Bitter~Sweet ™: Insurance Company Math . . . .
I had my endo appointment on Friday. I'm always nervous about what the labs might reveal, and this time I was extra nervous because we were testing my thyroid. Luckily that came back fine and there was no evidence of any anti-bodies present that would be hell-bent on thyroid destruction, so that auto-immune bullet has been dodged so far. My other labs came back fine as well. In a cruel twist of fate, the fact that my A1C was the lowest it's ever been wasn't really good news. It's getting into the "too low to be safe, you need to stop having readings in the 40s" range so we did some basal tweaks to tighten up my standard deviation. Not that my deviation is horrible, but a higher A1C with less lows would be better.
One of the things I was most looking forward to at this appointment was getting a new prescription for test strips so I could officially change meters from OneTouch Ultra Link to my new Bayer Contour Next Link. Yes, I could have called the office at any time for a new prescription, but I'm lazy I wanted to finish up my 3 month supply of One Touch strips first so I just waited until my appointment. And it couldn't have been easier. Dr. F asked me where I wanted to fill them, and I picked my local pharmacy so I could use my Contour Choice savings card, which can't be used with my insurance mail order service. (At least, that's what I've been told.) Anyway, I picked my pharmacy, Dr. F typed a few things into his laptop, and zingo, the order was ready and waiting for me! Fast and easy, right?
Right. Except . . . . when I got home and opened the package, I found I had gotten 2/3s of my test strips and a nice (ha ha ha) note about insurance coverage.
Yes, that is a cat paw in the bottom left corner. K.C. loves any papers, even stupid insurance denial ones. Anyway, I had gone through the "you can't have that many strips" - "but I need that many strips" dance less than a year ago. Apparently my insurance company is having memory problems or something. So I called them and explained that I had been approved for a larger amount of test strips, and that a new meter brand didn't change how often I need to test. The customer service guy was nice, and "fixed" the problem so when I refill the order from now on I'll get all of the strips I'm supposed to get. Good . . . . . but what about the other 1/3 of the order for this month?
According to Cigna, I'm just out those strips. So basically I've paid 100% of my co-pay for 67% of my order, and that's just the way it is. I can't think of any other situation where it's okay to be charged 100% for only 67% of your goods, but I guess I just don't understand the tricky insurance company math. Sure, I got A's in Accounting at a very good business college, but I guess Cigna has a different accounting system that I'm not privy to.
Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful to have insurance. I'm thankful to get some kind of coverage for the supplies I need to stay healthy. But really, when I feel like I'm being flim-flammed and given the run- around, I can't help but feel aggravated. You've been there too, right?
You need to call them back and get an override. They will cover all of the strips, but you will likely need to go over customer service guy's head for the approval. Don't be afraid to ask for the medical director. Your script showing the number requested by the doctor is their verification... Good luck!
Don't you just love it when someone without a medical degree and/or very little knowledge of diabetes can make your health decisions?
Whoa - that is some sketchy math, IMO.
The pharmacy can back bill the claim for up to 2 weeks, so you should be able to call them and tell them it was approved for the full quantity and get the other box. No promises, but I've been able to do that for people at the pharmacies I've worked in.
My insurance did that same math a few months ago. Said I was limited on test strips, my doctor called and corrected them, they fixed the next order. The biggest problem I had was that incorrect order was for 150 strips per three months. You know how long those would last. There was a bit of a battle to get my next shipment sent before the three months. Now I laugh.. they send me 18 boxes of 50 strips, when it would be easier to send 9 boxes of 100 strips. I tried explaining that, but they said, "That's not how the prescription was written". Ya it was.. they just changed it. Silly/stupid insurance company.
My question is always, "Okay, great that you'll make it right for me in the end, but why do we always have to do this you-deny-I-call-we-dance-around-until-you-see-it-my-way thing?". It makes me cray-cray.
I have been having a similar problem with my strips. My supplier had been sending me 11 boxes of 50 strips then on last order sent only 6-said Medicare only allowed enough to test 3 times a day even though my Rx called for 6-8 times a day. They already had a log which documented at least 5-6 times a day. I had to send them a new log-they called and are supposed to be sending the balance. Haven't seen them yet!!Supposed to be corrected on next order too-which is due to be shipped on April 22-I don't know how they expect us to test properly aand take care of ourselves when it is a constant battle with these morons who can't keep things straight!!I get really tired of doing EVERYONE else's job!!
glad to hear you have no problems with your thyroid. sorry to hear about the stupid insurance runaround! lucky for me i have 100% coverage, the only downfall is having to pay the 100% up front and then send in the receipts for refund. i'm finally on a system that works out so the money is coming back in when its time to refill.


Having lower back pain is not easy for you to make movement or even doing some simple exercise but we have some good advice for you.
Since doing exercise every day is making you a good health or you are on weight loss mission and you must do it and here is your best advice.
My advice, if you have lower back pain, you should get some rest, seeing the doctor, take some pill, start healing your back and start doing exercise once you get better.
But still, if you want to do some exercise and here we have what is best exercise for lower back pain for you to try and get sweat.
Besides, we have some good solution for you on how fix lower back pain at the end of article, so keep reading.
Here, we divide into 2 group of lower back pain exercise, one is good and one is bad.
The following exercise should be avoid at any cost.
You must remind that any exercise that let you touch your toe then you should AVOID this.
For example, standing toe touches, this will put the most stress on the disks and ligaments in your spine. This will overstretch your lower back muscles and hamstrings, which will lead more harm.
Despite the fact that you may think sit-ups can fortify your muscular strength, many people tend to utilize muscles in the hips while doing sit-ups. Sit-ups may likewise put a great deal of weight on the circles in your spine so it will do more harm than good.
Actually, this exercise can help you restore strength to your lower back but don't try to lift both legs at a time, this can make it worse.
If you still want to try, do it each leg and lift it up slowly, keep lower back flat on the floor and hold for awhile and then put down slowly.
The following exercise is good for your lower back pain condition and help your cure it faster.
This can help strengthen your back and stomach muscles. To do this, simply lie with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Put hands behind your neck or cross arms over your chest and then tighten stomach muscles and raise your shoulders off the floor. Inhale out as you raise your shoulders. Try not to lead with your elbows or use arms to pull your neck off the floor. Hold for a moment, and then gradually let down. Do it for 8 to 12 times.
Lie on your back and twist one knee. And then circle a towel under the ball of your foot. Straighten your knee and gradually pull back on the towel. You ought to feel a tender extend down the back of your leg. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and do 2 to 4 times for each leg.
Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Push with your hands so your shoulders start to lift off the floor. Find the comfort position for you, put your elbows on the floor straightforwardly under your shoulders and hold this position for a few seconds.
Still. there are many exercise position that are good and bad for lower back pain, but I will cut stress to the point, here are the 3 step you should do to get the good result.
This step can release stress in your muscle and get the good mood for the next step.
Now, you know how to do lower back pain exercise, next I will talk about how fix lower back pain.
The method that I am talking about is relief of pressure on pinched nerves in the spinal column and it also called "spinal decompression", the process is used to stretch low back muscles and relief of pressure.
By using an inversion table.
Simple stand by an inversion table and hang on it for about five minutes and do it every day, this process help your lower back pain and strengthen your lower back too.
This is an option for you if you can't use an inversion table, you can use a belt that applies pressure for a similar decompressing effect.
If you do Yoga, follow the above 3 steps but still your back pain not relief, try to check this out, it may help!
I do Yoga every day in the morning, which really help strengthen my lower back, with this I will never having lower back problems again.


text:
Did Cannibals really eat Michael Rockefeller?
Last updated on January 27th, 2023 at 08:46 pm
On November 17, 1961, Michael Rockefeller disappeared in New Guinea. He was on an expedition to study the local tribes and their culture. The 23-year-old had been on a journey up the Aruwimi River when his canoe capsized. He was never seen again.
There are many theories about what happened to Rockefeller, but the most popular one is that cannibals ate him.
This has never been confirmed, and his body has never been found. However, enough evidence supports this theory that it cannot be ruled out.
Michael Rockefeller
Who Was Michael Rockefeller?
Michael Rockefeller was the youngest son of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. He was born into a life of privilege, but he was also a restless young man who wanted to see the world.
His father, the governor of New York and the son of billionaire John D. Rockefeller Jr., had connections worldwide.
Nelson expected his son to help him manage the family's massive business empire, but Michael had other plans. Although he graduated from Harvard in 1960, he wanted to do more; he wanted to do something with art.
Nelson was a well-known art collector, which may have fueled his intense interest in art and its culture. Recently, Nelson opened the Museum of Primitive Art with exhibits that showcased art from civilizations like the Aztecs, Mayans, and Nigerians.
While working with an anthropology student named Karl Heider, Michael mentioned his passion project of bringing a massive collection of art to New York.
With this goal in mind, he spoke to the Dutch Museum of Ethnology and decided to launch a scouting trip to the island of Dutch New Guinea to collect art from the Asmat people.
The First Expedition
In 1960, Michael Rockefeller embarked on his first expedition to Dutch New Guinea. The tour aimed to study the local tribes and their culture, eventually bringing back examples of their art to the museum.
Rockefeller was particularly interested in the Asmat tribe, known for its ritualistic cannibalism, keeping the heads of their enemies, and other strange rituals.
Upon the conclusion of his first visit, Michael was fascinated by their culture, and he was more than ready to go back there again. He drew up plans for a proper anthropological study and prepared to make a second expedition. Unfortunately, this second expedition would be his last.
What Happened To Michael Rockefeller In New Guinea?
In 1961, when he was 23 years old, he embarked on an expedition to New Guinea with Dutch anthropologist René Wassing. The pair traveled up the Aruwimi River in a canoe, or catamaran, studying the local tribes and collecting artifacts.
Michael was especially interested in the Asmat tribe and their culture, and the Asmat seemed friendly enough despite having no experience with a white man. To them, he was viewed as a supernatural being because of their beliefs concerning the outside world.
On November 17, 1961, Rockefeller and Wassing's canoe capsized in bad weather. Witnesses reported that Michael and Rene clung to their overturned boat for many hours before Michael decided to swim to shore and look for help.
A rescue crew eventually found Wassing after the Rockefellers sent out a search party, but Michael was never seen again.
Theories About Michael's Death
What happened to him after leaving the overturned catamaran is a mystery. There are many theories about what happened to him, but over time, one idea was corroborated by eyewitnesses in the Asmat tribe.
Some people believe that he was eaten by cannibals, while others think that he may have drowned or been eaten by a shark. However, recent evidence supports that Michael Rockefeller may have been killed and eaten by the Asmat cannibals.
The Truth About What Happened To Michael
At the time, there were two significant villages in New Guinea, Otsjanep and Omasdesep. The populations of these villages fought and killed each other regularly as part of their cultural feuds. In addition, they also engaged in ritualistic cannibalism. Dutch missionaries and other visitors had been visiting New Guinea for the last decade, but most Asmat had never met a white man.
When the Dutch government began to prepare the Asmat for government control, they sent in a group of soldiers to help with the transition. The Asmat, however, was not happy about this and ignored the gifts and peace offerings sent to them.
The people of Otsjanep were reluctant to accept the Dutch government like those of Omasdesep, so a standoff ensued. Unfortunately, a massacre occurred due to miscommunication, and several Amsat men were killed.
Due to these events, the people of Otsjanep were likely looking for revenge when they met Michael Rockefeller.
It is believed that Michael did indeed make it to shore the day his canoe capsized, but upon doing so, he came upon a group of Otsjanep people carrying supplies near the mouth of the Ewta River.
He was amicable towards these people, but the Otsjanep tribesman had always wanted to hunt the tuan, white man. Their leader Dombai did not want to kill Michael, but two members of the group, Ajim, and Fin, thought differently, and the rest followed their example.
So they captured and stabbed him, but the wound itself wasn't fatal. They carried him off to a hidden creek, the Jawor River, where they killed him and made a big fire to eat him.
Upon further investigation, officials discovered that the white man's description matched Michael Rockefeller's description. Additional validation was found when witnesses of the events were asked about Michael's remains.
Fin kept Michael's head because it was someone he knew, as was their custom, while other tribe members made spears and knives out of his bones. Approximately 15 men had trinkets made from Michael's remains. When asked why they killed him, they said it was for the raid on Otsjanep all those years before; they were obligated to avenge their fallen comrades.
Michael's Demise Was Kept Secret
The situation was delicate, and the Dutch authorities that launched the investigation into Michael's disappearance thought it best to keep the information under wraps as their geopolitical situation was precarious.
At the time, Indonesia was amidst a civil war, trying to gain control of New Guinea. The last thing they wanted was to give the Indonesian rebels any ammunition, so they kept the whole thing quiet.
The story of Michael Rockefeller's death didn't come to light until later, but the evidence seems to support that he was killed and eaten by the Asmat people.
While some may find this story gruesome, it's important to remember that the Asmat people acted according to their cultural beliefs and customs. Unfortunately, authorities kept Michael's death secret because of the political situation at the time, and his family never had closure.
Despite the many years that have passed, there are still some unanswered questions about Michael Rockefeller's death. What happened to him in those final moments? Did he suffer? We may never know, but his story is a fascinating glimpse into a different time and culture.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Does your non-profit organization provide services to constituents? Are you able to easily report on the services you provide and how you are engaging with your constituents? Are you wondering if maybe there is a simpler way? Join me to learn about how your nonprofit organization can implement a simple process, using standard Salesforce functionality, to track and report on the support you are providing to your constituents, so that you are able to better communicate about the impact your organization is having. In addition to simplified reporting, organizations that implement a service tracking process may also gain the benefit of uncovering previously unseen data points and trends. This session will be useful to any nonprofit user who is curious how Salesforce can be leveraged to better support your constituents and to communicate the amazing work you do to donors and board members!


Chiang Mai Stadium Golf Club dates back to 1898, was first used by a number of businesses in Chiang Mai British businessman engaged in teak construction. 100 years later, the green grass of the stadium still in use in all of Thailand, and the whole Asia-deserved golf course originator, also precipitated as an important part of the cultural heritage of the city of Chiang Mai. Today, the stadium has an international membership system, jointly managed by Thais and foreigners.


text:
Q: ruby way to turn "abcd" into "a b c d " (eg pad each char with spaces) I see how to remove excess spaces, but dont see a simple way (other than manually iterating) to turn the string "happy" into "h a p p y " (with or without that last space doesn't matter)?

A: A regex would be an easy way:
'happy'.gsub(/./) { |m| m + ' ' }
# "h a p p y "

Or a few more:
'happy'.gsub(/./) { |m| m + ' ' }.strip # No trailing space.
'happy'.gsub(/./) { $& + ' ' }          # Trailing space, uses global $& variable.
'happy'.gsub(/./) { $& + ' ' }.strip    # Ues global variable, no trailing space.
'happy'.chars.to_a.join(' ')            # No regex, no trailing space.
'happy'.split('').join(' ')             # No regex, no trailing space.

I kinda' like the split/join one myself.

A: I was curious so I benchmarked each of mu's answers (100,000 times each)... ruby 1.8.7 (2011-06-30 patchlevel 352) [i686-darwin10.8.0]:
'happy'.gsub(/./) { |m| m + ' ' }.strip
  2.160000   0.010000   2.170000 (  2.176177)

'happy'.gsub(/./) { $& + ' ' }
  2.220000   0.010000   2.230000 (  2.264467)

'happy'.gsub(/./) { $& + ' ' }.strip
  2.480000   0.010000   2.490000 (  2.490261)

'happy'.chars.to_a.join(' ')
  1.040000   0.000000   1.040000 (  1.055694)

'happy'.split('').join(' ')
  1.350000   0.010000   1.360000 (  1.354991)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
IUAES2014 inter-congress: the future with/of anthropologies
The social and cultural contexts of English: future of global English
Tania Hossain (Waseda University)
16 May, 2014 at 8:30
The social and cultural contexts of English: future of global English. Panel P088 at conference IUAES2014 inter-congress: the future with/of anthropologies.
https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/iuaes2014/p/2887
The proposed panel will explore the social and cultural context of English in different societies special focus would be on the future of global English in Asian context.
The proposed panel will explore the social and cultural context of English in different societies special focus would be on the future of global English in Asian context. English is regarded as a global language. It is by no means divested itself of a cultural context. English plays two important roles: one is that in post-colonial contexts. In many countries, English plays an important role in the educational systems. English had always been an elite language, and another is that it creates inequalities in the society. At the same time, English is seen as an essential instrument in the economic development. English distinguishes the well- educated and economically advantaged urban dwellers from the undereducated and economically distressed rural population. At the same time, English is now emerging all over the world as a medium of communication. It is said that English was in the right place and at the right time. English was a language of British colony at the 19th century as well as the leader of the industrial revolution. In the 20th century, it became a language of a super economic power U.S.A. and also it is the language of technologies, linguistic opportunities, internet, broadcasting authorities. All these incidents make English as an internationally leading language politically and economically. a.	The panel will discuss what would the future of English as a global language? b.	What are the dangers of a global language? c.	Could anything stop a language once it achieves a global status?
The comparison between the English education system in Japan and that in Finland
Empowerment through language: a case study from Bangladesh
The influence of the new government course guideline in junior high school in the present and future English education in Japan
The comparison between Japanese universities and American universities: the singularity of Japanese universities


text:
Radiologists across India go on indefinite strike
Agra: The indefinite nationwide strike by radiologists, x-ray clinics, CT scan and MRI centres was called off on Friday after the representatives of Indian Radiologists and Imaging Association met Union health department officials in New Delhi, national president-elect Dr Bhupendra Ahuja said. After a series of meetings, the ministry assured them of firm action on their demands, including diluting provisions of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act that the agitating doctors said were too stringent. Ahuja said the strike has been suspended for three months. If no action is taken by then, the members will go on strike again.
Pakistan re-opens its airspace, lifts ban on Indian flights
Imran Khan to seek Trump's help on Kashmir
Pak plays dirty games .... Lahore court grants pre-arrest bail to Hafiz Saeed


A visit to Romania is a journey into one of the best-preserved countries in Europe, unique in Eastern and Central Europe for its scores of well-maintained synagogues and cemeteries in use by the Jewish communities. The country where it was born the Nobel Prize winner, writer Elie Wiesel, the homeland of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chasidic movement, and the place where the contribution of the Sephardic and Ashkenazy Jews to art, crafts and culture is still in easy reach.
Arrival to Bucharest. Meet and greet by your English speaking tour guide.Transfer from Otopeni airport to your downtown hotel. Panoramic tour of this city, rich in Jewish art and literature, photography, art and music, including the Athenaeum, Revolution Square, Opera House and the Triumphal Arch. Hotel check in with evening at leisure. You may opt for a opera or ballet performance or a Romanian Folklore Dinner.
Buffet breakfast. View of the Choral Temple, then tour the fascinating Jewish Museum – located in the former Tailor's synagogue, the Holocaust Museum at the Great Synagogue, the Yeshua Tova Synagogue and the few remaining parts of the old Jewish Quarter as well as the Jewish Cemetery. In the afternoon visit the Parliament's Palace then drive to Piatra Neamt in Moldavia – one of the richest areas for the Jewish Life. Arrival in the evening.
Buffet breakfast. Morning tour of the only wooden half underground synagogue of the country where Baal Shem Tov served for years. Visit the nearby, late 19th century synagogue before departing for the former capital of Moldavia: Iasi. This city used to be the largest and most sophisticated Jewish community in Romania, headquarters of Hacham Bashim in the XVIIth century, one of the great European Centers of Jewish learning during the XIXth century and the birthplace of the Yiddish Theater led by Adam Goldfaden. Evening at leisure.
Buffet breakfast. At the peak of its development, in Iasi there were no less than 127 synagogues; view the local Synagogue, the oldest Jewish Temple in Romania, built in 1671, serving as a museum, followed by the Jewish Cemetery, the Holocaust Museum and the holy tomb of the Rabbi of Stefanesti, famous for his cures, miracles and teachings. Afternoon drive to Suceava for a tour of the mighty Fortress and a visit at the Gah Synagogue. Later arrive to Gura Humorului, the best base for the Bucovina Tour.
Buffet breakfast. Visit Voronet and Humor Monasteries and be enchanted by the quality of the paintings and by the colors so well preserved; these two sites are among the UNESCO Heritage Romanian treasures. Today it will be a long day, we travel to Maramures, a splendid part of Northern Transylvania, also rich in Jewish Culture. On the way to Vadu Izei village stop at Barsana Monastery to learn about the local wooden architecture. This evening enjoy a home hosted dinner with one of the local families.
Buffet breakfast. Tour Maramures including the Synagogue in Sighet as well as a guided tour of the birth house of the famous Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Prize Winner. His house is now a museum of the local Jewish Community. Visit Sighet Synagogue. Next is the Anti Communist Memorial providing a direct connection to Romania's most recent history. Continue to the exquisite Ethnographical Museum in town. End your Day with a visit to the World famous Merry Cemetery. Here, each wooden cross carries an epitaph about the person's life.
Breakfast buffet. Leave Maramures in the early morning driving south to Cluj Napoca, a city of over 300,000 population. Visit the local synagogue and learn more about the Jews of Transylvania. Break your trip in Alba Iulia – the ancient capital of Transylvania. Late afternoon arrival to Sibiu. Panoramic tour of the old town including the medieval fortifications. Tonight dinner in included at one of the best of Sibiu's cellar restaurants.
Sibiu's Old Town, Bucovina outside painted Monasteries, Maramures Wooden Churches.


text:
Q: How to load pre trained FastText Word Embeddings using Gensim? I downloaded word embedding from this link. I want to load it in Gensim to do some work but I am not able to load it. I have found many resources and none of it is working. I am using Gensim version 4.1.
I have tried
gensim.models.fasttext.load_facebook_model('/home/admin1/embeddings/crawl-300d-2M.vec')
gensim.models.fasttext.load_facebook_vectors('/home/admin1/embeddings/crawl-300d-2M.vec')

and it is showing me
NotImplementedError: Supervised fastText models are not supported

I went to try to load it using using FastText.load('/home/admin1/embeddings/crawl-300d-2M.vec',) but then it showed UnpicklingError: could not find MARK.
Also, using

A: Per the NotImplementedError, those are the one kind of full Facebook FastText model, -supervised mode, that Gensim does not support.
So sadly, the answer to "How do you load these?" is "you don't".
The .vec files contain just the full-word vectors in a plain-text format – no subword info for synthesizing OOV vectors, or supervised-classification output features. Those can be loaded into a KeyedVectors model:
kv_model = KeyedVectors.load_word2vec_format('crawl-300d-2M.vec')


"Bajo las Suelas" or "underneath the Soils" is a traveling public installation by Chilean artist Ximena Soza.
The piece was first installed in a corner of San Francisco's Mission District, its second stop is Milwaukee and Chicago will be next. That first time, the piece was exhibited; it displayed donated and collected shoes, yarn and 50 stories about displacement sent from all around the world. Previous to the installation, the artist made a call to friends, students, colleagues and family to write about displacement, related to the displacement of the body or the soul; 50 initial stories about exile, gentrification, foreclosure, immigration, dictatorships, death and love were shared. The stories came from Prison, islands in Chile, Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Palestine and, 8 States in The United States. New stories were shared and written in site, while people walked down the street, engaged and interacted with the piece. More stories keep on coming until today!


text:
@protocol CDRSharedExampleGroupPool
@end

typedef void (^CDRSharedExampleGroupBlock)(NSDictionary *);

#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif
void sharedExamplesFor(NSString *, CDRSharedExampleGroupBlock);
void itShouldBehaveLike(NSString *);
#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif

@interface CDRSharedExampleGroupPool : NSObject <CDRSharedExampleGroupPool>
@end

@interface CDRSharedExampleGroupPool (SharedExampleGroupDeclaration)
- (void)declareSharedExampleGroups;
@end

#define SHARED_EXAMPLE_GROUPS_BEGIN(name)                                \
@interface SharedExampleGroupPoolFor##name : CDRSharedExampleGroupPool   \
@end                                                                     \
@implementation SharedExampleGroupPoolFor##name                          \
- (void)declareSharedExampleGroups {

#define SHARED_EXAMPLE_GROUPS_END                                        \
}                                                                        \
@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Finasteride is the generic name for the brand name drugs Proscar and Propecia. Finasteride was originally developed by Merck as a drug to treat enlarged prostate glands (Proscar). During the trials on men with prostate problems an intriguing side effect of hair growth was observed. Since finasteride had already been approved by the FDA to treat enlarged prostates in men, Merck and Company decided to pursue the possibility of developing finasteride as the first pill to treat male pattern though, I began to notice something disturbing. The two sides of my hair looked like they were slowly drifting away from each other at the part. Granted, it's hard for me to tell when my hair is thinning. I am half Scandinavian, and nowhere is this more evident than my scalp, which, with its sparse, wispy growth, conjures the snowy white tundras of Lapland.


text:
James Savik: Home
Journal entry of James Savik, dated June 4, 2028
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
—T.S. Eliot from the Hollow Men
How did it happen? It was an accident of course; the convergence of a million accidents, misunderstandings and bad judgement. It was ignorance of the world of microbes and the arrogance of people that thought it couldn't possibly matter.
It started in the hospitals of all places. The same hospitals ruthlessly scrubbed with antiseptic shining surfaces and all of their protocols to keep infectious agents at bay.
The microbes had been around since before mankind. Those microbes lived out their short lives and reproduced just like they had for millennia. That is until we started trying to kill them on mass with antiseptics and antibiotics.
Oh we killed them all right — by the quadrillions. For what were they after all but mere microbial vermin that could be a nuisance and even a danger. Over and over again except for a very select few. The few survivors were just a little different from the rest. They were genetically different from the rest.
We had no idea that we were shortcutting millions of years of evol ution. Over the course of a few short decades in human years, we pushed bacterial, fungi and viral evolution further than millions of years of natural selection could have possibly achieved.
Over time those microbes changed in ways both subtle and gross. It was the changes in the cytoplasmic membrane that made the most difference. Most antiseptics and antibiotics attack those membranes to destroy bacteria. We had inadvertently given rise to a new breed of bacteria that were for all practical purposes armor plated. None of our chemicals could affect them. They were impervious to even our silver bullets. Many of our old, well known microbes changed and became something altogether different. Common bacteria that no one gave a second thought soon became destroyers.
We first noticed it in Staphylococcus aureus. It became completely resistant to anything and everything that modern pharmaceutical science could throw at it. It started slowly at first appearing very rarely — killing a few people here and there in hospitals. They called them opportunistic infections. Over time it slowly gained momentum like a malignant wave. In a few years, hospitals became so dangerous no one would go near one.
Then it became like a row of dominoes as old but new again microbial enemies of mankind came back with a roar. Suddenly a skinned knee or a sinus infection just might be a death sentence.
The first mega killer was Streptococcal pharyngitis.It mutated like its cousin into a drug resistant killer and spread across five continents killing seven hundred million people. Suddenly strep throat became one of the most pernicious slayers of mankind in world history.
The next big mega killer was Clostridium perfringens — ancient anaerobic decay bacteria so common that it was ignored. Suddenly it was everywhere and killing people in a matter of a few hours. One point two billion people were dead over four months.
Then came… God only knows what it was. It was a red gram negative bacterium. We never could identify it because it was so different from its progenitor. It was hell's own creation. It went through our people like a buzz saw. It was a horror like none I've ever seen before.
I lived through the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s. Once again a microbe killed everyone that I cared about. AIDS was a like Sunday picnic in comparison.
It was so fast and so toxic that it was like a surrealistic nightmare. People died so fast we couldn't even study it. Healthy people literally dropped dead. It attacked the red blood cells and excreted a neurotoxin so deadly that just a few micrograms killed in a matter of minutes. It was like seeing people go out like bad light bulbs.
World population crashed in a matter of two years from 7.5 billion to just over 500 million.
I don't really know if it's over. It might still be going on. What saves us now is our population density is so low that humanity can no longer sustain a pandemic.
Now it is up to the survivors to find the will to go on.
This city that was once so busy and noisy — now all that can be heard is the wind blowing through empty buildings carrying the stench of death.
If you enjoyed reading this story, please let me know! Authors thrive by the feedback they receive from readers. It's easy: just click on the email link at the bottom of this page to send me a message. Say "Hi" and tell me what you think about 'With a Whimper' — Thanks.
This story is Copyright © 2017-2019	by James Savik. The image is Copyright © 2017-2019by Colin Kelly. They cannot be reproduced without express written consent. Codey's World web site has written permission to publish this story and image and use the original image. No other rights are granted.
Disclaimer: The original image is in the public domain and thus free of any copyright restrictions. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


This hypnosis script Weight Loss Motivation is for anyone who needs to be motivated to get out and exercise, and to eat healthier. It mixes direct hypnotic suggestions with metaphors for self esteem, leaving behind bad influences, changing inner beliefs and taking charge of your life.
The Hypnosis Script Weight Loss Motivation is in several sections. You do not need to use all the sections at once. Only use the sections that you think are most appropriate for your particular client.
Identity and see yourself walking along... in the street, maybe... proud, strong... others looking at you sideways... thinking how does he do it... How good would that make you feel about yourself?
Identity And every day is another step towards that image... until the day comes when you can step right into that mirror... and just merge into that body and you and it are the same... you are that same person and you have arrived... and you will be like that for ever... exactly how you want to be. And that's a good thing, isn't it? Yeah... that's a very good thing.


Mitchell Bard is a foreign policy expert who specializes in U.S.-Middle East policy. He founded AICE in 1993 to help strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. Dr. Bard holds a Ph.D. in political science from UCLA and a master's degree in public policy from Berkeley. He received his B.A. in economics from UC Santa Barbara.
For three years, Dr. Bard was the editor for AIPAC's Near East Report, a weekly newsletter on U.S. Middle East policy. Prior to that position, he served as an analyst in the polling division of the 1988 George H.W. Bush campaign.
Dr. Bard has appeared on local, national and international television and radio shows and his work has been published in academic journals, magazines and major newspapers. He is the author/editor of 24 books including: Israel Matters; The Arab Lobby; Will Israel Survive?; and, Death to the Infidels. In 2013, Dr. Bard was placed on the Algemeiner's list of the Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life.
Dr. Bard's publications and CV.


These 12mm Historical Miniatures are designed and manufactured in the UK. Cast in lead-free pewter to the highest standards. Figures are mostly strip mounted to facilitate ease of painting and mounting onto the precision moulded brown plastic supplied bases*. Figures are supplied unpainted and some models may require assembly. (*with the exception of Command and a few accessory packs).
Blisters make up one unit for use with Hordes & Heroes Medieval, FREE Rules to download. They are also suitable for use with many table top game systems.
The following Romano British packs are available as single figures, bases included.
They are available for mail order only, these packs are not taken to shows.
The following packs are available as single figures, bases included.
The following Saxon & Viking packs are available as single figures, bases included.
The following Norman packs are available as single figures, bases included.


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Gaurav Reddy
The History of Reward Programs
Once upon a time, loyalty programs pertained to a very niche market. Customers got copper tokens to redeem for future purchases. These tokens helped in loyalty and retained customers. Some believe that the early roots of customer loyalty programs started with "premium marketing" in the late 18th century. At this time, American retailers began to give customers copper tokens with purchases that could be later redeemed for products on future purchases. This customer retention strategy would remain popular throughout the 19th century and would pave the way for the loyalty programs we know today.
A decade later, copper tokens were replaced by redeemable stamps in the future. Green Shield stamps became one of the first retail loyalty programs, and could arguably be considered a predecessor of what popular programs like Air Miles and Aeroplan do today. Green Shield awarded stamps for purchases at select retailers that could be later redeemed for catalog products. Such a method attracted customers giving them incentive to continue purchasing from them.
Followed by this, individual brands and retailers introduced box tops or brand specific programs. Betty Crocker introduced their box top program in 1929, laying the framework for loyalty programs as we know them today. The latter years of the 1900's would see retailers adopt what I call "loyalty aggregators"programs that reward points regardless of the retailer they were originally earned from. The points accumulated can then be used to purchase items through a separate retailer. These programs are similar to the aforementioned S&H Green Stamps, and include popular programs like Air Miles and Aeroplan. These laid the roots of the most popular programs, frequent fliers.
In the 1990s, next came the Frequent fliers and similar loyalty programs that brought about a change in loyalty as we perceive it today. The latter years of the 1900's would see retailers adopt what I call "loyalty aggregators", programs that reward points regardless of the retailer they were originally earned from. The points accumulated can then be used to purchase items through a separate retailer. These programs are similar to the aforementioned S&H Green Stamps, and include popular programs like Air Miles and Aeroplan. These programs are still immensely popular today.
A more recent program was coalition loyalty which focussed on themselves and not the brand. Many of these programs do not follow the customer-first approach and failed to retain and engage the customer. There is a growing need for a loyalty platform focusing on the brand and customer first. This approach can take such programs to greater heights.
In 2020, loyalty programs and market are set for another transformation. Due to changing customer preferences, there is a rising need for new reward programs. The next step will focus more on offering flexibility and easy redemption options to customers. The programs will satisfy instant gratifying needs of the customers, such that they can redeem it anywhere, anytime. The markets will get flooded with these options. Great time to be a loyal customer with unlimited rewards and rewarding experiences. So customers, get ready to welcome reward programs in 2020.
What do millennials want in reward programs?
How do milestone based rewards help in loyalty programs?
What do Women want in Reward Programs?


WGBH's "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O'Donovan" returns for a 12th season this month with performances in Boston, Worcester, New Bedford and Rockport. Based on the popular 89.7 WGBH radio program "A Celtic Sojourn," this year's concert program promises to be one of the most exciting yet.
Featuring both familiar faces and exciting additions, "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn" will include the holiday traditions audiences have grown to love. This year, the show will also explore the rich music, song and dance traditions that crossed over from Ireland and Scotland to the New World, where they transformed into what we now know as Appalachian old-time, country and bluegrass.
"This year's 'A Christmas Celtic Sojourn' combines the best of all worlds," said O'Donovan. "It is the finest of musicians, singers, dancers and storytellers of Celtic traditions, as we always bring. But this year, we're going even further in exploring how those traditions have crossed over evolved here in the U.S., giving us an entirely new set of musical gifts."
Music director Seamus Eagan returns with his group, Solas, which NPR's "Thistle & Shamrock" calls "Irish-America's most influential band." Audiences will experience the virtuosity of Winifred Horan on fiddle; Johnny Connolly, from Connemara in Galway, on accordion; and Eamon McElholm, of County Tyrone, with Chico Huff on bass. One of the founding members of the legendary Bothy Band, Kevin Burke, will delight audiences as well as fiddler, dancer and harmonica player, Matt Gordon. The Christmas Celtic Sojourn horns trio is back in 2014 and is led by Dieterich Strause. And in their "Christmas Celtic Sojourn" premiere, the acclaimed Foghorn Stringband will lead an exploration of the deep kinship between Celtic and Appalachian music.
The 12th season of "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn" features, for the first time, the internationally recognized vocal duo Lumiere, direct from County Kerry. Well-known for their past solo and ensemble work, Pauline Scanlon and E?ili?s Kennedy have been entertaining audiences as a duo, with their superb harmonies, exquisite traditional material and a warm stage presence that typifies the Celtic tradition.
Cara Butler and Nathan Pilatzke, of The StepCrew, will highlight the traditions of Celtic dance and its evolution in the U.S., and the young dancers from the Harney Academy of Irish Dance in Walpole will once again take the stage, a performance that has long been a crowd favorite.
A full schedule of WGBH's "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O'Donovan" performance locations and times is below. Tickets are available at www.wgbh.org/celtic for $25-$85; station member discounts apply.
"A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O'Donovan" is produced by WGBH, greater Boston's leading public broadcaster.
About WGBH - WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web. Television channels include WGBH 2, WGBX 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH, Boston's Local NPR®; 99.5 WCRB; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® Station. Find more information at wgbh.org.


In the season finale, Miles Daisher leads a trio of air jockeys in a quest to execute high-precision BASE jumps in the canyons of Moab, Utah. The landing area? A narrow patch atop a 183 meter tall sandstone tower.


I often use the term "tailored" when describing some of the parts and process we use in kitchen and bath design. Even though tailors have little to do with renovating, it is a good metaphor for the difference between a generic developer's bath circa 1995, and a fully developed plan.
A fully developed, or "tailored plan" uses interior architecture as well as interior design to create a plan where the details have a multi-prong synergy.
The first step is drawing an improved and maximized space that takes full advantage of the real estate available. The existing bath in this study only fit one sink and vanity because of an arbitrary installation of a large tub deck The new bath has his and hers vanities with a larger shower, and still fits a large tub for soaking.
Designing details that create a safe and lasting design is often an unnoticed aspect of the big picture. The existing plan in our example did not have tempered glass (required by code) near the tub. An important safety factor near a slippery surface. The design should also account for small items such as running tile high enough in a shower if the client is extra tall so the walls plaster and paint don't deteriorate at an accelerated pace.
Where one design element starts and another begins is just as important. If you look at the marriage of the tile floor inlay, how the tile climbs to and above the shower threshold; as well as the continuity of the horizontal planes with tile and crown molding, they all work equally effective at the sink, in the shower and around the tub.
Contact us here for more details on our bath remodeling services!


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Interesting Photo of the Day: Palestinian Refugees Wait for Food in Syria
The following image was taken in January 2014 by the UN Relief and Works Agency, known as UNRWA. It shows a "queue" of Palestinian refugees–really more a mass of bodies–in Yarmouk, a district of Damascus, Syria, that has become a de facto refugee camp:
Palestinian refugees line up for food at Yarmouk camp. (Via Imgur. Click for larger size.)
Yamouk is different than most refugee camps, because it was never a camp at all. Despite the crumbling facade, the district has always been residential, with beauty salons and internet cafes. The UNRWA operates 20 elementary schools, and Palestinians have been functioning with four hospitals and jobs such as doctors, engineers and street vendors.
The Syrian civil war has changed that. Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president, sealed off Yarmouk in July 2013. The area witnessed intense fighting between the rebels and the Syrian army, with Palestinians on both sides of the conflict. Since then, the UNRWA has given out more than 7,000 food parcels to the camp of 160,000 people in little under a month. There are frequent reports of infant malnutrition, war trauma, and injuries. After Assad ceased all international aid to the camp in early February, he reneged and permitted a smaller number of international aid workers to prevent starvation.
This photo shows what people living there now have to deal with.
Subject Placement Tips in Photography


Let us be your bounty hunter for coins! Not all packages will go Priority.
Sahara Coins is a Proud Member of the following. PCGS, NGC, PMG, ANA, PNG. The item "1913 D NGC MS61 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Double Eagle Item#M4984" is in sale since Tuesday, March 26, 2019. This item is in the category "Coins & Paper Money\Coins\ US\Gold (Pre-1933)\$20, Double Eagle". The seller is "saharacoins" and is located in Las Vegas, Nevada.


In April, at Villa Fiorentino, there are twenty days full of events and live operas to discover and learn about some of the authentic crafts of the artisanal artists of the Sorrento Peninsula.
If you are on vacation in Sorrento or on the Amalfi Coast between April 10th and May 1st, don't miss the event MANU FACTUM for any reason, it's one of the best exhibitions of the year.
To know the authentic and real Sorrento and its traditions, it is essential to emphasise the art of craftsmanship that has marked the economic history of the last centuries. Craftsmanship and art are in fact part of the same journey of senses guided from the imagination to the hands in a creative way that has marked the culture of our Peninsula. A reality that could be lost and it is thanks to the enthusiasm and passion of those who still live and defend local traditions, move for twenty days from their workshops to the halls of Villa Florentino.
Here are the dates: from 10 of April to 1st of May, the artisan event entitled Manu Factum welcomes all those who want to learn about the art and crafts of the Sorrento peninsula.
A unique opportunity, for both tourists and local citizens, to discover firsthand the works and creative work of many local artisans and artists.
Inlayers, photographers, luthiers, fashion designers, goldsmiths, florists and, masters of the making of the Crib (Holy Nativity) and many other artists are gathered by the president of the association Peninsulart, Marcello Aversa.
Approximately seventy craftsmen and masters will showcase their art, creating live works, workshops for children, meetings with schools, guided tours, talks, concerts and games.
The Manu Factum exhibition can be visited every day from 10 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 8.30 pm at Villa Fiorentino with free admission.


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Sarah Culpepper
Sarah Eloise (Gramling) Culpepper, of Red Rock, was born Nov. 29, 1922, in Waukeenah, Fla., the youngest of eight, to Edwin and Annie (Grantham) Gramling. She went home to be with the Lord on Oct. 24, 2016.
Sarah was predeceased by her siblings: Jewel, Napoleon, Edwin, Wesley, Preston, Josie and Inman Gramling.
She grew up in Florida and later went to work in Georgia.
married the love of her life, Roger G. Culpepper, on Oct. 21, 1944. They had two sons, John (Randy) and Robert (Bobby) Culpepper, both deceased.
She is survived by daughters-in-law, Jerrie K. Culpepper and Linda Culpepper and grandchildren: Bambi (Billy) Maugham, Shannon Huebner, Sandra (JoeRoy) Niemann, Dustin (Jennifer) Culpepper, Carma Parker, Teri Watts, Pamela (Rudy) Vasquez and Jess Wilson. Grandson Jeffrey V. Culpepper also preceded her in death leaving his wife, Maria. Great-grandchildren include: Lauren Culpepper, Wyatt Huebner, Lynette (Roy) McCleney, Melanie (Nick) Dockery, Tana Culpepper, Jeffrey (Randy) Culpepper, Randi Culpepper, Sarah Culpepper, Callynn Niemann, Cheyenne Niemann, Charles Niemann, Kyla Ringer, Sofia Dockery, Emma Culpepper, Gunner Culpepper, Waylon Culpepper, Marissa Watts, Jadrienne Preiss, Caleb Preiss and Joel Wilson as well as six great-great-grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by great-grandson, Ruger Culpepper. Sarah was very active in Boy Scouting, trail riding, and square dancing, and she taught swimming in Lockhart for many years. Sarah and Roger were well known also for managing the Rogers Ranch Bowling Club for over 20 years.
She was an excellent seamstress and upholsterer and also worked preparing taxes with H&R Block for many years. Sarah was a very talented and amazing woman and could find ways to create things out of almost nothing.
She loved her cows and living on the ranch. She loved gardening and was so disappointed when she was no longer able to maintain one. Even though Sarah had a reputation for being very outspoken, some would say ornery, she was greatly loved by both family and friends.
Sarah and Roger lived for many years in Lockhart but when he passed on, she opted to move out to the country where she has been surrounded by family and friends over the past 20 years. She had been at the Chisolm Trail Nursing Home for the last 10 months.
Visitation is scheduled at McCurdy Funeral Home in Lockhart on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016 from 4-6 p.m. Funeral service will be at Bateman Baptist Church on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016 at 3 p.m. with interment in Bateman Cemetery' followed by a gathering at Bateman Baptist fellowship hall.
Pallbearers are Darrell Schuenemann, Gary Duran, John Fuqua, David McMullen, Rodney Ellis, Tommy Hemphill and honorary pallbearers James Hagan, and Floyd (Tinker) Wilhelm Jr. Contributions may be made in her honor to the Boy Scouts of America or the Lytton Springs Masonic Lodge #487.
Legal Notice – Oct. 27, 2016: Lockhart ...
Adela Fernandez
Refugio Baltierra
James F. Coggins
Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley, USMC
Mr. Phillip Hernandez, Sr.


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Center for Energy Studies | Journal
Transmission Network Investment in a Time of Transition
August 25, 2021 | Juan Rosellón, Mohammad Hesamzadeh, Darryl Biggar, Hossein Hesamzadeh
Juan Rosellón
Nonresident Fellow
Mohammad Hesamzadeh
Associate Professor, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Darryl Biggar
Special Economic Advisor, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Hossein Hesamzadeh
The electricity sector is in an unprecedented time of transition. The industry is in the process of adjusting from traditional fossil-fuel to renewable generation, from large-scale to distributed generation and from vertically-integrated monopolies to vertically separated industrial structures under diverse forms of competition. Efficient transmission investment planning and regulation is more important than ever, but this task has become extremely complex. Increasing penetration of intermittent generation makes predicting network flow patterns increasingly difficult. Moreover, the potential role for hydrogen as an alternative energy source in both domestic and transportation uses, makes predicting the long-term future of electricity demand more uncertain than at any time in its history. In this paper, we review key issues in electricity transmission investment and regulation. We start by reviewing the task of the theoretical well-intentioned network planner, and the complications that arise when transmission investment is separated from generation investment. We then review the issues associated with governing the transmission planner, including the question whether it is possible to design a financial mechanism which delivers correct incentives. We also discuss the question of whether it is possible to design a mechanism which allows transmission investment to be left entirely to the private sector. We finish with a summary of the key future challenges facing the sector in this time of transition.
Access the full article in IAEE.
https://doi.org/10.5547/2160-5890.10.2.chir
Center for Energy Studies | Working Paper
Developing a Robust Hydrogen Market in Texas
Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East | Center for Energy Studies | Policy Brief
Building Water and Energy Security in the GCC through an Integrated Policy Approach
Center for Energy Studies | Commentary
Why Gas Stoves Matter to the Climate — and the Gas Industry: Keeping Them Means Homes Will Use Gas for Heating Too


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Q: Nondegenerate linear maps functorially associated to algebras In the sequel, "$k$-algebra" means "associative unital finite dimensional $k$-algebra.
Apologies for the very long exposition.
If $A$ is a $k$-algebra and $s:A\to k$ is $k$-linear, we say that $s$ is $\mathit{nondegenerate}$ if for all $x\in A$, $s(xa)=0$ for all $a\in A\Rightarrow x=0$ (maybe I need to assume right nondegeneracy as well, I don't know)
Let us fix a base field $k$.
I would like to understand the existence and "uniqueness" of nondegenerate linear maps functorially associated to algebras in the sense that the assignment $A\mapsto s_A$ needs to satisfy the following conditions:
(1) for all field extensions $K/k$ and for all morphisms $\varphi:A\to B$ of $K$-algebras, we have $s_A=s_B\circ\varphi$;
(2) for any morphism of field extensions of $k$ $f:K\to L$, and for all $K$-algebras $A$, and all $a\in A$, we have $s_{A\otimes_K L}(a\otimes 1)=f(s_A(a))$, where the tensor product is taken with respect to $f$;
(3) for all field extensions $K/k$ and for all for all $K$-algebras $A$, the linear map $s_A$ is nondegenerate.
Of course, I do not expect such an assignment to exist for all $k$-algebras (even if the dimension is fixed), but before precising more the context, notice that there is always an obvious assignement satisfying (1) and (2), namely the trace map: if $A$ is a $K$-algebra, we denote by $t_A$ the linear map $t_A:a\in A\mapsto tr(\ell_a)$, where $\ell_a$ is the endomorphism of left multiplication by $a$.
The problem is that $t_A$ is not always non degenerate. It is even the zero map if $E$ is an inseparable field extension of $k$, for example. The following theorem is known (I found it browsing the web, but forgot to write down the reference. I'll find it later for those who are interested)
Thm If $char(k)=0$, i$t_A$ is nondegenerate if and only if $A$ is a separable $k$-algebra.
If $char(k)$ divides the dimension of $A$, then $t_A$ is the zero map. However, if $A$ is separable, there is a notion of reduced trace, which satisfies (1),(2) and (3), so for separable algebras, assignments satisfying (1),(2),(3) exist, in every characteristic.
From now on, I will fix  a $k$-algebra $B$, and only consider $K$-algebras $A$ such that $A\otimes_K K_{alg}\simeq B\otimes_K K_{alg}$. Such algebras will be called $B$-forms.
If $B$ is a direct product of matrices, we then recover separable algebras.
Now for the questions:
Q1 Fixing $B$ and restricting to $B$-forms, does there exist assignments satisfying (1),(2),(3)  ?
Q1' If the answer to Q1 is no, do you know examples of $B$, other than a direct product of matrices, such that Q1 has a positive answer ?
Q2 Assume we are in the case where Q1 has a positive answer (e.g. the case of separable algebras), is such assignment unique up to multiplication by an element of $k$ or perhaps more reasonably by an element of $Z(B)$?
My thoughts I think that unfortunately, answer to Q1 is NO for arbitrary $B$. I have not finished my computations yet, but I think that if $B=K[X]/(X^2)$ any assignment satisfying (1) and (2) is identically zero.
Can anyone confirm ?
However, I am pretty much convinced that answer to Q2 is YES, but I cannot figure a way to prove it yet. Note that (2) implies that $s_A$ is invariant under any $k$-algebra automorphism of $A$.
If $A$ is a $K$-algebra ($K/k$ is a field extension) and $s_A$ and $s'_A$ are non degenerate assignments, then there exists $\alpha\in A$ such that $s'_A(a)=s_A(\alpha a)$ for all $a\in A$ by non degeneracy. A non degeneracy argument then shows that $\varphi(\alpha)=\alpha$ for all automorphisms $\varphi$ of the $k$-algebra $A$. In particular, applying this to inner automorphisms show that
(*) $\alpha a=a\alpha$ for all $a\in A^\times$.
Side question. If $\alpha$ satisfies $(*)$, does it implies that $\alpha\in Z(A)$ ? i'll be happy to assume $K$ infinite if necessary.
If this is true, I think that the fact that $A$ is a $B$-form must imply that in fact $\alpha\in B_0$ , and so we should have $\alpha\in Z(B)$. Can someone confirm ?
I have absolutely no clue regarding Q1', but I would really really be interested in an example of $B$ such that Q1 has a positive answer, for a $B$ which is not a  direct product of matrices. Unfortunately, I have the intuition that such $B$ do not exist...
Thanks for reading this long message.
Greg


text:
Spilomalus biquadratus is een vliesvleugelig insect uit de familie Pteromalidae. De wetenschappelijke naam is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1858 door Wollaston.

Pteromalidae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Cornwall's debt crisis is revealed.
A charity says after bills, food and fuel, people in some parts only have £17 a month to clear what they owe.
Consumer Credit Counselling took more than one call a day last year.
People in Padstow say they are feeling the pinch: "Much tougher and we're finding a difference with the bills. We have to be more careful and we're not quite as extravagent as we used to be. Things are pretty tough, well, tougher than they have been for a while. You've got to be boring and just pay the important things, as oppose to go out and spend time with your friends and family".
For tips on how to manage your money, click below.


One Potato works with farmers, ranchers and fisheries to send you the freshest sustainable organic ingredients to prepare delicious meals every day. With a little TLC, your produce, meats, fish and dry goods will remain fresh and vibrant until you're ready to cook and enjoy. Please follow these simple tips for best results.
Unpack your ingredients as soon as possible: Store fish, meat and eggs in the coolest part of your refrigerator, and below prepared or ready to eat foods.
Vegetables and greens are best refrigerated in your vegetable drawer or on a lower middle shelf. Our delicious sauces and marinades have a long refrigerated life, but should be frozen if you plan to use them more than ten days after receiving.
Fresh herbs can be stored as received; however, wrapping them in damp paper towels will ensure their longevity throughout the week.
One Potato fish and shellfish will keep well for up to 4-5 days refrigerated in their sealed bags. If you plan to use these ingredients more than five days after receiving them, we suggest placing them in the freezer as soon as they are received. Plan your meals in order to use fish and shellfish early in the week for pristine freshness.
Meat and Poultry will keep well for up to seven days in their sealed bags. If you plan on preparing these ingredients more than seven days after receiving, we suggest placing the sealed bags directly in the freezer upon receiving them.
Once freezing your meat, poultry or fish products: Remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. If you wish to thaw frozen ingredients more quickly, place the frozen sealed bags in a container and thaw under cold running water [please consider water is one of our valuable, ever scarcer resources, kindly use with prudence].
Always begin with a clean and sanitized work area, cutting board, bowls, knives and utensils.
Clean and sanitize cutting boards after the preparation of any one ingredient before preparing the next ingredients.
Prepare meats fish and poultry after all other ingredients have been prepared, and ensure cleaning and sanitizing knives, cutting boards and work areas after their preparations. Thoroughly was hands with soap and warm water after touching raw ingredients, and sanitize faucet handles as an extra precaution against cross contamination.
a) Clean – Wash hands and surfaces often.
b) Separate – Separate raw meat from other foods.
c) Cook – Cook to the right temperature.
e) Chill – Refrigerate leftover foods as soon as your meals are finished.
Beef, Lamb and Pork should be cooked until an internal temperature of 145°F. is reached, and then left to rest for five minutes before serving.
Poultry and All Ground, Chopped or Minced Meats should cooked until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached and then left to rest for five minutes prior to serving.
Fish and Shellfish is safest when cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F.
Eggs are considered safest to consume after cooking to an internal temperature of 160°F.
One Potato delivers only USDA Grade A Organic Pasteurized eggs. Products which contain raw egg, such as our cookie doughs and mayonnaise based sauces, are prepared using the same eggs. If your children yearn for raw cookie dough, feel safe indulging them.
One Potato will occasionally ship whole tomatoes, onions, potatoes, autumn squashes, shallots and ginger. Such staple items generally keep well for up to a week in a cool dry place, such as an airy cupboard or shaded countertop area. If holding the ingredients longer than a week, we recommend storing them in the refrigerator and removing when ready to use. Fresh whole tomatoes are at their best when at room temperature. We strongly urge that these remain out until ready to use, or removing them from the refrigerator several hours prior to preparation.
At One Potato we are huge fans of the old fashioned bread drawer, a cool dry place to keep your fresh breads for several days. Tortillas, French Baguettes and Rolls will stay fresh for up to four days under these conditions. If you are planning to use these ingredients later on, please wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to ten days. For longer storage, wrap in two layers of plastic and place in the freezer until ready to use.
Store sliced, shredded and grated cheese in the refrigerator until ready to use. If you wish to store your cheeses for longer than ten days, we recommend wrapping them in several layers of plastic wrap and freezing until ready to use.
Rice and grains are best kept refrigerated in their sealed bags. If desired to store in the pantry, remove the grains from the sealed packaging and place in a glass, ceramic or terracotta jar, covered.
Dried pastas are best kept in the pantry until ready to use.
One Potatoes Organic cookie doughs keep well stored in the refrigerator for up to ten days. Remove the dough several minutes before using. If there is leftover cookie dough, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator as soon as possible.
Our cookie dough also freezes extremely well, and will keep frozen for up to two months. When ready to bake cookies: remove the dough from the freezer and cut into thin discs. Remove the wrapper after cutting, bake and enjoy!


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est un livre de  publié en 1964.

Il réunit une version révisée de l'essai « Du conte de fées » () et le conte Feuille, de Niggle (), tous deux déjà été publiés auparavant, avec une introduction inédite de l'auteur.

Ce recueil n'a pas d'équivalent en français, mais les deux textes qu'il contient ont été traduits et publiés dans les recueils Faërie (1974) et Faërie et autres textes (2003).

Rédaction et publication

« Du conte de fées » est issu d'une conférence donnée en 1939, retravaillée et publiée pour la première fois en 1947 dans . La version de  inclut de nombreuses modifications par rapport à celle de 1947. Le conte Feuille, de Niggle avait été publié dans  en 1945 ; il est repris avec quelques retouches mineures dans .

La couverture est un dessin de Tolkien lui-même, représentant un arbre. Le motif de l'arbre et de la feuille est présent dans les deux textes, et donne son titre au recueil.

 est réédité en 1988 avec le poème « Mythopoeia ».

Références

Œuvre de J. R. R. Tolkien
Livre paru en 1964


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5 Fun Things to Do in Amelia Island
- Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau
By Kara Franker
From its beautiful beaches to its historic brick streets, there is a wealth of things to do in Amelia Island. On a recent trip to the island located in Northern Florida, I spent some time exploring the sites and natural beauty.
Kayaking Amelia Island
- www.ameliaisland.com
What to Do in Amelia Island
1. Explore historic downtown Fernandina Beach
Amelia Island is a treasure trove of history and heritage. One of the best things to do in Amelia Island to learn about the more than 4,000 years of history is to walk along the brick streets of historic Fernandina Beach. Many of the buildings are on the National Register and several historic homes are now cozy B&Bs.
Hop on the Amelia Island Trolley for a historical tour of the town.
Stop by the Palace Saloon for a drink; it's Florida longest-operating saloon and was reportedly designed by Adolphus Busch of Anhesuer-Busch fame.
Make a dinner reservation at Joe's 2nd Street Bistro and dine on Chef Ricky's delicious cuisine.
- Lauren Tjaden for VISIT FLORIDA
2. Hunt for seashells and sharks teeth
With a different eco-sytem than most of the Sunshine State, Amelia Island offers a combination of spacious white-sand beaches and natural green marshes. Stroll the sand along the Atlantic Ocean and search for seashell treasures like scallops, moon snail or whelk.
Or better yet, stumble upon a set of pearly whites -- yes, the beach is often littered with shark teeth! Visitors have found teeth belonging to great white, hammerhead and bull sharks. If you find a tooth that looks like a set of stair-stepped cusps (instead of a long sharp tooth), then you may have found a rare fossil from the cow shark. Don't forget to snap a photo and use the hashtag #LoveFL!
3. Dine at SALT at The Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island
While you're in town, you absolutely must make a reservation to dine at SALT. Not only is it one of the only five-diamond restaurants in Florida, Chef de Cuisine Richard Laughlin will blow you away with his creative and artful dishes. I recommend booking either the "Dine with the Chef" experience where you get to nosh on dish after dish after dish at the chef's table in the kitchen, or try the "Chef's Adventure Tasting Menu," showcasing seasonal plates. You will thank me later.
4. Set out on a sunset sail
Set sail from Fernandina's historic waterfront and cruise along salt marshes and secluded beaches. It's not uncommon to spot dolphins, sea turtles, manatees and herons along the way. Some cruises offer incredible views of wild horses roaming free on Cumberland Island. The guides with Amelia River Cruises & Charters will enlighten you with local history as well as info about the eco-sytem.
5. Listen to live music or attend a special event
Amelia Island offers a number of entertaining events throughout the year. The Amelia Island Concours D'Elegance brings together automobile enthusiasts and collectors from all over the world each March. Other events include the Amelia Island Blues Festival in September, Jazz Festival in October, B&B Cookie Tour in November and the Holiday Home Tour in December.
Or plan your own island event! The Ocean Club of Amelia offers a beautiful dining room that overlooks the sand dunes and Atlantic Ocean. Whether you're planning a wedding, brunch or some other kind of special event, you'll love the beautiful views and excellent food options.
Golfing at Omni Resort on Amelia Island
- Frank Fenton for VISIT FLORIDA
Where to Stay in Amelia Island
The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Omni Amelia Island Resort
Elizabeth Pointe Lodge
If You Go... Need help planning your trip? Check out AmeliaIsland.com.


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Category Celebrity, Sports
Petr Yan Family, Net Worth, Parents, Wife, Ethnicity, Salary, Children
Author Meenu Suhag Published on May 25, 2022 4 min read
Petr Yan Family and Net Worth – Petr Yan is a former UFC Bantamweight Champion and a Russian professional mixed martial artist know all about him in this Blog.
Petr Yan Wiki Bio
Petr Evgenyevich Yan is a former UFC Bantamweight Champion and a Russian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Yan is a former ACB Bantamweight Champion who previously competed in Absolute Championship Berkut. He is currently ranked #9 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings as of January 24, 2021.
Petr Yan
Age ( 2022 )
Dudinka, Russia
Russian mixed martial artist
University in Omsk
Petr Yan Parents and Early Life
Yan was born to a Russian mother and a father of mixed Chinese-Russian ancestry. Yan began training in ITF Taekwon-do in sixth grade, and he frequently fought on the streets and at his local school, so his family relocated frequently to attempt to prevent this. Yan's older brother had trained in boxing in the Krasnoyarsk Krai city of Dudinka, and Petr wanted to learn as well.
His elder brother, however, first refused to accompany Petr, so Petr decided to sneak behind his brother's back and accompany him to study the sport of boxing. Petr continued to train in boxing for the next eight years, eventually earning the title of Master of Sport in Boxing in the 64 kg weight category. Petr Yan earned a bachelor's degree in Physical Culture and Sport from the Siberian Federal University in Omsk.
Petr Yan Family
Father Name
Petr Yan Wife and Children
Petr Yan married with his beautiful wife wife Julia Yan. The Couple have two children together.
Spouse / Partner
Julia Yan
Petr Yan Net Worth
Petr Yan has an estimated Net Worth of $2 Million in 2022.He earns a good fortune from his hard work , which he devotes a lot of time to and where he presents oneself entirely.
How much Does Earn Petr Yan and What is His Net Worth?
Yearly Salary / Income
Monthly Salary / Income
Petr Yan Salary
Here we discuss about his Salary, Income and Career Earnings. He earns a handsome salary from his profession. Via his sources of income, he has been able to accumulate good fortune to living a very lavish and comfortable lifestyle with his family members.
Petr Yan Ethnicity, Nationality
Petr Yan Age, Height, Weight
Petr Yan Professional Career
Yan made his MMA debut in December 2014 at the Eurasian Fighting Championship – Baikal Fight. He defeated Murad Bakiev, who was also a debutant, in the third round by knockout. Yan inked a deal with Absolute Championship Berkut, a Russian organisation, in 2015. He was believed to have garnered a large following during his debut with the organisation, in which he faced Brazilian fighter Renato Velame, who had previously fought 26 times in his MMA career at the time.
On March 26, 2016, Yan fought Magomed Magomedov at ACB 32: "The Battle of Lions" in Moscow. Magomedov won the fight by split decision and retained his bantamweight title after five rounds; nevertheless, many believed Yan had won the fight, including ACB president Mairbek Khasiev, who promised a rematch. Despite Yan's loss, this bout was selected the greatest fight of the year by ACB in 2016.
Yan made his official debut against Teruto Ishihara at UFC Fight Night 132 on June 23, 2018.He won the bout in the first round by technical knockout.Yan was temporarily slated to fight top-14 UFC rankings Douglas Silva de Andrade at UFC Fight Night 136 on September 15, 2018.On August 9, Andrade withdrew from the bout due to a foot ailment, and was replaced by Jin Soo Son.
Son was one pound over the non-title bantamweight fight limit of 136 pounds at weigh-ins, and he was fined 20% of his purse to Yan. Yan was declared the winner by a unanimous decision. He won the Fight of the Night award for this victory. On October 30, 2021, at UFC 267, a rematch with Sterling was expected.
Sterling, however, withdrew from the competition on September 25 owing to persisting neck difficulties. With the fight for the Interim UFC Bantamweight Championship on the line, Cory Sandhagen stepped in as a replacement. Yan was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
This fight was named Fight of the Night. On March 5, 2022, at UFC 272, a title unification rematch with Aljamain Sterling was set to take place. However, on January 11, 2022, it was revealed that the fight would be rescheduled for UFC 273 on April 9.Yan was defeated by a split decision in a tough fight. He also won the Cypto.com 3rd Place Fan of Bonus of the Night award for the bout.
Category Sports
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Crypto Games Now
Follow CryptoGamesNow on Twitter!
Crypto Games Telegram Group
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Blockchain games, virtual items, and crypto game assets.
Mythereum Review
This week i started playing a new card battling game called Mythereum. Mythereum is a turn-based card game, which is similar to Magic the Gathering or Hearthstone. You can get started playing it by receiving a free deck on the site here. Your free deck will be the Survivor Edition. This is a basic deck of 7 cards to get you started. You can also purchase the medium level deck, called the Awakening Edition for .043 ETH. The Awakening Edition has more…
0XUniverse Review
This week, I started playing a new game on the ETH blockchain called 0xUniverse. The game is made by a development team called 0xGames. 0xGames is an international group of game devs currently working on 3 crypto games. The games include: 0xuniverse, 0xbattleship, and 0xwarriors. 0xwarriors has just begun its pre-sale. (If you want to get involved, you can check it out here.) How to Start Playing 0xUniverse To start playing Oxuniverse, you must first own a planet. You can purchase…
Axie Infinity Review
This week, I got started with a brand new crypto game called Axie Infinity. Axie Infinity is a game which is similar to Pokemon, and is built on top of the Ethereum blockchain. In this game, users can purchase, breed, battle, trade, and sell virtual creatures called Axies. If you want to get started with Axie Infinity, you can purchase a full grown Axie, a pod from the Axie lab, or an egg in the marketplace. (if you want to purchase an…
Crypto Rome Review
I just started playing a new crypto strategy game called CryptoRome. (Please follow me on Twitter here to win a $20 Crypto Rome village) This game allows players to own a plot of land, grow grapes to produce wine, control territory, and use their troops to battle against other players. CryptoRome is an very simple game, but it is surprisingly fun to play. I liked competing against other players, winning regions, and earning rewards for beating my competitors. If you…
Chibi Fighters Review
Chibi Fighters is a new RPG built on the blockchain, that includes an Adventure Mode, Hunt Mode, The Crystal Cave, and Battle Mode. Chibi's are an ERC-721 non-fungible token. You can purchase a brand new, random Chibi character for .1 ETH. (or about $18 at the time of this post) Otherwise, you can also purchase a used Chibi Fighter, on OpenSea.io. I chose to buy one there and received a Mythic Gen 1 Chibi for .1 ETH. (Here's a rare…
Blockchain Cuties Review
Blockchain Cuties is an Ethereum dApp which had gains of almost 70% in active users for the month. The ETH transactional volume is pretty low at 7 (for 7 days), compared to the number one game, Crypto Kitties (at 1237!). But, it looks like it could be an up and coming game to watch out for. The gameplay of Blockchain Cuties is very similar to Crypto Kitties. It has some additional functionality, which includes fighting, adventuring, and trading of virtual items….
Hyper Dragons Review
I recently bought a Hyper Dragon character for a very reasonable price of 0.011 ETH (about $2.65 at its current price). I noticed that it had risen to the 8th spot on the State of Dapps game section. (i watch this site to keep track of up and coming dapps/games) My character is a Gen 0 hyper dragon, with a decent skill of "claw", and a good mining power of 111. I also like his face. He looks extremely relaxed and…
Crypto Saga Review
I came across a new game called Cryptosaga which is a turn-based RPG, with full animations. It didn't really have a ton of transactional volume, but looked interesting so i bought a character for .02 ETH. (You can buy your own character here) My goal with this site is to invest in different characters/virtual items from very new games with potential, then do a review of them. i'm hoping to re-sell some of these characters for a profit. BUT, at…
Crypto Kitties Walkthrough
Crypto Kitties is an Ethereum dapp where users can purchase, trade, and breed their own cats on the blockchain. It became well-known for causing serious transactional strain, and delays on the Ethereum chain in late 2017. CryptoKitties has maintained its position as the second most popular game dapp, and has had a high rate of activity for over 9 months. It currently has around 3500 monthly users, and almost 800 ETH's worth of transactional volume. Over $25 million dollars worth…
Ether Kingdoms Walkthrough
Ether Kingdoms is a brand new crypto game which has just entered the top four positions for games on the Ethereum blockchain. The game has recently become popular with almost 250 active daily users. The recent boost in traffic is likely due to the recent airdrop of in-game currency called IMP tokens. IMP tokens are required to battle with other characters in Ether Kingdoms. I received my airdrop of 10 IMP tokens, as well as a reward of 100 IMP tokens…
Win Characters + Virtual Items. Plus Crypto Game Reviews in Your Inbox!


This piece was inspired by the vibrant cheerful colors. Metallic and interference colors were used to create a vibrant effect. This piece is on gallery wrapped canvas and the painting continues around the sides. It comes varnished and ready to hang.
Courtney Jacobs creates what she calls a "personal language" through her use of color, texture, composition and action. "If the painting inspires you, or sets a particular mood, or makes you feel free and playful, then I have accomplished my job," she says. She enjoys listening to a wide variety of music while she paints, from Richard Wagner to Nine Inch Nails. The Abstract Expressionism movement and action painters greatly influenced her work. During her free time, she enjoys playing the piano and singing.
I love your work; your use of color, and color choices. The feel of your paintings, too - definitely something I am connecting with.
"Peaceful, yet playful..." What a great description of a cool piece. Thank you for creating and sharing.
I luv it!!! Thx so much.
"visual Improvisations", a solo show of paintings by award winning Pleasanton artist, Courtney Jacobs will be on exhibit at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore, CA from October 30th through December 1st, 2008. Jacobs's non-figurative work, created in oil and acrylic, is an exploration of intuition through abstract painting. Artworks will be displayed for viewing and purchase. For more information, post your questions here.
I like She Remained the Same, the second of the three you list. It's a classic pose with good reason, and very well executed. Beautiful. Your use of color--the off-grays, the variety of fleshtones, the greens--is interesting, coming out of the green/orange/purple complementary palette as they do.


Run for Beer 2017 is Singapore's Hoppiest Run! The inaugural edition of this event celebrates friendship, bonding and active living through the common love for beer. It is the city's largest beer-related running event held at Clarke Quay's Fountain Square. It will bring runners through a breezy 3.2km route along the Singapore River, showcasing some of Singapore's iconic landmarks such as the Raffles Landing Site, Boat Quay and Cavenagh Bridge. The route's finish line will bring runners back to Clarke Quay where they will be 'rewarded' with beer and exclusive F&B discounts at various merchant partners.
Participants are also strongly encouraged to creatively dress up for the event as they stand to win attractive prizes across five fancy dress categories. A costume partner will also be providing discounts, further encouraging participants to bring colour and vibrancy to the event.
The Fountain Square will also feature a host of post-run activities that include live band performances, stage games and more.


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Reynolds rejects $47bn takeover bid from British American Tobacco - Reports
Reynolds is seeking an improved offer to merge with BAT, reports say.
By Karthick Arvinth
Updated November 15, 2016 05:35 GMT
US tobacco firm Reynolds American has rejected a $47bn (£37.6bn) takeover offer from British American Tobacco, according to reports.
Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News said Reynolds is seeking a higher price to merge with BAT, which already owns 42% of the second largest cigarette seller in the US.
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The two companies are still in negotiations and BAT is willing to increase its offer "slightly", Bloomberg says.
A merger between Reynolds and BAT would create the world's biggest publicly traded tobacco company ahead of Philip Morris International.
BAT disclosed its intent to buy out the remaining shares of Reynolds with a cash-and-stock offer of $56.50 per share on 21 October — a 20% premium on the US firm's closing price on 20 October.
The FTSE 100 company proposed paying for the merger with $20bn in cash and $27bn in BAT shares and estimated that the deal could create cost savings of around $400m.
BAT owns brands such as Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Rothmans, while Reynolds owns the Newport and Camel brands in the US.
'Logical progression'
"We have been a shareholder in Reynolds since its creation in 2004 and have benefitted from its growth in the US market," BAT chief executive Nicandro Durante said last month.
"The proposed merger of our two great companies is the logical progression in our relationship and offers all shareholders a stake in a stronger, truly global tobacco and next generation products company
"BAT is proud of its track record of consistent delivery for shareholders and this transaction would further strengthen that delivery in the future."
Reynolds American's share price closed 1% lower in New York at $53.05 on 14 November. It was unchanged in after-hours trading.
BAT has owned a 42% stake in Reynolds American since the latter was founded in 2004 and helped finance the US firm's takeover of Lorillard Tobacco Company last year.
Related topics : British American Tobacco


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Congressman Accepts Bribes Globally
We feel that Indian politicians are corrupt (and they are) but then the ones in the US are even more so. And smart and stupid at the same time.
William Jefferson, a Congressman from the State of Lousiana, was caught by federal agents with 90,000 US$ stashed in the freezer of his Washington DC home. This was back in 2005. Who the fuck hides money in their freezers.
And recently CNN reports that
Jefferson is the first U.S. official ever charged under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, which prohibits corporate bribery.
The charges are based on 11 schemes in which Jefferson allegedly solicited bribes for himself and his family from government and business officials in the United States, Nigeria, Botswana, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome e Principe, U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said at an afternoon news conference.
His doings of 2005 did not stop the voters of Lousiana (US's Bihar) from electing him back into power
Jefferson has denied wrongdoing, and won a ninth congressional term in a December runoff despite the allegations. But the probe already has led to guilty pleas by a Kentucky businessman and a former aide to the congressman.
Is it therefore any wonder that because of such politicians New Orleans is today hardly a shadow of its pre-Katrina days, even though billions of dollars have gone into its reconstruction.
Moral of the story….Indian politicians, you got a tough act to follow. Go global.
Subra Suresh Becomes Dean At MIT
Street Fairs in New York City


The automatic emptying of water from a bilge is considered extremely important, and many insurance / certifying authorities insist on this as part of a vessels specification. This can be simply achieved by using an electric bilge pump and automatic float switch, and can be controlled using a dash mounted switch / panel. We offer a choice of switches, from Johnson, Jabsco / Rule and ASAP Electrical. We recommend using a float switch with a cover to prevent debris causing a malfunction of the switch.
Control switches include simple rocker or toggle switches, or for total control and visual indication choose a pump control panel. Available in on / off or auto / off / manual formats with optional LED operation indicator.


Out of all the possible dates/seasons, we headed into Yellowstone National Park when the biggest snow storm of decades descended in the area. For such reason, nothing ordinary remains that way anymore. To us, it means much more room on the canvas to flex our creative muscles.
While at Canary Spring, my favorite elements were there for me to play with - the snow, the geothermal features, and… And, it must be our lucky day. On the day when the temperatures plummeted deep down in the negative zone, complicated by heavy snow fall which allows close to zero visibility, we met a small bird. This encounter reminds me of a time almost one year ago in Japan, when birds and snow brought me such joy and, consequently, much luck in an international photography contest. I now understand why yuki* (Japanese for snow 雪 ) has a special place in Japanese people's hearts.
* Yuki (幸) also has the meaning of happiness.
Ahhh… Spring can definitely be smelt in the air. A little bird whispered in my ear:"Painted lady butterflies are making their way through California, migrating from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest".
Yet, stubborn like me, I was determined to share with you what we just experienced in record snow fall and bone-chilling temperatures.
But, nature has its own plans. As if the whisper was not loud enough, these ladies made their appearance right in front of my eyes, making me forget my insistence.
Well, there you are, ladies and gentlemen, the painted ladies in a painterly setting. Hot off the press, fresh off the camera. Nature is breath-taking. I have no choice but to oblige.
Oregon, you are next. Are you ready for these fine ladies and their babies?
Marriage is like a fortress besieged: those who are outside want to get in, and those who are inside want to get out.
In fact, this proverb gave the inspiration to a well known novel the title Fortress Besieged (圍城). And yet, all that ancient wisdom did not stop any of us from proceeding heels over head into a relationship that's sealed with a marriage. So, when I saw this couple in the Shimogamo Shrine (下鴨神社) in Kyoto that dates back to the 6th century, I thought that they've succeeded in setting the expectations, well, realistic.
When us human showed us what we could do with our self-proclaimed far superior intelligence, e.g., marriage could mean combining the two, in wealth, social influence, political power, etc., something with brains the size of birds showed me what a relationship could look like. Maybe, they have a thing or two to teach us about harmony, passion, and being tangled gracefully.
This Valentine's Day, I wish you a fun day of tangoing to be tangled.


The Moot is being held Halton Mill, Hill Lane, Halton, Lancaster, LA2 6ND. Cost is £25/£30 for the weekend. This includes full vegan meals and accommodation but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Arrive Friday evening (from 6pm) for evening meal, leave Sunday (ends by 4pm). It's an indoor floor sleeping space so bring a warm sleeping bag and mat too. The mill is 3 miles (1 hours walk) up the River Lune from Lancaster railway station and the 49 bus goes to Halton (last bus 7pm).
The general principles behind Earth First! are non-hierarchical organisation and the use of direct action to confront, stop and eventually reverse the forces that are responsible for the destruction of the Earth and its inhabitants. EF! is not a cohesive group or campaign, but a convenient banner for people who share similar philosophies to work under.
If you agree with the above and you are not racist or otherwise discriminatory, if you believe action speaks louder than words, then Earth First! is for you.
Whether you think of EF! as a movement, a network, an idea or simply a name to use for actions, get involved – you are Earth First!


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Home » Our Initiatives » Tommy Thompson's Welfare Reform and its Impact on Society and Finances
Tommy Thompson's Welfare Reform and its Impact on Society and Finances
The coming of Tommy Thompson as governor of Wisconsin in 1987 has been a starting point of building a new state with better values and more focus on common people's needs. This new strategy brought numerous changes in the state's old policy. It consequently lead to absolute growth and progress in all fields.
At the moment of announcing the established goals, not many could imagine that the outcome would exceed everyone's expectations. The focus of his activity was providing people with low income better chances to gain their living and make sure they receive the social support they need. Right this point was an essential part of Tommy Thompson's 2008 presidential campaign.
Tommy Thompson's Achievements as a Governor
As head of the state Tommy Thompson managed to:
– Lower taxes and save taxpayers $16.4 billion.
– Provide people with more jobs than ever, therefore gaining 18.8 in manufacturing jobs.
– Successfully implement a new program "Wisconsin Works" which replaced the old welfare and benefits-based system program "Aid to Families with Dependent Children".
– Offer low-income families educational opportunities by creating public non-sectarian schools and further expanding this project.
– Optimize Medicare by focusing it more on research and learning to provide comprehensive care to all Americans.
He has been working hard on improving the state in all areas. Nowadays, Tommy Thompson's welfare reform remains a symbol of his outstanding performance as Wisconsin governor. "Wisconsin Works" program has changed people's lifestyles emphasizing the importance of work and social connection.
The Welfare Reform
The need for such a complete change appeared because a significant number of people living in Wisconsin didn't have a job as well as the motivation to change. They relied mostly on social benefits. It hardly would cover the monthly financial needs, leading poor people into more debts, bankruptcy, and as a result – bad credit. Moreover, a big percentage of the young generation didn't have access to high-quality education. They were coming from socially vulnerable families that couldn't afford private schools and colleges. The situation was even worse due to the insufficiency of job positions compare to the number of population. All these details appear to be a depressing picture of a weak state that doesn't help and support its citizens.
The implementation of the "Wisconsin Works" program was gradual and raised lots of questions. Obviously not the whole population was eager to quit the old lifestyle and suddenly start working, make extra money, manage the budget, and pay taxes. However, the progress started to be shown quickly. It's important to mention that Tommy Thompson directly influenced the development of the payday loan industry by lifting the cap on interest rates. And thus, offering opportunities to licensed payday loan direct lenders provide their service in Wisconsin and help people in their financial emergency needs.
The unemployment rate decreased resulting in life quality improvement and economic growth. People became able to manage their lives, find a job, have a stable income, take control of their finance. In addition, they began to maintain a healthy lifestyle, educate their children and afford a better quality of life.
The results became easily measurable and the outcome turned the attention of all America towards Wisconsin. Thompson's program raised curiosity. It led to the adoption of the program in more states and even countries. Nowadays, this welfare strategy became the standard for welfare reform in America and countries around the world.
Thompson's Presidential Campaign
This success brings up an obvious question of implementing Thompson's welfare strategy throughout all of the American states. Indeed, when the campaign of Tommy Thompson for president was running back in 2008, he had the intention of using his past success and experience as the most powerful argument. Having already once proven his dedication and commitment to the country's progress, it seems that very few people would complain about having such a president.
Tommy Thompson's 2008 presidential campaign aimed to achieve greater results at a country level. When he entered the race on April 1, 2007, his intentions and campaign plan were very promising. Moreover, both Wisconsin and Iowa states greatly supported him.
From April till August, Tommy Thompson was investing all of his time and effort into overcoming the other potential candidates. But still, he had to drop out of the race, and thus, the campaign of Tommy Tompson for president ended. As we know, his failure happened due to poor funding and weak support. Several times on debates he replied with controversial answers which were negatively received by the audience.
Nevertheless, this outstanding man's accomplishments during his carrier continue to be visible in the country. His way of treating problems directly and establishing bold goals became an example of success achievement.
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Apr 19, 2019 10:57 a.m.
The objective of the course is to provide comprehensive presentation of managerial economics, to deepen knowledge of students, respectively to extend it especially in the area of production and cost analysis, firm's objectives, demand analysis, analysis of market structures, business decision making in market structures, and environmetal aspects of entrepreneurship.
- /Knowledge of business behaviour depending on market structures.
Written form of final examination. To became eligible for credits points for active participation in seminars, assignments submission, control and final tests are required.
Last modification made by Bc. Vít Karber on 06/03/2013.