No, I am not, so it's kind of odd that I would concentrate on romance. But I like genres. I'm also a huge horror fan, which actually shares a lot with romance: both horror and romance have a ton of bad—and I mean awful—stories, but when you find the one that is done well, you are full of awe. The thing with romance is that it leaves readers feeling good, even if it's not a "Happily Ever After" ending.
Which keeps them coming back for more!
Yep! That's the drug, that brings readers back. They want that great feeling, which not every author can deliver. To write a good romance, you have to know the craft; to write an amazing romance, you have to be an artist.
So Seventh Window offers romance, but in an unusual package.
With so many titles vying for attention, it often seems that the hardest part of publishing is promotion. When you have a new title, do you strategize about how to best promote it?
The short answer is, yes. One of the reasons an author goes with a press instead of self-publishing is for promotion. A press will have its own followers, people who will read and purchase from that press because they've grown to trust it.
Having readers who believe in you is great, but every title needs to bring in new readers. One of the things I do is ensured that the authors published by Seventh Window get reviewed, and supplement that with advertising on Goodreads and Facebook, for example, to get people interested in the titles I publish.
What's the number one thing which sells a book?
A good cover helps. One of the things I do is work closely with the author to make sure we design the best cover for their title. If the author likes the cover, they will work harder to promote their book, which is a win/win for everybody.
For an author at Seventh Window, what can he expect in terms of support, and what tasks fall on their shoulders?
I like to share some of the promotional part of the business, but I do expect the author to be pro-active in promoting him or herself. I always make suggestions to new authors on how to promote themselves. You know, start a blog, get a Facebook page, find out if you can do a few guest blogs. If the author needs help with any of these things, I'm willing to talk to authors I know who might be willing to give a new author a hand in promotion. Xavier Axelson, Sylvia Violet, Michele Montgomery and others have been very helpful in this regard. Other than promotions, I do the rest.
With the ease of online publishing and the introduction of print on demand books, many authors are bypassing publishing houses altogether, and instead doing it on their own. Are there certain types of writers who might be better served by going with a publisher? How does a writer know what path might be best for them?
Self publishing is great for an author who understands the business, is willing to hire a freelance editor and is willing to do all the work involved in getting a book to print and beyond.
A self-published author could go through a vanity publisher, but I always think it's best to start your own publishing company and go from there. This means you have to get your own ISBN, find out about copyright, book design and layout, become a DBA, etc… It's a lot of work, but you will have full control over your title. You'll also have a better understanding of the business.
But for those not wanting to do all of that…?
One of the main reasons an author might take the traditional route is to work with a publisher who has experience and the connections it takes to make their title a success. This does not mean the title will sell millions, but it will have a better chance of success. A good publisher will do help a new author through the process, educating and explaining how it all works.
For those going the traditional route, what advice do you have?
It's always a good idea to keep in contact with your editor or publisher. Ask questions. I love when an author asks me about promotion before I talk to them about it. This means they feel comfortable talking to me, which strengthens the bond between author and publisher. This is a relationship you're getting into and to make it work you need effective communication.
Given all of these changes in the marketplace, what advice would you give a writer who has finished a gay-themed manuscript? Does the old "find an agent" route still work?
Unless you're going to publish with Harper Collins or one of the big New York publishers, you don't need an agent. You do need to make sure you have a contract and read it. Read your contract and understand it. Ask questions before you sign. The contract will spell out what is expected of you, how you will be paid and how much.
When an author signs a book contract they aren't selling the book to the publisher, they're selling specific rights to the publisher. Authors need to understand which rights they're allowing the publisher to have. Seventh Window only negotiates print and eBook rights, leaving all other subsidiary rights to the author. If a publisher requests any other rights, like motion picture rights, or rights to characters, etc., they should question the publisher as to why they want such rights.
Having been on the writing side of this business, I understand what authors go through. Publishing has a dark history of taking advantage of authors who don't know what they're selling, or just want to get published and are too willing to sign a contract and trust the publisher. The best way to avoid being used is to read your contract.
I'm sure you get tons of submissions for Seventh Window. What are your pet peeves when it comes to submissions? Any do's and don'ts?
Authors need to look at the titles a publisher has and read some of them. Compare your title to the titles the publisher puts out. This is publishing 101, but so many authors do not do this very simple thing. Sometimes I feel like the authors querying me couldn't tell me a single title I've published if asked. Authors often seem to think that getting published is a crap shoot, so they submit to every publisher out there, which is as a waste of time. Instead, be thoughtful. Do your homework. Know what a publisher likes by reading some of their most recent titles. Or, even better, go to your bookshelf or eReader and find publishing houses that have put out books similar to your own.
I know you have a large stable of authors, but who are some of your favorites? What books or authors are you enjoying?
I would have to say all of them. I began Seventh Window with M.J. Pearson and N.L. Gassert, both of whom haven't had a new title in a while, and I would love to work with them again. N.L. Gassert is one of those authors whose friendship grew out of working on her book. Even if she doesn't write another book, I'll keep in touch with her–but I would love it if she did.
What titles does Seventh Window have coming that you're really excited about?
Aside from Missing by Drake Braxton, which is an innovative and emotional read, I would have to say the new G.L. Roberts novella, Light and Shadow, is going to be a treat, as is the new Ron Raddle, Degrees of Passion. Coming late September is a new author, Jeff Ballam, with When Love Calls Your Name.
I recently read Drake Braxton's Missing, which I really enjoyed. How did you discover him?
Drake's book was suggested to me by authors Arthur Wooten and Gregory G. Allen. I thought it had something going for it, so I took it on, but it wasn't until I started working on it that I realized the depth of it and how intricate it actually is. Missing reminds me of something by Jim Thompson, my favorite crime/noir author. What amazed me was how Drake Braxton keeps the noir setting and story while holding onto a romance feel. The only other author I know of who can do this successfully is Xavier Axelson.
The LGBT community has so many issues to deal with, from civil rights, to gender issues, to discrimination and classism… What role do books play in our community?
Gay romance has introduced LGBT issues to many straight women, and for some it was their introduction to gay culture. So many people read books to explore cultures and issues outside of their own. Books have a way of making people think about issues they may not be a part of and helps them get a better understanding of them. And it doesn't have to be some high end piece of snobbish literature. Romance has been doing it for years, as has popular women's fiction. Look at The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
How can we help push that understanding along?
One of the things we need to do is to get gay fiction out of that classification. Romance has already started doing this, although it still has its separate category distinction. But instead of being separatist, we need to get our romance, mystery, and thrillers on the same shelves as straight fiction. Having gay sections in bookstores gives the impression that our books aren't as good, when they can be as good and sometimes even better. We need to let people know that our stories are worthy of being told, that our stories have a right to be read by all, not just the LGBT community. We are deserving. We are worthy. And we need to let people know that.
For more on Seventh Window, please visit their website.
Cross-posted on Bilerico Project and Huffington Post.
This entry was posted on August 29, 2012. It was filed under Uncategorized and was tagged with agent, author, books, gay, How To, LGBT, publisher, publishing, self-publishing, writing.


text:
Peel Regional Police Pipe Band choose Premier
Premier Music International Limited is proud to welcome the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band as international endorsers.
The Peel Regional Police Pipe Band was formed in 1976 and is now stronger then ever; the band currently has 39 members from all walks of life that bring a wealth of experience with them; members include police officers, lawyers, engineers, students, machinists and H.R. professionals to name but a few, who together pursue the common goal of being a competitive and successful grade 1 pipe band. The band proudly wears the distinctive Red MacPherson tartan and a black and white diced Glengarry which is unique in North America to the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band; the black and white pattern comes from long standing military, police and pipe band tradition.
Each year the band participates in a number of events on behalf of the Peel Regional Police Service. These events include recruit graduation ceremonies, awards and promotion ceremonies and community events including participation in the Ontario Police Memorial at Queens Park each spring and the National Peace Officer's Memorial on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in the fall. These two events pay tribute to police and peace officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. In addition 2010 has been very busy competitively for the band which is to date unbeaten across Canada and North America, and will be traveling to Scotland to participate in three contests; Bridge of Allen, North Berwick and the World Pipe Band Championships.
Peel Regional Police Pipe Band will be playing Premier HTS 800 snare drums and Professional Series bass and tenors. The refined HTS 800 represents the pinnacle of pipe band snare drum design and performance, and the Professional Series with its unique free-floating shell and turnbuckle tuning system offers the most comprehensive size range on the market today enabling capture of the entire tuning spectrum.
Book mark this page

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Missing Monster Card
by Lori Mortensen
Illustrated by Rémy Simard
Ethan can't wait to show Zack his new Monster Card. But when Ethan can't find the new card, the search for the missing Monster Card begins.
My First Graphic Novel
Rah-Rah Ruby!
by Christianne C. Jones
The Cat That Disappeared
Morning Mystery
Big City Sights
by Anita Yasuda
by Amy Houts
The Lost Lunch
Shark in the Library!
Elf Detectives
by Scott Sonneborn
Big Top Bandit
by John Sazaklis
Funland Frights
Spooky Space Ghost
Ski Trip Terror
School Library Journal - Kim T. Ha, Elkridge Branch Library, MD
"In Clues in the Attic, siblings Ben and Sofia investigate strange noises that they hear coming from above them. In The Missing Monster Card, Ethan misplaces a valuable trading card. Kids who pay close attention to the images can easily solve the mystery. These titles provide effective early-reader equivalents to comics and graphic novels. Their traditional beginning-reader trim size as well as bold and brightly colored illustrations are appealing to novice readers, while the inclusion of a "How to Read a Graphic Novel" section, a glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts will appeal to parents and teachers. The texts include simple sentences that closely match the art, while panels are limited to a maximum of four per page. Good fun for early graphic-novel readers." - School Library Journal
Booklist - Kat Kan
"Ethan has just found a rare Monster Card in the pack he bought, and he wants to show it to his friend Zack, but when he goes to Zack's house the next day, the card isn't in his jacket pocket. The two friends search for the card to solve the mystery. This is part of the new My 1st Graphic Novel series, which introduces the format to new readers. The book provides a short tutorial on how to navigate the panels and uses sound effects, dialogue balloons, and brief narrative text to tell the story. The mystery is the kind of situation that children might have in their own lives, and stars African American characters. A brief glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts provide teachers with easy lesson plans for classroom use. The bright colors and cartoony illustrations add to the appeal for beginning readers." - Booklist
Lori Mortensen
Lori Mortensen is a multi-published children's author who writes fiction and nonfiction on all sorts of subjects. When she's not plunking away at the keyboard, she enjoys making cheesy bread rolls, gardening, and hanging out with her family at their home in northern California.
First Day, No Way!


text:
https://www.inforisktoday.com/
Mayra Koury
Tech Credit Union
Larry Clinton
Internet Security Alliance
Matthew Braverman
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning , Fraud Management & Cybercrime , Governance
Government Spending on Cybersecurity: An Analysis
New Gartner Report Analyzes CIOs' Priorities Worldwide Nick Holland (@nickster2407) • January 29, 2019 10 Minutes
Alia Mendonsa, senior director, Gartner
Around the world, many CIOs at various levels of governments expect an increase in cybersecurity spending in 2019, according to new research from Gartner, says Alia Mendonsa, co-author of the report.
Gartner's survey of 528 government CIOs worldwide found that almost half expect spending on cybersecurity to increase in 2019, which means it ranks as one of their top priorities for funding growth, Mendonsa explains in an interview with Information Security Media Group.
"Security is really fundamental to the delivery of digital services overall, and government's greatest asset is data," Mendonsa says. "As the stewards of the public's data, they really need to do everything in their ability to retain that trust."
In this interview (see audio link below photo), Mendonsa discusses:
The motivation for governments' security funding increases;
Why government CIOs consider artificial intelligence/machine learning, data analytics, cloud and IoT as "game changing" technologies in 2019;
What governments around the world have in common when it comes to funding for digital innovation and security.
Mendonsa is senior director and analyst for the government research team at Gartner. She joined the team after serving as an executive partner within Gartner's executive programs for over nine years.
Inside Matrix and Emotet: How They Work, and How to Defend
A CISO on the Value of Endpoint Detection and Response
A Reference Architecture for the Internet of Things
© 2020 Information Security Media Group, Corp. https://www.inforisktoday.com/ Toll Free: (800) 944-0401
https://www.inforisktoday.com/interviews/government-spending-on-cybersecurity-analysis-i-4233
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Dell's extensive portfolio of consumer laptops, desktops and netbooks are designed to simplify the overall computing experience. Customers in Canada can configure their Dell Inspiron, Studio, Adamo and Alienware systems to meet their specific needs and enjoy popular activities such as surfing the internet, sharing pictures, creating family videos and playing computer games.
Please note: The purchase of gift cards is not eligible for AIR MILES Reward Miles. Additionally, any purchase made through Dell Financing Services (including Dell Installement Loans) will not be eligible for AIR MILES Reward Miles.


This page gives pointers to recent related work on arriving at terminology and structure for models intended to allow shared re-usable descriptions of processes, activities, tasks and plans.
Notes from Enterprise Project Workshop on "Content, Form and Methods for Ontologies", Moralee, S., May 1994 IBM(UK) Offices, Nottingham, UK, Dated 25-Nov-94.
O-Plan Task Formalism (TF) Formalism (follow links to TF manual or sample TF domains).


Lone Star State of Texas. Match.com brings Texas daters together. You do the choosing - so many ways to search and connect in Iago,Texas. Tired of being single? Create a free, Iago singles ad and start dating available singles right now.


Whether you're training for your very first rowing race or the Olympic Games, choosing great nutrition is one of the biggest ways to up your game.
Whether you're training for your very first rowing race or the Olympic Games, choosing great nutrition is one of the biggest ways to up your game. It's not always easy or convenient to have good foods available or incorporated into every meal and snack, but I pulled together eight of the big ones that you really can utilize every day, along with some recipes that work for real life!
Bang for your buck, these are some of the most potent nutritional nuggets out there. Antioxidants and vitamins give berries high ANDI scores: They help protect against and process the damage you do to your muscles and body from hard workouts or a high-stress day at work.
Add your favorite berries (or whichever type is on sale at the grocery store that week!) to plain or vanilla Greek yogurt.
Add to ½ cup regular or gluten-free oats, add almonds and water or milk, and microwave for 1:30 to get a quick breakfast or pre-workout snack that will stay down but keep you fueled for hours.
Following package instructions, cook quinoa on the stovetop with water or chicken broth. Add spices (I love garlic, a bit of onion, salt and black pepper). Eat as a side dish or a quick pre- or post-workout snack.
Cook quinoa with water and make a few cups extra. If you regularly blend pre- or post-workout shakes, add 1/2 cup or more of cooked quinoa to your shake for an extra boost of the good stuff.
This recipe (YUM!) for quinoa, kale, walnut and sweet potato goodness. Add some cooked chicken breast for an extra protein boost.
Nuts (I'm partial to almonds and walnuts) and nut butter are awesome nutritional tools. Adding a small handful of almonds to a primarily-carb meal or piece of fruit will balance your blood sugar out and avoid hangry-ness for longer! They have good fats and protein, so a little goes a long way.
Buy the individual packages of raw almonds at Trader Joe's or your grocery store, or make your own by bagging ¼ - 1/3 cup portions for a quick on-the-go snack.
This recipe for DIY all-natural gluten-free protein bars. If it's a little plain for your taste, add a touch more honey or stevia, or go crazy and add chocolate chips. Delicious and nutritious!
Oily fish like salmon (fresh, frozen or canned) and fresh or frozen tuna are huge nutritional boosters because of their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids as well as lean protein. While canned tuna (I prefer water-packed, low-sodium white tuna) lacks the omega-3 boost, it is a tasty and convenient way to get lean protein cheaply and on the go.
Check out your grocery store selection of canned fish and try something new. My boyfriend, Jake, is often on the go, but makes a healthy lunch by crumbling gluten-free crackers into a bag of tuna. You can also try eating the mix in lettuce wraps, or mix it up and add something sweet or savory, like relish or black beans.
Broil a fresh or defrosted salmon filet with a couple of pinches of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Leftovers work well for lunch the next day on a spinach salad with balsalmic vinegar and olive oil!
Bananas are nature's perfect on-the-go snack. We went through so many in the Olympic Village cafeteria that the U.S. team staff had to go buy more boxes every day! Water and a banana with some salted almonds after a workout or for breakfast delivers all the food groups, plus the right balance of electrolytes -- the natural potassium found in bananas and salt -- to hydrate the natural way.
As is, plus some salted almonds or mixed into plain or vanilla Greek yogurt -- balanced nutrition that tastes great!
I found out earlier this year that I have a food sensitivity to eggs. You can actually substitute half of a ripe banana for eggs in many baking recipes. Just don't try to use them to make an omelette!
Beans are the secret way to add lean protein, fiber, nutrients and FLAVOR to your diet without adding saturated fat, found in many meats. If you are trying to limit your meat intake while being an athlete, beans are your friend! As a California girl, I love Mexican food, and you can use healthy bean options to make that cuisine an athlete-friendly option.
Fat-free refried or whole canned black beans, low-fat cheese, shredded chicken breast, salsa, and a big pile of spinach or shredded lettuce makes a delicious and healthy Mexican salad.
Plunking rehydrated or canned black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans, a can of stewed tomatoes, some browned lean ground beef and onions, spices, and beef stock into the slow cooker all day yields a delicious superfood chili with leftovers you can freeze in single-serves and bring to work for lunch.
Whether you eat them straight, juice them, wilt them, or bake them into chip form, leafy greens (my favorites are spinach and kale) are unbelievably good for you. In fact, they get the highest scores of anything we eat on the ANDI guide! Besides great nutrition, greens also provide a great source of fiber. Shooting for at least two big servings of these a day is a great way to help boost your systems across the board.
Switch out your regular sandwich bread for lettuce or kale wraps.
Try a green juice blend of kale, carrots, spinach, a green apple, and a little ginger. It's a lot less sweet than the smoothies you can buy off the shelf, but it's yummy and has a ton more nutrients!
Milk has recently gotten an undeserved bad rap. Yes, we can turn it into ice cream, butter or Brie cheese, but on its own, low-fat or non-fat milk is an awesome power food. Likewise, Greek yogurt (the low or fat-free varieties with no or little added sugar, like plain or some vanillas) and low-fat cheese can be great tools for getting enough protein without a lot of crazy extras. And chocolate milk remains one of the best recovery nutrition tools you can buy in your grocery store.
Try plain Greek yogurt with berries, a ripe banana, almonds, and/or gluten-free oats. Try making your own version of Bircher Muesli, a popular European breakfast.
A glass of low-fat milk with a handful of almonds or a banana is a great pre-workout or for when the afternoon drag hits in the office!
Fueling smart lets you keep training hard. Eat to win!


text:
import {
  Component,
  Input,
  Output,
  OnInit,
  OnChanges,
  OnDestroy,
  SimpleChanges,
  TemplateRef,
  EventEmitter,
  ChangeDetectionStrategy
} from '@angular/core';
import { Subscription, SubscriptionLike } from 'rxjs';
import { Gallery } from '../services/gallery.service';
import { GalleryRef } from '../services/gallery-ref';
import { GalleryError, GalleryItem, GalleryState } from '../models/gallery.model';
import {
  IframeItem,
  IframeItemData,
  ImageItem,
  ImageItemData,
  VideoItem,
  VideoItemData,
  YoutubeItem,
  YoutubeItemData
} from './templates/items.model';

@Component({
  selector: 'gallery',
  changeDetection: ChangeDetectionStrategy.OnPush,
  styleUrls: ['../styles/gallery.scss'],
  template: `
    <gallery-core [state]="galleryRef.state | async"
                  [config]="galleryRef.config | async"
                  (action)="onAction($event)"
                  (itemClick)="onItemClick($event)"
                  (thumbClick)="onThumbClick($event)"
                  (error)="onError($event)"></gallery-core>
    <ng-content></ng-content>
  `
})
export class GalleryComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges, OnDestroy {

  galleryRef: GalleryRef;
  @Input() id: string;
  @Input() items: GalleryItem [];
  @Input() nav: boolean = this._gallery.config.nav;
  @Input() dots: boolean = this._gallery.config.dots;
  @Input() loop: boolean = this._gallery.config.loop;
  @Input() thumb: boolean = this._gallery.config.thumb;
  @Input() zoomOut: number = this._gallery.config.zoomOut;
  @Input() counter: boolean = this._gallery.config.counter;
  @Input() dotsSize: number = this._gallery.config.dotsSize;
  @Input() autoPlay: boolean = this._gallery.config.autoPlay;
  @Input() gestures: boolean = this._gallery.config.gestures;
  @Input() thumbWidth: number = this._gallery.config.thumbWidth;
  @Input() thumbHeight: number = this._gallery.config.thumbHeight;
  @Input() disableThumb: boolean = this._gallery.config.disableThumb;
  @Input() panSensitivity: number = this._gallery.config.panSensitivity;
  @Input() playerInterval: number = this._gallery.config.playerInterval;
  @Input() itemTemplate: TemplateRef<any> = this._gallery.config.itemTemplate;
  @Input() thumbTemplate: TemplateRef<any> = this._gallery.config.thumbTemplate;
  @Input() thumbMode: 'strict' | 'free' = this._gallery.config.thumbMode;
  @Input() imageSize: 'cover' | 'contain' = this._gallery.config.imageSize;
  @Input() dotsPosition: 'top' | 'bottom' = this._gallery.config.dotsPosition;
  @Input() counterPosition: 'top' | 'bottom' = this._gallery.config.counterPosition;
  @Input() slidingDirection: 'horizontal' | 'vertical' = this._gallery.config.slidingDirection;
  @Input() loadingStrategy: 'preload' | 'lazy' | 'default' = this._gallery.config.loadingStrategy;
  @Input() thumbPosition: 'top' | 'left' | 'right' | 'bottom' = this._gallery.config.thumbPosition;
  @Input() thumbView: 'default' | 'contain' = this._gallery.config.thumbView;

  // Inputs used by the lightbox

  /** Destroy gallery ref on component destroy event */
  @Input() destroyRef = true;

  /** Skip initializing the config with components inputs (Lightbox mode) */
  @Input() skipInitConfig = false;

  @Output() itemClick = new EventEmitter<number>();
  @Output() thumbClick = new EventEmitter<number>();
  @Output() playingChange = new EventEmitter<GalleryState>();
  @Output() indexChange = new EventEmitter<GalleryState>();
  @Output() itemsChange = new EventEmitter<GalleryState>();
  @Output() error = new EventEmitter<GalleryError>();

  private _itemClick$: SubscriptionLike = Subscription.EMPTY;
  private _thumbClick$: SubscriptionLike = Subscription.EMPTY;
  private _itemChange$: SubscriptionLike = Subscription.EMPTY;
  private _indexChange$: SubscriptionLike = Subscription.EMPTY;
  private _playingChange$: SubscriptionLike = Subscription.EMPTY;
  private _playerListener$: SubscriptionLike = Subscription.EMPTY;

  constructor(private _gallery: Gallery) {
  }

  private getConfig() {
    return {
      nav: this.nav,
      dots: this.dots,
      loop: this.loop,
      thumb: this.thumb,
      zoomOut: this.zoomOut,
      counter: this.counter,
      autoPlay: this.autoPlay,
      gestures: this.gestures,
      dotsSize: this.dotsSize,
      imageSize: this.imageSize,
      thumbMode: this.thumbMode,
      thumbView: this.thumbView,
      thumbWidth: this.thumbWidth,
      thumbHeight: this.thumbHeight,
      disableThumb: this.disableThumb,
      dotsPosition: this.dotsPosition,
      itemTemplate: this.itemTemplate,
      thumbTemplate: this.thumbTemplate,
      thumbPosition: this.thumbPosition,
      panSensitivity: this.panSensitivity,
      playerInterval: this.playerInterval,
      counterPosition: this.counterPosition,
      loadingStrategy: this.loadingStrategy,
      slidingDirection: this.slidingDirection
    };
  }

  onAction(i: string | number) {
    switch (i) {
      case 'next':
        this.galleryRef.next();
        break;
      case 'prev':
        this.galleryRef.prev();
        break;
      default:
        this.galleryRef.set(i as number);
    }
  }

  ngOnChanges(changes: SimpleChanges) {
    if (this.galleryRef) {
      this.galleryRef.setConfig(this.getConfig());

      if (changes.items && changes.items.currentValue !== changes.items.previousValue) {
        this.load(this.items);
      }
    }
  }

  ngOnInit() {
    // Get gallery instance by id
    if (this.skipInitConfig) {
      this.galleryRef = this._gallery.ref(this.id);
    } else {
      this.galleryRef = this._gallery.ref(this.id, this.getConfig());
    }

    // Load gallery items
    this.load(this.items);

    // Activate player listener
    this._playerListener$ = this.galleryRef.activatePlayer().subscribe();

    // Subscribes to events on demand
    if (this.indexChange.observers.length) {
      this._indexChange$ = this.galleryRef.indexChanged.subscribe((state: GalleryState) => this.indexChange.emit(state));
    }
    if (this.itemsChange.observers.length) {
      this._itemChange$ = this.galleryRef.itemsChanged.subscribe((state: GalleryState) => this.itemsChange.emit(state));
    }
    if (this.playingChange.observers.length) {
      this._playingChange$ = this.galleryRef.playingChanged.subscribe((state: GalleryState) => this.playingChange.emit(state));
    }

    // Start playing if auto-play is set to true
    if (this.autoPlay) {
      this.play();
    }
  }

  ngOnDestroy() {
    this._itemClick$.unsubscribe();
    this._thumbClick$.unsubscribe();
    this._itemChange$.unsubscribe();
    this._indexChange$.unsubscribe();
    this._playingChange$.unsubscribe();
    this._playerListener$.unsubscribe();
    if (this.destroyRef) {
      this.galleryRef.destroy();
    }
  }

  onItemClick(i: number) {
    this.itemClick.emit(i);
    this.galleryRef.itemClick.next(i);
  }

  onThumbClick(i: number) {
    this.galleryRef.set(i);
    this.thumbClick.emit(i);
    this.galleryRef.thumbClick.next(i);
  }

  onError(err: GalleryError) {
    this.error.emit(err);
    this.galleryRef.error.next(err);
  }

  load(items: GalleryItem[]) {
    this.galleryRef.load(items);
  }

  add(item: GalleryItem, active?: boolean) {
    this.galleryRef.add(item, active);
  }

  addImage(data: ImageItemData, active?: boolean) {
    this.add(new ImageItem(data), active);
  }

  addVideo(data: VideoItemData, active?: boolean) {
    this.add(new VideoItem(data), active);
  }

  addIframe(data: IframeItemData, active?: boolean) {
    this.add(new IframeItem(data), active);
  }

  addYoutube(data: YoutubeItemData, active?: boolean) {
    this.add(new YoutubeItem(data), active);
  }

  remove(i: number) {
    this.galleryRef.remove(i);
  }

  next() {
    this.galleryRef.next();
  }

  prev() {
    this.galleryRef.prev();
  }

  set(i: number) {
    this.galleryRef.set(i);
  }

  reset() {
    this.galleryRef.reset();
  }

  play(interval?: number) {
    this.galleryRef.play(interval);
  }

  stop() {
    this.galleryRef.stop();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Expect send seems not functioning Scenario
ftp login
spawn function properly
  spawn ftp super.super@xxx.xxx.xxx.com
  using master pty /dev/ncptyp0X
  spawn: returns {2812}
  expect: does "" (spawn_id exp4) match regular expression "$"? yes
  expect: set expect_out(0,string) ""
  expect: set expect_out(spawn_id) "exp4"
  expect: set expect_out(buffer) ""

expect function properly
  expect: does "Connected to xxx.xxx.xxx.com.\r\n220 XXXX FTP SERVER
  2 (Version 1) ready.\r\n331 Password required for SUPER.SUPER
  .\r\nPassword: " (spawn_id exp4) match glob pattern "Password:"? yes
  expect: set expect_out(0,string) "Password:"
  expect: set expect_out(spawn_id) "exp4"
  expect: set expect_out(buffer) "Connected to xxx.xxx.xxx.com.\r\n220
  FTP SERVER  (Version H02 XXXX 23DEC2011) ready.\r\n331 Password requir
  ed for SUPER.SUPER.\r\nPassword:"

send after expect shows sending [ Expect -d out send: sending "yyyyy\n" to { exp4 } ]
expect after send get blocked with just space in buffer
expect: does " " (spawn_id exp4) match glob pattern "ftp>"? no << it hangs here

Question needs improvement.
Code
set timeout -1
set match_max 60000
set exp_internal 1
spawn ftp super.super@$machineName
expect "Password:"
send "$password\r"
expect "ftp>"

It hangs after the expect "ftp>"
Expect version :5.43.0 m/c:Windows_NT 6 02 8664

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Does the Tefal Cuisine Companion stack up against the Thermomix ?
And of course that all important question that seems to be foremost in many people's minds is How does it compare to the Thermomix ? ! I have had many people asking me that particular question !
A Thermal …. All in one cooker is a machine of some description that can perform a variety of tasks in the kitchen. The Cuisine Companion is a machine that can perform these tasks for you – chopping, whipping, mixing, kneading, cooking, steaming, blending, stirring, emulsifying, whisking, searing, crushing, milling and precise heating.
A Truly multi functional appliance that can replace so many kitchen appliances.
The Cuisine Companion has a number of automated programs and it can be used in manual mode.
I've been converting recipes to use for over three years for the Thermomix and now my challenge has been to not only convert recipes from the traditional ones to the Tefal Cuisine Companion but also my recipes from my Thermomix recipes that I created !
Most Thermal Cookers are very similar in functionality as in that they are a tool in your kitchen to help you achieve wonderful home cooking and in professional kitchens as a second pair of hands for a chef.
Different Thermal Cookers have different features like with any appliance of the same functionality, they can all have similar features but also different ones..
So that is why I would say to you can't compare these machines in that way because each has its own unique features.
What I will give you is my experiences with the two machines and my thoughts and views regarding the two machines functionalities and how they compare. I am not going to tell you to buy the Cuisine Companion because I own it or because I love it !
I will tell you all the benefits of owning one and then its up to you decide what suits you the best . Just like people who buy a Nissan and those that buy a Toyota – both are vehicles that get you to where you need to go , and both brands have their own unique touches and selling points and both have different markets of people who like them !. It's up to you as the reader to do your own research and decide what will suit you. All I can give you is my experiences and as I mentioned I am in a pretty unique situation as I am one of the few people to have owned both.
I'd also say to you that if you have owned a Thermomix using a Cuisine Companion will initially be challenging for you because they operate in different ways. They have different features and function differently in many ways. There really is not the ability to compare them because each of their functions works differently, they might appear the same but they do in fact differ.
That is why dear reader I have taken my time in doing this particular post 🙂 I've been recipe developing in the Cuisine Companion and I will admit there have been some challenges in this journey which I won't go into here along with the complete difference between a Thermomix and a Cuisine Companion and getting my head around changing my thought processes with the methods !
So lets talk about receiving your machine … You have purchased your machine in store or line and its arrived – YAY Delivery day and its so exciting !
You open the box and YAY it's even more exciting with more boxes to unpack !
Once you have unpacked everything you will need to find a suitable place on your bench top near a power point ( preferably so that you are not continually moving your unit ) and start to set things up.
All pieces ( except the actual unit with motor ) will need to be washed . The bowl , lid , blades and spatula.
To separate the lid parts the best way to do this is by using the handle of your spatula.
To remove the Grey seal from the inner lid you just pull the seal out a little away from the clear plastic and it will then easily pull off.
To resemble the lid – Place the grey seal back on the inner clear lid and then click the inner lid onto the inside of the outer lid part on each side of the sides .
When placing your lid on your Bowl make sure that the < Arrow is pointing to the left side of the Bowl or you may break the inside of the lid. Don't force your lid on ! It will easily glide on so long as it is in the correct position .
The Inner Steam Basket can be kept inside the bowl and if you add to your Cuisine Companion with the Grater /Shredder attachment and external steamer these can all mostly be kept neatly in and on the Cuisine Companion.
With the External Steamer attachment – that sits neatly on top of the Cuisine Companion .
So now that you have everything set up you will want to use your machine. This can be daunting at first but like any new appliance purchase when you read the instruction guide and find out as much as possible before you commence using it you will find it a lot easier.
Try the Vegetable Stock Paste which is a base for many recipes and the Chicken Corn & Noodle Soup which is also easy to make. These Bread Rolls are easy and delicious to make as well.
If you have owned another brand of a Thermo Cooker like a Thermomix you need to really throw out all preconceived ideas that they are going to be the same. Because they are completely different in the way they handle recipes .
When converting the recipes it's not always a case of increasing the speed by 2 , or increasing the temp, it really depends on the recipe and the functionality involved. As mentioned above with regard to the sautéing .
My recommendation when looking at other Thermo Cooker Recipes is look at the recipe as a whole and break each step down. Work out what how the recipe might transfer to a traditional method of cooking and then translate it into your Cuisine Companion. It can be tricky to start off with but once you become comfortable with your CC machine and what each of the functions are you will be able to convert recipes in no time. However just let me say here please don't be disheartened if that doesn't happen easily for you because for some people they really are just more comfortable with following recipes and not trying to adapt other recipes to suit.. and that's ok !
So here are some of the things that I love about the Cuisine Companion that I have found to be easier and more user-friendly than the Thermomix.
Above every point here is the Safety factor of the Tefal Cuisine Companion. With the 4 Point Safety Locking System you can feel confident in using your machine at at high speed and high temperatures.
The Bowl – the bowls capacity of 2.5 litres is bigger than the TM31 which is the model that I had which was 2 litres. Its also marginally bigger than the newer TM5 bowl as well which is 2.2litres. The Cuisine Companion bowl isn't a jug style its a bowl with two handles on either side making it easier to handle. If you are elderly or have any issues with your hands or wrists this is an awesome feature. I have read where people have asked how can you get the food out if you can't pour it out. From my own personal experience with the Thermomix I didn't pour the food out when it was full and hot anyway as it was too heavy ! With the Cuisine Companion if I have a hot dish I will use a spoon to spoon out a reasonable amount and then rest the base of the bowl on my body and scrape/scoop out the rest or pour depending on the food but whilst holding two handles.
I find the bowl a lot more ergonomically user friendly The bowl base is wider and more like a pot style so the cooking is more even because the food is more evenly distributed.
Its further away from the food so most of the time the lid doesn't get covered with food and a quick wipe in-between from doing a number of the dishes on the trot is a time saver.
It also means that a lot of the time you don't even need the stopper in place with cold foods so you can always see through the hole.
Because it's a hard clear smooth plastic the lid doesn't retain food odours.
The Noise level – This is something that I just love ! the noise is so much quieter from the beeps to let you know that the program / cooking has finished to the actual noise when the machine is cooking . I have a number of videos through the blog showing you the quietness of the machine.
The Scales – Whilst not inbuilt I have found them to be a godsend. They are in 1 g increments which means your food weights are so much more accurate. You can place the bowl on the scales and weigh in the food so it's no different to if you were weighing it directly into the bowl on the machine except that you will have a more accurate weight which is extremely important in most recipes.
With the Cuisine Companion it has a spindle that is kept in apart from when disassembling and washing that you attach the various attachments to. These can then be changed during various recipe stages as well. It's simply a case of moving the food to one side and slipping off one attachment and placing another one on the spindle.
Having the spindle there means that you don't need any particular attachment in when steaming ! one less thing to wash!
The Whisk attachment is heavier duty and really handles the whisking of food in a firm but gentle fashion.
Newly released Attachments – The Grater/Shredder is amazing and will grate and shred food directly into the bowl and is super easy to use and clean.
The External Steamer – What an amazing piece of ingenuity this is with a drip tray ! The main section is also stainless steel which is fantastic to use and to clean. There are 3 levels of the External Steamer with the Black Drip tray that catches all the drips of the food in the steam trays and prevents cross contamination with any foods below in the bowl , and collects the juices for using in gravies , jus's etc ! The Stainless Steel main Steamer level which is deep and the area is a fully functional tray size of the same area across the base – Ensuring a better fit. As mentioned its also stainless steel so fantastic for cleaning with your meats etc . Then a black Top level steamer tray which is fabulous for your light veges, cous cous and so on. Oh and of course the glass lid with 4 vent holes !
So in Summary I hope that helps with your decision on purchasing a Tefal Cuisine Companion. They are a fantastic machine and have a lot of fantastic features enabling the average person to become a home cook with the ability of getting out the family meal to creating a gourmet masterpiece.
If you have any questions regarding the Cuisine Companion I'd love to answer them for you .
Feel free to leave your question in the comments below.
Is the CC able to knead bead dough?
Hi Patricia yes it does Have a look at my recipes under the category Cuisine Companion I have Bread and rolls there 🙂 With photos !
Fantastically helpful review. I've got a TM31, but the bowl is small.
Had I not already got a TM, I might well try this device instead.
Thank you for your attention to detail and thorough review.
Hi Ilona, the size of the bowl is indeed 4.5 litres but the cooking capacity is 2.5 litres – I hope that helps ?
Can you grind flour with the Tefal? Ive heard Thermomix does this easily?
However I do not fine the milling the Cuisine Companions main strength. It takes longer and its not as fine as what the TMX does.
If you are purchasing the CC for that as a main reason then I wouldn't recommend it as you will be disappointed . However if its a minimal reason then I think all of the other things that the CC does like Sautéing for example will be more beneficial.
I am considering the Tefal CC as an alternative to a thermomix so thankyou for your article! Do the external steamer and shredding attachments come with the machine, or do they need to be purchased separately? ?
I've been researching which product to buy. I read all reviews on the CC, before I came across your review. This has been very helpful, so thankyou.


Dear friends I have lost my nephew who had diabetes and now my brother has been hospitilized in an ICU unit because of diabetes, May almighty help him; be healed. (Isaiah 41:10 - "Do not be afraid - I am with you! Iam your God - Let nithing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect you and save you"
As a person who has diabetes I know what it is like. I will pray for you.


text:
Part of: Monument
Art Film: Monument
Interview: Camille Vivier
Susan Bright speaks to photographer Camille Vivier about her new art film–Monument.
Still from Monument (2002)
Pedro placed Tita on the bed and slowly removed her clothing, piece by piece... She was experiencing a climax so intense that her closed eyes glowed, and a brilliant tunnel appeared before her. She remembered the words that John had once spoken to her: 'if a strong emotion suddenly lights all the matches we carry inside ourselves, it creates a brightness that shines far beyond our normal vision... The soul longs to return to the place it came from, leaving the body lifeless...' Laura Esquivel, from Like Water for Chocolate
Camille Vivier's short film Monument shows us an abstract narrative of romance in a tiny space of time. Through the embrace depicted, the viewer is offered only glimpses of the lovers' stories and is left to guess what kind of love they are experiencing as they come together.
The intensity of the scene from Esquivel's novel climaxes with the ecstatic death of Pedro - his 'little death' more powerful and less easy to control than Tita's, who pulls herself away so that she can experience the immense feeling again. Realising that her lover is dead, she is left with a 'freezing chill' and in desperation eats matches, given to her earlier, to return to the place where her Pedro was lost. He is still there waiting for her and after a long embrace they 'left together for the lost Eden. Never again would they be apart.'
The light in 'Monument' may burn more slowly and less fervently than Tita's, but it symbolises the same thing: love and the desire to be as one. The moment when couples experience pure love is like when all is suspended - time, law and reason. It is ultimately a still place where bodies melt and collapse together gaining strength from one another so when they separate again they are more equipped to cope with the chaos of life.
We sense it is far from a melancholy affair riddled with tricks and anxiety, but is something very beautiful, long lasting and intimate. Simple, but also full of change, concessions and contradictions which ultimately make individuals stronger. The piece takes us through the whole of life until the couples' death - a unified space where the simple embrace has become something we can no longer fathom.
I was rather thinking of Wild at Heart by David Lynch where the fire becomes a recurrent motif; through the fire, the sound of a struck match, a cigarette lit after love.
Susan Bright: Why did you call the piece Monument?
Camille Vivier: The title I finally chose was Monument because it refers to a celebration and I like the gap between what a monument is supposed to be and the intimacy of a candle, which is more related to still life paintings and the Vanitas tradition. It was also a way to break with the over-romanticised aspect. I was doing work about candles at the time and more specifically about rituals and magic candles. (This one is a Santeria candle - a Brazilian cult mixing catholic and African animalist belief, something like voodoo. People use it to celebrate a union and make it more fruitful).
SB: How did you choose the music to accompany the film?
CV: A friend composed the music to whom I gave complete 'carte blanche'. I liked the idea that it told a story and that it accompanies the film. I did not want either something too conceptual or something that would have been more important than the image. I hope that we have found a good balance and a true compliment.
SB: The two figures become one - is this a symbolic representation of love?
CV: My initial idea was centred round time and transformation or alteration. It's true that the couple brings a symbolic dimension, but I liked the idea that these two distinct bodies just became one in an abstract block. They do not suddenly become one, but with time they become consumed with love and their future is as one. It is a history of love from its start to its end and with all its tests along the way. I like the idea of sharing and find reassuring the idea that they face the fire together.
SB: A flame is an ancient symbol associated with love and desire used throughout art and literature. Are there any specific works that were an inspiration?
CV: The flame of course leads us back to passion. I was rather thinking of Wild at Heart by David Lynch where the fire becomes a recurrent motif; through the fire, the sound of a struck match, a cigarette lit after love. Fire recalls above all time that passes and the fatality of life, through their love they are linked in their destiny. I also saw, a little after I finished my film, Fritz Lang's The Three Lights, where each candle represents a life and where death is represented by each extinguished flame. In my film it is the double death. The flame becomes symbolic through what the candle represents, but I could have found another process of degradation. I wanted the action of the fire to act progressively in real time, knowing that I was then going to accelerate it.
SB: What did you want to say with the film?
CV: To sum up, what makes a happy life (and therefore a happy end) is love and poetry, the acceptance of our fragility, and our ability to absorb things. In spite of our individuality, we only live through others and are part of a whole.
Camille Vivier
Creative References
Interview by:
Susan Bright
Interview: David Bailey
Acclaimed fashion and portrait photographer David Bailey answered questions with Penny Martin for In Camera. Broadcast 12 February 2003.
Interview: Toyin
Penny Martin talks to filmmaker Toyin Ibidapo about her inspirations, craft and Radiohead obsession and working with Kim Jones.
Interview: Nick Knight
SHOWstudio director and leading image-maker Nick Knight sat down with Penny Martin for 'In Camera'. Broadcast 23 March 2006.


2) Review and Complete the Enrollment Agreement. Return through Email to AdventureSeekersNAL@gmail.com or in person at Up a Creek, 5575 Highway 431S 100-101 Brownsboro, AL 35741.
We go somewhere fun EVERY SINGLE DAY! We try to spend as little time as possible inside just passing the time. We want summer to be a full, vivacious, adventurous experience our campers will always remember!
Tuesday or Wednesday: A Summer Cinema Day We see a G or PG movie. It's a great rest day for the kids during a big week.
Thursday: Field Day with games like Tug-o-War, Water Balloon Toss, Kickball, and Fun Water Relay Races!
Friday: Swim Day at the Gurley Pool Diving Boards, Concessions, and a whole lot of fun splashing around. We require every camper who wants to swim without flotation help to take a lifeguard supervised swim test when we arrive. Lifeguards are on duty. We do not allow our campers to use the high-dive during camp swimming.
we take one Big Excursion each week.
CAMP 5: June 25-29, 2018 Sunflowers at Isom Family Orchard We'll be walking the sunflower fields at Isom's Family Orchard and campers will get to select and cut their very own sunflowers right from the field! We'll also visit the orchard farm stand where campers can select and purchase other fresh produce grown on the farm - including grapes, apples, peaches, and sometimes yellow fruit watermelon! Reserve CAMP 5 Here.
CAMP 6: July 2-3, 5-6, 2018 White Oak Farm Experience a day on the farm working with miniature Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats (twin doelings were born this spring!), watch a sheep shearing and collect a wool sample from Miniature Southdown Babydoll Sheep, Collect Eggs from the Farm Hens, and Brush and Comb Cupcake, the farm's rescue horse. Try our aim with Archery, and take a trail walk to the Valley Overlook. Reserve CAMP 6 Here.
CAMP 7: July 9-13, 2018 Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Campers will get to watch an educational short film in the refuge theater, participate in a Park Ranger Q&A, walk through the museum exhibits, and take a trail walk to the seasonal bird and wildlife overlook. Reserve CAMP 7 Here.
Campers will slide, twist, and turn down Southern Adventures' cool water park slides! They also have a wading pool (no diving) to help beat the heat!
CAMP 9: July 23-27, 2018 White Oak Farm Experience a day on the farm working with miniature Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats (twin doelings were born this spring!), watch a sheep shearing and collect a wool sample from Miniature Southdown Babydoll Sheep, Collect Eggs from the Farm Hens, and Brush and Comb Cupcake, the farm's rescue horse. Try our aim with Archery, and take a trail walk to the Valley Overlook. Reserve CAMP 9 Here.
CAMP 10: July 30-August 3, 2018 Survivor Games! Big Water Slide Party with awesome team water relays, wooden puzzles, shaving cream challenge, and chocolate syrup fun. Winning team holds the title as Adventure Seeker Survivor Champs until next summer! Reserve CAMP 10 Here.
Please Note: Excursions require safe travel conditions and are subject to weather cooperation. In the event of a necessary event change, an alternate excursion will be provided. There are no refunds for schedule changes or substitute excursions.
We call our campers "Adventure Seekers!" Camp is a hands-on daily adventure dedicated to young outdoor enthusiasts who love animals, nature, farming, and eco-science.
This program is for children ages 5-13 years old.
Buses depart each morning from Up a Creek, 5575 Highway 431S Brownsboro, AL 35741 (on Highway 431 between Governor's Drive and Hampton Cove).
Sign-out is at the excursion point, if before 4:00p.m. or from Up a Creek, between 4:00-5:30p.m.
The Summer Registration Fee is $35 per camper per summer.
ALL excursion admissions, travel costs, craft materials, afternoon snack, and up to ten hours of care by our certified staff. There are no additional field trip fees. Our excursions are DAILY and everyone gets to go.
Options rotate between Chick-fil-a, Lawler's BBQ, Subway, Nothing but Noodles, and Domino's.


When Yossi Klein was growing up in Brooklyn's Boro Park, the bedtime stories his father told him were about the Jews and the Holocaust.
By the time he was 20, in 1973, Yossi Klein had been an activist since sixth grade and had gone to Moscow to protest the plight of Soviet Jewry. But when he returned home, he began to wonder whether there was more to Jewish life for him than being, in his own phrase, "a professional demonstrator."
Filmed over a span of seven years, Steve Brand's warm and intimate documentary, "Kaddish" (at the Nuart Sunday through next Saturday), presents an exceptionally reflective, thoroughly likable young man struggling to achieve maturity before our eyes. The unusually long stretch of time in the film's making, encompassing a cycle of birth and death, brings universality to the very specific challenge of growing up as the child of a Holocaust survivor. Any thoughtful person will surely recognize himself or herself in Yossi Klein and in his loving, though sometimes argumentative, relationship with his father, Zoltan.
Yossi's attractive, sensible mother, Breindy, tells us that her husband didn't want to bring children into this world, but she had insisted. No wonder Zoltan felt as he did; he escaped Auschwitz, which claimed his parents along with thousands of other Hungarian Jews, only by hiding from May to October, 1944, in a bunker he and several friends dug in a forest, where they were protected by a Romanian peasant.
By 1950 Zoltan managed to emigrate to America, soon marrying and establishing a wholesale candy business. When he had a son and then a daughter, he loved them deeply but also feared for them. As a child, Yossi and his playmates, as offspring in the country's largest community of Orthodox Jewish Holocaust survivors, were already planning escape routes through Boro Park's sewer systems.
We witness over the years the various stages in Yossi's coming to terms with himself, his father and his heritage. Along with attempting to fulfill the normal desire of a young man to leave home and make his own way--and as a journalist, not a businessman like his father--Yossi must also ask himself if life is only preparation for another Holocaust and if his religion is only a dead ritual.
He is involved in nothing less than a spiritual odyssey, which culminates at the 1981 World Gathering of Holocaust Survivors, where, he says, he's "wearing two yarmulkes," as a reporter and as his father's son. With its reunions, its sermons or remembrances in six languages and its immense bulletin boards with thousands of messages requesting information of long-lost friends and relatives, this profound emotional experience at last allows Yossi to see Zoltan not as a victim, but as a survivor.
"Kaddish" (Times-rated Family, although concentration camp footage is too intense for the very young) takes its name from the Jewish prayer for the dead, but it is finally a film of affirmation. Its occasionally amusing, almost home-movie, family-scrapbook quality makes personal the very serious and timeless issues it illuminates so beautifully. As perhaps no other documentary has, "Kaddish" accomplishes the great task of suggesting that to be a member of an oppressed minority can actually be, rather than a curse, a privilege--but one which carries with it both a heightened awareness of the preciousness of life and a sense of responsibility for its preservation.


DOVER,DE (April 7) — The Wesley College Chapter of Sigma Beta Delta Business International Honor Society, a certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies, held an induction ceremony on April 6.
The inductees were determined by the business faculty officers' nominating committee of Sigma Beta Delta, within the MBNA School of Business and Accounting at Wesley based on character, academic excellence, and showing promise for future achievements.
To be considered for the honor society, the students must major in business, rank in the top 20% of their junior, senior or master's class and receive an invitation from the chapter advisor who also serves as president of the business honor society.
Wesley College Professor of Business Management Dr. Kathleen Jacobs has served as the chapter advisor and president since the chapter's inception in 2008.
Front row: Samantha Utz, Rochelle Sizemore, Karen Wearden, Devan Bartell, Hannah Martin, Brittany Bennett.


The Trust's Short Stay Reablement Unit (SSRU) has been shortlisted as a finalist in the HSJ Partnership awards, together with New Care, a privately owned development-led care home operator, and Age UK Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
The awards highlight the most effective partnerships between the private and third sector and the NHS.
The SSRU is based at The Grand in West Bridgford, New Care's stunning care facility that offers residential, nursing and dementia care services. The short stay unit was designed and developed by the Trust in partnership with New Care to provide care for patients who have been medically discharged from hospital but are not yet capable of returning to their own home independently. This pioneering service not only frees up hospital beds, it creates a comprehensive care pathway that really meets patients' needs.
The SSRU provides rehabilitation, primary care from a dedicated GP plus support from Age UK Notts, community nurses and volunteers in the community. The team treats each patient individually so that their own needs are met with long-term outcomes in mind.
SaraJane Ashmore, General Manager at the Trust said: "The exceptional care, combined with a comprehensive and robust discharge process and a holistic approach to patient care whilst in SSRU and after discharge, has undoubtedly transformed the Trust's system.
While the main aim is to rehabilitate patients in 14 days so that they can confidently return home, the service also ensures, as much as possible, that patients remain safely at home too, reducing re-admission costs. Between April 2016 and April 2018, the SSRU cared for approximately 800 patients, of whom 75% returned to their own home.
The award winners will be announced on 20 March.


text:
Ginger River Review
Story of teens at a transgender clinic in Beijing
www.gingerriver.com
At the clinic, doctors call kids "visitors," rather than "patients."
Jinglin Gao
The topic of transgender people has come into the public's view late in China. But more and more medical facilities targeting the group are gradually changing the landscape.
In 2017, Peking University Third Hospital opened a general transgender clinic in China. Pan Bailin, the founder of the clinic, also started a non-profit fund dedicated to supporting the transgender group in 2020. Moreover, in 2021 Shanghai opened China's first multi-discipline transgender clinic for children and teenagers, according to the Paper.
[Note: According to the definition from Johns Hopkins Medicine, "transgender" is "an umbrella term for people whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender people may identify as straight, gay, bisexual or some other sexual orientation."]
Transgender people struggle with not only their gender identity but also their place in society. Within the group, trans teens are under even more pressure, as they juggle huge physical and mental changes in puberty, as well as relationships with peers and family members.
Today's newsletter is about teen visitors at a transgender clinic in China, which sheds light on the group's needs, struggles, and hope. Doctors may provide professional knowledge, but as you will see in the piece, a successful treatment plan needs cooperation between professionals, transgender kids, and their parents, with the help of volunteers from non-profit communities. Through the progress made in the transgender clinic, we will get a clear route of how to build a warmer environment for the special group in China in the future.
The article was originally published on Truman Story 真实故事计划, a WeChat blog focusing on telling touching stories in China. [Check the list of the ten most worth-reading stories of 2022, a summary piece compiled by the blog.] Together, they portray a colorful China and loving people from all walks of life on this land. Truman Story gave permission for the story's translation to be published in Ginger River Review (GRR).
Now the story begins.
Subscribe GRR newsletter for free to get a glimpse into the priorities of both the leadership and the general public in China.
The general public in China has mixed impressions of gender clinics. Some see them as a mental harbor where they seek shelter from the cruel reality, while others see them as a den where unscrupulous doctors collude with each other to poison teenagers' minds for money.
Perhaps no other clinic needs to deal with the great conflicts between visitors and their family day in and day out like a gender clinic.
However, the gender clinic is just a small "battlefield" for transgender people. Visitors here bear unimaginable risks simply for being themselves. Among them, minors are often struggling hardest, and facing the most complicated situation.
A Crack of Light
On the table in the consulting room of Doctor Pan Bailin 潘柏林, there is always a pack of tissues. It's for parents shedding tears there.
At one time, a kid and his parent were about to leave the consulting room. When the kid stepped out, the parent quickly turned around and handed Pan a note. The note writes, "Don't you dare to prescribe hormones to my child again!" Doctor Pan also received another threat from the relative of another visitor, "If something goes wrong with her, her family will make you pay."
Some fathers even blocked Pan in his office, begging with tears in their eyes, "I'd rather not have this kid instead of seeing him turn into a ladyboy."
One parent unwillingly signed the informed consent for the sex reassignment surgery due to pressure from his kid. But to stop the surgery, the parent made many complaints to the hospital, claiming that doctor Pan "poisons the minds of Chinese teenagers" and suspecting that he "is infiltrated by foreign forces." "I won't stop making complaints until I achieve my aim," the parent told Pan. One other parent accused him of "colluding with psychiatrists and prescribing drugs to my kid to make money." Some parents even called the Beijing city hotline.
Another doctor at the clinic suffered more. One day, as he finished diagnosing a kid, the parent suddenly rushed in with a knife and stabbed him. The doctor was sent to the operation room to stitch the wound and had to take sick leave for some time. Pan has been mentally prepared for things like this. "Maybe one day the same will happen to me," he said.
But in the eyes of transgender teens, the clinic is a safe haven. They call Doctor Pan "Lao Pan" 老潘 [literally meaning "old Pan." That's the kind of nickname Chinese people gave to their close friends.] or "Uncle Pan." "I came to him for a chat, and he is so gentle." "Lao Pan is getting bald, but we love him so much." Visitors wrote these comments on social media. When someone is in a really bad mood, they would suggest, "Go to the Peking University Third Hospital and talk to Doctor Pan."
When Pan received malicious complaints, several transgender teens wrote a joint letter to the hospital because they were afraid that the hospital would misconstrue Pan. "Doctor Pan's team has brought us great hope, despite the huge risks and pressure." Pan received a bunch of letters with words like these. He collected them as treasures.
At the clinic, doctors call kids "visitors," rather than "patients," because "patients" have a more negative implication. For these doctors, they understand the group well enough, and transgender kids don't need to explain their unique thoughts and behaviors.
Peking University Third Hospital opened the " Comprehensive Transgender Clinic" in 2017, and doctor Pan is the founder of China's first medical team for transgender people. The team combines medical resources in various branches, including counseling, endocrinology, reproductive medicine, otolaryngology, general surgery, and plastic surgery. All is to provide medical support for transgender people.
Photo | Doctor Pan in his office
About ten percent of the visitors to the clinic are teenagers aged between 14 and 18, a special phase of life for transgender people. Pan found that about half of the visitors were confused about their biological sex even when they were little. The youngest visitor he had was only 10 years old. But the situation generally spirals out of control when they reach puberty.
[Note: The data is provided by the interviewee, and no official data is available to confirm it.]
"The problems facing transgender teens are actually more complicated than transgender adults," said Pan, adding that teens are more likely to harbor bigoted and extreme ideas. He often spots self-harm wounds on their arms. And a regular question about medical history is whether they have suicide attempts and self-harmed behaviors. 90 percent of the kids coming to the clinic said yes. The suicide rate of the group is five times greater than that of other teenagers.
Parents are much more insecure too. Transgender adults already have relatively stable lives. In parents' eyes, giving minors access to gender-affirming treatments will undoubtedly bring the greatest risk to their lives that have barely started. What if they couldn't find good jobs? What if they don't have their own family? Therefore, parents are more inclined to "fix" their kids. Most importantly, as legal guardians, parents have the final say. A precondition for transgender kids to receive medications or surgical treatments is that the parents "are fully aware of and support the medical plan."
The special group also raised other medical teams' attention. In 2021, the Children's Hospital of Fudan University established China's first multidisciplinary clinic for transgender children and teenagers.
"Transgender treatment for teens is only getting started in China," Pan said. When it comes to teenagers, the topic is more "sensitive," and more likely to draw controversy.
It's also a huge test for doctors on the teams. They already have jobs in different departments, which means most of them have to work extra hours and make time for transgender visitors. They are under great pressure in their daily work, not to mention they must deal with complaints, threats, or even attacks from some parents. Endocrinologist Liu Ye is an important member of Pan's team. She considered quitting at one time. "With so many kids counting on you, do you really want to go?" Pan asked her. From then on, doctor Liu never mentioned leaving again.
Sometimes Pan would be caught in a dilemma. Once, a mother came to his office behind her kid's back. She cried and begged Pan to persuade her kid to stop the medicine. "Because of the kid, our family is in splinters. The grandmother was so frustrated that she ended up in the hospital and we didn't have much money. Doctor, please, I beg you." Pan was worried about widening the family's rift, so he had to agree to think of something. The mother bowed deeply, then left in a hurry.
Later, doctors found several abnormal indicators after the physical examination. Though they wouldn't affect gender treatment, Pan told the kid, "Why not go to internal medicine to deal with the abnormal indicators first? And then you can come to me again, all right?" The kid paused for a moment and left with disappointment.
Several days later, Pan received a message from the kid on the hospital's online medical platform. "Doctor Pan, thank you for looking after me. But I have already bought a ticket to Xiamen and decided to commit suicide. Thank you."
Pan immediately contacted a nonprofit organization that intervenes in extreme incidents to step in. Since then, Pan made the decision that he would never compromise on the rights of kids, even if it meant spending more time and effort to make parents understand.
At first, even some colleagues couldn't understand Pan's effort. Years ago, due to a lack of understanding toward transgender people, some believed that Pan was simply "seeking attention." A doctor once questioned him, "don't you think your job is a violation of medical ethics?"
However, doctors who really get in touch with transgender people see things differently.
Zhao Yede 赵烨德, chief of the plastic surgery department at the Hongkou Branch of Shanghai Changhai Hospital, mentioned his teacher He Qinglian 何清濂, "the father of sex-change operations in China." Zhao said, "When these kids couldn't get help from doctors in the 90s, they pricked their finger and wrote him letters with blood. I have seen the letters with my own eyes."
When parents hear that their children are transgender, the common response is that, "Are my kids poisoned by the Internet?" "Is it the influence of Japanese ACG culture (Animation, Comics and Games)?" Overwhelmed by new information, parents are inclined to retreat back to the world they know, and point a finger of blame in a simple and brutal way.
The reality is quite the opposite. "It's because they (transgender teens) have confusion and worries about their own body. They hope to find scientific knowledge to understand and help themselves, but nobody around them can answer their question. So they have to search the Internet for an answer to save themselves," Pan said.
Huaxian is a member of a nonprofit organization. She is a transgender woman (Transgender women are assigned male at birth, but identify themselves as females). Huaxian began to feel confused about her gender when she was in Grade 2. One morning, as she was ready for school, she suddenly told her mother, "I don't want to be a boy anymore." She was surprised by her own words. Huaxian's mother scolded her and Huaxian never brought up the topic again. In an interview, a transgender male recalled that he told his parents that he had a penis, but somehow it was cut off.
When she reached Grade 5 or 6, Huaxian noticed some physical changes in the boys around her. Their voices grew deeper, and they started to grow mustaches and leg hair. She was scared and secretly searched the Internet for the first time. Back then, the concept of transgender was not known in China. So all she found online was about "ladyboys in Thailand." The web page wrote that [Ladyboys] are poor kids that have no other way of making a living, and they wouldn't live past 30. Frightened, she closed the web page and suppressed the thoughts deep down in her heart.
Then Huaxian tried to be "normal." In order to fit in and not be bullied because she was too "feminine," she became one of the bullies in middle school. Transgender kids are often more eager to fit in and have friends with other kids. She pretended to be vicious and followed other bullies to demand "protection fees" from her classmates. When she met someone not "masculine" enough in the bathroom, she would move around behind them and pull their pants down on purpose. Or she would push them suddenly so that they would pee in their pants.
But a strong sense of guilty tortured Huaxian. Whenever she recalled that experience, she often felt sick about herself. She didn't understand why she would be a bad person when she could have done better. And she couldn't force herself to bully others anymore. Soon, the bully became the bullied again.
Parents often wonder, is the transgender thing a whim of thought for those teens? Pan is also very careful about this. But he notices that before trans teens reach adulthood, they generally suffer from gender dysphoria for five to six years before they reach adulthood. "We believe that no matter for cisgender people or LGBTQ people, gender identity is wired in genes, and it's not learned or influenced by external factors," said Pan in a speech.
Pan treated minors that had castrated themselves at home almost every year. They learned the procedure online, including how to get anesthetics and tools, and how to do the operation on their own. However, the DIY procedure caused hemorrhages and severe complications in many cases.
A few months ago, a kid (transgender female) was sent to the emergency room. She cut off a testicle according to video instructions. But when she wanted to remove the other one, she couldn't bear the pain anymore. A couple of days later, she bought some other drugs to necrotize the tissue. When her parents found out about it, they sent her to the hospital.
And another kid cut off both the testicles and penis. The parents scrambled to find the organs and rushed to the emergency room.
Photo | doctor in operation
"(The situations) are more common in teens. Adults are more rational and understand the consequences," Pan said.
Huaxian used to join chat groups like "yaoniangba" 药娘吧 to buy hormone drugs that can give her female characteristics. When many transgender teens have an episode of depression or gender dysphoria, they eat a lot of drugs and some even a whole box of drugs. If they don't get access to drugs, they will use veterinary medicine on their own.
After a regular physical examination, the hospital called Huaxian's mother. "Take your kids to the hospital immediately," said the doctor. Her examination results shocked the doctor. Her liver function indicators were three times higher than normal.
These kids actually know the repercussions. Years ago, transgender people had a consensus, that is, using medicines harms the body in the long run, and they cannot live past 30. However, compared to death, being trapped in a body they don't belong to is worse.
Some transgender teens were cut off by their parents. They went astray and even traded sex for money to buy medicines and pay for gender affirmation surgery. A transgender person once mentioned knowing a trans woman who was led to drug-using by a client.
Such tragedies could have been avoided.
For first-time visitors, Pan needs to spend a lot of time changing the views of their parents. "There is nothing wrong with kids. They can stay the way they are. In fact, I'm afraid you are the ones that need to change your minds ..." Pan said to the parents gently. With tears in their eyes, some parents tried to understand the situation. If the parents gradually come around, Pan can discuss medical options with the kid and the parents together.
In fact, not all kids need hormone therapies or surgeries. If they were willing to try non-medical measures, including wearing make-up, changing their clothing, and training their voices. If they can accept their true colors, there's no need to resort to medical treatments. If that doesn't work, then they may consider puberty blockers.
Puberty blockers are medications that can help stop or postpone puberty. One dose per month or three months will press "the pause button" of physical changes in puberty. If one stops taking puberty blockers, his or her body will continue to develop, which means the procedure is reversible. The therapy offers an "experience" opportunity that allows kids to think and explore and think about their true needs.
But some kids suffering from serious gender dysphoria reject the plan, saying, "What's the point if I can't change my gender?" If the visitor is above 16, and the parents give permission, hormone therapy can be an option (using exogenous hormones to get the gender features transgender people want). Exogenous hormones are in the greatest demand among transgender people. But relevant medical resources are also in huge shortage. Moreover, the therapy is chaotic at present.
The whole procedure must be conducted under doctors' instruction, and there must be regular examinations. Only in this way is hormone therapy safe. Pan requires kids receiving hormone therapy to take medicine according to doctors' advice and asks them to visit the clinic regularly. But some trans teens don't follow the rules. "I met a very emotional transgender female once. When she had an episode of mood swings, she would take too many drugs uncontrollably. In a subsequent appointment at the clinic, doctors found out that her hormone levels were ten times higher than normal. Later, we provided her with psychological treatments. In the end, she stopped taking medicine, and her hormone level went back to normal gradually.
There is a stack of transgender pamphlets on the desk of the clinic. Parents could take some home. "They may not read it now, but if they look through it one day when they want to, there will be more understanding," said Pan.
Educating parents is one of the most important works in the gender clinic. The work takes time and patience. A detailed explanation could easily take Pan one or two hours. In Pan's view, Family is the first social environment kids are exposed to. If their parents can't understand and support them, the kids can hardly be happy.
《2017中国跨性别群体生存现状调研报告》2017 Chinese Transgender Population General Survey Report, jointly issued by the Beijing LGBT Center and the Department of Sociology at Peking University, showed that among the 1,640 interviewees of whom the parents or guardians may or surely know their transgender identity, only six were not victims of any form of domestic violence. Most of them had the experience of being grounded, beaten, cut off financially, kicked out of the family, or sent to a conversion center.
[Note: No official data from the authorities to validate the data mentioned in the report. In the questionnaire, options for domestic violence include restriction of personal freedom; economic control; beating; word abuse; ignoring me for several days; forcing me to have sex with someone; kicking me out of the family/disowning me; intentionally overlooking/ignoring my gender identity and not giving me care and support; sending me to conversion treatment without my permission; asking me to change my clothing, behaviors, and appearance.]
Source: 2017 Chinese Transgender Population General Survey Report
Huaxian is a volunteer for Beijing LGBT+, a nonprofit organization that aims at promoting sexual diversity. Together with other volunteers, she set up the crisis interference network for transgender teens. She encountered many parents in saving trans teens. During the process, she witnessed the complexity of parent-child relationships in China.
Some extreme parents may say, " I would rather you die if you choose to be this half-man half-woman creature."
For adolescents, such words are without doubt a deadly blow. "Any pressure from the workplace, school or society pales compared with a strike from the parents," said Huaxian. Some children really ended their lives after hearing those words.
For some parents, they only start self-examination when they see their kids lying in a hospital bed or in a morgue.
But there are exceptions. After a transgender woman committed suicide, her parents still called her "my boy," according to Huaxian. Even the inscription of her tombstone wrote "Beloved son." From the beginning to the end, she never got to become herself in the family.
Conversion therapy has been banned in many countries. But it still enjoys broad popularity in China. Huaxian and other volunteers once acted as clients and investigated some conversion therapy institutions in secret. While passing a ward, she saw an instructor abusing the students. One kid was kicked to the ground and forced to eat swill.
Almost every province or prefecture-level city in China has several institutions like this, claiming that they're committed to helping internet-addicted teenagers. When visiting am abandoned institute, Huaxian saw the words carved by many students on the desks. "I can leave here in XXX days," one student wrote. Some expressed their hatred towards instructors, while some wrote down names of their favorite dishes.
The most difficult part is to persuade parents to take their kids home instead of collecting criminal evidence.
Huaxian tried to call the police. But if parents insisted on keeping their kids in the institutes for "therapy," there's not much anyone can do about it. And the older generation often has a set of logic to justify their decisions.
"天将降大任于斯人也。"
"The almighty is about to place a great responsibility on a great man."
[Note: A well-known saying by Chinese ancient philosopher Mencius. The full paragraph goes as follows: when the almighty is about to place a great responsibility on a great man, it first exercises his mind with suffering and his muscles and bones with toil. It exposes his body to hunger and subjects him to extreme poverty. In this way, his patience and endurance are developed, and his weakness is overcome.]
"Think about how the older generations overcame struggles for revolutions. Think about how soldiers in the military are trained. How can my kids fit into society if they couldn't handle this?"
In front of powerful parental authority, volunteers' hands are tied. "In China, the parents of minors have powerful rights to take control of everything about their kid," Huaxian said.
A conversion therapy institute charges as much as 10,000 to 20,000 yuan (around 1,491 to 2,984 U.S. dollars). Some institutes require parents to pay fees for three to six months, even up to one or two years in advance.
Therefore, even if they know their kids are abused, some parents still hesitate. Once they bring the kids home, they throw a large amount of money away. So they start to comfort themselves, thinking that maybe what the institutes do is for the good of the kids. In situations like this, Huxian will persuade the parents, "Don't worry about the money. You can take it back by filing a lawsuit." Only then will they agree to take their kids home.
However, sometimes parents are more painful. The father of a transgender was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He didn't dare to tell his kid the truth and underwent chemotherapy in secret. Furthermore, the family's financial condition is dire. The kid kept asking the father for money so that he could do the sex-change surgery. To take care of his kid, the father tried to save money by eating less. Sometimes he only ate some porridge for a meal. However, the role of volunteer prevented Huaxian from disclosing the truth to his kid.
But she started to reflect on the parent-child relationship: the kid should not be the private good of the parents, nor should the parents be the "donor" of the kid.
Mutual understanding between kids and parents is rare in many families. Some even don't know each other well. Some parents grip kids tight in their hands, but some sacrifice without a bottom line. Concepts like equality and individual independence never seem to exist in those relationships.
Patch the rift
Huaxian has a special WeChat online chat group for parents. Unlike some parents Huaxian had met before, they don't scold or attack volunteers. Some of them have already accepted that their kids have come out. Some are seeking help for their kids. Some neither support nor oppose their kids' decisions.
It took four years for the Beijing LGBT+ family WeChat chat group to draw nearly 400 parents, many joined upon the recommendation of transgender-friendly doctors like Pan.
Decades of experience with transgender people make Pan realize that parents, like their children, also need help. "Coming out to parents is like locking them inside."
At the clinic, when learning that their child is transgender, the first thing almost all parents do is to reflect on themselves. They ponder over what might go wrong in bringing up the kids and blame themselves for irrelevant details. Some single mothers believe their sons become feminine because they grew up without their fathers around. Some parents believe that their kids become transgender because they spent too little time with kids or punished kids at some time. Pan has to explain over and over again that transgender people are born this way. There's nothing wrong with kids, and it has little to do with how parents raise them. An hour or two passes by quickly in conversations.
A mother of a visitor to the clinic once cried, "Our family is broken due to the kid, the grandma is hospitalized because she is too angry. We don't have much money. And this is not something you could tell relatives."
As public awareness of transgender people is on the rise, nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing help and care for transgender kids have emerged, and more and more young people are beginning to understand gender diversity. In comparison, however, older generations are often isolated and helpless, trudging alone in despair.
Even the most open-minded parents have been through dark hours. A father shared his experience on the platform of Beijing LGBT+.
After his kid came out to him, he responded briefly, "Mom and Dad will always love you no matter what." But when he was alone, he searched the internet and was too afraid to go on and then burst into tears. "At one moment, I felt that even if you had everything, be it money or power, it is useless anyway. It's beyond my knowledge and ability. I don't know what to do."
After that, he tried to keep things normal and let the kid take online classes as usual during the pandemic. However, when the kid was not around, he shut himself in the study, drinking with some snacks and crying, until he was black-out drunk." The next day, he woke up, and walked to the bath center in the compound where he lived like a zombie. He went in, stared in the air, cried, ate lunch, and then went home.
A month later, he left for Beijing to seek help from transgender-friendly hospitals and nonprofit organizations.
Photo | Members of the medical team for transgender people founded by Doctor Pan Bailin
The father is just one of the many helpless parents Pan often meets. At the clinic, psychologists in the team offer consulting services to the parents too. However, the medical team alone is not enough to solve the problems facing all the parents. "In most cases, we rely on communities," said Pan. He took part in transgender lectures for parents for many times. And in 2020, Pan established the Bailin Fund 栢林基金 with money raised by himself. It is the first nonprofit fund dedicated to supporting the transgender groups in China.
In the Wehat group, other than professionals like doctor Pan, there are also lawyers and psychologists. Parents ask a lot of questions there. "Is the gender affirmation surgery an option?" "Is it possible to change the gender written on the diploma?" "Would changing sex affect job-hunting?" As they embark on a bumpy road, parents face various problems at each stage.
Every month, volunteers hold sharing sessions online. Sometimes, active parents who joined the support group earlier would jump in and answer other parents' questions before volunteers replied. Some parents send lengthy texts to share their experiences. Many parents said, "I wish I had known the group earlier." Actually, many parents have already accepted their kids. Some supported their kids and witnessed them go through sex-change surgeries. After all, these parents just want to find someone they could talk to.
In real life, they don't know how to tell old people what happened to their grandchildren. They don't know what to say when a friend asks whether their kid has been married or not. They struggle with the first conversation with teachers at school, as well as strange looks from others ... Maybe only parents with similar experiences can offer consolation and support to each other. Many lonely lines come together to create a supporting net.
One time, a parent joined the chat group and asked immediately, "Any recommendations for conversion therapy institutes?" Soon, one after another, other parents in the group told the parent bot to do that in the chat room. The same thing is always more acceptable coming from other parents. Not long after, the father asked questions again. But this time, these questions became "what is the best way to let the child take hormone drugs without too much harm to the body?" "Which hospital is good at sex-change surgeries?" A while later, Huaxian saw the parent talking in the group again. This time, he said, "What a hard job to give my kid a new name!" This is the happiest moment for volunteers because they know another transgender kid gets acceptance and support from the family.
"Tough road ahead" "路漫漫" was a father's alias when he joined the group, which said a lot about how he saw the future, dark, helpless, uncertain, and hopeless. Later, he changed his group alias to "Journey" "征途". Life is a journey, and he decides to go on the journey with his kid shoulder by shoulder. Enditem
The world of technology investing is vast and complex. Trendline (LINK) provides you insights that matter, narrated visually by data-driven charts. Takes less than 2 mins to read!
Andrew Methven
Writes Slow Chinese 每周漫闻
Jan 15Liked by Jiang Jiang
Thanks for writing this it's such an interesting topic - Lots of ideas for a future issue of Slow Chinese 🤩🙌
1 reply by Jiang Jiang
Anna Langley
As a transgender minor in the U.S. It's interesting to compare and contrast between over here and China, it's honestly quite similar, even if it seems like there's more apprehension towards Hormone therapy over there.
© 2023 Jiang Jiang


text:
Macy's LP Approach Of Monitoring Dressing Rooms From The Inside Is In Major Need Of An IT Fix
Jul 21, 2011 1:14am
A Macy's loss-prevention program, which involved security employees surreptitiously having a complete view of customers getting changed in its dressing rooms, is embarrassing primarily because it could have been avoided with some help from the retailer's IT group.
The program was reported on by a Florida TV station, when an apparent Macy's LP employee revealed that the slots on some dressing room doors were turned upside down, thereby providing an unobstructed view of sometimes naked customers. The station said it confirmed the program in Macy's stores in Florida and Washington, D.C.
Macy's did not respond to our request for comment. The chain issued a statement to the station—WINK—that didn't deny the program and generically said the chain does what it has to. "Retailers work hard to strike a balance between preserving the privacy of customers, providing customer service, maintaining customer safety in fitting rooms and deterring the theft of merchandise. We at Macy's are continually reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure we are serving the best interests of all of our customers. We strive to make customers feel safe and secure at Macy's."
This is one of these extremely emotional stories, where facts and legitimate justifications are irrelevant. Once a report combines "Macy's dressing rooms" and "see customers naked," a reasoned explanation has little chance.
Aggravating the emotional problem are gender stats in the station's report, which discussed one store that had 49 doors altered in various women's departments, including lingerie and juniors. Only one door was found altered in the men's changing rooms.
As a practical matter, clothing thefts of this nature are much more likely to happen with women—men tend to shoplift other types of merchandise—but that reality can't compare with the perception that male LP officers are gawking female customers.
The WINK-TV story also discussed the legal issues involving notification. The LP officer referenced a 6-inch-by-6-inch sign outside the fitting rooms. "It may be legally OK according to Florida law, because there is a sign posted saying loss-prevention personnel are monitoring the fitting rooms. But I knew for a fact that our customers did not know that we could see them naked. Really that we could see their private body parts," he said.
This program is a bad idea for a lengthy list of reasons. Obviously, it has the emotional charge to truly alienate customers and to send them into the dressing rooms of the nearest rival. But it's also truly not necessary, given the existence of technology options to detect what the guards are supposed to be watching for.
Joe Larocca, head of loss prevention for the National Retail Federation, said he couldn't discuss any specific retailer's program. He did say, however, that fitting rooms are very challenging places for LP to function.
"There are many [LP] considerations to take into account when designing fitting rooms," he said. "EAS and RFID technology may prevent and detect merchandise theft, but some people take advantage of the private setting of the fitting room to remove these tags and conceal the merchandise."
That's absolutely true. But that assumes there are changes made to the merchandise after the customer walks into the changing area and when the customer leaves. It would seem that sensors located at the entrance could specifically note any such deviations. And one associate assigned to that area—one is likely to be assigned there anyway—could note both what the system says is the number of detected tags and what the associate actually sees the customer bringing in.
Besides, a thief could simply opt to only use dressing rooms that do not have the reversed slots. And given the modesty issues, that wouldn't even be a red flag for a possible shoplifter.
Also, for this program to work, a two-second glance wouldn't likely detect anything. It would require an elongated look, which is simply going to freak out other customers. Sometimes, technology investments are the right way to go. In this case, though, the decision shouldn't even be close.


text:
Q: how create a PDF with series of images each printed on new page into a single file using FPDF I need to create a pdf file which will have series of images, where each image will be on new page. How do I do this using FPDF? When I try to create pdf, FPDF creates pdf file with just one image.
How do I pass image names array into FPDF and get all images printed as a single file with each image on new page.

A: Here it is, this will display each image in the array on a new page, all inside one file:
$pdf=new PDF();
$images = array("image1.jpg", "image2.jpg", "image3.jpg");

reset($images);
while (list(, $image) = each($images)) {
    $pdf->AddPage();
    $pdf->Image($image,10,8,33);
}

$pdf->Output();

For the reference on how the Image() works, and what type of parameters it can take reference to this link


text:
Man, woman's deaths in Missouri ruled homicide-suicide
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) – Authorities say the deaths of a man and woman in southeast Missouri have been ruled a homicide-suicide.
The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office says in a Facebook post that the determination was made after autopsies were conducted Saturday. The bodies of the man and woman were found at a residence near Notre Dame Regional High School.
No other details were immediately released, including the relationship between the man and woman and their names.
Trademark and Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Illinois / 10 hours ago


text:
Linda Gaye Scott (* 1. Februar 1943 in Los Angeles, Kalifornien) ist eine US-amerikanische Schauspielerin. Bekannt wurde sie durch ihre Rollen in den Filmen Psych-Out, Der Partyschreck (als Starlet), Little Fauss and Big Halsy, Westworld (als Prostitutionsandroide Arlette) und Bruce Lee – Das Geheimnis der grünen Hornisse (als Vama) sowie zahlreichen TV-Serien-Auftritten zwischen 1965 und 1975.

Sie hatte unter anderem Rollen für jeweils eine oder mehrere Episoden in den folgenden TV-Serien: Mein Onkel vom Mars, Solo für O.N.C.E.L., Batman, Verliebt in eine Hexe, Verschollen zwischen fremden Welten, Bonanza und Columbo (als Hausangestellte Alma in der Episode Tödliches Comeback).

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Geboren 1943
Frau

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia