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Posted on 5th November 2018 31st October 2018 by George Howell — Leave a comment
Climate Change and the Plastic Crisis
The plastic crisis has been all over the news lately and so it should be. Most of the time the issue is presented from the perspective of plastic in the ocean. We have all seen the pictures of animals killed by getting trapped in plastic and we all know that the micro-plastic particles can get into our food chain by being consumed by fish.
The World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in their 2016 study "The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics" found that the equivalent of one dustbin lorry of plastic is dumped into the oceans every minute. The study goes onto say that without significant action there may be more plastic in the oceans, by weight, than fish by 2050.
The plastic crisis is far from limited to the oceans, it also has an impact on climate change. Plastic is made from petroleum, which comes from oil, a fossil fuel. According to 1 Bag at a Time about 8-10% of total oil supply goes into making plastic bags. This is carbon being released in to the atmosphere to make plastic bags.
We know that plastic causes greenhouse gas emissions in its production but another recent study has also shown that plastic releases greenhouse gases during degradation. When exposed to ambient solar radiation the most commonly used plastics release methane and ethylene. These climate-relevant trace gases are expected to increase as more plastic is produced and accumulates in the environment, according to Sarah-Jeanne Royer in her study "Production of Methane and Ethylene from Plastic in the Environment".
Plastic has become the material of choice in our ultra-high convenience driven economy. It has, in differing situations, been considered convenient, light, cheap, disposable and safe but it is not sustainable.
When I first started running Sage Wholefoods in 1997 we bagged are own wholefood products. This was time-consuming, we ran into problems with infestations in the loose foods and we had to make sure our scales were always measuring correctly. We quickly decided to buy in only pre-packed wholefoods as this solved all those problems.
Today we have to think again. I am longing for our suppliers to develop sustainably-produced and fully degradable packaging from plant fibres because the benefits of plastic (convenient, light, cheap, disposable and safe) are still important. But in the absence of that I will be making some changes.
In 2010 I introduced household cleaning refills. Customers bring back their household cleaning bottles and refill them from our containers. The containers themselves are returned to our supplier to be reused. Earlier this year, I decided that we could no longer supply plastic carrier bags at a cost or free. The carrier bags we had been using were degradable but not quickly enough for my liking and I was concerned about micro-particles from them getting into the environment.
But we have to go further. I am looking at self-serve systems for our wholefood products. Customers will be able to bring their own containers to refill. I am looking to replace products currently packaged in plastic with others packaged in cardboard or glass. There is a long way to go, but I am determined that Indigo Wholefoods will have the lightest conceivable impact on the environment.
Categories: Indigo Foundation, Indigo Wholefoods
Tags: Climate Change, Politics
Posted on 30th October 2018 30th October 2018 by George Howell — Leave a comment
Climate Change and Organic Farming
Its easy to look at the affects of transport and consumption of energy from fossil fuels as the leading causes of human-made climate change. Climate change demands action from all stake-holders whether they are individuals, businesses or governments. Reducing our fossil fuel based energy consumption is one action we can take. There are others and a successful reversal of the effects of climate change will require wide-ranging mitigating activities.
The beneficial link between climate change and organic farming may not be clear like the use of fossil fuels but IFOAM's EU advocacy climate change report from 2016 makes some important points.
Of the report entitled "Organic Farming, Climate Change Mitigation and Beyond" lead author Adrian Muller of FiBL Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, IFOAMS's research partner, said "Our research shows that a progressive conversion to 50% of EU land under organic farming by 2030 would offer a mitigation potential of 23% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions through increased soil carbon sequestration and reduced application of mineral fertilisers.
"It would moreover reduce energy use for the production of synthetic fertilisers, equivalent to a further reduction of 9% of agricultural emissions, and would provide many other environmental and animal welfare benefits, as well as successful adaptation strategies to cope with the impacts of climate change."
For clarification the Soil Association in its blog "The Government Must Prioritise Climate Friendly Farming" says "Organic farms generally emit fewer greenhouse gases, use less energy and store greater amounts of carbon in soil per hectare than non-organic farms.
"In addition, organic agriculture also delivers a range of other essential benefits – providing healthy, fertile soils, better resilience against extreme weather and resistance to pests, better animal welfare, more wildlife on farms, and greater sovereignty and security for farmers."
If we are to achieve IFOAM/FiBL's ambitious targets consumers must demonstrate that there is growing demand for organic produce and a decline in demand for non-organic produce. Persuading farmers to forego their subsidies for conventional farming will only happen as a result of this and a restructuring of farming subsidies to encourage organic climate friendly farming.
Indigo Wholefoods has been committed to providing a wide range of foods from organic farming including our fruit and veg range since I opened the shop. Our fruit and veg is loose and unlike the organic fruit and veg in supermarkets it is not packed in single use plastics.
If you're not yet convinced to go organic then consider these facts from the Soil Association:
Fewer Pesticides – Almost 300 pesticides can be routinely used in non-organic farming and are often present in non-organic food.
No Artificial Colours and Preservatives – Hydrogenated fats and controversial artificial food colours are banned under organic standards.
Better for Wildlife – Organic farms are havens for wildlife and provide homes for bees, birds and butterflies – there is up to 50% more wildlife on organic farms!
Better for the Planet – No system of farming does more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and protect natural resources.
It's Nutritionally Different – Research published in the British Journal of Nutrition found significant differences between organic and non-organic farming.
I am committed to providing a wide-range of products at Indigo Wholefoods that are tasty, healthy and sustainable, organic food will always be a significant part of that range.
Tags: Climate Change, Organic, Politics
Climate Change and Adopting a Plant-Based Diet
Climate change is the most important issue of our times. The actions that we take personally, in our communities and by our governments will determine whether human life can be sustained on this planet. The opportunity to sort it out is not something that future generations will have the luxury of having. Its our responsibility to do it now.
Research clearly shows the link between greenhouse gas emissions and livestock agriculture. The livestock supply chain generates some 7.1Gt CO2 equivalent emissions, contributing to about 14.5% of global human-made emissions according to Food Climate Research Network in their 2017 report "Grazed and Confused?"
When we think of greenhouse gases we immediately think of carbon dioxide. Carbon is released into the atmosphere when we dig or drill into the ground to access fossil fuels in the form of coal, oil and natural gas. Further carbon is released into the atmosphere when the coal, oil and gas are burnt to create energy. Electricity and petrol in cars.
But among the other greenhouse gases is methane. Ruminants, grazing animals that regurgitate their food from one stomach to another, produce a huge amount of methane gas as part of their digestive process. Ruminants produce about 80% of total livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions and cattle alone produce 65%.
And its not just the methane they produce. Livestock farming is a very inefficient use of land. Meat and dairy provides just 18% of total consumed calories and 37% of protein, and it uses 83% of all agricultural land. That is land that could be used for growing crops. In addition loss of wild areas to agricultural land is the leading cause of mass extinction of wildlife. But nor can we accept intensive farming as this is bad for animal welfare and increases the amount of land used to grow feed for the animals.
Joseph Poore of Oxford University who led research entitled "Reducing Foods Environmental Impacts Through Producers and Consumers" says "A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use. It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car.
"Agriculture is a sector that spans all the multitude of environmental problems. Really it is animal products that are responsible for so much of this. Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy.
"The reason I started this project was to understand if there were sustainable animal producers out there. But I have stopped consuming animal products over the last four years of this project. These impacts are not necessary to sustain our current way of life. The question is how much can we reduce them and the answer is alot."
The study finds that a persons individual carbon footprint can be reduced by up to 73% by adopting a plant-based diet.
Indigo Wholefoods has been a vegetarian food shop since its inception in 2008. In 2017 I removed all non-vegetarian supplements from our shelves. But I am determined to go further. While the greatest environmental impact is from meat production, there is no doubt that dairy farming contributes as well. Over the next few weeks I will be fazing out our few dairy products (cow and goat) and identifying which other products contain dairy ingredients or trace amounts of dairy and replacing them with tasty, sustainable plant-based alternatives.
I am committed to doing everything I can personally and at Indigo Wholefoods to sustain human life on this planet for future generations. I will not profit from activities that have a detrimental effect on our environment.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth
My Thoughts on Climate Change
I have spent most of 2018 following the Brexit negotiations. It looks like being an unmitigated disaster for the UK and the government seem determined to follow through with it no matter what the cost. It is a crisis entirely of the governments own making. It is consuming the attention of government and important policy areas are being ignored.
One area of concern is climate change. I have noticed that there seems to be a correlation between those who are Brexiteers and those who are climate change deniers. Maybe we should simply call them elite disaster capitalists.
Climate change has been nagging at me this year. We are not doing enough. This may be our last chance to get a grip of this crisis, if we have not already passed the point of no return. Climate change is a global issue that needs global solutions, yet our politicians are determined to fight for ideological isolationism because of a perceived exceptionalism. Not since the appeasement policy towards Hitler's Germany has a British government taken a position that is so dangerous and ill-thought through.
In my opinion 2018 has produced weather events in the UK that can categorically be described as being as a result of climate change. If that is correct these events will only get worse unless we take sustained action to reverse this phenomenon. This action must occur at governmental policy, at business and at personal levels if we are to be successful.
In February and March we were subject to a series of severe winter weather events originating in the east. They were dubbed "The Beast from the East". Its not unusual to occasionally experience a weather system from the east, but this was sustained. In June, July and August we experienced one of the longest/ hottest heatwaves we have ever had, but it wasn't just here. It was everywhere. Apart from Iceland and for good reason.
Most of our weather comes from the west as a result of the jet stream, a fast flowing high altitude wind that originates in the tropics and in something of a 'S' shape, as it flows around the air masses, delivers weather to the UK and western Europe. This weather tends to be warm and wet. Warm because it originates in the tropics and wet because its picking up water from the Atlantic ocean.
The jet stream is strongly linked to the gulf stream a tidal current that follows the same trajectory in the Atlantic ocean. Together the gulf stream and the jet stream are responsible for our temperate climate. Without it our weather would be much colder.
The gulf stream and the jet stream are caused by the meeting of warm tropical waters and cold arctic waters. The greater the temperature differential the stronger and faster the streams flow. The lesser the temperature differential the weaker and slower the streams flow. Furthermore, the relative strengths of the two bodies of water determine how far north or south the streams flow.
Stay with me, I am getting to the point.
In February this year is was reported that the Arctic temperatures were averaging 15°C warmer than the seasonal norms. There were 60 hours during the same month when the temperature was above 0°C. Previously it had risen above 0°C in February on just two occasions and then only briefly.
Arctic sea ice covered 5.4m sq miles, about 62,000 sq miles smaller than 2017's record low. All in all, Arctic sea ice has reduced from 100% coverage 30 years ago to just 25% this year. If the reductions continue to increase as seems likely given the temperature information the Arctic could be ice free in around 4 to 6 years.
These factors cause the temperature of the northern Atlantic ocean to rise reducing the temperature differentiation between the warm tropical waters and the colder arctic waters. This has the effect of reducing the strength of the gulf stream and the jet stream.
In the east, cold air masses over the landlocked Siberian plains. As it builds it pushes into Europe. In winter the cold air is halted by the warmer air brought in by the jet stream over central Europe. The warmer wetter air from the Atlantic meets the Siberian air mass and the water vapour cools down, becomes heavy and falls as snow.
In February and March this year the jet stream was not strong enough to push the Siberian air mass back and only resisted its strength over the UK. The snow usually reserved for central Europe fell over the UK.
In the summer we were still under the influence of the considerably warmer Arctic temperatures. As the tropical waters warmed up the North Atlantic ocean this spring the cold Arctic waters offered little resistance having been warmer than usual throughout the winter. The jet stream was pushed north causing Iceland to suffer torrential rains throughout its summer. Meanwhile, south of the jet stream, there was nothing to stop the hot air from Africa and southern Europe encroaching on the UK.
I am sure a geographer or meteorologist could fine tune the points above, but that is how I understand it.
What is not in doubt is that the Arctic is warming up and so is the Antarctic. There is less ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic than there was 30 years ago. There is no evidence that this phenomenon is reversing. As the ice caps melt the temperature of the planet will increase. This is happening and will continue to happen.
The science is inconclusive to what extent this is a man-made phenomenon and to what extent it is a natural phenomenon. This is an irrelevant consideration as if it is partly or even mostly a natural phenomenon it only serves to make the decisions we make about our relationship with the environment and our impact upon it more important.
Greenhouse gases (ghg's) which are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and tropospheric ozone along with lots of less significant gases absorb and emit radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. Meaning they cause the energy of the sun to heat the atmosphere. Without them there could be no life on this planet. As the amount of ghg's in the atmosphere increases the average temperature of the planet increases.
Human activities release ghg's into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, soil erosion and agriculture both livestock and arable. Population growth also need to be considered.
I get irritated by the casual environmentalist who may shout "save the planet". The planet is big enough and beautiful enough to look after itself. The real question is "do we want there to be human life on this planet in 100 years time?" It doesn't make quite as good a car sticker though.
Lets make it more personal:
What would we do now for our children or our grand-children to ensure there is a planet that can sustain life for their natural lifetime?
If that is not enough to prompt massive change lets see if this is:
What would we do now for ourselves to ensure there is a planet that can sustain life for the rest of our natural lifetime?
As things stand we are probably heading for extinction in our lifetime. So says Roger Hallam, an old friend of mine from my Organic Roundabout days. Roger is now a PhD researcher on effective radical campaign design at King's College in London and he has been an organic farmer for 20 years.
Roger tells us that the historic average global temperature is 12°C. We are already 1.2°C above this historic average. When the northern ice cap disappears in the next 4 – 6 years as we have already discussed temperatures will increase by 0.5°C because the ocean doesn't reflect heat back to space the way that the ice cap does.
When the full effect on the average global temperature of the carbon already released is realised over the next 10-20 years there will be a further increase of 0.5° C.
That is an average global temperature increase of 2.2°C already locked in and it takes no account of future carbon burning, or the release of methane stored in the permafrost.
When the average global temperature reaches 23°C there will be no difference between the temperature at the poles and the equator. The effect of this is no wind and no ocean currents. When there are no ocean currents the oceans become stagnant. They stop producing oxygen and start producing hydrogen sulphide instead. Hydrogen Sulphide is poisonous, all living creatures will be dead when hydrogen sulphide reaches 200ppm in the atmosphere.
The only question remaining is at what temperature will hydrogen sulphide start to be released from the oceans and how soon will we reach that point.
So I ask the question, "what would we do now for ourselves and for our children and our grand-children to ensure there is a planet that can sustain life for the rest of our natural lifetimes?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/27/britain-betrayed-heathrow-humanity-survival
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/26/we-have-a-duty-to-act-hundreds-ready-to-go-to-jail-over-climate-crisis
Posted on 28th September 2018 by George Howell — Leave a comment
It's World Marmite Day
Apparently it is World Marmite Day. This may be fake news, but I'll play along. Marmite has a love it or hate it reputation. Personally I hate it. To me it has a chemically taste that I just cant abide. However, I love yeast extract and we have three popular yeast extracts in store that are not Marmite.
My favourite is Meridian Yeast Extract with Salt. It has a rich, sharp flavour and goes great on rice cakes for a low calorie snack.
We have the Essential Vitam-R Yeast Extract. I also like this one. It has a smoother, creamier flavour than the Meridian and is a superior yeast extract all round.
We also have a reduced salt yeast extract called Natex and while not one I choose to eat is actually our most popular yeast extract.
Yeast extract has a wide variety of tastes and I can say from personal experience that just because you hate Marmite, you don't necessarily hate yeast extract. You might even love it.
Tags: Products, Yeast Extract
Posted on 27th August 2018 22nd October 2018 by George Howell — Leave a comment
The New IndigoWholefoods.com
Today I launch the new Indigo Wholefoods website. For the last few months if you visited www.indigowholefoods.com you were taken to my Facebook page. The old website had become out of date and difficult to navigate. I had to take the website down before it confused people.
The new website will focus more on the ethics and principles that motivated me to start Indigo Wholefoods and how they and Indigo make a difference for people, for the community and for the environment. The website is a work in progress and will be developed over the next few months.
At a time when the political world order is under threat, primarily from far-right influences, those of us who believe in sustaining a more liberal, socially cohesive society need to speak up and be the difference we believe in. The Indigo Foundation will be a global education space to promote the ethics and principles of Indigo Wholefoods and a global community of like-minded people built up around them.
My shop is a place to browse all the products that I can order for you, to collect from the shop. A mail order service will follow. Subscribe to your favorite products so they are always available for you. Buy gift certificates for use in-store or online.
My blog will keep you up-to-date with everything that is going on at Indigo Wholefoods and The Indigo Foundation and my thoughts on the issues that matter around the world today. Receive the latest news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter.
Indigo Wholefoods, The Indigo Foundation and indigowholefoods.com are my way of making a difference locally, nationally and globally.
Categories: Indigo Foundation, Indigo Story, Indigo Wholefoods
Tag: Website
Posted on 18th August 2018 19th August 2018 by George Howell — Leave a comment
Indigo Wholefoods, Brexit and The EU
Brexit could be an existential threat to Indigo Wholefoods. It's just over seven months until Brexit day and I don't know for sure. That's no way to have to run a business.
Here's what I know for sure. Unless something changes the UK will leave the EU at 11pm on Friday 29th March 2019. If a withdrawal agreement is reached, that is ratified by the European Parliament, The House of Commons, The House of Lords and The European Council (The heads of states/prime ministers of the other 27 EU states after fulfilling there own constitutional requirements) then a transition/implementation period will start and everything will continue as it is now until December 31st 2020. At which point I will probably be writing a very similar article.
To get a transition period the UK has to agree to meet the obligations it signed up to, the so-called divorce bill, ensure that EU citizens, in the UK on brexit day, retain the rights and assurances they were granted by the UK as an EU member, ensure that the Irish border remains open, free of new infrastructure and checks in perpetuity, and agree to the judicial oversight of The European Court of Justice during the transition period.
If that can't be agreed and there are very good reasons to think that it wont be agreed then the UK will leave the EU without a transition period, without any idea of what a future trade agreement may look like and potentially having failed to uphold the commitments it has made both in the past and during the brexit negotiations. Critically, it may fail in its duty to uphold the principles of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA).
The GFA does not overtly refer to an Irish border. However, the cross-border institutions would be so significantly impacted by the implementation of border controls it would render the GFA undeliverable. Furthermore, what seems to have passed our brexiter politicians by is that the GFA is about identity. The genius of the GFA is that it allows the Northern Irish who feel Irish to live and function as Irish citizens and the Northern Irish who feel British to live and function as British citizens without changing the underlying constitutional arrangements. This was agreed by an all Ireland referendum and only a further all Ireland referendum could change that situation. To implement border controls or to follow such a policy that caused Ireland/EU to implement border controls would undermine the ability of the Northern Irish to live and function as Irish citizens especially in border regions. This is why the EU are taking the Irish border so seriously.
Article 50(3) of The Treaties of the European Union, the triggering of Article 50(2) started the negotiating period, tells us exactly how we will leave in the event of no-deal:
The Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification referred to in paragraph 2, unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period.
The Treaties shall cease to apply. Not some of them but all of them. In fact EU rules prevent formal negotiations between the EU and the UK about a future relationship while the UK is still a member of the EU. Hence the need for a transition period. It should have been possible to negotiate a heads of agreement about a future relationship during the brexit negotiations but the failure to complete the withdrawal agreement has prevented this from happening.
The idea that planes will not be able to take off, lorries will be parked on the M20, vital food and medicine supplies will be delayed, just in-time supply chains disrupted, radioactive waste will not be allowed to be transported, we will no longer be able to use the European Arrest Warrant or share security information, EU citizens will be illegal aliens as UK citizens in the EU will be and they wont be able to draw their pension have all been summarily dismissed as project fear by brexiters.
Yet without even the most basic of sector by sector trade and regulatory agreements these things will happen. Article 50(3) decrees it. It would be breaking the EU's negotiating red lines to begin these kind of future relationship negotiations without having resolved the issues contained in the withdrawal agreement. And without completing the withdrawal agreement there will be no transition period. Which means this is exactly what will happen on brexit day.
Still the brexiters expect that at some point the EU will drop its red lines over the Irish Border and allow a withdrawal agreement to occur. They don't understand why Ireland is so important to the EU, after all its never been that important to them.
Once again the brexiters are on the wrong side of history and fail to understand what the EU is. To them it is a trading block, a trading block that puts barriers in the way of them making more profit. They should take the time to read articles 2 and 3(1) of the Treaties of The European Union.
Articles 2 and 3(1) state:
The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.
The Union's aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples.
The EU's principle objective is to promote peace. Everything else it operates including the single market, the customs union, the European Court of Justice, the single currency, the shengen zone, it operates in pursuance of its principle objective. It understands that a continent, steeped in a history of feudalism and warfare, will function peacefully if it is as fully integrated in as many different areas as possible.
How can it abandon Ireland if it is to uphold its aims and values? The GFA represents an end to the Northern Irish Troubles that both sides agree to. Upholding it should be a matter of principle for the UK government as much as it is for the EU and Ireland. But, that may be the most disturbing thing about this whole process. The nauseating way in which it has been dismissed as irrelevant by politicians who should know better.
Indigo Wholefoods stands with the EU in its aims and objectives. They represent the difference I want to make as the owner of a business built on ethics and principles. As an independent retail shop in the West Midlands, relying on wholesalers and manufacturers who import raw materials or finished products to stock our shelves we are exposed to some of the brexit implications. At this time it is impossible to know to what extent this supply chain will be affected and what affect that will have on prices and we don't know to what extent our customer base is exposed to brexit implications. Moseley and Kings Heath ward voted 77% to stay in the EU in a city (Birmingham) that narrowly voted to leave. It has been an anxious time for the heart and soul of my customer base. Make no mistake – I will be doing everything in my power to ensure Indigo not only survives but thrives regardless of what happens in March next year.
However, the best interests of Indigo Wholefoods, my customer base, the UK and the EU are all met by reversing the result of the now discredited referendum by holding a Peoples Vote.
Look again at articles 2 and 3(1). Why would we want to leave an organisation built on such honourable and ambitious aims and values? Why would we want to put ourselves through the uncertainty and disruption of leaving the EU? Why would we want to undermine the peace and political progress made in Northern Ireland in the last twenty years?
The UK should be embracing the EU not turning away from it. At a time of political upheaval around the world, with unpredictable leaders in both Russia and the US, now is not the time to be stepping out on our own.
Twice in the last century we sent our young men to war on the continent to defend our right to, and European citizens right to, be treated with the respect and value laid down in articles 2 and 3(1). Of course, it is unlikely that war will break out in Europe again any time soon, but that doesn't mean we should rip out the safety net.
In November of this year we will remember the centenary of the end of the 1st World War. We will wear our poppies and go to memorials. What greater memorial could there be than to recommit ourselves to the European project. To take our rightful place around the table to improve the EU, build on the work already done and say never again will anyone have to die for peace in Europe. #StopBrexit
Tag: Politics
I grew up in a politicized household. I learnt early about environmentalism, organic food, socialism and liberalism. I went on rallies for Friends of the Earth, CND, Action Aid and campaigned for the Labour Party. I started becoming aware of injustice in society and wanted to make a difference wherever I could. I thought this was how all kids grew up. Its not as I learnt painfully in school.
By the time I left school I was depressed, suffering from social anxiety and struggling to fit in. I was also highly sensitive which meant that I felt everything acutely. I tried college but was overwhelmed by it. I didn't have the confidence to succeed at job interviews. My parents had split up and I didn't have the support I needed. I didn't know how to ask for support. I didn't know what support I needed. I was at rock bottom.
Two things happened. Firstly, I found Organic Roundabout, a worker's cooperative, an organic fruit and veg box scheme. Roundabout reconnected me to my politicised roots and added new elements including vegan/vegetarianism, animal rights and cooperative working. I attended an open day, not an interview, and joined the cooperative instead of being appointed. This was the opportunity I needed to get a step on the ladder.
Roundabout led to becoming a founding member of Sage Wholefoods, a worker's cooperative, operating a health food shop of the same name in the Moseley area of Birmingham, UK. At Sage I developed an interest in alternative health and discovered homeopathy as a therapy that made a big difference in my life.
Secondly and simultaneously I became spiritually aware. I found a support network in spirit that was absent in my world. I read books, went on retreat, studied spiritual principles and ideas, and eventually developed my own personal spirituality based on my experiences of communicating with spirit.
I was at Sage for nine years. By 2006 I was the only original member left. The co-op had appointed new members, as equals on the same wage. It was clear that equality of opportunity and working conditions couldn't make up for a lack of equality of experience. Missing out on starting the co-op on low wages, low takings and learning the self-discipline needed to be effective in a non-hierarchical workplace was a loss to the co-op. It created conflict and over-reliance on me.
Despite struggling with this I had no intention of leaving until one day I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders sitting in a meeting. Within the week I was off sick with work related stress. I chose to walk away.
I left my work which was my passion, but I also had to give up the lovely flat above the shop that I lived in. I was heartbroken. I knew that if I ran my own business it wasn't going to be a co-op. Sage closed eighteen months after I left, and I had the chance to start again.
When I set about starting a new wholefood shop in Moseley, I wanted it to reflect everything important to me.
I wanted a wholefood shop that not only sold organic food, to make a difference for the environment and for health;
fair trade food, to make a difference for the farmers and farm workers and their families in developing parts of the world;
special diet food, to make a difference for people who needed gluten free food or no added sugar food;
vegetarian and vegan food to make a difference for those who chose to abstain from eating meat and/or dairy products to make a difference to their health, the environment and the lives of the animals we share this planet with;
body-care products free of toxic chemicals and not tested on animals to make a difference to our health and contributing to building a humane society that does not need to test its cosmetics or medicines on animals;
household cleaning products that make a difference to our environment by not poisoning it;
nutritional supplements and alternative remedies that make a difference for people who choose to take their health into their own hands and no longer have confidence in a conventional healthcare system set up for profit and shareholder dividends,
but also to make a difference for my employees by providing meaningful and fulfilling employment for people who value the difference we make in a workplace that values its employees and their contribution;
to make a difference to Moseley by occupying a shop unit with a bespoke, independent shop to draw people in from all over the region
to make a difference to me, to live a life I could not have hoped to live when I left school.
I named the shop Indigo Wholefoods. A reference to indigo children and the bluey-purple colour that appears in their aura and can be seen with kirlian photography. Indigo children are intensely sensitive beings, capable of great creative endeavour, but susceptible, due to their sensitivity, to conditions such as ADD, ADHD, Autism, Asbergers Syndrome, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia amongst other conditions. Indigo children are very sensitive to chemicals, food additives and preservatives and many parents of Indigo's have found that an organic diet makes a difference for them. My spirit guides tell me that I am Indigo.
"A lot of growing up is about learning to hide how you are feeling so you can protect yourself, and then a lot about being really grown up is unpicking all those defensive measures and working out who you actually want to be." Says Cathy Rentzenbrink, in her book, A Manual for heartache.
As I look back over my life, seeing how it all led to Indigo, discovering the root cause of the ethics and principles I hold was a deep and pervading sense of injustice. I realised that having opened Indigo, I hid behind it and allowed it to speak for me.
A business built on ethics and principles that does not promote and provide education on those ethics and principles is merely selling product for profit. Making money does not get me up in the morning. It's a chore. Making a difference gets me up in the morning. Indigo must make money. Without it Indigo would not exist and that would be a tragedy. But Indigo makes money because it makes a difference and the money it makes can drive more difference making.
The Indigo Foundation is the product of this realisation. A vehicle to deliver education, personal and spiritual development, campaigning, lobbying, healing and empowering each individual personal experience.
I intend The Indigo Foundation to be a global education space to explore the ethics and principles I have discussed in the Indigo Origin Story. Indigo Wholefoods and The Indigo Foundation will work hand in hand. They will not be separate entities, but two faces of the same entity. Working together to deliver the difference I always wanted to make.
Tags: Foundation, Origin, Spiritual


text:
Q: Estimating the parameter of a geometric distribution from a single sample I was surprised not to find anything about this with Google.
Consider a geometric distribution with $\text{Pr}[X=k]=(1-p)^{k-1}p$, so the mean is $\sum_{k=1}^\infty k\,\text{Pr}[X=k]=\frac{1}{p}$.
Now assume we observe a single outcome (number of trials until success, including the success) $n$. What is our estimate of $p$? The "natural" estimate (whatever that means) seems to be $\frac{1}{n}$. However, this is a biased estimate of $p$. Indeed, we have $\sum_{k=1}^\infty \frac{1}{k}\text{Pr}[X=k]=\frac{p}{1-p}\log\frac{1}{p}$.
Can we find an unbiased estimate of $p$ from $n$? What is the MSE estimate of $p$?
Many thanks.

A: By definition, an estimator is a function $t$ mapping the possible outcomes $\mathbb{N}^{+} = \{1,2,3,\ldots\}$ to the reals. If this is to be unbiased, then--writing $q=1-p$--the expectation must equal $1-q$ for all $q$ in the interval $[0,1]$.  Applying the definition of expectation to the formula for the probabilities of a geometric distribution gives
$$1-q = \mathbb{E}(t(X)) = \sum_{k=1}^\infty t(k) \Pr(X) = (1-q)\sum_{k=1}^\infty t(k) q^{k-1}.$$
For $q\ne 1$ we may divide both sides by $1-q$, revealing that $t(k)$ are the coefficients of a convergent power series representation of the function $1$ in the interval $[0,1)$.  Two such power series can be equal in that interval if and only if they agree term by term, whence
$$t(k) = \begin{cases}
 1 & k=1 \\
 0 & k \gt 1
\end{cases}$$
is the unique unbiased estimator of $p$.

A: UPDATE. Re-writing my previous sloppy answer.
There is no unbiased estimator for $p$, here is the proof.
The estimator $p=\frac{1}{k}$ is biased, but it's best you can get in the sense of MLE or method of moments.  Here's  the derivation in Math SE.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Glacier and Iceberg Facts
Here are a few quick facts about glaciers and icebergs. Icebergs are included simply because they come from glaciers.
Extent of glaciation
In the modern world about 10% of land area (roughly 15,000,000 square kilometres) is covered by glaciers, but during the last Ice Age glaciers covered about 32% of the total land area.
99% of modern glacial ice is located in the Arctic and Antarctic.
In some parts of the Antarctic, the ice has been measured as being over 4,200 meters thick.
The Antarctic ice sheet has been in existence for at least 40 million years.
Glaciers store between 70% and 80% of all the freshwater in the world.
The land underneath parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may be up to 2.5 kilometres below sea level. The weight of the ice pushes the land surface down in a process called isostatic adjustment. The south of the United Kingdom has been slowly rising since the last ice age , due to the weight of all that ice being removed when it melted!
North American Glacier Facts
In the United States, glaciers cover over 75,000 square kilometres, with most of the glaciers located in Alaska .There are nearly 100,000 glaciers in Alaska, and most of them don't have names. North America's longest glacier does have a name. It's the Bering Glacier in Alaska, and it is 204 kilometres long.
Washington and Alaska are the only two states in the United States which get a significant percentage of their water supplies from glacial sources. In Washington State, glacial melt water provides 1.7 trillion litres (470 billion gallons) of water every summer.
In total Alaska's glaciers empty over 50,000 billion gallons of water into streams and rivers every summer . That's half of all the water that flows into the worlds oceans!
Nearly all the glaciers in Alaska seem to be are melting. The thinning rates (the speed at which they melt) in the last 5 years have been calculated at over twice those seen in previous years.
Life on Glaciers.
Lemmings, small rodents that look like voles, may also be found on the glacial ice though they much prefer the rock and soil on either side of them. They don't actually live on the glacier. The popular belief about lemmings leaping off cliffs isn't true either. They may be small, but they aren't that stupid. The whole idea came from a very carefully designed Disney film.
Other life on glaciers includes small insects blown there by the wind, some algae that survive on the crushed rock within the ice, and assorted bacteria.
Glacial Retreat and Advance
Tropical glaciers in Africa have decreased in area by 60 to 70% on average since the early 1900s.
The vast majority of all Himalayan glaciers have been retreating and thinning over the past thirty years, with accelerated losses over the last decade. Countries such as India rely on glacial melt water for much of their fresh water supplies. If glacial melt waters dry up, such countries will have to rely on just the monsoon rains - a very unreliable source of water.
Arctic glaciers have all been receding (retreating), apart from in Scandinavia and Iceland where more precipitation has resulted in glacier growth. Large sections of the Greenland ice sheet (12% of the world's ice)appear to be sliding towards the sea.
If all the land ice melted, worldwide sea levels would rise by approximately 70 meters - that's partly why scientists are so worried about global warming.
From the 17th century to the late 19th century, the world experienced a "Little Ice Age," when temperatures were consistently cool enough for significant glacier advances.It is thought that this Little Ice Age is what prevented the Vikings from really exploring North America...the bad weather in Greenland made farming impossible and eventually led to the death of the settlers there. It is believed that the Greenland settlements were the bases from which the Vikings made their voyages to North America.
The Kutiah Glacier in Pakistan holds the record for the fastest glacial surge ever recorded. In 1953, it advanced more than 12 kilometres in three months, averaging about 112 meters per day. That's just under half a meter in the time it takes to read this page!
Where do icebergs come from?
Most of the icebergs found in the North Atlantic come from about 100 glaciers along the Greenland coast. A few others can be traced back to glaciers in the Eastern Canadian Arctic Islands. The glaciers of western Greenland, where 90% of Newfoundland's icebergs originate, are amongst the fastest moving in the world, up to 7 km per year. As the ice advances into the sea, it breaks off because it is no longer supported from below.
Do we know many icebergs are there at any one time?
Approximately 40,000 medium to large sized icebergs calve annually in Greenland and about 1 to 2% (400-800) of those make it as far south as 48 degrees north latitude (St. John's). The numbers vary greatly from year to year and seasonally. Spring and early summer are the best times for icebergs. Icebergs that drift into shipping areas are closely monitored from ships and from satellites. Nobody wants another Titanic disaster!
How old are icebergs?
Icebergs usually take about a year between being calved from a glacier and reaching Newfoundland. They usually hang around in cold arctic bays melting slowly (or not at all in winter) for about a year, then eventually move through the Davis Strait and into the Labrador current. Once they pass the Davis Straight they usually have about one year left before they melt. The further south they drift, the quicker they melt. The glacial ice that actually forms the icebergs though may be more that 15,000 years old.
How much does an iceberg weigh?
It all depends on how big they are! The larger ones can weigh more than 10 million tonnes. Icebergs are classified according to size, and are named as follows...
Very large, large, medium and small bergs. Icebergs smaller than 'small bergs' have interesting names. After small bergs there are " bergy bits" and finally "growlers". Growlers are about the size of a small car.
If you really want an average value, the average iceberg weight for the Grand Banks area is one to two hundred thousand tonnes.
How cold are icebergs?
Inside the iceberg the temperature is about -15 to -20 degrees C. The surface temperature is determined by the temperature around the berg.
How big was the largest iceberg ever recorded?
The largest Northern Hemisphere iceberg on record was discovered near Baffin Island in 1882. It was 13 km long, 6 km wide and its height above water was about 20 m. To put that into context, if you melted a berg that big, you'd have enough water for each person in the world to drink two litres a day for 2 years!
In Antarctica the bergs can be even bigger. In 1987 an iceberg with an area of 6350 square kilometres broke from the Ross ice shelf. That berg had a mass of around 1.4 trillion tonnes and could have supplied everyone in the world with 2 litres of water per day for almost 330 years!
Why does glacial ice look blue, but snow looks white?
Glacial ice only looks blue when it has become very dense. Years of compression slowly increase the density of the ice, from loose and fluffy snow to extremely dense ice. As it is compressed, the air trapped between the original snow flakes is forced out. When glacier ice becomes extremely dense, the properties of the ice change. It now absorbs all the colours in the spectrum except blue, which it reflects. This is why it looks blue.From this, you have probably worked out that it's the trapped air in snow that makes it reflect almost all the spectrum and appear white. So, white ice is new ice, blue ice is old ice.
Weird Iceberg Facts
Antarctic ice shelves may calve icebergs that are over 80 kilometres long. If that was a flat road, it would take you about 17 hours to walk from one end to the other
Almost 90% of an iceberg is below water--only about 10% shows above water.
There has been at least one recorded murder on an iceberg.
In the 6th century an Irish monk recorded that he "passed by towering crystals that rose up to the sky" when he wrote an account called "Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot". During his voyage, he recorded that his boat " was raised up on the back of a sea monster, passed colossal crystals that rose from the sea and had blazing rocks thrown at it by the natives of a large island." Historians think he was referring to whales, icebergs and Iceland's volcanoes. It is possible that Saint Brendan discovered America almost a millennium before Christopher Columbus got there.
During the second world war there was a top secret plan (called Habbakuk) to use icebergs as aircraft carriers.
In June 1875 the schooner "Caledonia" sank off Newfoundland, but the crew of 82 all managed to climb to safety on an iceberg. They were all rescued.
The word "iceberg" probably comes from "ijsberg", which means "ice hill".
Melting iceberg ice makes a fizzing or pinging sound. This is caused by the popping of tiny compressed air bubbles in the ice. The air that escapes is, of course, as old as the ice. It may have been trapped there for 15,000 years or more!
Icebergs may also make sudden very loud booming and cracking sounds without any sign of movement or calving. The sounds are caused by stress cracks forming in the ice. It's a very scary experience when you are close to the berg and it starts making noises!
In Newfoundland iceberg ice is now a commercial product. Ice is collected and sold as bottled water and used in the production of vodka.
Growlers, or small iceberg pieces, really do make a growling noise when they bob up and down into the water.
We value your ideas and suggestions. Please contact the maintainer of this site.
This site can be found at:http://www.geography-site.co.uk
© Geography Site

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Robosigning victims soon to get cash payments from lenders
A foreclosure sale sign sits in front of a house in Miami Beach, Florida in this file photo taken February 27, 2009.CARLOS BARRIA / Reuters file
Feb. 28, 2013, 8:40 PM UTC
By John W. Schoen
Mortgage lenders will begin making cash payments to homeowners harmed by wrongful foreclosures of anywhere between a few hundred dollars to as much has $125,000 beginning in April, federal bank regulators said Thursday.
The payments were part of a deal struck with 10 banks that abruptly ended a comprehensive review of some 4.2 million mortgages after widespread mistakes were found in documents used to foreclose millions of American homes following the housing bust.
But critics of the settlement, first announced in January, say it doesn't adequately compensate those who lost homes for the harm they suffered.
The review was designed to determine which homeowners were harmed by "robosigning" and other shoddy document practices that resulted in wrongful foreclosures and then compensate those borrowers for their losses. But after more than 18 months and $1.5 billion in fees to independent consultants, only about 104,000 loan reviews had been completed, regulators said Thursday
"It just doesn't make sense for these (mortgage) servicers to continue funneling money to consultants that could be better used to help distressed borrowers who have lost their homes," said Thomas Curry, Comptroller of the of the Currency, in a speech earlier this month. "The cost of concluding these reviews would far exceed the harm that would be found."
The lenders are Aurora Bank, Bank of America, Citibank, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, MetLife Bank, PNC, Sovereign Bank, U.S. Bank National Association and Wells Fargo Bank. Three other mortgage lenders, GMAC Mortgage, Everbank and OneWest, didn't sign the deal and will continue their own mortgage reviews.
The banks who agreed to the settlement will pay a total of $3.7 billion to a fund compensating borrowers who were harmed. They've been ordered to review eligible loans and divide them into 11 categories depending on the severity of harm borrowers suffered. Regulators have not yet determined how many borrowers fall into each category
The list ranges from relatively minor clerical mistakes all the way to homes that were improperly seized even though the borrower was not in default. The maximum payout will be $125,000. The average payment represents about $850 per eligible loan.
Critics of the review process argue that the amount paid by the banks is inadequate, and that the settlement amount was based on flawed accounting of harm done to borrowers.
"If the review is being done on the basis of the (mortgage) servicer files, and the servicer files are a mess, how can you make a finding that's accurate?" said Alys Cohen, a consumer attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.
But OCC officials say they had enough information to conclude that the error rate on document processing was about 6.5 percent. Since January, a further review of the data collected indicates the error rate was even lower, Deputy Comptroller Morris Morgan said on a conference call with reporters.
Consumer advocates and several members of Congress are pressing the OCC to disclose the results of the loan reviews that were competed. Earlier this month, Rep Maxine Waters, D-Calif., wrote to Curry requesting a final accounting of the final payments made to homeowners under the settlement.
"Without this information, the public will have no means by which to determine whether relief was provided in a manner that appropriately reflects the overall impact of foreclosures on certain communities and demographic groups," she said.
The settlement is also intended to prod banks to modify more loans and stop foreclosures in progress. They've agreed to pay another $5.7 billion in so-called "soft dollars" that will be used to write down loan balances and approve short sales, in which the banks approves the sale of a house for less than the balance of the mortgage.
Under formulas similar to those worked out in a separate National Mortgage Settlement with the Department of Justice and state attorneys general, banks will receive a series of credits for various types of mortgage relief. Joseph Smith, the independent monitor appointed to oversee that settlement, recently reported that lenders had earned the bulk of those credits by approving short sales and writing down second mortgages.
Housing advocates note that, unlike relief extended to first mortgages, those measures don't directly help keep families in their homes.
Though the pace of new foreclosures has fallen since the depths of the housing crisis, the volume of so-called "distressed" sales continues to weigh on housing prices. Foreclosure-related sales made up 21 percent of all U.S. home sales last year, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac. Short sales made up another 22 percent, meaning two in five transfers involved distressed sales.
OCC officials say their settlement terms are also designed to prevent future foreclosures. Consumer advocates and housing counselors say it's not yet clear whether the measures in place go far enough.
That concern was echoed in Smith's latest report.
"I believe we have made progress, particularly as it relates to consumer relief," he said. "But I know from my regular conversations with advocates across the nation that the banks and I have much more work to do on behalf of borrowers."
John W. Schoen


text:
package questions;

import game.MonsterMapGameException;
import game.MonsterMapGameMap;
import game.MonsterMapGameNodeContent;
import game.MonsterMapGamePath;
import graph.DirectedNetwork;
import graph.GraphException;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.util.List;

public class Utility {

    public static void printPath(DirectedNetwork network, MonsterMapGamePath path) {
        System.out.println("-----------------------------------------------------------");
        System.out.println(
                String.format("Path encounter details: monsters: %d, treasures: %s",
                        path.getMonsterCount(), path.getTreasureCount()));
        System.out.println("-----------------------------------------------------------");
        String prefix = "";
        for (Integer node : path.getPath()) {
            System.out.print(prefix);
            System.out.print(String.format("[%d: %s]", node, network.getNodeContent(node).toString()));
            prefix = " => ";
        }
        System.out.println();
        System.out.println("-----------------------<<>>--------------------------------");
        System.out.println();
    }

    public static void close(Object stream) {
        if(stream instanceof InputStream) {
            try {
                ((InputStream) stream).close();
            }
            catch(IOException e) {
                System.err.println("Failed to close input stream");
                e.printStackTrace(System.err);
            }
        }
        else if(stream instanceof OutputStream) {
            try {
                ((OutputStream) stream).close();
            }
            catch(IOException e) {
                System.err.println("Failed to close output stream");
                e.printStackTrace(System.err);
            }
        }
        else if(stream == null) {
            System.err.println("Could not close null instance");
        }
        else {
            System.err.println(String.format("Could not close instance of %s", stream.getClass().getName()));
        }
    }

    public static MonsterMapGameMap createExampleMap()
    throws MonsterMapGameException {
        try {
            MonsterMapGameMap graph = new MonsterMapGameMap();
            MonsterMapGameMap.NodeReference origin = graph.entrance();
            origin = origin
                    .left(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Monster)
                    .left(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Monster)
                    .left(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Treasure)
                    .getPrevious(2);
            origin = origin
                    .down(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Nothing)
                    .down(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Treasure)
                    .getPrevious(3);
            origin = origin
                    .right(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Nothing)
                    .right(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Monster)
                    .right(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Treasure)
                    .getPrevious();
            origin = origin
                    .up(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Treasure)
                    .getPrevious(2);
            origin = origin
                    .down(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Monster)
                    .down(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Nothing)
                    .down(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Monster)
                    .getPrevious();
            origin
                    .right(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Treasure)
                    .right(MonsterMapGameNodeContent.Exit);
            return graph;
        }
        catch(GraphException e) {
            throw new MonsterMapGameException("Failed to initialize example map", e);
        }
    }

    public static void printMap(DirectedNetwork<?> network) {
        for(int i = 0; i < network.getOrder(); i++) {
            System.out.print(i + ": ");
            String prefix = "";
            for(Integer n : network.getReachableNodes(i)) {
                System.out.print(prefix);
                System.out.print(n);
                prefix = ", ";
            }
            System.out.println();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Little Pedlars provides education for girls and boys from 3 to 5 years old.
The children have their own well resourced classroom with its own computer, role play area, equipment for sand and water, and an outside play area.
They have access to the Activity Room as well as all the facilities of the whole school such as the Sports Hall, the Gym, the Swimming Pool, Playing Field, Library, Cookery and Pottery rooms. Little Pedlars is very much part of the whole school and joins in with Christmas and summer concerts, sports days and other events.
Please feel free to take a look at our full Little Pedlars Education and Supervision Schedule Policies.


text:
Q: Object has no method 'live' - jQuery
Delete

Gives me an error:

Uncaught TypeError: Object [object Object] has no method 'live'

I just don't see the problem?

A: If you are using jQuery 1.7+ use on(...) instead of live(...).
Check this: http://api.jquery.com/on/

A: There is one scenario when neither .on(), nor .bind() won't work: when the element does not exist when the event handler is being added. And this was what live() did.

A: See on http://api.jquery.com/live/
old
$("a.offsite").live("click", function(){ alert("Goodbye!"); });                // jQuery 1.3+
$(document).delegate("a.offsite", "click", function(){ alert("Goodbye!"); });  // jQuery 1.4.3+

new
$(document).on("click", "a.offsite", function(){ alert("Goodbye!"); });        // jQuery 1.7+

A: *

*If the call to .live() is inside your own code, just change it to .on() using the rules shown at http://api.jquery.com/live.

*If the code is in a third-party jQuery plugin, use the jQuery Migrate plugin to restore .live() until the author updates their plugin: https://github.com/jquery/jquery-migrate#readme.

*In production sites, do not use URLs that reference the "latest" version of jQuery such as http://code.jquery.com/jquery-latest.js or http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1/jquery.min.js since they will automatically update when a new version of jQuery is released and your site will suddenly break if it is not compatible.

A: .live() is a deprecated function (from 1.7+) and removed completely from jQuery 1.9+.
You can instead use .on() or .bind() methods:
http://api.jquery.com/on/
http://api.jquery.com/bind/

A: use .on

A: There is a jQuery migrate plugin (use that) ....... it will resolve the issue
ASP.NET MVC ajax-unobtrusive + jQuery 1.9
http://bugs.jquery.com/ticket/13220


Chiba Tokushukai Hospital has established Clinical Research Department in April 2014 for the purpose to drive medical research by itself. It has certified as Research organization in February 2015 by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. This is the second facility followed by Sapporo Higashi Tokushukai Hospital. To cure currently difficult-to-treat disease at next generation, we are requested to make effort in keep contributing for medical advance. Chiba Tokushukai Hospital outputs information which contribute for next generation medicine to the world through academic research only private hospital can do.
Let me know a background of the establishment of Clinical Research Department.
Chiba Tokushukai Hospital put an effort in corporate initiative clinical trial (clinical test conducted to get an authorization of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Law), and has been taken up its support with Clinical Trial Center. Also, we at Genome Group have contributed greatly to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology initiative next generation genome research "Realized Program for Order-made Medical Care". On the contrary, because there is no department to conduct academical support, doctor, as individual, has nothing else but to work out the research.But recently, a mandatory thesis defense, as the certification criteria of Supervisory Doctor or Attending Doctor, becomes popular in the Medical Convention, so that the necessity to support hospital staff member who sets one's face toward academic medicine. It is therefore, we at Chiba Tokushukai Hospital has established the Clinical Research Department in 2015 as an department where our staff member will conduct medical Research activity.
What is the characteristics of Chiba Tokushukai Hospital Clinical Research Department?
The characteristics of our Clinical Research Department is, in addition to the support for clinical trial or genome medical care project, to make full support, from planning stage to defense stage for the hospital staff's academic research activity. These activity includes planning and implementation of medical Research, of course, but data analysis and/or a presentation at Academy or thesis writing also included.
For example, as for the data analysis, we support from basic statistical process, such as comparative verification, univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, to cording needed Bioinformatics. Furthermore, under the authorization of the Ethical Committee if necessary, we have organized to respond, as cooperative research, to gene analysis such as base arrangement decoding and mutation search, genome comparison, function analysis at molecule level.
In addition, as for thesis writing, we support strongly the submission of English written thesis to overseas academic magazine. The exclusive staff in our Research Department will revise in-depth contents of the writing, without limiting to simple Japanese-to-English translation, and write up a convinced thesis for overseas first class medical researcher. In 2 years form establishment of Research Department, we have released seven Research Theses on overseas specialty academic magazine (Research Thesis supervised by our department staff: 3, Cooperative Research Thesis:4, case reports are excluded).
What activity does clinical Research Department work on?
The first objective is to send out high level medicine research outcome from Tokushukai Medical Group. To do that, we wish to cement our economic background firm with attaining competitive research funds from outside organization. Also, we will proactively support, as hospital objective, doctors and nurses, and medicine research as the tool for co-medical's career up.
Variety of medication, check-up, operative procedure, nursing method are used in hospital, but no one among us invent nor develop them. These knowledge or skills are all hardly built-up by forerunners. We have just studied these at school, and just learnt at field site. We, just utilizing forerunner's built-up "current medicine", are obligated to build-up "Future Medicine" for the next generation. The long-term objective of our hospital is to steadily pile up clinical research outcomes then contribute for future medicine.


text:
Original Equipment Parts Manuals are available From Roe Racing USA. Click on the links below to view the parts books for 1992 to 2008 Vipers and 2004 to 2006 Rams (SRT-10 engine code EWC) in Adobe PDF format. Scan through and search for individual parts you may need. Our staff is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, Eastern Standard Time. Contact us by email with questions or your specific parts numbers.
We'll provide you our best price and availability in addition to answering any questions you may have.
Original Equipment Parts Manual Links:
1992-96 Vipers
1997 Vipers
2004 Rams
Our telephone hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, Eastern Standard Time. Assistance is also available by emailing us through our contact form which can be found below.


The excursion to Monywa is carefully designed for anyone seeking an extra sightseeing activities in Mandalay. You visit the impressive Thanboddhay Pagoda delicately decorated with over 500,000 Buddha images and Po Win Daung containing 947 sandstone caves dug out of the hills.
The trip begins as we depart the town and drive through the scenic countryside to Moniwa, a tranquil town by the Chindwin River. On the way, we visit the impressive Thanboddhay Pagoda. The wall and archway of this structure are delicately decorated with over 500,000 Buddha images. Another enjoyable stop is Bodihtataung Pagoda which houses the largest reclining Buddha in Myanmar. On arrival , we visit some outlaying sights of the town, including the lacquer ware village of Kyaukka and the Shweguni Pagoda which is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in upper Myanmar. O/N in Monywa.
- THE EXCURSION TO MONYWA IS NO AVAILABLE IN FIRST DAYS OF THE TRADITIONAL NEW YEARS BECAUSE MANY TOURIST SITES MAY BE CLOSE ON THESE DATES. THIS EXCURSION STARS AT 8H00 OR ON REQUEST.
- MYANMAR IS A DEVELOPPING COUNTRY WHOSE INFRASTRUCTURE MAY DIFFER FROM WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR HOME LAND. THE ROAD CONDITIONS ARE POOR AND THE ACCOMMODATION MAY BE BASIC IN REMOTE AREAS.


Use a secure shipping method to send the item so that it can be tracked such as certified mail through the United States Postal Service.
*We are not responsible for items lost during shipping, and cannot process your return until the item is received.
Contact customer care by calling 877-367-0202 or e-mail cs@matrixmedical.us to request a Return Authorization Number (RA). Items received without an RA will not be credited.
Please call us at 877-367-0202 or e-mail us at cs@matrixmedical.us with any questions regarding our return policy.


BRRI or Bangladesh Rice Research Institute is an agricultural research institute in Bangladesh, located in Gazipur.
Bangladesh Rice Research institute is one of the demand driven research centers of Bangladesh. It was established in 1 October 1970 named East Pakistan Rice Research Institute (EPRRI) at Gazipur and renamed as Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) after the independence of Bangladesh. The mission of the institute is the development and dissemination of high yielding rice varieties along with appropriate rice production technologies to the farmers' level so that food security is ensured, which has led to the vision to development of rice varieties and associated technologies suited to favorable and unfavorable environments and to produce breeder seed which eventually, produce more rice ensuring desired quality at lower cost. Its research planning is done in such a way that biodiversity is conserved, insect-pests and diseases are skillfully managed as well as water and land resources are best used for the present and future generation. Moreover, it aims to improve institutional capacity for advance research to develop new innovations for the reduction of poverty and hunger in Bangladesh.
The Director General (DG) is the head of the organisation. In addition to the headquarters and central station at Joydebpur, the institute is supported by nine regional stations at Barisal, Bhanga, Satkhira, Kushtia, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Habiganj, Comilla and Sonagazi. There are 19 research divisions to take care of different disciplines: Plant Breeding, Hybrid Rice,Genetic Resources and Seed, Biotechnology, Grain Quality and Nutrition, Agronomy, Soil Science, Irrigation and Water Management, Plant Physiology, Entomology, Plant Pathology, Rice Farming Systems, Agricultural Statistics, Agricultural Economics, Farm Management, Farm Machinery and Post Harvest Technology, Workshop Machinery and Maintenance, and Adaptive Research and Training. Research activities are operated under seven programme areas which include varietal development, crop-soil-water management, pest management, rice-based farming systems, farm mechanization, socioeconomics and policy, and technology transfer. The overall management of the institute is vested on a 13-member Board of Management chaired by the Director General. The DG is assisted by two directors, one is for research and the other for administration and finance.
The major achievements of BRRI has been the development of 72 high yielding modern variety (MV) along with four hybrid rice variety strains adaptable to different ecosystems since its establishment. Thirteen of these MV rices are suitable for cultivation in both the Boro and Aush seasons, seven in the Boro season and five in the Aus season, and twelve in the transplanted Aman (T Aman) season. With appropriate management, and under favourable soil conditions, these MV rices may yield 5–6 m tons/ha in the Boro, 3–4 m tons/ha in the Aus, and 4–5 m tons/ha in the T Aman seasons.
The institute has been fairly successful in achieving its mission and vision of providing more rice for the nation over the last four decades. It has become the centre of excellence for developing improved rice varieties and relevant technologies to boost up rice production and self reliance of food.This has been possible through developing modern high yielding varieties having 2-3 times more yield potential than the traditional varieties along with more than one hundred associated technologies for rice production. The innovations are not limited within Bangladesh; some of the BRRI developed varieties are also being extensively cultivated in some other countries of the world such as India, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, Burundi, Bhutan, Iraq, China, Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Benin.
During the last four decades, rice production has more than tripled synchronizing with the increase of population. In 1970, population of our country was 71.21 million that has increased to about 160 million over four decades and clean rice production has increased up to three and half times. In 1970, total rice was 10.31 million ha area and clean rice production at that time was about 10 million ton (MT). In 2012-13, total rice area in three seasons reached to about 12 million ha, mainly due to increased cropping intensity, and clean rice production increased to about 35 MT. At present, BRRI varieties cover more than 80% of rice area and account for about 91% of the total annual rice production of the country.
Climate change in Bangladesh is an extremely crucial issue and according to National Geographic, Bangladesh ranks first as the nation most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in the coming decades. With a larger population facing losses in arable lands, climate change poses new threat to the people of Bangladesh.To concentrate on these problems, BRRI has given successful efforts to develop modern varieties for stress prone ecosystem like salinity, submergence, cold and drought. They have developed cold tolerant BRRI dhan36, salinity tolerant BRRI dhan47, submergence tolerant BRRI dhan51 and BRRI dhan52 varieties. Recently plant breeders have developed and released two varieties viz. BRRI dhan56 and BRRI dhan57 which are suitable for drought-prone areas of Bangladesh. These improved varieties are showing substantial, positive impacts in the lives of poor farmers.
Zinc, iron and vitamin-A are the three most vital micronutrients, deficiency of which hampers children's natural growth and decrease their disease prevention capability. In Bangladesh, over 40 percent children under five are stunted while an estimated 44 percent children of the same age group are at risk of zinc deficiency. BRRI has released the world's first zinc-enriched rice variety BRRI dhan62, capable of fighting diarrhoea and pneumonia-induced childhood deaths and stunting. Moreover, Bangladesh also contributed from the forefront in shaping up the still under-trial world's first vitamin A enriched rice, popularly known as Golden Rice. Research is being done both at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and at BRRI for developing Golden Rice, which is expected to fight against vitamin A deficiency in expectant mothers and children through the most-consumed food item. The deficiency causes blindness and child death in acute cases. The country's most productive rice variety -- BRRI dhan 29 – has been fortified with beta carotene genes from corn which is being tested in Bangladesh.
MV rices of BRRI presently cover 90% of the Boro (winter rice), 25-30% of the Aus (summer rice), and 50-55% of the T Aman (wet season rice) areas of Bangladesh. These varieties together cover 56% of the total rice area and account for about 74% of the total annual rice production of the country. BRRI MV rices and modern rice production technologies played the key role in boosting annual rice production in Bangladesh from 9.93 million m tons of clean rice in 1972-73 to nearly 34 million m tons of clean rice at present.
BRRI cereal chemists regularly evaluate rice grain quality in terms of taste, cooking quality, milling outturn, aroma, protein and amylase contents etc., helping plant breeders develop varieties with desirable grain quality. About 8000 germplasms, of which nearly 5,000 are local have been collected and preserved by BRRI plant breeders. Recently, sufficient, thrust has been given on hybrid rice development and production technology.
40x40px Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.
Streaming online video about a project of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and the International Rice Research Institute to reduce insecticide use in rice: Windows Media Player or RealPlayer.


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Blue Mahoe Partners
"Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming"
Selective with our investments and focused on the long-term best describes our approach. We focus on building deep relationships where we add value, not just capital. We are not looking for quick exits and invest with a minimum 7-year horizon.
Management teams that understand that Rome was not built in a day and that managing cash flow is the most critical function in a business are our friends. We focus on growing companies sustainably and assuming that it will never raise venture capital so planning for profitability is paramount.
"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently"
Entrepreneurs and management are our partners so we do not try to get a leg up on them when negotiating deal terms. We are transparent and honest in how we conduct our business. A good deal is one where no party feels that they were tricked or gave up too much to get a deal done. Under-promise and over-deliver but be honest about failures and the lessons gained.
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change"
Most people misunderstand what "survival of the fittest" means. The world requires you to innovate or die and this applies to business as well. We only invest in companies that have innovation built into their DNA. Be willing to kill your sacred cow before a competitor does, constantly iterate and test, then apply the lessons.
Many strong companies have failed and even the smartest people lose money. The survivors are the ones that know that they must pivot and then try to figure out how to do so.
"I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perserverance"
John D. Rockefeller
Our experience as entrepreneurs and investors gives us a high tolerance for failure and an appreciation for risk. We take the long-term view and know that it is wiser to bet on the jockey than the horse so the people we invest in are more important than any one idea they are pursuing at that time.
Seasoned entrepreneurs know that failure is inevitable at some stage and it is the lessons that increase your chances of success with each next move. Failure has not stopped us, only reduced the risk going forward.
Copyright Blue Mahoe Partners, Inc. © 2019


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Black Lab Partners - Incubators of premium beverage brands.
Builders of long term businesses and brands, BLP develop premium beverage brands from ideation to become national and international players.
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Vale House Catering - Peerless party & wedding caterers.
Run by the inimitable Mandy Browse, Vale House is simply the best caterer in the Cotswolds. Full stop. Weddings, private parties, fine-dining supper clubs. Add to that outstanding attention to detail and virtuosic professionalism mixed with Mandy's warmth and true passion for what she does and, well, you'll know where to go.
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It was more than a pleasure to work with the proprietor of home-from-home Vale House B&B in the idyllic South Cotswolds village of Chalford.
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This client asked me to rewrite her site's content. It was fascinating to discover more about her practice as we worked together closely to refresh her online story.
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Ryder System's stock plummeted almost 10% following a trading update that confirmed challenging earnings trends witnessed for over a year, and its $4bn market value has essentially remained unchanged for a year.
Full year comparable non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations fell 16% to $4.53. The US-based supply chain solutions and vehicle leasing provider had to cope with diminished earnings power, although it generated record full year revenues, up 8% to $7.3bn. The group said that its turnover on a non-GAAP basis was up 4% to $6bn.
Its core Fleet Management Solutions (FMS) unit – with total revenues up 4% and 8% to $4.7bn and $1.24bn in 2017 and Q4, respectively – benefited from stronger than expected rental demand, but results were negatively impacted by used vehicle sales, additional accelerated depreciation, and higher insurance costs related to prior years' claims.
"Used vehicle sales results were below expectations, primarily due to pricing," it said, adding that given the near-term outlook on pricing "the company also recognized additional accelerated depreciation in the fourth quarter and extended accelerated depreciation through mid-2019", while effectively reducing used inventory to the bottom of its target range.
Its two smaller units – dedicated transportation solutions (DTS) and supply chain solutions (SCS), saw revenues rise 7% and 20%, respectively, to almost $1.1bn and $2bn – did little to boost profits, with comparable earnings from continuing operations (non-GAAP) at group level falling 17% to $240.8m from $290.5m one year earlier.
Group capital expenditures came in at $1.94bn against $1.76bn in 2016, due to higher investments aimed at refreshing the rental fleet which was partially offset by lower lease spending due to greater use of redeployed vehicles to fulfil new lease contracts.
Meanwhile, proceeds, primarily from used vehicle sales, increased 2% to $429m from $421m. Net capital expenditures (including proceeds from the sale of assets) increased to $1.51bn in 2017, compared with $1.34bn in the previous year.
Operating cash flow stood at $1.55bn, down 3.1% from $1.6bn in 2016. Including proceeds from used vehicle sales, cash generated from continuing operations was $2.05bn, down from $2.1bn in the prior year. As a result, free cash flow stood at $190m, some $60m below guidance provided one year ago, and slightly lower than $194m in 2016.
Total debt was $5.41bn, pretty much at the same point in 2016 but debt-to-equity as of 31 December was 191% compared with 263%.
It noted that the adoption of Trump's tax reform reduced the company's debt-to-equity ratio by approximately 50 percentage points as of 31 December, adding that it is revising its target debt-to-equity ratio to 200%-250% from 250%-300%, reflecting the impact of the reform.
Its 2018 guidance for GAAP EPS is between $5.34 and $5.64 versus $14.87 for 2017, but comparable 2017 figures included a $10.75 one-time net benefit from the tax reform. 2018 comparable EPS on a non-GAAP basis is predicted at between $5.40 and $5.70 versus $4.53 in 2017.


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Q: executing block of code atomically How would you answer the following question?

A method of a java class contains a block of code that must be
  executed atomically. Explain, using appropriate pseudo-code, how you
  would ensure that this block of code is executed atomically

Would I achieve this by making the method ..
public final AtomicInteger x = new AtomicInteger(0);

then ensuring the get statement returned:
x.get()

and if I wanted to increment the value of x would I do this?
x.getAndIncrement();

A: The answer depends on your definition of "atomic"
I know of three valid definitions for atomic:

*

*Atomic as in synchronized: only one thread can be executing the code at one time;

*Atomic as in ACID: all of the action/block happens, or none of it does;

*Atomic as in uninterruptible: once the block starts, it can't be interrupted, even by task switching.

The first is probably what your professor meant, and it's pretty easy to accomplish (see below).
The second (atomic as in ACID) can be approximated.  See below.
The third simply cannot be guaranteed in Java - it doesn't provide access to the "critical sections" primitives required for uninterruptibility. Fortunately, the need for this is pretty much restricted to operating systems and device drivers.
Atomic as in synchronized
This is relatively straightforward: simply enclose your block of code in a synchronized block.  I've shown it as a discrete block below, but there are other options:
public void doSomethingQuasiAtomic() {
   synchronized (exampleLock) {
      // Your code block goes here.
      // Only one thread will ever be in this block at a time.
      ...
   }
}

Atomic as in ACID
There's no general-case solution for ACID atomicity, but it can be approximated, also using synchronized code.  In order to do this, each of the parts of the action must be safely reversible.
This is how I'd approach it:
For the sake of argument, assume there's a multipart action you need to do on an object we'll call exampleObj, that you have three actions to be performed which can be safely reversed, and that all access to example is synchronized on exampleLock.

    synchronized(exampleLock) {
        boolean actionOneDone=false;
        boolean actionTwoDone=false;
        boolean actionThreeDone=false;
        try {
            actionOneDone=doActionOne(exampleObj);    // or perhaps exampleObj.doActionOne();
            if(actionOneDone) actionTwoDone=doActionTwo(exampleObj);
            if(actionTwoDone) actionThreeDone=doActionThree(exampleObj);
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            // Whatever seems appropriate here.
        } finally {
            if (! (actionOneDone && actionTwoDone && actionThreeDone)) {
                /* At least one part failed.  Back out the completed actions in reverse order.
                 * Note that we never need to reverse action three since if it completed, so did the others.
                 */
                if (actionTwoDone) {
                   reverseActionTwo(exampleObj);    // or perhaps exampleObj.reverseActionTwo();
                }
                if (actionOneDone) {
                   reverseActionOne(exampleObj);
                }
            }
        }
    }

A: I believe that the expected answer was something like this:
public class A {
    public void foo() {
        // .. some code
        doSomething(); // the critical part
        // .. come code
    }

    public synchronized void doSomething() { // this is a synchronized method
        // the critical code
    }
}

The execution of doSomething() is not really atomic (Disclaimer: it's very different from atomicity), but the synchronized keyword ensures that only one thread can enter the execution of this method (on one instance of A). I think that is what they meant instead of atomicity.
Here is another question about atomicity in Java. You may find something useful in there.


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Novation IMPULSE 25 Ableton Live 25-Key MIDI USB Keyboard Controller
Novation IMPULSE 25 Ableton Live 25-Key MIDI USB Keyboard Controller. Condition: SLIGHTLY USED, TESTED TO BE IN PERFECT WORKING CONDITION, IN GREAT COSMETIC CONDITION, AND INCLUDES ORIGINAL BOX. Get More Creative Impulse is our ultra-responsive and expressive keyboard with loads of fully assignable controls. Designed for people who love to play keys, it's a pleasure to play and integrates seamlessly with Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools and other major music software. Our Most Expressive Keyboard We specifically designed the Impulse keyboard to let you create truly expressive performances.
Ultra-responsive with semi-weighted action and aftertouch, its full-size piano style keys adapt perfectly to any instrument you want to play, including organs, synths and pianos. While you're playing, our unique High Rate Scan (HRS) technology will scan the keyboard 10,000 times per second to capture every nuance of your performance.
Produce Better Music Mix and sculpt your sound using endless smooth-action knobs, low-profile 45mm faders, loads of buttons and a custom LCD screen. All controls work seamlessly with major music software and can be mapped to any parameter. Do More with Your Drum Pads Play drums in real time with pressure-sensitive pads for rolling beats, looping drum samples and designing arpeggios.
These pads also function as multicoloured clip launchers in Ableton Live, so you can tell whether clip is loaded (yellow), playing (green), or recording (red). Connect To Just About Anything Impulse is class-compliant and USB bus-powered, so you can simply plug it into Mac or Windows and get started straight away, without the need for a power supply. Impulse is gig-ready, too; 5 pin MIDI outputs allow you to connect to your favorite synth or module. Make Music Straight Out of the Box Ableton Live Lite comes in the box and integrates seamlessly with all the controls to provide. Clip launch (using Impulse's back-lit drum pads).
You'll also get an impressive library of free samples from Loopmasters, as well as our Bass Station software plug-in, which recreates the sound of the legendary analogue bass synthesizer. Impulse also gives you instant hands-on control of other major music software, including. Pro Tools: Mixer control (all channels), Transport control. Logic: Mixer control (all channels), Transport control, Plug-in instrument/effects control (instant control of Logic's own plug-ins and 3rd party VST/AU plug-ins).
Cubase: Mixer control (all channels), Transport control, Plug-in instrument/effects control. Reason/Record: Mixer control, Transport control, Instant control of rack devices Thor, Dr Octo Rex etc. Cakewalk/Sonar: Mixer control (all channels), Transport control, Plug-in VST instrument/effects control. Ultra-responsive, full-size, piano keyboard with semi-weighted action and aftertouch.
Our unique High Rate Scan (HRS) technology scans your keyboard 10,000 times per second to capture every nuance of your performance. Easily control all major music software, including Ableton Live, Logic and Pro Tools, with Automap for instant hands-on DAW, instrument and plug-in control.
Endless smooth-action knobs, low-profile faders, assignable buttons and LCD feedback display for directly shaping your sound. Do More with Your Drum Pads. Velocity-sensitive pads for rolling and looping beats, designing arpeggios and launching clips in Ableton Live. Solid and tough enough to handle the most demanding live situations. Fully class compliant and USB bus-powered, so you can plug in and play on Mac or Windows without a power supply or drivers.
Comes with Ableton Live Lite, Novation Bass Station VST and AU plug-in, and a huge collection royalty-free samples from Loopmasters. 25 note velocity sensitive piano style keyboard with assignable aftertouch. 8 multi-colour large backlit velocity sensitive drum pads. 8 endless encoders (infinite rotation). Pitch bend and modulation wheels. 2 octave / transpose buttons. 6 function buttons (4 with LED indicators).
3 control switch buttons with LEDs. Arpeggiator with tap tempo and roll. Sustain pedal 1/4 jack socket. Expression pedal 1/4 jack socket.
MIDI In and MIDI Out din sockets. Ableton Live Lite 9 is included - If you already have Ableton Live it must be version 8 or greater to work with Impulse.
We recommend that you update to the latest version as previous versions of Ableton Live do not include the Impulse integration. Impulse will also work as a standard MIDI controller.
Automap DAW and plug-in control software. Works with Logic, Pro Tools, Ableton, Cubase, Reason/Record, Sonar and more. Includes editable QWERTY support for hardware controls. A library of mappings for hundreds of plug-ins is available.
Automap works with VST and AU plug-ins, as well as RTAS and TDM plug-ins. Automap with Pro-Tools does not include AAX plugin control.
Impulse 25: 525mm (20.6") length x 332mm (13") depth x 100mm (3.94) height. Best prices - We sell all Novation Products at great prices.
Lifetime Customer Service by Novation product experts. Guaranteed legitimate and authentic merchandise. If your item is defective or you want to return it for any reason within the first 30 days of when it was delivered to you; you have the following options. We will send you a. To replace the item for a brand new one. All replacements and exchanges are free.
This item is in the category "Musical Instruments & Gear\Pro Audio Equipment\MIDI Keyboards & Controllers". The seller is "audiosavings" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, Korea, South, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Republic of, Malaysia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French Guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macau, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay, Russian Federation.
Brand: Novation
MPN: IMPULSE 25
Number of Keys: 25
Pedal Inputs: 1
Input/Output Ports: MIDI In & MIDI Out, USB and sustain pedal connections
Features: Rotary Encoders, Software Included
Type of Keys: Semi-Weighted
Model: IMPULSE 25
Interface: MIDI (DIN) In


text:
JERROD NIEMANN RETURNS FROM TRAVELING TO FOUR COUNTRIES IN SIX DAYS ON USO TOUR
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Tuesday, May 24, 2016) - On Sunday, May 22 country star Jerrod Niemann returned to the states from his first-ever USO Tour with the National Guard. Other celebrities that joined him on the six-day, four-country tour through Europe and the Middle East include actors Robert Patrick and Matthew Lillard, former NBA player Sam Perkins and Top 10 in the world UFC middleweight, Special Forces Sniper, Ranger qualified and Green Beret assigned to the SOD(A) Tim Kennedy. Led by the Chief of National Guard General Frank J. Grass, the tour visited five bases in Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Romania.
"I'm so grateful to have traveled overseas on the USO tour with four-star General Frank Grass, his amazing wife, his staff and the other entertainers that wanted to go visit our brave men and women defending our freedom," shared Niemann. "Playing music and visiting with our troops half a world away is the most amazing thing I've ever been able to experience, and hopefully the songs brought them back home for a few minutes. It takes a very special person to be willing to selflessly spend so much time away from their families, and lay everything on the line for their country and fellow Americans. Thank you for all you do for us!"
Shortly before heading overseas, Niemann released new single, "A Little More Love" with close friend and labelmate Lee Brice. Written by Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman, Natalie Hemby and Kristi Neumann, the song will also serve as the lead single on Niemann's forthcoming album on Curb Records, produced by Niemann with Jimmie Lee Sloas.
About the USO
The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort, and support. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President's Circle Partners: AT&T, the BNSF Railway Foundation, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, NFL and Four-Star Partners: Advisors Excel, BIC, ConAgra Foods, GEICO, JCPenney, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, TKS and the Wawa Foundation. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.
Press materials available at www.ebmediapr.com/jerrodniemann