In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful; The Eternal, The Righteous, The Owner Of Sovereignty, The Lord Of Majesty And Bounty, The Self-Sufficient, The Supreme, The Self-Subsisting In Whom All Subsist. The Peace Be Upon You, Everyone.
2:184 (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that you fast, if ye only knew.
2:185 Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance you shall be grateful.
"The English translation of the detailed version of the Hadith al-Qudsi of the Mi'raj (the ascension of the Holy Prophet to the heavens) as taken from the text Irshad al-Qulub. This hadith is the narration of Allah's conversation with his beloved Holy Prophet during the event of the Mi'raj."
Hey, what's for lunch today?
O.K., if you grill vegetables and fruits. I'm in! Ramadan Mubarak!
The purpose of Ramadan fastings is to understand, realize and feel the pain of the hungry poor people practically(so give charity 2 poor people).
If a person has health issues, then fasting is not required.
Ramadan is not a punishment, but a blessing.
It is clear from this Hadeeth which has been narrated on the authority of Hadrhat Abu Huraira that Allah is not in need of any person to leave his food or drink. Allah is far from needs and desires. However, it is the mercy of Allah that He wants each and every person to leave those things which will lead him to the hellfire and by controlling one's desires throughout this month it is hoped that one will be able to control himself throughout the following months also.
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim In The name of Allah, Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful. As salaamu alaykum, The peace be upon you, everyone.


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Lake Worth Beach's neighborhoods: Parrot Cove offers a city vibe with a small-town feel
Elyse Grant Special to The Post
The Palm Beach Post is running a series of stories on the redevelopment of 18 neighborhoods in Lake Worth Beach. The city is working with neighborhood organizers, residents, the Neighborhood Association President's Council and Jupiter Urban Planning Consultant Nilsa Zacarias to promote the diversity, history and culture of the neighborhoods.
LAKE WORTH BEACH — Parrot Cove extends from Lucerne Avenue to 13th Ave North. Its eastern boundaries include the east side of Federal Highway to the Lake Worth Golf Course, including North O Street, North Lakeside Drive, North Golfview Road and North Palmway.
The majority of structures within the neighborhood are residential. According to recent census data, the population is approximately 1,318.
According to its website, the Parrot Cove neighborhood association was formed in 2000 as a nonprofit organization with the goal of providing information about a wide range of issues, serving as a way to meet one's neighbors, and to build a strong sense of community.
What business owners and residents say
Anthony Marotta has been a resident of Parrot Cove for six years and is currently the president of the neighborhood association.
"The neighborhood is walkable and, in just a few minutes, residents can be enjoying a drink or dinner on the patio overlooking the Intracoastal at The Beach Club restaurant, get to our beach, or enjoy the Snook Islands nature area," he said.
The Parrot Cove neighborhood association board of directors works closely with the city to ensure a safe environment for residents. The neighborhood is considered a low crime area, but residents are encouraged to report suspicious activity, remain vigilant, and take basic safety precautions, according to Marotta.
Marotta sees himself as a long-term resident of the neighborhood, and cites Parrot Cove's uniqueness as a high point.
"In my case, it comes with the unique challenge of maintaining a 107-year-old house," he remarked.
Parrot Cove offers a unique collection of architectural styles, with some homes dating back more than 100 years. Many distinct homes in Parrot Cove were written about and photographed in the book "The Cottages of Lake Worth" by local residents Janice Snearer, Taylor Jones and the late Dean Sherwin.
The neighborhood association of Parrot Cove offers a biennial tour of its historic homes. The next tour is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2020.
"We host several social events during the year, the neighborhood association is very involved in the community," Marotta said.
The neighborhood also recently petitioned the city to rename North "O" Street to North Ocean Breeze in order to match its southern counterpart.
Located near the Snook Islands nature reserve, Sabal Palm House Bed and Breakfast is owned and run by John Rinaldi.
"We love owning a business here," Rinaldi said. "We're close to the Intracostal, the beach and we're a few blocks from downtown."
Rinaldi notes that the crime rate has declined over the years, which as a good sign for residents and local business owners.
"We find our neighborhood to be much safer than our friends' neighborhoods, some of whom live in West Palm or North Palm Beach," he said.
Like Marotta, Rinaldi is also a fan of Parrot Cove's architecture.
"We don't have a bunch of cookie-cutter houses where a developer goes in and everything looks the same," he remarked.
He also likes the area's friendly vibe.
Rinaldi noted said residents were friendly from the moment they moved in and some knew the name of their dog before they knew his family's names.
"You live in the city, but you have this small-town feel, which is nice," he said.
Rinaldi resided in Orange County, New York, before moving to Parrot Cove in 2003. And, after nearly two decades, he is looking to relocate.
"We have our inn for sale, so we'll probably be moving out of the area once we sell," he remarked. "We've been doing it for 16 years, so we're getting tired."
Rinaldi adds that they are hoping to hand the inn off to someone that wants to take it to the next level.
Some amenities that are nearby include the Lake Worth Beach Golf Club, Snook Island Natural Area and boat-launch facilities across from Bryant Park.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Organisers have hailed this year's The Spree festival as "our biggest and best" as figures show the 2018 edition of the popular event was the best-attended yet.
The festival, organised by Renfrewshire Council, had its seventh outing from 12-21 October.
Music fans were treated to a spectacular show from Motown legend Martha Reeves and an intimate question-and-answer session with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi – both in Paisley Town Hall – as well as a series of hugely-popular gigs in the fantastic Spiegeltent, located in County Square during the festival.
A 'wee Spree' programme of activities for kids was timed to coincide with the school holidays and saw youngsters enjoy everything from comedy to computer coding. A festival highlight saw the National Theatre of Scotland take a theatre-in-a-truck performance across Renfrewshire each day of the festival.
The Spree for All fringe programme was extended this year to take in events in Renfrew, Johnstone, Linwood and Lochwinnoch. In Paisley, the Danny Kyle Stage in honour of the local singer-songwriter was hosted by The Old Swan Inn for the first time.
In total, estimates show almost 11,000 attendances at The Spree – the most yet in the festival's seven-year run – and the highest ticket sale figures recorded, with several shows completely sold out.
Renfrewshire Council's events programme will continue with Christmas lights switch-on events in Paisley (Saturday 17 November), Renfrew (Saturday 24 November) and Johnstone (Saturday 1 December). More details of all these events are available online at www.paisley.is.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This is a screen capture of the best image I could find of the logo on the back of the person who destroyed the cube. It reads, GENCO. Notice the bull above.
The Genco Pura Olive Oil Company was a front company formed by Vito Corleone (meaning "Lion hearted life giver")in the 1920s. It was named after his childhood friend and consigliere, Genco Abbandando. Its headquarters were on Mott Street, Little Italy. It eventually grew to become the largest olive-oil importer in the nation.
The Company was a front for the family's criminal activities and its more shady operations were carried out by Salvatore Tessio and Peter Clemenza. The company became incredibly successful during the 1930s, after defeating Salvatore Maranzano in an event that would later be known as the Olive Oil War.
In late 1945 Vito Corleone was gunned down outside these offices by men loyal to the Tattaglia family and Virgil Sollozzo.
Consider the scene at the removal and destruction of the cubic talisman.
The "masonic actor" who destroyed the cube wore a red shirt (of the red lodge) and gave the pieces freely to the common people standing about.
Inscriptions on the cube: 20, 14, 16, 8, JAM and MM.
The Georgia Guidestones were set in place on March 22 1980.
During the reign of the emperor Claudius, the twenty-second day of March was the beginning of feast of Cybele. At this time a pine-tree was cut in the woods and brought into her sanctuary and treated as a great divinity. The 24th day was known as the day of blood and the 25, the Hilaria.
Thinking of the cube as a talisman, its placement in the monument could have heralded a sealing of the intention of the fulfillment of the commandments below it.
15 days after the cube had been inserted it was taken out and split into pieces and given to the common people (who will be the ones directly impacted) standing around observing but failing to perceive.
A talisman is created to exert power over others or protect from other magical influences. By smashing the cube, the intended power is destroyed – but for what purpose?
The origin of the olive tree in the city of Athens is explained through the intervention of the Goddess Athena.
Poseidon, Zeus' brother, coveted earthly kingdoms and so claimed the possession of Attica in conflict with Athena. To show his power, he drove his trident into the Acropolis which became a well of salt water. In response, Athena made an olive tree spring next to the well. The Athenians realized that the olive was good for food and that the oil could be used as fuel for their lamps, giving them "light." It was determined that Athena had the right to own the land because she had given the city the greatest gift. Thenceforth, the city adopted the name of Athens and the olive tree planted by Athena was revered for centuries in the Acropolis.
Thank you for so much for both quenching and creating a greater appetite for more knowledge. You were right when you said on the first Labyrinth teaching on "The Sharpening" that while this information can all be found while "digging" on the internet you've made it much more accessible for many who won't or can't find the time to do this sort of research. I'm grateful for your time and dedication to uncovering and sharing so much truth in order to give us a greater understanding of our "adversary's" strategy and ploys to putting a wedge between God and man in an attempt to continue what he started in heaven. I look forward to reading much more from you in the coming months and years should Christ tarry. Again, thank you so very much.


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Ed Alford: Why and How Every Man Can Drive Change for Women in Business
Male Agents for Change
In March 2017, everywoman Ambassador Ed Alford was named one of the top 30 men tackling gender diversity in the UK workplace. Here, Vice President of Enterprise Systems, part of the IT function, discusses his own and BP's commitment to a diverse and inclusive culture, where everyone is valued and treated equally, and can be at their best.
Was there a catalyst for you to become a gender diversity champion?
Growing up on the west coast of Scotland, I was very aware of different types of discrimination around me, and formed an opinion early on that this was wrong. So when I saw gender discrimination happening in the workforce, how talent was being constrained and the wrong things were being focussed on, it pushed a button in me. A female colleague made me realise that as a senior guy I could change things, so that for me was the start of it all.
What lessons have you learned in your quest for gender balance in your team at BP?
In some STEM fields or areas where it's largely a male population, it's very easy to come out with excuses, to be complacent. "We'd love to have more women in leadership, but we don't have any women to promote," is one of the classics. It's simply not enough to say that you want a gender diverse team; you have to take action, to communicate with recruiters and headhunters.
It's not about saying, "Go find me a woman"; it's about insisting on a balanced slate to select the very best talent from. In some cases it also means you have to push someone to recognise that they're ready for a promotion – it's that classic story of women hesitating if they only have 80% of the requisite skills, while men think "I'll have a go" if they've only 50% of what's needed. As a leader, it's your job to do some coaching.
You also have to take a good look at your environment and whether it's going to attract female candidates. I never start any leadership meetings before 10am or after 4pm, because that allows both women and men who have to do the school run to participate. And that whole thing about sending emails at 7 o'clock at night and expecting a reply straight away — we just don't do that.
Such small tweaks can have a massive impact on a career, because a manager who's aware that the leadership team meets at 8am might be put off applying because she knows she has to take the kids to school, and that taking that bigger job will mean compromising her work/life balance. Once you've created that sort of environment you have to find a way of getting it across in job descriptions and your communication with recruiters.
Management Today recently named you one of its top Agents of Change for 2017. Is public recognition important for furthering your cause to create more gender balance at BP?
While it's very flattering and humbling to be selected, it would be a mistake for anyone to think that you need to appear on a list in order to have permission to make a difference. For me, gender diversity is simply a matter of better balance equalling better business.
About five years ago I was put in charge of a function where I could make choices about who was hired, and it really was as simple as making a decision that I would push and try to achieve an equal male/female split in my leadership team, or die trying. We've done okay – we're currently at around 60/40, so there's still work to do. Wherever you are in your career, you can make a difference: make a choice, commit to it, and then make it happen.
The financial benefits to gender diversity in business are well documented. What personal benefits have you discovered through developing a more equal split in your team?
Having a gender diverse team undoubtedly enables me to have broader thinking and makes me better at my job. I'm blessed to have a lot of great male and female leaders, and all that diversity of thought enables me to think more broadly. If there's one thing I've learned it's that you're always more successful when you have people around you who are not like you.
Having gender diverse teams absolutely makes work more fun too. Everyone has a different brain and a different sense of humour, regardless of gender, and so mixing things up more creates a lot more enjoyment in the working environment, and more fun when you're pulling together to solve a problem. It's also helpful if you can laugh at the gender differences — we used to joke as a team about how it took us longer to arrive at collective decisions because of all the competing opinions, but it was done in the knowledge that we'd created a better, more balanced outlook.
Progress is still slow in terms of strengthening the female talent pipeline in many industries. What will the next generation need to do to speed up the transition to workplace gender parity?
Back when I was doing my aeronautical engineering degree, there were two girls in my class of 80. When I started working in 1992, I think the male/female split in that business was about 80/20. Today I work with FDM, title partner of the everywoman in Technology Awards, to ensure the young talent coming into BP is 50/50.
It falls to us senior leaders to ensure that we're changing and creating an environment that means the next generation of leaders won't see issues around a balanced workforce, and will just naturally seek to create diverse and inclusive teams. If you're wondering why you don't have any women in your senior team today, go back to grass roots and start fixing the problem there — that's what changes the pipeline for tomorrow.
Deliveroo's Ela Osterberger on why a career in data science delivers
Perks of the job: Train driver
6 steps to beating imposter syndrome
Sarah Churchman on stepping out of your comfort zone
Sarah Churchman on Returning to work after a period of absence


text:
RAJYA PARIXA BOARD VIVIDH PARIXA MAHITI BABAT MAHTVAPURN LINK.
PSE-SSE Exam-2021 જાહેર નોટીફીકેશન વાંચવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો
ગતવર્ષ માટે
પ્રાથમિક-માધ્યમિક શિષ્યવૃત્તિ પરીક્ષા પરિણામ જોવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો
PSE-SSE પરીક્ષા પ્રોવિઝનલ જવાબ જોવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો
What is happening in primary schools? Is there a Maino Red that can challenge this absurd system? Where did the teachers go who were full of drunkenness. In which there was the power of truth which would also prove to the collector that I am a guru and I am the king of my class. I will decide which child in my class needs what to give and not you!
The teacher's freedom to teach is being severely curtailed. How a teacher teaches a subject in the classroom depends on his personal skills and the skills he has developed. Yes, improvements can be suggested, but enforcing those reforms is called cruelty not only to the teacher but also to the child.
According to a government research, the practice of teaching the Gujarati alphabet in a different order has been going on for the last 7 years. So far we have learned 'K', 'B', 'G' in the same order. But according to this research, a different type of system like 'no', 'm', 'g', 'j' has been running for about 7 years. From the time a child is young, he enters the school with a certain kind of kakka rehearsal from the home environment and the teacher follows a different kind of system by putting the years old system on the nave and following the government order. Think about how much the child will be confused.
This is just one example. A new fatwa was issued 4 years ago. Not to use unauthorized literature like 'Desi Hisab' in the classroom. This fatwa is also because no teacher is willing to use this new system of n, m, g, j, and cannot teach from desi account. The books of desi accounts from which our fathers and grandfathers learned the basics, half and half, should not be in the class of desi accounts. Even some of the new generation teachers do not know what is base, half and half. Today, the teacher and the student have a hard time explaining the fractional numbers because of the removal of these bases, half, and half.
The government can decide what to teach the teacher - in the form of a curriculum. Can also develop new systems with a new curriculum. But where is the justice in imposing these systems on teachers! For thousands of years, this system, which has been transmitted directly from Sanskrit to Gujarati by a scientific method like kanthay, talvya, murdhanya, aishthaya, and dantya, is called unscientific by today's researchers. So-called government officials have so far failed to prove the rationale behind this. The government decides what to teach, the government decides how to teach, the government also decides what to teach, and after doing all that, if the result is not in the government's favor, who is to blame for the failure? On top of the teacher. Even those poor Bapals are ready. Holding the head. Leo Fodo.
The men in the so-called monitoring system of the government visit the school and advise the teachers and report whether the work is done as per the instructions given by the government. In general it should happen that the knowledge of the teacher evaluator should be more than the teacher. This does not happen at all. It just means from the paper. That every system of government must succeed on paper. However, the poor servant is not to blame for this either. Servants of this letter cannot go back to private schools and suggest any of these. Everything runs there. There is also a country account and books made in one's own way. No one can go to a Maino Lal private school and tell an unqualified teacher that you should not teach like this. The trustees depart from the office. Moreover, the government should defend the fact that "private schools teach students to read, write and count. The educational quality of the people is better than ours." Doesn't the quality of education include the holistic development of the child? Some schools even run in 10 * 10 rooms. Will quality be maintained there? The government allocates 25% reserve under RTE for admission in such private schools. This literally means that the government does not have the capacity to build or sustain schools. For the overall development of the students in such a school with 10 * 10 rooms, the government pays Rs. 10,000 per student as per the rule of RTE. Fees and stationery costs Rs 3000. Will these schools be able to teach Kabaddi or Kho-Kho to the students and bring it to the district level? Does quality education mean only reading, writing, arithmetic? No appreciation for the student's intuition and skills! Stationery costs Rs. 3000 to a student who gets admission under RTE in a private school. And the scholarship for a child studying in a government school is only Rs.500 including Rs.300 for a uniform. Scholarship of Rs. Where is the justice? Only Rs 200 scholarship for children who really need stationery.
When a single system lasts for at least ten years, it yields good results. The English textbook was changed 3 times in my 8 year job. The Pragya approach still reached some schools where it was even closed. The situation today is that a child who is 4 years old from Pragya approach will now study with a normal book. The teacher is also confused as to why teaching in this. Now the government is claiming that children in government schools are weak in reading, writing, arithmetic. Whose fault is it?
Teacher's? Yes teacher.
ત્યાં It is the teacher's fault that he did not protest without thinking about the future as soon as it was implemented.
It is the teacher's fault that he did as he was told.
It is the teacher's fault that he forgot the student interest in sending good statistics to the government
It is the fault of the teacher that not once did any of the teachers union or teachers, honestly or courageously oppose such an absurd system.
The teacher has to decide what to serve the student in the classroom, what social and mental capacity the student has. But today's teacher is not alone in gathering evidence of all these things. Where is the time left to teach the course with proper planning? On what basis do you want results?
Today, teachers and students are struggling to achieve the desired result. If you are a true teacher, put all the fatwas aside and teach with the interest of the students in mind. The government does the work of the government, the department does the work of the department, the monitors come and go, the evaluator does and the critics do. In the midst of all this, it is the teacher's job to make sure that the student's interests are not compromised. No one has the strength to tell you anything if this student interest is in focus. God will protect you.
In one school, a teacher protested. The teacher bravely knocked on the door of the district level officer. The teacher was suspended. The village was a village school. As soon as the news reached the village, the whole village gathered and surrounded the officer's vehicle. And the order was immediately revoked. The karma and diligence of the teacher won over the ego of the officer. He who does karma without expectation is called a karmayogi. Such a karmyogi should not be offended.
Chammavadu: -
STUDENT: Sir, let's play today in the field.
Teacher: You learn to read first, then judge
"India lost a gold medal".


Two thumbs up for Tasmanian artist Raymond Arnold, who has just won his second Glover Prize, Australia's most prestigious landscape art award aiming to stimulate conversations about the meaning and possibilities expressed in the words landscape, painting, and Tasmania.
Resting comfortably as a landscape of exceptional skill and presence, while remaining true to its industrial theme, Arnold's 2017 offering  La Barque de Dante/Macquarie Harbour Party Barge  was the unanimous choice of the three independent judges; Eleonora Triguboff, Chair/Publisher ARTAND Foundation and Dott Books; Dr Mary Knights, Senior Curator of Art at Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery; and, Ben Quilty, artist.
"Winning the Glover Prize 2017 is very emotional for me. While it is nice to receive the $40,000 prize, most artists will tell you that winning the prestigious Glover Prize is about much more than the money. To be recognised as an artist by one's peers," he added.
Arnold lives and works in Queenstown, Tasmania. Since 1977, his work has appeared in 54 solo exhibitions and 126 group national exhibitions as well as shows in London, France, Scotland and Washington USA. Arnold's works are represented in many national, state and regional gallery collections in Australia; and major institutions in France, United Kingdom and the USA. He is represented by Bett Gallery, Hobart and Australian Galleries, Melbourne.
In addition to Arnold's win, the judges have awarded artist Joan Kelly the highly commended prize for her work, titled Listening Close: 'Joan of Arc'.
"In selecting his work, the judges congratulate Raymond Arnold for his dark and brooding acrylic painting as the winner of the Glover Prize 2017," Quilty added.


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Q: What will the appropriate regex for this pattern? I'm pretty new to regex. The pattern I'm trying to match is something along the lines of this:
    A= "SOME_VALUE"
    X = 'SOME_OTHER_VALUE'
L = "HERES_ANOTHER_VALUE"            # yes, there are some instances of non-indentation
    c = {
        D = "E",
        F='G',
        H = "I"

    }
    Q = "A VALUE WITH SPACES"
    V='VALUE_WITH_KEY_V'

I've done some 'playing around' on regex101, and the pattern I've come up with is the following:
[\s]*?([\w]+)[\s]*?\=[\s]*?([\'\"\,\{\w\s\}]+)[\n]+

I want to capture the sub-class as one whole value. However, as you can see from the output, I'm not getting the desired result. Also, it would be great if I could capture the entire sub-class as an optional group. But I don't know how to do that.
What would be the most efficient regex for the aforementioned pattern?

A: Something like so should work: \w+\s*=\s*((\{.*?\})|(['"].*?['"])) (note that this requires the usage of the .DOTALL flag to allow the . to match new lines, which is useful when you are dealing with classes.
An example of the expression is available here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Aging as a Chinese immigrant in Boston
By Yidan Sun
What is it like to be an elderly in a foreign country and don't know how to speak the language?
In Boston, if you're an Asian, elderly and over age 65, you'll be taken good care of at the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center by social workers who speak the same language with similar cultural backgrounds with you.
About 32 Asian elderly gathered to sing traditional Chinese songs in the hall of Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center, a community service center in Chinatown, Boston, on March 29, 2019. With song books in hand, the elderly people went page by page and sang in groups.
"The moon shines upon the broad land in China as the fishing boats anchor by the shore," Jenny Wu sang wholeheartedly, the song being one of her favorites. She came to the U.S. in her thirties in 1974. Feeling lonely at home, she joined the Center three years ago. Though her throat is damaged, she joins the group singing each Friday.
"I've made friends here through singing, like the woman next to me," said Wu.
Though these elderly people come from different provinces in China and other Asian countries such as Vietnam, most of them speak Cantonese as their primary language. They eat traditional Chinese food, celebrate traditional festivals and sing songs together in the Center.
About 12 of the 32 elderly are above 90 years old and many of them suffer from memory loss and dementia. The social workers created a 'memory café' to help them strengthen memories. Christina Lee, an intern at the Center, designed a map game that asks the elderly to match their hometowns in a blank map and describe their neighborhoods.
"I figured that because they have a lot of loyalty and affiliation with their hometowns," said Lee. "Like one of the common questions that you ask them is like, where are you from? Where is your hometown? It's something that still holds a lot of significance to them."
With an emphasis on families and hometown, the map game was specially designed for Chinese and Asian culture. Bess Lin, the director of the Adult Day Health program at the Center, said that the map game not only helps these elderly people bring memories back then also sparks conversations among them.
Bess Lin, director of Adult Day Health Program at the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center, works in office on Friday, March 29, 2019. (Photo by Yidan Sun/BU News Service)
Lin, the director of Adult Day Health Program at the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center, is working in her office on Friday, March 29, 2019.
"They will ask a lot of private questions that in the Western culture we don't ask for," said Lin. In memory café, these elderly people get to know each other through these questions and share life experiences.
"In Chinese culture, they are more familiar, more tend to live as a group, sing as a group, and talk as a group," Lin said.
However, the lack of information about activities that are specific to this population make it more difficult for social workers like Lin and Lee to design more games like this.
"If you just Google online activities for elderly, it's very based on like Western American culture, things like playing jazz or bingo, and things like that, or like gardening," Lee said. "It's just not stuff that's very familiar to Chinese culture at all."
It's not easy to find more social workers like Lin and Lee who are bilingual and also have elder care expertise. Including the staff in the kitchen, there are about only 10 people work in the Center.
"There's lots of social workers that speak English, but there's not so many who speak Cantonese, Mandarin, or not so many Chinese or Asian social workers in general," Lee said.
Besides the lack of information and shortage of bilingual professional social worker, the requirement of insurance for immigrant elderly is another obstacle. The Massachusetts state government provides insurance for Adult Day Health Program through MassHealth for elderly over 65, however, the immigrant elderly face more challenges.
"Not everyone is able to get that insurance, whether they need it or not," Lee said. "If you haven't been in the U.S. for long enough, if you're undocumented, it's a bit hard to get the insurance coverage."
Recently a new bill about the Adult Day Health program has come out, and the directors of the program around the state are trying to push for an update and revision to insurance amount that were fixed since 2012. Over the years, the costs have changed.
The Great Boston Chinese Golden Age Center is just one example of the immigrant elderly community service in Boston. According to the 2010 Census, Asian elderly take about 9% of the elderly population in Boston, the Black or African American take about 25%, and Hispanic or Latino take about 10%. Lin said she'd like to explore and see how other community and how other ADH programs serve a different population of people.
"There will be something that we could do together in the future," Lin said.
Thomas Fiedler reflects on his time at the College of Communication
Shady Ladies tour spotlights racy finds at the MFA


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Use this Outdoor Filtered Bobble Water Bottle to keep yourself or your loved one hydrated - with clear, clean, fresh water. The bottle has a filter system and plastic construction. Our stylish and convenient bottle is available in many colors; so each family member can have his/her own!


text:
In matematica, un numero del vampiro (o vero numero del vampiro) è un numero naturale composto v, con un numero pari di cifre n, che può essere fattorizzato in due interi x e y (chiamati zanne) che non abbiano entrambi degli zeri finali e ognuno dei quali abbia n/2 cifre, dove v contiene precisamente tutte le cifre di x e y, in un ordine qualsiasi, contando la molteplicità.

Esempi
Per esempio: 1260 è un numero del vampiro, le cui zanne sono 21 e 60 (dato che 21·60 = 1260): infatti, 1260 ha 4 cifre e 12 e 60 hanno entrambi 4/2 = 2 cifre, ed è inoltre formato da tutte le cifre di 21 e 60. 126000, invece, non è un numero del vampiro: le sue zanne (210 e 600), infatti, hanno entrambe degli zeri finali. Allo stesso modo, 1023 (le cui zanne sono 31 e 33) non può essere un numero del vampiro, perché in 1023 non sono contenute tutte le cifre delle zanne (1023 contiene sì sia il 3 che l'1, ma nelle sue zanne il 3 compare, complessivamente, tre volte, quindi 1023 dovrebbe essere composto da tre 3).

I primi numeri del vampiro sono:

1260, 1395, 1435, 1530, 1827, 2187, 6880, 102510, 104260, 105210, 105264, 105750, 108135, 110758, 115672, 116725, 117067, 118440, 120600, 123354, 124483, 125248, 125433, 125460, 125500 (sequenza A014575 dell'OEIS).

I numeri del vampiro apparvero per la prima volta nel 1994 in un post di Clifford A. Pickover sul gruppo di Usenet sci.math, e l'articolo che in seguito scrisse fu pubblicato al capitolo 30 del suo libro Keys to infinity.

Coppie multiple di zanne
Un numero del vampiro può avere più di una coppia di distinte zanne. Il primo numero del vampiro con due coppie di zanne è

125460 = 204 · 615 = 246 · 510

Il primo numero del vampiro con tre coppie di zanne è

13078260 = 1620 · 8073 = 1863 · 7020 = 2070 · 6318

Il primo numero del vampiro con quattro coppie di zanne è

16758243290880 = 1982736 · 8452080 = 2123856 · 7890480 = 2751840 · 6089832 = 2817360 · 5948208

Il primo numero del vampiro con cinque coppie di zanne è

24959017348650 = 2947050 · 8469153 = 2949705 · 8461530 = 4125870 · 6049395 = 4129587 · 6043950 = 4230765 · 5899410

Varianti
Gli pseudonumeri del vampiro sono simili ai numeri del vampiro, ad eccezione delle zanne: le zanne di uno pseudonumero del vampiro di lunghezza n non devono necessariamente essere di lunghezza n/2; gli pseudonumeri del vampiro possono anche avere un numero dispari di cifre (es: 126 = 6·21).

Più generalmente, possono esserci più di due zanne. In questo caso, i numeri del vampiro sono dei numeri n che possono essere fattorizzati con le cifre di n (es: 1395 = 5·9·31). I primi numeri del vampiro di questo tipo sono:

126, 153, 688, 1206, 1255, 1260, 1395 (sequenza A020342 dell'OEIS).

Un numero primo del vampiro, come lo definì Carlos Rivera nel 2002, è un numero del vampiro le cui zanne sono i suoi fattori primi. I primi numeri primi del vampiro sono:

117067, 124483, 146137, 371893, 536539

Il più grande conosciuto è (94892254795×1045418+1)2, ed è stato scoperto da Jens K. Andersen nel 2002.

Note

Bibliografia
 Pickover, Clifford A. (1995). Keys to Infinity. Wiley. ISBN 0-471-19334-8

Collegamenti esterni

 Andersen, Jens K. Vampire Numbers

 Schneider, Walter. Vampire Numbers
 Rivera, Carlos. The Prime-Vampire numbers

Vampiro

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
/*globals define*/
/*eslint-env node, browser*/

/**
 * Simple addOn sending notification on each branch update.
 * @author pmeijer / https://github.com/pmeijer
 * @module CoreAddOns:NotificationAddOn
 */

define([
    'addon/AddOnBase'
], function (AddOnBase) {
    'use strict';

    /**
     * Initializes a new instance of NotificationAddOn.
     * @class
     * @augments {AddOnBase}
     * @classdesc This class represents the addOn NotificationAddOn.
     * @constructor
     */
    var NotificationAddOn = function (mainLogger, gmeConfig) {
        // Call base class' constructor.
        AddOnBase.call(this, mainLogger, gmeConfig);

        // Counter that is increased on each update.
        this.cnt = 0;
    };

    // Prototypal inheritance from AddOnBase.
    NotificationAddOn.prototype = Object.create(AddOnBase.prototype);
    NotificationAddOn.prototype.constructor = NotificationAddOn;

    /**
     * Gets the name of the NotificationAddOn.
     * @returns {string} The name of the AddOn.
     * @public
     */
    NotificationAddOn.prototype.getName = function () {
        return 'Notification AddOn';
    };

    /**
     * Gets the semantic version (semver.org) of the NotificationAddOn.
     * @returns {string} The version of the AddOn.
     * @public
     */
    NotificationAddOn.prototype.getVersion = function () {
        return '0.1.0';
    };

    /**
     * Gets the description of the NotificationAddOn.
     * @returns {string} The description of the AddOn.
     * @public
     */
    NotificationAddOn.prototype.getDescription = function () {
        return 'Add-on illustrating how to send notifications from an add-on.';
    };

    /**
     * This is invoked each time changes in the branch of the project are done. AddOns are allowed to make changes on
     * an update, but should not persist by themselves. (The AddOnManager will persist after each addOn has had its way
     * ordered by the usedAddOn registry in the rootNode).
     * Before each invocation a new updateResult is created which should be returned in the callback. There is no need
     * for the AddOn to report if it made changes or not, the monitor/manager will always persist and if there are no
     * changed objects - it won't commit to the storage.
     * @param {object} rootNode
     * @param {object} commitObj
     * @param {function(Error, AddOnUpdateResult)} callback
     */
    NotificationAddOn.prototype.update = function (rootNode, commitObj, callback) {
        var reminder;

        this.logger.debug('NotificationAddOn in update at commitHash', commitObj._id);
        this.cnt += 1;

        reminder = this.cnt % 4;

        if (reminder === 0) {
            this.addNotification({message: 'Counter is ' + this.cnt, severity: 'info'});
        } else if (reminder === 1) {
            this.addNotification({message: 'Counter is ' + this.cnt, severity: 'success'});
        } else if (reminder === 2) {
            this.addNotification({message: 'Counter is ' + this.cnt, severity: 'warn'});
        } else if (reminder === 3) {
            this.addNotification({message: 'Counter is ' + this.cnt, severity: 'error'});
        }

        callback(null, this.updateResult);
    };

    /**
     * Called once when the addOn is started for the first time.
     * @param {object} rootNode
     * @param {object} commitObj
     * @param {function(Error, AddOnUpdateResult)} callback
     */
    NotificationAddOn.prototype.initialize = function (rootNode, commitObj, callback) {
        this.logger.debug('NotificationAddOn got initialized at commitHash', commitObj._id);

        this.update(rootNode, commitObj, callback);
    };

    return NotificationAddOn;
});


Djerba Island is the largest North African island and a very popular tourist attraction with its magnificent sandy shorelines and picturesque sunsets.
Getting to the island from Tunisia is easy, there is the bus or you can drive yourself, both require a short ferry ride to bring you to an island surrounded by Mediterranean coastline and miles of unspoiled beaches hosting a choice of fantastic water sports.
The island has a host of activities and is rich is history and culture. As you walk around the island you will be amazed at the beautiful architecture of the whitewashed houses along with the farm lands filled with olive trees, figs, apricots and palm trees.
For golfing enthusiasts there is a large golf course offering an eighteen and nine hole green, there are museums, towns and beautiful scenery to enjoy during your visit to the island.
Houmt Souk is the main center of the island and is also home to the Folk Museum and the magnificent Old Town. It's here where you will find a wide selection of cafes and restaurants where you can taste some of the delicious local cuisine.
Head to Guellala, a small area and an extremely popular tourist area which is famous for its spectacular pottery. You can stop in at the Guellala Museum which is located in an architectural masterpiece and filled with ancient artifacts which enable you to soak up some of the history of this exquisite island.
As you wander around the island surrounded by beauty you can stop at Bokj El Kebir, an ancient fort and the first headquarters of the Romans. This is a large fort on the water's edge or head to Ghazi Mustapha Fort which is located next to the beach and made of stone, offering a beautiful photographic opportunity.
Other popular attractions on the island include the El Ghriba Synagogue, the oldest in Africa, a gorgeous building and well worth a visit and the Traditional Heritage Museum which is two thousand square meters of objects and artifacts including exhibitions on island folklore, jewelry and costumes.


Ingredients: Each capsule contain: Withania Somnifera 150 mg, Asparagus Racemosus 50 mg, Mucuna Puriens 50 mg, Embelica Officianalis 50 mg, Clorophitum Arundnaceum 100 mg, Tribulus Terrestris 25 mg, Myristica Fragrans 25 mg, Tinospora Cardifolia 10 mg, Vitex Negundo 10 mg, Anacyclus Pyrethrum 50 mg, Pureraria Tuberosa 50 mg, Excipients Q. S.
Excel is available in capsules.
Take Excel exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Store Excel in a dry place. Protect the capsules from heat humidity and direct sunlight.
Herbal Sildenafil by Excel is taken as needed, so it is no likely to cause side effects.
Excel Capsules can not be substitute for medicine.


225 ILCS 225/ Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act.
(225 ILCS 225/) Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act.
Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act".
Sec. 2. It is hereby declared that there exists, and may in the future exist, within the State of Illinois, private sewage disposal systems which are designed, constructed, operated, maintained or serviced or which may be designed, constructed, operated, maintained, or serviced in such a manner as to cause spread of infectious or contagious disease and such conditions adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare of persons. Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to protect, promote and preserve the public health, safety and general welfare by providing for the licensing of private sewage disposal contractors and the establishment and enforcement of a minimum code of standards for design, construction, materials, operation and maintenance of private sewage disposal systems, for the transportation and disposal of wastes therefrom, and for private sewage disposal servicing equipment.
(1) "Domestic Sewage" means waste water derived principally from dwellings, business or office buildings, institutions, food service establishments, and similar facilities.
(2) "Director" means Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
(3) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Public Health.
(4) "Human Wastes" means undigested food and by-products of metabolism which are passed out of the human body.
(5) "Person" means any individual, group of individuals, association, trust, partnership, corporation, person doing business under an assumed name, the State of Illinois or any Department thereof, or any other entity.
(6) "Population Equivalent" means an average waste loading equivalent to that produced by one person which is defined as 100 gallons per day.
(7) "Private Sewage Disposal System" means any sewage handling or treatment facility receiving domestic sewage from less than 15 people or population equivalent and having a ground surface discharge or any sewage handling or treatment facility receiving domestic sewage and having no ground surface discharge.
(8) "Private Sewage Disposal System Installation Contractor" means any person constructing, installing, repairing, modifying, or maintaining private sewage disposal systems.
(9) "Property Owner" means the person in whose name legal title to the real estate is recorded.
(10) "Waste" means either human waste or domestic sewage or both.
(11) "Private Sewage Disposal System Pumping Contractor" means any person who cleans or pumps waste from a private sewage disposal system or hauls or disposes of wastes removed therefrom.
(12) "Alternative private sewage disposal system" means any system designed to address a unique circumstance where the prescriptive requirements of the private sewage disposal code does not apply, where the final treatment and discharge is free flowing through native soil, and where (i) the projected wastewater is likely to be atypical of residential or domestic wastewater in that flow may exceed 1500 gallons per day; (ii) the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand of the wastewater may exceed 300 milligrams per liter; (iii) any portion of the system is to be shared by 2 or more owners; or (iv) any portion of the treated wastewater is proposed for recycling or reuse.
(13) "NPDES" means the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
(14) "Surface Discharging Private Sewage Disposal System" means a sewage disposal system that discharges into the waters of the United States, as that term is used in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
Sec. 4. (a) After January 1, 1974, no person or private sewage disposal system contractor may construct, install, modify, repair, maintain, or service a private sewage disposal system or transport and dispose of waste removed therefrom, in such a manner that does not comply with the requirements of this Act and the private sewage disposal code promulgated hereunder by the Department. A person who owns and occupies a single family dwelling and who constructs, installs, maintains, services or cleans the private sewage disposal system which serves his single family residence shall not be required to be licensed under this Act, however, such person shall comply with all other provisions of this Act and the private sewage disposal code promulgated hereunder by the Department.
Any person who constructs, installs, repairs, modifies, or maintains a private sewage disposal system, other than a system which serves his own single family residence, shall be licensed by the Department as a Private Sewage System Installation Contractor and any person who cleans or pumps waste from a private sewage disposal system, other than a system which serves his own single family residence, or hauls or disposes of wastes removed therefrom shall be licensed by the Department as a Private Sewage Disposal System Pumping Contractor in accordance with this Act.
(b) No new private sewage disposal system shall be installed by any person until drawings, specifications and other information requested by the Department are submitted to and reviewed by the Department and found to comply with the private sewage disposal code, and until approval for the installation of such system is issued by the Department.
(c) The licensing requirements of this Act shall not apply to any person who cleans or pumps, hauls or disposes of waste from chemical toilets located in an underground coal mine. This waste shall be (i) transported to and disposed of at a sewage treatment facility permitted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and located on the mine property, or (ii) stored on-site in a sanitary manner pending removal and subsequent disposal by a licensed private sewage disposal pumping contractor.
(d) There is hereby created in the State treasury a special fund to be known as the Private Sewage Disposal Program Fund. All fees collected by the Department for exams, licenses, permits, and fines in accordance with this Act shall be deposited into the Fund and shall be appropriated by the General Assembly to the Department. Gifts, grants and other monies from any source available for this purpose may be deposited into the Fund. Subject to appropriation, money from this Fund shall be used by the Department to administer this Act. Interest attributable to monies in this Fund shall be returned to the Fund. Monies in the Fund shall be appropriated and used only for the purposes stated in this Act.
Sec. 5. (a) The Director shall issue a private sewage system installation contractor license or a private sewage disposal system pumping contractor license to persons applying for such license who successfully pass a written examination prepared by the Department and who pay the required annual license fee in an amount determined by the Department. Each person who holds a currently valid plumbing license issued under the Illinois Plumbing License Law shall not be required to pay the annual license fee required by this Section, but such licensed person shall comply with all other provisions of this Act, including the requirement for examination for licensure.
(b) A license issued under this Act shall expire on December 31 of the year issued, except that an original license issued after October 1 and before December 31 shall expire on December 31 of the following year.
The Department shall reinstate a license which expires while a licensee is in the active military service of the United States upon application to the Department by the former licensee within 2 years after termination of such military service, payment of the annual license fee, and submission of evidence of such military service. Such license shall be reinstated without examination and without payment of the reinstatement fee.
(c) A private sewage disposal system pumping contractor or a private sewage system installation contractor whose license has expired for a period of less than 3 years may apply to the Department for reinstatement of his license. The Department shall issue such renewed license provided the applicant pays to the Department all lapsed license fees, plus a reinstatement fee determined by the Department. A license which has expired for more than 3 years may be restored only by reapplying to take the examination and by successfully passing the written examination.
Sec. 5a. All applicants shall be tested and required to attain a passing grade prescribed by the Department on an examination which evaluates the applicants' general knowledge of the design, installation, operation, maintenance and servicing of on-site waste water disposal systems.
Applications for examination shall be in the form prescribed by the Department and shall be accompanied by the required fee determined by the Department. The Department shall conduct written examinations at least 2 times a year and may require a practical demonstration by each applicant. The written examination shall be prepared by the Department.
Persons holding a valid license on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1985 shall be required to pass the written examination by December 31, 1989. A license will not be renewed after December 31, 1989, unless the person holding the license has successfully passed the written examination.
Sec. 5b. Licensure required for the maintenance of portable toilets and potable handwashing units; cleanliness standards.
(3) Licensure application form and process.
portable toilet units and the sewage disposal systems of portable toilet units.
(a-5) The Department shall by rule, establish and issue a certificate of registration as a portable sanitation technician for any employee of a business licensed under this Section who engages in the servicing of portable toilets and portable, potable handwashing units and the cleaning, sanitizing, and maintenance of portable toilets and portable, potable handwashing units. Beginning 6 months after the date of the adoption of Department rules implementing the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, no person may engage in the servicing of portable toilets in a manner that does not comply with the requirements of this Act and the rules established by the Department under this Act concerning the issuance of a certificate of registration as a portable sanitation technician. Prior to a registrant's initial renewal of his or her certificate of registration, the registrant must complete a certification program approved by the Department.
(b) Beginning 6 months after the date of the adoption of Department rules implementing the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, no person or business may engage in the pumping, hauling, and disposal of wastes removed from the sewage disposal systems of portable toilets and portable, potable handwashing units and the cleaning, sanitizing, and maintenance of portable toilets and portable, potable handwashing units without being licensed or certified under this Section.
(c) The Department shall require the successful completion of an examination, prescribed by the Department, prior to licensure. The Department may accept the Portable Sanitation Association International's Health and Safety Certification Program as an acceptable educational and testing program.
(d) The Department shall consider and make any necessary amendments to the private sewage disposal code in relation to a license issued for the pumping, hauling, and disposal of wastes removed from the sewage disposal systems of portable toilets and portable, potable handwashing units and the cleaning, sanitizing, and maintenance of portable toilets and portable, potable handwashing units.
pumping, including all parts of the unit, which are the urinal, tank, walls, floors, door, and roof.
products shall be refilled in each unit at each pumping, if required.
to ensure compliance with Department rules concerning the ventilation, safety, and security of the unit.
representative who shall be responsible for ensuring that each unit maintained by the company meets the standards of cleanliness set forth in this subsection (d) and any additional standards established by the Department.
wear protective equipment and be trained in proper procedures for sanitation and self-protection.
Sec. 6. Property owners of all buildings and places where people live, work, or assemble shall provide for the sanitary disposal of all human wastes and domestic sewage. Human wastes and domestic sewage from such buildings and places shall be disposed of by discharging into a sewerage system operated and maintained under permit of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, if reasonably available, or if such sewerage system is not available then such disposal shall be in compliance with this Act and the private sewage disposal code promulgated under this Act.
Sec. 7. (a) The Department shall promulgate and publish and may from time to time amend a private sewage disposal code which shall include minimum standards for the design, construction, materials, operation and maintenance of private sewage disposal systems, for the transportation and disposal of wastes removed therefrom and for private sewage disposal system servicing equipment. In the preparation of the private sewage disposal code, the Department may consult with and request technical assistance from other state agencies, and shall consult with other technically qualified persons and with owners and operators of such services. Such technically qualified persons shall include representatives of the real estate, development, and building industries.
(b) The Department is expressly prohibited from amending the private sewage disposal code by rule if there are increases in the land density requirements. Amendments that increase the land density requirements must be approved by the Illinois General Assembly.
(c) Beginning January 1, 2013 or 6 months after the date of issuance of a general NPDES permit for surface discharging private sewage disposal systems by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency or by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, whichever is later, a surface discharging private sewage disposal system with a discharge that enters the waters of the United States, as that term is used in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, shall not be constructed or installed by any person unless he or she has a coverage letter under a NPDES permit issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency or by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or he or she constructs or installs the surface discharging private sewage disposal system in a jurisdiction in which the local public health department has a general NPDES permit issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency or by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the surface discharging private sewage disposal system is covered under the general NPDES permit. The private sewage disposal code must be amended before January 1, 2013 to comply with this subsection.
(d) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Section, before the adoption or amendment of the private sewage disposal code, the Department shall hold a public hearing with respect thereto. At least 20 days' notice for such public hearing shall be given by the Department in such manner as the Department considers adequate to bring such hearing to the attention of persons interested in such code. Notice of such public hearing shall be given by the Department to those who file a request for a notice of any such hearings.
determine satisfactory compliance with this Act and the private sewage disposal code.
of any provisions of this Act or the private sewage disposal code is reported to the Department.
representatives after identification, enter at reasonable times upon private or public property for the purpose of inspecting and investigating conditions relating to the administration and enforcement of this Act and the private sewage disposal code.
proceedings in the circuit court by the State's Attorney of the county where such non-compliance occurred or by the Attorney General of the State of Illinois in cases of non-compliance with the provisions of this Act and the private sewage disposal code.
existence on August 14, 2008 (the effective date of Public Act 95-824), in accordance with the established conditions of approval for each permit. After the date of approval, the Department shall not issue any new Experimental Use Permits, but may instead issue site specific approval for performance-based systems in accordance with this Section.
complies with the requirements of this Act and the private sewage disposal code and who pays the required annual license fee.
determined by the Department from each contractor and any examination and reinstatement fees.
following denial, suspension or revocation of licenses as provided in this Act.
disposal systems that are designed by a professional engineer licensed under the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989 or an environmental health practitioner licensed under the Environmental Health Practitioner Licensing Act and accepted by the Department on a case-by-case basis where the proposed design reasonably addresses issues particular to the proposed system, including without limitation flow volume projections, wastewater composition and pretreatment, treatment and flow in the subsurface environment, and system ownership and maintenance responsibility.
(b) The Department may review alternative technology and operational data from the appropriate state agency of another state, from another government entity, or from an independent testing organization to determine whether approval of components or private sewage disposal systems within the State is appropriate. The request for approval shall be made on forms approved by the Department.
(c) The Director shall authorize the use of appropriate new innovative wastewater treatment systems to best protect public health, the environment, and the natural resources of the State.
Sec. 9. In the administration and enforcement of this Act and the private sewage disposal code, the Department may designate and use full-time municipal, district, county or multiple county health departments as its agents.
Sec. 10. (a) This Act does not prohibit the enforcement of ordinances of units of local government establishing a system for the regulation and inspection of private sewage disposal contractors and a minimum code of standards for design, construction, materials, operation and maintenance of private sewage disposal systems, for the transportation and disposal of wastes therefrom and for private sewage disposal systems servicing equipment, provided such ordinance establishes a system at least equal to state regulation and inspection.
Such units of local government who wish to be approved, shall submit a copy of such ordinance including all amendments to the Department requesting approval for such system of regulation and inspection. If such plan is approved by the Department the ordinance shall prevail in lieu of the state licensure, fee and inspection program, and the Department shall issue written approval. Not less than once each year the Department shall evaluate the program to determine whether such program is being operated in accordance with the approved provisions of existing ordinances. If the Department finds after investigation that such program is not in accordance with the approved program or is not being enforced, the Director shall give written notice of the findings to the chief administrative officer of such unit of local government. If the Department thereafter finds, not less than 30 days after the giving of such notice that the program is not being conducted in a manner consistent with existing ordinances, the Director shall give written notice of such findings to the chief administrative officer of the unit of local government, and after administrative hearing as provided in this Act, all persons then operating under such unit of local government shall be immediately subject to the state licensure, fee and inspection program.
(b) This Act does not prohibit the enforcement of ordinances of units of local government that require homeowners who maintain a private sewage disposal system within the unit of local government to provide verification, no more frequently than once every 3 years, to the unit of local government of a valid contract with a licensed private sewage disposal system installation contractor. However, no additional fee may be charged for such verification.
(a) There is hereby created the Advisory Commission on Private Sewage Disposal, which shall consist of 17 members to be appointed from time to time by the Director. Of the initial appointments, 5 members shall be appointed to serve a one-year term, 5 members to serve a 2-year term, and 7 members to serve a 3-year term. The Advisory Commission shall be comprised of at least one representative of each of the following: the Illinois Public Health Association, the Home Builders Association of Illinois, the Illinois Association of Realtors, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Environmental Health Association, the Onsite Wastewater Professionals of Illinois, Inc., the Illinois Association of Local Environmental Health Administrators, the Illinois Precast Concrete Association, the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association, the Illinois Soil Classifier Association, and the Illinois Onsite Wastewater Association. The Director shall appoint one member to serve as chairperson.
(c) The Advisory Commission shall submit an annual report to the Director regarding its findings and recommendations under subsection (b).
(d) Members of the Advisory Commission may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties under this Act.
(e) Members of the Advisory Commission shall be immune from suit in any action based on an act performed in good faith as a member of the Advisory Commission.
(f) The Advisory Commission shall meet at least semi-annually.
(g) A State officer, department, board, agency, division, or commission or a unit of local government may provide a service to the Advisory Commission that is (1) requested by the Advisory Commission and (2) within the scope of the person's or entity's governmental functions as established by law.
required to effect compliance with this Act and the rules and regulations issued under this Act.
Sec. 12. The Department must in any proceeding to suspend, revoke or refuse to issue a license, first serve or cause to be served upon the applicant, or licensee a written notice specifying the way or ways in which such applicant or licensee has failed to comply with this Act, or any rules, regulations or standards promulgated by the Department pertaining thereto. In the case of a revocation or suspension, this notice shall require the licensee to remove or abate such violations, insanitary or objectionable condition, specified in such notice, within 5 days or within a longer period of time as may be allowed by the Department. If the licensee fails to comply with other terms and conditions of the notice, within the time specified or such extended period of time, the Department may revoke or suspend such license. If an applicant fails to comply with this Act, rules or regulations or standards promulgated under this Act, the Department may refuse to issue a license.
Sec. 13. The Department shall give written notice by certified or registered mail to any person refused a license or whose license is suspended or revoked, or an approved unit of local government whose approval is denied, suspended or revoked or any person in violation of the Act, rules and regulations. Such person has a right to a hearing before the Department; however, a written notice of a request for such a hearing must be served on the Department within 10 days of notice of such refusal of a license or suspension or revocation thereof or notice of violation. The hearing shall be conducted by the Director, or a Hearing Officer designated in writing by the Director, to conduct the hearing. A stenographic record shall be made of the hearing and the cost borne by the Department; however, a transcription of the hearing will be made only if a person requests it and shall be transcribed at the cost of such person.
The hearing shall be conducted at such place as designated by the Department. The Director shall give written notice of the time and place of hearing, by registered or certified mail, to the owner, operator, licensee, or applicant, as the case may be, at least 20 days before such hearing. The Director or Hearing Officer shall permit the licensee, applicant, person, or unit of local government to appear in person or to be represented by counsel at the hearing at which time such party shall be afforded an opportunity to present all relevant matter in reference thereto.
Sec. 14. The Director or Hearing Officer may compel by subpoena or subpoena duces tecum the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books and papers and administer oaths to witnesses. All subpoenas issued by the Director or Hearing Officer may be served as provided for in a civil action. The fees of witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as the fees for witnesses before the circuit court and shall be paid by the party to such proceeding at whose request the subpoena is issued. If such subpoena is issued at the request of the Department, the witness fee shall be paid as an administrative expense.
Sec. 15. In the event of the inability of any party or the Department to procure the attendance of witnesses to give testimony or produce books and papers, such party or the Department may take the deposition of witnesses in accordance with the laws of this State. All testimony taken at a hearing shall be reduced to writing, and all such testimony and other evidence introduced at the hearing shall be a part of the record of the hearing.
Sec. 16. The Director shall make findings of fact in such hearing, and the Director shall render his decision within 30 days after the termination of the hearing, unless additional time is required by him for a proper disposition of the matter. When the hearing has been conducted by a Hearing Officer, the Director shall review the findings of fact and recommendations of the Hearing Officer, and the transcribed record if a party has requested and paid for such record before rendering a decision. It shall be the duty of the Director to forward a copy of his decision, by registered or certified mail, to the owner, operator, licensee, applicant, or local health department, as the case may be, within 5 days of rendition of such decision. Technical errors in the proceeding before the Director or Hearing Officer or their failure to observe the technical rules of evidence shall not be grounds for the reversal of any administrative decision unless it appears to the court that such error or failure materially affects the rights of any party and results in substantial injustice to him.
Sec. 17. The Department is not required to certify any record or file any answer or otherwise appear in any proceeding for judicial review unless the party filing the complaint deposits with the clerk of the court the sum of $1 per page representing costs of such certification. Failure on the part of the plaintiff to make such deposit shall be grounds for dismissal of the action.
Sec. 18. Whenever the Department finds that an emergency exists, including those within programs approved in Section 10, which requires immediate action to protect the public health, it may, without any administrative procedure and without notice, hearing, or bond bring an action for a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction to require that such action be taken as the court may deem necessary to meet the emergency, including the suspension or revocation of the license. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Act such order shall be effective immediately. Such action shall be brought by the State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred or by the Attorney General in the name of the People of the State of Illinois. When such conditions are abated, in the opinion of the Department, the Department may request and the court may enter an order that the temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction be dissolved.
Sec. 19. Civil and criminal penalties.
(a) Any person who violates this Act or any rule or regulation adopted by the Department under this Act or who violates any determination or order of the Department under this Act shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and shall be fined a sum not less than $100. Each day's violation constitutes a separate offense.
(b) In addition to any other penalty provided under this Act, the Department (or a unit of local government acting under Section 10) in an administrative proceeding, or the court in an action brought under subsection (c) of this Section, may impose upon any person who violates this Act or any rule or regulation adopted under this Act, or who violates any determination or order of the Department under this Act, a civil penalty not exceeding $1,000 for each violation plus $100 for each day that the violation continues.
(c) The State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred or the Attorney General may bring actions for the enforcement of this Act and the rules adopted and orders issued under this Act, in the name of the People of the State of Illinois, and may, in addition to other remedies provided in this Act, bring an action for an injunction to restrain any actual or threatened violation, or to enjoin the operation of any establishment operated in violation, or to impose or collect a civil penalty for any violation.
Sec. 20. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to exclude the State of Illinois and Departments thereof except that the provisions in this Act for applications for license, the provisions for fees for licenses, and the provision for fine and imprisonment shall not apply to the State of Illinois and to Departments thereof.
Sec. 21. The Administrative Review Law, as now or hereafter amended, and the rules adopted under the Administrative Review Law apply to and govern all proceedings for judicial review of final administrative decisions of the Department under this Act. For the purposes of this Act, the term "administrative decision" is defined as in Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Sec. 22. If any part of this Act is adjudged invalid, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Act as a whole or of any other part.
Sec. 24. The provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act are hereby expressly adopted and shall apply to all administrative rules and procedures of the Department of Public Health under this Act, except that in case of conflict between the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and this Act the provisions of this Act control, and except that Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act relating to procedures for rule-making does not apply to the adoption of any rule required by federal law in connection with which the Department is precluded by law from exercising any discretion.


text:
American Rivers
IIAC
American Rivers Communications
CEDAR RAPIDS – One of the nation's best NCAA Division III conferences today positions itself for a future as notable as its past. Honoring its heritage in Iowa and its recent expansion outside the state, the American Rivers Conference brand will build on the academic and athletic success provided by its legacy, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Today's announcement culminates discussions within the conference's Presidents Council that began when the conference reached beyond its borders more than two years ago. The Iowa-based institutions Buena Vista University (Storm Lake), Central College (Pella), Coe College (Cedar Rapids), the University of Dubuque, Loras College (Dubuque), Luther College (Decorah), Simpson College (Indianola) and Wartburg College (Waverly) welcomed Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln) on July 1, 2016.
"This is a milestone day for our conference," said Dr. Joshua Merchant, President of Buena Vista University and Chair of the conference's Presidents Council. "Our name will change, but our commitment to competitive athletics as part of a well-rounded educational experience will not."
The conference employed Skye Design Studios, a national leader in sport branding and identity design, for the various phases of the exercise that produced the new name and "Dynamic R"-focused mark. "I am honored, on behalf of the Presidents Council, to bring this new identity to the conference's community of student-athletes, coaches, administrators, alumni and fans," said commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen. "This announcement caps off months of careful thought by scores of people on our campuses."
The new name centers on key geographic features of the conference's birthplace. The Mississippi to the east, the most famous river in America and one of the most famous in the world, and the Missouri to the west, the country's longest river, make up most of the State of Iowa's borders. The conference's regional and national reach is reflected in the name. Not only has expanded membership brought a new era to the conference, some campuses' out-of-state student-athletes number is upwards of 70%.
"Boldly asserting 'American' shows that our rosters and general student bodies already include young people from all over the country and will continue to do so," said Yrigoyen.
The conference also plans to emphasize, specifically through the conference's and institutions' Student-Athlete Advisory Committees, environmental / clean-water awareness. Service projects, such as river or river park clean-ups, will have a deeper meaning for those who compete in the American Rivers Conference.
The conference is coming off one of its best years ever. Wartburg (wrestling) and Nebraska Wesleyan (men's basketball) won Division III national titles. Twenty-six student-athletes, from seven conference schools, were honored as CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. All-time, the conference boasts 38 national team champions as six of the nine schools have taken home NCAA hardware. One-hundred forty student-athletes have earned NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships throughout that program's history.
The Conference's origin dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges gathered to establish the "Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association." Charter members Buena Vista, Central, Luther and Simpson have remained throughout. Loras was a member from 1926-54 and rejoined in 1986. Dubuque joined in 1929. Wartburg joined in 1937. Coe became a member in 1997. Nebraska Wesleyan gained admission in 2016.


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Teaching Kids How to Meditate — and Getting Schools on Board, Too
Dr. Michael Gervais speaks with Ali Smith, executive director of the non-profit Holistic Life Foundation, about bringing mindfulness training to public schools and diverse populations. [Podcast]
Studio Grane Ouest/Adobe Stock
Dr. Michael Gervais has a podcast series called Finding Mastery built around a central goal: unpacking and decoding how the greatest performers in the world use their minds to create amazing journeys while they pursue the boundaries of human potential.
He recently sat down with Ali Smith, executive director of the Holistic Life Foundation. Ali has helped develop and pilot yoga and mindfulness programs at public and private schools, drug treatment centers, juvenile detention centers, mental crisis facilities, and retreat centers, both nationally and internationally. In this episode, Michael and Ali discuss how he got schools to believe in his mission, and the ways in which the foundation has made a big impact in many kids' lives.
Michael: Ali Smith, how are you?
Ali: Doing wonderful Mike, how are you doing?
Michael: Fantastic. Fantastic. Ok, so where are you? We're in different parts of the world right now, where are you?
Ali: I'm in Charm City—Baltimore, Maryland right now.
Michael: Ok. You called it Charm City?
Ali: Charm City, that's what Baltimore is known as, Charm City.
Michael: I didn't know that, where did that name come from?
Ali: I don't know, I think it's from all the charming and handsome people that live here, actually
Michael: Ok. So you're going to drop this in the conversation, aren't you? How wonderful and sexy you are.
Ali: I mean if it comes up, I'm not going to push the situation. But if it comes up I'll definitely throw it out there.
Michael: Alright Ali, It's been great to see your work, to feel your vibe over the years. And to celebrate around what you've been able to do in this city for young people, and you're the co-founder of the Holistic Life Foundation, you kicked that off back in 2001. And can you give us a quick insight on what it is that you're doing right now in the foundation, and then also add in some of the buzz that you've been receiving from a media standpoint as well.
Ali: OK. So the Holistic Life Foundation's whole mission, when Andy and I first started, it was to bring yoga, mindfulness, and environmental education advocacy to under-served communities. But it's gotten a lot bigger than that since 2001. Now we're just bringing it to everyone. Our focus is Baltimore, but we do programs nationally and internationally as well. Yoga and mindfulness have become the crux of what we do. Most of the programs that we do offer school-age children in K through 12. In Baltimore City alone, we were working in this past school year, 17 or 18 schools, working with about 7,500 kids a week and that's just in Baltimore City public schools alone. And a lot of what we do is around reciprocal teaching, so we're not just teaching kids to use the skills and tools, but we also teach them to be teachers, because they're more likely to take the skills home and teach the parents, to teach people in their community, and that's how we've seen the biggest change we made.
Michael: So there is a thought that's been important in my life, which is meet them where they sweat and it's a way to think about having such a regard for the person that you're willing to go to where they go, you're willing to meet them in the condition that they're in. So you're doing the exact same thing for people, for kids, in schools. You're going to the place that they're naturally there, and you're teaching mindfulness and teaching yoga as strategies. Why are you doing this?
Ali: I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Andy and I really got into these practices when we graduated college. Andy and I had some introduction to them as little kids, like little, little kids. But when we finished up in college we really delved deeper into the practice, and it was pretty much what most of our time was, experimenting on ourselves with yoga, mindfulness meditation, Pranayama, any contemplative practice we could get our hands on we were practicing, and we felt amazing. So we're like well, we have to share this with as many people as possible. And the first outlet that just happened to pop up was a bunch of fifth graders at an elementary school. You know, the universe puts you on a path and if you can silence your mind enough to see where you're being led it will lead you to these awesome places if you put in the work. I think we just put in the work, and the universe led us to things, kept expanding and expanding, that's working with more kids, but then it expanded into us working with the teachers at the school, the principals and drug treatment centers, in mental illness facilities and homeless shelters and private schools, in retreat centers here and overseas, so it's just like we really believe in what we're doing and we really love the practice, so I think it's just, we want to teach as many people in as many different walks of life as possible.
Michael: And what do you want to teach them?
Ali: I'd say, how to be inwardly happy, I think is what we really want to teach. You feel like a lot of the suffering that's going on is created in like, the mind and all the things that are going on around us. But I mean, life is going to be stressful, life is going to be hectic. But if you can find that place of inner peace within you that you can always tap into, you can deal with life and the struggles inwardly and outwardly, because I mean, that life on the outside is going to beat you up. I feel like most people get beat up or in their own minds, more than they do on the outside, so like worry gets in, gets in anger gets in, jealousy gets in, sadness gets in, and that's where your mind stays. But if you have some options to catch those thoughts and switch them into something more positive, put them in perspective through the practice, you can gain that inner peace, that inner happiness. I think that's what we really want to bring to people.
Life is going to be stressful, life is going to be hectic. But if you can find that place of inner peace within you that you can always tap into, you can deal with life and the struggles inwardly and outwardly.
Michael: And what does your practice look like. What does your training look like?
Ali: My personal training was a learning meditation from my dad. When I was around four or so, maybe five, I learned meditation from my dad and then we grew up in like a self-realization Fellowship Church, which was based on yoga, so there was a practice there. We got out of the practice as adults, but my dad's best-friend, me and my brother's godfather, he had gotten into yoga in like, the 60s so then we went to him and said we want to learn some yoga. So he taught us a lot of different forms. It started off more physical like hatha, and then it moved into like pranayama and a lot of the off the matt practices, meditation—and I'm still learning to this day.
Michael: And then how do you take the things that you've learned, and structure it in a way that little kids can learn?
Ali: I think that the way you put it was perfect, like meet them where they sweat, like we meet them where they are with the practices. We make the practices applicable to the struggles that they're going through in their lives. We figure out ways to make them fun. I mean, because you don't want to go back to something you see as drab or boring, but if we can make it fun and make it engaging, and also empower them with the practice so that they know how to use it when to use it in their own lives, and they can take control of their their reactions or get shifted into responses to what people are doing to them, the thoughts they're going through in their mind. They feel more powerful and they can walk into their life with more confidence and be able to handle the situation that the world's throwing at them.
Michael: And then what would be a specific practice that you ask people to train?
Ali: The first place we always start is with a deep breath. Most people don't know how to take a deep breath, a full deep breath like down to their lower lungs, or a lot of people call it a belly breath and then incorporating their entire lung capacity. Most people know that there's a lot of physiological and neurological benefits to just taking a deep breath and it's very relaxing. Like I mean it's amazing, we might walk into a school and teachers are stressed out, we show them how to take a deep breath, and they open their eyes and they're like, I have not felt this calm in a really long time. And it's just from being able to slow things down and take a deep breath. And that's always where we start. Your life starts with the first breath and ends with your last breath, so it must be really, really important.
We might walk into a school and teachers are stressed out, we show them how to take a deep breath, and they open their eyes and they're like, I have not felt this calm in a really long time.
Michael: I think there's some recent research, or at least I think it's recent, that at 18 deep breaths is when the parasympathetic nervous system begins to get triggered. And that's the fancy phrase for the response to relaxation, or that the system that kicks in to find a more relaxed state in the body. So, can you walk us through like how do you train somebody to take a deep breath?
Ali: Most people are used to taking a deep breath, they do the stomach and chest out thing, and but you're not using your lower lungs where most of your lung capacity is. So it's usually just getting someone to sit up straight, as long as your spine is straight and taking a hand to put it on your belly. All the breaths are going to be in and out of your nose, because your nose is the filter so you get a lot of benefits just by breathing it out through your nose. You're just going to inhale and expand your belly as much as you can, you feel like you're filling your belly up with air, it's actually your lower lungs expanding with the help of your diaphragm. Then you get to hold onto that breath for a second and you leave your hand where it is, and you exhale and pull your belly away from your hand, creating space between your belly and a hand on that exhale measure, pulling your belly button to your spine. And most people think the inhale is really important, which it is, but the exhale is just as important because it's pushing all that stale CO2 out of your body and it's also get rid of all those ruminating thoughts, just like a link between your breath and your thoughts. Those stale thoughts are usually like stale air in your body and you can push the stale air out, you can push the stale thoughts out, you kind of hit the reset button and clear your mind. So it's just a movement of your belly and the expansion of just a slow, long deep breath, as long and as deep as you can make it, and you'll feel yourself start to slow down down.
Michael: And then do you have a particular cadence, like four up, six out, anything?
Ali: I mean, when we're first starting we just let them go, because most people aren't used to taking a deep breath. So we just let them go for whatever is comfortable. Ideally, it's a one to two ratio. So if you inhale for five, you exhale for ten.
Listen to the full podcast to hear Michael and Ali discuss:
What inspired him to create the Holistic Life Foundation
Their unique method for teaching yoga and mindfulness to children
Why it all begins with learning the value of one deep breath
Making a big impact in schools with "The Mindful Moment"
The backlash they faced as they rolled out mindfulness programs in public schools
How they found the money to launch their foundation
Their plans to make a bigger impact going forward
This podcast originally appeared on findingmastery.net
Raising Baltimore
Point of View: Should We Teach Mindfulness In Public Schools


When Google announced Chrome OS, I was skeptical that a Web-only interface would be suitable for the mainstream market. Sure, some folks could get by with a browser-based netbook, but what about real applications and games. As HTML5 continues to mature, and Google Chrome improves by leaps and bounds, it looks more and more like Web apps really will give the "fat" desktop a run for its money. Most convincing? Google's announcement that it's ported Quake to run in the browser sans plugin. At the same time, Google has given me good reason to remain skeptical with its change in direction with Google Gears.
Google has demonstrated this with a port of Quake II to HTML5 and WebGL. Unfortunately, the company hasn't provided a hosted version to test it out, but the video seems convincing enough.
Games have been available in the browser for a while. You can play Quake III, the best game ever created by the way, using a cross-platform browser plugin. But the plugin required porting to each major platform and (as usual) Linux lagged behind. It's hard to see that providing a suitable solution for many applications, since companies are unlikely to want to invest in a separate browser plugin.
But native 3D support in the form of OpenGL/WebGL that requires nothing more than a mainstream browser is a lot more compelling. Launch the application and anyone can run it. We're not there yet — but within the next year or so the mainstream browsers (sans Internet Explorer, of course) should support WebGL with no problem.
Even with WebGL, Windows users are still out in the cold. That's right Windows users are out in the cold. Because current releases of Microsoft Windows don't include OpenGL drivers. To rectify that, Google is working on Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine (ANGLE). It's a BSD-licensed translation layer to allow WebGL API to work on top of DirectX 9.0.
An interesting, you'll forgive the pun, angle on WebGL is that it threatens to subvert Microsoft's influence on 3D application programming. Microsoft doesn't ship with native OpenGL drivers because the company has pushed its own Direct3D APIs over OpenGL. Mac OS X and Linux users have OpenGL, but developers doing game programming or other 3D programming need to target Direct3D on Windows or find a way to supply the OpenGL drivers. By releasing its ANGLE work under the BSD license, it enables Apple, Opera, Firefox, and others to ship the same drivers to enable WebGL on Windows.
If you look at all the love Google is giving developers — APIs to work with Google Apps, WebGL/ANGLE, and plenty of other goodies, it's clear that Google is reaching way beyond standard Web development and trying to reach desktop developers and ISVs to put apps in the browser where Google rules the roost. No, Google doesn't have the browser market share locked down yet, but it's hard to argue that any company has a stronger position on the Web.
With 3D support that's robust enough for first person shooters on the way, it looks like there's not going to be a great deal of daylight between Web apps and desktop applications. You might need native applications for particularly resource-intensive work, but within the next year or two it seems likely programmers could match Web applications with desktop apps feature for feature.
So, Web applications are ready to replace the desktop? Yes and no. The technologies are evolving rapidly. Within the next few years we should have the components for browser-based apps to supplant most desktop applications. But that's in ideal conditions, and assumes that users are prepared to take a leap of faith with their providers.
And that leap of faith isn't justified just yet. While I was researching this piece and looking into the implications of WebGL, Google put out the news that it was dropping support for Google Gears as of May 3rd. What's wrong with that? Some of the Google Docs customers were using Gears to enable offline mode for Google Docs. When support for that drops, so does support for offline mode.
At some point, Google plans to re-enable offline support via HTML5, which is lovely when it happens — but they've provided no interim solution. Whether Google wants to admit it or not, occasionally users go offline but still need to get work done. Worse, this demonstrates a fundamental flaw in Web-based applications that the vast majority of desktop applications do not have: rapid shifts in features and functionality entirely beyond the user's control.
Sure, Microsoft may throw radical changes at users in new versions of Microsoft Office — but users have the option of not upgrading, at least in the short term. Your Web application can (and apparently will) drop features at the whim of the vendor and there's very little customers can do about it. This is a scary, scary proposition for users and organizations that are considering adopting Web applications on a massive scale.
It turns out that a compelling advantage of Web applications, seamless rollout of new features, can also be a major liability. What Google giveth, it can taketh away. This is true of all Web app vendors, of course. The lack of official releases seems pretty nifty when it means new goodies show up overnight with no intervention on your part, but when they go away it's another story entirely.
In short, this isn't a problem of software, it's cultural. Web applications historically have not been tagged with version numbers, unless you're talking about a perpetual "beta" logo. You wouldn't ask someone "what version of Highrise are you using?" That may need to change before Web applications are entirely viable. As these apps increase in complexity and features, the training costs associated also increase. Companies are not likely to be friendly to rapid interface changes and feature creep when they've trained 1,000 customer service reps to use the software.
This isn't an insurmountable problem. Vendors can implement terms of service that guarantee not only uptime, but also feature availability for specific periods of time. They could communicate with users and tag their products with release numbers and release notes, just like traditional software offerings. It's hard to imagine that the Web app vendors don't have these internally, they just need to push them out externally and offer a little more clarity and reliability to users.
Despite my misgivings, Web applications are already mainstays for many users and within the next few years it's hard to imagine that many standard desktop applications will be available only as "fat" desktop applications. Are you ready for the switch?
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