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Imprint: Arrow
Life, Death and Football: A Year on the Frontline with a Proper Club
Michael Calvin
From the award-winning author of NO HUNGER IN PARADISE
Outside the global spotlight, footballers don't drive Aston Martins or pose for underwear ads. This is war. This is life. This is football.
Michael Calvin turned up for the first day of pre-season training at Millwall FC. 333 days later, he sat among the subs at Wembley.
Over the course of a season, he witnessed the intimate everyday life of a football club far from the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, and the unique characters that come together every day on the field.
These are dedicated, hard-working family men, close to their roots, 'playing for the people who hate their jobs, who'd love our lives.'
Forget about the over-hyped circus of the Premier League. This is the beautiful game in all its raucous glory: essential reading for anyone whom football is a way of life.
Thomas Bjørn
No Hunger In Paradise
Living on the Volcano
The Nowhere Men
Michael Calvin (Author) Michael Calvin is one of the UK's most accomplished sportswriters, having worked in more than eighty countries. He has covered every major sporting event, including seven summer Olympic Games and six World Cup finals. He was named Sports Writer of the Year for his despatches as a crew member in a round-the-world yacht race and has twice been named Sports Reporter of the Year. His book, The Nowhere Men, a study of football scouts, won The Times Sports Book of the Year prize in 2014. He became the first author to receive the award in successive years, when Proud, his collaboration with former Wales and British Lions rugby captain Gareth Thomas, was named Sports Book of the Year in 2015. In the same year Living On The Volcano, which exposed the pressures on managers, was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year prize. No Nonsense, his collaboration with Joey Barton, was named Autobiography of the Year in the 2017 British Sports Book awards. No Hunger In Paradise, an insight into youth football that spawned a widely-praised BT Sport documentary, was a Sunday Times bestseller. State of Play, a study of the morality and social impact of modern football, was longlisted for the 2018 William Hill Sports Book of the Year award. He has been working closely with Thomas Bjorn on Mind Game to capture the unique nature of golf, and the principles and philosophies of the world's best players. Thomas Bjørn (Author) In 2018, Bjørn became the first Danish Ryder Cup Captain when he lead Europe to a famous, unforgettable victory at Le Golf National, Paris. Highly regarded as one of the European Tour's greatest players, he has claimed fifteen European Tour titles to date. He came through the Challenge Tour by winning four titles on his way to topping the Rankings in 1995, and remains a strong supporter of the developmental tour. Bjørn became the first Danish Ryder Cup player in history in 1997, before appearing in the biennial contest twice more in 2002 and 2014 - experiencing victory on all three occasions. Appointed Chairman of the European Tour's Tournament Committee in 2007, he stepped aside in 2016 in order to focus on his duty as Ryder Cup Captain.


I havent Klogged for sometime now b'cos dad was very busy with some work. His computer friend uncles have been coming home for the past month and they are doing something very busy.
Anycase my holidays start from tomorrow and I'll be doing this regularly.
Though I havent been able to post, Don has been teaching me Photoshop in his free time. Its not easy like Paint, but I love to draw shapes and colour them. There are also more colours than Paint. So I painted what I saw outside Connexions the other evening.


About 50,000 people are estimated to have come through the gates of the Winnipeg Folk Festival over its five-day run.
The 39th annual edition of the festival saw Ontario-based roots group Belle Starr take to the main stage on Sunday. Singing fiddlers Kendall Carson, Miranda Mulholland, and Stephanie Cadman did not disappoint.
Also performing on the last day were Ruthie Foster, Iron & Wine, Walking Woody's Road, and a finale with Dry Bones, Sketch, Carolina Chocolate Drops.


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Tegemeo Institute's Senior Research Fellow, Dr. Mercy Kamau gave a key note speech at the 73rd OFAB event held 28 November, 2013.
The presentation was based on her recently published paper dubbed "Advances in Kenya's Policy on GMOs and its Effects on Food Security". Dr. Kamau highlighted on challenges facing the biotechnology sector in Kenya especially in light of the current ban on GM foods importation.
The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Africa is a platform that provides an opportunity for key agricultural biotechnology stakeholders to share knowledge and explore innovative ways of sustainably bringing the benefits of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to the African agricultural sector.
The OFAB Kenya chapter is jointly coordinated by the International Service for Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), AfriCenter and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).


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How "these here separated" came to be—PGP stories vol 4 of 7
Posted by Adam Robinson | Sep 6, 2016 | Publishing |
Here at Real Pants (and cross-posted at Facebook) I've been writing the history of some of the books I've put out with my small press, Publishing Genius. Today, having written about Cheryl Quimba's poetry collection, Craig Griffin's cookbook, and Chris Toll's poetry collection, I'm halfway there and I'd like to write about PG's first perfect bound book, which is also a DVD. It's called "these here separated to see how they standing alone or the soundtracks of six films by stephanie barber," which is a pretty great title. Right?
Until Stephanie Barber let me publish this collection, I had only put out two books—Dave NeSmith's chapbook of drawings called "El Greed," and "Whale Box," by Lauren Bender, which was a long poem that she had read at the IE Series in Baltimore.
So it was a big deal to get to work on a bigger project like this. If the title doesn't make it clear, "these here separated" is a collection of six of Stephanie Barber's short movies, packaged together with a book of the narration/dialog from each one. That way you can pop in the DVD, open the book, watch and read along. Or just read.
Really, that seems like a strange thing to do. But with Stephanie's film and video work, it's actually very rewarding. One reason for that is because it allows you to concentrate on her unsettling narratives in a unique way. When we put the book out, I had seen her film "catalog" a few times already, but because of the layered complexity of her work, I'd missed a lot of the story and detail. It wasn't until I read along that I had a good sense of everything that happens, and the full depth and imagination of the piece.
The effect isn't like reading subtitles. That's what makes the book successful, I think—and, in part, it's the answer to the question implicit in the title: what happens when you separate a soundtrack from the film? The great and serious film publication, "Cineaste," wrote about the book and asked the same question, resolving, "Not only does this mean watching single short films repeatedly. It also means reading along, and reading up."
ANYWAY, that's what the book is. Here's how it came about: I solicited material from Stephanie and this is what she proposed. We started working on it at the end of 2006, which was around the time she transitioned from doing primarily film work on 16 mm and was exploring video formats. So we decided to combine equal parts new video with her films, "catalog," "metronome," and the ever-popular and hilarious, "dogs."
(The new videos are "the inversion, transcription, evening track and attractor," a meditation on photography and Susan Sontag (and more), "a visit and a play" in which two voices get ready to go to a play, then go, and we watch the play, which features two of the strangest puppets ever, and my favorite, "dwarfs the sea," which tells story after story about men on a sailing vessel.)
After we selected the work, and Stephanie approved the digital transfers of the films, we were ready for production. By this time I had decided that it was better to hire the printing done than rely on my crafting skills to handmake books (because I have no crafting skills), so I found a printer called 48 Hour Books. Many small presses at that time were using them, or starting to, I think because we weren't so good at Googling.
I ordered DVD reproductions from somewhere else, and then I rubber cemented the DVD envelope into the back of each book we received from 48 Hour Books.
The first edition of the book did not turn out well. I don't think my cover art was print ready, so they were heavily pixelated. We were very bummed out, but I tried to put a good face on it.
I took the books to Atomic Books, a cool shop in Baltimore, and tried to sell the book on consignment but they turned me down. They said that $20 was too high a price. I think, given the cover art snafu, they were right.
But I learned that pricing this kind of work has its own complexity, because it's can be easily reproduced. Like, you can sell a painting for a ton of money because there's only one of them. But video work, even when it's high art, can be reproduced, so theoretically it should be priced as such, or be listed as a limited edition.
And then it's more complicated when you think about the world of experimental film, which is often taught in colleges, where one professor can buy a copy for cheap and then show it to 100 students in one go. So along with the $20 price, we also had to make an institutional price. Surprisingly, the institutional version didn't suffer at all in spite of the price tag, which I think is testament to Stephanie Barber's reputation as indispensable.
And so it didn't take long for that first print run to sell out, and then Stephanie and I got to work on a reprint. This time she asked Peter Barrickman, a Milwaukee artist, to provide cover art. He came up with a drawing that stretches from the front to the back. On the front you can't tell what it is, but when you look at the cover as a full spread, it's clear that the image features a person alone in a movie theatre, reading a book.
It was Stephanie's idea to put the barcode so front-and-center, immediately below the title. I resisted it at first but now I love it, and no one has ever commented on it. I think barcodes are mostly invisible.
"these here separated" has a long tail and continues to be a top seller. If we make a third edition, I think it will just come with a download code or a Vimeo password instead of a DVD. Who even has a DVD player anymore.
If you're interested in checking out this amazing book, it's on sale now for 50% off, and free shipping, with the coupon code "backagain." Order it at the Publishing Genius website.
Adam Robinson lives in Atlanta and runs Publishing Genius Press. He is the author of two poetry collections, Adam Robison and Other Poems and Say Poem.
Latest posts by Adam Robinson (see all)
New Pantscast feat. Bud Smith 🙂 - April 27, 2018
Dan Brady's Special Letterpress Cover - February 21, 2018
New Books from Magic Helicopter - January 29, 2018
PreviousModern American Lady
NextBoomerang
Book Production with Spencer Printing
Oh, Phew: Net to Remain Neutral
2014 Po' in Review–99 (or So) Lines & Quotes That Effed Me Up, in Chronological(-ish) Order of When I Reddit

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Partnership helps Canadian businesses get FITT for international trade
Going global is a winning growth strategy for Canadian companies, given the limited size of Canada's market and myriad export opportunities in countries around the world. But many entrepreneurs are daunted by the multitude of financial, legal, ethical, cultural and technical issues that selling their goods and services abroad present.
Enter the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT), which for more than a quarter‑century has been building competence in the export field. In partnership with the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), the not‑for‑profit organization today helps more and more Canadian companies diversify and compete globally.
"International trade is not for the faint of heart," says Caroline Tompkins, FITT's president and CEO, who has spent more than two decades making it into Canada's national standards, certification, training and accreditation body in international trade. FITT helps exporters by curating reliable and current trade know‑how and packaging it in various ways, as well as providing recognition for experts with proven international trade knowledge, skills and abilities, she says. "Without trade‑capable people, trade will not happen—or it will be a lot riskier and harder."
FITT was founded by Dieter Hollweck, who sold vacuums but "saw a huge gap" when he went looking for reliable resources in the 1970s and 1980s to help him develop the specialized skills necessary to expand his sales beyond Canada's borders.
Caroline Tompkins, president and CEO of FITT
"He and many others were more or less winging it when it came to their international business activities," Tompkins says. "Global trade was often about learning on the go. It was very risky for any sized company—and definitely not a promising career path for international trade practitioners."
Hollweck became passionate about working with the private and public sectors to develop a national standards body in international trade training. He created FITT in 1992, with the TCS as one of its founding government partners.
"We wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the TCS," says Tompkins, noting that many trade commissioners have FITT training and also act as subject‑matter experts for the organization. "We've had an uninterrupted 27‑year working relationship. FITT's go‑to‑market strategy has always been about building mutually beneficial partnerships, and the TCS was one of the first organizations to stand behind our mandate."
In its early days, FITT "tapped into the experience of those who succeeded—and those who failed—in international business," Tompkins says. This resulted in a how‑to program called FITTskills in 1993 that covered key foundational international business principles, from how to choose and enter a market to how to get paid.
Tompkins joined the organization in 1996 and with her background in life‑long learning and professional development introduced a program to give people credit for FITTskills courses based on past work experience and non‑FITT training.
In 1998 the organization created the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation, the first such recognition for individuals who have met the highest standards, competencies and proficiencies in international business. This one‑of‑a‑kind certification and continuous improvement for trade practitioners "represents FITT's leadership role in the evolution, maturation and growth of international trade as a profession," Tompkins says. "We are so proud that Canada was the first country in the world to start looking at international trade not just as a business transaction."
FITT today has 10 staff but its influence is growing exponentially. It has a base of more than 3,000 clients a year and links with some 50 colleges and universities across the country, as well as with the TCS and Export Development Canada (EDC). "We punch a lot higher than our weight," she comments. "We're a Canadian success story."
What is FITT?
As a world‑recognized not‑for‑profit leader in building international trade competence, the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT):
Sets industry-defined international trade competency standards.
Maintains a one-of-a-kind certification system for trade practitioners, the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation.
Accredits international business programs as meeting FITT standards of excellence.
Develops knowledge-based resources and curricula.
Enables practitioners to gain the competence and confidence needed to be high performers in global markets.
Leads the evolution, maturation and growth of the international trade profession.
Source: The Forum for International Trade Training
FITT continues to evolve and has gone through a number of reinventions in how it does business. "But what has never changed is our core purpose: building competence in international trade," Tompkins says. "Our make‑or‑break position—the one thing we have to do exceptionally well to meet our core purpose—is to ensure that we have reliable, credible and current know-how on how to do business internationally."
FITTskills is now in its seventh edition, after a recent update that involved more than 200 international trade experts. It has been divided into six courses, which are delivered online or through a FITT Educational Partner institution. For those who want to learn in smaller bites, the courses are presented in 17 workshops online. The know‑how is even further segmented into free, informal learning opportunities on tradeready.ca, an international community blog intended to inform, inspire and connect global trade professionals around the globe, with more than 40,000 unique monthly users. In collaboration with EDC, FITT has also created the FITTskills Lite series, free downloads that can be read through in less than an hour.
FITT and the TCS today are "two symbiotic and mutually supporting organizations," Tompkins says. "The TCS provides on‑the‑ground intelligence, practical advice and counsel to Canadian firms seeking to do business abroad, while FITT is focused on improving the competence of individuals working in, or planning to be involved in, international business."
She says the diverse experience and knowledge of trade commissioners gets translated into FITT's training resources, "so that we can provide learners with real cases, and real solutions to the challenges that they need to expect when expanding their markets." Meanwhile the TCS has adopted a systematic approach to training trade commissioners through the FITTskills program and certifying them as CITPs. "This translates into the TCS leading by example. Having trade commissioners who are certified as CITPs demonstrates unequivocally to Canadian businesses the importance of having competencies in international trade to succeed globally."
Don't underestimate the need for international business skills
Some tips and advice for Canadian exporters from Caroline Tompkins, president and CEO of FITT:
Invest in learning the intricacies of international trade.
Develop a life-long learning culture in your company, regardless of how big or small you are.
Ensure you have a team of people with international trade know-how that you can rely on.
Have the right people in the right seats.
Support employees wherever they are on their professional path.
She says that FITTskills training is critical for anyone looking to export or to diversify their markets. "As the dynamics of our global trade environment change, the need for people with international business expertise will continue to grow, as will the need for reliable and current international trade information and resources that are responsive to the changing needs—or desires—of learners."
The CITP designation "provides recognition for individuals who go out of their way to meet a set standard within the profession they choose," says Tompkins, noting that it's critical to continuously upgrade trade skills and knowledge.
She warns that a lot of companies underestimate just how much know-how is required to take advantage of the opportunities that global markets can bring. "A trade-capable and trade‑competent team is a necessary ingredient for an exporter to attain a high level of success."
Challenges for entrepreneurs include those at the early stage, who often just don't know where to start and what market to try. "Once you answer these questions, other pain points come from figuring out how to manage the supply chain, how to make connections or find the right partner," she says. "A CITP will either know the answers or know how to find them."
Tompkins says there are many resources available in Canada for exporters, from the TCS to FITT. "Take advantage of these resources—don't wing it, or fly by the seat of your pants," she adds. "While you may be lucky the first time, it will not serve you well in the long‑term. Invest the time and effort in finding the support you need."


Idaho led a quartet of far Western states in adding population last year, growing by 2.2 percent, the U.S. Census Bureau says.
We, as in Americans, are moving to the West.
Idaho was the fastest growing state in the nation last year, though there seems to still be plenty of room. While it grew by 2.2 percent, thanks mostly to domestic migration, Idaho still only has 1.7 million people.
Idaho just outpaced Nevada, which saw 2 percent population growth, Utah, which grew by just under 2 percent, and Washington State, which saw 1.7 percent growth. Florida was the only non-Western state in the top five in growth: it grew by 1.6 percent, same as Arizona.
The figures are contained in the Census Bureau's national and state population estimates, released Wednesday.
It's mostly Americans moving from other states that is pushing the population higher in the fastest-growing places.
"Domestic migration drove change in the two fastest-growing states, Idaho and Nevada, while an excess of births over deaths played a major part in the growth of the third fastest-growing state, Utah," Luke Rogers, Chief of the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Branch, said in a statement.
But unlike during the Great American Westward Expansion, the new growth in the Western states isn't coming entirely from the East. Large numbers of people have moved from California to Idaho. A 2015 Census report said one in four people moving to Idaho was coming from California, and there's no sense that's changed much. More than half of Idaho residents were born somewhere else.
Idaho isn't just drawing people fleeing California's high real estate prices. Outdoors enthusiasts discovered the state's natural treasures decades ago – but the increase in media attention to its outdoor wonders – and the ability to telecommute – has boosted the outdoor adventure migration in recent years.
While Idaho saw the biggest percentage growth, Texas actually led the country last year in growth in the real number of people, growing by just under 400,000 people. And while Californians may be moving to Idaho, they're being replaced. California added the third largest number of people last year growing by about 240,000 in population. Florida was second in the sheer number of new people, adding nearly 330,000.
Texas, Colorado and Oregon also saw high percentage growth last year.
The largest states in the nation remain California, Texas, Florida, and New York. With large numbers of people moving out of Illinois, it has now fallen behind No. 5 Pennsylvania to sixth-most populated state.
Eight states lost population between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017, the Census Bureau said. Illinois had the largest numeric decline, losing 33,703 people, though that was a small percentage change because the state is so big to begin with with nearly 13 million people. Wyoming had the largest percentage decline at 1 percent.


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* Sub-millisecond (microseconds) synchronization achievable using v5.x on stable systems on a well-behaved network. Hectonanosecond-resolution time-of-day is now available to your applications using the new high-performance API/SDK. See the Software Development Kit (SDK) page for more info.


UPS batteries have a forecasted lifespan of 3 to 5 years under recommended conditions. But what are these recommended conditions, and just how much do they affect the lifespan of your UPS battery? Maybe even more importantly, how do you make sure the life of your UPS itself is maximized?
Unit placement, temperature and cycling frequency are three factors that contribute heavily to UPS and battery life expectancies. Following some simple guidelines can help make sure you are getting the most out of your UPS, and maximizing your availability.
Unit Placement – The UPS should not be placed near open windows or areas that contain high amount of moisture; and the environment should be free of dust and corrosive fumes. The ventilation openings at the front, side, or rear of the unit must not be blocked in order to provide proper air circulation, and avoid over-heating.
Temperature – Most UPSs have a recommended operating temperature, typically from about 30°F to just over 100°F. However, while most users probably feel confident they will rarely if ever operate their UPS outside this temperate range, they may not realize that there is actually an optimal recommended temperature. A general rule to remember is that for approximately every 10°C (18°F) above the ambient temperature of 25°C (77°F), the life of the UPS and its battery will be reduced by 50 percent.
Cycling – When a power disruption occurs, the UPS will automatically switch to battery power to provide the attached equipment (load) energy. Once utility power has been restored the UPS battery will automatically recharge the battery to prepare for the next power outage, a process known as the discharge cycle. The more often discharge cycles occur, the quicker your battery will be depleted.
Cycling is a necessary and unavoidable part of UPS operation, however being aware of cycling frequency will help to notice abnormal / frequent cycling. Many UPS models are also adjustable, allowing the user to regulate the sensitivity to voltage sags and other transients to reduce 'nuisance trips' that unnecessarily consume battery capacity.
UPSs that last the longest, and provide the best performance are the units that are being provided the best management and care. Providing optimal oversight to your UPS should be simple; just make sure your plan is simple, consistent, and proactive in nature. If your battery is approaching the end of its usable life, and your UPS is less than 5 years old, consider exploring if your UPS is eligible for the Charge-UPS program; which provides a unique total refreshment package. An RBC purchased through the Charge-UPS program will provide an additional 1 year warranty on the entire UPS system, with replacement if a problem occurs.
Alternatively, if you are interested in purchasing in a new UPS system, consider utilizing our Trade-UPS™ program, which offers up to a 25% discount on a new UPS system when trading in your old UPS, regardless of manufacturer. For further discussion on prolonging the life of your UPS please refer to white paper 210, Single Phase UPS Management, Maintenance, and Lifecycle.
This idea of replacing the batteries in the UPS is excellent.
It's just a shame your distributors don't keep stock of them. When a UPS announces that its battery is failing, or about to fail, the replacement is required immediately, not in two week's time. Given the task that a UPS performs, that of protecting the client's assets from power disruption, it seems odd that APC wouldn't want to maintain their relationship with clients and resellers by providing better service.
HI, I NEED TO SERVICE MY 5KVA APC UPS PLEASE SUGGEST A SERVICE CENTER.
We are looking for a Generator for our Server room for our office located in Mumbai- Bandra location. Request you to kindly call us on 9833800421 for further details.


text:
package org.apache.camel.impl;

import java.util.Date;

import org.apache.camel.MessageHistory;
import org.apache.camel.NamedNode;
import org.apache.camel.spi.MessageHistoryFactory;

public class DefaultMessageHistoryFactory implements MessageHistoryFactory {

    @Override
    public MessageHistory newMessageHistory(String routeId, NamedNode node, Date timestamp) {
        return new DefaultMessageHistory(routeId, node, timestamp.getTime());
    }

    @Override
    public MessageHistory newMessageHistory(String routeId, NamedNode node, long timestamp) {
        return new DefaultMessageHistory(routeId, node, timestamp);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Football Men's Hoops Women's Hoops Wrestling Opinion
Iowa's Davis feels 'like I'm a first-rounder' in Draft
Chad Leistikow
cleistik@dmreg.com
Carl Davis' last several weeks have been a whirlwind.
The former Iowa Hawkeye has been to Chicago, Buffalo, San Francisco, Detroit Miami and Dallas — interviewing for the job of NFL defensive lineman.
"I got to meet (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones today," Davis said by telephone last week from Dallas. "That was cool."
Davis — a 6-foot-5, 320-pound run-clogger who has taken a giant step up draft boards since his Iowa career ended Jan. 2 — found only one downside to the once-in-a-lifetime, jet-setting experience.
"The only thing that bothers me is on these visits, it's hard to get my workout in," Davis said. "That's probably the toughest part. I want to be at rookie mini-camp in shape and be ready to ball."
Davis was a two-year starter at Iowa, earning second-team all-conference honors both seasons. His career numbers were modest — 14½ tackles for loss in 43 games — and his game film seemed to hide what emerged at the Jan. 24 Senior Bowl.
"You saw what he could do at the Senior Bowl. But for some reason he didn't play like that when he was at Iowa," said Greg Gabriel, a former college scouting director with the Chicago Bears who now writes for the National Football Post. "The intensity that he showed at the Senior Bowl, he didn't show in the Iowa tape."
NFL.com's Mike Mayock moved Davis into the conversation as a possible first-round pick after his Senior Bowl performance. Davis also had a strong NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis — including 28 reps on the bench press (225 pounds) and a 33-inch vertical jump.
Mayock has said Davis "has first-round size and athletic ability. He's just got to put it together more consistently."
Projections seem to have settled in the second round (maybe third) for Davis in the NFL Draft, which begins with Thursday's first round in Chicago.
Davis, though, thinks there's a category the experts are overlooking: The interview process.
"I feel like I'm a first-rounder right now," Davis said. "After the coaches get to meet me and see what type of person I am, I think they have become more confident in the type of football player I am. I'm not just a football player, but I've got a mind. I know what's going on on the field.
"I can tell you what formation this is, what kind of blocking schemes and slide protection I'm going to get. I feel like I'm a very smart player, very intelligent."
The Iowa program under Kirk Ferentz is known for producing NFL-ready rookies. A benchmark for Davis is former Hawkeye Mike Daniels, who was a fourth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2012 and last season tied for sixth in the NFL in sacks by a defensive tackle (6 1/2).
A native of Detroit, Davis aspires to be the next Ndamukong Suh on the field.
Scouts don't discount Davis has the physical tools to be an impact NFL player.
"I've got all the talent. I know I can dominate the line of scrimmage," Davis said. "Now it's just doing it on a regular basis. And that's how you get known in this league as a top player. That's how these guys get big contracts."
The Register's Rick Brown contributed to this report.
KIRK FERENTZ IN DES MOINES
The Polk County I-Club Spring Banquet is Tuesday and marks the first stop for head football coach Kirk Ferentz on the I-Club circuit this summer. Tickets are still available. Here are key details:
Where: The Sheraton, 1800 50th Street, West Des Moines.
Who: Featured speakers include Ferentz, men's basketball assistant Kirk Speraw, wrestling assistant Ryan Morningstar and emcee Gary Dolphin. Former Hawkeye football players expected to be on hand include Chuck Long, Quinton Alston Louis Trinca-Pasat, Mark Weisman and Tommy Gaul — a Dowling graduate who will presented an award.
When: Social at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $35 for adults, $25 for youth (eighth grade and younger). Available at the door.


text:
Q: SQL Server 2012 Performance - Reads per second I am sure this has been asked multiple times - but I could not find a good answer anywhere. Hence this question.
I have a azure cloud service that reads data from a SQL Server 2012 Database. The primary use of this data base is Read-Only. The data gets populated once every month and the cloud service only reads from it (SELECT) (Yes - I could move this to a key-value store - but as of now I cannot change the way things are)
What would be a good way to estimate the number of SELECT operations that this database can handle per second. The machine on which this runs is a 4 core, 7GB ram azure vm. I am just looking for some ballpark numbers to reasonably estimate the number of users my service can handle. The table is clustered on the column which I will filter (WHERE) results on.
Would greatly appreciate help with this.
--EDIT--
Specifying more details based on a reply below:
What level of performance is acceptable?
My end-user SLA should be around 2 seconds. So I expect the DB to return in approx 100 - 500 milliseconds
How many rows are being returned from these Selects?

*

*On an average I might be returning around 50 rows per select call. Total data being < 200KB

Size of the database

*

*Around 15M records totalling around 150GB

I understand that this is a vague question - would be great to get some numbers from folks based on their experiences.

A: The question itself is too nebulous. You asked how many Selects per second the database can handle? Well, can handle before what happens? What level of performance is acceptable? Do you need results returned in milliseconds, seconds, minutes? What is acceptable? How many rows are being returned from these Selects? What does the query plan look like?
Ultimately no one here is going to be able to tell you what you want to know. There are too many details you didn't tell us. But you can certainly find out for yourself. It's not at all difficult to stress test your database, to find this out for yourself. If you are a developer, you could easily write a C# program that creates threads that performs these Selects. It would be quite easy to measure performance as you gradually increase the number of threads. If you are not a developer, I have to believe there are stress test apps you can buy, or find open source, that will enable you to measure this. If determining a rough idea of how many users your database can accept is that important, you need to be doing this anyway.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


She keeps you company on weekends as host and producer of Saturday Morning Classical Coffeehouse. Now, we're happy to welcome Debra Lew Harder as our new Classical Midday Host from 10 AM to 2 PM, Tuesdays through Fridays.
A concert pianist and music educator, Debra fell in love with public radio when she started as a fill-in host at WRTI in 2016. She began producing arts features, interviews for the Philadelphia Orchestra broadcasts, and hosting live broadcasts from the WRTI Performance Studio.
A little over a year ago, Debra created something new for WRTI: Saturday Morning Classical Coffeehouse, a show that combines well-known classical works with a fresh blend of music from different genres and from around the world. It's become a listener favorite.
Debra began playing the piano at five, and studied classical music, but also loved playing pop, jazz, and Broadway tunes.
Before the end of high school, she won a scholarship to study at the Peabody Conservatory, but her parents convinced her to pursue a broader education. So she earned a medical degree and became an ER doctor in her twenties.
In addition to her work at WRTI, Debra performs in the Philadelphia area as a solo and collaborative pianist. This past November, she was thrilled to appear with the talented students of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra at Verizon Hall playing Schumann's Piano Concerto. She also performs frequently with her piano trio, Trio MiReSol.
In her popular solo "concert and conversation" programs, she performs beautiful solo piano works at the keyboard and talks about how each piece of music fits into the larger human experience from a scientific vantage point.
You can catch her new program, "The Human Need for Melody," at Haverford College on Sunday, March 31, and at Music at Bunker Hill on Sunday, April 14.
A devoted music educator, Debra taught piano and coached chamber music for many years at Haverford and Bryn Mawr colleges. She's currently working with students at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University, developing a new "Medicine Plus Music" co-curricular program for them.
In her spare time, Debra enjoys yoga, hip-hop dance, reading, hiking, and cooking for family and friends. She lives in the Philly suburbs with her husband Tom. They have two grown daughters and an incorrigible terrier.
Listen to Debra on WRTI 90.1, streaming at WRTI.org, and on the WRTI App: Saturdays from 6 AM to 12 Noon, and Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Listen to the interview with Hankus Netsky. Music includes "Doyne," by Jake Hoffman, xylophone, "Bei Mir Bist du Schon," by Benny Goodman with Ziggy Elman and Gene Krupa; and "Meron Nign," by the Klezmer Conservatory Band.
Klezmer music so beautifully expresses the joys and pains of life. WRTI's Debra Lew Harder takes us into its rich world and heritage with Klezmer scholar and musician Hankus Netsky. A Happy and Healthy New Year to all of our listeners celebrating the Jewish High Holidays!
Eleonor Bindman and Debra Lew Harder playing Bach Brandenburg Concertos in the WRTI Performance Studio on Wednesday, August 15, 2018.
Do you love the music of J.S. Bach? Yes? Then here's a chance to listen to his Brandenburg Concertos in a way you've probably never heard before. Pianist Eleonor Bindman, praised by The New York Times for her "impressive clarity of purpose and a full grasp of the music's spirit," performs selections from her impressive piano 4-hand arrangement of the Brandenburg Concertos with host Debra Lew Harder.


Now all she has to do is to learn the Spanish terms for the relatives. She's lucky her teacher only ask for 3 generations. Because if she had ask for the whole tree, my daughter will have to learn to describe a tree with 10 generations ! I'm building my family tree since few years now, and I was able to find 221 relatives on this tree ! And still looking... It's start to be a little more difficult because the records barely exists before 1650.
Anyway, I hope this board will help her to get a good grade.


I forget how much I enjoy short stories. Often an anthology isn't the first thing I pick up at the bookstore, but the experience of reading a well-curated collection is always satisfying. In the latest installment of her Magical Menageries series, editor Rhonda Parrish offered up the title Equus and invited writers to weave tales about mythical horses. The stories she's assembled are varied in scope and tone, and they range in genre from pure fantasy to horror to science fiction. Generously infused with magic and mystery, these stories leaped off the pages and lingered in my imagination long after I finished the book.
Some notable highlights include "Neither Snow, Nor Rain, Nor Heat-Ray," the story of a horse and rider turned war messengers after a Martian invasion. Fast-paced and tense, the tale has an old-school War of the Worlds feel to it. In "Rue the Day," unicorn trainer, Galyne, is betrayed by an enemy spy posing as her bodyguard. But the magical beasts recognize the treachery and dispense their own brand of justice. Another unicorn story titled "Different" highlights the healing nature of the mythical beasts. The zen-like animal recognizes that one child doesn't need healing and is perfect the way she is. In "Above the Silver Sky" flying horses are the only way out of a dying village with a broken sky. Dark and dangerous, "Eli the Hideous Horse Boy" finds Taryn, a small town waitress and librarian, running for her life with the carnival side-show 'freak.' Loki features in two of the stories, "A Complete Mare" and "Scatter the Foals to the Wind," each a fresh take on the Norse god's horse-like hybrid descendants. Horror and humor combine to make "The Boys of Witless Bay" my personal favorite. Childhood friends Paulie and Jimmie run straight into trouble when they discover that Ecobay Corporation is dumping toxic waste into Dunker's Pond, home of the neighborhood kelpie. The swamp horse is none too pleased and kidnaps townspeople and Ecobay employees alike, until Paulie brokers a solution.
The Equus stories are as unique as the colors of a horse's coat. Captivating, haunting, and memorable, this anthology has something for everyone. Published by World Weaver Press, Equus releases on July 18th.
About the Editor: Rhonda Parrish was the founder and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine, is an Assistant Editor at World Weaver Press, and is the editor of several anthologies including, most recently, Sirens and D is for Dinosaur. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast, Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing (2012 & 2015), and Mythic Delirium. Her website, updated weekly, is at rhondaparrish.com.


text:
Q: What is the use of fflush(stdin) in c programming? I have the following program
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main()
{
   char ans[8];
    int i;
    for(i=1;i<=3;i++)
    {
        printf("\n What is the unit of traffic ?");
        scanf("%s",ans);
        fflush(stdin);

        if(stricmp(ans,"Earlang")==0)
        {
            printf("\nAnswer is correct");
            exit(1);
        }
        else
            if(i<3)
            printf("\n Try Again!\n");
    }
    printf("\n Nunit of traffic is Earlang:");
}

What is the use of fflush(stdin) in this program?

A: It's an unportable way to remove all data from the input buffer till the next newline.
I've seen it used in cases like that:
char c;
char s[32];
puts("Type a char");
c=getchar();
fflush(stdin);
puts("Type a string");
fgets(s,32,stdin);

Without the fflush(), if you type a character, say "a", and the hit enter, the input buffer contains "a\n", the getchar() peeks the "a", but the "\n" remains in the buffer, so the next fgets() will find it and return an empty string without even waiting for user input.
However, note that this use of fflush() is unportable. I've tested right now on a Linux machine, and it does not work, for example.

A: It's not in standard C, so the behavior is undefined.
Some implementation uses it to clear stdin buffer.
From C11 7.21.5.2 The fflush function, fflush works only with output/update stream, not input stream.

If stream points to an output stream or an update stream in which the most recent
  operation was not input, the fflush function causes any unwritten data for that stream
  to be delivered to the host environment to be written to the file; otherwise, the behavior is
  undefined.

A: it clears stdin buffer before reading. From the man page:

For output streams, fflush() forces a write of all user-space buffered
  data for the given output or update stream via the stream's underlying
  write function. For input streams, fflush() discards any buffered data
  that has been fetched from the underlying file, but has not been
  consumed by the application.

Note: This is Linux-specific, using fflush() on input streams is undefined by the standard, however, most implementations behave the same as in Linux.


Midseason of the NFL is here and we have several surprises. If the season ended last week, the Philadelphia Eagles would have the top seed in the NFC and the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars would take up both AFC Wild Card Playoff spots.
One team on the outside of the playoff picture is the Dallas Cowboys who will host the Kansas City Chiefs in Sports Spectrum's NFL Game of the Week. And as always, we'll give you our upset picks of the week.
Jason Romano: Dallas Cowboys 30 – Kansas City Chiefs 20 – Coming off of a short week, the Chiefs will struggle on the road. I expect a big game from Dak Prescott and having Ezekiel Elliott for one more week lifts the Boys to their first home win since Week 1 over the Giants.
UPSET (TEN -3.5): Baltimore Ravens 21 – Tennessee Titans 17 – Both teams are well rested but Baltimore is coming off of an impressive win against the Dolphins. I expect their defense to carry it over to Sunday and lift them to a win over Tennessee.
Justin Adams: Dallas Cowboys 33 – Kansas City Chiefs 30 – From here on out Dallas will be scoreboard watching with an eye on the division leading Eagles. The Cowboys will face the Chiefs run defense that's 28th in the league. Dallas wins by a field goal.
UPSET (JAX -5.5): Cincinnati Bengals 24 – Jacksonville Jaguars 20 – Jacksonville's formula for winning games is running the ball and strong defense has led them to 4-3 record. But despite the winning record, the Jags have alternated wins and losses throughout the season. The trend continues against a Bengals team that's won 3 of their last 4 games.
Jon Ackerman: Dallas Cowboys 31 – Kansas City Chiefs 27 – The Cowboys boast one of the league's best rushing attacks, and the Chiefs own one of the league's worst rushing defenses. The on-again-off-again suspension of Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is off again, meaning he'll play Sunday, so I see Dallas running to a win.
UPSET (ARI 2.5): San Francisco 49ers 20 – Arizona Cardinals 14 – The Niners have yet to win a game and now have a new quarterback (though it won't be newly acquired Jimmy Garappolo this week). But this is a winnable game at home against a divisional rival also using a backup QB.


Take a journey through history, knowledge, romance and mysteries of Coimbra!
Time travel with us! We'll tell you everything you need to know about the old and historical Coimbra. Through the streets of the past, you can breathe an air full of history, emotions and experiences... Where monks and nobles once walked, carrying in their arms the first books of knowledge, now the atmosphere exudes mystery from other ages and feeds on the hope of the new generations, who want to match the history of this small but great country. Walk with us through these streets and feel the sources of inspiration from a student of Coimbra. Relax and savour a cup of wine in one of the city's viewpoints, where formerly brilliant minstrels composed songs of fate and lost loves. It's time to live the fable you've always dreamed of. Places covered: ALL World Heritage Zone + ALL Monuments in the historical center.
Known as the "City of Students", Coimbra has the oldest university in the country.From narrow streets, patios, steps and arches, the city has breath-taking views of the Mondego River.
This Tour is a beautiful trip to Coimbra, where the first University of Portugal was born, following the direction of North where we arrived in Aveiro, also known as "Veneza Portuguesa" ...Coimbra is the city of narrow streets, courtyards, stairways and medieval arches, it is here that was born the first University of the Country and one of the oldest in Europe. Its name derived from the Roman city of Conímbriga.Aveiro is a city on the Portuguese west coast, founded next to a lagoon known as Ria de Aveiro. Famous for its canals navigated by colorful boats (moliceiros boats), used for the harvest of algae, also known by the buildings of art nouveau style, is the Cathedral of Aveiro, with its prominent steeple.
As I said, I believe in traveling as a profound experience, as a personal journey, that goes beyond the touristic guides. A photoshoot might be a good way to explore your self-confidence and charm while keeping great memories of a new destination under your feet.Since I started traveling myself, I developed a tremendous passion for urban photography and travel photography. And so I thought what a good idea it would be to share it with other travelers, allowing them to make their trip special somehow.So either you are looking for some nice pictures of this trip, for a new experience or simply for a confidence boost, join me on this photo shoot. I will be happy to have you.
Visit Alcobaça, Batalha and Fátima. Learn about the Cistercian Monastery of Alcobaça, classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, and then head to Batalha. Admire the 14th century Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitoria before heading to the Santuario de Fatima (Fatima's Sanctuary). Located at Cova da Iria, in Fátima, is one of the world's most important Marian sanctuaries and a destination of pilgrimage for several hundred thousands of Catholic pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.
Why not a Transfer from Oporto to Lisbon with stops?Instead of making only simple transfer, we will few stops on the way visiting some of the most symbolic cities in Portugal, undoubtedly the best way to optimize your time.
A journey through history, knowledge, romance and mysteries of Coimbra and climb aboard the Basófias for a journey that takes you along the river Mondego.
Embark on a full-day tour to Fátima, one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world and explore the beauty of Coimbra, one Europe's oldest university cities.


One mom's trash is another mom's treasure. It's time to reuse, renew and recycle.
Come join Über Moms for our 1st annual ÜBER MOMS FLEA MARKET.
To book a table contact Über Mom Treasurer Laura Kohler to reserve or email ubermomsgroup@gmail.com subject: flea market.
Come out and support the group and local moms.


text:
Taliban controls or contests 70 districts in Afghanistan
By The LWJ Editors | October 16th, 2015 | [email protected] |
The Taliban now controls 35 of Afghanistan's 398 districts and contests another 35, according to information compiled by The Long War Journal. The data was used by The New York Times to create a map that depicts the Taliban's reach in Afghanistan. The map is reproduced above. The Long War Journal's original map, as well as our methodology for labeling a district controlled or contested, can be viewed here.
We believe that the Taliban either controls or contests far more districts than are listed in the maps. From The New York Times report accompanying the map:
The Taliban have a significant footprint in Afghanistan, according to Bill Roggio, the editor of The Long War Journal, an online publication that is tracking Taliban control. Mr. Roggio has confirmed that about one-fifth of the country is controlled or contested by the Taliban, but based on his understanding of how the Taliban operate, he said, "they probably either control or heavily influence about a half of the country."
Our data understates the Taliban's influence in areas of Afghanistan, particularly in the east and south, as we are using open source reports to determine a district's status. [See LWJ report, Taliban controls or contests scores of districts in Afghanistan, for more details.]
As the Taliban regains areas lost during the US-led surge from 2009-2012, the US is planning to further reduce its presence, just not as quickly as previously anticipated. The US currently has less than 10,000 troops in the country, after already abandoning a counterinsurgency strategy that required far more soldiers. President Obama planned to withdraw all US troops, with the exception of a force to protect the Kabul embassy, by 2017. Yesterday, with the situation in Afghanistan deteriorating, Obama reversed course and said that 5,500 troops would remain in country at the end of his term in office. Those troops would be based in four locations: Kabul, Bagram, Nangarhar, and Kandahar.
We argue that this force is insufficient to halt the Taliban's advance. The Taliban seized the provincial capital of Kunduz for two weeks and dozens of districts this year, despite the presence of 9,800 US troops in country.
The Taliban also makes the case that a force of 5,500 soldiers is not enough.
"If the invaders lost the war in Afghanistan with the presence of hundreds of thousands of troops, their hopes of reversing the tide with five thousand troops are also misguided," the Taliban said in an official statement that was released on Voice of Jihad.
We are loath to admit that the Taliban has a point.
Tags: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Taliban
m3fd2002 says:
Guys, Better get your red markers out. It's all over except the "shouting and body count". The facts on the ground will be difficult to reverse, with any new administration. Afghanistan's population (probably, the entire developing world's population) has increased by 50% since 9-11-2001, which translates into unlimited cannon fodder in low intensity conflicts. Expeditionary forces have limited impact in this new era.
Finally, Wikipedia has a new (and very incomplete, of course) map of who controls what in Afghanistan. It needs to be severely updated, though.
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Taliban_insurgency_detailed_map
The thing is, is that it's hard to make an accurate map of who controls what in Afghanistan, because Afghanistan does not get the attention that Syria or Iraq does. The Taliban only release periodical media compilations, and the way Afghanistan is structured with it's districts make it hard to deduce who actually controls what at any given time.
Obviously our president (?) Is deploying piecemeal forces to cover his butt till 1-17, where upon he is not responsible, in his mind anyway. Meanwhile these ten thousand or less troops will be hounded by a taliban/Islamist enemy who has been allowed to openly run a thirty square mile training camp. Only after a year of seeing what metastasized in Iraq after not sticking around, instead, allowing Iran's quds force to take over the daily missions of the Iraqi military, our chief decides it might be prudent to leave an obligatory force so he won't look more stoopid (double o stupid) than he did in Iraq. Now Russia is laughing at him as he says their acting out of" weakness" ?? They sure look weak as they pound the crap out of all those
"Moderates" we've been supplying.
manus says:
Yet, a lot of us DO NOT want to spend any more treasure and blood in these forlorn places, period. So, let the Iranians and Russians spend their blood and treasure there. That said, we need to hang in there with the Kurds in Iraq and Syria, a competent and secular people who have always done a lot of our bidding and dirty work, and, especially now. They have no real friends there, whether it be Turkey, Iraq, Iran, or Syria.
@Dennis, what policy do you advocate instead? Eternal occupation?
It's important to know when to accept defeat.
azaz says:
The Taliban are the official power in Afghanistan.They are fighting back criminals.
We simply cannot, must not, and should not ever surrender to these animals. Or sit at a table across from them. Or look the other way. The Taliban are a scourge on humanity, just as bad as any terrorists out there. Per Amnesty, their "hit list" includes "activists, journalists and civil servants based in Kunduz…
When the Taliban took control of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and other government and NGO offices in Kunduz on Monday, they gained access to reams of information about NGO staff, government employees and members of the security forces – including addresses, phone numbers and photos."
They are killing our friends. Obama get your gun.
It takes political wisdom and courage to know when we have lost. You can not do the same thing over and over and expect a different result
We also have to look at the consequences of our wars. Both the Iraq and Afghan wars helped Iran, a nation that develops long range missiles, and terms US its enemy despite all the extended hands from desperate US diplomats.
We need a holistic review of our foreign policy, and become more like China rather then compete with a bankrupt Russia.
Let Russia destroy itself in the Middle East. Now is the time to walk away while Russia plays Russian roulet with itself. Let our enemies fight each other
Disagree. We broke it, we own it… morally and under public international law. We should stop doing Saudi and Israeli bidding and join hands with the Russians and kill Islamists.
It serves our geopoloitical interests to let Russia and Iran bury themselves in a quagmire.
Not to help them. As I said, we should let our enemies bleed each other if they want to.
We don't have 14 billion a year
In Vietnam in the 1960s there was a saying that the government controlled most of the country by day and the VC and NVA controlled it by night. Targeted assassinations of government officials was the norm then, and still is the norm. I'm not sure any number of foreign troops can stop an insurgency that knows the terrain and has lived in it for decades. Strategically, no nation (USSR, US, etc) has the ability to station troops in Afghanistan, or any other nation, for decades — encouraging them to 'go native'. Troops demand to be 'rotated' back home to family. There's also not the will among those 'back home' to fight to the death and pay any price. Breaking the will of the Taliban fighters is a tough nut to crack. I don't see that Kabul has the single-minded determination to win this war. I hope I am wrong, but this reminds me a lot of the collapse of the Saigon government 'back then.
Harris says:
Oh this Map… As if there is nothing happening in Jalalabad…
Bill Roggio says:
Harris, we couldn't be more clear that we are using open source info for map, and that we believe this map underestimates what is happening, particularly in south and east.
yy says:
Anwar al-Awlaki once quoted d Quran & said that Muslims are going to win. I think d earlier all forces submit d beta so money &lives are saved. 4me I will start learning more about Islam. I don't want to b on d loosing side
Jim, while I don't condone open ended commitments, I do hope that when we fight wars we do it to" win" .Don't tie the hands of our fighters by saying we will take the "moral high road" .what war is being fought like that, ?No one other than us, even our" friends" laugh at that.Wars MUST be fought without politicians telling our enemies how we won't do this or that.My policy? The Powell doctrine. Simple, go in blow it up kill all combatants then make" peace" .


Payroll & bookkeeping services comprise establishments that collect information on hours worked, pay rates, deductions and other payroll-related data from their clients to generate paychecks, payroll reports, and tax filings. These establishments may use data processing and tabulating techniques as part of providing their services.
The global payroll & bookkeeping services market was valued at $287.7 billion in 2017. North America was the largest geographic region accounting for $121.3 billion or 42.2% of the global market. The USA was the largest country accounting for $98.7 billion or 34.3% of the global payroll & bookkeeping services market.
Payroll & bookkeeping services are increasingly moving their business operations to the cloud to reduce their operational expenditures. It eliminates the need for installing and updating programs and reduces investments on hardware and server equipment. It also integrates with banking and accounting software, thereby saving time and costs and also ensuring the safety and security of the data.
The companies covered are Intuit, Paychex, ADP, SurePayroll, and Paycor.
The payroll and bookkeeping services market is segmented into Payroll Services, and Bookkeeping Services.
Payroll Services comprises establishments that collect information on hours worked, pay rates, deductions and other payroll-related data from their clients to generate paychecks, payroll reports, and tax filings. These establishments may use data processing and tabulating techniques as part of providing their services.
Bookkeeping Services comprises establishments (except offices of CPAs) engaged in providing accounting services (except tax return preparation services only or payroll services).


307 ACRES MORE OR LESS. 290 acres cultivated. Abandoned C N railbed through NE secion ( can be purchased from CN for nominal fee) One mile of frontage on highway 42 , a paved highway leading to Diefenbaker Lake and Riverhurst ferry ( 18 miles away ).Property is exactly one mile from town of Central Butte , a full service community ( including hospital ) of 500 +.
40 by 60 by 18 Quanset shop with 6 inch reinforced concrete commercial floor ,fully insulated and panelled . Radiant heat floor . Natural gas at the building. The rear 20 feet of the Quanset is occupied by an " under construction " 766 sq ft living area which includes a kitchen, living room, laundry, bath and bedroom. All rough plumbing and electrical are complete including a dedicated new 100 amp service. Apartment is electric heat. New septic system is in . There is a 35 foot shallow well which produces most of the year but requires re-developement. A new deep well has been quoted at 27,000.00 Half the cost is covered by a grant. Large dugout . Several outbuildings . Two with concrete floors. This property has giant potential .Possesion to be negotiated. Willing to lease back the Quanset and yard site. This is absolutely the best property bargain in the province.


City Administrative Officer report 0150-07455-0001, dated January 16, 2015, relative to a proposed contract with VCA Animal Hospitals Inc., dba VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital to perform veterinary services for the Department's Canine Units.
12/17/2014 Board of Police Commissioners document(s) referred to Public Safety Committee.
Board of Police Commissioners report 14-0449, dated December 16, 2014, relative to the professional service agreement with VCA Animal Hospitals Incorporated dba VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital for canine veterinary services.


Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has signed €18.8 million (around AED 78.4 million) deal with a Spanish court to settle a case over tax evasion charges.
Ronaldo appeared outside the courtroom along with his Spanish fiancee Georgina Rodriguez just 15-minutes after his court appearance.
The deal, which was agreed before, also includes a 23-month jail sentence.
The 33-year-old Juventus forward is unlikely to serve any time in jail, because Spanish law permits first offenders to serve anything less than a two-year sentence under probation.
The children of a California couple say they've forgiven their parents for years of torture, starvation and imprisonment.
A subpoena has been issued demanding Robert Mueller's full report into Russia's alleged meddling during the 2016 US Presidential election.
The first stone of Abu Dhabi's first ever Hindu temple will be laid today.


text:
That Girl Started Her Own Country
From 'Ritual Serial Killer' to International Playgirl and meager beginnings to private jet-setting, Zaydee is not only capturing hearts but is a force to be reckoned with. Though toting a string of male and female conquests, there's only one man who has captivated her heart. The lucky soul? Steven Larson. An honest, noble journalist, who, at the risk of losing his own life, will expose the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth of some powerful beings, untouchable, even by the government. A path of danger hovers over him as he nears the truth, but Zaydee is determined to keep the love of her life safe while 'anonymously' giving him secrets that will be the greatest exposé of his career yet. With a seemingly endless supply of money, high-tech devices and hactavists that could take down a nation, she'll stop at nothing to take down the most powerful secret society in the world and rise as the head of a new nation. A new nation in which women rule the world! Hold on to your seatbelts, you're about to be taken to places you've never imagined...
Want to be notified of release? .


If you struggle to fall asleep at night, you are not alone. As many as 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia — and that number is growing every year.
According to Ayurveda, insomnia is most commonly caused by a disturbance in Vata dosha. Vata dosha is the principle concerned with movement in the body. When Vata is out of balance, your mind can be racing and your body can be so keyed up at bedtime that you are not able to fall asleep.
People with Vata disorders tend to keep irregular habits, including eating at different times of the day and going to bed at all hours — habits that can cause Vata dosha to become even more imbalanced.
Being out of tune with nature's daily rhythms may actually be causing insomnia in millions around the world. With the invention of the electric light bulb, it suddenly became possible for many activities to take place after sunset. To re-attune yourself with nature's rhythms, try going to bed at the same time every night, preferably with a bedtime of 10:00 or earlier.
According to Ayurveda, the many rhythms and cycles of the cosmos (such as the circadian rhythm, caused by the earth rotating on its axis every 24 hours, or the seasonal cycle of the earth revolving around the sun) have a counterpart in the human body.
Modern science is beginning to study this phenomenon. Research shows that many neurological and endocrine functions follow the 24-hour cycle. Our sleep-wakefulness cycle is one of those circadian rhythms. Science now knows that many of the hormones your body needs to repair itself are released while you sleep. Science tells us that between 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. the deepest and most regenerative sleep occurs. Remember that time: you'll hear about it later.
Ayurveda has identified three "master cycles" that occur in your mind/body system — and in nature around us. You experience them in terms of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Kapha cycle in the evening takes place from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., after work is finished and the sun is setting. You naturally feel more relaxed and drowsy at this time, since your body is preparing to sleep. This is the influence of Kapha dosha, which by nature is slow and heavy.
If you go to bed during this Kapha cycle, before 10:00 p.m., sleep will come more easily and will have more of the slow, stable quality of Kapha dosha.
Modern research concurs that sleep gets lighter and lighter as dawn approaches. Our deepest slumber (called NREM sleep) occurs within 20 minutes of falling asleep and gets interrupted around 90 minutes later by a five-to-ten minute round of REM-type sleep. For the rest of the night, you alternate between the two types of sleep in 90-minute cycles, with your NREM sleep getting shorter and less deep and the lighter REM cycles getting longer.
Because so many people suffer from an aggravation of Vata, it can be difficult to stop activity and head to bed early. If you go to bed after 10:00 p.m., you are going to bed during the Pitta cycle, between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. Pitta is the principle that governs transformations. At noon, when we are also in a Pitta cycle, the increased principle of transformation helps us to digest our lunch (which Ayurveda recommends should be our biggest meal of the day). In the evening the transformative properties of Pitta are meant be used to help repair the body while we sleep, so that we awake refreshed and renewed. If we are awake during this time, many experience a spurt of intellectual activity and find that this is the "perfect" time to catch up on work or personal projects. This is a misuse of the Pitta cycle and we are robbing our body of its chance to repair and restore itself. Once the mind becomes active during the Pitta cycle, it is difficult to turn off thoughts. Combined with a Vata imbalance, which can "fan the fires" of Pitta, you could easily find yourself up until the wee hours of the morning — and enjoying a midnight snack to boot.
What happens when we rob ourselves of our nightly self-repair? Science is finding a wide range of negative effects, from being more susceptible to colds and infections to increasing the risk of Alzheimer's. Deep sleep apparently allows us to deep clean plaque from the brain.
While there are many other aspects of insomnia to consider, the first step anyone who is serious about conquering insomnia should consider is to create a regular schedule which includes being in bed before 10:00 at night.
A visit to an Ayurvedic expert will help you to more precisely pinpoint which imbalances are keeping you from a good night's sleep. They can prescribe diet, supplements and lifestyle changes that will support your efforts.
Among the top recommendations for guests at The Raj Ayurveda Health Spa is to add daily oil massage (abhyanga) to their daily routine when they return home. The effects of daily Ayurveda oil massage (recommended before bathing in the morning) are multifold: Not only will a morning oil massage help pull toxins from the skin (the largest organ in the body and an important organ for the elimination of toxins), it also leaves a protective film that acts as a barrier between your skin and harmful environmental elements.
But the beneficial effects of oil massage don't stop there. Research also suggests that sesame oil (the oil most often used in abhyanaga) selectively stops malignant skin cancer cells from growing in laboratory tissue culture, and at the same time allows normal skin cells to proliferate.
According to the study, sesame and safflower oils selectively inhibited the grown of malignant melanoma cell cultures, but coconut, olive and mineral oils did not. The traditional Ayurveda texts specifically recommend sesame oil massage to promote health and longevity.
Researchers have known for years that linoleic acid, an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid that is present in small quantities in the body, inhibits many kinds of cancer growth. But because pure linoleic acid is highly unstable and can irritate a person's skin and eyes, it cannot be used or ingested safely. In the above mentioned research study, scientists used the whole vegetable oil, rather than trying to isolate the active ingredient, thus avoiding unnatural side effects.
Research also shows that oil massage is an important component in removing synthetic chemicals from our physiology. In the US there are thousands of these kind of chemicals used in various types of industry or agriculture. These toxins are present everywhere in our environment and can be found in virtually every living organism around the world. Regardless of our lifestyle, profession, eating habits, or geographic location, by the time we are 40 years old, our toxin level is substantial.
Integrating a 10-minute sesame oil massage into your morning routine can have a significant impact on reducing Vata imbalances, purifying the skin and maintaining balance throughout the body.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. In addition, prostate enlargement is found in 50 percent of American men in their sixties, and up to 90 percent of men in their seventies and eighties. While modern science claims that the specific cause of prostate cancer is unknown, the traditional view from Ayurveda is that most prostate problems can be prevented by making simple lifestyle and dietary changes. Recently, researchers have suggested a link between growing numbers of prostate cancer and the rise of environmental chemicals. Today, let's look both at lifestyle and dietary factors that can support prostate health and at specific toxins that need to be avoided.
All three doshas are involved with prostate problems: a Kapha imbalance contributes to the abnormal growth; a Pitta imbalance contributes to inflammation and a Vata imbalance creates the physical discomfort. Therefore, if you are concerned with prostate health, your diet needs to simultaneously balance all three doshas. This means moderation in all areas. Nothing too spicy, too cold, too dry, or too heavy.
Turmeric is a helpful spice when dealing with any kind of inflammation. In addition, the presence of curcumin (contained in turmeric) has been proved to arrest the spread of cancerous cells in the prostate. Spices like turmeric, cumin, ginger and fennel help purify the body of toxins that can build up and lead to imbalances or infection. Turmeric is one of nature's most powerful antioxidants and has DNA-protective qualities.
Black pepper helps strengthen the body's detoxification systems, aiding in purification of the blood tissue and enhancing the overall immune system. Black pepper also helps boost the bioaccessability of turmeric and other spices, so that the body can make maximum use of their helpful properties.
Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts are anti-androgen and have been proven to fight the production of cancerous cells in the prostate.
Asparagus is recommended because it helps support balanced hormones.
Quinoa is an ideal grain because it is rich in zinc. Maintaining proper levels of zinc in the seminal fluid contributes to maintaining a healthy prostate. Zinc is stored in the prostate gland. Quinoa is considered a "light" grain and can be eaten at night without increasing Kapha.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit, non-partisan environmental health research and advocacy organization, has named four high-risk substances to watch out for in terms of prostate health.
Cadmium in tobacco: People who smoke have twice as much cadmium exposure as those who do not. Studies have associated cadmium with an increased risk of prostate cancer in human epidemiological studies. This adds one more reason to the already extensive list (preventing lung cancer, respiratory and heart disease) of reasons to stop smoking.
Pesticides: Studies show that farmers who mix and apply pesticides on their crops have a much higher risk of developing prostate cancer. These same pesticides are also prevalent in our food supply, unless you buy organic food. If your budget makes it difficult to buy organic, at least consider going organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables called "the dirty dozen". These foods are commonly contaminated with pesticides exceptionally toxic to the nervous system. The dirty dozen are: apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, chili peppers, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, sweet bell peppers, kale and collard greens, and zucchini and summer squash.
PCBs (often found in animal fat) Even though polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were banned more than 30 years ago, these industrial chemicals are pervasive in our environment and show up in the blood of most individuals. They have been linked to a number of health concerns, including prostate cancer risk, lower cognitive performance, depression and fatigue. Since PCBs typically accumulate in animal fatty tissues, especially in fish, choose leaner meats and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. PCBs build up in our fat tissues and remain there until they naturally decay (which may take up to 20 years). While modern science offers no means of removing PCBs, published studies have shown that Panchakarma, the traditional Ayurveda detoxification treatments, can actually reduce blood levels of PCBs by 50% in just 5 days.
Bisphenol A (BPA) BPA is a chemical found in plastic. According to the EWG, a number of animal studies have shown that even at low exposures, BPA can cause DNA damage and development of precancerous lesions in rats. One study has also shown DNA damage in humans. Use glass kitchenware instead of plastic. Reuse old glass bottles and glass jars for storing food. If you use plastic containers, buy BPA-free and avoid those with recycling code #7, which may contain BPA. While it was once thought that BPA cleared the body quickly and completely, new studies show that, like PCBs, BPA may build up in our fat tissues, releasing slowly into the body over time. This is leading to a serious reevaluation of the risk of exposure to BPA.
Scheduling regular Panchakarma treatments to remove fat-soluble toxins that build up in fat tissues. Add morning oil massage to your daily routine.
Reduce your intake of animal fat. Choose fresh, organic foods and make sure you get lots of fruits and vegetables.
Get regular exercise and avoid being sedentary for long periods of time. A sedentary lifestyle is thought to be a risk factor of aggressive prostate cancer.
If you are worried about your prostate, talk to an Ayurveda expert who can give individualized recommendations for herbs and dietary and lifestyle changes that would best support your balanced health. You should also have your prostate checked regularly by your regular doctor.
The customary approach to weight loss is that one is overweight because one eats too much, exercises too little, and/or is destined by genetics to gain weight. While these are indeed contributing factors, the prevalence of environmental toxins that adversely affect metabolism is now seen as important part of the obesity epidemic. Removal of these toxins is being recognized as an effective treatment approach for treatment-resistant or chronic weight gain. Ayurveda offers a time-tested approach to removing environmental toxins that is comfortable and safe. In fact, oddly enough, this ancient approach is actually much more effective than any existing modern form of purification.
More than 80,000 chemicals are currently a part of our U.S economy. Only 200 of these chemicals have been tested for safety. Yet dozens of studies have shown the deleterious effects of these environmental pollutants, pesticides, plastics, and food additives.
Specifically relating to obesity, researchers have found that certain environmental chemicals act as endocrine disruptors that alter fat production and energy balance, leaving some people more susceptible to weight gain. These compounds work in different ways. Some alter adipogenesis—the process of creating fat cells—causing people to have a greater numbers of fat cells, a bigger size of existing fat cells, or abnormal fat cell distribution. Other toxins alter levels of the appetite-regulating hormone leptin, or increase the activity of estrogen. Many researchers feel that exposure to chemical may have damaged many of the body's natural weight-control mechanisms.
Scientists estimate that the average person has at least 700 environmental chemicals in their body. Many of these chemicals are fat-soluble and build up in the body over years. "Fat-soluble" means they adhere to our fat tissues — and can stay there for up to 30 years. When we lose weight, reducing the amount of fat in our bodies, these chemicals are not necessarily removed along with the fat. Rather they can get reabsorbed by other fat cells. This creates a vicious cycle—the body gains weight because the natural metabolism has been disrupted by chemicals; the process of losing weight ends up increasing the concentration of chemicals in the body, further altering the body's natural functions.
A published study on the traditional purification therapies of Ayurveda (Panchakarma) offered at The Raj Ayurveda Health Spa showed that blood levels of fat-soluble toxins decreased by 50% after a 5-day program. Currently a modern technology doesn't offer any method of detoxification that can remove this class of fat-soluble toxins from the body.
Once these chemicals are eliminated from the body, people can avoid increasing their toxic load through specific lifestyle changes: Drinking filtered water, changing to stainless steel (rather than coated "non-stick") cookware, buying organic food and clothing, and switching to natural household and personal care products are all recommended.
Self-care cannot be overlooked—developing healthy sleep habits, adding relaxation and meditation to the daily routine, and engaging in regular exercise all allow for more effective detoxification and improve overall quality of life.
The benefits of weight loss cannot be overstated—a reduction in risk for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. And all of the other factors associated with weight-gain need to be considered: issues of overeating, lack of physical activity, poor food choices, and genetic metabolic issues. However, we can no longer ignore the impact of environmental toxins on weight gain and obesity.
The Raj Ayurveda weight loss program can produce dramatic shifts in body composition, along with better blood sugar balance, healthier lipid levels, and improved liver enzyme function. People who had previously been unable to lose weight may find that they're able to break through the weight loss resistance.
For years a friend of mine has extolled the use of bitters in dealing with congestion. Because bitter is one of the six taste identified in Ayurveda and associated with decreasing Kapha, and because are one of the main seats of Kapha, I thought it made sense. Recently I learned that back in 2010, researchers at the University of Maryland School of medicine found that bitter taste receptors are located in the human lungs as well as in the mouth. Although the taste buds located in the lungs do not send signals to brain, they respond to bitter tastes by opening the airways "more extensively than any known drug that currently exists to address asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease".
According to the American Lung Association, asthma affects nearly 23 million Americans, including seven million children, and COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
During asthma attacks, the smooth muscle cells contract, causing a narrowing of the airways and subsequent breathing difficulties. The fact that bitter tastes can relax these smooth muscles cells has opened new possibilities for natural treatments of asthma.
While Ayurveda acknowledges many types of asthma, Kapha-related asthma is the most common and involves the production of sticky, thick mucous. Even with a Kapha-related asthma, however, an imbalance of Vata dosha is often involved, along the presence of ama (a sticky toxin caused by poor digestion.) Because Kapha and Vata have opposite qualities, finding a course of treatment that will pacify both is delicate. For this reason is it best to consult an Ayurvedic expert to help determine the most beneficial approach to any individual case of asthma.
While bitter is not a taste that is common in the traditional American diet, bitter flavored foods have long held a special place in traditional medicine. From the ancient Egyptians to the 16th century prescriptions of the physician Paracelsus, elixirs brewed from bitter herbs have been considered cure-all remedies. Studies have confirmed that getting an adequate amount bitter flavor is important for digestive balance and bitter is linked with many related health benefits. Kale, bitter melon, grapefruit and turmeric are examples of bitter tastes.
Experiencing the bitter flavor on the tongue initiates an effect that starts with the salivary glands, which is why bitters should not be taken in pill or capsule form. The stimulation of the taste buds and increased saliva output is the signal to rest of the digestive process to produce and release the necessary enzymes and digestive juices for proper and thorough digestion of food.
The first line of treatment that is traditionally recommended for asthma is the purification therapies of Panchakarma. These treatments expel the excess doshas from their sites of accumulation. This treats the condition at a deep level and decreases the chance of recurrence.
A diet and lifestyle that avoids aggravation of both Kapha and Vata dosha should also be followed. This means avoiding heavy, cold or dry foods. Warm, soupy foods that are freshly prepared nourish Vata without aggravating Kapha. Again, balancing of both Vata and Kapha at the same time is tricky. It is best to consult with someone who is experienced in this area to avoid creating more imbalances.


This place is haunted no joke! I have been going there ever since I was a little girl. Everytime I have gone there something has happened. Some people say if you go there and you dont believe in ghosts something will happen.I have got a bunch of pictures of ghosts and alot of orbs. Once when i went there for a paranormal tour we went upstairs turned off the lights and waited.Then a shadow figure started coming in through the hallway towards us. IM NOT KIDDING THIS IS TRUE! It then just vanished. Then one woman in there screamed and said something touched her hand. This place is haunted im going again tommorow and i will tell you guys about it.


Christopher D. Cook is an award-winning journalist whose writing also appears in the Los Angeles Times, Harper's, Mother Jones, The Atlantic, The Nation, The Economist, and elsewhere. He is the author of Diet for a Dead Planet: Big Business and the Coming Food Crisis. Contact him through www.christopherdcook.com.