In our monthly Marketing Automation Meetup last night we discussed video and it's application as a tool for Modern Marketers. Ben O'Leary, CEO of ICT123 and distributor of Brainshark, a video platform, spoke on this very issue.
ICT123 is an Australian Telstra partner with hundreds of dealers across the country. While the dealers are experts in what they do, for some of them marketing is not their core strength. O'Leary and his team offer a range of marketing assets to help them get the message about new offers and deals from Telstra and ICT123. They use the Brainshark video platform to build and distribute short, sharp video message that can be easily shared with prospects and customers.
O'Leary shared that they have seen a distinct bump in business since using video, as against a web page or PDF to share product offers and information.
The consensus from last night's Meetup was that the first thing you need to do is see every event as an opportunity to gather video footage and to speak with people. That's a paradigm shift for many people, the costs associated with having a videographer attend events can fall into the thousands of dollars and then you have to pay for the editing.
With today's available technology, the Marketing team can use a handy cam or even a smart phone to capture video and do the editing at the office on a Mac or PC.
Another key learning from last night is that you don't have to spend thousands on a videographer to produce you video content. As long as you have good quality audio and great content, people tend to be forgiving. Just look at the video bloggers with thousands of views on their home produced videos.
It's widely agreed that we all need to start video blogging, that's a 2014 goal for the team at Marketing Cube. But like you, we're almost exhausted at the idea. It seems it will take more time and require more effort. However when you stack up the statistics and compare it with your written blog, it seems we're falling behind the eight ball if we don't get onboard with video blogging.
Blogging is great because it gives your company an opportunity to express itself as well as inform and update online audiences – all of which are essential marketing tools.
But, with vlogging, or video blogging, incorporating videos into blog posts brings your company's online presence to a whole new level. So, instead of posting a blog about the newest line of products or the most innovative services your company has to offer, vlog instead.
Likewise, as far as customer questions go, responding in a vlog post is much more effective than just replying to a customer's comment via the written format.
Well its great news for YouTube and whomever is hosting your content, we all need to start 'vlogging'. From a B2B perspective, blogging is a great way to reach your buyer as they research your products or services. Ensure your blog or vlog makes it easy for people to find you, engage with you or to pick up the phone and call you.
Have you starting vlogging? We'll do our best to join you in this must do chapter of content marketing.


text:
Back to the future: The renaissance of contextual advertising
With so much attention focussed on audience-based targeting, advertisers have all-but forgotten a form of targeting which once ruled the roost, writes GumGum's Jon Stubley.
by JON STUBLEY
Before the days of internet, there were two main ways to target consumers with advertising: demographic or contextual. Marketers used research to understand who read a particular magazine or newspaper or watched a TV programme and then ads were duly placed in the right context. This meant holiday companies advertised in the travel section, fashion in the fashion pages and on it went. Simple.
Post-internet however, things began to change quickly with the ability to track which sites people had visited giving rise to behavioural advertising. We've all got our own stories about being virtually chased during our web sessions with ads for a pair of shoes we once looked at while we browsed a whole range of unrelated sites (and in some cases many months after your initial visit to said shoe site).
There's no doubt that for a while, this seemed like a win-win for everyone. Advertisers in particular gained access to cheap inventory and if they threw enough of it around, some stuck and provided metrics to prove that it worked for consumers. Then programmatic advertising arrived and delivered another boost for behavioural advertising with online ads increasingly traded on the attributes of visitors to a page versus the content of the page they were visiting.
So perhaps we got what we deserved in the shape of brand safety and trust issues and a level of customer annoyance. Even before you layer the impact of GDPR on audience-based targeting, the focus on finding audiences at the lowest price has played a large part in the well documented industry woes and reputational damage across the whole ecosystem of the last few years.
It's the perfect setting for a phoenix rising in the form of a renewed interest in contextual advertising.
Mixing it up
Whilst contextual advertising didn't totally fade out of the marketers' arsenal over the last ten years, it was certainly relegated to a minor role when it came to targeting. However, the renewed focus on quality outcomes means that many brands are shaking up their approach and in turn increasing their investment in contextual advertising.
Indeed, recent research by YouGov in the US and UK for GumGum of senior executives found that 59% of UK respondents said they'd kept spending on contextual constant last year, while 18% said they'd increased it. Looking forward, 26% said they planned to do more contextually targeted advertising next year. The figures were similar in the US with 61% maintain spending on contextual last year, and 24% had increasing it, while 31% said they planned to spend more next year. In both markets the increased spend runs slightly ahead of planned budget increases for targeted advertising in general.
The figures seemed to point to a shift back to contextual advertising, but to make sure we asked respondents if they thought approaches to targeting were changing and, if so, why. GDPR was cited as a driver of changes to targeting – although it's no surprise that the UK respondents believed that GDPR was having a greater impact than their US counterparts. The reality is that the true impact of GDPR is yet to be made clear but at the time the survey was carried out (June 2018) audiences in the UK were certainly impacted. Time will tell as to the ripple effect GDPR and the focus on brand safety will have over the next few years. However, whilst personalised advertising will still play a major role, it's likely that brands will be more focused on balancing reach with quality.
However, the really interesting reason given by roughly two-thirds of marketers in both countries for their shift back to contextual advertising pointed to the change being driven by technology.
That shouldn't be a surprise because technology has now evolved to the point where advertisers no longer have to rely on tagging to understand the content of the page. Machine learning can now accurately categorise a page according to tone of voice, sentiment, reading age and more and that means brands can create deeper connections between their ads and the content on the page. Critically, it means that context can also be overlaid into programmatic buying methods.
Is it time to go back to the future?
Advances in sentiment analysis has already opened up inventory across news sites that brands were previously wary of due to a fear of being associated with bad news. Image based contextual targeting is now a reality – with the research showing that 58% of UK respondents and 66% of those in the US are already using contextual targeting based on images.
However, there are two emerging capabilities that are set to turbo-charge contextual targeting. Firstly, the ability to analyse video content in seconds will provide significant opportunity for brands to align their advertising within the explosion of video content we are seeing across all platforms (fast food ads around content that features fast food etc.). The other is the ability to link contextual targeting to predictive analytics and attribution models. At the moment AI is driving conversion targeting but if it's able to move to the top of the funnel then brand strategy and consideration will all be able to be linked to contextual strategy – and things will really start to get interesting for marketers.
From my own conversations locally, the reemergence of contextual advertising seems to be linked to a wider industry push on getting back to the basics of advertising. Data-driven marketing has undoubtedly been a positive, but it seems that locally marketers are realizing the relentless pursuit of personalised marketing and the holy grail of one to one communication has sometimes made us forget the basics of marketing – presenting a great creative in the right environment.
Sometimes it pays to go back to the start.
Jon Stubley is MD ANZ at GumGum.
topics contextual advertising, GumGum, Jon stubley

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Chemistry backgrounds of digital technology.
Dark molecule backgrounds of digital technology.
Red Business backgrounds of digital technology.
Business backgrounds of digital technology.
Chemical backgrounds of digital technology.
Orange Business backgrounds of digital technology.
Abstract orange background. Digits. Grunge.
Purple Business backgrounds of digital technology.


There are several aspects to this: Why was Phil shot, who shot him, why didn't he seed or mention what he was working on, what do we need to consider in a new recruit? Obviously, these are all closely related. As most of you know, if you've ever grazed your Primary's history, it used to be far more common for us to be killed for meddlework that went wrong--heresy and witchcraft were the favorite tools of courts, and naturally if we slipped up with an individual of higher station, we were often simply stubbed out of hand. We should also remember that communication was more difficult in the past, and thus we would quite naturally tend to consult with each other less before attempting meddlework.
I mention these things not to excuse Phil (if, indeed, the shooting is related to his unreported meddlework, as seems likely but is not yet certain), but just to give some perspective. We need to address the various issues, answer the various questions, and make the best decisions we can. I also want to say that those of us "on the ground" here have information we are not yet sharing, and we recognize that this can be frustrating to the rest of you. In part, it is simply that things have been happening fast--I was involved in a critical medical situation immediately upon arriving, and there hasn't yet been time to really catch our breath. Please believe that there is no intention to exclude anyone from the decision-making process. We are simply handling a crisis as best we can, and ask for your patience as we work our way through the various questions that need answering.
We're trying to work things out here in Tucson, and many of you realize that there are odd things going on. We don't understand, yet, what led to Phil's death, and what might spring from it. But I feel like I should remind everyone: we've been here before. It used to happen much more often, when our methods were clumsier, that one of us would be killed unexpectedly. After all, we call what we do "meddling," some people resent being meddled with. That is only natural.
The violent death of one our own--especially Phil--is bound to shake us up. That's all right, it should. But we need to stay focused, stay calm, and deal with the problems. Yes, we're rushing through the process of finding a new recruit for Phil's stub. We're doing this because without speaking to him, we can't know enough about what happened and why. But that rush shouldn't be seen as panic. Let's stay focused, let's remember this is nothing new for us, and let's remember Phil, of all people, knew how to "keep things light" as the Americans say in the midst of a crisis. I don't think this is quite a crisis; at least not yet. Above all, try to be patient with the lack of information you're getting. There are some things we don't know yet, some we know and don't want to put on the forum, and some we don't even want to seed until we have a better idea of what's going on.
All of the emails and gestures of support Ren has been getting are more than a little appreciated, by the way. She's having some trouble with this, but handling it. That's what we all need to do.
1) People getting killed unexpectedly in the Thirty Years' War or the French Revolution or even getting picked up by secret police in your dictatorship of choice is not the same thing as getting gunned down in suburban America.
2) We have had a very difficult and unpleasant situation involving pretty much everyone who is involved in this difficult and unpleasant situation in the very recent past.
3) Either three-quarters or four-fifths of Salt, depending on how you count it, has rushed to the scene, which I still think is a bad idea, which makes this not only a lot of smoke but a lot of firemen.
4) There is no rational connection between working to reverse SB 1070 and getting gunned down. In, I repeat, suburban America.
This all adds up to Not Reassured. I don't want to jog your collective elbow, but I do want to do something to help. Or at least know something about what is going on.
Also, whither Celeste? Do we have any idea of whether her--remnant, echo, whatever you want to call it--is involved in this?
If we all drop whatever else we're doing, and just concentrate on figuring out what happened to Phil, we can probably learn the answers a lot faster.
Future Geologist. I'm sure of it.
That seems rather alarmist, Ryan. I presume that once the identity of the shooter is ascertained all other questions will quickly be answered. Surely that will not be a very difficult task for us? And needless to say, it's a task that requires no personal presence in Tucson.
Definitely agreed, Alex. That's why I've been grazing and seeding. I assumed others were doing the same.
Hi there--sorry for the delay, but I'm going to withdraw my recruit suggestion. Not as good of a fit as I'd initially thought.
And a very good reminder to keep the panic level down, thank you, Jimmy. Ren's had a difficult time of it with us, hasn't she? I can't imagine how worried she must be for Phil. It's one thing to know that someone you love will always be present in some sense, but it's something else entirely to be waiting on tenterhooks to see if the person you love is going to turn into somebody entirely different. I've sent a little care package to her, it should be delivered tomorrow or Monday at the latest.
I have done my best to synthesize Oskar's seeds and some other facts I have been able to turn up, especially on the relevant medical data. Seeded as the first drinking fountain on the left of the west entrance in the China exhibit at the Epcot Pavilion.


The Garden has been overrun with your favorite fairytales! From wicked brambles to magic pumpkins, plants are surprisingly prevalent in these famous tales. Enjoy an enchanted evening exploring these connections and hunting for signs of fairytale villains hidden throughout the Garden.
With crafts, activities, light displays and more, this is an event you definitely don't want to miss! This is an indoor/outdoor, costume, and kid-friendly experience in the Garden to celebrate Halloween.
Lots of events: Witches Brew Ha Ha 5K run/walk; Breakfast with a Witch; Wee Witches Playground. The village is decorated up for the season, and there's a fun scavenger hunt that will get you peeking around every corner to find the hidden witches.
The 4th Annual Mountain Valley Seed Co. Ginormous Pumpkin Regatta will take place Saturday October 18th from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Sugarhouse Park. Pumpkin carving from 12:00 to 1:00 and race from 1:00 to 3:00. Come watch these heroic growers race their 1,000 lb. plus pumpkins for love, honor and bragging rights.
A fun 20-minute boat ride along the decorated stretch of Provo River. Not too scary, but pretty and fun to be outdoors during a beautiful fall season. Be sure to print a coupon from the website.
A HUGE costume contest and the best-quality spooky classical music – you can't go wrong! Tickets start at $8 and little kids three years old and younger can sit on a lap. Check out the program line up, and borrow some of the music from your library or buy it for your iPod and you'll be a musical expert.
Every October, the Zoo puts out a casting call for all princesses, cowboys, superheroes and wild things! Kids 12 and under can come in costume to trick-or-treat at booths set up throughout the zoo grounds. There will be lots of candy and lots to see and do. Trick-or-Treating activity is free with regular Zoo admission or membership.
Hay maze, wagon ride, and a pumpkin to take home. The farm is also hosting a doggie Halloween costume contest and a festival of scarecrows.
Cornbelly's Corn Maze and Emerald City at Farm Country include lots of fun kids' stuff. You can add on the Insanity Point haunted attractions if you're really brave.
You and your kids will enjoy the annual Pumpkin Festival trains. Your ticket includes a short 40 minute train ride where you will be entertained on board by costumed entertainers! You'll also get to sample a pumpkin cookie. At the depot you can take a trip through the fairly spooky haunted car, and then get a Halloween sticker or temporary tattoo. And of course you also get to select a pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch and take it home with you! Additional food and snacks will be available for purchase at the depot and in the concession car.
In previous years, a few days during October offered discounted tickets for costumed kids. Nothing scheduled yet, but keep checking with them.
We love to dress up in our costumes, make some fudge, and hand it out to people living at "old folks' homes." Call a facility in your neighborhood and ask if you can schedule a little visit. We like to go during social hour when the residents usually gather in the dining room or lounge. We stay for about 30 minutes and hand out our treats, discuss all things Halloween, and make some new friends.
October on TV – Halloween Activities!


The Harte, MB grain elevator, May 2014. Contributed by Steve Boyko.
The Harte grain elevator is located along the CN Rivers subdivision at mile 107.8. The elevator is a former Manitoba Pool elevator, and is currently owned by Mid-Man Farms, a nearby farm.
This is an active elevator.
Grain elevator in Harte, MB, May 2014. Contributed by Steve Boyko.
Note the large dust collectors and the enclosed head house across the annex.


text:
Features & Investigations
Clearing the Air on States' Rights
There's been some heavy breathing from several states on the U.S. administration's plans to regulate greenhouse gases, and their bluster may butt up against White House bluffing.
Emily Badger
When the Environmental Protection Agency concluded last December that greenhouse gases pose a danger to public health, the agency set itself on a path for the first time to regulate the emissions scientists blame for causing climate change.
"I absolutely prefer that the Senate take action," EPA administrator Lisa Jackson said at the time, referring to everyone's favored fix to the problem: a comprehensive climate bill stamped by Congress. "And I'm hopeful that they will."
But, well, that never happened. And it's hard to imagine now when it will. (Flash forward five months, and Jackson was sitting empty-handed this spring at an awkward Jon Stewart interview clearly booked to celebrate the release of a bipartisan climate compromise in the Senate. Republican Lindsey Graham backed out in the 11th hour.)
Now the EPA is barreling ahead on its own, and the agency is encountering every form of resistance Jackson surely imagined last December. Virginia sued the EPA over the science behind its "endangerment" finding. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski threatened legislation stripping the EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse gasses under the Clean Air Act.
And Texas this month sent Jackson — by fax, e-mail, U.S. mail and hand delivery — the legal equivalent of a middle finger, a biting six-page diatribe declaring it would take no part in new regulation, or as the letter put it, submit a "loyalty oath from the State of Texas" to the EPA.
THE IDEA LOBBY
Miller-McCune's Washington correspondent Emily Badger follows the ideas informing, explaining and influencing government, from the local think tank circuit to academic research that shapes D.C. policy from afar.
"On behalf of the state of Texas," wrote the state's attorney general and the head of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, "we write to inform you that Texas has neither the authority nor the intention of interpreting, ignoring or amending its laws in order to compel the permitting of greenhouse gas emissions."
A legislative solution to climate change would likely get bogged down in court appeals as well (think: health care). But the EPA's attempt at regulation — which relies under the Clean Air Act on asking states to handle all their own permitting — invites an unsettling question: What exactly will happen if some independent-minded outposts simply refuse to go along, like Missouri voters did recently on mandatory health care?
The challenge of climate change by definition flouts local piecemeal response. Texas may not be interested in the new regime. But what spews from Texas smoke stacks pretty easily wafts across state lines into Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
"The ultimate weapon for the EPA is they can disapprove the state's plan," said Trip Van Noppen, president of the environmental law firm Earthjustice. "They can take over the [local] permitting program themselves."
"But they don't have the infrastructure to do that, they don't like to do it, and in fact they almost never do it," he said.
That means the EPA can take away Texas' right to regulate its own industries, in this case large stationary emitters like power plants and oil refineries. But the EPA doesn't actually have the regulators to replace them (and would almost certainly not get the money from Congress to hire more).
"I wouldn't say it's an empty threat," Van Noppen said, "but it's a threat a state might decide to test."
For its part, the EPA says it is carrying out a legal obligation, not a passing political goal — and one handed to it by a landmark 2007 Supreme Court ruling. That 5-4 decision said the EPA could only avoid taking action on greenhouse gases if it concludes they don't contribute to climate change.
In a sign it intends to push back against local rebellion, on July 29, the EPA rejected petitions by Virginia, Texas, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other industry groups questioning just that — whether the EPA had its science right in the first place in declaring greenhouse gasses a public danger.
If the EPA doesn't stick to its responsibility, Van Noppen adds, citizens and advocacy groups have a right to sue the agency. And if Texas doesn't play along, downwind states have a right to petition as well.
At play will inevitably be a bigger question: While Americans value local diversity in arenas like education, do we want to apply the same concept to heat-trapping gasses?
"That's why it's important to have a federal law, federal minimum standards," Van Noppen said, "so we don't have some states basically sacrificing people's health to political aims."
Greenhouse GasEnvironmentEPAThe Idea Lobby
Emily Badger writes about cities and urban policy for the New York Times from the San Francisco bureau. She's particularly interested in housing, transportation, and inequality — and how they're all connected. She joined the Times in 2016 from the Washington Post.
Follow emilymbadger
Starry, Starry Skies
California desert town takes back the night, wins rare "Dark Sky" award
What Is the Future of Paid Parental Leave in America?
The U.S. has a rough track record with how it treats new parents, but there are reasons to believe that this could soon be a thing of the past.
These Maps Show What Graham-Cassidy Would Mean for Your State
A new report concludes that the Graham-Cassidy proposal would reduce federal funding to states by $215 billion by 2026.
The Fault in Our Star Names
The International Astronomical Union has established a committee to finalize a list of official star names. Some companies offer unofficial naming rights for purchase. But the voices of certain communities are often left behind.
How Much Can Dietary Changes and Food Production Practices Help Mitigate Climate Change?
Food policy experts weigh in on the possibilities of individual diet choices and sustainable production methods.
Unseen America
Las Manos Jóvenes Que Nos Alimentan
Se calcula que 524,000 niños trabajan inimaginables largas horas en los agotadores campos agrícolas de Estados Unidos, y todo es perfectamente legal.
© 2023 Grist


This summer has been filled with many fine art opportunities. Karen has enjoyed having more artwork to create, more chances to display her work, and more gallery openings to attend.
At the National Stationery Show in New York City, Karen connected with Mr. & Mrs. Chen, owners of Pearl River, the largest Asian department store in the country. They really liked the large Asian woman sculpture that Karen had created to promote her new line of "Fortune Cookie" greeting cards and characters. Since they wanted to display it in their store, Karen added some extra special details and delivered it to New York City just a few weeks ago. In addition to the sculpture, Pearl River is also carrying Karen's entire line of "Fortune Cookie" greeting cards. The twelve designs include Asian-themed subjects such as geishas, bamboo, koi fish, and more. Karen and Pearl River are also teaming up to create the store's annual calendar. Stay tuned for more details!
The National Stationery Show also reconnected Karen with Wave Gallery from New Haven, CT. Over the years, she has had original sculptures on display there. At the trade show Wave also showed an interest in Karen's "Fortune Cookie" greeting cards. Reestablishing her connections with a lot of the local galleries has been one of the best parts of returning to more of her fine artwork and metal sculpture.
For several years, the Norfolk Artisan's Guild has been carrying Karen's licensed product, as well as her original pieces. They will soon have an exclusive on the collection of Norfolk-themed greeting cards that Karen has been creating. The cards feature sections of her popular illustration of the town of Norfolk. The Guild is located on Route 44 in downtown Norfolk, CT.
Wave Gallery and Pearl River are two of the shops that will be carrying Karen's "Fortune Cookie" greeting cards.


text:
Albert Lucas (1859–1923) was a Jewish activist and early promoter of the resurgence of Orthodox Judaism in America. He served as secretary of both the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Orthodox Union (OU), then called the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations of America.

Lucas was born and educated in London, England

The middle path
While a staunch traditionalist, Lucas saw that second- and third-generation American Jews could not sustain the milieu of European Orthodoxy. The pull of American culture was too strong, and the communal walls too weak. He therefore encouraged integration of Orthodox Jewry into America, while parrying assimilation.

While Lucas fought the assimilationist Reform movement, he supported all Jews - whether Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform - in their struggles with discrimination. However, he would not participate in activities involving the Reform establishment, even when the goals were in line with his own. For example, he refused to join the New York Kehillah, initially formed to fight anti-Semitism in the NYPD and promote common cause in the kosher meat industry, because it was a joint effort of Orthodox and Reform congregations.

In contrast, Lucas helped form and direct the JDC. This communal effort against Jewish poverty throughout the world, and especially in Eastern Europe, was supported and run by Jews from all denominations. However, unlike the Kehillah, the Reform movement was not directly involved; many members and officers were Reform, but as individuals, not primarily representing Reform religious institutions. Lucas was one of eight directors, and served as secretary of the board. Practically, though, the JDC was funded by contributions from appeals in all types of synagogue.

The result was that Lucas walked a fine line down the middle between European traditionalists and Reform modernists. Paradoxically, this meant that he was often in conflict with both.

Causes
 Repeal of Blue Laws restricting business on Sundays, a problem for Orthodox businessmen who closed on Saturday
 Protecting Sabbath-keeping workers from discrimination and reprisals, an infamous problem in the New York garment industry and civil service
 Keeping religion out of public schools
 Fighting anti-Semitism on behalf of all Jews
 Education for girls
 Anti-missionary work
 Jewish youth and education

Education and recreation initiatives
As part of his education and anti-assimilation initiatives, Lucas cajoled local synagogues into allowing him to create religious classes on their premises. For example, Lucas served as principal of the Sons of Israel Congregational Sunday School. These "schools" and "associations" borrowed from both the traditional Talmud Torah model and modern education methods.

Lucas also set up Jewish Centres, which combined recreation with Jewish secular and religious activities. These "settlements" combined elements of traditional heder, modern Talmud Torah, and Jewish Community Center. While his Centres did not last, they had a profound impact on evolving Jewish education in America, and helped stem the tide of assimilation.

References

1859 births
1923 deaths
Jewish activists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


My good friend and crit buddy Dario Ciriello just launched his very own micro press called Panverse Publishing, and the first science fiction and fantasy anthology is out. Panverse One.
Panverse One isn't your typical anthology though. It focuses on novellas, those too-long-for-a-magazine, too-short-for- a-book stories that have a hard time finding homes in today's publishing world. Already getting good reviews, Panverse One fills a niche that has been lacking.
If you're a fan of the novella, either to read or to write, take a peek at both Panverse Publishing and Panverse One. Panverse Two is already in the works and accepting submissions, and you can find all the info on the Panverse website (and find an easy click to buy button and previews of the stories).
More writing stuff tomorrow, promise! How does tips for writing a one-line summary sound?
As somebody who has never been able to write one-line summaries that don't sound incredibly goofy, I think that would be a fine topic.
I'm updated weekly (at least on The Shifter, the UK stuff is different and I don't know how it's doing over there), though the current tracker (Bookscan) only gets about 60% of the sales. They don't track every store. The hard part is looking at those numbers and knowing what they mean :) There's no context for it, so I had to ask to know if they're good numbers or not. So far, I'm told it's good, so let's hope that keeps up!
I heard about this anthology through Juliette Wade. LOVE IT! I'm glad I have an option for my novellas now. And, a side point, the cover art on that is FABULOUS. Great job!
Thanks, Janice. I'm submitting my 38,000-word novella in a few days. I just need to format it. Fingers crossed.
-crossing fingers- Best of luck!


Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton has been accused of accepting bribes by a detainee in an Australian immigration center (Photo: Parliament of Australia)"It would be remiss of me not to draw that to the commissioner's attention," Pezzulo said but claimed that his department had found no evidence to support the allegation.
In a February 10 blogpost a detainee of one of Australia's onshore immigration detention centres, Nauroze Anees, accused the Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton of personally benefiting from bribery.
The matter concerns Section 501 of the Migration Act, a 2014 amendment by the current ruling party allowing the cancellation of visas, meaning deportation, on character grounds. 'Character grounds' constitutes having been convicted of a crime, including petty crimes such as shoplifting or driving offenses.
Anees himself landed in a detention center after he had his visa cancelled for "recklessly causing injury" after an incident involving a group of eight who had attempted to physically assault his partner. He alleges that William Betham, an inmate, was released from detention after a payout of $80,000 Australian dollars (US $56,716) to the Minister's office.
Betham, a New Zealand born Australian resident who served eight years in prison after being convicted for both drug trafficking and being a part of a drug cartel, spent an unusually short amount of time in detention, about four months, before he was released.
Meanwhile, Anees has been in detention since October 2016 after having spent only three months in jail in 2011, three years prior to the Migration Act's amendment being implemented. Betham is now living on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
The decision can be appealed with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) or the Federal Court, but the process can take years. By late 2018, Australian media reported that the AAT had a backlog of 53,000 unresolved cases it was working through.
In a recent news article by Independent Australia, Anees also alleges that the AAT is "an extension" of the current ruling party, rather than an independent tribunal since the current Government came to power in 2013.
While the Minister himself has called them "entirely false," allegations of corruption within the Home Affairs office are mounting. They include the government's private security contract on the offshore detention centers located in Papua New Guinea which, at $422 million over less than two years, is estimated by security experts to be inflated by $17 million per month, especially considering security officers employed by the company are paid $2 per hour.
Anees claims he is being abused by guards in the onshore detention centre, and that he is being denied medical care in retaliation for the allegation.


text:
Q: Ubuntu 22.04 Qemu Could not access KVM kernel module: Permission denied I am trying to setup Windows 10 with GPU passthrough with this guide. When I launch the domain it throws KVM kernel error. VM without passthrough worked flawlessly.
output of ls -ld /dev/kvm
crw-rw-rw-+ 1 root kvm 10, 232 sep  8 17:42 /dev/kvm
contents of /etc/udev/rules.d/65-kvm.rules
KERNEL=="kvm", GROUP="kvm", MODE="0666"
note: I had to create this file by myself
contents of /var/log/libvirt/qemu/win10.log
...
-device ich9-intel-hda,id=sound0,bus=pcie.0,addr=0x1b \
-device hda-duplex,id=sound0-codec0,bus=sound0.0,cad=0,audiodev=audio1 \
-chardev spicevmc,id=charredir0,name=usbredir \
-device usb-redir,chardev=charredir0,id=redir0,bus=usb.0,port=2 \
-chardev spicevmc,id=charredir1,name=usbredir \
-device usb-redir,chardev=charredir1,id=redir1,bus=usb.0,port=3 \
-device virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.4,addr=0x0 \
-sandbox on,obsolete=deny,elevateprivileges=deny,spawn=deny,resourcecontrol=deny \
-msg timestamp=on
audio: Could not init `spice' audio driver
audio: warning: Using timer based audio emulation
Could not access KVM kernel module: Permission denied
2022-07-14T17:59:18.594088Z qemu-system-x86_64: -accel kvm: failed to initialize kvm: Permission denied
2022-07-14 17:59:18.676+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-08-25 09:53:10.580+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 13:58:04.803+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 14:18:31.434+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 14:32:29.145+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 14:42:06.994+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 14:44:22.631+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 14:54:31.428+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 15:15:21.686+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 15:17:29.841+0000: shutting down, reason=failed
2022-09-08 15:42:04.487+0000: shutting down, reason=failed

other logs seem to be fine
Trying this on Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H
Could it be caused by Spice audio driver not initializing?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


❶The nature of abortion rights can be broken out into three different perspectives; the protection of unwanted social parenthood; the unwanted genetic parenthood and the right to bodily autonomy.
Julia also did a big favor to a lot of environmentalists out there, because she showed other people that it is meaningful. Julia was successful in many levels. She was successful in not having the tree removed. She was also successful that she intrigued another activists to fight strongly for what they believe.
To all people there is a specific issue that triggers a fighter inside of them. There are many issues nowadays for particularly anything. When I searched the Internet for an issue that intrigues me, I found something that is not solved yet and I wanted to share my opinion about it.
The issue that I chose is Abortion Rights. It is about the limitation of having women to abort. A lot of people are fighting for women to have the freedom of having abortions and there are others who are fighting to end abortion. The key point of ending this issue is knowing when does the fetus come to life. People want to know when is the right time in having an abortion. As of now in the U. I am not in favor of abortion rights.
People tend to have an abortion because they are not ready to take care of the baby or it is not its time. There are many choices they could choose but abortion should not be one of them. There are a lot of people that want children in their lives. People who want to have an abortion should think of giving up the baby for adoption, foster care, and many organizations that could help the baby to a better life, not end it.
I agree that the person should have the right to have an abortion unless the fetus came to life. However, according to the article I read, you cannot know when is the fetus alive. Some people say that the fetus is alive from the moment of conception, some say when the fertilized egg is implanted in the womb, some say when he start to move, and it goes on from various of point of views.
The moral question on both sides of the abortion argument is when a fetus achieves personhood and is awarded moral status thus granting it rights.
How do we begin to answer this highly debated question and what conclusions can be made that have the most logical ethical answer? The difficulty in answering the issue of fetal personhood is that there is not one concrete indication of when that actually occurs in pregnancy.
Pro- Life supports the position that personhood occurs immediately at conception thus granting the fetus full rights as a person born. Should anyone or any entity force a person to give up their decision to do what they seem fit with their own body?
What precedents does that set forth for the future for women? The nature of abortion rights can be broken out into three different perspectives; the protection of unwanted social parenthood; the unwanted genetic parenthood and the right to bodily autonomy.
The burdens of social parenthood weigh heavily on the woman who is forced to endure a pregnancy. These burdens can be detrimental to mental and physical health and psychological harm is likely to damage the child that is brought into a situation not fully embracing or prepared to care for its needs. Through abortion, a woman has the right to prevent the existence of a child with her genetic characteristics. It is an essential part of her overall reproductive liberty to have either the right to or the right not to conceive children.
Manninen 37 However, once a child is born, then it becomes a moral subject with its full entitlement to personhood and you cannot kill a child with your genetic characteristics or to avoid the responsibility of social parenting. Are you morally obligated to submit to the unwanted bodily intrusion in order to support the life of another person?
The concept of forced violations of bodily autonomy is morally indefensible. This has nothing to do with the value of the fetus in general but the right not to be subject to the intrusion as the right to your body is exclusively yours. To make abortion illegal is to force pregnant women to surrender their own bodies to provide another human being all its needs for survival.
Manninen 40 The women essentially become hosts to the fetuses and are used to cultivate life. A blastocyst or a human zygote does not have the full characteristics of what human beings have. It cannot function on its own, communicate or have a consciousness attributed to it.
It merely possesses the potential to form into personhood and ultimately a human life. No actual person is harmed by having an abortion so there is no reason that the act in itself is morally bad. Pro Life gains its understanding through what is commonly known as the substance view. This means that human life is valued for the type of thing it is from the moment of conception to its ultimate demise. Human beings are considered rational moral agents that are consistent with its original substance but possess capabilities that give it the ability to function.
Since human beings are considered living organisms, as substances they maintain their identity throughout the process of their life regardless of the physical changes that occur. Thus human beings are always considered persons because of their potential to develop abilities.
In addition, humans are also considered persons even if the potential never actualizes because their overall substance. The substance theory extends not only to the unborn fetus, but to other humans who for whatever reason are prevented from exercising their capabilities as a functioning person.
These types of persons have similar parallels to the unborn because they have achieved personhood and full moral status simply because of being human. The rationale behind the substance theory is if it is permissible to kill the unborn fetus then it is equally permissible to kill a person unable to exercise their capabilities as a functioning person.
Thus abortion is morally wrong. Another argument in the abortion debate is the precise moment when personhood is achieved. The Pro-Life position stems from the moment of conception because the zygote contains all of the chromosomes for human life. Some of the chromosomes have not been used yet since human life is in its beginning stages and does not require all of them at this time. In addition to the scientific perspective to the pro-life position is the religious perspective that a higher power, God, created all life and humans do not have a right to take the power of God in their hands and destroy it.
People who have this theory base it off the teachings of Scripture contained within the Bible. An example passage is:. Psalm again makes clear that the fetus unborn baby is a human whom God loves. Therefore since the fetus is considered a person, abortion is considered murdering a person and is ultimately wrong in the eyes of God.
When it comes to the topic of Abortion, my views align with the moderate view. I neither condemn nor condone abortion but my belief aligns itself with the reasoning that a woman has a right to choose what happens in her own individual body.
No woman should be forced to surrender her body in order to provide another human being its needs to survive. Without this fundamental protection securely in place, it sets a dangerous precedent for the abuse of women. It can be argued that if a woman must give up her body to sustain the life of another when it comes to reproductive rights, what about the means of other bodily rights such as organ donation, bone marrow extraction and other harvesting means?
To reverse the pro-choice decision is reducing women from being independent beings to being merely hosts and have less rights then the potential for a human has.
In addition, no woman should be forced to continue with a pregnancy she does not want, can cause her medical harm, or is a result of a violent crime. The physical and psychological damage that can be inflicted from forcing women to continue with unwanted pregnancies is too horrible to consider. As a mother to three children, I certainly do know the varying physical changes as a result of pregnancy.
- The Abortion Debate in the Presidential Election Abortion is a major issue that affects individual lives daily. It has become a debatable factor in determining the solution in having the free choice for a woman to abort their unborn baby.
Abortion is a very controversial matter in our society. In the United States it is legal to abort a baby up until the day of birth. An abortion is the ending of pregnancy before birth which results in the death of an embryo or a fetus.
People who are in favor of abortion mainly argue about that people should have the choice of keeping the baby or not and people who are not in favor of abortion do not want to end a human being's life. The key point of ending this issue is knowing when does the fetus come to life. People want to know when is the right time in having an abortion. Argumentative Essay on Abortion. The abortion debate is an ongoing controversy, continually dividing Americans along moral, legal and religious lines. Most people tend to assume one of two positions: "pro-life" (an embryo or fetus should be given the right to gestate to term and be born.
The Abortion Debate Essay Words | 7 Pages. No matter where you stand on the issue, abortion is a highly debated topic in today's society. In this essay I will examine both sides of the abortion issue. I will begin with a brief overview of the abortion debate, to include the morality of the situation. Next I will discuss the Pro-Life argument. Is Abortion Wrong or is it Right? Essay - Abortion is defined as: "the termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival." However, if only the debate over the abortion issue was .


PJSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) shipped the first batch of rolled products with new consumer properties. Improved quality characteristics of hot-rolled sheet metal are obtained through the use of a unique technology which cleans scale from the surface of the sheet.
Read more at MMK expands its range of metal products with high added value.


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Isla de Gargalo (en francés: Île de Gargalo; en corso: Isula di Gargali) es una isla que es parte de la reserva natural de Scandola, al sureste de la país europeo de Francia en la región de Córcega.

Su cumbre está dominada por una antigua torre genovesa. El faro está situado en el extremo oeste.

Se le conoce por los nombres de Gargalo, Gargali o Gargalu (dependiendo de la fuente del mapa).

Véase también
 Geografía de Francia
 Geografía de Europa

Referencias

Archipiélagos e islas del mar Mediterráneo de Francia
Islas deshabitadas de Francia


For an upcoming birthday celebration, I want to use starfish as food label holders to place in front of the platters on the food buffet but I only have one starfish so today I'm going to make a mould of it so that I can cast as many as I need. When you need to reproduce an object in quick time, then EasyMold Silicone Putty is a great choice for making your mould.
There are three parts to this tutorial: making the mould, casting the starfish in resin and finally, colouring the starfish.
Place the two parts together and begin to blend them.
and then roll it into a ball.
Flatten it so that it is large enough to fit over the starfish.
and push the putty onto the surface making sure you press it all the way around to pick up all the detail. Try to keep the mould at least 6mm (1/4") thick, especially over the high points so that they don't make a hole. Now leave the mould to cure for 25 minutes.
Once it's cured, you'll be able to easily remove the starfish by gently pulling the putty away on all sides.
Note: I've found it best to leave the mould for 24 hours if you want to cast resin into it or you will end up with a very rough surface because of the gas that is given off whilst the putty is curing. If you're working with clay though, it's OK to use your mould straight away.
I'm casting with Castin'Craft's FastCast urethane resin. It's fast curing so it's perfect when you need a quick result. You have only a couple of minutes from the time you pour the two components together until it begins to gel, so you have to work quickly. We won't be adding any colourant to the resin because it cures white.
For this part you'll need the mould you made, FastCast, measuring cups and stir sticks or an acid brush. I've found these work better than a stir stick when you're mixing small amounts of FastCast.
Measure out equal quantities of Parts A and B.
The package instructions contain thorough instructions for mixing the resin but briefly, you need to stir thoroughly for at least 30 seconds, using either a disposable brush or a wooden stir stick, then pour the resin into a clean cup and use a clean brush/stir stick to mix it for another 30 seconds.
Pour the mixed resin to the top of the mould.
....right in front of your eyes!
It will only take around 10-15 minutes to harden depending on your room temperature. To remove the cast from the mould, just gently pull back the silicone on all sides and pull the starfish out.
Here's the original starfish on the left and the cast resin piece on the right.
Cut a slit across the top with a coping saw, just wide enough and deep enough to sit a card in.
And then to give the starfish an opulent look, spray paint it with gold paint. I used a bright gold.
And now it's ready to serve!
These starfish food label holders are perfect for a Hawaiian themed buffet. I'm really happy with how they've turned out.
I'll be posting more Hawaiian themed party decor in the coming months, so keep an eye out.


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The Lions of Howard
The Life & Times of the Howard High School Community
August 31, 2016 August 31, 2016 Principal Novak
Sports Reporter Preview: Kennedy vs Schwartz
NOTE-We at Howard and in the Howard County community have been fortunate to have outstanding coverage of athletics from the Howard County Times staff. They do a phenomenal job of highlighting student athlete's accomplishments, getting to know the coaches and students they work with, and promoting spirit and spectatorship across the county. They also like to have a little fun, so, it is with that spirit in mind, that we present our season previews:
Tim Schwartz Preview
by Michael Duffy, AAM
Entering his third season working the sports department at the Howard County Times, Tim Schwartz is looking to break through this year. Tim will again be responsible for covering volleyball, football, wrestling, tennis, and boys' lacrosse. After a disappointing 3rd place finish among favorite Howard County Times sports reporters in 2015-2016, Schwartz feels that this will be his year to stand atop the podium. When asked what will make this year different, he said, "Sure Monica (D'Ippolito) gets video of every goal, and Brent (Kennedy) has every student in Howard County stalking him; but I believe my postgame interviews will be what puts me over the top. Neither of them can show the human side of high school athletics like I can." He also stated that he bought a new hat and thinks that the wardrobe change could be beneficial to his overall coverage. "The old one was kind of gross and people could not stop staring at it. I think it distracted them and the interviews suffered as a result."
Schwartz, a 2009 Reservoir graduate, believes his success will rest on his ability to improve on last year's Periscope shortfalls. "Yeah, I know a lot of times my Periscope skills looked like the phone was attached to my head as I was doing jumping jacks. I worked all summer on trying to maintain a steady hand while filming." Look for Tim's Periscope coverage during tight games this fall to help him take the next step in his reporting development.
Though no AAMs would speak about him on the record, several did state they felt his coverage had improved since his early years. Perhaps what will continue to separate him from other reporters is that he has not played favorites and covers all the teams in Howard County. With his drive to improve and work towards stories that highlight the best in Howard County high school sports, we feel that 2016-2017 could be the year of Tim Schwartz.
Brent Kennedy Preview
by Nick Novak, Principal
Beginning his fifth year as sports editor at the Howard County Times, Brent Kennedy is looking to build on a successful 2015-2016 season that saw him record personal bests in retweets and a county record for number of students "stalking" him on social media and in real life. The 2002 Howard grad will be flexing his journalistic prowess through his coverage of golf, boys soccer, boys basketball, and softball.
Brent is optimistic about fixing some of the mistakes that marred an otherwise flawless season last year. "I spent way too much time last year stuck in traffic when I should have been sitting on the sideline in my lawn chair livetweeting a softball showdown," Kennedy shared. "I've been working over the summer to map out some shortcuts between schools and I downloaded the Waze app, so I'm hoping you won't find me caught in a back up on Route 32."
In addition to focusing on better navigation, Brent is also working to hone his video footage skills. Although he was great about capturing extended moments on Periscope, Kennedy struggled at times to get a clip of the winning goal, the buzzer beater, or the walk off hit. To improve his game, Brent enlisted the help of Howard County Times' resident expert in this area: Monica D'Ippolito. "Monica has this knack for knowing what's going to happen before it happens and getting it on film," Brent said. "I've been training with her all off-season and now I'm putting all her tips and suggestions to use on the golf course. It's a little slower than the other sports, but I've already found how easy it is to make sure I get a good angle on recording a drive or taking a picture of a birdie putt." Kennedy is hopeful that his success will translate to faster paced sports like soccer or basketball saying "I'm hopeful that my success will translate to faster paced sports like soccer or basketball."
Coaches and AAMs agree that the sky's the limit for Kennedy this year. With a renewed focus on the details and a social media game that scouts say is ready to blow up in a way we've never seen, Brent just might be working towards a unanimous selection to the All-Metro Sports Journalism Team!
Previous Back to School Shopping Tip
Howard High School Website
Lion's Pride Website
Music Boosters Website
School System Website


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10 brilliant ebooks that won't cost you a penny
By Tom May
Top-class reads to download today, with no strings attached.
Settling down with a good book can provide a much needed change of pace during lockdown. And don't worry if you're cash-strapped: there are plenty of ways to enjoy free ebooks that are totally legal.
For classic literature that's out of copyright, head to Project Gutenberg, which has more than 60,000 public domain works available for free. Meanwhile, if you belong to a public or school library, you'll also find more modern fare to download, via an associated service like Overdrive.
Most of the online ebook sellers, including Amazon, Google Play and Kobo, also offer a range of free ebooks, no strings attached. Plus there are individuals and companies who've make their ebooks available to download, free of charge: you find some of these in our list of free ebooks for artists and designers.
Since the lockdown, a lot of extra ebooks have been made available for free, and we present our 10 favourites below. Note that these are all free at time of press, but that may change, so you might not want to hang around. If you're looking to buy yourself an ebook, check out our best ereaders article.
Free from Amazon
Amazon is currently making a number of ebooks and digital magazines available for free download here. They're all designed for Kindle, but if you don't have a Kindle device you can still read them on the Kindle app, which is free to download for iOS and Android.
Amazon's selection of freebies includes children's books, school books, popular fiction, books on professional development, and books on health, home and lifestyle topics. Here are our four top picks for free Amazon ebooks.
01. Overthinking: How to Eliminate Anxiety
(Image credit: Robin McGill)
One of the biggest causes of stress, anxiety and procrastination, according to author Robin McGill, is our tendency to overthink things. But how do you train your brain to avoid doing so? In this self-improvement book, he outlines some practical strategies, including meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing and ETF.
Download the book here
02. Declutter Your Life
Decluttering has become a big trend in recent years and here's your guide to what's behind it. As author Gill Hasson explains, taking back control over your life is not just about throwing stuff away, but fundamentally changing your relationship with the things you own. This calm and measured book offers plenty of ideas, advice, tips and techniques to help you get there.
03. The Year without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work
(Image credit: Jossey-Bass)
WordPress is the open source system that powers 20 per cent of all websites today. This book shares the secrets of the organisation's success, and you don't have to be a techie to enjoy it. Indeed this candid story of what transpired when Scott Berkun left Microsoft to work at WordPress offers valuable insights about creativity, productivity, and leadership that anyone can be inspired by.
04. 30-Second London
You may have visited London, or even lived there, but how much do you know about the place? This book by Edward Dennison traces the history of one of the most diverse cities on Earth and looking at the forces that shaped it, from early Neanderthal settlements on the banks of the Thames to today's vast metropolis.
Free from Google Play
Google Play has made a number of its ebooks free to download from the Google eBookstore, covering both fiction and non-fiction. Here are three top picks we think are particularly worth checking out.
05. American Dream: Interviews with Industry-Leading Professionals
(Image credit: Navallo Publishing)
Want to become a success? Then you'll want to hear the best advice from people who've already made it. In this book, Jason Navallo brings together six in-depth interviews with leading professionals across a number of fields, to provide you with the inspiration, and motivation you need to achieve your goals.
06. How Not To Worry
Best-selling author Paul McGee believes that worrying too much can be debilitating and destructive. In this self-help book, he exposes the behavioural traps we fall into when faced with challenges, and offers practical tools and ideas to deal with our worries in a more constructive way.
07. Plant-Based Eating
(Image credit: BenBella Books)
Right now, we're all taking a step back to reassess our lives, and what we eat is an important part of that. If you're thinking of going vegan but don't know where to start, this excellent book of nearly 50 recipes from BenBella will give you plenty of ideas for tasty meals.
Free from the web
08. Manuscript Found in Accra
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian writer whose 1988 novel Alchemist sold 35 million copies and is the most translated book in the world by a living author. In response to the pandemic crisis, he recently posted a number of his works on his website for people to download freely. Our favourite is Manuscript Found in Accra, a philosophical tale set on the eve of Jerusalem's conquest by the Crusaders in 1099AD.
09. Coronavirus: a Book for Children
(Image credit: Nosy Crow)
The author behind The Gruffalo, Axel Scheffler has recently released a book for children explaining everything they need to know about Coronavirus, and made it free for anyone to read on screen or print out. With expert input from Professor Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, as well as two head teachers and a child psychologist, the book answers key questions in simple language that's appropriate for five- to nine-year-olds.
10. The Remote Playbook
We're all learning how to work in remote teams right now. So where better to get advice than the world's largest remote-working company? The Remote Playbook from GitLab outlines the key steps every remote worker and manager should take, and offers tried and tested tactics for building remote fluency.
Creative Bloq created this content as part of a paid partnership with Adobe Stock. The contents of this article are entirely independent and solely reflect the editorial opinion of Creative Bloq.
The best power banks deals: Anker, Maxoak and RAVPower devices at low prices
Cheap AirPods: The best deals on AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max
Apple reveals plans for something 'bigger and better' than a new product


When you think of Australia you naturally think of snow. Or not, if you happen to be a sane person who has actually ever heard of Australia before. In reality, when you think of excursions in Melbourne or anywhere in Australia, really, you think of a sun-scorched land where the GDP can be measured in SPF and the national bird is the fried chicken. In reality, however, Australia's southern hemisphere has a long tradition of skiing and is home to a winter-long top notch snowfield that any skier would be happy to swish down.
Australia's snowfields are only a short drive from Melbourne and provide the world class skiing opportunities that has ensured an Australian skier has earned at least one medal in every Olympic games (ok, just the winter ones) since 1998 and their fair share before that as well. If you're not the type to spend a week on the slopes then consider the closest skiing destination to Melbourne: Mt. Baw Baw. So close that one of our give us a call, buses, vans or sedans can reach it in a mere two hours, Mt Baw Baw is a popular destination for families and tour groups and perfect for a day tour. Head to the slopes, carve up some powder and head home. And don't be afraid to go all-out on the slalom. You won't need to spare your legs for the ride home when we've got you covered!
A day on the slopes has a lot to recommend it. First of all, when was the last time you enjoyed natures own air conditioning? The snowfields are, indeed, one of the few places you can really enjoy the cold in Australia. And nothing goes better with the cold than a dip in a jacuzzi. You simply have not lived until you've seen the snow evaporating above you as you laze in hot water. It gives the impression of bathing in a reverse snowglobe. Combine this with the sunset over a mountain, a bottle of your favorite vintage and a loved one and you have the makings of some incredible memories.
B esides the picturesque quality, think of the health benefits of a day of activity instead of sitting in front of the television. Telling kids they get to go play in the snow is a great way to get them out of the house and, really, who doesn't enjoy building a snowman or tossing snowballs in an imaginary war? For an added bonus, you can be completely antisocial and lie in wait by the side of the slopes and ambush the unimaginative, boring skiers as they wind their peaceful way down the mountain. That'll show the fools to keep their guard down. Never know when troublemakers are about. Unless you are the troublemakers, of course.
In all seriousness, though, even with the popularity of the snowfields they are still not appreciated nearly enough. The snowfields are only really suitable for most activities during the southern winter, so bundle up and give us a call. We love to bring you to and from the mountain and we don't mind a little powder in the back seat.


After the World Cup in Germany in 2006, FIFA devised a new business strategy which entailed a new sponsoring structure consisting of the following three categories of sponsors: FIFA Partners, FIFA World Cup Sponsors and National Supporters.
The spots for the 'gold category', FIFA Partners, are limited to six businesses which benefit from the closest link of all sponsors with the FIFA and its events (tournaments, official or friendly matches, conferences, etc.). They further play a "wider role in supporting the development of football all around the world, from grassroots right up to the top level at the FIFA World Cup".
The second, 'silver' category is comprised of the sponsors of a World Cup. Such an engagement is for a limited time only as it entitles the companies to global rights to one FIFA Confederations Cup and one FIFA World Cup only. Benefits include the use of the strong FIFA brand in all marketing communications in the run-up and during a tournament, exclusive marketing opportunities, media presence, as well as tickets and hospitality offers at the events.
The National Supporter level is the final level of FIFA's sponsorship structure. This 'bronze' category is tailored to sponsors with roots in the host country which own the rights to communicate their association with FIFA within the domestic market.
FIFA and its events are strong brands with a global reach. A sponsor's partnership with such a potent partner can therefore leverage worldwide brand awareness. In addition, people will ideally create associations in their mind between the sponsoring brand and the attributes of FIFA and its tournaments (for example fun, patriotism, sportiveness, globalisation, competitiveness).
FIFA's sponsorship structure guarantees to each sponsor exclusivity within its product category (only one soft drink producer, only one car manufacturer, only one airline, etc.). This allows the sponsors to distinguish themselves from competitors in their industries.
Even though a lot of products are marketed worldwide with reference to a FIFA tournament, only a selected handful of companies can call themselves 'official World Cup sponsors' and can use the official FIFA logo throughout their marketing activities. These sponsors are protected by FIFA and all other companies have to comply with the strict rules set by FIFA in order to avoid confrontation with the powerful football association.
Who's sponsoring the World Cup 2014?
As previously stated, the six top-tier partners – Adidas, Coca-Cola, KIa/Hyundai, Emirates, Sony and VISA – have signed long-term agreements with FIFA which last for 4 years. They pay a combined $177 million annually. World Cup Sponsors collectively transfer $524 million to the accounts of FIFA and about $120 million are earned from Brazilian National Supporters.


Mad Cow Cutlery is family owned and managed commercial cutlery and restaurant utensils business dedicated to providing the highest quality products and top rated customer service. Product selection and quick shipping are a top priority.
Our lines represent some of the best known brands in the world, and have a reputation for quality and dependability. No matter how many knives you need, Mad Cow Cutlery is capable of fulfilling your demands. We stock complete lines in our newly constructed warehouse in central Texas. When you purchase from Mad Cow Cutlery you know you are getting authentic products with full warranty protection. We are authorized dealers of all the brands we sell.


The ARVA Picture Pro Model Pack 1831 cu in is perfect for a quick tour or just spending the day in the backcountry building a kicker with your buddies. A tough 350D nylon ripstop shell keeps all of your bag's contents safe, while the recycled polyester lining helps cut down your carbon footprint. While there's plenty of room for beers, a hydration compatible system will ensure you get your fill of high-quality H2O, which is an especially good thing at altitude. The strengthened, well-ventilated back and two contoured shoulder straps keep everything balanced and comfortable for both the hike up and the ride down. Friendly to both skiers and boarders, this pack has two sturdy carrying straps on the back, a shaft shovel holder, goggle pocket, and anatomical belt with accessory pocket.
The Arva Picture Pro Pack is not available from the stores we monitor. It was last seen January 9, 2018	at Backcountry.com.


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Image: N.Fuller, SayoStudio
In-home wireless device tracks disease progression in Parkinson's patients
By continuously monitoring a patient's gait speed, the system can assess the condition's severity between visits to the doctor's office.
Adam Zewe | MIT News Office • mit
Sept. 21, 2022 • 9 min • Source
Parkinson's disease is the fastest-growing neurological disease, now affecting more than 10 million people worldwide, yet clinicians still face huge challenges in tracking its severity and progression.
Clinicians typically evaluate patients by testing their motor skills and cognitive functions during clinic visits. These semisubjective measurements are often skewed by outside factors — perhaps a patient is tired after a long drive to the hospital. More than 40 percent of individuals with Parkinson's are never treated by a neurologist or Parkinson's specialist, often because they live too far from an urban center or have difficulty traveling.
In an effort to address these problems, researchers from MIT and elsewhere demonstrated an in-home device that can monitor a patient's movement and gait speed, which can be used to evaluate Parkinson's severity, the progression of the disease, and the patient's response to medication.
The device, which is about the size of a Wi-Fi router, gathers data passively using radio signals that reflect off the patient's body as they move around their home. The patient does not need to wear a gadget or change their behavior. (A recent study , for example, showed that this type of device could be used to detect Parkinson's from a person's breathing patterns while sleeping.)
The researchers used these devices to conduct a one-year at-home study with 50 participants. They showed that, by using machine-learning algorithms to analyze the troves of data they passively gathered (more than 200,000 gait speed measurements), a clinician could track Parkinson's progression and medication response more effectively than they would with periodic, in-clinic evaluations.
"By being able to have a device in the home that can monitor a patient and tell the doctor remotely about the progression of the disease, and the patient's medication response so they can attend to the patient even if the patient can't come to the clinic — now they have real, reliable information — that actually goes a long way toward improving equity and access," says senior author Dina Katabi, the Thuan and Nicole Pham Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and a principle investigator in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the MIT Jameel Clinic.
The co-lead authors are EECS graduate students Yingcheng Liu and Guo Zhang. The research is published today in Science Translational Medicine .
A human radar
This work utilizes a wireless device previously developed in the Katabi lab that analyzes radio signals that bounce off people's bodies. It transmits signals that use a tiny fraction of the power of a Wi-Fi router — these super-low-power signals don't interfere with other wireless devices in the home. While radio signals pass through walls and other solid objects, they are reflected off humans due to the water in our bodies.
This creates a "human radar" that can track the movement of a person in a room. Radio waves always travel at the same speed, so the length of time it takes the signals to reflect back to the device indicates how the person is moving.
The device incorporates a machine-learning classifier that can pick out the precise radio signals reflected off the patient even when there are other people moving around the room. Advanced algorithms use these movement data to compute gait speed — how fast the person is walking.
Because the device operates in the background and runs all day, every day, it can collect a massive amount of data. The researchers wanted to see if they could apply machine learning to these datasets to gain insights about the disease over time.
They gathered 50 participants, 34 of whom had Parkinson's, and conducted a one-year study of in-home gait measurements Through the study, the researchers collected more than 200,000 individual measurements that they averaged to smooth out variability due to the conditions irrelevant to the disease. (For example, a patient may hurry up to answer an alarm or walk slower when talking on the phone.)
They used statistical methods to analyze the data and found that in-home gait speed can be used to effectively track Parkinson's progression and severity. For instance, they showed that gait speed declined almost twice as fast for individuals with Parkinson's, compared to those without.
"Monitoring the patient continuously as they move around the room enabled us to get really good measurements of their gait speed. And with so much data, we were able to perform aggregation that allowed us to see very small differences," Zhang says.
Better, faster results
Drilling down on these variabilities offered some key insights. For instance, the researchers showed that daily fluctuations in a patient's walking speed correspond with how they are responding to their medication — walking speed may improve after a dose and then begin to decline after a few hours, as the medication impact wears off.
"This enables us to objectively measure how your mobility responds to your medication. Previously, this was very cumbersome to do because this medication effect could only be measured by having the patient keep a journal," Liu says.
A clinician could use these data to adjust medication dosage more effectively and accurately. This is especially important since drugs used to treat disease symptoms can cause serious side effects if the patient receives too much.
The researchers were able to demonstrate statistically significant results regarding Parkinson's progression after studying 50 people for just one year. By contrast, an often-cited study by the Michael J. Fox Foundation involved more than 500 individuals and monitored them for more than five years, Katabi says.
"For a pharmaceutical company or a biotech company trying to develop medicines for this disease, this could greatly reduce the burden and cost and speed up the development of new therapies," she adds.
Katabi credits much of the study's success to the dedicated team of scientists and clinicians who worked together to tackle the many difficulties that arose along the way. For one, they began the study before the Covid-19 pandemic, so team members initially visited people's homes to set up the devices. When that was no longer possible, they developed a user-friendly phone app to remotely help participants as they deployed the device at home.
Through the course of the study, they learned to automate processes and reduce effort, especially for the participants and clinical team.
This knowledge will prove useful as they look to deploy devices in at-home studies of other neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's, ALS, and Huntington's. They also want to explore how these methods could be used, in conjunction with other work from the Katabi lab showing that Parkinson's can be diagnosed by monitoring breathing, to collect a holistic set of markers that could diagnose the disease early and then be used to track and treat it.
"This radio-wave sensor can enable more care (and research) to migrate from hospitals to the home where it is most desired and needed," says Ray Dorsey, a professor of neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, co-author of Ending Parkinson's , and a co-author of this research paper. "Its potential is just beginning to be seen. We are moving toward a day where we can diagnose and predict disease at home. In the future, we may even be able to predict and ideally prevent events like falls and heart attacks."
This work is supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Reprinted with permission of MIT News
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