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Flesh eating disease ate my boobs" – Mum ravaged by rotting boobs shares images of shocking ordeal
A flesh-eating disease has destroyed a mum's boobs after the disease rotted her breast tissue and caused her nipple to fall off.
Alicia Wertez, 37, was left devastated when a double mastectomy – to reduce her chances of breast cancer – left her fighting a flesh eating infection.
Alicia Wertez/Caters News
The disease, called necrotizing fasciitis, wasn't diagnosed until 38 days after her surgery – something that almost cost the mum of one her life.
Alicia recalls waking up from her first surgery in agony and as the days past, her boobs became inflamed and purple.
After her late diagnosis, Alicia was told by doctors that she needed emergency surgery to have the deep tissue infection removed.
But it was too late, her breast tissue had been destroyed and it was so rotten, Alicia's left nipple even fell off during a bandage change.
After undergoing six operations to save her life, Alicia has been left severely disfigured by the flesh eating bacteria.
The former animal control officer documented her whole journey with daily photos to illustrate her ordeal.
Alicia, from Florida, US, said: "I was trying to prevent my chances of getting breast cancer but I ended up with a deadly flesh eating disease.
"It was a nightmare as my breasts were rotting more every day, they were both purple and covered in puss filled spots.
"I was reassured by doctors and nurses who said it was normal but I was in agony.
"I started taking photos every morning and night as it was shocking how quickly my boobs were deteriorating, especially my left one.
"I was finally diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis 38 days after my first operation.
"I had five further surgeries to save my life and correct the damage caused by the flesh eating bug.
"My left nipple fell off into my hands after a bandage change, my flesh was so rotten that chunks were just dropping off daily.
"After numerous surgeries, I have been left disfigured by the disease and seeing my chest every day is a constant reminder.
"But I have been extremely lucky to have survived."
Alicia's ordeal started on March 4 2015 after she sought medical advice after finding another suspicious lump in her boob.
She added: "I'd wanted a mastectomy for years as they'd found pre-cancerous cells years before.
"But the specialist finally agreed when I found yet another lump, I had no idea what was about to unfold.
"Seven days after my first surgery, I was told that everything was healing well but I knew it didn't look right.
"I was put on a low dose of anti-biotics but it wasn't until four weeks after my first surgery that I was told I needed another operation to clean up a possible infection.
"At home I relied on my husband, Mac, 32 and daughter, Cathrin, 10, to help me do everything as I struggled to get out of bed, eat, get dressed or change my bandages.
"I was horrified every time I looked down as my breasts, especially my left one.
"Once I was finally diagnosed I was rushed down to theatre on April 10 as the infection had spread towards my lungs and in my chest muscle.
Pic by Alicia Wertez/Caters News
"The 30 day intense medication was so strong that my hair fell out and my skin went horrifically dry.
"My organs began shutting down and I became extremely close to death.
"I was in and out of hospital for six weeks and for a few months, I had no left breast at all.
"I had the implants reinserted on November 18 2015 but I still have daily pain."
Alicia is sharing her story to raise awareness for necrotizing fasciitis after she was undiagnosed for 38 days.
She added: "I had all the symptoms such as low blood pressure, pain, swelling, and blisters.
"Both my boobs were eaten away by this disease but I'm lucky to have survived.
"I hope other women read my story and make themselves aware of this type of complication."
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There is just something about teeny tiny birds that makes everyone go "AWWWWW!" We have a hummingbird feeder on one of our back windows and every time one comes up the girls yell "HONEYBIRD!!!!!" We have 4 different "honeybirds" and they get more aggressive as the feeding season comes to an end! Here is the MOST aggressive one.... "AWWWWWW!"


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2020 ASPEN SHORTSFEST
2020 ASPEN ACADEMY SCREENINGS
2019 ASPEN FILMFEST
ASPEN FILM PRESENTS
Aspen Education Foundation IB Film Screening Series
SPONSORS & GRANTORS
ABOUT ASPEN FILM
03 Dec Aspen Film Screenings Include 'Spotlight,' 'Carol'
Posted at 22:39h in In the News
By Dave McNary, Variety Aspen Film has set the lineup for its 24th Academy Screenings at the Harris Concert Hall at the Aspen Music Festival and School, opening with "Spotlight" on Dec. 22 and closing with "Carol" on Jan. 2. "From star-studded features directed by master filmmakers to the best independent documentaries...
30 Sep YOUTH FIND A VOICE IN 'ROMEO IS BLEEDING'
By Andrew Travers, The Aspen Times The deadly feud between the Montagues and the Capulets parallels a generation of conflict in a predominantly African-American Bay Area community in the documentary "Romeo Is Bleeding." Whirlpool filter This brand belongs to a low end consumer brand, which meets the needs of consumers in many stages...
29 Sep ANNA MUYLAERT'S "THE SECOND MOTHER" AT ASPEN FILMFEST
By Andrew Travers, The Aspen Times Brazilian writer-director Anna Muylaert's "The Second Mother" offers a charming yet penetrating look at the haves and have-nots of her home country. Actress and TV host Regina Case, sometimes called "Brazil's Oprah," stars as Val, the long-serving nanny and live-in housekeeper to a wealthy Sao Paulo family. She...
29 Sep FILMFEST ADDS "GUGGENHEIM" SCREENING
By Andrew Travers, The Aspen Times Aspen Filmfest has added an encore presentation of "Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict" to its schedule. The documentary about the famed art collector will play at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Isis Theater. A Sunday-evening screening sold out. A combination of archival footage, recently rediscovered audio recordings, stills...
04 Oct Transitions In UX Design
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Inside Aspen Film
ASPEN FILM ANNOUNCES 28TH ANNUAL ACADEMY SCREENINGS AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS January 9, 2020
ASPEN FILM, JERUSALEM U & ASPEN CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PARTNER TO PRESENT SCREENING OF "SUSTAINABLE NATION" December 23, 2019
ASPEN FILM ANNOUNCES LINE-UP FOR 28TH ANNUAL ACADEMY SCREENINGS December 2, 2019
We're working to enlighten, enrich, educate, and entertain through film.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Whisk together ancho puree, garlic, fennel, allspice, orange juice, honey, olive oil, and oregano in a medium-baking dish. Add the tuna and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, covered.
Heat grill pan over high heat. Remove tuna from marinade and season with salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Sear on 1 side until golden brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn over and cook for 1 minute for medium-rare doneness.
Place two Spinach-Tomatillo Rice Cakes onto a plate. Prop a tuna steak on top of the cakes at an angle. Drizzle the plate with the Ancho Chile Red Wine Sauce.
Place water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Heat olive oil in a medium high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add 2 cups of the hot water and stir until evaporated. Repeat with the remaining water until the rice is al dente. Stir in the cheese and butter until combined. Stir in the spinach and tomatillo sauce, season with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture evenly out onto a sheet pan, cover and place in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
Remove the risotto from the refrigerator and cut out 8 (2-inch) circles. Place the flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge the risotto circles on both sides in the flour and tap of the excess. Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Saute the cakes until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place tomatillos, garlic, and onions on a medium baking sheet, toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until all vegetables are soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Place roasted vegetables and remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
Combine ancho puree and wine in a small saucepan and cook until reduced by half. Add the mixture to a blender with the vinegar and honey, blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Re-season, if needed.


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univercells acquires synhelix, e...
Univercells acquires SynHelix, entering into synthetic biology and the race to next-generation DNA synthesis
Thursday January 6th 2022
Univercells S.A. (Univercells) announced its acquisition of SynHelix, a biotechnology company that aims to debottleneck biotherapeutics development through an unprecedented robust, scalable and automated DNA synthesis technology resulting in one-step generation of long DNA fragments, at large quantities, high purity in a cGMP-compliant setup. SynHelix's offering will complement the RNA platform being developed by Quantoom Biosciences SA (Quantoom), the Univercells affiliate that is developing an end-to-end RNA production technology.
SynHelix has been supported until now by AdBio partners (formerly Advent France Biotechnology), a French life sciences venture capital firm. Following the transaction, SynHelix will become Quantoom Research Center, a separate legal entity and new affiliate of the Univercells Group, established in France. Both the founders of SynHelix and AdBio will subsequently become minority shareholders of Univercells.
Alain Huriez, Chairman and Managing Partner of AdBio partners said: "By investing in December 2019, we were the first venture capital firm to believe in SynHelix's disruptive technology and to bet on the intelligence and ingenuity of its scientific founders, Irina Gbalou and Ahmed Said. The confirmation of the potential of the SynHelix technology was soon beyond our expectations and it was time to offer the company the fastest and most agile industrial development opportunity, as well as the possibility for its founders to continue innovating in a supportive environment. Univercells met all the criteria of an ideal industrial partner and we are thrilled to have contributed to this transaction, fulfilling our role as a company builder."
Headquartered in Evry-Courcouronnes, France, SynHelix develops a technology that is an alternative to DNA amplification on bacteria, which requires large and expensive industrial facilities, as well as complex processing and quality control steps for very low yields. SynHelix plans to transfer this technology to the Quantoom's automated platform, integrating a "new generation DNA bioreactor" that will provide record benefits in productivity and costs, both for R&D and production needs.
SynHelix is part of Genopole®, France's leading biocluster and incubator for excellent biotechnology projects, offering a unique environment for researchers and entrepreneurs who want to innovate and advance research.
In 2020, Synthetic Biology investments have reached a new record of nearly USD 8 billion, as gene, RNA and DNA therapies have grown rapidly over the past decade. The need for rapid, cheap, multiplex modification of genomes, and ongoing research activities are expected to drive future growth. As part of Univercells and a key contributor to Quantoom's innovation, SynHelix's ambition is to contribute to this market growth with its innovative technology.
Univercells will use its new outpost to strengthen partnerships within the French biotech ecosystem. The recently announced commitment of the French government to promote and expedite the biotech sector contributes to the attractivity of the SynHelix acquisition. Moreover, Univercells aspires to expand its European footprint related to existing products and services, besides in its home country Belgium, in France in the near future.
José Castillo, CEO of Quantoom Biosciences, said: "The development of SynHelix's synthetic DNA production platform is highly complementary to Quantoom's flagship RNA platform, as linear DNA is one of the critical inputs of RNA production. This deal will unlock expertise, knowledge and IP on de novo DNA synthesis, where the SynHelix team holds valuable experience. Both companies' founders, employees and investors share the same vision and mission, aiming at making new and complex biopharmaceuticals available to all and strongly believe in technology-driven affordability. In addition, the acquisition enables us to tap into the dynamic French biotech ecosystem."
Irina Gbalou, CEO and co-founder of SynHelix added: "We are really thrilled to join the Univercells Group. SynHelix was founded with the mission of making an impact in synthetic biology, which faces a bottleneck in DNA supply. Alain Huriez, and the entire AdBio partners team, believed in us from the beginning and have never stopped supporting us throughout our journey. Providing access to their network and strategic vision gave us the opportunity to meet Univercells founders, Hugues Bultot and José Castillo. This acquisition is the result of a common vision: to bring flexibility and affordability to biologics development by combining expertise in innovative bioproduction methods. The SynHelix team is looking forward to working alongside Quantoom's strong scientific, development and management teams to advance the next-generation vaccines production platform. Considering the prospects for Univercells growth, we are convinced that our work will have a major leverage effect on the field of gene therapy and synthetic biology.


I hope this finds you well and not entirely nutty. This email is some years in the formulation, but I haven't figured a way to connect with you until now (D'ope!) I'm a fan (yadda yadda) of Ice & Fire, and as it happens, a resident of Santa Fe. I'd love to get together with you to share a beer and talk fooball, but a) we're both insanely busy (with no clear sign of abatement in sight), and b) I'm a Patriots fan, born & bred. That doesn't make me the enemy, I'm actually a fairly decent fellow... heh.
So while I try to avoid news at all costs, I take it where it comes, so yours was the 1st news I'd heard about T-Bow. My first thought, besides "BWahahhhhahHHAhahahaa", was that if he ever grows into his jersey a bit, he has some promise. That is to say, I felt a good vibe, on the Jets' behalf, which is kind of new to me.
While Santa Fe's a pretty small town, I haven't run into you yet, though we came close once, last summer. At the int. of Cerrillos & Zafarano, I yelled across to you, with Paris in yer little red bug, but a massive pick'emup truck pulled betwixt us. Ah, my brushes with fame.
So on the chance you'd like to share a brew, or just tell me to gotahell for supporting a team without parallel, I can be reached @ 470-6462.
All the best, Peace, productivity, proclivity, Ken.
As a lifelong Jets fan, nothing is more disheartening than all the new Jets fans jumping on our bandwagon due to Tebow's cult. I will not stand for all the drama and highlighting this guy all day long by the media and his wacko fans. That's too much to put up with for a sub par QB. Anyone who thinks he is a better football player than Sanchez does not know anything about the game. My beef is not about character. We all know he does SOME good things in his life. Big deal. That should be something we all commonly do. A lot of players in the league do great things outside of their profession, which is great but we rarely hear about them and what they do. It is all about the Tim Tebow show. I turn it off instead of tuning in.
We needed a better line and faster, younger wide outs. Old guys like Plax could not get separation with Sanchez doing a three step drop. If Tebow is used as a slash or flea flicker/runner, fine, but the line remains a weakness. Peyton Manning (with a healthy neck) or Jaime Lannister (with both hands) could not play QB behind a porous line and expect to live.
Sigh. This is a disappointing blog entry from a writer whose work I have enjoyed reading and re-reading. Admittedly, I am a University of Florida alumnus, both undergraduate and graduate degrees, but I try to look at these things objectively.
I agree that Tim Tebow is not the best professional quarterback in the NFL, nor is he likely to ever be an elite quarterback. But guess what . . . there are very few elite quarterbacks out there in the league. That's what makes them elite. But can he be an effective backup? Can he make Mark Sanchez better through competition? Probably.
I cannot believe that any fan would not want to have Tebow on their team for the right price and in the right situation, especially given the fact that he is a leader, a role model for good behavior, and has talent worthy of a roster spot. It seems to me that leadership and good behavior is something that the Jets desperately need, so I wonder why Jets fans would not at least applaud ownership for trying to correct that problem. Further, Tebow himself has accepted the role that he is to perform as a backup and running the "Wildcat" offense.
Is it Tebow's fault that the media creates the hype? Sorry, I don't see how his behavior and actions have done anything to contribute to the feeding frenzy. He has said and done all the right things both before and after becoming a New York Jet. And while I do not condone false piety, and I am not religious, I can respect those persons for whom faith is an integral part of their lives.


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The Wise Articles
Home > Soul > Spiritual Penance
Spiritual Penance
Hasan Sonsuz Çeliktaş, 2 years ago 0
People have often asked me, "Hasan, why don't you make some money with all the knowledge you've accumulated?" but I always chose to ignore them.
I've always felt distanced from those who prioritize money over knowledge, so when I once felt such an inclination, I walked away. I never knew why, though. I also never considered myself to be divine.
One day, I was practicing with a dear friend of mine, the astrologist Sinem Leyla who specializes in karmic astrology. She said to me, "Hasan, you've already attained knowledge in your previous life, much more than you have now, but you kept it to yourself. You tried to take advantage of it, and people were hurt as a consequence. You are paying your penance in this lifetime."
Later on, I visited Ünal Uluer, and he hooked me up to a device called LIFE. I asked about my life trauma from previous lives. It seems I was a philosopher in Egypt in 1897. The device also mentioned something about pain. In addition, when Barış Özkırış drew up my astrological map, he said, "Hasan, if you kept what you know inside, you would collapse. The system doesn't allow you to do this, so you have to share."
When I came across all these revelations in Istanbul, one after another, they matched up with what I felt deep down. I realized why I was behaving in the way I always did.
To cut a long story short, dear friends, I'm not doing anything divine. Everything is about paying the price for what I did in previous lives. In short, I'm paying my penance. I used to carry 25 pounds of photo and lighting equipment on my way to photo shoots, often climbing up subway escalators that were out of order. On being completely exhausted, I used to tell myself, "What a penance this is. I'm in Bakırköy one day, then in Kartal at the other end of the city, and then it's off to Üsküdar with all this equipment…"
In conclusion, my dear brothers and sisters who I've avoided, I felt distant because I saw my own previous life in you. Let's remember some basic knowledge: Everything you see is you! Yes, I am! Please don't make the same mistakes I did, because if you do, you'll make a new contract in the afterlife and return here ruefully.
I did finally figure out the difference between serving oneself and serving others, but alas, the cheapest lesson is the one you learn from someone else.
If you prioritize the whole above all else, the rest will follow…
PS. I hope that all the spiritual brothers and sisters who I've hurt in previous lives will forgive me…
Tags #astrology #karma #past lives #soul #spirituality
Honoring The Money
Dream Phenomena in the Projection of Consciousness
Hasan Sonsuz Çeliktaş
Hasan Sonsuz Çeliktaş originates from Mersin as his hometown. After attending Toros High School, he graduated from Ankara University with a degree in Public Relations. After working five years as a research assistant at the same University, he resigned and founded derKİ. Thereafter, he began writing for derKİ as well. He was a writer of Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Yeni Aktüel, and the Akşam Newspaper. The author of three books, he has two children.
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Hasan Sonsuz Çeliktaş, 2 years ago
Acceptance without Doubt
Meryem Fatma Suna, 2 years ago
The Meditation of Wholesome Unison
What is This Thing Called Spiritual Healing?
Cem Şen, 5 years ago
The King Gods Who Wanted to Reach Peak Power
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Collapse the Illusion, and Experience the Freedom and Peace
The Pyramids of Bosnia
Why Do We Get Ill?
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Meeting With All My Selves From Parallel Universes
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The Golden State's lesson for Clinton and Obama is that they each need to craft a more daring politics of transcendence.
At the time, Shriver's endorsement seemed prophetic, offered as it was at the ultimate "girl power" rally, headlined by Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, aimed at Hillary Clinton's most treasured constituency in the heart of what has long been considered–next to New York and Arkansas–her political backyard. With Ted Kennedy barnstorming across the state, wooing Latino voters in execrable Spanish, and a flurry of polls repeating the now-familiar election-eve pattern of surging Obama momentum, the Clinton "firewall" was beginning to look precarious. In the end, however, conventional wisdom and established strength triumphed at the ballot box. It was about women and Latino voters, after all, and they came out in large numbers on election day to award Hillary Clinton the state by a ten-point margin.
In many ways the California results marked the triumph of tribalism, with each constituency–blacks, Latinos, women, blue-collar workers, Asian-Americans, the young and the old–picking its side. But lost in the horse-race punditry, which thrives on slice-and-dice demographic calculations, are the darker implications of such herdlike behavior for both candidates.
According to the exit polls, women–55 percent of the primary voters–favored Clinton by a staggering 59 to 34 percent over Obama. Hillary's estrogen base is undoubtedly an unqualified asset for her campaign. (No one, for example, worries that having so many women supporters makes her the "female candidate.") But few are paying attention to the flip side of that gender equation. When it comes to gender gaps, the candidate who should be worried by the California results is Clinton, not Obama.
On the face of it, men seemed to split almost evenly between the two candidates, but the numbers (skewed by her across-the-board Latino support) disguise a disconnect with white men, who chose Obama by an astounding twenty-point margin. And California's male pro-Obama tilt reflects a national 50-to-44 percent split in his favor.
Part of the reason is that men tend to lean Republican, unlike women, who make up an increasing share of the Democratic electorate. As Hirshman reveals, women also constitute a significant chunk of swing voters, with 62 percent of them identifying themselves as "purple or moderate." But given Obama's predominance among independents, there is as yet no evidence that Clinton will be able to attract enough female swing voters or Republicans in November to offset a male anti-Hillary bias. Women voters may be able to deliver her the Democratic nomination, but they won't be able to carry her all the way to the White House. For better or worse, if Clinton is the first female presidential nominee, she will have to work harder to build a coalition that bridges the gender divide.
While California points to a potential testosterone gap for Clinton, it offers a cautionary tale about race for Obama. For all the excitement over his strong performance among white voters–helped immensely by his gains among white men–his strategy of "transcendence," which may serve him well within a traditional black-white racial divide, may work to his detriment among other communities.
Take, for example, the Latino vote. After weeks of finger-pointing over white racism, California offered pundits the exotic delight of "ethnic" bigotry–the alleged Latino reluctance to vote for black leaders, a claim belied by the electoral success of African-American politicians, like former LA mayor Tom Bradley.
Obama had no such luck in California, where Latinos constituted an impressive 30 percent of the electorate and chose Clinton over Obama by an overwhelming margin of 67 to 32 percent, echoing the split in the Latino vote across all primaries on February 5. Obama's performance was remarkably poor for a candidate who ran to the left of his opponent on immigration, supporting driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants even at the risk of alienating independents and moderates. For all the talk about his youth appeal and a supposed generational divide among Latinos, he earned a mere 32 percent in the 18-to-29 age group. And no one seems to have paid attention to his equally weak showing among California's Asian-Americans (25 percent to Clinton's 71 percent).
The truly transcendent candidate is not one who merely speaks to white fears of racial difference but who also expresses a multicultural vision of America in all its diversity. In the months to come, Obama's advisers will rightly work on building his support among blue-collar white voters, a continuing weakness of his campaign in particular and the Democratic Party in general. But as long as Latinos and Asian-Americans appear to be an afterthought, simply demographic categories to be dealt with for electoral advantage, Obama will continue to have an unacknowledged "race problem" that has nothing to do with the color of his skin.
The message from the Golden State is the same for Clinton and Obama: they need, in different ways, to craft a more daring politics of transcendence if they want to bridge the divisions that are holding their candidacies back. It's time to rediscover their inner California.
Lakshmi ChaudhryLakshmi Chaudhry, a senior editor at Firstpost.com and a Nation contributing writer, is the author, with Robert Scheer and Christopher Scheer, of The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq, published by Akashic Books and Seven Stories Press.


A wine sales rep is in a special job with some particular leverage advantages.
Service-based businesses trade time for money. A hairstylist cannot make money unless he cuts your hair. A therapist cannot bill the insurance company unless she has a client and an appointment with them. A tree trimmer need to trim a tree to make cash flow.
So when you're a wine sales rep serving your customer (through staff training, in-store tastings, cleaning bottles on a shelf, running a will call, etc.) you are trading the one resource you can't replace (time) for value (money).
But product-based businesses can scale without impacting the time equation. Through no extra infrastructure or effort, Amazon can sell more of a particular widget by simply getting more orders. With no extra time spent, a Girl Scout can sell more cookies by simply setting up on a busy street corner in the city, as opposed to a small town in the country. Restaurants, with the same staff working the same hours, sell more stuff by joining the food delivery gig economy.
So for a wine sales rep, if you're at an account and at the end of the sales presentation and order taking the buyer suddenly says, "Ah, heck, double the whole order!" you not only say thank you, but you made twice as much in commission with no extra time spent. That's the product-based side of our business. Time is not a factor, but growth still occurs.
So the curious position a wine sales rep finds herself in is this: there is a service component, and a product component. Growth in the service component costs you a valuable resource (time). Growth in the product component doesn't.
So why do so many wine sales reps sabotage their potential product growth under the guise of customer service?
Of course, clients have to be served. Buy how, why, and by whom are important questions. And analyis of that precious time spent should always be done.
How to scale up: Grow the products by maximizing your sales techniques, account analysis, and targeting strategically. Then grow the products more by learning to sell better. Then when it comes to service (trading time for money) be radical in your detail, your justifications, and your ability to say no.
It's the only healthy way to grow.


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Oil boom cheers Texas town, but some worry about education
Andy Uhler Apr 25, 2018
https://www.marketplace.org/2018/04/25/oil-boom-cheers-texas-town-some-worry-about-education/
A state-of-the-art Midland Public Library was built using sales tax money. Filipa Rodrigues/Marketplace
Found Furnishings is a second-hand furniture store in what locals call "old Midland."
Kristen Covington, the owner, grew up in the area and went to public schools in the Midland Independent School District. She and her husband have kids age 2 and 5, and education weighs on her mind a lot.
"Private school is not something that I can afford," she said, seated among midcentury modern coffee tables and bookcases. "My son's going to be starting kindergarten in the fall. We're sending him to a charter school. I've heard that a lot of good MISD teachers have moved to that school."
The MISD teachers who have stuck around, that is.
"The teachers are moving away because the cost of living is going up, but their pay's not going up," Covington said.
She explained that good teachers get poached by private schools or other higher-paying school districts. MISD schools, she said, have lots of permanent substitute teachers.
Kristen Covington, pictured at her vintage store, Found Furnishings, says she worries about sending her kids to public school in Midland.
Filipa Rodrigues/Marketplace
"I had a friend who was substitute teaching pretty much full time," Covington recalled. "It doesn't seem practical to have substitutes all the time, but I guess they're doing what they can."
"Doing what they can" isn't what Midland parents want to hear. Many want government-funded school vouchers that help pay for tuition and fees at schools outside the free public school system. Even without the vouchers, people making good money in the oil fields tend to send their kids to private schools.
Midland County's chief financial officer, Mike Bradford, said he doesn't blame people for going private, he just wishes he could do more to make the public schools work.
"We need more cohesiveness, in my view, and help with opportunities," Bradford said.
But the school district is independent of the county, and Bradford said there's little coordination between the city, the county and the school district.
"Could we assist the school district some way because we're blessed with great sales tax? Yeah. Why don't we do that?" Bradford asked.
Mike Bradford, Midland County Judge and the county's chief financial officer, says he wishes he could do more to make the public schools work.
Bradford did take some of that sales tax money, five years ago, to build a state-of-the-art public library in North Midland. It's bright and well designed, with a touch-screen catalog and an audio-visual room where kids can make their own movies and record podcasts.
Bradford said he didn't have to get much approval from constituents or other officials to spend the $8 million needed for the library. He said he wishes fixing the public schools was just as easy. Then, he said, more of the people who live in this hard-working oil town would put their kids into those schools and maybe stick around a bit longer.
Midland, Texas, is booming as oil prices rise
American ESL teachers are in limbo after shift in China's tutoring policy
Private philanthropy in Midland tries to make up for government shortfalls
Oil prices are on the rise, but some in oil country are feeling left out
Teachers still haven't recovered financially from the recession
Some teachers say they're too burned out to teach summer school
Permian basin


Stone or block walls are distinctive features found in nearly every well designed landscape. Installing fixtures in these walls is a wonderful way to illuminate their beauty. One of the biggest challenges facing installers is the fact that once a light is mortared under the capstone, is is nearly impossible to remove . The same is true for the wires that run through walls. Thus, many fixtures must be installed during the landscape construction phase, which is labor intensive, and replacing bulbs in those fixtures can be hard as well. BQL (Best Quality Lighting) has 2 solutions to the problem of labor intensive, expensive, and long installation for wall, deck and step fixtures. The first is a new line of products called Thinline, which eliminate the junction box, allowing them to be mounted on the surface. Mounting brackets allow some fixtures to be replaced between hardscapes, such as bricks.


We at the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® North Carolina Scholarship Program understand that it is not always easy for recipients to reach out to us during office hours. Name/address updates and requests for additional forms can be submitted here at any time. All submissions will be received by T.E.A.C.H. admin staff and requests passed to counselors 4 times daily.
Name and ID numbers must match what is in our database.


Quinoa is one of my favorites for a quick, fuss-free healthy lunch, because it practically cooks itself, is super wholesome, and best of all it's hard to screw up! This quinoa recipe is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients like broccoli. I just love the colours in this dish!
Also known as the Gold of the Aztecs, quinoa is not only a great source of protein, but also packed with magnesium, calcium, and iron. Because it also contains lots of zinc, vitamin B2, and vitamin E, it's awesome for maintaining healthy skin and gums.
Quinoa has been eaten for thousands of years in South America. It is a seed, not a grain, and is gluten-free. Related to spinach rather than wheat, quinoa can be part of the diet for those with celiac or gluten sensitivity. Be sure to read the label to ensure it is processed in a gluten-free facility. Quinoa comes in red, white, and black varieties.
Broccoli is one of my favorite superfoods: rich in antioxidants and minerals, I rarely go more than one day without a helping of this super-veggie. Carrots provide very high levels of vitamins A, C, and K (important for blood clotting and preventing osteoporosis).
The cherry tomatoes add some zest to my salad and contain plenty of lycopene, which according to studies by Harvard University has been proven to be beneficial in preventing and shrinking cancerous tumours (Tip : choose ripe tomatoes with a deep red colour. Processed tomatoes, as in tomato paste, contains even more lycopene).
The seed mix provides plenty of essential fatty acids. Flax seeds, in particular, are packed with omega-3 fatty acids (but you have to grind them so your body can absorb the omega-3).
Wash the quinoa thoroughly. Add two cups of water. Bring to boil in a saucepan. Put on a very low flame and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes until fluffy.
While the quinoa is cooking, wash the vegetables thoroughly. Finely chop up the broccoli, cut the cherry tomatoes into halves, and grate the carrots. Put in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and seed mix.
When the quinoa is cooked, let it cool for a few minutes (or rinse briefly in cold water). Add it to the vegetables and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Toss the salad and serve portions onto two plates.


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Trinity St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Primary school nursery class or nursery school
Trinity St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided primary school and provides education for around 250 children. The school is located in the Balham area. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 2-11 years old. All…
Add to Shortlist 020 8673 4166 020 8673 4166/ 020 8675 8887 (Fax) 020 8675 8887 (Fax) sao@tsm.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for Trinity St Mary's Church of England Primary School Balham Park Road, Balham, LONDON, SW12 8DR
West Hill Primary School
West Hill Primary School is a community primary school and provides education for around 220 children. The school is located in central Wandsworth. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 3-11 years old. All Wandsworth schools: offer a curriculum…
Add to Shortlist 020 8874 5900 020 8874 5900/ 020 8874 5991 (Fax) 020 8874 5991 (Fax) info@westhill.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for West Hill Primary School 5, Merton Road, Wandsworth, LONDON, SW18 5ST
Tooting Primary School
Tooting Primary School is a Free School and opened in September 2012. Tooting Primary School is part of the Graveney Trust, and benefits from Graveney's eduational expertise and its' academic and sporting facilities. For more information about Tooting Primary School or to arrange a visit,…
Add to Shortlist 020 3700 0790 020 3700 0790 admin@tootingprimary.org Website for Tooting Primary School Franciscan Road, Tooting, LONDON, SW17 8HE
Swaffield Primary School
Swaffield Primary School is acommunity primary school and provides education for around 500 children. The school is located in the St Anne's Hill area of Wandsworth. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 3-11 years old. All Wandsworth schools: …
Add to Shortlist 020 8874 2825 020 8874 2825/ 020 8871 1853 020 8871 1853 swaffield@swaffield.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for Swaffield Primary School St Ann's Hill, Wandsworth, LONDON, SW18 2SA
St Michael's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided primary school and provides education for around 400 children. The school is located in the Southfields area. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 5-11 years old. All Wandsworth…
Add to Shortlist 020 8874 7786 020 8874 7786 admin@stmichaels.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for St Michael's Church of England Primary School Granville Road, Southfields, London, SW18 5SQ
St Mary's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
St Mary's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School provides education for around 175 children. The school is located in the Queenstown Road area of Battersea. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 3-11 years old. All Wandsworth schools: offer a curriculum…
Add to Shortlist 020 7622 5460 020 7622 5460 admin@st-marys-pri.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for St Mary's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School Lockington Road, Battersea, London, SW8 4BE
St Mary's Church of England Primary School
St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided, one-form entry primary school. The school is located in the Putney area. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 3-11 years old.
Add to Shortlist 020 8788 9591 020 8788 9591 admin@st-marys-putney.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for St Mary's Church of England Primary School Felsham Road, Putney, LONDON, SW15 1BA
St George's Church of England Primary School
St George's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided primary school and provides education for around 225 children. The school is located in the Battersea area. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 3-11 years old. All Wandsworth…
Add to Shortlist 020 7622 1870 020 7622 1870/ 020 8498 9683 020 8498 9683 admin@st-georges.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for St George's Church of England Primary School Corunna Road, Battersea, LONDON, SW8 4JS
St Faith's Church of England Primary School
St Faith's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided primary school and provides education for around 200 children. The school is located in the Wandsworth Town area. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 3-11 years old. All…
Add to Shortlist 020 8874 2653 020 8874 2653/ 020 8871 9559 020 8871 9559 admin@stfaiths.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for St Faith's Church of England Primary School Alma Road, Wandsworth, LONDON, SW18 1AE
St Anselm's Catholic Primary School
St Anselm's Roman Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided primary school and provides education for around 200 children. The school is located in the Tooting Bec area. This school caters for boys and girls aged between 5-11 years old. All Wandsworth schools:…
Add to Shortlist 020 8672 9227 020 8672 9227 admin@stanselms.wandsworth.sch.uk Website for St Anselm's Catholic Primary School Tooting Bec Road, Tooting, London, SW17 8BS


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Jack J. Kelly January 28, 20212021-01-28T15:47:25-05:002021-01-28T16:39:00-05:00 Hedge Funds, Melvin Capital, Reddit, Robinhood, SEC, WallStreetbets 4 Comments
By Jack Kelly
The media loves to label people. Instead of calling someone an "investor," they're a Reddit or Robinhood "day trader." The insinuation is it's some kid smoking weed on the coach, willy-nilly. buying stocks without any rationale.
The Wallstreetbets subreddit on Reddit boasts over three million members. It's hard to believe that each and everyone one of them falls into this stereotype. A large number of them, as well as other young investor-traders, do their homework. Many have bought out-of-the-money call options, which is a relatively sophisticated approach.
Recently, an army of young Gen-Z and Millennials went to war with some high-end hedge funds. The story plays out like the Bad News Bears. A bunch of quirky, scrappy kids, after messing around, trying to learn how to really play baseball, finally got their acts together and made it to the championship game against the top team—the Yankees.
In this tale, the young traders were going up against the best hedge funds and were winning. The young guys brilliantly found a chink in the armor of the hedge fund bros' suits. The big-money rich guys sold stocks short, betting companies like GameStop would go out of business. The Reddit and Robinhood traders bought the stock and options, which forced the hedge funds to cover their positions that led to an ever-increasing share price.
Things started to look awesome. There were celebrations and congratulations made to one another savoring their victory. The money was important, but many of them saw this as a "good versus evil" or "the little guy" up against the entrenched wealthy elite. The Bad News Bears looked like David slayed Goliath. If some of the returns that were posted on the subreddit were true, many made some nice returns and a few saw paper profits in the hundred of thousands of dollars and a few in the millions.
One of target hedge funds, Melvin Capital, needed to be bailed out by two larger hedge funds to stem their losses. It had seemed as if the Bad News Bears handily won the battle. Well, the story doesn't end here.
On Thursday, Robinhood—the favored platform for these traders— added new limits to its app to restrict users from buying the stocks that were liked by the young, hungry traders. They included GameStop ($GME), AMC ($AMC), BlackBerry ($BB), Bed Bath & Beyond ($BBBY), Nokia ($NOK) and others.
The company claims that "in light of recent volatility, we are restricting transactions for certain securities to position closing only, including $AMC, $BB, $BBBY, $EXPR, $GME, $KOSS, $NAKD and $NOK. We also raised margin requirements for certain securities."
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commision—the premier Wall Street regulator—got into the action, seemingly on the side of the rich money managers. "We are aware of and actively monitoring the on-going market volatility in the options and equities markets and, consistent with our mission to protect investors and maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets," the SEC wrote in a tweet.
"We are aware of and actively monitoring the on-going market volatility in the options and equities markets and, consistent with our mission to protect investors and maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets," (1/2)
— SEC (@SECGov) January 27, 2021
These moves highlighted the clout held by the rich hedge fund honchos. The decision seemed like it was made to break the backs of the traders and help out the rich hedge fund guys. Members of the WallStreetBets subreddit levied accusations calling the decision "market manipulation." After Robinhood and other online brokerages took similar actions, the traders' favorite stocks collapsed in value. The Bears lost the championship to the Yankees. The powerful, well-connected elites beat the young upstarts.
Only in this crazy pandemic could a ragtag group of traders bring both Democrats and Republicans together on an issue. It's not just the traders who are fuming. "The anger is bipartisan. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and even Donald Trump Jr., eldest son of the former president, have all called out the situation as unfair for individual investors," reported Yahoo Finance.
The well-known, high-profile politicians mutually agree that it smacked of unfairness that the rich hedge fund bros could continue buying and selling wherever they pleased, the average retail investor couldn't buy the stocks they wanted. "This is unacceptable," AOC tweeted on the news. "Fully agree," Ted Cruz responded. In a statement on Thursday, Democrat Rep. Ro Khannna of California also supported the small investors' rights to buy.
"This entire episode has demonstrated the power of technology to democratize access to American financial institutions, ultimately giving far more people a say in our economic structures," he wrote. "This also showed how the cards are stacked against the little guy in favor of billionaire Wall Street Traders."
"While retail trading in some cases, like on Robinhood, blocked the purchasing of GameStop, hedge funds were still allowed to trade the stock," Khanna added.
Fully agree. 👇 https://t.co/rW38zfLYGh
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 28, 2021
"Individual investors are being stripped of their ability to trade on @RobinhoodApp. Meanwhile hedge funds and institutional investors can continue to trade as normal. What do you call a market that removes retail investors' ability to buy to save institutional investors' shorts?"
Individual investors are being stripped of their ability to trade on @RobinhoodApp
Meanwhile hedge funds and institutional investors can continue to trade as normal.
What do you call a market that removes retail investors ability to buy to save institutional investors shorts? https://t.co/G0hQFJDaG4
— wsbmod (@wsbmod) January 28, 2021
When @AOC and @DonaldJTrumpJr are on the same side you know you fucked up @RobinhoodApp pic.twitter.com/y15FBqrUu9
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 28, 2021
PRISON TIME. Dems and Republicans haven't agreed on 1 issue till this. That's how blatant, illegal, unfathomable today's events are. It also shows how untouchable @RobinhoodApp @StevenACohen2C Citadel Point72 all think they are. Fines aren't enough. Prison or bust https://t.co/cEldMThZSD
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) called Robinhood's trading restrictions 'unacceptable.' Sen. Cruz (R-Texas) responded: 'Fully Agree.'https://t.co/4saANmRv21
— TheStreet (@TheStreet) January 28, 2021
Jack J. Kelly
The Reddit Day Traders vs Hedge Fund Battle Has Broken Online Brokers
Biden's Lead Picks For The Securities And Exchange Commission And The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Show He's Making Compliance And Regulations Great Again
The Securities And Exchange Commission May Look Into Possible Market Manipulation Made By Reddit Day Traders Instead Of The Short-Selling Hedge Funds
Alden Rosenkrans
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Taunya Pulis
This website was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something which helped me. Thanks a lot!
Hans Yetter
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be exciting to read through content from other writers and practice a little something from other web sites.
Jack Kelly
Thank you, Alden! Good luck with your site!


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Running Towards Success
Devon Miller
Brooke Daniels, an 8th grader, throwing discus.
The 2021 Fair Grove Middle School Track team has had a season full of hard work, and team building, which is showing in their performance.
A typical practice for the Middle School Track team begins with all members warming up by doing a lap around the track, they then move into running workouts, and finally finish their warm-up by stretching. After warm-ups are finished, the team members will all break off to participate in their chosen field events.
Track Coach Kayla Holt stated, "There are several athletes that have shown a lot of coachability by asking questions about how to be better, coming to practice early, and wanting to be placed in events that others don't have interest in, just so the team can get more points." Holt told that these team members are truly the ones that make the greatest difference in both team atmosphere, and success.
Marc Green, the middle school principal, stated, "We have a strong group of 8th grade athletes and both Coach Holt and I have been impressed with the work ethic and determination they have shown day in and day out."
An excellent example of this determination comes from Zoe Cribbs and Emma Padgett, who have both suffered injuries this season. Despite this, they have maintained loyalty to the team, and continue to show up to practices, not only to help the coaches, but to continue to encourage their fellow team members.
While earning points and succeeding as a team during the season is the goal of the team members and coaches, there is something much more important coming from the long hours spent on the track. "I hope the athletes will leave the season knowing what hard work is and pushing themselves to be better," stated Holt.
Starting the week before spring break and ending April 29th, track season doesn't last long, but the values and skills instilled in the athletes during the season, will follow them forever.


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Model-based Optical Flow: Layers, Learning, and Geometry
Wulff, J.
Tuebingen University, April 2018 (phdthesis)
The estimation of motion in video sequences establishes temporal correspondences between pixels and surfaces and allows reasoning about a scene using multiple frames. Despite being a focus of research for over three decades, computing motion, or optical flow, remains challenging due to a number of difficulties, including the treatment of motion discontinuities and occluded regions, and the integration of information from more than two frames. One reason for these issues is that most optical flow algorithms only reason about the motion of pixels on the image plane, while not taking the image formation pipeline or the 3D structure of the world into account. One approach to address this uses layered models, which represent the occlusion structure of a scene and provide an approximation to the geometry. The goal of this dissertation is to show ways to inject additional knowledge about the scene into layered methods, making them more robust, faster, and more accurate. First, this thesis demonstrates the modeling power of layers using the example of motion blur in videos, which is caused by fast motion relative to the exposure time of the camera. Layers segment the scene into regions that move coherently while preserving their occlusion relationships. The motion of each layer therefore directly determines its motion blur. At the same time, the layered model captures complex blur overlap effects at motion discontinuities. Using layers, we can thus formulate a generative model for blurred video sequences, and use this model to simultaneously deblur a video and compute accurate optical flow for highly dynamic scenes containing motion blur. Next, we consider the representation of the motion within layers. Since, in a layered model, important motion discontinuities are captured by the segmentation into layers, the flow within each layer varies smoothly and can be approximated using a low dimensional subspace. We show how this subspace can be learned from training data using principal component analysis (PCA), and that flow estimation using this subspace is computationally efficient. The combination of the layered model and the low-dimensional subspace gives the best of both worlds, sharp motion discontinuities from the layers and computational efficiency from the subspace. Lastly, we show how layered methods can be dramatically improved using simple semantics. Instead of treating all layers equally, a semantic segmentation divides the scene into its static parts and moving objects. Static parts of the scene constitute a large majority of what is shown in typical video sequences; yet, in such regions optical flow is fully constrained by the depth structure of the scene and the camera motion. After segmenting out moving objects, we consider only static regions, and explicitly reason about the structure of the scene and the camera motion, yielding much better optical flow estimates. Furthermore, computing the structure of the scene allows to better combine information from multiple frames, resulting in high accuracies even in occluded regions. For moving regions, we compute the flow using a generic optical flow method, and combine it with the flow computed for the static regions to obtain a full optical flow field. By combining layered models of the scene with reasoning about the dynamic behavior of the real, three-dimensional world, the methods presented herein push the envelope of optical flow computation in terms of robustness, speed, and accuracy, giving state-of-the-art results on benchmarks and pointing to important future research directions for the estimation of motion in natural scenes.
Official link DOI Project Page [BibTex]
ps Wulff, J. Model-based Optical Flow: Layers, Learning, and Geometry Tuebingen University, April 2018 (phdthesis)
Shape Models of the Human Body for Distributed Inference
Zuffi, S.
Brown University, May 2015 (phdthesis)
In this thesis we address the problem of building shape models of the human body, in 2D and 3D, which are realistic and efficient to use. We focus our efforts on the human body, which is highly articulated and has interesting shape variations, but the approaches we present here can be applied to generic deformable and articulated objects. To address efficiency, we constrain our models to be part-based and have a tree-structured representation with pairwise relationships between connected parts. This allows the application of methods for distributed inference based on message passing. To address realism, we exploit recent advances in computer graphics that represent the human body with statistical shape models learned from 3D scans. We introduce two articulated body models, a 2D model, named Deformable Structures (DS), which is a contour-based model parameterized for 2D pose and projected shape, and a 3D model, named Stitchable Puppet (SP), which is a mesh-based model parameterized for 3D pose, pose-dependent deformations and intrinsic body shape. We have successfully applied the models to interesting and challenging problems in computer vision and computer graphics, namely pose estimation from static images, pose estimation from video sequences, pose and shape estimation from 3D scan data. This advances the state of the art in human pose and shape estimation and suggests that carefully dened realistic models can be important for computer vision. More work at the intersection of vision and graphics is thus encouraged.
ps Zuffi, S. Shape Models of the Human Body for Distributed Inference Brown University, May 2015 (phdthesis)
From Scans to Models: Registration of 3D Human Shapes Exploiting Texture Information
Bogo, F.
University of Padova, March 2015 (phdthesis)
New scanning technologies are increasing the importance of 3D mesh data, and of algorithms that can reliably register meshes obtained from multiple scans. Surface registration is important e.g. for building full 3D models from partial scans, identifying and tracking objects in a 3D scene, creating statistical shape models. Human body registration is particularly important for many applications, ranging from biomedicine and robotics to the production of movies and video games; but obtaining accurate and reliable registrations is challenging, given the articulated, non-rigidly deformable structure of the human body. In this thesis, we tackle the problem of 3D human body registration. We start by analyzing the current state of the art, and find that: a) most registration techniques rely only on geometric information, which is ambiguous on flat surface areas; b) there is a lack of adequate datasets and benchmarks in the field. We address both issues. Our contribution is threefold. First, we present a model-based registration technique for human meshes that combines geometry and surface texture information to provide highly accurate mesh-to-mesh correspondences. Our approach estimates scene lighting and surface albedo, and uses the albedo to construct a high-resolution textured 3D body model that is brought into registration with multi-camera image data using a robust matching term. Second, by leveraging our technique, we present FAUST (Fine Alignment Using Scan Texture), a novel dataset collecting 300 high-resolution scans of 10 people in a wide range of poses. FAUST is the first dataset providing both real scans and automatically computed, reliable "ground-truth" correspondences between them. Third, we explore possible uses of our approach in dermatology. By combining our registration technique with a melanocytic lesion segmentation algorithm, we propose a system that automatically detects new or evolving lesions over almost the entire body surface, thus helping dermatologists identify potential melanomas. We conclude this thesis investigating the benefits of using texture information to establish frame-to-frame correspondences in dynamic monocular sequences captured with consumer depth cameras. We outline a novel approach to reconstruct realistic body shape and appearance models from dynamic human performances, and show preliminary results on challenging sequences captured with a Kinect.
ps Bogo, F. From Scans to Models: Registration of 3D Human Shapes Exploiting Texture Information University of Padova, March 2015 (phdthesis)
Long Range Motion Estimation and Applications
Sevilla-Lara, L.
Long Range Motion Estimation and Applications, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Febuary 2015 (phdthesis)
Finding correspondences between images underlies many computer vision problems, such as optical flow, tracking, stereovision and alignment. Finding these correspondences involves formulating a matching function and optimizing it. This optimization process is often gradient descent, which avoids exhaustive search, but relies on the assumption of being in the basin of attraction of the right local minimum. This is often the case when the displacement is small, and current methods obtain very accurate results for small motions. However, when the motion is large and the matching function is bumpy this assumption is less likely to be true. One traditional way of avoiding this abruptness is to smooth the matching function spatially by blurring the images. As the displacement becomes larger, the amount of blur required to smooth the matching function becomes also larger. This averaging of pixels leads to a loss of detail in the image. Therefore, there is a trade-off between the size of the objects that can be tracked and the displacement that can be captured. In this thesis we address the basic problem of increasing the size of the basin of attraction in a matching function. We use an image descriptor called distribution fields (DFs). By blurring the images in DF space instead of in pixel space, we in- crease the size of the basin attraction with respect to traditional methods. We show competitive results using DFs both in object tracking and optical flow. Finally we demonstrate an application of capturing large motions for temporal video stitching.
ps Sevilla-Lara, L. Long Range Motion Estimation and Applications Long Range Motion Estimation and Applications, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Febuary 2015 (phdthesis)
Modeling the Human Body in 3D: Data Registration and Human Shape Representation
Tsoli, A.
Brown University, Department of Computer Science, May 2014 (phdthesis)
ps Tsoli, A. Modeling the Human Body in 3D: Data Registration and Human Shape Representation Brown University, Department of Computer Science, May 2014 (phdthesis)


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Leasing Farmland Can Be A Great Way To Get Started
Many farmers want their own land, but as Brian Cole of of Bigfoot Farm points out, leasing farmland can get young growers farming faster.
by Robin HackettMarch 31, 2020
PHOTO: Julia Matejcek
If you dropped by Bigfoot Farm in western Massachusetts, you wouldn't get the sense that the farm is at all temporary or even that it's relatively new. Rather, Bigfoot Farm feels like a familiar and substantial part of the landscape.
Brian Cole started Bigfoot in 2018 on a single acre in the foothills of the Taconic Mountains in Williamstown, Massachusetts, a small town in the northwest corner of the state that borders Vermont and New York.
For a combination of practical and philosophical reasons, Cole created the farm to be a market garden in the style of farmers/authors Eliot Coleman (The New Organic Grower) of Four Season Farm and JM Fortier (The Market Gardener) of Le Ferme to Quatre-Temps.
Cole grows all of his crops in permanent, raised beds that are 30 inches wide by 50 feet long and separated from one another by 15-inch pathways mulched with straw or wood chips.
The only machinery on the farm is a BCS, an Italian-made two-wheel tractor that can run a variety of implements ranging from a rear-tine tiller to a flail mower.
The vast majority of the work on the farm is done by hand by Cole himself. In addition to keeping machinery and labor costs low, this method of growing vegetables allows Cole to prioritize the health of his soil by avoiding unnecessary tillage and compaction.
It also allows him to grow his crops at ever-increasing densities, which results in impressive yields.
Don't have a tractor? Here's how you can make that work for you.
After leaving California to attend college in Williamstown, Cole began to dream of farming in Massachusetts. He spent a handful of years after graduation working on farms across the Northeast before he felt ready set out on his own.
The only problem was land. Cole's dream—like that of many young farmers—had always been to farm on his own property. But land values in the area were high. Purchasing his own acreage simply wasn't an option in the short term.
Cole's situation is by no means unique. A 2017 survey conducted by the National Young Farmers Coalition found that land access is the No. 1 issue that young farmers encounter today. Looking at the numbers, it becomes apparent why.
According to the American Farmland Trust, 40 percent of the nation's agricultural land is owned by people over the age of 65. This trend also has the power to become self-perpetuating.
As young farmers have an increasingly difficult time accessing land on which to start their own farms, more of them decide to pursue other careers. This leaves an ever-growing percentage of farmland in the hands of older farmers.
In response, the public and nonprofit sectors have set out to promote land access. Minnesota and Rhode Island, for instance, have developed innovative programs to enhance access to historically agricultural land. And the National Young Farmers Coalition recently published a guide for farmers interested in working with land trusts to find farmland.
Despite these best efforts, many young farmers won't be able to find farmland of their own on which to farm.
Learn if a walk-behind tractor could be right for your farm.
Option to Lease
So, an increasing number of young farmers are leasing farmland to begin their farms.
For Cole, finding land was no easy process. Initially, he was interested in cobbling together the rights to farm on multiple people's front yards. (This is a method popularized by urban farmers such as Curtis Stone.)
Many property owners were intrigued by the idea. But when he disclosed the details of the kind of access he would need, they tended to lose interest quickly.
"A lot of people don't know what farming really looks like" Cole says, reflecting back on that time.
Some landowners were put off by his need to be on the property on a daily basis throughout the growing season. Others disliked the fact that he wanted to erect a small high tunnel for limited season-extension growing.
Eventually, mutual friends introduced Cole to a landowner with a large property that he was using to raise alpacas and harvest maple syrup. The landowner also occasionally rented the space for events and weddings. He was intrigued by the idea of being able to source produce for those events from the property itself.
So, he and Cole made a handshake agreement that Cole could use 1 acre of his land for a year. In return, Cole helped the landowner bail hay and process maple syrup.
Now, two seasons after that initial agreement, Bigfoot Farm is still operating on the same land. Cole has the high-tunnel that he always imagined.
He might not have his own land. But by leasing farmland, Cole has a farm business that continues to grow every year.
Julia Matejcek
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Although leasing farmland may not be the ideal that many young farmers dream about, it can be a necessary reality for those committed to setting out on their own. If you're a farmer looking into leasing farmland, the first step is to develop a sense of the kind of property you'll need.
To begin with, searching for land to lease can look a lot like shopping for property to purchase. Start by thinking about your future farm business. Seek a property that will allow you to meet that business' needs.
Begin by outlining the basic attributes of your ideal parcel. How much open acreage will your farm require, for instance?
Additionally, take into consideration the various attributes of a property that will make farming on the land more or less difficult. This includes:
Beyond the physical qualities of the property, it's also important to think about its location relative to the markets you hope to sell in. It can be tempting to look for property that's cheaper to rent and far outside of the nearest town.
But think carefully about the expenses associated with all those delivery miles.
Additionally, think about the utilities that your farm will need. What kind of water access will you require? What sort of electrical needs will you have?
Similarly, have a sense of the infrastructure that you'd like the property to have or that you anticipate needing to build. It's important to answer all of these questions before you begin your search for land.
If you're considering buying a tiller, keep these things in mind.
Once you have a good idea of what your ideal property looks like, it's time to begin your search. There are a number of national and regional nonprofits that can help match farmers and willing landowners. But word of mouth can also be a powerful tool.
Once you've found some potential landowners, Cole recommends being upfront with them about your vision for your future there.
"Don't try to minimize the impact of your operation up front," he says. Although it may be tempting to make your expectations sound minimal so as to gain access to the land, this can backfire down the road when you want to expand your operation in a way that the landowner feels caught off-guard by.
It's especially important to be upfront about any infrastructure you anticipate wanting to put up on the property, including fencing, hoop houses or storage buildings. It's also critical to find a landowner who is willing to make a commitment to having a farmer on their land.
In Cole's experience, many landowners wanted the ability to walk away from the arrangement if they decided that they no longer wanted a farmer on their property. Although this might be entirely understandable, this type of uncertainty is far from ideal for the lease.
Invest time in constructing a lease that works in your favor. And don't be afraid to get a lawyer involved.
In Cole's case, he and the landowner signed a five-year lease after his first year on the property that stipulates that the landowner can only break the lease if Cole violates other terms in the contract.
Learn more about the costs associated with starting a small, organic farm.
Although some farmers are leasing farmland with preexisting infrastructure, many farmers are confronted with an absence of infrastructure on their leased land. Cole's 1-acre plot, for instance, came with access to a well, but no electricity or existing fencing.
Because deer are prolific in the area and erecting a permanent deer fence was out of the question, Cole put up a temporary electric fence that has been highly effective.
When it comes to electricity, Cole has learned to live without it. Although it would be helpful to be able to ventilate his high tunnel with fans throughout the summer, Cole has simply gotten by with passive ventilation.
Many growers harvesting the quantity of salad mix that he is would probably turn to an electric greens spinner. But Cole is content with the hand-crank system he's currently using.
A lack of electricity also means that Cole has no refrigeration on his farm. So he's had to find some workarounds there as well.
For wholesale orders, Cole typically bypasses refrigeration all together and delivers to his customers immediately after he finishes picking. When it comes to larger harvests for the weekly farmers market, Cole spent his first season packing all of his produce into kitchen fridges at his house.
After that first year, Cole picked up an old commercial walk-in fridge that he re-assembled in his backyard. Now, he can pack produce into coolers—Cole has enough of them to make any car-camper envious—for the 10-minute drive from the farm to his house.
Trouble Getting Started
Similarly, without electricity to run a heater or germination mats, Cole couldn't propagate his seedlings on the farm. It took him a while to come up with a solution.
Eventually he found a local greenhouse and nursery that was willing to rent him space in a heated tunnel. Cole developed a system that involved germinating his seedlings at home. He then transported them over to the greenhouse on the other end of town.
For farmers without their own propagation space, there are other ways to start seedlings early in the season. One option is to find a nearby farmer with propagation space to spare.
Many farmers only use a portion of their greenhouse to start their own seedlings. Some might be willing to heat more space if you pay for the additional costs.
Another option is to order in your early-season starts from a seed company that specializes in that sort of thing.
As Cole's experience shows, leasing farmland to start a farm business is certainly possible. But it's not without its challenges.
Leasing farmland may not be an ideal circumstance for young farmers. But it will be a reality for many of those who are committed to setting out on their own. For those farmers who do find themselves establishing a business on someone else's land, it's important to enter into the process with a recognition of the unique set of obstacles you'll be facing.
Overcoming these obstacles, will, however undoubtedly make you a better farmer in the long run.
Sidebar: Movable Infrastructure
When leasing farmland, it's important to keep in mind that everything you build might be temporary. Here are some ideas to keep your infrastructure easy to move.
Make it modular. Designing or purchasing modular infrastructure that can be easily disassembled will make your life much easier if you ever have to move your farm. Consider, for instance, setting up caterpillar tunnels — which can be put up or taken down in a few hours —
for your season extension needs instead of building a large high tunnel with cement-cast posts.
Make your structures multipurpose. The fewer structures you have to put up the better, so make the ones that you do have count. A large metal carport, for instance, can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from tool or tractor storage to a vegetable wash area.
Clean as you go. Although large piles of scrap metal and old fence posts may seem like a necessary feature of any real farm, you're better off not accruing any unnecessary junk. Purge the farm of any unused items on a regular basis so that you have that much less to do when moving day comes.
Put it on wheels. Literally making your infrastructure mobile is another way to easily move it from your farm. You can build your vegetable wash area or poultry processing station on the back on a trailer bed, making it easy to pull to wherever you're off to next.
This article originally ran in the May/June 2020 issue of Hobby Farms magazine.
Robin Hackett is a young farmer from Massachusetts with an interest in no-till market gardening and a background in environmental policy. Find him at Beetlebung Farm on Martha's Vineyard, or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/robinhackett
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When I think of buffets, Las Vegas always comes to mind first. My early trips to the city were from Colorado and we would arrive after midnight in a van. Typically, we would checkin to the hotel and then hit one of the countless buffets available at all hours.
One common sight, regardless of the time, was a 3 to 5 minute line to access the buffet. The dining areas were not always packed but there were always lines to start. We never encountered a Las Vegas buffet with really long lines since we went at off-peak times. The service areas were always well stocked. Our food value was exceptional (sometimes incredible).
In contrast, I have been to countless poorly attended buffets in the real world. These buffet events have a common profile: a short line (or nonexistent), empty pans, cold food (when it should be hot) and a poorly managed dining room. It's difficult for me to pay for this type of food service. I always ask if it's possible to order a la carte. Unless there is nothing else for miles, I won't stay if the a la carte option is refused.
As I sit eating my burger or club sandwich, I will count the patrons. Then I take an inventory of the serving line and I estimate the entire cost. In many cases, I will have the time to place my order, receive my meal, finish and settle the check with very little replenishment activity on the buffet stations. If there has been replenishment, I add a guess to my overall estimate.
I would expect the operators will transfer untouched cold food into the walkin at the end of the buffet. Perhaps, they will store some pans from the hot line for the next day. I try to envision how much extra food will be prepared the next day given my observation. My goal is a two day total cost estimate.
For sales, I include the observed count plus an estimate of patrons served during my absence. I double this sum and multiply by the price per patron. The estimated cost is always over 50% of the estimated revenue.
After sitting in on many staff meetings at client offices, I pay strict attention to any discussion of buffets. There is a high correlation between bad food cost percentages and slow buffets.
If you don't expect a decent turnout on specific days, I'd suggest a la carte service only.


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