text:
The Expanse season 4 spoiler-free review: nearly perfect
With its brilliantly crafted, multilayered plot, The Expanse season 4 proves itself worthy of Amazon's rescue in a nearly perfect season.
By Michael Ahr | December 5, 2019 |
This spoiler-free review is based on viewing the first six episodes of The Expanse season four.
The Expanse's move from Syfy to Amazon could not have come at a better time in terms of the source material the show is adapting in season four. With the crew of the Rocinante spending most of their time on a new planet discovered on the other side of the Ring gates, the narrative shift seems somehow appropriate given the show's new-found freedom to curse with abandon (particularly helpful in Avasarala's case) and the need for more flashy visual effects that might have been beyond their previous budget. Overall, viewers will likely be giddy with delight when the show returns on December 13th, not only because it will finally be the conclusion to a year-and-a-half of waiting, but also because the new season actually feels more immersive and cinematic in its new home.
This in spite of the fact that many main characters from earlier seasons, including Bobbie, Drummer, and Avasarala are separated from the other principals by quite a distance for most of the season. The writers had to get extremely creative (especially with Bobbie's story) to keep some of these fan favourite personalities and their tangential arcs relevant to the overall narrative. Thankfully, using threads from later novels in the James S. A. Corey series, The Expanse season four is able to expertly weave together a tapestry of tales that relate directly to the cultural effects of thousands of worlds suddenly becoming available beyond the gates while also laying the groundwork for seasons to come.
In fact, the same could be said of season three's refugee crisis on Ganymede, which here in season four leads to Belters with no one to take them in and nothing to lose in running the blockade that prevents anyone from settling on the potentially dangerous (but also possibly very lucrative) planets the protomolecule makers left behind. The central conflict becomes immediately compelling: who do these planets belong to? When an Earth corporation obtains a charter to mine the lithium on the planet claimed by the refugees, the familiar cultural prejudices of The Expanse are carried past the bounds of our solar system, especially once sabotage of questionable origins enters the picture.
Not surprisingly, Avasarala sends Holden to the planet (called Ilus by the Belters and New Terra by the Earthers) to negotiate a peace between the factions, but the more interesting reason for his presence there comes from the phantom Miller, who in The Expanse season four becomes even more convincingly entangled in the tireless and undiscriminating drive of the protomolecule to find out what happened to its makers. The sheer scale of what the colonists and those back home don't understand about those behind this inscrutable technology becomes a focal point of the season, and humanity's insignificance, especially with regard to its petty squabbles, is a theme that can't help but draw the audience in with its undeniable gravity.
As the new Secretary General of the U.N., Avasarala has a sense of the dangers, of course, but even she is inexorably embroiled in the political implications of blockading the Ring gates. What's surprising, however, is the role that Drummer and Ashford play this season in enforcing the rule of law from the newly installed Medina Station (formerly the Behemoth, now a stationary hub inside the Ring space) which gives the OPA a seat of power at the only point of access to other worlds. The investigations they undertake reveal much about the different attitudes various Belter factions have about changing their culture to accommodate planetary gravity and adapting to a solar system without war.
And they're not the only ones who need to adapt. Although not much can be said about Bobbie's story without spoiling things, her perspective on her home planet allows us to see that Mars is suffering from a lack of motivation to continue its terraforming efforts, and this deficit is having surprising effects on the discipline of its military and its citizens. Why transform a dead planet when there are so many fresh ones ready for the taking on the other side of the Ring? The true brilliance of The Expanse season four lies in its ability to make even this subplot relate both subtly and powerfully to what's going on elsewhere in the system, and deducing those connections is a joy for the viewer.
As for the crew of the Rocinante, fans of The Expanse will perhaps not be surprised to learn that Naomi and Amos have the most satisfying character arcs this season. Both are largely departures from the books, but they speak volumes about what each have been through and what they're about to endure in future seasons. Among the new characters on Ilus, Burn Gorman as Adolphus Murtry, the man in charge of the Earther faction, stands out as a particularly strong villain even among the stiff competition from protomolecule exploiters of seasons past, and he makes the perfect foil for Wes Chatham's increasingly laudable performance as the lovable sociopath, Amos.
In some ways, however, the star of the season is the protomolecule itself which begins to give us a truer sense of its origins and of how out of its depth humanity is as it blindly crosses into the unknown. Honestly, that's kind of what it feels like to be a viewer of The Expanse, especially in this new season on Amazon Prime Video: we've ventured into new territory where the vastness of space and the intricacy of the story being told leave us in stunned awe. There might be no danger of dying from the experience in our case, but there's plenty of room for surprises, betrayals, adventures, and emotional roller coasters. The Expanse season four has all of these and more for those who would brave the journey. Give us the juice!
The Expanse season four arrives on Amazon Prime Video on Friday the 13th of December.
Tags: The Expanse
Michael Ahr | @mikescifi
Michael Ahr is a writer and multimedia producer at Den of Geek with a focus on science fiction television. Elsewhere, he teaches video production to high…
Read more from Michael Ahr
More on The Expanse
The Expanse season 3 episode-by-episode reviews: a sci-fi going from strength to strength
February 11, 2019 | By Den of Geek Staff
The Expanse Season 6 Episode 2 Review: Azure Dragon
December 17, 2021 | By Michael Ahr
The Expanse Season 6 Episode 1 Review: Strange Dogs
The Expanse season 3 episodes 12 & 13 review: Congregation & Abbadon's Gate
February 11, 2019 | By Michael Ahr


While reception to the live-action Bleach adaptation was mixed with fans, what fans do agree on is the impressive fight choreography and stunts amid the film's sword fights and battles.
With the home video release of the film approaching in December, Warner Bros Japan shared a preview of the work that went to each of these scenes.
The DVD and blu-ray release of Bleach is currently scheduled to release December 6 in Japan, and premium editions of the release will include a 200-minute behind-the-scenes special with bonus footage. The behind-the-scenes clip includes a deeper look at Sota Fukushi's Ichigo's and Taichi Saotome's Renji's big fight scene toward the film's climax.
The film even boasts that many of the actors performed their own stunts, and that's an impressive feat considering how fluid and full of action each of the fights are. As fans can see by the behind the scenes footage here, the fight includes lots of high-flying wire work and intense reactions from both actors. It's part of the reason fans loved the sword fights in the film, and felt that they encapsulated the fun of the original series in real life.
Directed by Shinsuke Sato, the live-action Bleach stars Sota Fukushi as Ichigo Kurosaki, Hana Sugisaki as Rukia Kuchiki, MIYAVI as Byakuya Kuchiki, Ryou Yoshizawa, as Uryuu Ishida, Taichi Saotome as Renji Abarai, Erina Mano as Orihime Inoue, Tomo Koyanagi as Chad Yasutora, Yosuke Egochi as Isshin Kurosaki, Masami Nagasawa as Masaki Kurosaki, and Seiichi Tanabe as Keisuke Urahara.
You can currently find the adaptation streaming now on Netflix. You can also check out ComicBook.com's review of the film here. Bleach was first created by Tite Kubo for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, running from 2001 to 2016. The series follows the young delinquent Ichigo Kurosaki, who has the ability to see spirits. He soon obtains the power of a Soul Reaper - one meant to usher lost souls to the afterlife - and now has the duty to defend the living world from monstrous dark spirits known as Hollows.


Shorty's Sutures: My first award!
I am very excited to be able to share this exciting news with you. As I've probably mentioned before, there are several blogs that I've begun following over the past months since I started blogging. There are a few blog friends that I comment with back and forth regularly regarding each others posts. I received a wonderful compliment and award from my blog friend Nette last week that you can see here... Thank you, Ginette, for this flattering acknowledgment! The characteristics that the recipient of this award must have are: must display a cheerful disposition, must love one another, must make mistakes, must learn from others, must be a positive contributor to the blog world, must love life, and must love kids.
Since I've accepted this award there are some rules that I must also follow: must link back to the creator, must post these rules, must choose five new people to receive this award who fit the characteristics listed above, must post the characteristics needed to qualify for the award, must create a post sharing your win with others, and you must thank your giver.
I choose to pass this award along to the following wonderful bloggers: Write Softly...an amazing blog written by an amazing new mommy who revels in the many treasurable moments of motherhood; Becoming Me... an uplifting site that perfectly meets all the above listed criteria; the Nienie Dialogues... this has got to be the most moving blog I've found...it was created by a mother of four and a passionate wife who treasures her family, but is currently in a medically induced coma as she (and her husband) recovers from a private plane crash that occurred in August of this year. Her sister keeps Nie's blog going so that we can be blessed by her thoughtful living; C Jane... this blog is from Courtney, the sister of Nie, who keeps the readers abreast of Nie's progress and the progress of Nie's husband Christian, as well as posts about her own wonderfully amazing family moments; Blonde Revelations... a blog from the friend of mine who inspired me to blog in the first place, MC. She loves her family and is in a perpetual state of improvement, which I admire.
Thank you again to Ginette for enlightening me with this award, and for urging me to reflect on the blogs that have moved me. Nette's Niche is also a very inspiring blog that I read daily, but since she has already received the Smile Award I selected five others...belive me, Nette, you are in my top picks, too! And, thank you to all of the bloggers that I'm passing this award on to. Though most of us have never met, your blogs move me every day and I always look forward to reading your latest and greatest thoughts!
I look forward to reading more award-worthy blogs and discovering all sorts of new and inspriational ideas each week! Happy blogging everyone!


text:
« Dj Stupor Biography | [MUSIC] Samighty – Hustle »
[MUSIC] Samighty – Aiye (World)
Samighty Aiye (World)
Just after Sinner Cover, Ogo Agbaye Samighty gives new hit Aiye (World) finally released today and it is trending on all platforms across the globe and even made available for streaming and downloading here on Naijailoaded. This song gat fans all over the world vibing to this mad hit because people could not believe the tune that this song starts with. The song Aiye (World) came in with a melody of stars starting time. If you really and carefully examine this song you'll see that this artist Samighty did a great work on it. Not only this artist Samighty but also the producer because it was the beat and the mixing that gave this song the ranking it is today. This song Aiye (World) is actually one of the best in towns and cities. The interesting thing about this song is that once you download it immediately and even listen to it, nobody will tell you before you add it to your playlist because you yourself would have liked the song itself and will add it to the playlist so as for you to always hear the cool vibe that comes from it every time. This song Aiye (World) is more than words to express it, it's until you download it Aiye (World) yourself and listen to it too that is when you will fully understand what I have been saying and really understand the meaning of what they call cool sounds. Even lots of talented artists are wondering that how could someone I.e Samighty be good has this to release this kind of rhythm, it's not only that lots of managers, producers, directors are still in search of the talented artist who dropped this. For all these to be happening, you can see that this artist Samighty didn't just do a small work on it, that why you really need to hear this trending hit now, so you won't miss this out too incase you've missed before or searching for something like this Aiye (World). Then I bet you that this is what exactly you've been looking for.
https://Naijailoaded.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Samighty_-_Aiye_World__Naijailoaded.com.ng.mp3
[MUSIC] Samighty Ft Sheeva - All Way » NaijailoadedNaijailoaded
- Jun 30, 2022 at 9:04 pm
[…] artist of the year Samighty Ft Sheeva drops new hit jam titled All Way finally released today and it is trending on all platforms across […]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Article 18 May 2022 10 min read
Recap: Achieving the E in ESG – aspirational or reality?
Erin Vickers
Market conditions and shareholder demands have increased pressure on corporations to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks and disclosures into their corporate strategies. In turn, law firm clients and their inside counsel are demanding that their supply chain, including legal service providers, also have in place ESG strategies and targets.
The 'E' portion of ESG considers how a company performs as a steward of our physical environment – from a firm's utilisation of natural resources to the effect of their operations on the environment, both in their direct operations and across their supply chains. In 2021, Singapore, recognising the existential threat that climate change poses to the island, unveiled its Green Plan 2030 and, under the Paris Agreement, is committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050.
Litigation practices remain challenged by the preference for hard copy document bundles, in-person hearings and trials, and perceived complexities associated with implementing technology solutions. Which begs the question: can law firms make a positive change on their environmental impact by creating efficiencies in the way the litigation practice is conducted?
On 6 May, Opus 2 sponsored and participated in a panel session at the Law Society of Singapore's 2022 Litigation Conference entitled, 'Achieving the E in ESG for the Litigation Practice – Aspirational or Reality?' Joining Rachel Foxton, Head of APAC for Opus 2, on the panel were: Daryl Chew, Managing Partner, Three Crowns LLP; Tan Ken Hwee, Chief Transformation & Innovation Officer (Judiciary), Supreme Court of Singapore; Abraham Vergis, SC - Managing Director, Providence Law Asia; KC Lye (Counsel, Breakpoint LLC) and Celeste Ang (Principal, Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow).
The panel discussed how, as of now, there are no universal mandatory ESG reporting requirements. Though a variety of 3rd party disclosure frameworks provide guidelines for companies who report on ESG, this lack of a standardised framework presents a challenge for law firms attempting to account for environmental risk as there are no universal metrics to plan toward and compare to. The panel explored why, despite this, law firms should be thinking about their environmental and sustainability responsibilities, and whether it's possible to conduct litigation in a sustainable manner. The group also discussed some of the innovative tools which can be deployed to reduce a firm's environmental impact. Below are some takeaways from the session:
A paperless or 'paper-light' litigation practice
If you've worked at a law firm, you will be familiar with the vast amounts of paper used in briefs and bundles. Thousands if not millions of pages of legal documents stuffed in file boxes are likely to exist in a storage room somewhere at the firm. To put this in perspective, in 2018 the Legal Sustainability Alliance, a voluntary reporting mechanism for international and UK law firms, published a report based on the disclosures of 59 law firms which found that those firms collectively had used 4073.45 tonnes of paper in the previous year! And, despite the impact of COVID-19, there are still several areas of law where certain documents must also exist in paper format. A completely paperless litigation practice is a worthy goal to aspire toward, but a 'paper-light' litigation practice is more feasible today. Some ideas for a paper-light practice include:
Evaluate your current workflows to identify how, when and why paper documents are used.
Modernise your workflows and define a policy with criteria for when to use/retain paper documents.
Choose and implement paperless technology solutions that complement your workflows.
Business travel – only when necessary
Globalisation and the internet inevitably lead law firms to have clients all over the world, and some cultures still put a premium on the importance of face-to-face meetings over video communication. As a result, lawyers working for firms with offices around the world or with clients who are multinational companies frequently fly back and forth for meetings. Employee travel is one of the business world's greatest contributors to carbon emissions (WeForum, 2021). During the pandemic, this practice had to be rapidly evaluated. The adoption of off-the-shelf technology solutions, such as Zoom and MS Teams, enabled lawyers to stay in touch with clients when travel was not an option. Business continued, revealing that travel isn't always as necessary as we once thought.
As travel starts to resume, it is important for law firms to reassess how and why they travel to make their travel programmes more sustainable post-pandemic. When possible, continue virtual meetings and conferences. In cases where business travel is required, some travel search engines, such as Google, and airlines have added filters that allow users to search for 'eco-friendly' flights –opt for those, if possible.
Data consumes energy
You may think that using email or instant messaging apps instead of old-fashioned postal mail is one way to help reduce your carbon footprint. To an extent, that is true. But did you ever think about the energy used by email or instant messaging?
Looking at email alone, analysts have found that the average office worker receives 121 emails and sends about 40 each day (The Guardian, 2019)– not to mention all the spam, deleted messages, long email chains and emails with attachments that sit in our mailboxes. The average carbon footprint for different emails ranges from 0.3g CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) for the average spam email, to 4g CO2e for a standard email to 50g CO2e for an email chain with attachments (Carbon Literacy Project, 2018).
Email and instant messaging tools build up a lot of data, which must be processed and stored somewhere – often in on-site servers – which consumes energy. Law firms can create data retention policies to help reduce the consumption of energy, but research by Northwestern University revealed that transitioning commonly used software applications, such as email, to the cloud would in fact cut energy usage by up to 87% (The Energy Efficiency Potential of Cloud-Based Software, 2013).
Client expectation is driving the adoption of environmentally friendly case management
In the context of commercial disputes, law firms' clients and their in-house counsel are looking more closely at the sustainability of firms they retain. Increasingly, law firms are being asked to provide their own ESG credentials in requests for proposals. While this may be due in part to increasing ethical concerns, it is also largely the result of these companies being forced to re-evaluate their own supply chains and vendors amidst growing awareness from employees and consumers and pressure from investors. According to the 2021 Legal Officers Survey conducted by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), 65.8% of Chief Legal Officers believe that a focus on ESG will accelerate.
And it is not just client expectations. In Singapore, the Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) have created a Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TFCD) and recently announced mandatory climate-related disclosures for certain industries – including the financial and energy sectors – in response to an urgent demand for such information from lenders, investors and other key stakeholders.
Use technology to assist in lessening the negative environmental impact of litigation
In collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), 451 Research surveyed more than 300 companies across Europe and in 2021 reported that migrating business applications from on-premises data centres to the public cloud could reduce energy consumption by 80% and carbon emissions by 96%. Selecting and implementing modern technology solutions, such as cloud-based case preparation, can reduce a litigation practice's environmental impact by removing legacy software that utilises on-premises servers.
While policymakers and regulators work toward standardised frameworks, law firms should begin to explore the aspects of litigation practice that have a potentially negative environmental impact and begin to take steps to reduce their carbon footprint to help sustain the environment. By doing so, law firms can show that they are forward-thinking, and understand their clients' concerns, retaining or even gaining a competitive advantage over their peers.
What guidance is available for Litigators wishing to adopt more environmentally friendly dispute practices?
The Campaign for Greener Arbitration, founded by International Arbitrator, Lucy Greenwood, in 2019, is an initiative aiming to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the arbitration community. The campaign promotes awareness of the environmental impact of arbitrations and produces best practice guides on ways in which you can act to minimise the carbon footprint of your practice. Opus 2's Taryn Auchecorne and Holly Gavaghan sit on the Campaign's Global Steering Committee 2022-2023 along with other individuals from arbitration institutions, arbitrators, law firms, hearing venues, third party funders, conference organisers, legal journalists, legal technology providers and corporate clients to reinforce the message that we all share responsibility for reducing the carbon footprint of our industry.
Greener Litigation is an initiative aimed at reducing the environmental impact of dispute resolution, inspired by the Campaign for Greener Arbitration and its founder Lucy Greenwood. Its mission is to set out practical changes for litigators to commit to in the journey towards net zero. Opus 2 is a founding signatory of the Greener Litigation Pledge, with Taryn Auchecorne as part of the Steering Committee.
The Legal Sustainability Alliance provides support and resources for law firms, helping them to manage and reduce their carbon emissions to become more sustainable.
The International Bar Association Law Firm Management Committee published in 2021 the ESG Toolkit for Law Firms, which aims to help members understand the importance and scope of ESG from a law firm's perspective, and provides tools for self-analysis and guidance on how to further improve their firm's overall ESG compatibility.
The Law Society of Singapore (LSS) is the representative body for all lawyers in Singapore and the publisher of the Law Gazette, serving its members and the public by sustaining an independent bar, which upholds the rule of law and ensures access to justice. LSS and Opus 2 have joined forces to increase awareness and education around the use of technology in the legal sector through a program of joint activities and initiatives, including events, CPD-certified e-learning programs and thought leadership.


We are a community-based studio for yoga and related mind-body experiences. We believe that yoga is for every body, regardless of age or physical capacity. Our mission is to reach and teach those who would benefit from yoga and provide the opportunity for personal expression on all levels –physical, creative, and artistic.
Yoga unites the mind, body, and soul in a way that eases tension, reduces inflammation, and promotes health and well being. Regular practice will help you reach, improve and perfect poses, correct posture and positioning, and improve your breathing and outlook on life. Yoga is a great way to improve your endurance in other physical activities. After a run, or heavy workout, yoga will help your body relax while stretching, strengthening, and lengthening the muscles you were just working on.
$50 for Two Week Unlimited. Try out as many classes as you can in two weeks.
Buy Punch Cards online safely and conveniently.
Buy gift cards for your special yogi.


Today we talked about how secular humanists have to borrow from a Biblical worldview in order to be able to have a cohesive position. The key is that a purely secular worldview does not provide any definition for knowledge, logic, or ethics. If we are just a ball of chemicals and electrical impulses it is impossible to answer the questions: Who am I? Why am I here? How am I suppose to live? Be assured, the Biblical worldview has answers to these questions. I pray that this study is a blessing to you. Feel free to share these with a friend who is pondering these questions.


Book: Joshua (4), Matthew (3), Mark (12), Romans (1), 1 Corinthians (1), Ephesians (5), Revelation (6).
Service: Sunday Morning (67), Christmas Day (1).
(Part of the Kingdom of God series).
Preached by Simon Fry on March 24, 2019 (Sunday Morning).
Matthew 6:25-33 (Part of the Kingdom of God series).
Preached by Simon Fry on March 17, 2019 (Sunday Morning).
Matthew 13:31-34 (Part of the Kingdom of God series).
Preached by Simon Fry on March 3, 2019 (Sunday Morning).
Matthew 5:13-16 (Part of the Kingdom of God series).
Preached by Simon Fry on February 10, 2019 (Sunday Morning).
(Part of the Rememberance Sunday series).
Preached by Simon Fry on November 11, 2018 (Sunday Morning).
Ephesians 5:15-6:9 (Part of the Ephesians - In Christ series).
Preached by Simon Fry on November 4, 2018 (Sunday Morning).


Tammy is a dedicated family coach and training professional. Tammy works with parents and teens within individual and group coaching settings as well as facilitating programs and workshops in her private coaching practice. She has experience in many aspects of training, strong interpersonal skills and is a valued team player. She is truly dedicated to ensuring her clients goals are met and has a strong focus on customer service.
Works with parents and teens in the areas of understanding themselves and each other, communicating differently with better results, and parenting more effectively.
Conducts group programs, workshops, and retreats designed for parents and for teens.
Facilitates group programs for teens in the areas of communicating more effectively with others, leadership skills, as well as life skills.
Involved with numerous volunteer organizations working with both children and parents.
Facilitates programs for the Florida PTA Leadership Conference presenting to PTA leaders from throughout the state of Florida since 2007.
Substitute teacher for Seminole County Public Schools.
Provides over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications and pharmaceutical industries in training & development and project management.
Focuses on e-learning, distance learning, classroom training and blended learning solutions.
Developed & delivered technical training, voice/data training and customer service training.
Researched, designed and developed training curricula, skill gap analysis and job aids.
Received multiple awards during tenure with AT&T. Awards included Customer Value-Added, Economic Value-Added, People Value-Added, Personal Leadership Development, and Division MVP (Most Valuable Performer) Awards.
Awarded the prestigious AT&T Global Services Golden Circle Award (which is only awarded to the top 5% of the organization) for outstanding achievement in the project management, design and development of the first Learning web site.


text:
relating to a list of mental health, substance abuse, and suicide
prevention programs that may be selected for implementation by
public schools.
SECTION 1. The heading to Subchapter O-1, Chapter 161,
Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER O-1. [EARLY] MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE,
[INTERVENTION] AND [PREVENTION OF] YOUTH SUICIDE
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 161.325, Health and
Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 161.325. [EARLY] MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION AND
INTERVENTION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION, AND
SUICIDE PREVENTION.
SECTION 3. Section 161.325, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (d), (e), and (i) and
adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows:
(a) The department, in coordination with the Texas
Education Agency and regional education service centers, shall
provide and annually update a list of recommended best
practice-based programs in the areas specified under Subsection
(a-1) [early mental health intervention and suicide prevention
programs] for implementation in public elementary, junior high,
middle, and high schools within the general education
setting. Each school district may select from the list a program
or programs appropriate for implementation in the district.
(a-1) The list must include programs in the following areas:
(1) early mental health intervention;
(2) mental health promotion and positive youth
development;
(3) substance abuse prevention;
(4) substance abuse intervention; and
(5) suicide prevention.
(a-2) The department, the Texas Education Agency, and each
regional education service center shall make the list easily
accessible on their websites.
(b) The programs on the list must include components that
provide for training counselors, teachers, nurses, administrators,
and other staff, as well as law enforcement officers and social
workers who regularly interact with students, to:
(1) recognize students at risk of committing suicide,
including students who are or may be the victims of or who engage in
bullying;
(2) recognize students displaying early warning signs
and a possible need for early mental health or substance abuse
intervention, which warning signs may include declining academic
performance, depression, anxiety, isolation, unexplained changes
in sleep or eating habits, and destructive behavior toward self and
others; and
(3) intervene effectively with students described by
Subdivision (1) or (2) by providing notice and referral to a parent
or guardian so appropriate action, such as seeking mental health or
substance abuse services, may be taken by a parent or guardian.
(d) The board of trustees of each school district may adopt
a policy concerning [early] mental health promotion and
suicide prevention that:
(1) establishes a procedure for providing notice of a
recommendation for early mental health or substance abuse
intervention regarding a student to a parent or guardian of the
student within a reasonable amount of time after the identification
of early warning signs as described by Subsection (b)(2);
student identified as at risk of committing suicide to a parent or
guardian of the student within a reasonable amount of time after the
identification of early warning signs as described by Subsection
(b)(2);
(3) establishes that the district may develop a
reporting mechanism and may designate at least one person to act as
a liaison officer in the district for the purposes of identifying
students in need of early mental health or substance abuse
intervention or suicide prevention; and
(4) sets out available counseling alternatives for a
parent or guardian to consider when their child is identified as
possibly being in need of early mental health or substance abuse
intervention or suicide prevention.
(e) The policy must prohibit the use without the prior
consent of a student's parent or guardian of a medical screening of
the student as part of the process of identifying whether the
student is possibly in need of early mental health or substance
abuse intervention or suicide prevention.
(i) Nothing in this section is intended to interfere with
the rights of parents or guardians and the decision-making
regarding the best interest of the child. Policy and procedures
adopted in accordance with this section are intended to notify a
parent or guardian of a need for mental health or substance abuse
intervention so that a parent or guardian may take appropriate
action. Nothing in this section shall be construed as giving school
districts the authority to prescribe medications. Any and all
medical decisions are to be made by a parent or guardian of a
student.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
April 11, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 23, 2013, by the
following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 831 passed the House, with
amendment, on May 20, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 147,
Nays 0, two present not voting.


text:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is a regulatory body set up by the Government of India under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. It is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India. It consists of a chairperson and not more than two full-time members and not more than two part-time members. The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000, establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.

History
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India was established on 20 February 1997 by an Act of Parliament to regulate telecom services and tariffs in India. Earlier, regulation of telecom services and tariffs was overseen by the Central Government.

TRAI's mission is to create and nurture conditions for the growth of telecommunications in India to enable the country to have a leading role in the emerging global information society.

One of its main objectives is to provide a fair and transparent environment that promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition in the market. TRAI regularly issues orders and directions on various subjects such as tariffs, interconnections, quality of service, direct to home services and mobile number portability.

In January 2016, TRAI introduced an important change in telecommunication to the benefit of consumers, where they would be compensated  for every dropped call, subject to a maximum of three dropped calls in a day. In May 2016, this regulation was revoked by the Supreme Court on the grounds of being "unreasonable, arbitrary and unconstitutional".

Secretariat

TRAI is administered through a secretariat headed by a secretary. All proposals are processed by the secretary, who organises the agenda for authority meetings (consulting with the chairperson), prepares the minutes and issues regulations in accordance to the meetings. The secretary is assisted by advisors. These include Mobile Network, Interconnection and FixeNetwork, BroadBand and Policy Analysis, Quality of Service, Broadcasting & Cable Services, Economic Regulation, Financial Analysis & IFA, Legal, Consumer Affairs & International Relation and Administration & Personnel. Officers are selected from the Indian Telecommunications Service and the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The current chairperson of TRAI is PD Vaghela, an IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, batch of 1986.

TRAI Mobile Apps
On 6 June 2017, TRAI launched three new apps and a web portal to highlight the telecom services that are being offered to the users.

Mycall app, MySpeed app and Do not disturb (DND 2.0) apps can be used to ensure that there is transparency between what consumers are paying for and what telecom operators are promising to provide at a certain rate.

In December 2018, TRAI released another app called TRAI Channel Selector. Using this app, they can add, remove and manage their channels.

Recent TRAI initiatives
In order to increase broadband penetration in India, TRAI has proposed WANI (Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) architecture. If implemented, it may lead to set up of Public Data Offices (PDOs) where Wi-FI Internet would be available on demand. TRAI relates the same with PCOs which were used to do the voice calls and were very popular hotspots before the mobile phones or home landlines became the ultimate mode of communication.

TRAI reports
To increase transparency and give a data-based overview of Indian Telecom Industry at regular intervals, TRAI publishes multiple reports under Release/Publication "Reports" section.

Controversies

Jio
Allegedly, TRAI bent its rules multiple times to let Jio, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, become a market leader in the span of a few years. Jio was allowed to "test" its services for a much longer period and with a much larger subscriber base than was the industrial norm. In a letter to the telecom department, Rajan Mathews of the Cellular Operators Association of India wrote that Reliance's offers were "full-blown and full-fledged services masquerading as tests, which bypass regulations and can potentially game policy features." TRAI was also accused of modifying its definition of "significant market power" so as to exclude Jio from strict scrutiny. Whilst initially the definition of market power was based on total network activity, the parameters were changed to subscriber share and gross revenue. Jio qualified as a significant market power according to the first definition, but not the second.

See also
 Telecommunications in India
 The Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2010

References

JEEin India: The rising importance of JEE in india

External links

Government agencies established in 1997
1997 establishments in India
Telecommunications authorities of India
Telecommunications regulatory authorities
Government agencies of India
Regulatory agencies of India

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Deficit Fear Mongering
Ellen Brown, Truthout: "In addition to mandatory private health insurance premiums, we may soon be hit with a 'mandatory savings' tax and other belt-tightening measures urged by the president's new budget task force. These radical austerity measures are not only unnecessary, but will actually make matters worse. The push for 'fiscal responsibility' is based on bad economics."
Obama Looks To Reconciliation to Pass Health Care Bill
Yana Kunichoff, Truthout: "In a speech today at the White House, President Obama instructed Congress to make a final push for completion of the divisive health care reform legislation. He endorsed the use of 'reconciliation' rules to pass the bill with 'nothing more than a simple majority.'"
How John Yoo and His Young Apprentice Tortured Health Care
Jason Leopold, Truthout: "Last Sunday, Nancy Pelosi vowed to wrangle up the votes needed to pass a health care bill even if it meant some Democratic lawmakers would be voted out of office in November's midterm elections. 'The point is we have a responsibility here ... ' Pelosi said later on CNN's 'State of the Union,' explaining the urgency in passing legislation. If only Pelosi and other Democrats applied the same aggressive attitude toward holding Bush administration officials accountable for implementing a policy of torture against 'war on terror detainees' after 9/11."
Mercenaries Circling Haiti
Bill Quigley, Truthout: "Triple Canopy, a private military company with extensive security operations in Iraq and Israel, is advertising for business in Haiti. According to human rights activist and investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill, Triple Canopy took over the Xe/Blackwater security contract in Iraq in 2009. Scahill reported on a number of bloody incidents involving Triple Canopy, including one where a team leader told his group, 'I want to kill somebody today ... because I am going on vacation tomorrow.'"
DoD Releases Records of Illegal Surveillance
William Fisher, Truthout: "Defense Department agencies improperly collected and disseminated intelligence on Planned Parenthood and a white supremacist group called the National Alliance, an Air Force briefing improperly included intelligence on an antiwar group called Alaskans for Peace and Justice, and Army Signals Intelligence in Louisiana unlawfully intercepted civilian cell phone conversations."
How to Fight a Better War (Next Time): Three Fixes for the American Way of War
Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com: "Iraq remains a mess from which the US military seems increasingly uninterested in withdrawing fully and Afghanistan a disaster area, but it's never too soon to think about the next war. The subject is already on the minds of Pentagon planners. The question is: Are they focusing on how to manage future wars so that they won't last longer than the American Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II combined?"
Bernard Weiner | Entering the Scary "Lacuna" of American Politics
Bernard Weiner, The Crisis Papers: "I finally finished reading Barbara Kingsolver's latest brilliant novel, 'The Lacuna,' and it's the kind of book that engenders discussion on a wide variety of important topics. For those who haven't read it yet, the sweep of the book - which clearly was composed during the Cheney/Bush years, for good reason - is epic in scale. Dealing with several decades of Mexican and American history, from 1929 to the early 1950's, it touches on the end of empires, the pandering mass-media, the use of fear by demagogues to herd the sheeple, the pain and isolation of gays pre-Stonewall, and much more. (The title refers to the hidden entryways that can lead one to different levels of understanding.)"
Jacques Attali | Happiness, As in Bhutan
Jacques Attali, L'Express: "Is this minuscule nation, among the least populated in the world (roughly 700,000 habitants), stuck between two of the most densely populated countries in the world (India and China), totally isolated for millennia, whose penultimate monarch was the first, at the end of the nineteen seventies, to define and implement the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH), happier than other countries?"
Finding the American Dream - in China
Ashwini Srinivasamohan, Foreign Policy Journal: "US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Energy Secretary Steven Chu returned from China last July with a sober understanding of the degree to which China had advanced in green technology. Sino-US clean energy cooperation reached a milestone later in 2009, when the two presidents signed various bilateral agreements, including the establishment of the US-China Clean Energy Research Centre in Beijing to improve research and development in the field. But clean energy was caught in the political firestorm of the health care debacle. As the recent New York Times article on China's advancements in green technology reinforced, the Chinese have made exceptional progress in this field and are the leaders of our green revolution."
In Haiti, Death Toll Remains a Mystery
Alfonso Chardy and Jacqueline Charles, The Miami Herald: "While many of the mass graves are clearly marked with white wooden crosses atop mounds of dirt, the precise number of people buried beneath them may never be known. That's because since the earthquake, the Haitian government has not provided a precise accounting of the number of victims."
Bill Moyers Journal | Health Care Reform
After months of lobbying, grandstanding and political theater, Americans are wondering if there's any real reform left in the health reform bill. Bill Moyers sits down with former insurance executive turned public health advocate Wendell Potter, who argues that all is not lost in the health care bill and details what he likes about the legislation.
Labels: truthout.org
Common Dreams headlines 3/31
Punks and Plutocrats
Grim news for Indiana progressives
Going to Extreme
Starbucks CEO commits a grande gaffe
Schools with Legacy of Institutionalized Fraud Par...
The new poor
On Email Gay Bashing, Or, ENDA's Already Getting Ugly
Fear strikes out
The fierce urgency of now: justice
Why We Reform
How We Reform Schools: Bill Maher Versus John Legend
On Selling Paranoia, Or, Conservative Emails, Exam...
Just three little words and still so difficult to ...
KKK leader excused from jury duty
Taking on China
Clinton fires back at Israel
Republican Strategist Hammered Over WMD Lies (Video)
Health reform myths
Help South Bend Get Google
On The Fear Of Government, Or, Let's Get Back To B...
FP Morning Brief 3/9


No sólo fue la primera mujer en convertirse en candidata presidencial en Estados Unidos, además fue todo lo contrario a una aguantona, a una tarrúa, y mucho más valiente y moderna que muchas políticas y feministas actuales.
Yo aseguraría también que Victoria Woodhull no fue respecto a Hillary Clinton: tan mentirosa como (sobre las causas del ataque al Consulado de EE.UU. en Benghazi), tan manipuladora (cuando fue miembro de la comisión del caso Watergate y de la cual fue expulsada), inepta (en favorecer a una desestabilizadora Primavera Árabe que trajo como principal secuela negativa a ISIS (señalo además que Hillary como senadora aprobó la guerra en Irak) cuando fue Secretaria de Estado en la primera administración de Obama), falta de transparencia (caso de lo ocurrido en Benghazi y al no admitir desde un inicio el gran error de tener un servidor privado e inseguro con información Top Secret y superior a esta clasificación en él), del cual se ha informado que el Kremlin ¨hackeó¨ lo concerniente a Benghazi, indolente (ante las víctimas de Benghazi), el no reconocimiento de tener conflicto de intereses entre su cargo cuando fue Secretaria de EE.UU. y los negocios de la Fundación Clinton con otros países, etc.
Los grandes medios medios masivos de comunicación y sus periodistas, pese a la existencia de esa gra biblioteca que es Internet, adolecen de un ignorancia supina cuando CACAREAN que Hillary es la primera mujer candidata a Presidente de los EE.UU., lo cual, por cierto, todavía está por definirse por los resultados que arroje la investigación del FBI y la Convención Demócrata.
In 1872, Woodhull was the first female candidate for President of the United States. An activist for women's rights and labor reforms, Woodhull was also an advocate of free love, by which she meant the freedom to marry, divorce, and bear children without government interference.
Woodhull went from rags to riches twice, her first fortune being made on the road as a highly successful magnetic healer before she joined the spiritualist movement in the 1870s. While authorship of many of her articles is disputed (many of her speeches on these topics were collaborations between Woodhull, her backers, and her second husband, Colonel James Blood), her role as a representative of these movements was powerful. Together with her sister, she was the first woman to operate a brokerage firm on Wall Street, and they were among the first women to found a newspaper, Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly, which began publication in 1870.
At her peak of political activity in the early 1870s, Woodhull is best known as the first woman candidate for the United States presidency, which she ran for in 1872 from the Equal Rights Party, supporting women's suffrage and equal rights. Her arrest on obscenity charges a few days before the election for publishing an account of the alleged adulterous affair between the prominent minister Henry Ward Beecher and Elizabeth Tilton added to the sensational coverage of her candidacy. She did not receive any electoral votes, and there is conflicting evidence about popular votes.
Many of the reforms and ideals Woodhull espoused for the working class, against what she saw as the corrupt capitalist elite, were extremely controversial in her time. Generations later many of these reforms have been implemented and are now taken for granted. Some of her ideas and suggested reforms are still debated today.


text:
T(D)GGE
Buy our FISH-Kits for rapid detection and identification of bacteria
BioVisible FISH-kits are easy to use and validated tests developed for the detection of bacteria in different matrices. The advantages of the FISH-kits:
* Easy to use protocols
* Rapid results
* Strong signal
* Validated controls
* Convenient storage
Our FISH-kits are suitable for several matrices:
* Environmental
* Food/Feed
* Veterinary
* Human Diagnostics
Our R&D department can develop a test on request within 1-3 months. Please contact our R&D department for more information.
Gut microflora analysis services of BioVisible
BioVisible offers a unique analysis service for the evaluation of the effects of probiotics and prebiotics on Gut microflora using FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization), (T)DGGE ((Temperature)Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) and/or Real-time PCR.
T(D)GGE Workflow
T(D)GGE Gel Analysis on Fecal samples
Total DNA is isolated from fecal samples. Using universal primers a discriminating region of the 16S rDNA is amplified. The amplified product is applied on a T(D)GGE gel. After the gelelectrophoresis the gel is silver stained and ready for analysis.
T(D)GGE analysis - Profile determination
The gel is scanned and a profile is generated based on band location and intensity.
T(D)GGE analysis - Profile comparison
The profiles are compared and a cluster analysis is performed.
T(D)GGE analysis - Cluster analysis
The cluster analysis gives a measure of relatedness of the different fecal profiles. Especially within one subject a T(D)GGE cluster analysis can show the dynamics of the gut microbiota, in time, in relation to diet changes, Pro- Pre-biotica and/or drug administration.
Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (TGGE) or Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) is a molecular fingerprinting method that separates polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-generated DNA products. In TGGE there is a temperature gradient across the gel. in DGGE there is a chemical gradient across the gel. TGGE and DGGE are useful for analyzing nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA, and sometimes for proteins.
The polymerase chain reaction of environmental DNA of a single target can generate templates of differing DNA sequence that represent many of the dominant microbial organisms. However, since PCR products from a given reaction are of similar size (bp), conventional separation by agarose gel electrophoresis results only in a single DNA band that is largely non-descriptive. T(D)GGE can overcome this limitation by separating PCR products based on sequence differences that results in differential denaturing characteristics of the DNA.
During T(D)GGE, PCR products encounter increasingly higher temperature or concentrations of chemical denaturant as they migrate through a polyacrylamide gel. Upon reaching a threshold temperature or denaturant concentration, the weaker melting domains of the double-stranded PCR product will begin to denature at which time migration slows dramatically. Differing sequences of DNA (from different bacteria) will denature at different temperature or denaturant concentrations resulting in a pattern of bands. Each band theoretically representing a different bacterial population present in the community.
General outline of the method
The 16S ribosomal RNA genes of most bacteria are by approximation equal in size but exhibit distinct variation in base-pair composition. The ribosomal RNA genes of bacteria therefore represent unique targets for identifying species-specific sequences. Besides large variations very conserved sequence regions are also discernible. In fact, the ribosomal RNA's represent a mosaic of highly variable and conserved regions. This feature can be used to separate the ribosomal RNA genes present in a mixed population of bacteria on the basis of DGGE.
In essence, DGGE is based on the principle that, in a polyacrylamide matrix, double stranded DNA's migrate at a higher rate than their (partially) single stranded counterparts. The introduction of a G+C-rich "clamp" to one side of the double stranded DNA will keep the two strands connected to each other even when relatively strong denaturing conditions are met. Due to this GC-clamp, the difference in migration rate between double stranded and single stranded DNA's is dramatically improved. In fully denatured form, the migration of the DNA fragments is virtually arrested.
The possibility to effectively separate many (>20) different ribosomal RNA genes is further based on the principle that strand separation or denaturation of the dsDNA's is influenced by the G+C content of the DNA's and the presence of "melting regions" (i.e., partially A+T-rich sequences at which strand separating is initiated earlier than in the rest of the helix thus retarding the migration of the fragment).
In order to obtain the (partial) ribosomal RNA genes from all the bacteria in a complex mixed population, the genomic DNA extracted from the total population is used as a template in a PCR reaction. Rigorous DNA extraction procedures should be used in order to ensure that genomic DNA is liberated from all bacteria. Specific regions of this mixed rRNA gene pool are amplified by using a PCR primer pair directed towards (universally) conserved gene sequences. Only one of the PCR primers contains the GC-clamp. After gel-electrophoretic separation of these PCR products on a chemical gradient of urea and silver staining of the DNA, a banding pattern emerges that represents the diversity of the ribosomal RNA gene sequences present in the sample. The intensity of the individual bands is a measure for the relative abundance of this sequence in the population. Every band originates - in principle - from one bacterial species, although certain PCR bias towards A+T-rich sequences may occur.
Computer analysis of the DGGE profiles of the samples results in similarity percentages between the individual samples. DGGE is a reproducible form of TGGE, in which the separation of DNA's is not dependent on a temperature gradient but on a chemical gradient of urea.
DGGE is an exceptional tool to study the bacterial species composition of unknown samples. By inter-sample comparison, dominant shifts in population composition can be monitored without any prior knowledge of that sample. By using DGGE, bacterial population dynamics can be studied in more detail.
Reactions en press releases: info@biovisible.com
Copyright BioVisible, Groningen.
This BioVisible website is carefully prepared. Reliable sources and references are used. The publisher is not liable for the use of any information made available in this website.
BioVisible starts a new analysis service using the Mitox� DNA - Mitochondrial toxicity assay to measure simultaneously the nuclear DNA and mitochondrial RNA content of the cell. This assay can be used as a biomarker for toxicity and/or efficacy of antiviral treatment.
This analysis service is offered in collaboration with Primagen. Click Logo for preliminary website.
Did you know;


1. An extra day at home. Time to get more grading completed. Time with the kids. Time out of time.
2. The elegance of blackbirds. Those grackles with their white eyes, silhouetted on snow.
3. Yesterday morning's moon. I forgot to talk about it yesterday, so I will remember it today, how it was caught in the branches of the walnut tree, how–above the round bales of straw on Picking Rd.–it was itself a round bale in the sky, how later it was alone, a single eye above us.
4. Snow. This was a lovely storm, and we didn't even lose power.
5. The chicken-dance of fox sparrows.
1. Moon. Sigh, I didn't see her show tonight, but still: Moon.
1. Watching a high school crew create a dramatic performance. The students at my school and their directors did an amazing job putting together "The Sound of Music" last night.
2. Sleep. This is a placeholder. I am running on very little sleep at the moment, and will likely run a little low for the next couple of nights. But I am grateful for sleep, for the little I can get now, and for the good rest I will get in a few days.
3. That lovely, lovely snow. Simple frosting.
4. The sense of taste. Isn't flavor a marvelous thing?
5. Weaving the threads together. People. Meanings. Ideas.
1. The assembly that celebrated Lunar New Year on Monday. Dragons, dancers and tai kwon do demonstrations. I would like to learn to feel that sort of strength and focus in my own body.
2. Two-hour delay. The resultant daily schedule is a little frenzied for me, but I am happy for the extra time here this morning.
1. Thundersnow (though, frankly, I could have done without the lightning when I was out shoveling a spot for Fred).
2. The children's delight in the snow.