant has a mission to create delicious cuisine without contributing to animal cruelty or harming the earth, while pioneering the way for a strong vegan lifestyle.
La Cruderia Michelada Bar, 8394 Bellaire Boulevard opened October 26. Here, guests can enjoy micheladas, tostadas and tacos de asada. There are some crazy options for topping your michelada from sweet to savory. Seafood items are a big part of the food menu, including an assortment of ceviche. It's a good spot to watch the game, enjoy some fresh seafood and drink an over-the-top michelada.
Do some spirited holiday shopping at Revival Market.
Photo by Julia Weber
Revival Market, 550 Heights, will host its first Holiday Market December 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be $2 hot chocolate and the full menu will be available. Wine and beer baskets will be available for purchase along with a variety of market vendors including Haiti Design Group, Genara, Birch and Goldberry, KD Weave and Flat Snake Grass.
Restaurants Reported Open for November 2019:
Big Z's Pizza House and Brew, 2004 S. Mason, opened October 19
California Baja Fusion, opened late October
Chef Kenny's Asian Vegan, 6128 Wilcrest, opened November 12
Creamistry, 130 Vintage Park Boulevard, opened October 28
District 7, 15375 Memorial, grand opening November 5
Guard and Grace, 500 Dallas, opened November 19
In-N-Out, 1010 Katy Fort Bend Road, opened November 22
In-N-Out, 12611 S. Kirkwood, opened November 22
Mendocino Farms, 609 Main, opened November 7
Merus Grill, 1180 Uptown Park Boulevard, opened November 18
Napoli's Wine Cafe, 4601 washington, opened October 24
Pinstripes Houston, 3300 Kirby, opened October 24
Politan Row, 2445 Times Boulevard, grand opening November 8
Roti Modern Mediterranean, 6602 Fannin, opened November 13
Summer Moon, 19901 Kingsland Boulevard opened November
Tonkatsu Ramen Shop, 10111 Louetta, opened November 2
Verbena Coffee, 14029 Memorial, opened October 29
Whiskey Cake, 12575 Southwest Freeway, opened November 11
Whole Foods Market, 515 Elgin, opened November 7
Restaurants Reported Closed for November 2019:
Decatur Bar and Pop Up Factory, 2310 Decatur, closed October 31
El Real, 1201 Westheimer, closed October 29
La Villa, 4315 Montrose, closed November 2
Steel City Pops, closed all three Houston stores, November 1
Westchase Tavern, 10630 Westheimer, closed October 31
Stuff You Should Know About
Lorretta Ruggiero is a Houston Press freelance writer based in Cypress, Texas. She loves entertaining her family and friends with her food and sparkling wit. She is married to Classic Rock Bob and they have two exceptionally smart-aleck children.
Best Of Houston® 2020: Best Middle Eastern Bakery
Best Of Houston® 2020: Best Family Friendly Restaurant
Best Of Houston® 2020: Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant
Upper Crust: Costco and its Pizza Pies


text:
Travel Channel Programming Highlights: September 14 – 27
Posted By: HorrO 0 Comment horror, Press Release, promote horror, Spread the Horror, Travel Channel, Travel Channel Programming Highlights: September 14 – 27
NEW SERIES, 'DOOMSDAY CAUGHT ON CAMERA,' SHOWCASES JAW-DROPPING FOOTAGE OF MOTHER NATURE'S FURY, WITH FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS FROM THOSE WHO SURVIVED THE HELLISH EVENTS
Series Premiere of 'Paranormal Caught on Camera: Top 100' Counts Down the
Most Compelling Supernatural Evidence and Encounters Ever Captured on Video
UPCOMING PREMIERES
DOOMSDAY CAUGHT ON CAMERA
"Doomsday Caught on Camera" explores shocking weather events and natural disasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis that have been filmed by individuals and uploaded online. These riveting stories are driven by first-person accounts of those who survived these life-changing events, with supporting expertise from our cast of commentators that includes renowned geologists, meteorologists, voices from a theological perspective along with healing/recovery specialists. The range of jaw-dropping footage will have you thanking your lucky stars that these doomsday
events … didn't happen to you. [Hour-long episodes]
SERIES PREMIERE: "The Cruise From Hell and More" – Premieres Monday, September 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
A man trapped in a twister comes face-to-face with death. Four thousand passengers trapped on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean get pelted with a terrifying bomb cyclone. A raging flood blasts through a quiet Maryland town, destroying all in its path.
"A Twister on a Rampage and More" – Premieres Monday, September 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
A boating trip turns terrifying when a volcano violently erupts. A helpless onlooker witnesses the raw power and destruction of a raging flash flood. An avalanche buries a family and their truck on a Colorado highway. An Arkansas couple comes face-to-face with a deadly tornado.
PARANORMAL CAUGHT ON CAMERA: TOP 100
Travel Channel's hit series, "Paranormal Caught on Camera," is counting down the top 100 paranormal encounters of all time. This eye-opening compilation features the most compelling evidence, expert analysis and eyewitness accounts ever documented including – Bigfoot, UFOs, aliens, poltergeists, ghosts and a whole lot more. Seeing is believing. [Two-hour episodes]
SERIES PREMIERE: "Top 100: 100-81" – Premieres Sunday, September 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
A family comes face-to-face with Bigfoot. A levitating girl is spotted in the woods of Russia. UFOs surround U.S. Navy pilots. A ghostly soldier seeks revenge. Poltergeists wreck an Irish school. All this and more, as the countdown of the top 100 paranormal encounters of all time kicks off.
GHOST ADVENTURES: SCREAMING ROOM
Paranormal investigators Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Jay Wasley and Billy Tolley are opening up to viewers as they've never done before in Travel Channel's new series, "Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room." The guys are kicking back in their screening room to watch their favorite episodes of the hit series and get candid with fans – and each other – about their craziest experiences over the past decade. Away from the haunted locations we usually see them in, with no equipment or investigations, the crew will relive some of the most terrifying, shocking and even comedic moments from their career, as they re-watch their most memorable investigations with never-before-heard stories from the moments that created a legacy. Get ready for laughs, screams and surprises alongside the crew in the ultimate tell-all event. [Hour-long episodes]
"The Sallie House Terror" – Premieres Thursday, September 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Sometimes little girls are not made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Zak Bagans and the guys look back at their investigations of the Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas, a place infested with a demonic spirit pretending to be a little girl.
"House of Satan" – Premieres Thursday, September 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Zak Bagans and the guys look back at the many layers of their investigation of the Westerfeld House, a place where dark rituals were performed by infamous figures in the 1960s. The crew bravely embarks on their own elaborate ritual in this energy-charged home.
PARANORMAL NIGHTSHIFT (U.S Premiere)
Night is something we lock the door against. Those who work the graveyard shift must venture into the darkness while the rest of us sleep safely. In each episode of "Paranormal Nightshift," we tell three horrifying stories of paranormal encounters during the night shift. By day, the workplace is rational and efficient – but at night, these same offices, hotels, eateries and even open highways become the domain of ghosts, demons and the inexplicable. [Hour-long episodes]
"Scent of a Woman, The Resident and Curtain Call" – Premieres Friday, September 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
A museum director unleashes a trunkful of angry spirits. A care support worker must protect his sleeping charges from a dark paranormal presence. A high school custodian is taunted by a whistling entity while cleaning up a haunted auditorium.
"Lady of the House, The Fire Chief and Caretaker: Take Care" – Premieres Friday, September 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
The dead wife of an elderly patient watches his live-in caretaker's every move. A bartender is served some serious scares while closing up a trendy restaurant. An otherworldly force violently attacks a custodian in an abandoned high school.
Some of the most amazing, eye-opening and downright scary paranormal videos from around the world are featured as a panel of experts breaks down the footage and analyzes what exactly the eyewitnesses captured. Insights from some of the most knowledgeable specialists in the field and firsthand accounts from the people lucky enough – or perhaps unlucky enough – to witness these strange phenomena for themselves just might make a believer of even the biggest skeptics out there. [Hour-long episodes]
"Stonehenge, UFOs and More" – Premieres Sunday, September 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Mysterious lights shine in the skies near the legendary Stonehenge. A woman witnesses possible proof of an animal's soul. A Florida farmer finds the remains of an extraterrestrial attack.
THE OSBOURNES WANT TO BELIEVE
In Travel Channel's new series, "The Osbournes Want To Believe," Jack Osbourne is determined to make his parents, Ozzy and Sharon, full-fledged paranormal believers. They might be known as the first family of darkness, but when it comes to the paranormal, legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife, "The Talk" co-host Sharon Osbourne, are borderline skeptics. Determined to turn them fully to the other side, Jack reunites with Ozzy and Sharon to share the craziest, most jaw-dropping videos of supernatural activity ever caught on camera. From Bigfoot to UFOs, poltergeists, creepy dolls and unexplained apparitions, the couple will review – and critique – each caught-on-camera moment, a compilation of Jack's favorite pieces of evidence. Not ones to shy away from honesty and humor, there's no shortage of fun, antics and lively commentary in the Osbourne screening room. [Hour-long episodes]
SEASON FINALE: "Now You See It (Now You Don't)" – Premieres Sunday, September 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Jack Osbourne reveals shocking footage of a real-life vampire, ghostly car accidents and a Jesus Christ sighting in none other than Burbank, California. Ozzy obsesses over crop circles and the big question may finally be answered – are Ozzy and Sharon now believers?
UPCOMING PROGRAMMING MARATHONS
*All times are ET/PT
"Hotel Paranormal" – 8am-5pm
"My Paranormal Nightmare" – 8am-5pm
"The Dead Files" – 5pm-4am
"My Horror Story" – 8am-6pm
"Paranormal Caught on Camera" – 6pm-11pm
"Famously Afraid" – 8am-12pm
"Ghost Adventures" – 12pm-4am
"The Osbournes Want to Believe" – 9am-4pm
"True Terror with Robert Englund" – 7am-12pm
"Believers" – 12pm-6pm
"Ghost Adventures" – 6pm-4am
"The Alaska Triangle" – 9am-12pm
"The Osbournes Want to Believe" – 12pm-3pm
"My Haunted House" – 8am-5pm
"Paranormal Emergency" – 8am-5pm
"The Alaska Triangle" – 8am-3pm
"UFOs: The Lost Evidence" – 3pm-6pm
"Haunted Hospitals" – 8am-12pm
Friday, September25
"Believers" – 8am-4pm
"Terror in the Woods" – 7am-12pm
"My Horror Story" – 12pm-6pm
"The Osbournes Want to Believe" – 7am-12pm
"Paranormal Caught on Camera" – 12pm-4am
"Freaky" – Official Trailer
W4free, the UK's Newest AVOD Platform, gets Scary with Raft of Premium Horror Titles
April 19, 2019 HorrO 0
New Trailer & Poster – Iranian Psychological Thriller THE NIGHT, Starring Shahab Hosseini (A SEPARATION) – Jan 29
January 7, 2021 HorrO 0
Exclusive Interview with Director/Writer of "The Answer" Iqbal Ahmed


text:
Increased prevalence in autism diagnoses linked to reporting in Denmark
The JAMA Network Journals
About 60 percent of the increase in the observed prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in Danish children appears to be largely due to changes in reporting practices, according to a study published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
The prevalence of ASDs (neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interactions, communication and by repetitive behaviors) has increased over the past 30 years. The current estimate is about 1 percent of children, although it also has been reported to be higher, according to background information in the study. That increase in prevalence has led to debate over how much is due to etiologic factors compared with nonetiologic factors such as changes in reporting practices.
Stefan N. Hansen, M.Sc., of Aarhus University, Denmark, and co-authors quantified the effect of changes in reporting practices in Denmark on reported ASD prevalence. The Danish national health registries have undergone two major changes in reporting practices during the past three decades with a change in diagnostic criteria in 1994 and the inclusion of discharge diagnoses from outpatient contacts in 1995.
The researchers' study included 677,915 children born in Denmark from 1980 through 1991 who were followed up from birth until ASD diagnosis, death, emigration or the end of December 2011, whichever came first.
Study results indicate there were 3,956 ASD diagnoses, with the vast majority of them coming after 1995. About 33 percent of the increase in reported ASD prevalence could be explained by the change in diagnostic criteria alone; 42 percent by the inclusion of outpatient data alone; and 60 percent by the change in diagnostic criteria and the inclusion of outpatient data.
"This study supports the argument that the apparent increase in ASD prevalence in Denmark in recent years is in large part attributable to changes in reporting practices over time. However, a considerable part of the increase in ASD prevalence is not explained by the two changes in reporting practices. Thus, the search for etiologic factors that may explain part of the remaining increase remains important," the study concludes.
(JAMA Pediatr. Published online November 3, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.1893. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)
Editor's Note: Please see article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, etc.
Media Advisory: To contact author Stefan N. Hansen, M.Sc., email stefanh@biostat.au.dk
Stefan N. Hansen
stefanh@biostat.au.dk
@JAMA_current
http://www.jamamedia.org


It's about creating a service culture.
Google "Zappos" and "excellent customer service" and you will find stories of the "insane lengths" that the online retail company goes to, to satisfy its shoppers, including talking to a customer for 10 straight hours. Zappos, which sees itself first as a service company (that happens to sell shoes), is guided by a set of core values, most famously, "Deliver Wow Through Service".
Great service in the private sector can lead to increased profits and customer loyalty. The public sector, not being profit-driven and is instead accountable for public funds, simply can't go to the "insane lengths" for service à la Zappos. Yet great service in the public sector is just as important as it lays the foundation for building trust. So while their approach to service is different, public agencies still aspire to "wow" customers.
In fact, many public officers do "wow" customers, going by the list of PS21 Star Service Award winners. They don't hold 10-hour-long chats but they do go the extra mile, as glowing Thank You notes from the public show.
What's his secret sauce? "Thick skin," quips Mr Irwan, now four years into the job at an enforcement unit that handles complex, even contentious, foreign manpower issues. The work is so tough that Mr Irwan is now the longest-serving customer service officer in the division. He jokingly refers to himself as the "overstayer".
Jokes aside, Mr Irwan's ability to empathise with often distraught or frustrated customers helps him to understand their needs and concerns. Besides offering them explanations, advice or alternatives, he is constantly asking himself the "what if" and "how can I…" questions to better help them. His bosses say his sincerity, tact and clarity have led customers to accept his advice, even in difficult situations.
HE'S A STAR! Irwan Awang from the Manpower Ministry has wowed customers with his empathy and patience.
Once Mr Irwan counselled a run-away foreign domestic worker who was hungry, fearful of losing her work permit and worried about her debt. Mr Irwan helped her to realise that thinking about ending her life would not resolve her problems, and managed to calm her down. Through his patient counselling and tactful handling of the situation, he managed to sort out the work dispute between the domestic worker and her employer.
Mr Irwan's drive to give his best at work makes him a standout – he's won five service excellence awards in four years, including this year's PS21 Star Service Award. He isn't a unique phenomenon, but the Service could certainly benefit from having more officers like him, especially as expectations of public services are growing.
Mr Irwan's ability to empathise with often distraught or frustrated customers helps him to understand their needs and concerns.
Mr Tay Choon Hong, Director (Services) at the PS21 Office who oversees service delivery policies across the Public Service, points out that many public agencies are prioritising service delivery by increasing staff training.
More support for training, both for frontline staff and managers, is now available, with a dedicated team from the Civil Service College (CSC) formed in April 2013 to oversee service management and delivery, training and development.
Currently the Public Service is experiencing a high turnover of frontline officers who leave to pursue higher education, says Mr Tay.
"To make it attractive for young officers to stay on as professionals in the service field, the Public Service Division is partnering various agencies to [look] at how service jobs and career tracks can be redesigned," he reveals.
But let's not pin the quality of service entirely on frontline staff. "Senior management has to walk the talk to inspire a service mindset and culture," stresses Mr Tay.
Service educator Ron Kaufman says, "Service is taking action to create value for someone else." He observes that most people receive little service training while in school. "They get a job and the company has to deal with the fact that nobody ever taught them what the fundamental principles of service are and how to apply it and you're stuck with remedial customer service training." He suggests that teaching service early on in schools can build a stronger culture of service in the whole country.
While service providers have to create value for customers, customers can also contribute to a culture of "uplifting service" by asking "What can I do that would create value for my service provider?" says Mr Kaufman. A compliment, a smile or even a nicely phrased request and feedback heartens service providers, inspiring them to give even better service.
Bring customers to a quieter place to calm them down. This helps them to listen and think with a clear mind.
Let customers vent their frustrations first. Hear them out; then suggest solutions or alternatives.
Don't just say "I understand" as customers might think you agree with them. Paraphrase what you heard instead. Never raise your voice or be sarcastic. Counter persistence with patience.


2. Can I use my and spouse insurance plans at the same time?
3. How do you transfer medications from my current pharmacy?
4. How do I order refills on my medications?
5. Do you deliver medications?
6. How long takes to get my medication to your store?
7. What is a Medscheck medication review?
8. Do you provide the Flu shot?
9. Do you provide blood pressure monitoring?
10. Do you provide Dossettes/compliance packaging?
11. Do you accept expired medications and vitamins from other stores?
Bring unused and expired prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and natural health products to Midhurst Pharmacy (even if we did not dispense the medication).
Do not flush medicines down the toilet or sink. You can return your unused and expired medications to our pharmacy any day of the year.
12. Do you provide diabetes services?
We are committed to helping people with diabetes lead healthy lives. If you have questions about your diabetes medications, just ask. We have a Certified Diabetes Educator on staff.


The Curriculum • Odds and ends for sale. Priced to move.
Odds and ends for sale. Priced to move.
Post subject: Odds and ends for sale. Priced to move.
Hi all--I'm packing for a move and I'd like to sell off a few nice things that aren't haven't seen much (or any) wear. I am not planning on uploading pictures, but let me know if you have any questions or you really need to see anything and I will do my best to get you what you need.
I want everything to sell by early Monday morning (say, 6am Monday) so I can ship on Monday afternoon when I go to the Post Office. Even though there are no photos, I'll give you the NK 100% money back guarantee on this stuff--I promise you're getting great deals at my asking prices here.
If I don't forget, I'll post this over on the thrift exchange thread at some point this weekend--TC folks can have first dibs.
1. Brooks Brothers OCBDs in blue and blue uni stripe, regent fit, 16x34. Have been washed, but still have that crispy "new OCBD" texture. Each probably hasn't been worn more than 3x. Selling because I now prefer 33" sleeves. Asking $30 for both.
2. NWT Brooks Brothers Milano cords in "snuff suede" and two pairs of Bills khakis twills (from the epic sale) in M3 fit. One of the Bills is NWT, other has been worn once. Bills are factory hemmed (no cuffs). All three pairs are 36x30. Asking $45 for all three pairs of pants.
3. Lots of tweed jackets from trad brands (Paul Stuart, Brooks Brothers, Southwick, etc.), mostly with 2b darted fronts (though there is at least one proper 3/2 brown herringbone tweed from Southwick). Size 40 short. $40 gets you two jackets. They won't be outdated looking.
4. Barbour Beaufort in sz. 40. I'm 85% sure it's black, but it could be navy. Older jacket, but with fresh wax. I know there's a little hole in it somewhere but I can't find it now that I'm actually looking for it. $50 shipped.
5. Made in USA burgundy Weejuns, size 8.5. Brand new/never worn. Not sure how old they are but they look great. $30.
6. Brooks Brothers Fitz cord jacket in a medium-wide wale. 40 short. Color is snuff suede (there's gotta be a "real" term for this color, but it's escaping me at the moment). 2 button darted. Front fastening button came off, so you'll have to sew it back. $30.
7. I have some nicer Italian sportcoats (Caruso, Attolini, Borrelli, etc.) if anyone's interested. Sizes are 50-52 with slightly shortened sleeves (24.5" range). Prices will be a little higher because I'm willing to hold onto them until I decide whether or not to keep them or sell them properly. If you're interested in any of that, PM me. These have been on the back burner since I discovered the Amazon.com house brand of sportcoats, of which the made-in-Italy ones are amazing--and super super cheap (that's probably a story for another day).
8. Orvis Battenkill garment bag. There's a sample of what these look like in the link below. Brand new/never used Orvis shoulder strap (I paid something like $25 for a new shoulder strap from Orvis after I bought the bag on eBay a few years back, and it's amazing to see how much the quality of modern Battenkill gear has gone down since the bag itself was manufactured). $75.
Finally, if you're looking for anything specific, feel free to shoot me a PM to see if I happen to have it available. I joined Ask Andy's in 2005 and my hoarding behaviors have, at times, been a little out of control. Now that I'm moving, I'm planning on donating literally about a dozen large garbage bags worth of clothing on Monday. So feel free to shoot me a message to check and see if I happen to have something you might be looking for.
Post subject: Re: Odds and ends for sale. Priced to move.
Brooks Brothers OCBDs in blue and blue uni stripe, regent fit, 16x34. Have been washed, but still have that crispy "new OCBD" texture. Each probably hasn't been worn more than 3x. Selling because I now prefer 33" sleeves. Asking $30 for both.
I'll take the shirts. PM sent.
Damn good price on that battenkill bag. I paid more than that for one in worse condition without a shoulder strap. Have anything in my size or some ties to pass along K?
Hah, If you were about six inches shorter, I could set you up!
I'm about finished culling my ties, too, unfortunately. I started doing the "quick snip" that Paul Winston mentioned on Ask Andy's a while back and now I don't have any trouble with longer ones. It's feels a little weird to take a pair of scissors to a nice tie...and my sewing is horrible...but I am actually a big fan of this.
Price on #2, 3, 4, 5, 6 dropped to $15 shipped CONUS. Let me know if you're interested.
BTW, I have a few listings across the street. The MacCluer has been claimed, pending payment.
Got the shirts today. Thanks for the bonus Charles Tyrwhitt blue spread collar, too!


text:
Q: How to resolve duplicate class exception caused by com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision:24.0.0 While setting up the Text Recognizer for MLKit on Android for a react-native project (following this tutorial: https://firebase.google.com/docs/ml-kit/android/recognize-text?authuser=0) I face an exception when launching the application with the react-native run-android command in my terminal.
It states I have duplicate classes and I tracked it down to when I add implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision:24.0.0' to the app/build.gradle
Has anyone faced this before and resolved it? If I remove that line and change line 134 of android/app/build Gradle back to 'general' from 'mlkit' I can run my react-native-camera module but I cannot interface with the MLKit text recognizer.
Exception:
Execution failed for task ':app:checkDebugDuplicateClasses'.
> 1 exception was raised by workers:
  java.lang.RuntimeException: Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzbm found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzck found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzcl found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzcm found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzjx found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzjy found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzjz found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzka found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzkb found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzkc found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzkd found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzke found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzkg found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)
  Duplicate class com.google.android.gms.internal.vision.zzl found in modules classes.jar (com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision-common:19.0.0) and classes.jar (com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision-face-model:17.0.2)


like dyes or some inks.
the fibres and discoloured them.
4. Solid deposits, e.g. wax, paint, food grease, glue.
some kind. The fourth group will need organic solvents.
divided into four groups, each containing related substances.
hydrocarbons, like mineral spirits, trichloroethylene, d-limonene.
isopropyl alcohol or glycol ethers, such as 2-butoxy ethanol (butyl cellusolve);and ketones like acetone.
Group 4 Protein-based detergents or digesters.
important to wash or rinse with clean water to remove the reagent.
piece of plastic to prevent it from drying.
orange in an acid. Sometimes this effect is reversible but not always.
Always pre-test on a small inconspicuous area.
being treated and change it as soon as it becomes soiled.
same can be done with mineral spirits and isopropyl alcohol.
the fabric from half dry white towels.


in NMB48, and also lots of joy and contentment!
Aika just announced her graduation at today's Team N show. She's gonna focus on her English studies and will go to college starting April.
She's cute! She's the only NMB member I really see anything of, as I look at all her twitter pics.
I didn't know she was learning English though, that's cool.
When I bought handshake tickets for whenever the next single is, I actually looked to buy Aika's, but her only slots were the other end of the day to when Mayu's were, so oh well.
All the best for her studying English! I hope she gets a new twitter to tweet cute photos still.
NMB48 Team N's Nishimura Aika has announced her graduation from the group.
Her graduation was announced on February 15 during a live concert at NMB48 Theater. Following the concert, she uploaded a comment onto the group's official blog, explaining, "I've decided to attend college starting in April to study English. I thought about managing both [NMB48 and school], but I realized how difficult it was after trying to manage my activities during high school. I haven't given up on my dreams of becoming an actress. Right now, I want to devote myself to studying English, then go after my dream of becoming an actress."
Nishimura plans on participating in NMB48's nationwide tour "NMB48 Live House Tour 2016" until its finale on March 31 at Zepp Namba. Details on her graduation date will be announced once decided.
Wishing Aika chan a very bright future!
^ Cute, she seems to be learning English a bit?


text:
Home Rush Trump Teaches the World a Lesson on Trade
Trump Teaches the World a Lesson on Trade
RUSH: The Drive-By Media, the legacy media, the mainstream media, the Democrat Party all said that it was not possible for economic growth to ever be above the best it was under Obama, which was 1.8 to 2%. Obama had one outlier quarter a little over three, but those were extraneous circumstances there. Obama's GDP average 1.8 to 2% on the upside, and everybody said, "It can't possibly get any better than that, and it's foolish to think so. It's a new day in America, and those days of rabid capitalistic economic growth are over."
Just like Obama and the media said the jobs that we've lost, manufacturing, otherwise, would never, ever, be coming back. Obama goes out to Elkhart, Indiana, telling people in the campaign year of 2016 not to think of their jobs coming back, that Trump's lying to them about it, asking (impression), "What's he gonna do? Wave a magic wand? What's the policy? How's he gonna do it? Ain't gonna happen! I don't want you all, uh, uh, with false hopes out there."
Well, we got an economic growth now sustained of 4.2% and climbing. The stock markets approaching a new record high because Donaldus Trump last night, the deadline that he had set. We have a new trade deal with Canada to be added into the deal already reached with Mexico. It is what gets rid of NAFTA, just as he said he would do, just as he promised on the campaign trail. The new name of this thing is the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.
Trump has been speaking about this for the last half hour outside the Oval Orifice, and he's in a fine, fine mood, as is everybody gathered there. It is a major, major achievement. Again, it is something that the Democrat opposition (which includes, of course, the media) all said could not happen. "It couldn't be done. It was a waste of time to try," as they said, scratching their heads, "Why does Trump care about trade deals anyway?" And they've never understood the Trump voter caring about trade deals.
They've never understand the connection made and maintains with voters on trade.
And it's not just NAFTA; it's any number of other things. Jared Kushner has come in for a lot of credit on this deal, which means he's gonna be in the crosshairs right along with Brett Kavanaugh, about whom we will get to in due course. But the NAFTA news is gonna be buried, which is one of the reasons why Trump is spending so much time talking about it, giving the Drive-By Media a tough time in ignoring it.
But for Trump it's electoral politics in addition to making America great again, as he defines it, something he promised, something he claimed could be done, that would be done, and it has been done, and it is to the benefit of people that voted… Well, to the benefit of millions and millions of Americans in countless numbers of ways, and he's making sure that as many people as possible are made aware of this. It had to kill the Washington Post to write about this.
Headline: "Canada Agrees to Join Trade Accord with U.S. and Mexico, Sending New NAFTA Deal to Congress." So we're renegotiating NAFTA. Canada… Canada, which said they wanted no part of it? They asked in at the last moment! "Hey, hey, don't forget us! Can we be part of this, too?" Trump said, "Come on in." A reporter just asked Trump, "Does this mean the end of tariffs?" Trump said (summarized), "Hell, no, it doesn't mean the end of tariffs.
"If the European Union continues to send unfair trade deal related products into the United States, we're gonna slap tariffs on it. Remember how the Drive-Bys and the Democrats said that slapping tariffs on Chinese goods was gonna provoke the ChiComs? It couldn't possibly be good! It might mean the end of whatever arrangement we're making with the North Koreans. It might destroy existing good relations with the ChiComs!
Breaking news! "China to Cut Import Tariffs on Wide Range of Products. China will cut import tariffs on textile products and metals, including steel products, to 8.4% down from 11.5%, effective Nov. 1, the finance ministry said on Sunday. Beijing has pledged to take steps to increase imports" that means products from us "this year amid rising tension with some of its biggest trading partners, such as the United States."
Bottom line, Trump said he was gonna do X, Y, and Z and A, B, and C in trade, and if we started A, B, and C, I think he's pretty much closing in on C. He has rebuilt the economy, he has created new jobs; his economic policies have. The elimination of onerous regulations, which is an ongoing thing, continues to show vast benefits for every ordinary American who makes this country work. And it's something he said could be done that only he could do and in fact, he was the only one that thought it was necessary to do, and it's now done.
Here is the president today at the White House Rose Garden. We have three sound bites….
THE PRESIDENT: I have long contended that NAFTA was perhaps the worst trade deal ever made. Since NAFTA's adoption the United States racked up trade deficits totaling more than $2 trillion, and it's a much higher number than that. With Canada and Mexico it lost vast amounts of money and lost 4.1 million manufacturing jobs and one in four auto jobs. It's about 25% of our auto jobs, even more than that. Throughout the campaign I promised to renegotiate NAFTA, and today we have kept that promise.
RUSH: For the last half hour, the president… Maybe even longer than that, maybe 45 minutes. You know, an extended statement, he only recently started taking questions. I'll tell you what Trump is doing here, which is something that I've long advocated. He wasn't just announcing the deal got done. He was teaching why it was important, including to the Drive-By Media, who, for the most part, are clueless, don't understand capitalism, think that it's a big, bad, meany.
Trump is taking the occasion of all this attention to actually explain how trade works and how the United States has been victimized over the course of many, many years because of American leadership believing, "Well, you know, we're the superior in the world. We're the richest. We can afford to take it in the shorts now and then if it promotes good relations with our allies," and Trump stood up and said, "There's no reason we should have our back pockets picked.
"There's no reason that we should just let people have whatever they want from our treasury. There's no reason we should feel guilty about being powerful and wealthy. It doesn't mean because we are so much wealthier and powerful, that those who are not have dibs on what we've produced. Those days are over. That way of thinking is over."
He went through the whole process of explaining how trade works, why it is important, how the United States was getting the shaft. But more importantly, why it matters to ordinary, everyday people and their jobs and their careers, including farmers and a number of other type people about whom Washington thinks not very often and thinks very little. It's been a masterful performance.
There is no question that Trump not only knows what he's talking about, he is the architect of what he's talking about, and he can run rings around people in discussing the process and in discussing the substance and the details of this new agreement. It puts anybody else that's ever tried this to shame. Everybody that has the chance to listen to this is gonna understand exactly why it was important what happened, why it happened, and why we benefit, and why that's good.
You know, teaching as well as announcing is fundamental. I believe that's why the Republican Congress 1994 actually squandered its majority after a while, it's because they stopped teaching what they were doing and why as they did it. They made the fatal mistake of believing that the Republican victory in 1994 meant somehow that a majority of the country had overnight turned conservative. So when they began to announce this cut, that cut, this reform, that reform, a lot of people didn't know what they were talking about, got scared to death.
That lesson has been learned by none other than Donaldus Trump. Here's the next bite. Trump saying it is a privilege to trade with us. This kind of thinking, we haven't seen. We've seen thinking, both parties, who believe that it's up to us to earn the respect of others. It's up to us to show them that we don't intend them any harm. It's up to us. And Trump's turning this 180 degrees around, said it's a privilege to trade with us. We're the world economy. We're the future of the world economy. We're the future of the world freedom and liberty. The days of America as the world's piggybank are over.
THE PRESIDENT: This deal will also impose new standards requiring at least 75% of every automobile to be made in North America in order to qualify for the privilege of free access to our markets. It's a privilege for them to do business with us, and I'm not talking about Mexico-Canada. I'm talking about everybody, everybody. It's a privilege for China to do business with us. It's a privilege for the European Union — who has treated us very badly, but that's coming along — to do business with us. Japan, every country. It's a privilege for them to come in and attack the piggybank.
RUSH: Yeah. It's a privilege to come in now — and, as I say, folks, it's a new way of seeing ourselves and our country without the need to make excuses, without the need to apologize. We really haven't seen this. You know, you can see evidence and signs of this in our own culture of the achieved and the accomplished somehow feel the need to apologize for it or to downplay it, as some sort of new definition of humility, rather than having it used as a teachable moment, as something inspiring.
As Trump points out, we want every country making their country great. We want every country putting their country first. We want everybody doing it that way. That's the whole point, for everybody to do better, but not by piggy banking the United States, by doing it on their own. These kinds of things are just… They're foreign to the United Nations types, diplomatic types. Here's the final bite. Don't forget who told you this was not possible. Do not forget. It was Barack Hussein O who said none of this could be done.
THE PRESIDENT: If you remember, the previous administration said, "We're not gonna have manufacturing jobs anymore,"" essentially. We're not gonna have…? We're not gonna make things anymore?" "No." Just the opposite. We're gonna be a manufacturing powerhouse and allow us to reclaim a supply chain that has been offshored to the world because of unfair trade issues.
RUSH: So there you have it. It's not a sexy subject. NAFTA never was. I mean, it commanded a lot of attention. You know, it was very controversial when it was ratified in the early into the mid-1990s. But in terms of being a subject, if cable news announced they're gonna do two or three panels tonight on NAFTA due to the trade deal, they're not gonna have a lot of people tune in. It's just wait of the world.
So Trump is making sure with this extended event in the Rose Garden today that people get its importance. In terms of its importance as an election issue, it's crucial. It is… I wouldn't say crucial. But it's very important in terms of Trump being able to say to his voters, "Stick with me. I told you I was gonna do this. I told you it could be done, and I told you the United States was gonna come out as the champion in the subject of world trade. Don't doubt me."
And, in that sense, it's confidence-inspiring that Trump — left alone in the Oval Office, free and in charge to be who he is — will mean a bunch of great things happening for the country. This can be parlayed into any number of campaign ads for the upcoming midterms, because it's gonna be about a lot of things, not just the Kavanaugh nomination and other things. This is gonna be a fundamental aspect in terms of turning out the Trump base.
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text:
What measurement does to us…
10 April 2017 5 Comments
A thermometer showing −17°C. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Over the past week this tweet was doing the rounds. I'm not sure where it comes from or precisely what its original context was, but it appeared in my feed from folks in various student analytics and big data crowds. The message I took was "measurement looks complicated until you pin it down".
But what I took from this was something a bit different. Once upon a time the idea of temperature was a complex thing. It was subjective, people could reasonably disagree on whether today was hotter or colder than today. Note those differences between types of "cold" and "hot"; damp, dank, frosty, scalding, humid, prickly. This looks funny to us today because we can look at a digital readout and get a number. But what really happened is that our internal conception of what temperature is changed. What has actually happened is that a much richer and nuanced concept has been collapsed onto a single linear scale. To re-create that richness weather forecasters invent things like "wind chill" and "feels like" to capture different nuances but we have in fact lost something, the idea that different people respond differently to the same conditions.
Before thermometers: philosophers mocked the idea of temperature ever being measurable, with all its nuance, complexity and subjectivity pic.twitter.com/lPi1GfXWcr
— Siberian Fox (@SilverVVulpes) April 7, 2017
Last year I did some work where I looked at the theoretical underpinnings for the meaning we give to referencing and citation indicators in the academy. What I found was something rather similar. Up until the 70s the idea of what made "quality" or "excellence" in research was much more contextual. The development of much better data sources, basically more reliable thermometers, for citation counting led to intense debates about whether this data had any connection to the qualities of research at all, let alone whether anything could be based on those numbers. The conception of research "quality" was much richer, including the idea that different people might have different responses.
In the 1970s and 80s something peculiar happens. This questioning of whether citations can represent the qualities of research disappears, to be replaced by the assumption that it does. A rear-guard action continues to question this, but it is based on the idea that people are doing many different things when they reference, not the idea that counting such things is fundamentally a questionable activity in and of itself. Suddenly citations became a "gold standard", the linear scale against which everything was measured, and our ideas about the qualities of research became consequently impoverished.
At the same time it is hard to argue that a simple linear scale of defined temperature has created massive advances, we can track global weather against agreed standards, including how it is changing and quantify the effects of climate change. We can calibrate instruments against each other and control conditions in ways that allow everything from the safekeeping of drugs and vaccines to ensuring that our food is cooked to precisely the right degree. Of course on top of that we have to acknowledge that temperature actually isn't as simple as concept as its made out to be as well. Definitions always break down somewhere.
And the concept of temperature still has subtleties:eg makes sense (mostly) just in equilibrium, has fluctuations etc. Also: lasers have T<0 https://t.co/LAo05cjMVQ
— Stephen Serjeant (@StephenSerjeant) April 9, 2017
It seems to me that its important to note that these changes in meaning can affect the way we think and talk about things. Quantitative indicators can help us to share findings and analysis, to argue more effectively, most importantly to share claims and evidence in a way which is much more reliably useful. At the same time if we aren't careful those indicators can change the very things that we think are important. It can change the underlying concept of what we are talking about.
Ludwig Fleck in The Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact explains this very effectively in terms of the history of the concept of "syphillis". He explain how our modern conception (a disease with specific symptoms caused by an infection with a specific transmissible agent) would be totally incomprehensible to those who thought of disease in terms of how they were to be treated (in this case being classified as a disease treated with mercury). The concept itself being discussed changes when the words change.
None of this is of course news to people in Science and Technology Studies, history of science, or indeed much of the humanities. But for scientists it often seems to undermine our conception of what we're doing. It doesn't need to. But you need to be aware of the problem.
This ramble brought to you in part by a conversation with @dalcashdvinksy and @StephenSergeant
GardnerCampbell said:
Thanks for this post. It's a powerful corollary to Campbell's Law, and a cautionary tale indeed.
# 10 April 2017 at 6:08 pm
Elizabeth Gadd said:
Might the temperature references come from Yves Gingras's excellent book on bibliometrics and research and evaluation? He defines the qualities of a good indicator as being 1) adequate, 2) sensitive and 3) homogeneous. He uses the thermometer as an illustration of an instrument that need to be sensitive to that which it measures. I.e. If it reads 20° one minute and 10° the next you know it's faulty. In the same way, if an institution appears at number five in a ranking one year and number 500 in the ranking the following year you know the ranking is faulty…
Elizabeth Gadd
Potentially. I haven't at all had a chance to chase them down. Either way I find it a fascinating parallel so I wouldn't find it very surprising if someone else has done the analysis properly. I should go looking properly!
Mark C. Wilson said:
If only citations were the gold standard at my institution. Promotions are largely based on number of papers (more = better).
Henry Rzepa said:
Can I add a different dimension. We are used to citing other articles which support (or contradict) the arguments being presented. We are less used to citing data (as a "FAIR" first class object), often relying on data "buried" in an article or the supporting information and hoping the interested reader will find it in much the same manner often as the needle in the haystack.
But what about other objects? What about citing the instrument which might have been used to obtain data, and perhaps associated with a calibration curve or say a probe fitted for the experiment? If the article is about searches of a database, how about citing the version of that database? If software has been used to simulate a model, how about the version of that software? These can be informally cited, perhaps in the "experimental section", but a proper citation should have formal metadata associated with it and this would require a formation citation. We are moving into an era where persistent identifiers (often known as DOIs) can be assigned to all these properties. We should get used to quoting such DOIs for all aspects of the research processes, not just articles describing the research outcomes. Or to put it more generally, metadata really can help to assign a context to the citation.


text:
Spain's Gag Law: spectre of an authoritarian past
Posted on May 18, 2015 May 18, 2015 by geofftkennedy
Spain's Gag Law: spectre of an authoritarian past.
by Carlos Delclós
On Friday 10 April 2015, holographic images of about 2,000 protestors from all over the world were projected onto the facade of the Spanish Parliament by the citizen platform No somos delito ("we are not a crime").
Images of people are projected onto a transparent screen in front of the Spanish Parliament building in a 'virtual protest' on 10 April 2015. The government has forbidden people from protesting physically against the new security law.
(AP/Paul White)
The action was directed against the draconian Citizen Safety Bill passed by the right-wing government on 26 March 2015, which will go into effect on 1 July 2015.
The so-called Ley Mordaza, or Gag Law, imposes heavy fines for "administrative infractions" and maintains a registry of the citizens who commit those infractions.
Though the expansive legislation threatens a variety of uses of public space and legalises prohibited border control practices such as summary expulsions, it is its aggressive attack on the right of citizens to protest that has attracted the most attention from media and human rights organisations.
The legislation especially targets the types of protest and disobedience favoured by the indignados movement, such as unauthorised protests, blocking evictions or surrounding high institutions of the state.
It also affects trade union protest by essentially prohibiting picketing and any disruption of services. Maria José Saura of the leading CCOO trade union told Equal Times that "the Gag Law turns conflicts over labour into an issue of public order. With no room for unauthorised actions, what we're left with is protest as a farce."
The Gag Law also works in tandem with a new reform of Spain's penal code, which classifies transgressive actions in public space as administrative sanctions, thus leaving them to the discretion of police officers through the application of fines on the spot.
These fines range from €600 (US$678) for sleeping in the street to €600,000 (US$678,000) for surrounding congress without contacting authorities.
As the general secretary of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) in Catalonia, Ermengol Gassiot, points out, this represents a shift from using the judicial system to repress dissent –which overwhelms the courts with cases that are unlikely to lead to jail time– to using the police to bankrupt labour and social movements.
Divided opinions
The gap between the scale of the Spanish government's attack on basic freedoms and the actual, physical density of the response in the streets has led to frustration amongst many left-wing commentators.
Some argue that the emerging centrality of new political parties and the adoption of potentially radical demands by mainstream parties (Catalan independence, for example) has transposed the attention, time and energy of activists into the spectacular realm of electoral politics and TV debate shows, or the speculative realm of surveys and polls.
Others go a bit further, suggesting that it is the very hope that the new parties will take power and eliminate the legislation that is acting as a barrier to action.
On the other hand, it is also argued that the institutional glass ceiling encountered by the social movements was beginning to either erode support or dissuade people from engaging in the riskier politics of the street.
For many of these commentators, the spectral nature of the holographic protest was something of a last straw.
In a recent column, Natasha Lennard went so far as to call the protest "pathetic" and "dangerous", seeing the action as a show of acquiescence to the repressive will of an authoritarian government.
Yet such arguments stem from an excessive focus on the surface-level traits of the protest's form, ignoring both its context and content, thus obscuring its meaning.
In Lennard's case, this becomes abundantly clear when she suggests that the legislation is a "direct response" to protests like the massive rally held in January 2015 by Podemos, the rising leftist party, which is simply false.
If anything, considering that as much as 82 per cent of the population is against the legislation, the measures probably strengthen their support and undermine it for the governing Popular Party.
The reality is that the Gag Law is just one more in a series of highly repressive actions by state institutions against Spain's autonomous social movements.
Recently, eight protesters received three-year prison sentences for participating in a protest that surrounded the Catalan parliament on 11 June 2011.
And for several months, police have been rounding up dozens of anarchists as part of the ominously named Operation Pandora, accusing them of terrorism despite relying on their ideologies, aesthetics and reading lists as evidence.
Both of these actions were the responsibilities of Spain's National Audience, the institutional successor to the Francoist regime's Court of Public Order, itself a continuation of the dictator's Special Court for the Repression of Masonry and Communism.
It hardly feels like a stretch to suggest that the tradition dates back to the Inquisition.
For the last several years, street protests have been the background of daily life in Spain, and it has become difficult for them to stand out.
Those that do manage to become media events are dissected and differentially exploited by an increasingly large, diverse set of political players with specialised narratives.
In such an unfavourable context, what is needed is an anomaly, a moment of truth that, by confronting us with the spectres that haunt our present reality, provokes the novelty and perplexity required to destabilise one hegemonic narrative and introduce an emancipatory one.
It is ultimately an artistic task, and it is as an artistic gesture that the holographic protest should be interpreted.
As such, it was highly successful.
What remains to be seen is what will happen on 1 July 2015, when the legislation goes into effect.
Will there be widespread disobedience? Or, on the contrary, will the country look away as any hope for real democracy is buried alive?
Posted in EuropeTagged neo-liberal authoritarianism, Podemos, Spain, Spanish Politics
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