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Q: How to a get an array of 3D cameras to follow a Bezier curve in unity? I need to implement a manual Bezier curve script to a camera in my scene. I CANNOT use any methods provided by unity to implement the Bezier curve. I got the formula right but I don't know how to get a camera to follow the curve let alone 4. I could not do an array and just apply the script to each camera if that's an option. I got a lineRenderer script that show the curve:
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class Bezier : MonoBehaviour
{
    public LineRenderer lineRenderer;
    public Transform point0, point1, point2, point3;

    private int cPoints = 50;
    private Vector3[] positions = new Vector3[50];

    // Start is called before the first frame update
    void Start()
    {
        lineRenderer.positionCount = cPoints;
        DrawCubicCurve();
    }

    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update()
    {
        DrawCubicCurve();
    }

    private void DrawCubicCurve()
    {
        for (int i = 1; i < cPoints - 1; i++)
        {
            float t = i / (float)cPoints;
            positions[i - 1] = CalculateCubicBezierCurve(t, point0.position, point1.position, point2.position, point3.position);
        }

        lineRenderer.SetPositions(positions);
    }
    private Vector3 CalculateCubicBezierCurve(float t, Vector3 p0, Vector3 p1, Vector3 p2, Vector3 p3)
    {
        float u = 1 - t;
        float t2 = t * t;
        float uu = u * u;
        float uuu = uu * u;
        float t3 = t2 * t;

        Vector3 p = uuu * p0;
        p += 3 * uu * t * p1;
        p += 3 * u * t2 * p2;
        p += t3 * p3;

        return p;
    }

}

Then I have the script I am trying to make that camera move along such a curve:
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class CamBezier : MonoBehaviour
{
    public GameObject[] cam;
    public Transform point0, point1, point2, point3;

    private float cPoints = 50.0f;
    private Vector3[] positions = new Vector3[50];

    // Start is called before the first frame update
    void Start()
    {
        for (int i = 1; i < cam.Length - 1; i++)
        {
            float x = cam[i].transform.position.x;
            float y = cam[i].transform.position.y;
            float z = cam[i].transform.position.z;
        }
        DrawCubicCurve();
    }

    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update()
    {
        DrawCubicCurve();
    }

    private void DrawCubicCurve()
    {
        for (int i = 1; i < cam.Length - 1; i++)
        {
            float t = i / (float)cPoints;
            positions[i - 1] = CalculateCubicBezierCurve(t, point0.position, point1.position, point2.position, point3.position);

            cam.transform.position = positions;
        }

    }
    private Vector3 CalculateCubicBezierCurve(float t, Vector3 p0, Vector3 p1, Vector3 p2, Vector3 p3)
    {
        float u = 1 - t;
        float t2 = t * t;
        float uu = u * u;
        float uuu = uu * u;
        float t3 = t2 * t;

        Vector3 p = uuu * p0;
        p += 3 * uu * t * p1;
        p += 3 * u * t2 * p2;
        p += t3 * p3;

        return p;
    }
}

Again I CANNOT use any methods provided by unity to implement the Bezier curve. The goal is just to get a camera to move along the Bezier curve. Doing an array of them is extra.


I recently bought a Mamiya 645 AFD + 80mm 2.8 + Leaf Valeo 17wi back.
When I'm taking a portrait shot with it, and focussing on the eyes, the tip of the nose is sharp.
At first I thought it was me focussing bad, or the model moving, but back home I did some focus test, it was clear that it was not my fault.
The camera has some major front focus problems, is there any way I can fix this? I've put a lot of my savings into this project, I hope that not all my money is waisted now..
Check the photo: focussed on the phone, but the dust blower in front of it is sharp. Hope someone has a solutions for this!
It works best if you have more than one lens (to eliminate the lens) and if you contact your dealer they may be able to test with a different body (to eliminate the body).
Hi, I just came back from Eyes on Media (a dutch PhaseOne/Mamiya dealer).
Does anyone know if I can fix this problem myself?
It looks like the Valeo needs to be re-focused.
Your dealer can arrange for this service.
Hi, thanks for the response. Just also got another response from the dealer, he said Yair could calibrate it.
He said it's gonna cost around 600 euro's. I just graduated from the photo academy and spent all my savings in this setup and can't afford to get it fixed 600 euro's. Isn't there really nothing I can do myself?
Unfortunately Yair can not do this and nor can you. It has to go in to a special rig with microscope to be adjusted correctly.


The NSW Parliament has an Inquiry into Elder Abuse considering the scale of financial abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse and neglect, and any further protections needed. Submissions are due by 15 November. Details HERE.


Paris (AFP) - Wedged between green groups and the agriculture lobby, an EU members expert committee punted a vote Wednesday on proposals to extend the European license for the controversial weedkiller glyphosate, set to expire at the end of the year.
Lawsuits and a raging dispute on both sides of the Atlantic have centred on whether the herbicide causes cancer and should be banned.
First marketed in 1974, glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup and other weedkillers. Available in generic form since 2000, it is the most commonly used herbicide in the world.
Studies of potential toxicity have focused mainly on exposure of agricultural workers, and laboratory experiments with animals.
In March 2015, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate "as probably carcinogenic to humans."
The IARC cited "limited evidence" the weedkiller caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma in humans, and "sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals."
Glyphosate is classified just below "carcinogenic" in a five-tiered scale in which the lowest threat level is "probably not carcinogenic".
A committee of 17 experts from 11 countries arrived at this conclusion after a year-long review of government reports and peer-reviewed scientific studies.
That bombshell finding has energised an aggressive grassroots campaign -- back by environmental groups such as Greenpeace -- to ban the herbicide.
In France, the ministers of health and environment have both called for a rapid phase out.
Importantly, the IARC's mission is to identify substances that may cause cancer in humans, not to measure cancer risk.
In October 2015, the other shoe dropped: the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) determined that the weedkiller "is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans."
Available evidence did not support a causal link "between exposure to glyphosate and the development of cancer in humans," it said in a much anticipated report.
Similarly, a multi-agency UN panel on pesticide residue likewise concluded last year that the weedkiller is "unlikely" to pose a cancer risk through diet.
In the United States, meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency -- after briefly tagging glyphosate in 1985 as "possibly carcinogenic" to humans -- has failed to find a cancer link across three decades of reviews.
"In epidemiological studies, there was no evidence of an association between glyphosate exposure and numerous cancer outcomes," including stomach, colon, lung, kidney, prostate and brain cancers, the agency said last year.
For the single exception -- non-Hodgkin lymphoma -- there was "conflicting evidence," it said.
Critics have accused European and US health authorities of misreading data or bowing to pressure from industrial lobbies fighting to keep glyphosate-based herbicides on the market.
In May, the former director of the US National Center for Environmental Health, Christopher Portier, alleged in an open letter to the president of the European Commission that EFSA had underplayed some animal studies showing a clear cancer risk for humans.
"The evaluations applied to the glyphosate data are scientifically flawed," he wrote.
Portier and 100 other experts wrote a commentary last year in a peer-reviewed medical journal defending the IARC findings.
Defenders of the herbicide were quick to challenge Portier's motives, pointing to his links with a major anti-GMO green group in the United States, and his alignment with a ongoing lawsuit against Monsanto.
The IARC has come under attack as well.
A media report last week accused the agency of selectively deleting passages from its review that did not support the link with cancer.
The IARC rejected the claims, noting that the process was transparent and consensual, and that the passages in question were mostly from a single study authored by a Monsanto scientist.


Public liability insurance only pays for the lending party to share my lazy person's. Find a better rate. Even if it is electrically heated or not. There is no default from their list and systematic information in your "new vehicle for your low income auto insurance MI could impact your no claims." At minimum, liability policy may sound very simple: for instance, if you are in fact, if you wish to put that in the newspaper and from people around the city of 1.1 litres or lower. Vehicles that are not covered at the time I fill my tank I certainly notice the 1 or 2 for the damages but not all new circumstances could increase the premiums for automobile insurance, health insurance from them and so qualify for a frequent or regular user there are also varying degrees of each month.
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Zoom Rooms is a software-based video conferencing solution.
Shorten distances for communication with other employees, partners or customers who are in another country and have to communicate with them urgently.
"Can I hold legal consultation meetings via ZOOM Rooms?"
What I like the most of this product is that it is very easy to log in and the band with does not affect so much the connection.
Itrs free version is very good for temporary employees that are likely to use it not vey often.
Screens are very easy to share and all the fueatures it offers are very user friendly.
Recording a meeting for future reference is very simple and all participants can have a more active role in the meetings because ideas are contrasted in a very direct and dynamic way.
Even if the connection is poor and a video confecrence cannot be hold, the meeting may continue just with audio and the chat is very helpful to provide indications and directions in a milti participant meeting.
What I do not like so much about this product is the time limit it has when a meeting is hold with more than two participants in its free version. However, the room can be restarted and the meeting can continue.
Sometimes the sound quality is not very good if the connection is a bit poor.
This product is highly recommended to office tasks in a more efficient manner.
In my institution, we decided to start usind this product because the most salient benefit of this product is that meetings and consultations can be carried out with coworkers offsite and their input can be recorded for future reference.
"Zoom Rooms are very useful for a language class."
What I like best is the possibility this product gives teachers to interact live online with their students. In my personal case, Zoom Rooms has given me the chance to get to know my students better and it has enabled me to identify the areas in which I may be of help to them.
My students may pose a question and they receive an answer right away. By doing so, teachers may have present additional information to their students and students have the chance to get a more structured orientation.
What I don't like the most is the time limit in the free version for more than one participant per sessions.
I understand there shoul be a time limit, but I find it too short.
Sometimes it is necessary to break an idea and log out, then you have to log in again to complete that idea. In such case, the explanation does not get to be very clear becauise the pause hinders its understanding.
Some students may feel neglected or ignored if they are not notified previously about the time limit.
The teachers' and students' concertration in an activity may get lost so the purpose of the lesson may not be achieved with the same eficiency as if the lesson had no breaks at all.
They will find it very useful.
I have been able to assit my students with their doubts outside the regular classroom.
I like Zoom Rooms because it facilitates the creation of rooms for private meetings with only the people with whom I want to hold a conference. It is very easy to be able to share documents, images and videos quickly, which facilitates the ability to carry out dynamic conferences and improve the communication of what you want to transmit.
Cloud storage does not seem to work correctly since there is often an error when uploading files.
Zoom Rooms is a perfect solution for communication and conducting conferences between different departments of the same company.
We are very happy to be able to use this application because it has made it easier for us to hold conferences and meetings in a virtual way without having to have an excellent internet connection.
"From Tech-Wiz to Grandma, It Just Works"
When we share music and/or pre-recorded videos (e.g. YouTube) to our students, quality is not up to the standard set by the live audio/video. It's so distracting that we discourage presenters from making media-sharing part of their courses.
Prototype, prototype, prototype. Whenever implementing new technology, first impressions are so important. Zoom is SO easy to use, but it does not embrace user interface features that most people are familiar with (i.e. Mac OS conventions), so the more familiar YOU are with the interface, the better you can coach your users into a great first impression.
We produce live courses with hybrid audiences, in our classroom and around the world. Having the students connected in real time, face to face has provided immeasurable value to our student community.
"Zoom Makes Virtual Meetings A Breeze"
Zoom is great because it works on Linux! Which is awesome. But really it works on all OS's that I have tried it with and that's great. I use different platforms all the time, sometimes switching multiple times per day. It works with mobile to which is awesome.
Really, thus far the only thing I can say I dislike is that on occasion I have to reconfigure the audio codecs when I am using Zoom on Linux. I am not sure why this is the case but sometimes it just gets out of sync.
Give it a shot. Chances are you've attended a well run, technically perfect Zoom meeting already. See if it makes sense for your business.
The business problem solved by Zoom is location. Using Zoom location no longer becomes an impediment to doing business. Prospect in Los Angeles but you're based in NYC? No problem. WIth Zoom geographic challenges to getting deals done is a thing of the past. If you're good in sales that is.
"Zoom is easy and robust"
The clarity of the video is great and it is very easy to use! I have had groups from Australia, Canada and the US all on at the same time with no issues at all.
I have even used it to trouble shoot my mothers' computer issues because you can not only share screen you can take control of the other mouse..a huge bonus feature.
I wish the conferencing was included at the same price as zoom meetings. I wish I could set up automated reminder emails when setting up a meeting. For now only their webinar service offers that feature.
It would be nice to see some improvement on the landing page, by this I mean when people join a meeting, they get a bit confused about the soudn and video as this is not very clear. Some improvement here is needed.
If you are a coach, network marketer or small business trying to improve your communication with clients or your team, Zoom is a great solution.
I use it for coaching sessions and I love it because we can see each other and that makes a difference. We can share files, links, etc. and I can record the calls and use them for further training and learning.
I also use it to train our clients with screen share and record it. So they lean and have a reference video to go back to.
Lastly, we use it for group projects which allows us to all be in various locations, share files, links etc. We also use the whiteboard feature to illustrate ideas, etc. This is a fabulous feature.
If you do not have a cell phone to download the app, it does not matter because it can be used on the computer or on the tablet and it will have the same operation without affecting the communication of others or mine.
I like the fact that you can have a meeting almost anywhere. We use this for my Norwex team meetings. I have signed up for seminars that use it too. It's nice to be able to be in the comfort of my own home to attend a meeting or seminar.
People can see when you've put the sound on mute. It would be nice if there were a stealth mode. I've had my home phone ring and I muted my end so others couldn't hear the conversation but they could see it was muted.
If you want an easy way to connect your team, consider this product. It makes meetings and seminars a breeze.
Being able to have a meeting virtually anywhere is awesome. Everyone on the team is spread out so this is a nice alternative to an in person meeting.
"Zoom is the future of video and webinar "
Zoom has a very modern look when compared to other known video conferencing companies. Zoom has integrations to many major companies like Salesforce and Pardot which also makes it easy to track lead management and incorporate marketing campaigns. Zoom is also super easy to use - so from a training perspective - super simple.
Out of the box you are very limited with what you can utilize as far as marketing goes. There is only so much that you can edit in CSS. If you are looking for a more branded/personalized email campaign - which most companies are - you need to utilize an integration, etc.
Also price wise, Zoom is more expensive then it's competitors.
Again, it is important to think about what your end goal is when utilizing Zoom and what you are hoping to utilize. With that being said - you may need to take the route of using an integration versus relying on the platform itself. Also, for Zoom Webinar - you must purchase a larger package that includes 10 business accounts. They force you into these bundles to use some of their advanced features.
Video conferencing and webinar hosting.
"Great Video Solution; free or paid!"
The video and sound quality is some of the best I've seen available; having also used Join.me, many cam, skype, etc in the past. I also love how it works with tools like Facebook Live and OBS. In a video marketing realm, this enables users to use the tool in a variety of valuable ways that many similar products do not. I also like how it has "waiting rooms."
There's not much that I dislike; I would say that I would like to schedule recurring meetings farther out than they let you. I can't recall the limit, but I remember wondering why I couldn't go further.
Keep doing what you're doing! Would love to see you offer some more integrations; perhaps let people join meetings from slack. The UI could use some work; The menu bar is extremely large and clunky..When sharing your entire desktop, it ends up taking up HUGE real estate on the screen and blocking out crucial elements.. We have to keep moving it around; super frustrating. Zoom also really drains my laptop battery; not sure if there's a way to make the software less heavy.
With more than half of our team remote, Zoom helps us stay in contact with our team. It helps us feel like we're actually in the room together, especially when paired with the Owl Labs Owl camera.
Get the Polycom Trio so that you dont need an ipad in the room.
Our conference room is easy to use due to the fact that Zoom Rooms has minimized the amount of clicks that are needed to run a meeting, start a meeting, share your screen, see a schedule of upcoming meetings, etc.
Zoom is an excellent option for video conferencing, regardless of your size. Unlike many of its competitors, for small companies, there is a free option that allows you unlimited 1:1 meetings and short group meetings. I have never had a client have difficulty with the interface.
There really is nothing I don't like about Zoom.
There is absolutely no risk. You can get a full experience using the free version and upgrade from there as your needs dictate.
Meeting with clients "face to face" to review things (sharing screens back and forth). Much more personal than calls, much more productive than Facetime. Much more stable than Skype.
What I like best about Zoom is the ease of use. Anyone can use Zoom without any prior experience with it. It is very user friendly.
I have not encountered anything as a user that I dislike about Zoom.
Zoom Rooms is very easy to use. You can get started without the need for a lengthy training process. If the users have experience with any other platform, they will jump right in and figure this one out!
We can gather a group of participants quickly and easily to collaborate. We are able to share screens, speak to each other, and see each other just as if we were in a conference room. This has been very beneficial to my company which is a work-from-home based company. It allows people from all over the country to gather together within moments, whenever necessary.
We are running several Zoom Rooms across campus, and users unanimously love the system. Zoom Rooms directly integrate with our campus calendaring, so meetings can be scheduled with the normal workflow. Starting the meeting is as simple as pushing the single start meeting button that appears. It isn't magic but from the user perspective it might as well be with how easy it is to use.
There is a separate charge for the Zoom Room itself in addition to the Zoom pro license, but the cost is negligible and has not been a deciding factor in anyone saying no to using Zoom Rooms.
Campus houses 100+ medium- to large-size meeting rooms, each with a need to allow remote participants. Zoom Rooms have helped curb the prevalence of multiple solutions to the remote participant challenge, making supporting each individual user possible without having to learn every platform.
"I currently use Zoom Rooms a couple of times a month for work."
I really like the ease of being able to only share your presentation, mute/unmute, turn on/off the cameras of other participants. I also like how it automatically will record the meeting incase someone who was unable to join in, can later on.
When people have a hard time finding their "meeting ID" to login/join the meeting.
I think it helps to provide access for business that have multiple branches. For us, it allows all of our branches to come together for one meeting and makes things streamlined. I have realized that it allows everyone to be on the same page.
I am working in Global Dept. We manage all international grants for the Cronkite School. So we do have a lots of long distances meetings and workshops and I just love the zoom!
It is super easy to use anywhere in the world and t is very practical.
All the long distance meetings and even when we have some presentations we use the ZOOM for live streaming.
"Great Video conference (Beats Skype!_ "
I used this for some Video calls - many times it works smoother than Skype for calls with more than 4 people.
In my field, we work with people all over the state to put together data briefs on relevant substance use topics. In order to share info, and have a collaborative meeting, we use zoom. I like it because we can interact real time and literally point to/highlight/underline small details that can't be easily articulated over the phone.
Since we work with government offices, their computers have restrictions that have caused people to have issues logging into the meetings and they have to resort to using the telephone line instead.
Real-time collaboration. As I mentioned, when working with infographics, data, and other figures, it's difficult to articulate over the phone a specific object/data point even when each member has the figure in front of them when using a conference call option.
Extremely intuitive user experience. I was required to set up and join a conference with a very short window of time allotted - however I was able to do so very quickly using Zoom as it was very straightforward.
Also, the quality of the conference line was absolutely superb!
Hard to choose at the moment as I am relatively new to the software - so far so good.
We use it to collaborate and conference with one of our clients, they were the ones who introduced us to this solution.
The ease of starting a meeting is extremely helpful. I really like the iPad start screen. Also, when a meeting is about to start it lets you know who's meeting it is and when. Multiple users on at once and I see little video lag.
The outlook plugin is a little clunky. When using this plugin the amount of information sent to the invitees is a bit much. Audio lag happens at times, just not sure if it is related to our ISP.
The ease of use is by far the best.
Money savings. Keeping employees local rather than flying to other sites. This has saved several thousands on flights just this year within my group.
Video quality is great, Outlook calendar integration is handy. To me, the best feature is the ease of connecting users on a variety of devices. We can have a meeting in a conference room with users connecting in via laptop, telephone, or mobile device apps. Screen sharing is also simple to use.
My main complaint is the networking aspect, the computer used for the room needs to be on the same subnet as the tablet used for the room remote. In larger offices, with mulitple networks, wired and wireless, it is easy for them to be on separate subnets, even if on the same network. This can be solved by reserving static IPs in DHCP, but is hard to keep maintained when a device goes down. Users will often get messages that the room is unavailable and not know a clear way to resolve, which requires a constant support from IT.
The Zoom room setup can be costly, monthly fee is high per room, requires high-end PC, iPad for remote (although now I think Androids can be used) in addition to expensive cameras, microphone, speakers, and TV. Most of these will be required for any video conference room.
Make sure you are capable of putting wired and wireless devices on the same IP subnet.
Reducing travel time for meetings between offices, remote workers.
Easy to set up and use, calendar integration is easy, connection quality is good and stable, features are easy to navigate. Provides a great service at a low cost. Easy to invite participants. The mobile app is great for on the go conferencing.
Continuous need to update. The connection between the app and web version is glitchy sometimes.
Highly. Really easy to use.
Easy to navigate and use. Good quality video and audio.
The jump from 10 users to 100 - it's excessive and not helpful for smaller businesses.
For small scale online meetings Zoom is fantastic.
The ability to stay connected to remote employees easily.
"Excellent product and platform "
Offers simple, accessible and flexible video conferencing solution. The best feature is the dial in options for external meeting participants, especially for larger meetings (town hall style internal for example) across timezones, ensures all parties can effectively communicate.
Very little that I explicitly disliked, occasional issues with hardware would be all, however this can be mitigated easily by using the recommended set up.
Invest in a high quality dedicated hardware set up, the outlay is relatively minimal but will ensure smooth operation.
Key benefits were the seamless personal communication. For a global collaborative team, that allows flexibility (is. Via cellular dial into meeting feature) that is unprecented in how simple it is to set up and use. Very and almost no user adoption or tech support cases raised, a stark contrast to experience with Skype for business.
"Zoom has been an effective tool in my workplace."
We use Zoom a lot for online interviews. It's very convenient and is super easy for applicants to follow along with. The chat tool is also super nice.
I wish that you didn't have to have a desktop app to run the program. Just being able to log in online (like appear.in) would be a nice feature.
Take some time to play around with the software and find all of the features that it offers.
It allows us to interview people from all over the world and host video chats. Easy to get in touch with people and share information.
I like for a act that the system is on point and has all the features needed for remote meetings. Also the audio detecting and showing who is talking all the a time is really good.
Zoom is an all in one solution for remote meetings. I would recommend them.
Educating and training my team who are currently far away. It helps increase our productivity and speed of work.
"Zoom is good for small conferences"
Zoom has good sound and video quality. I like being able to record and screen share. I like being able to see some participants.
I dislike how complicated it is to get sound working when using various equipment like external speakers, microphones, projectors. There have been times when wanting to screenshare a YouTube video and the participants could not hear the sound of the video.
Give it a try for video conferencing, but not for webinars.
Being able to video conference with zoom is helpful. Being able to screen share and record is also helpful.
"Available to use for good meeting at distance!"
I can use for distance meeting and sharing of screen as well as documents.
For site survey i ask my employee to use it on phone and show work progress and verify with our plan.
There are same products in market available with same or more features for low cost. I can also ask developers to create software to develop which is something i needed for only few features to reduce cost of applying for periodic installment.
Many time i have to communicate to site engineer or manager for review of work or future planning of work, i use Zoom rooms for like conference. I have also used it to survey site of project and also to verify work and make future plans.
"Good way to connect with team members around the world"
The ability to see a team members reaction live -- something that's not possible with just phone calls.
The video is not always the most flattering. You need ideal lighting and camera position. I wish Zoom could create a filter that would make people look better.
I like that there is a Zoom app so you can join meetings right from your phone, or your desktop. You also have the option to just dial in if you don't have Internet connections.
Discussing an issue together as one.
"Always Asks to Be Updated"
I like that Zoom allows you to share your screen and also take over another person's screen. It makes working with remote people much easier.
I dislike that it's always asking to be updated and sometimes has glitches.
It can be glitchy but is better than any other video conferencing software.
The business problems I am solving with Zoom Rooms is the ability to stay connected with my remote team member. The benefits I have realized are being able to work together while not physically together easily.
You will love the ability to start meetings without help.
"Good for larger meeting rooms"
I like the fact that we have a large screen with everyone on it. I like that a person sharing their screen can project it to the tv screen.
The way the room are designed, sometimes the cameras are at the far end of a long table, so you really only see the folks in the front.
It's made it easier to have meeting with colleagues who work from home or are in other offices.
"Best Video Conferencing Software I Have Used"
Maybe provide for whiteboarding and geolocation detection (so, more collaborative functionalities)? I don't dislike anything.
"Zoom Rooms bring your teams together"
With just a little expense you can bring teams from multiple locations together for very productive meetings.
We installed two wall TV's, a microscope, white board, an ipad, and pc all together in one room. If the other end is 1 person we used a pc camera and microphone, if the other end is more than one we installed either a large lcd monitor or a tv, speaker phone etc.
the process is a little hard to set up depending on your environment. We have multiple platforms to include so it took some time.
Worth the effort to set up.
Doctors from multiple sites can look at the same slide right away and discuss.
"Useful for productivity and connection with outreach offices. "
My agency has three geographically distant offices but often must work together as one team; this program facilitates that with ease.
Because we're a non-profit we use the cheapest possible options and this one kicks us out at an hour and we have to restart. It's a minor inconvenience.
Team facetime despite geographic distance. It helps a great deal with communication to have multiple ways to touch base.
"Zoom voice dropouts and echoes"
Easy to connect for our classes. Easy to advise our students of Zoom link. We can talk to and see students and they can talk to and see us.
It's really easy to figure out and use-and it's easy to explain to others.
Nothing really. I've been lucky enough not to have any trouble with it.
Definitely give it a look over-it's worth the effort.
Benefits-easier to get everyone together. It's a very reliable, simple program.
I love how easy it is to schedule meetings and encourage remote participation.
I dislike that the camera defaults to switching to the active speaker. I would prefer that it be pinned to the room by default.
100% Participation in meetings can be hard to attain with a team that covers 24 hours. The ability for remote participation with ease has been a gamechanger.
Great way to bring people together on calls.
I don't have anything much negative to say.
"Discuss on a topic separately with members within a Video-Conference"
The concept of having rooms to discuss on a particular topic or anything that would need specific/private chat , this is a great option.
That the host gets to control all the chat rooms and can have total access over it.
The ease of use in a classroom setup and for online classes and meetings.
Users, quite often, seem to use links for old meetings when joining.
It's a great next step up from Google Hangouts if you need video recording and landline options.
"Easy to use and very effective"
* We monitor all Zoom Rooms reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. Validated reviews require the user to submit a screenshot of the product containing their user ID, in order to verify a user is an actual user of the product.
Hi there! Are you looking to implement a solution like Zoom Rooms?


text:
Q: Kubuntu Problem when Installing - metalink unable to download therefore ISO
Possible Duplicate:
Wubi fails to install Kubuntu: "cannot download metalink…"

I installed ubuntu with no errors, when I try to install Kubuntu using wubi.exe
I get this:
    An error occured:
Cannot download the metalink therefore the ISO

For more information please see the log file:
c:\users\dell\appdata\local\temp\wubi-12.04-rev265.log

Any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

A: This could be a bug. Also version of wubi and kubuntu is not mentioned in question.
Follow below steps,

*

*Download kubuntu ISO → http://www.kubuntu.org/getkubuntu

*Download appropriate wubi version.

*Put them in same folder.

*Run wubi.

A: Both the kubuntu download links in the installer are dead links:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/12.04/kubuntu-12.04-desktop-i386.metalink
http://releases.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/12.04/kubuntu-12.04-desktop-amd64.metalink
There is a current confirmed but unassigned bug for this:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/wubi/+bug/1004173

*

*I would have thought getting hesitant Windows users to more easily try out Kubuntu would be a reasonable priority, but I suppose the priority is on Ubuntu, and that works fine.

Putting an ISO in the wubi folder works great in the mean time.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Android adding custom view dynamically I' m trying to add my custom PostLayout class, it adds first one but after that it crashes with this error;
java.lang.IllegalStateException: The specified child already has a parent. You must call removeView() on the child's parent first.

    FragmentPostLayout = (LinearLayout) view.findViewById(R.id.HomeFragmentGenerateLayout);
    PostLayout postlayout = new PostLayout(context);
    for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
        FragmentPostLayout.addView(postlayout, i - 1);//where it crashes when i=1

A: This error usually is caused because you're adding a view that is already on the screen.
On the first loop of your iteration you add the PostLayout, and on the second you try re-adding it - and that's why the loop crashes when the index is 1.
Try creating a new post layout every time:
for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
    MyView view = new MyView(context);
    ParentView.addView(view);


text:
Word!
I used to write a lot of poetry when I was in my teen-aged years. Some of it was traditional rhymed poetry, some of it poetry with a purpose (a letter to my mother, an apology, an explanation of me) but a lot of my writing dealt with my teen aged unhappiness.
I have no idea of the teen aged experiences of others. I don't know if there were all those "fun drunken times", "make out sessions" or whatever other stories that may or may not have been have embellished in retrospection. I participated in none of these activities. While my younger brother and sister seemed to have more active social lives, I cried and wrote. I was certain that I would be an unloved misfit for all of my life.
Yesterday, I had a new experience at the Writers' Festival. Word is a showcase of young (25-30)
spoken word artists, most of whom started out in poetry slams. I did not know what a poetry slam was because it is an oral poetry contest begun in the 1980's, a time when I was a mum and a young married woman. The general theme of the works was feeling to be an outsider (queer, person of colour, Jewish..)
Dana I. D. Matthews (youtube)
André Gide wrote that "les bons sentiments ne font pas la bonne littérature" (good feelings don't make good literature) which might account for my early interest in French literature. Often the first work in a French Literature course is L'Etranger by Albert Camus. Perfect for an 18 year old outsider.
Each of the artists who performed yesterday expressed anguish, anger and frustration in a way that brought me back to those earlier years of my life. Dana I. D. Matthews spoke of being an adopted black son with a Korean brother in a white family. Erin Kirsh listed great people who were Jewish in response to an 8 year old's wish to be "normal" i.e. not Jewish. Kim Villagante (Kimmortal), a queer filipinx, spoke of alienation and intolerance at a family birthday party.
Erin Kirsh (Youtube)
The show was sold out! The classes of high school students obviously related to the artists on stage.
As a volunteer, I stayed until the end of the book signing. But remember, these are spoken word performers. The students gave them notebooks and agendas to sign. They asked about where to start in the performance arts. So many teens write poetry!
Kimmortal (youtube)
When I was young, there were no Internet, social media, or poetry slams. There was no way of knowing that alienation is a common phenomenon for young people. Our family and our classmates are not necessarily our soulmates. Indeed, we may never find a soulmate or maybe we will. Life is not a Hallmark greeting card all the time. Sometimes it is brutal and profane.
Yesterday, I learned a few things from much younger people. I learned about internalized prejudice (racism, sexism and misogyny) and that it was okay to be polyamorous. I learned that the first step to accepting others is to learn to accept ourselves. Funny, our church is working on becoming an affirming church. The world is such a different place from what it was 50 years ago.
slam poetry spoken word Vancouver Writers' Festival youth

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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GovBrain is an online networking and collaboration space allowing public service employees to connect to each other to share their wealth of knowledge and experience to deliver better outcomes to clients.
I think this idea is workable as well. Each department or organisation has certain core capability subject zones which are common to all. This makes population of content and connection of people reasonably easy. Together with the credit star motivator, you could make this quite catchy.
Wikipedia and forums work well - combination of people wanting to know + those that want to sure and gain credit for it. We could start with pooling ICT knowledge around ITIL, Project Management, MSP, Prince2, Business Analysis standards, Design Thinking, Architecture etc.
I think workable and like to try and move this forward?!
I would love to have this work moved forward.
Regarding 'ICT knowledge around ITIL, Project Management, MSP, Prince2, Business Analysis standards, Design Thinking, Architecture' It's a good target market to design a pilot for because we are the users.
Being from ATO and an ex DIAC employee I understand the value of sharing information. I wish there was a tool like this available to all departments and a culture that rewarded and encouraged cross government sharing with it.


With over a third of our feature-length programme represented by documentary film, Cork Film Festival is the place to be for documentary fans and filmmakers alike. This year we continue to develop our focus on high-quality Irish and international documentary by presenting a diverse range of stories and perspectives from home and abroad to create an insight into the human experience and what it is to be alive today. These films present the gamut of human experience; encountering the struggles, journeys, triumphs and sometimes even the sheer joy of daily life.
The following are just a taste of the veritable smorgasboard of documentaries on offer this year. With so many to choose from, why not treat yourself to a 7 Film Fan Pass and see 7 films for the price of 5!
For the full documentary programme click here.
Eugene Jarecki traverses the US in Elvis Presley's Rolls Royce gathering interviews. An ambitious and entertaining documentary that ultimately resonates as a state of the nation address for America.
The latest film from pioneering US director Frederick Wiseman, a brilliant study of a valued institution. All human life is here, scrutinised in Wiseman's keen, affectionate gaze.
A film that becomes desperately more pertinent by the day, it shows the roots of the outrage in Myanmar as influenced by Burmese Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu. From acclaimed director Barnet Schroder.
This dazzlingly brilliant and fragmentary debut freewheels through several threads essaying the ills of contemporary America. A film that blurs lines and plays with form and expectations, questioning how we define documentary.
A brutal, visceral and vital portrait of life in a war-zone. Following the Syrian Civil Defence's White Helmets, an organisation comprised of ordinary citizens, volunteers on the frontline of the conflict in the country's decimated capital.
Documenting the effects of Alzheimer's on a woman in her home in Southern China. Mrs Fang is an extraordinary study of someone at the end of life; provocative, disturbing and exceptional film-making.
Presented in partnership with Bord Scannan na h'Eireann/the Irish Film Board our industry event, Doc Day, returns to Cork Film Festival this year. Building on the success of last year's event Doc Day has been specifically developed to inform, inspire and connect established and emerging directors and emerging directors, producers and writers to further develop opportunities in the documentary landscape.
We are delighted to welcome double Academy Award®-winning producer Simon Chinn (Man on Wire, Searching for Sugar Man) to Doc Day as Keynote Speaker.


text:
Baron corbin
Kurt Angle Reveals Match Vs John Cena Was Planned For After Wrestlemania 35
Both the WWE fans and Kurt Angle himself have both expressed their opinion about who he should have wrestled for his last ever match in wrestling. His final match in wrestling was a disappointing bout with Baron Corbin on the biggest show of the year, at Wrestlemania 35. The match was one of his worst …
Read More about Kurt Angle Reveals Match Vs John Cena Was Planned For After Wrestlemania 35
Is Baron Corbin Is The Worst King Of The Ring In WWE?
The King of the Ring tournament has launched a number of stars from midcard stalwarts to main event talents, but the disastrous reign of Baron Corbin has gone down as one of the worst in WWE history. While Baron Corbin will go down as a legend by the end of his WWE career, his run …
Read More about Is Baron Corbin Is The Worst King Of The Ring In WWE?
How Luchasaurus in WWE almost joined the Wyatt Family
Having recently lost the AEW Tag Team Championships, it is not the best time in the career of Luchasaurus. He is down on his luck, his teammates are fighting each other and he could be released by AEW in the coming months. However, he is currently in the run of his career and has one …
Read More about How Luchasaurus in WWE almost joined the Wyatt Family
Madcap Moss shows new attitude as he looks like a star at Hell in a Cell
WWE may have made its new breakout star after Hell in a Cell as Madcap Moss has drawn praise from fans and WWE Hall of Famers alike. Moss looked dominant in his victory over long time friend Happy Corbin on Sunday's event, and showed a new attitude and look in the start of his transformation …
Read More about Madcap Moss shows new attitude as he looks like a star at Hell in a Cell
Cesaro's Last Match was an embarrassing end to a 10 year run in WWE
After Cesaro was released by WWE on February 24 2022, fans were left lamenting what could have been for the Swiss Cyborg in WWE. Cesaro let his WWE contract expire and left the company earlier this year, disappointed by what turned out to be a ten-year run in WWE that left a lot to be …
Read More about Cesaro's Last Match was an embarrassing end to a 10 year run in WWE
Kurt Angle on last match in WWE – "It Does Hurt"
Kurt Angle's last match in WWE took place at Wrestlemania 35. Kurt Angle took on Baron Corbin in a short, disappointing match that saw him get pinned by The Lone Wolf after being hit by the End of Days. It was a sad end to a great career for Kurt Angle, who had a number …
Read More about Kurt Angle on last match in WWE – "It Does Hurt"
The Shield's Last Match In WWE Insulted One Former WWE Champion
Who do you think The Shield's last match should have been against? From the first appearance at Survivor Series 2012 to the Shield's last match in WWE at their own special event, no trio has made quite the impact in WWE in such a short time as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (now …
Read More about The Shield's Last Match In WWE Insulted One Former WWE Champion


This chapter demonstrates the use of AMQ Python through example programs.
See the Qpid Proton Python examples for more sample programs.
This client program connects to a server using <connection-url>, creates a sender for target <address>, sends a message containing <message-body>, closes the connection, and exits.
To run the example program, copy it to a local file and invoke it using the python command.
This client program connects to a server using <connection-url>, creates a receiver for source <address>, and receives messages until it is terminated or it reaches <count> messages.


text:
Laura Siddall
5 x Iron-distance Champion & 4 x World Champion (Amateur)
60 Seconds With Sid
My Tri Journey
Sid Talks
Bike Like a Monkey – Ironman New Zealand Champion!
March 14th, 2018 by Laura
It's about this time of year, that I'm normally coming off the back of the dirty double, two full iron distance races in two weeks. However, 2018 was a little different. Challenge Wanaka this year was a half distance race, rather than the full, so I was to race the half and then head as usual up to Taupo, for Ironman New Zealand.
Now I hear many of your say, half to a full, that's much easier right? Well, having never raced a half distance with a full two weeks later, yet having raced the last two years as a full to a full, I was actually quite apprehensive and nervous. In 2016 and 2017, I'd gone to Ironman New Zealand with nothing to lose. No expectations, (note: different from low expectations), as I'd raced a full just two weeks prior. However, this year, it was 'only' a half. I should feel great right?
One of my favourite pictures of the day… running along the lake front at Taupo. (Thanks to Fiorenza Parsani, Kask)
In the two weeks between, I once again reverted to trying not to second guess myself and my body, particularly with it 'only' being a half in Wanaka. I again tried to focus on each session day to day also reaffirming that there was no point in comparing, as 2017 was a totally different year to 2016, and my build up was totally different, so what am I comparing too?
Lying down again! Moments after crossing the finish line at Challenge Wanaka, 4 years, 4 second places. (Photo by Neil Kerr/Getty Images)
It's obvious to say I was in some way disappointed with Challenge Wanaka. I say this from the point that, I love that place and race, and it means a lot to me. For the past four years I've finished 2nd, getting closer each year, with this year being 11 seconds off the win. I would have loved to have taken the win of course. However, there were some really positive learnings to take away from the race. Ultimately on the day I was beaten by the better athlete, and one of the very best half iron distance athletes in the world, and only by 11seconds. Whilst I was disappointed with the result, I was also very happy with a lot of the elements of the race which gave me confidence as I changed my focus to Ironman New Zealand. I was also in Wanaka, and how can you not smile and be happy when you are there!
Once again, I'll just say, if you haven't raced Challenge Wanaka you need to! You have to! It's just simple the most stunning, epic race in the World! No question and don't argue with me, you'll lose! Put this race on your bucket list.
Taking it all in, in Wanaka. I just love this place. It's so special.
From one of my favourite places in the South Island, I moved to another great place, Taupo for Ironman New Zealand, now my first full distance race of the year. Ok so I won't hold you in suspense (and incase you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, not implying this is global news, but I'm assuming you're reading this because you know me already and follow my adventures)… I won and it was one of the most amazing feelings in the world. To be honest, now a few days later, I'm still trying to process and take it all in. The last few days have been a whirlwind, totally my own doing, but wouldn't have changed anything in the world for what I've been able to experience before, during and also after the race.
It's hard to describe the feelings down the finish chute. It's just pretty incredible and emotional. Thanks to Witsup for capturing it again.
It's just been a really awesome couple of weeks. With Challenge Wanaka, and then Taupo. At Taupo, I hosted two Hoka One One runs for athletes, showing them parts of the run course and just generally connecting with athletes.
Thank you to the fab team at Spoon & Paddle for letting myself and Witsup hijack the cafe for the afternoon!
I was fortunate to be asked to be on the Women For Tri breakfast panel, with legends, Sam Warriner, Julie Moss and last year's winner, Jocelyn McCauley. (Check out the Facebook Live video here.) I was able to drop in and say hi to my friends on the Special Olympic Swim Team, and also had a fun 30mins serving coffee (my latte art was more abstract) at a favourite café, Spoon and Paddle.
Witsup carry out some awesome work to support and promote women in triathlon. It's always great having Stef around and this year at Taupo was no exception. Check out the Witsup Vlog here!
Race day dawned with almost perfect conditions. Well perfect is you want, calm, pancake flat lake and almost no wind for the bike. (Note: perfect for me was chop and lots of wind. Oh well!)
Honoured to be part of the Women For Tri Breakfast with legends Sam Warriner, Jocelyn McCauley and Julie Moss, and of course Stef Hanson!
The cannon fires and I found myself in the second pack. I knew three women had swam off the front, and had a fairly good idea who, but I found I was in a group of four and settled into that pace. For once I felt we, or rather I positioned myself better and was able to work with the others, not against, resulting in slowing everyone down. However, on exiting the water I had no idea what my swim time was, only that as we exited onto the bikes, we were about six minutes down from the lead.
On to the bike and I knew what the plan was and I knew what I had to do. Sadly my legs had not received the message on the power I wanted to ride at that day. I had to do some reassessing of the situation, and change the plan to what my body was currently giving me, hoping that over the 180km, my legs would be found and I could get back into things. I was yo-yoing on making time then losing time to the front of the race and the two women now in front of me. Not ideal from my perspective obviously, but I just had to be patient, deal with what the legs and body were doing and ride the best I could at that time.
It didn't feel so fast, but thanks to Korupt Vision for making it look like it was!
Coming back to Taupo after the turnaround on the first lap, I didn't necessarily start to feel better, it still felt like a real slog with numbers way down, but I got splits that I was actually taking decent time out of the women in front and making ground. This was at least a positive. As I approached the end of lap one I could see Jocelyn and Teresa in front, and was closing in. I managed to move to the front of the race as we exited town starting the second lap. The legs were better than the first lap, but still not great and it was very much staying positive, managing what I had and doing the best I could with this. I was also hoping it meant that my run legs would be good – but as we all know with endurance racing, who knows, and I'd soon found out when I started to run.
I came into T2 first, but with Jocelyn just a few seconds behind. I suspect starting to run, knowing you have a sub 3hour calibre runner chasing you down, is what the guys must feel knowing Cam Brown is running a 2hour 40 marathon behind them! I found I settled into my running pretty quickly and found rhythm. Actually, to be honest I wasn't sure whether I had found rhythm or was just running scared or was just energized by the crowds on exiting T2! I was getting time splits though that I was holding Jocelyn around the same distance, and that Teressa was a further minute behind.
No time for fishing today! Onto the run
Yet it was all eyes forward and really being focused on keeping present in my running on the course and terrain and managing my energy. Coming back to town on the first lap (it's a three lap course) and I felt I was going into a bit of a lull. Jocelyn was suddenly closing in and I think passed me around the 11km mark. There was lots of opportunity at this point to be thinking along the lines of, 'yep this was expected, she's a much faster runner than you,' and 'it was only a matter of time', and 'so second again'. But I was pleased with how I stayed present and yes these and similar thoughts certainly crossed my mind, but I was able to push them aside and just focus on managing the energy levels at that time. What I found too was that whilst initially Jocelyn put maybe 50m on my, she actually then stopped pulling away. Starting lap two and I was holding the gap, and starting to feel stronger again. The crowd support was just incredible (more on that later), and I was able to feed off this, and stay focused on my running, but with clear eyes on the lead biker and Jocelyn. Suddenly I was gaining ground and moving closer, that spurred me on, but I was conscious to not surge to much at this stage and just chip away. Then at around the 18km mark, as the course raised up a bit of a climb, I drew up on Jocelyn's shoulder and moved ahead. Funnily enough I realised afterwards it was the same place that I'd moved into second position in the race in 2017. But as I moved back into the lead, I consciously said, don't you dare look back. Keep running forward, looking forward. Don't look back. I fully expected Jocelyn to stay with me. She's a world class runner and athlete and I know she wouldn't let me go easily, but I kept focused on forward, trying not to panic that I hadn't even reached half way yet and still had another half marathon, hoping it wasn't a false sense of energy and I'd got overexcited and moved too soon. I guess I'd find out.
Hoping my legs will turn up at some point on the bike! (Photo thanks to Witsup)
But I was feeling relatively strong and just kept looking ahead and moving forward, close and closer to the finish line. I got a few people call out that I'd got a gap, but I just really tried to focus on me. Yes at times it crossed my mind that I may get caught, but I was going to make it bloody hard from them to catch me, and if they did and they were ahead of me at the finish, well then full credit and they deserved it. But I wasn't giving this one up easily. But I also wasn't getting ahead of myself either. I still had 21km to go.
At the end of each lap, and as you turn around the Nutri Grain sign, you get to check where your competitors were. Turning around this point, was the first time I'd be able to see where Jocelyn was, and I surprised myself at the gap that had formed, and then promptly shat myself seeing that Teressa had closed the gap and was running right behind Jocelyn. Heck there was going to be no easing up in this last 14km. Like I was making them work if they wanted to catch me, there were certainly sending my stress levels high in chasing me down!
The run stretches back along the lake front in Taupo – not a bad spot for a run! (Photo thanks to Korupt Vision)
As the 30, 31km signs passed I was getting people telling me that Teressa was catching, and there was going to definitely now be no letting up. I talk about 'letting up' but really in all seriousness I don't think I could have relaxed at all, at that point in an Ironman. You just have no idea at what the body may still do or not do with 10km to go. It was really all about focusing on me and my running (I'm sorry if that's sounding boring and scripted). Getting the calories and hydration in and running with as good a form as I can, 8hours + into the race. As I started back to town, with 7km to go, I got the chance to see Teressa in second as we crossed paths. This gave me about a 3min 30lead. My head was in over drive doing the math, at how fast she'd have to run to catch me. I still wasn't believing or certain though that I was going to win, but just kept counting down the last few kilometres, willing the finish line to come quickly. Any thoughts around winning that that came into my head I pushed out straight away. I was now asking my lead cyclist if she could see anyone behind me. I still didn't want to look back, I was totally focused forward, But I did want to know if she could see anyone. She was awesome, and kept reassuring me, "I can't see anyone", but I still didn't believe.
Moments before the slight panic as I realised I had to grab the tape at the finish line but already had a flag in my hands!
"Relax chill you've got this" – was also shouted by a friend, but I still didn't want to think about it. It was only when I got to maybe 3km to go that I started to perhaps breath a sigh of relief that I might actually win. As the crowds and spectators thickened, in the last couple of kilometres, I let myself realise I'd probably done it. I got a little too excited reacting to the crowd as a wave of emotion took over me. So much support, it was incredible and I wanted to thank them, and release. About 30seconds later, I realised I still had 1km to go and perhaps I had just over exerted myself a little as my body reminded me this wasn't over yet. But running down the main street in Taupo, the finish line was closing in. It was an incredible feeling. I was trying to take it in, and trying to let it register, but I'm not sure it really was still. I'm not sure I really still believed it. I high fived and thanked my lead cyclist. She's been awesome and I was grateful for having her, behind me, almost looking after my back for the majority of the run. Heck they then take you, what feels like the long way round to the finish line, but finally I was rounding the final corner, onto the carpet with the finish arch towering up ahead. I definitely couldn't believe it and realise now, that I'm a pretty emotional finisher! It was so surreal and trying to think back now, just seems strangely distant. I saw a British flag being waved by one of the spectators and grabbed it*, raising it above my head. I then panicked thinking, how am I know going to raise the tape, with a flat in both my hands! The fricken final moments of panic. It was all a bit of a blur but heck what a feeling to walk the final steps up the ramp and grab hold of that tape. All the emotions, all the feelings, I'm getting goosebumps trying to recount it now. You can't explain the feeling. It's so hard to describe what it means, what it felt like, what was running through my head. But fuck I'd done it! I'd won! Ironman New Zealand Champion!
(*Thank you to John Broadbent and his wife for lending me the Union Jack Flag. I'm happy to say I was able to reunite the flag with John shortly after the finish.)
The fist pump… once again Wistup capturing the emotion.
So many faces across the finish line smiling at me. Trying to take it all in. It was all a complete blur and fuzz at that point though. I think back with hindsight about what I should or wanted to do after the finish to really take it all in and thank everyone. Hindsight is amazing, and of course I'd not given myself a moment to think about this 'what if' pre race, that would be too risky, yet now looking back you start thinking about what you should or could have done. But I'm starting to be cryptic now in trying to explain something that I'm trying to describe.
An incredible moment, meeting Ilia at the finish line! Her words inspired me all day.
It was incredible to have so many friends at the finish. Of course Paul and Francine Buick who'd been all over the course supporting me, yelling all sorts of "get on with it" and warnings, advice and encouragement at me. It was great to finally get to them to hug and thank them. To have my awesome friend Stef from Witsup right there, as she'd been in Port Mac, was fab. Then… I was told that Ilia was on the other side of the barrier at the finish line. Now Ilia, what a special little girl she was. Every athlete had received a letter in their welcome pack from a school child in Taupo. Mine was from Ilia, from Hill Top school. It has said…
"Kia Kaha. Be Strong. Be Courageous. Bike like a monkey, swim like a stingray, run like a leopard. I think you are a winner"
To receive this from Ilia before my race was so so special. She had no idea her letter had come to me, but I'd contacted Ironman, hoping to be able to go into Ilia's school on Monday (regardless of result) to meet her. Yet here she was at the finish line! It made the win and the moment even more special to meet Ilia and lift her up over the barrier, giving her a big hug and high five.
So now I'm going to give you the aftermath of a race.
Release the bubbles… champagne showers (photo thanks to Witsup)
After spraying bubbles over Terresa who had a fantastic race on debut and her birthday to finish second, the fastest time by a NZ women pro at IMNZ, and Jocelyn, who finished third, I took some time with the lovely people of Drug Free Sport New Zealand, which thankfully for me (and them) this time was only a 90min meeting. I then headed to Burger Fuel to grab some much awaited fine cuisine and a take away delivery for my awesome mate (have I said that before) Stef Hanson. Who with an alien inside her had retreated (rightly so) to her room. I then proceeded to run my fastest 1km of the day to make it back to the finish line to welcome another good friend home. It's funny you check the tracker, and know that they were 7km out, only 10mins ago, but still panic that you are going to miss them and leg it to the finish, only to be waiting for a while for them to cross. But it was another special moment to be able to hand my good mate, Nadine Voice her medal as she finished! By this time it was 9pm and I hadn't been home, so I exited left and drove back to my awesome homestay.
Wouldn't have missed being there at the finish to bring Nadine home!
They too had been out for most of the day supporting me, and I was finally able to get home to see then properly and thank them. Although it was for about 15mins as I dumped my shit, showered, changed and headed back to the finish line to welcome the competitors home in the final hours. It's a special time to be back at the finish line. It's magic seeing the athletes that have been out there for 15, 16hours making it to the finish line as Ironmen and women. So many stories and characters, I just love it.
I made it home again around 0030hours, still in a daze, still buzzing but not really knowing what to think or do. Go to bed I hear you say, but it's just impossible. I did manage to get into bed around 0230hours, to then be wide awake, as I could have predicted at 0430hours! The usual post race sleep.
The fantastic people at Kinetic Media put a little video together of the day. Check it out here
Sunday started with a catch up of the Fitter Radio team and my post race interview. Listen to the whole podcast here! If I'm a little biased it's one of the best episodes, not because of me but the pre race banter with the boys. It's brilliant!
Doing my bit for Fitter Radio!
Then I headed to the Roll Down Ceremony to have the honour or presenting lays to the successful Kona qualifiers. The roll down is funny. There's so much emotion and excitement by the athletes, determined and desperate to get to Kona, I just wanted to get on the mic and tell them it's shit and horrible race. Why would you want to race on a boring course on a highway with no spectators, in ridiculous heat and heart sucking wind! Seriously! Ha ha! But yes it's Kona and the World Champs and I get it (I think)! After Roll Down, I managed to get out on the bike to spin the legs. I usually try to do 2-3hours post race to flush the body and recover, but was grateful for just being able to grab 90mins on the road.
After that it was back to get ready for the Awards Ceremony. I think I was more nervous about having to stand up and speak, which is tradition at Ironman New Zealand with an evening dinner function for the athletes. Post awards, we headed out for a few quieter drinks in town.
Monday, was just magic and possible one of the best days I've had at a race. Remember Ilia? Well I'd planned to visit her school and surprise her and her class mates, but arriving at the school, I was the one surprise, greeted by a school assembly. It was really special though to be able to meet Ilia again and thank her and all the school children for their letters. They then sang to me a traditional local Maori song. It was amazing. Check out the videos of my school visit and singing here.
After Hill Top school I headed to Taupo Nui A Tia College to speak to a group of Biology and High Performance Sports Students on athlete / race hydration and fuelling and a broader Q&A session.
Being asked to take a photo for some tourists, when mid photos shoot with Stef Hanson, fully dressed in Volare wetsuit cap and goggles!
From there home briefly but then out to catch up with Stef and get some cool photos on the water front. I also managed to jump in the lake for a quick swim to keep the body moving. To be honest it felt pretty average but again just good to get in the lake and try to switch off. Then it was back home to change again and head out to the Volunteers Party, where I was to help serve the volunteers drinks, which is always a good fun way to say thank you to this incredible group of people. There were 2200 volunteers involved in the event, 10% of the towns population. They are awesome and it was a privilege to be able to thank them and hear their stories from the race. It was here that my magic Monday really hit a high. I was asked to say a few words to the volunteers and on leaving the stage I was greeted by a group of students, who just stood up from the middle of the volunteers and performed a Haka for me, a whaikorero (fye-core-rare-raw). I was taken a back and stunned but it was yet another incredible special moment.
The Home Schooled Kids at the Volunteers Party. These kids were incredible, working so hard on race day, some putting in 19hours days. They are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Awards and volunteered all week!
So now I'm trying to catch up on life. It's been an amazing whirlwind few days and I've tried to savour the moment and make the most of it, and relax and enjoy it. It'll soon be time to put my race behind, my head down and get on with moving forward and building to my next races.
There are so many thank yous I need to say, some of which I captured in my speech at the awards…. Check out the end of Fitter Radio #203 to hear this. What was incredible for me was the support that I received in the days leading up to the race, during and after. I know I say this every time, but every time it just seems to be bigger and more amazing the people, friends, family, strangers who are cheering and encouraging me, Sid, Sids, Sid Talks, Siddall, Laura and the rest. I could go on and on about the encouragement people gave me out on course. The messages, the words.
Whilst, I may not have been able to respond and acknowledge but I heard every single one, and carried it with me. Thank you!
I spoke a lot about "Belief" too in my speech, and want to thank Matt Dixon and Paul Buick for their belief in me. I do doubt and question, and over analyse quite a bit, ok a lot. I'm sure Matt and Paul tear their hair out at me a fair bit. However, from the very start when I first joined Purple Patch, they believed in me and have continued to pull out of me the training and adaptation, and continue to challenge me to keep developing and to deliver the performances and improvements.
Thank you to the team at Scody for my new race kit for 2018! Just love it again and so comfortable. (Check out the Scody website and use 'LauraS' for your discount.)
Ceepo for my Viper R. That's two fastest bike splits and one course record so not a bad start to the season.
Shotz – Darryl and Stef for keeping me hydrated and fuelled and for sending my nutrition to chase me around the world! Thank you!
Kask – so great to have the Kask Australia team out on course and in the finish chute in Taupo. A complete surprise but more memories and magic to add to the day.
Hoka One One – for of course making the new Tracers to match my yellow and blue race kit! Loving the Tracers for racing at the moment!
To the other brands that support me as well.
Vredestein – so incredible impressed with these tires and have been an advocate and fan for several years.
Volare – excited to be part of this company as they grow and develop in the market. The most comfortable wetsuit I've worn and a company that really wants to design the very best for the individual. Use Lmsid25% for your discount and give them a try!
Skins – My compression go to for pre and post training and racing and travel! Please use Laura30 for your discount!
Sock Mine – Look after your feet with these awesome socks! SOCKMINESID for your 10% discount!
Funkita – It's always fun swimming in Funkitas!
Scicon – travelling with your bag made easy!
Oakley – keeping my eyes safe!
Kitbrix – keeping me and my kit organised!
Pants of Perspective – Kona Race Report
Making History – Ironman Australia Champion
Things come in threes – Good Things – Ironman Australia
Going Off-Road – Motatapu
The Kona Konundrum!
MORE Than Sport
Witsup
Copyright Laura Siddall © 2021.


Visit the Somenos Marsh Conservation Area. Below you will find directions to the main access points for exploring the precious ecosystems of Somenos. Click here for a downloadable Visitors Guide to the SMCA.
The OAC can be accessed by car by turning into the parking lot a short distance north from the Beverly Street and Trans Canada Highway Intersection. Look for the long brown fence and kiosk. Give plenty of notice that you are turning in. There is a donation box near the entrance for donations towards the ongoing maintenance. The OAC is a place for learning, rest, exercise and wildlife watching. Flat gravel trails lead to, and out of, the elevated wheelchair accessible boardwalk structure. The boardwalk is level with secure handrails that provide support for those who need it and allow children to run free. Interpretive signs line the boardwalk providing history and natural history information. There is also a raised wheelchair accessible wildlife viewing platform.
To access the SGOPA, take Trillium Terrace, off of Lakes Road, to its end, then turn left on York and park at the dead end. As you enter the protected area the Garry Oak ecosystem is immediately is to your right. To your left is Ye'yumnuts, a sacred ancestral place to the Cowichan people. The site is home to many rare flowers and both shallow soil and deep soil Garry Oaks. This is an important place for wildlife that have historically and continue to use the area as habitat. Please keep to the trails and walk dogs on a leash to protect the wildlife and rare wildflowers.
The DD can be accessed by turning right onto Drinkwater Road at the Drinkwater Road and Trans Canada Highway intersection. Then stay straight on Drinkwater Road, past the BC Forest Discovery Centre on the right, until the end of the road to find the elevated walkway and floating dock. The floating dock is great for kids fishing opportunities, kayak and canoe launching and wildlife viewing.


Innovations in network technology are continually developing and adapting to hosting services. As cloud sharing capabilities become faster, safer, and increasingly more reliable, the question becomes whether dedicated server hosting still has a place in the web hosting infrastructure.
This entry was posted in Dedicated Server Hosting on April 19, 2019 by Nathan Johnson.
The server hosting world is quite varied and crowded with many companies rushing out with cheap and even "free" hosting options. Often, these cheap or free options are not all that they may appear to be.
This entry was posted in Dedicated Server Hosting, Dedicated Servers on March 29, 2019 by Nathan Johnson.
Have you ever wondered if dedicated hosting is really worth it? Like many business owners, you're likely on a budget, and dedicated hosting can be a significant expense. So, why not just use a shared hosting plan or a VPS instead?
This entry was posted in Dedicated Server Hosting, Tips and Advice on March 27, 2019 by Nathan Johnson.
Although businesses and individuals have a huge array of server types to choose from, more and more are seeing the advantages of choosing a dedicated server. Most people opt for a shared server, where multiple websites are all stored on one computer server, sharing resources.
This entry was posted in Business, Dedicated Server Hosting on March 26, 2019 by Nathan Johnson.
Many website owners searching for a host have been asking about the benefits of dedicated servers as opposed to cloud hosting.
Arguably, one of the biggest trends to hit the world of computing recently has been the rise of cloud computing. The concept has caught on so much that its use now seems to dominate the previous industry leader, dedicated hosting.
This entry was posted in Business, Dedicated Server Hosting on March 25, 2019 by Nathan Johnson.
So, you've decided to go with dedicated hosting. It's a big step for you and your business. But how do you know which hosting provider is best?
Well, there is no "right" answer. Each server hosting provider has its pros and cons. Choosing the best dedicated server largely depends on your business and your particular requirements. Before deciding on the best server for you, you must understand what you truly need: then you can find a hosting provider that fits those needs.
This entry was posted in Business, Dedicated Server Hosting on March 24, 2019 by Nathan Johnson.
A dedicated server, for dedicated hosting, is a big investment for your business, but one that will pay off in the long run. How? Increased speed, security, and performance will not only make your website more user-friendly but will lead to more conversions and greater sales.
This entry was posted in Business, Dedicated Server Hosting on March 20, 2019 by Nathan Johnson.
If you've ever wanted to get into the exciting world of running your own website, there are a few things you have to do to get started. This includes picking a theme, learning how to create your site and then locating the best web hosting. In this article we will refer to WordPress and WordPress Hosting as it is our number one recommendation for getting started with a website.
This entry was posted in Business, Dedicated Server Hosting, Shared Business Hosting, Tips and Advice, VPS Hosting, WordPress on November 21, 2018 by Nathan Johnson.


Are you ready for the era of the digital service provider?
Here is your whitepaper: Frequently Asked Questions: Understanding the Benefits of SDN in Healthcare. An email has also been sent to the address you provided so that you can access this paper from anywhere.
Based on your interest in healthcare, we'd like you to consider some of these next steps.
How CSPs can use cloud to create an agile, profitable customer-driven business fit for the digital world.
Are you ready for the era of the digital service provider? In order to meet the challenges posed by webscale and over-the-top (OTT) companies, changing consumer behavior, and a pervasive digital world, communication service providers are turning to the cloud to transform their infrastructure, mode of operation and support new business models.
In this webinar series, we will examine a range of topics including: the drivers for change, the benefits of the cloud and digitalization, and how open source can help to ensure a successful transformation.
This day and age transformation of CSPs (Communication Service Providers) to DSPs (Digital Service Providers) is not an if, but a how and increasingly a how soon. In this 1 hour webinar, we will give you a brief update on Nokia's perspective on cloud. We will also share with you the recent Heavy Reading survey findings on the telco industry's trends including different NFV and cloud strategies. We will wrap up the session by giving you an introduction to our new engagement approach, using our Cloud Collaboration Hubs to drive efficiency in your transition.
With cloud as a key enabler for the digital transformation – providing agility, automation, and scalability – CSPs can build the foundation for upcoming fully digitized business.
In order to gain the maximum benefit from cloud transformation, CSPs need to evolve from virtualization of network functions to truly cloud-native design. The end result is better scalability as well as faster innovation and a more rapid response to customer demands.
We will look at the benefits of open source in the telecommunications industry, what it takes to be successful with this approach, and how Nokia is leveraging the open source ecosystem and innovations.
The initial steps for implementing Telco Cloud, such as the virtualization of the network functions, have delivered improvements to network operations and end-user services. However, to realize the economic benefits of new and demanding services, changes are required on the network architecture, software design and network operations. Learn more about cloud native mobile core principles and why it is a business imperative for telecoms.


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Reading Series January 2022
07 00 pm
7 PM CDT - Gulf Coast Reading Series event featuring Cameron Dezen Hammon, Adele Elise Williams, Gabriella Adriana Iacono, and Robbie Howell.
Please join us for our fourth event of this season, on January 14th at 7pm. RSVP on Facebook (optional).
This event has moved ONLINE. Register at any time via this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkdemorjktGNPM4RftPYC29vpP1aFuZvL0
Cameron Dezen Hammon is the author of This Is My Body: A Memoir of Religious and Romantic Obsession (Lookout Books), the Nonfiction Discovery Prize Winner for the 2019 Writers' League of Texas Book Awards. This Is My Body earned a Bronze Medal in Creative Nonfiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards, 2020, and was a finalist for the Foreward INDIE Book of the Year Award in Autobiography and Memoir. Kirkus called This Is My Body "a generous and unflinchingly brave memoir about faith, feminism, and freedom." Cameron's nonfiction has appeared in The Kiss anthology (W.W. Norton), Vogue, Guernica, Ecotone, and elsewhere; and her essay "Infirmary Music" was named a notable in The Best American Essays 2017. She earned her MFA from Seattle Pacific University and has taught creative writing at Rice University, where she is a lecturer, as well as workshops at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Duke Divinity, Writers in the Schools Houston, Inprint Houston, and Hugo House. She is at work on a nonfiction book about women and witchcraft.
Adele Elise Williams is a poet, educator, and editor from Southern Louisiana. She is the recipient of an Inprint Nina and Michael Zilkha Fellowship as well as support from the Muse Writing Center and Hindman Settlement School. Her work can be found in various journals including Split Lip Magazine, Guernica, Cream City Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, and Quarterly West.
Gabriella Adriana Iacono is a poet and artist from Staten Island, New York. She is a C. Glenn Cambor Inprint Fellow and was a recipient of the 2016 Mayapple Fellowship. A committed educator, Iacono had worked in public education for several years before moving to Houston and currently teaches creative writing for Writers in the Schools, Houston. Iacono recently coordinated the 2021 Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers and served as Graduate Advisor to the University of Houston's undergraduate literary magazine, Glass Mountain. She has served as a Poetry Editor for NYSAI Magazine and now serves as the Assistant Nonfiction Editor for Gulf Coast Magazine. Her work has appeared in Defunkt Magazine, SIZL, NYSAI Magazine, Portmanteau LDN, and elsewhere. Iacono is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Houston and is working on her first collection of poetry.
Robbie Howell is 5th year PhD student in fiction at UH. He won the Jack Dyer Fiction Prize from Crab Orchard Review, runner-up in the Kenyon Review Short Fiction Contest, and 2nd place in the Playboy College Fiction Contest. He's received fellowships and scholarships for his writing from Inprint Houston, the Sewanee Writer's Conference, and the University of Texas at Dallas. He has an MFA from the Louisiana State University. He's from Dallas, Texas, but now he lives south of 610 in Houston. He's working on his first novel.
The Gulf Coast Reading Series is grateful for the support of the following organizations: Lawndale Art Center; Humanities Texas; the Brown Foundation; Houston Endowment, Inc.; Inprint; the National Endowment for the Arts; Poets & Writers; the Texas Commission on the Arts; the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program and School of Art; the Gulf Coast Board of Trustees, including Board President Misty Matin and Vice President Laura Callaway; the Literary Arts Emergency Fund, cosponsored by the Academy of American Poets, the National Book Foundation, and CLMP.


Could anything be more dangerous to the modern celebrity than Twitter? The media has always been ready to pounce on famous personalities' smallest mistakes, but Twitter lends its high-profile users a foghorn.
If Jonathan Ross (@Wossy) wasn't already in enough trouble for leaving lewd messages on Andrew Sachs' answering machine, his antics on Twitter made him an even juicier tabloid target.
"Utterly unwepentant" sniffed The Daily Mail after Ross wrote an update stating "Suspension is fun" on the micro-blogging service during the period that his shows were off-air. Another Mail headline branded the 49 year-old presenter "shameless" after he tweeted, "I am very polite in person. I'm just not great with answering machines."
And Ross isn't the only famous Twitter user to find themselves in hot water following a carelessly worded tweet. The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones (@ruskin147) was asked via Twitter why he chose to omit Wordscraper from a piece on Facebook's word game applications. "'Cos i couldn't be bothered!" came the reply.
Cellan-Jones's response was promptly republished on a blog along with the withering comment, "Years from now, when British journalism has finally breathed its last, this phrase will be engraved on its tombstone."
However, Cellan-Jones seemed to be intrigued rather than embarrassed by the matter, using it as inspiration for a blog on the tricky business of working out what is and isn't appropriate to say on social-networking sites. "My throwaway remark has been turned into the basis for an indictment of the whole of British journalism," he commented. "[It's] a useful reminder that Twitter – like so many other online forums – is a public place, and what you say there may be used in evidence against you."
Most of the time, people don't see danger coming. "Because it's more immediate, people are perhaps thinking even less about what they do," says Iain Connor, a partner at technology specialist law firm Pinsent Masons. Tweets might have a short shelf life, he argues, "but that's not to say that sufficient damage can't be done in a short period of time".
One person who knows this better than most is basketball team owner Mark Cuban (@mcuban). Cuban owns the Dallas Mavericks and, after a game in March, he used Twitter to complain that an opposing player wasn't whistled for a foul. "How do they not call a tech on JR Smith for coming off the bench to taunt our player on the ground?" he fumed.
A few days later the NBA smacked him with a $25,000 fine. Still, the billionaire managed to see the funny side of his punishment, adding "Can't say no one makes money from Twitter now," as he paid up.
Mark Borkowski is a PR expert who has represented Michael Jackson, Eddie Izzard and Van Morrison. He says that Twitter is "dangerous for anybody", but that it poses particular risks for stars. "You're live all the time – no editing," he says. "[What someone] thinks about in the nanosecond that they're tweeting could become an enormous issue, and it's global."
No stars seem to have been permanently damaged by mis-tweeting yet, but it's possible, says Borkowski. "It depends what you say. If you make a racist or outrageous comment then it's very difficult to come back from."


American health care is a catastrophic failure because it makes care a commodity and suffering a source of profit.
Medicine cannot be commodified as exchange rests on contractual relations among informed consumers. These relations cannot exist in medicine. Socialized medicine makes it possible to treat illnesses with care, without an eye to profitability. In Britain, before the Blairites began to undercut the National Health Service (NHS), socialized medicine produced dramatic gains in quality of life, overall health, lifespan, fitness and happiness. Care that is free at the point of service makes it easier for patients to seek treatment, for the state to undertake dramatic expansions of preventive medicine and for doctors to work without having to worry about anyone's bottom line. In every instance, socialized medicine, even just single-payer systems, has proven cheaper, more humane, fairer and healthier than America's dystopian nightmare. No one goes bankrupt or must solicit donations on the internet or simply do without under socialized medicine.
There are intangible benefits, too. An NHS in America would allow us to undertake unprofitable investments in preventive, palliative and rehabilitative care, giving dignity back to millions of people who currently have to solicit donations for substandard care. Socialized medicine makes us freer — we have more life to live, more autonomy. We cannot let the trust and care involved when we are made well by another person's touch be sullied, so we fight for Medicare for all as the first step toward socialized medicine. Other socialist efforts should include expansion of public health programs, regulations that make medicine safer for patients and the liquidation of the health insurance industry. We cannot let human suffering be an engine of profit.
Capitalism demands suffering. Individual firms have an incentive to increase exploitation and weaken the security of workers. The ruling classes structure the flow of capital to their own benefit. This means deliberately distorting the development of weaker countries, isolating or destroying ideological or national rivals and imposing political control.
Such acts of economic destruction and physical aggression serve overlapping political purposes. In Iraq, it was the destruction of an unfriendly government and the privatization of its assets. In Libya, NATO destroyed a government that supported anti-imperialist movements in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Greek debt crisis, the finest example of economic imperialism, saw the core powers in Europe impose a depression on a weaker neighbor to realign its political economy and keep the core countries afloat. The role war plays in capitalism is underscored by the heedless worship of U.S. military power. No one spends $700 billion unless they're getting something out of it.
Socialists need to lead a broad anti-war movement, while also building institutions of international solidarity and developing trade and development policies that redistribute global wealth and encourage sustainability. We cannot cede the international arena to capital. Though socialism in one country is possible, isolation or destruction is guaranteed so long as capitalism is ascendant.
We must resist the commodification of human need and the imposition of imperialism if we are to have a shot at building a fair world.


The Cooperative Program (CP) is Southern Baptists' unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries. Churches of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma work together through the Cooperative Program to support a wide array of missions, ministries and education within our state, our nation and around the world. BGCO missions and ministries include: evangelism, volunteer and partnership missions, disaster relief, church planting, collegiate ministries, Falls Creek and CrossTimbers camps, and much more. Trinity Church is also a part of the work of our four affiliate organizations: Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, Baptist Village Retirement Communities and Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma. On a national level we are a part of the work of the North American Mission Board, six seminaries and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Through the International Mission Board Trinity Church's gifts through the Cooperative Program make it possible for the gospel to be shared worldwide. Trinity Church is a part of helping people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, discipling and training believers, and planting new churches around the world.
For more information on the Cooperative Program, visit the BGCO website.


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CEO of New York Medical Marijuana Company Confident the Program Will Succeed
When the details of New York's medical marijuana program were announced by the state Health Department they were met with hesitation. Dispensary locations, the scope of the program and the delivery methods were among the chief concerns as the rules were made public.
"The distribution of dispensaries around the state remains a major concern. Given the current proposed sites, there are huge areas of the state where patients will have to travel enormous distances to get medicine," Julie Netherland, deputy state director at the Drug Policy Alliance, said when the state announced the five chosen medical marijuana producers in New York. "This is especially problematic given that many medical marijuana patients are sick and disabled and low income."
Bloomfield Industries Inc., Columbia Care NY LLC, Empire State Health Solutions, Etain LLC and PharmaCann LLC were the five companies selected by the state to dispense the drug in New York. Those five companies are tasked with supplying the drug to patients across 62 counties and New York City's five boroughs. However, according to information by the Health Department, the access provided by those companies will cover just 13 counties and two boroughs.
Dr. Kyle Kingsley, CEO of Empire State Health Solutions and its parent company Vireo Health, is optimistic that as the program matures more dispensary sites will be added. Kingsley was one of the architects of Minnesota's medical marijuana program, which he says is "almost identical" to New York's. Neither program allows the plant matter to be smoked and covers fewer medical conditions than many other laws.
Empire State Health Solutions will be manufacturing in Fulton County and dispensing in Queens and Broome, Albany and Westchester counties. Kingsley said that his organization chose Fulton County as their manufacturing site because "they embraced" Empire and worked closely with them to ensure a smooth roll out of the project. Fulton is a rural county about 60 miles northwest of Albany.
The dispensary sites were chosen by Empire in an effort to "maximize patient access," Kingsley said.
Empire's close working relationship with Fulton County officials and their experience in Minnesota in has Kingsley and his team confident that their sites will be patient-ready by the January, 1 target date.
"Barring grow failure, natural disaster or some other catastrophic failure…we will be ready by the first," Kingsley said.
He is also confident that the Health Department will not shut down the program – a power vested to them in the law. Instead, Kingsley called these nascent stages "the first step in a very well-regulated medical cannabis program."
"There will be no reason for the Department of Health to shut down this program," Kingsley said. "If anything they are going to do the opposite and do everything they can to make this an effective and meaningful program for patients in New York."
So far the results of Minnesota's program have been mixed. On July, 31 the state Health Department's Office of Medical Cannabis reported there were just 250 patients enrolled in the program with 334 doctors to serve them.
Kingsley suggests that other states with nascent medical cannabis programs, such as Louisiana and Nebraska, will look to the New York and Minnesota programs as "true medical models."
"We see this as sort of a turning point for the cannabis industry," he said. "New York has sort of turned the page on the industry of the past. Cannabis enthusiasts are going to have a tough time moving ahead in the industry getting licenses. It's kind of moved to physicians, scientists and business people that are coming into the fold for real medical-model cannabis."
Photo Credit: hjjanisch
Cannabis Business & Financial News Medical Marijuana News