For the campaign I'm running now, I wanted to build my own world. A world big enough to hold different types of adventures and make exploration fun, but internally consistent enough that it felt real.
Now, there are some different approaches to world building. Some people like the bottom-up approach where they flesh out the one small part and build out as they go along. I'm closer to a top-down gal, where I like to have an overarching idea of what I'm doing before diving into the nitty-gritty.
The thousand-feet view for me starts with general impressions and inspirations. What should the culture feel like? What level of technology and magic do they have? How complex are politics and society? How egalitarian or formal? These questions really affect the flavor of the adventures. A bronze-age ancient Greece made of small kingdoms with adventures driven by gods who use humans as pawns feels really different than a steampunk, Ottoman-empire Greece with Napoleonic-scale warfare. Even if you're running the same sort of adventure both times (dungeon crawl, investigation, ship race, whatever) and the geography is the same and the system mechanics are the same, it will just feel different.
So, I decided to start the adventurers out in one of the nations, the Weald. I wanted it to have iron-age technology, but high magic with a focus on nature magic (druids and nature spirits). Politically, I imagined that it used to be really isolated geographically, and the people had never organized on anything higher than a clan level until a more advanced nation invaded. After a century or two of occupation and guerilla fighting, the more modern empire collapsed, leaving the Weald autonomous. But now they'd be aware of their shared culture and highly aware of their vulnerability, so they'd be trying to balance being a more modern nation with preserving their way of life. Flavor-wise, I was shooting for ancient Celtic after the Romans left, but more Irish than British.
Cool. I had a picture in my head to guide me. I think a lot of natural top-downers do this the same way. The next part is a little different though, because for me the next most important thing to figure out was scale. And here's where math comes into play. (Just do me a favor and imagine a chorus of angels singing in the background whenever I write "math" and you'll have a better sense of what I'm trying to convey here).
For role playing games it's important to think through how long it takes to travel and communicate. which is a function of technology and world size.
I wanted the travel between nearby cities to take a couple days, and travel from one end of the country to the other to take about a week and a half under the ideal conditions. Less than a month under bad ones. This constrains how small the country can be and how advanced and widespread the technology and magic can be.
I wanted my players to feel like they had to make decisions in the field without checking back with authorities, but that the land was settled and they weren't completely outside the bonds of law and custom. So I decided the Weald had decent roads between the major cities, but a lot of the country was rural. They only had a few teleportation circles in the major cities, and they were expensive to use. Other nations may have a more settled teleportation network. And rituals to talk mind-to-mind were used, but you have to know the person to contact them and it costs money, so they aren't getting random policemen or the king or their aunt sally calling them up or vice versa. Druids can use animal messengers more cheaply, though, so they're the best gossip network in the nation, but it's a little quirky to use because the messenger will literally go "look, a butterfly!", so it's only for non-urgent messages.
So then I had to take those vague preferences and make them into something concrete.
These travel decisions gave me a framework to scale my world. Per D&D, travel time for adventurers is around 30 miles in good terrain. This fits historical sources pretty well, so I saw no reason to change it for my setting. Starting with the assumption that it would take about 10 days for my adventurers to travel from one end of the country to the other along good roads, that makes the Weald about 300 miles (30 miles per days x 10 days) in each direction, so that gives me a land area of about 90,000 sq miles (300 x 300) for the Weald – about the size of Belize.
Then I looked at a globe and thought about how many other nations I would want to flesh out and how large a part of my world I wanted my country to be. I decided I wanted my country to be a bit of a backwater, and smaller than some of the surrounding countries, but I didn't want to be building the world forever, so it couldn't be too small in comparison to other countries.
I didn't have a firm idea of how many other countries I wanted to build, so I decided to tackle it another way. I started fleshing out the geography of the Weald. I knew it was an isolated backwater, so I decided it mostly had huge mountain ranges acting as boundaries in the north and west. To the east was an ocean that they hadn't been able to cross. And in the south was the savage Great Fens and then an impassible arctic sea. The Weald got some trade through a few of the passes and by ship, but that region is not on anyone's hit list for strategic locales to conquer or befriend.
I made a quick pencil sketch of the Weald. It wasn't a perfect square of course, because that would look weird, so the 300 miles x 300 miles I started with would have to change. My sketch looked skinnier than I wanted it to though. So, I decided I wanted something skinnier than square, but fatter than my sketch and still the 90,000 sq mile scale.
I settled on a ratio of about 2:3 width-to-height. So, next question – what widths and heights give me a land area of about 90,000 miles? For that I whip out some school math. If the height (h) = 2/3 the width (w), that gives us an equation for the area that's 2/3h2 = 90,000. Solving that results in 245 miles wide x 368 miles high.
But that's assuming a perfect rectangle, and I don't want a perfect rectangle country any more than a perfect square country. My weald is more like a squiggly crescent. I can imagine that there's a rectangle that would represent the total land area of the country. If I put it in the middle of the sketch, then the parts of the country that stick out of the rectangle would be about as big as the parts of the rectangle that don't have country in it, if that makes sense.
So, if I keep the same overall land area, that means I need to increase the maximum dimensions. I estimate that the actual maximal dimensions are around 5/4 the rectangle height. So that makes it about 460 miles tall, and take 2/3 of that to get about 300 miles wide.
To simplify ecology and meteorology and such, I wanted to keep a similar axial-tilt/climate variation as the real world. That gives me what I needed to figure out the scale of the world.
I decided I wanted the Wealding climate to range from the subarctic of the Great Fens a Mediterranean climate in the northern ranching lands. Eyeballing it, that means the Weald would have to span about 1/6 the globe north-to-south. That gives me room to fit the southern sea and the frozen south pole to the south of the Weald and a few countries, a sea, and the north pole to the north of the Weald. That feels about right. So that means the globe is 2,760 (6 x 460) miles pole-to-pole. The circumference is twice that, so it would be about 5,520 miles. If the circumference is 5,520 miles, then that means the radius (using the 2πr formula) is 878.5 miles.
Using the formula for surface area (4πr2), we get about 9.7 million sq miles as the surface area of this world. If we have, say, 70% covered by ocean, that's about 2.9 million sq miles of land to figure out. A little smaller than India, altogether. Hmmmm. Maybe. The Weald, at 90,000 sq miles is only about 3% of that, so I'd have to come up with a lot more land. That seems vaguely doable though, especially if I fill in some areas with vaguely defined big empires, so I decided to keep these dimensions.
It was fun to do the math and poke holes in each other's assumptions, but I really didn't want to make the world bigger or rethink how the lower gravity would change jumping and climbing mechanics in the game system or how the changes in gravity and atmosphere and plate tectonics would affect the evolution of animals and plants and…it's just a big rabbit hole. In the end I decided to hand-wave it and just say that it magically has the same gravity and atmosphere and and geology as our world.
By the way, if you have a kid that asks you when they are ever going use the math they learn at school, you can just say that when they grow up from a little nerdlet into a great big nerd, they'll need math to properly scale their RPG world.
World Building Magazine is entirely devoted to doing nothing but world building.
Druids can use animal messengers more cheaply, though, so they're the best gossip network in the nation, but it's a little quirky to use because the messenger will literally go "look, a butterfly!", so it's only for non-urgent messages.
All I could think was that these Druids need to develop IP over Animal Messenger or IoAM technology!


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Fraxinus ornus, also other species such as Fraxinus excelsior.
Laeosopis roboris inhabits mostly wet places in river valleys dominated by light woods or just individual trees. In Andalusia, I met Laeosopis roboris very abundant in the Sierra de Cazorla at lower altitudes with streams and seasonally dry pastures with Brenthis hecate. In Provence, I observed Laeosopis roboris in a river valley near Auriol along with Brenthis daphne and Satyrium esculi.
The eggs are deposited on branches, and the caterpillar hatch in spring. It is resting on branches or on the trunk, where it is well camouflaged. The moths fly in June and July. I met large butterfly concentrations at Thyme (Thymus mastichina).
Laeosopis roboris has been pushed back severly due to the destruction of riparian areas and other wetland habitats in the Mediterranean region.
The distribution is restricted to Southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula, Southern France).


Get ready to catch some feels Skeleton Clique!
Chris Martin and his son Moses hit the stage this weekend (October 22nd) for a very sweet duet of a Twenty One Pilots classic.
The Coldplay frontman and professional "nice bloke" was performing at a benefit show for the Boys & Girls Club in Malibu alongside Beck and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith when he was joined by his son Moses to run through a version of TØP's "House Of Gold", captured below via a Coldplay fan Instagram account.
And, it turns out the Martin kids have all got some serious pipes on them as Chris' daughter Apple also got up to do a version of Ariana Grande's "Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart".
This girl is only 12 years old. What a voice!
Coldplay will soon return to touring in support of their really-rather-good album A Head Full Of Dreams. Meanwhile, Twenty One Pilots will return to the UK this November for two dates at London's Alexandra Palace.
Let's just listen to this one more time shall we?


text:
Joint Request for Application in pancreatic and biliary tract cancer
BRUSSELS - The Anticancer Fund and the Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research have joined forces to support high impact clinical trials testing novel and unique strategies in the treatment of patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and/or biliary tract cancer (BTC).
The Anticancer Fund and the Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research (RTFCCR), a Swiss non-profit organisation, are looking for innovative approaches extrapolated from laboratory work in relevant cancer models or extrapolated from other cancer types but deemed applicable in PDAC and/or BTC (*). We are open to receive early to late-stage clinical trials (e.g., pilot study, Phase I, Phase II or Phase III). We welcome applications from all research groups with a track record in PDAC and/or BTC.
(*) Biliary tract cancers (BTC's) constitute epithelial malignancies of the biliary tree and include the following: gallbladder cancer, ampulla of Vater cancer, cancer of the extra-hepatic and intra-hepatic bile ducts.
The amount available for this call for proposals is 3 million US dollars.
The amount allocated per grant will depend on the number of proposals selected for funding.
We kindly ask applicants to submit their Letter of Intent the latest on the 30th of June, 2021. We are planning to communicate the winning proposals in the fourth quarter of 2021.
More details about the scope of this Request for Application (RFA) and how to apply, can be found here.
The Anticancer Fund and the Rising Tide Foundation decided to join forces for this call as there is a need and urge to find new treatment options for patients with pancreatic cancer. Despite all recent innovation in cancer therapies, pancreatic cancer patients have very poor prognosis. The 5-year survival rate at an davanced stage is only 3%. Moreover, pancreatic cancer accounts for about 7% of all cancer deaths today. The ultimate goal of the Anticancer Fund and the Rising Tide Foundation is to make a difference and to help improve patient outcomes.
About the Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research
Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research (RTFCCR) is a charitable, non-profit organization established in 2010 and located in Schaffhausen Switzerland. RTFCCR's primary consideration in granting support is given to truly innovative, unique, patient-centered clinical research. The long-term ambition of the foundation is to optimize partnerships and attract the best in Phase I to Phase III clinical trials that aim to bring maximum patient benefit in the shortest time possible. With patients at the core of the mission, the foundation strives to support clinical trials resulting in the creation of less toxic therapeutic approaches, better disease burden management, earlier cancer detection, and innovative prevention strategies that will lead to increased quality of life and survival.
www.risingtide-foundation.org
More information about how the Anticancer Fund supports clinical trials:
Find out more on our Apply for Funding page here.
Learn more about our involvement in clinical trials here.
Discover the trials we support here.
Merci de partager cette page et de parler de nous au monde entier.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Tag: "Food Systems"
From the music industry to Space Force: Innovators come from all walks in Agribusiness & Food Innovation Management master's program
Stacy Nick November 29, 2022
The new program is drawing in professionals from a variety of backgrounds but with a common interest in solving food system challenges in new and collaborative ways.
CSU's Food Systems Institute brings interdisciplinary work to one table
Stacy Nick May 03, 2022
The new CIOSU will work to advance University efforts toward strengthening the economic, environmental, cultural and social foundations of the state's local and regional food systems.
CSU announces new Master of Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management program at Spur campus in Denver
Annie Albrecht June 23, 2021
Opportunities have never been so abundant for creative innovation and transformation in the agriculture and food industries.
How land-grant universities can help redesign the food system
Kristin Pintauro April 20, 2017
Professor Nancy Creamer will discuss how land-grant universities can engage in a redesign of the food system.


Designed to get you in shape. Cardio and strength plus burn calories.
Through Kettlebells, dumbells and weight machines. Build muscles and burn more calories.
Cardio Kickboxing can burn 500 calories in a session plus learn some self defense skills at the same time.
Call 972-258-8333 or email instructor@texaskaratedo.com schedule a free trial class.


Need a little getaway or know someone that does? Katrina, her family and friends did just that in Eau Claire, WI and had a blast! They stayed at the Metropolis Resort which also has a waterpark, trampoline park, and arcade – perfect for everyone in the entire family!
Eau Claire is about 1.5 hour from Minneapolis, MN so if you are in the midwest we definitely recommend you check it out. Even better, they are hosting an amazing giveaway – one lucky winner will win an overnight stay. Details are below. Even if you don't live super close to WI, I would still enter, because you never know if you are going to be near, or you know someone who could use the trip (it'd be a really nice birthday present!).
Please follow the giveaway tools below for your chance to win!
Giveaway runs from 3/18 to 4/1 at 11:59 pm EST.
18 years and older, US residents only.
Winner has 48 hours to reply to the notification email or another winner will be selected.
My family would prefer the arcade! Thank you!


Book two in our series, Sentenced To Heaven!
DESCRIPTION: In book two, Alan's misadventures in heaven continue. No one understands how he's managed it, but his heavenly body has changed. He has actual blood coursing through his heavenly vessel, and he's become addicted to the stuff. When he's labeled a vampire, everyone becomes concerned that his condition could spread. As a result, heaven is placed under quarantine. Its pearly gates are closed until the mystery is solved.
Book one of our series, Sentenced To Heaven!
DESCRIPTION: Can a galactic misfit be saved? Heaven's going to give it a try! In this humorous story, Alan, a troublesome, freedom loving soul, has been banned from every world and solar system in the cosmos. When he's sentenced to heaven for eternity, he doesn't go willingly. As his anger and desperation fuel his desire to escape, he encounters more than he bargained for.
© RenataPress.com 2019. All rights reserved.


text:
Becker Details
Image of the signed register page for Becker.
Barnara, Charles A [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Brown, A H [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Chase, Harriet [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Coper [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Dale, D O [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Dee, A [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Dee, L [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Ely [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Ely, P S [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Engs [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Engs, L [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Griffith, Elizabeth [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Griffith, Margaret [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Griffith, Mary [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Hamor, Hortense A [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Hifer, Per James [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Jackson, Ann [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Litchfield, Paris [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Meigs, Horace [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Smith, J E [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Thomall [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Thomas [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Thomas, Charles M [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Walch, E R [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Walcott, B A [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Waleitt, E G [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Walter, William [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Wheeler, Thomas [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Wilde, William W [Visit Date: 6/7/1843]
Becker, Alexander C [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Bryont [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Cook, H [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Cook, T [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Darlin, A K [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Hardison, James [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Hewgill, William [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Laby, Henry [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Luster, Samual [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Macalister, H [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Mitchell, Charles [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Morrison, A F [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Prime [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Ropes [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Smith, Alexander [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Thompson, J R [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Thompson, J W [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Townsend [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Upbam [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Upbam, C W [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Williams, Thomas [Visit Date: 6/9/1843]
Armstrong, Jason [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Billings, Leonard [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Bridges, Edwin Y [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Cormichael, Daniel [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Curry, Car [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Curry, Hamilton [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Curry, Mordin [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Ensign, H J [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Hitchcock, Albert [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Johnson, Sarah [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Kelley, Patrick [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Macalister, A [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Moodie, James [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Moorhead, William [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Phillips, L S [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Putnam, Henry F [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Rillock, Gror [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Robbins, Symer [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Robertson, John [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Swaylin, John A [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Wiser, John B [Visit Date: 6/10/1843]
Hello, I am writing to comment on the Movie Nights at the Niagara Falls Museum. I have attended this event a few times now, and have never been disappointed. The speaker is very knowledgeable and well spoken, I look forward to her introduction to the films and discussion at the end. This event has introduced me to films I have never seen, and has offered insight into the production, and history of these gems. I look forward to the next!
A.M. - Niagara Falls


text:
Tourond Creek Discovery Centre -
Go to SRRCD
The Tourond Creek Discovery Centre (TCDC) is an outdoor environment that is open for you to explore. Discover the diversity of plant and animal species at the centre. Search the grassy meadows for the winding path of the Tourond Creek. Enjoy a family picnic under the shelter or climb the lookout tower to view the beauty of this naturalized landscape.
Our picnic shelter can accommodate up to 60 people and our wheelchair accessible toilet facilities are clean, comfortable, and scent-free. These facilities showcase the design of two innovative toilet systems for safe sanitation. The weather station records atmospheric conditions and relays data to Environment Canada. Check out weather reports from the Kleefeld weather station by visiting www.weather.gc.ca. Catch water bugs from the stationary dock in the shallow pond. Take a walk down the trail system that connects five micro-ecosystems throughout the centre.
The TCDC is used by school groups who use the centre as an outdoor classroom to engage students in activities that encourage interactions with nature. The outdoors is the best place for children to master emerging social and physical skills, like running, leaping, and inventing games. Families and nature lovers use the centre to connect with nature as an important part of healthy living.
Come on in and explore nature at the Tourond Creek Discovery Centre.
The TCDC was previously used as the Kleefeld Waste Disposal Site, operated by the RM of Hanover. On November 1, 2002, the site was decommissioned by Manitoba Conservation when the Waste Disposal Site was relocated. As they deliberated the use of the land going into the future, the RM of Hanover approached the Seine-Rat River Conservation District (SRRCD) with the idea of using the area for outdoor environmental education. In 2009, the Outdoor Classroom Steering Committee was formed with members from the RM of Hanover, the SRRCD, the Hanover School Division, Kleefeld Recreation Committee, and local nature enthusiasts. Members were later added from Borderland School Division and the Seine River School Division. After much planning and preparation, the site welcomed its first school groups in May 2012 under the new name of "Tourond Creek Discovery Center".
In addition to the Steering Committee, other partners have helped the TCDC come into being. When the lookout tower was being proposed, Grunthal Lumber donated all the lumber for construction and under the direction of John Funk, the Building & Construction students at the SRSS built the tower. Others who have donated include Albert Frechette of Lerial Enterprise for the wood chips on the pathways and Chez Koop for the TCDC logo design. One of our biggest supporter is the Steinbach Game & Fish who donate their time and equipment to maintain the trails at the TCDC and have also recently donated the picnic tables for the TCDC. The support of all of our partners is gratefully acknowledged and appreciated! We really could not have done this without you!!!
Project Spotlight: Penner Water Retention March 11, 2019
Schubert Family 2018 CD Award Winner February 8, 2019
Composting Toilets at Tourond Creek Discovery Centre June 8, 2018
Fun Facts - Learn Something New
Copyright Tourond Creek Discovery Centre 2021


text:
Q: While creating the sandbox I am getting the error like this?
While creating the sandbox I am getting the error like this?

A: That is not an error it is just an Optional input for a class that can be run when the sandbox is provisioned. As the messages says, leave it blank if you do not want to or do not know what it is.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
#ifndef ThreadIdentifierDataPthreads_h
#define ThreadIdentifierDataPthreads_h

#include <wtf/Threading.h>

namespace WTF {

// Holds ThreadIdentifier in the thread-specific storage and employs pthreads-specific 2-pass destruction to reliably remove
// ThreadIdentifier from threadMap. It assumes regular ThreadSpecific types don't use multiple-pass destruction.
class ThreadIdentifierData {
    WTF_MAKE_NONCOPYABLE(ThreadIdentifierData);
public:
    ~ThreadIdentifierData();

    // One time initialization for this class as a whole.
    // This method must be called before initialize() and it is not thread-safe.
    static void initializeOnce();

    // Creates and puts an instance of ThreadIdentifierData into thread-specific storage.
    static void initialize(ThreadIdentifier identifier);

    // Returns 0 if thread-specific storage was not initialized.
    static ThreadIdentifier identifier();

private:
    ThreadIdentifierData(ThreadIdentifier identifier)
        : m_identifier(identifier)
        , m_isDestroyedOnce(false)
    {
    }

    // This thread-specific destructor is called 2 times when thread terminates:
    // - first, when all the other thread-specific destructors are called, it simply remembers it was 'destroyed once'
    // and re-sets itself into the thread-specific slot to make Pthreads to call it again later.
    // - second, after all thread-specific destructors were invoked, it gets called again - this time, we remove the
    // ThreadIdentifier from the threadMap, completing the cleanup.
    static void destruct(void* data);

    ThreadIdentifier m_identifier;
    bool m_isDestroyedOnce;
    static pthread_key_t m_key;
};

} // namespace WTF

#endif // ThreadIdentifierDataPthreads_h

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Today's profile is of Vicki Batten, CEO of FSG Australia.
Vicki Batten serves as CEO of a large, highly respected not-for-profit organization in Australia. Throughout her career, Batten enjoyed some recognition as the recipient of local and state awards. However, being nominated for a global Stevie Award and subsequently winning the Gold, was a source of great pride for Batten.
Once Batten earned the 2012 Gold Stevie Award for Female Innovator of the Year in the Government or Non-Profit category, things around her changed. In addition to the voluminous recognition and accolades she earned from colleagues, throughout the community and in business, she was soon presented with many requests to speak at several events.
The Gold Stevie Award, coupled with the increased interest in Batten's speaking appearances, elevated her role in the community in which the non-profit she heads serves, and also helped spread the word about the prestige of the Stevie Awards on the Gold Coast.
Learn more about the Stevie Awards for Women in Business at www.StevieAwards.com/Women. The entry deadline is August 28.


Published by eNet Learning on July 1, 2013.
How does creating characters enhance understandings about tension and conflict in societal relationships?
How does the ensemble connect with the development of the performance of each character?
How do the given elements, such as: set, character, and plot of the play affect the performance of scripted material?


Is the FBI Listening to This?
RUSH: Tim in Wynantskill, New York, nice to have you, sir. Welcome to the EIB Network.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. It's an honor to talk to you — and it's pronounced Wynant-skill, New York. It's about 50 miles east of Albany.
RUSH: I've never heard of it and I probably will never go there, but I appreciate the pronunciation correction.
CALLER: I have to repronounce [sic] it to people all day long wherever I happen to be traveling.
RUSH: Okay. Well, I apologize. See, but that won't take away from accuracy rating, because that's not an opinion.
RUSH: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait just a second. They can turn your phone on and listen to your conversation even if your phone's not on? So how will you have a conversation when your phone isn't on?
RUSH: — you're not having a conversation because you think it's off. So what are they listening to?
RUSH: I know that. I know that. But you're talking about them listening in to a conversation that you're having when you're not having one.
CALLER: Well, they can listen to the conversation that's going on in the room even though you may not be talking on the phone, and that's a scary part.
RUSH: Okay. Let me see, now. I have here in my formerly nicotine-stained fingers, my new iPhone.
RUSH: The iPhone is off. Are you suggesting to me that if the FBI wanted to, they could call AT&T — this is the service provider for iPhones — and turn this phone on, even though I don't know it's on, and they could be listening to me right now talk to you on this phone that's off?
CALLER: That's exactly what the report on Fox said, and the only play I've been seeing on it is on the blogs on the Internet where it is given some play, and I'm flabbergasted this isn't a national outrage. I'm just flabbergasted.
RUSH: Now, I heard the story. I don't remember this detail, but I do remember the aspect that the FBI is able to listen in on cell phone conversation, but I was not aware that my innocent little iPhone here that's powered down could be turned on at anytime. Actually, what he's saying is it doesn't needed to be turned on.
RUSH: Well, no. What he's saying is that this thing is constantly sending out a signal whether it's on or off, and when it's sending out a signal — see, the thing is, this doesn't sound workable to me. I'm trying to understand this. I'm not talking to anybody on the phone. So if I think it's off and they turn it on, or they tap into what's happening with the phone, you're saying they can hear a room conversation through the phone microphone, not listening to a phone call itself, just listening to what the microphone of the phone is picking up?
CALLER: That's the crux of the story, that it was a way for Big Brother to go listen in, and the outrageous part of the story was that the federal government claimed that they were going to use the technology against organized crime. As if organized crime is the biggest issue facing our country today. It just sounds like BS.
RUSH: You mean like what's going on in the NBA?
CALLER: Right. Let's find out if the referee was actually taking money for the game.
RUSH: So organized crime is the biggest problem, not terrorism?
CALLER: That's what this story was.
RUSH: All right. Well, look, we've been even while talking to you. We have been researching this and we found a story about this on ZDnet. I'm not going to have time to read it 'til the next break, but I'll look at that, and I'll be able to more accurately comment to you once having read the details of the story.
CALLER: May I ask you (garbled) before I go?
RUSH: All right, your phone's breaking up, so the FBI is probably listening in here. I hope he's okay out there.
The only solution you have to this is to peel your battery out of there. It's the only thing you can do. If you have an iPhone, you can't do that. You have to send the phone to Apple to get the battery replaced. You could take the phone apart if you want to, but it's not as simple as in other phones. Now, here's the thing. The judge, Lewis Kaplan, approved the roving bugs. So there was judicial oversight, precious judicial oversight. Like the FISA Court. There was precious judicial oversight here, before they activated the program. So how does this violate anything? If a judge approved it, how does it violate anything? (interruption) Well, I'm just reacting to… (interruption) I've known for a long time. I know how cell phones work. I've been told for years that when you think your phone is off, don't make the mistake of thinking it's not transmitting. You can be tracked. If somebody knows your number, you can be tracked. The company can find out where you are. I first heard about this when I lived in Manhattan. People were crossing the George Washington Bridge or the 59th Street Bridge, and I forget how I found out about this. It was an event that alerted some consumer that his phone was being tracked. Oh! I'll tell you what it was. There were thieves, electronic thieves stationed on the Manhattan side and the people crossing the 59th Street Bridge were having their phone numbers stolen because the phone is broadcasting all the information, whether it's on or off. That's where I first learned that all this was possible. I've not heard of this particular story, and I don't know what's triggered this in the last couple days because I'm aware this story being brought up again, but it's nine months old.


This conference seeks to foster an interdisciplinary exchange between anthropologists, sociologists, historians, indologists, scholars of religion, philosophers, philologists and linguists. And, also, yoga practitioners and members of the general public interested in attending.
The intention is to facilitate a leisurely and collegial two-day interdisciplinary conference, which is thematically anchored around the broad theme of yoga as movement, particularly in relation to the imaginative consumption of tourism and pilgrimage within the multi-trillion-dollar global wellness industry (which defines wellness as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being).
Building upon a 'serious leisure perspective' (SLP), participants are free to discuss how movement can be understood as that which occurs on and off the yoga mat. This includes the imaginative movement that occurs in meditation, the physical movement to and within one's local yoga studio, or travel to exotic, distant lands. Aspects of which are inherent in the creation and consumption yoga-inflected lifestyles.
We will also explore how the subjective, embodied experience of the yoga practitioner is mediated through internal movements of aspiration, expectation, and imagination. This includes textual-historical and ethnographic analysis of how imaginative interiorisation is used to traverse an internal sacred-scape, such as a mānasa-tīrtha (mind-passage), a process that is arguably as important as physical movement through time and space.
This development and management of imaginary landscapes, where the imagined -scape is interpolated onto a physical place, may hold more epistemological and ontological importance than the physical location one finds themselves in (See McCartney 2017).
This notion of 'movement' allows for the exploration of how the pursuit of self-improvement and purification may consequently produce different types of environmental and social 'pollution'; and how participation in the global yoga tribe might potentially reify both, global and local, social and economic networks and hierarchies. Thus, 'movement', also relates to cultural conflict related to the social-political issues of manipulating cultural narratives, cultural appropriation, 'white-washing', and the building of cultural nationalisms. Therefore, there is space within the conference for us to discuss the steps required to practically decolonise yoga, both from the colonial and post-colonial/neo-liberal masters.
If you would like to read more about the ideas inspiring this conference, click here.
Thank you, for your interest in this conference.
Below is the conference poster, which you can download.
The intention is to broadcast all presentations via Facebook Live and record them for future release as a podcast series, which will be free to access. As well as turn the presentations into an edited book, which will also be published through an open access publisher, we also intend to subsidise the travel expenses of students and emerging scholars who would like to attend, so that they can join us for what promises to be a stimulating and rewarding 2-days of discussions.
If you are feeling generous, and would like to help fund this event, as an individual or as a corporate sponsor, please consider visiting our Go Fund Me account by clicking on the image below, or contact us.


Within the past week, changes to copyright laws in Australia have been proposed, quite noticeably coinciding with the recent launch of Netflix Australia which has sparked concerns regarding illegal downloading across the country. The intended revisions, which aim to shut down websites that specifically facilitate piracy, have turned the spotlight to VPNs, and their providers, with many questioning whether virtual private networks will be sucked into what is being referred to as the 'anti piracy crossfire'.
Determining VPN usage is a very complex process that could wrongfully incriminate innocent users, and could cast doubt on VPN providers offering legal, secure, and vital services that are an essential tool within many different industries around the world. Hardware company Black & Decker, for example, uses a business VPN model to create a centralised network that makes it straightforward for them to operate from multiple international locations. What many are forgetting is that, first and foremost, VPNs are used for privacy, and for secure data transfer.
While VPN usage has undoubtedly evolved over recent years, it is challenging for VPN providers to be dragged into the piracy argument unless they are explicitly marketing themselves as a way of facilitating piracy. While it is possible to find VPN providers that do this, most reputable providers offer their services for business use and to encourage better internet security at a time when online fraud is rising as the result of 'high tech criminals' who search for weakness in protocols.
Services such as EasyHide-VPN clearly state that their product is intended for privacy only, and that any illegal downloading is the sole responsibility of the user. Terms and conditions are similar across many platforms, essentially removing VPN providers from the equation. Should users be violating their country's copyright laws, VPNs will not be held responsible. Ultimately, it's the equivalent of a car manufacturer being held responsible for reckless driving behavior. Using a VPN is a legal activity.
There are, of course, grey areas when it comes to VPN usage. Many providers do promote their services based on the ability to access Netflix media content from outside of the subscription country. However, once again it becomes difficult to associate VPN services with behavior traditionally associated with piracy. Netflix have made it clear that they are aware that VPNs are being used to access regionally restricted content, yet they have also made it clear that they are not taking measures to crack down on VPN usage – at least not currently. Earlier this year, Netflix CPO Neil Hunt stated that 'people who are using a VPN to access our service from outside of the area will find that it still works exactly as it has always done'.
With the case of Netflix, users still pay the subscription fee for the country they are accessing the content from via VPN. 'Piracy' is described as theft or illegal violence, neither of which applies to those paying for a service, and receiving said service. While licensing laws are in place which can affect whether downloading or streaming is considered to be illegal or not, Netflix openly swap and change content based on current trends, with many movies and TV shows not being currently available, despite no valid issues relating to international licensing.
Although some users have been made anxious by recent changes to copyright laws, it appears that VPN services will not be affected by the amendments. VPN use for privacy and business issues is legal, and even international content access is considered to be a grey area in this instance as behaviors do not match the definition of piracy that these law changes are intended to target. VPNs will remain safe and secure in spite of these changes.


Complete Gold Buffalo Series - In 2006, the United States Mint introduced its first 1 oz .9999 fine Gold coin with the Gold Buffalo. This Gold coin was instantly a huge success, providing competition for the Canadian Gold Maple Leafs. APMEX is celebrating the entire Gold Buffalo series by placing all Gold American Buffalos in one easy-to-shop category.
The Gold Buffalo coin is designed after James Earle Fraser's famous 1913 Type 1 Buffalo Nickel. The obverse shows the well-known Indian Head design, created by combining images of three Native American chiefs: Iron Tail (Lakota), Two Moons (Cheyenne) and John Big Tree (Seneca). The reverse of the Gold coin features the classic buffalo design modeled after Black Diamond, the bison living in New York City's Central Park Zoo in the early 1900s, as well as inscriptions of the weight, denomination and Gold content.


---Overview I am really happy to present you with a Restoration Hardware Armoire from the Monterey Collection! This Armoire is made of a dense hardwood native to Brazil and will bring a warm, earthy, and geometric aesthetic to your home. ---Measurements Height: 75 Inches Wide: 50 Inches Deep: 22 Inches ---Condition The Armoire was purchased in June 2017 for $3,000 from the Restoration Hardware store in Downtown Houston. After purchasing the Armoire, we decided to keep it in storage for our next apartment that we moved into in November 2018. The new apartment ended up being much smaller than our old apartment, so we decided there wasn't enough space for most of our furniture, including this Armoire. The Armoire was never used and is as close to brand new as possible with no stains, scuffs or scratches. ---Moving You can pick up the Armoire at our storage room, we can happily recommend a moving service, or we can organize a drop off at your home for a slight additional cost. The Armoire is tightly wrapped in plastic in our storage room and is ready to go! I am looking to sell the Armoire *as soon as possible*, so please message me if you have any comments or questions!


Twentebelt of the Netherlands has been specialized in metal conveyor belts for over 100 years. Twentebelt develops, produces, supplies and maintains a wide range of metal belts such as eyelink belts, wire mesh belts and balanced weave belts in various materials. Twentebelt supplies, among others, the food, chemical, pharmaceutical and packaging industries.
Currently there are no job openings available. Please check back at a later time.


text:
Can The Swans Afford Pablo Hernandez ?
Monday, 7th Dec 2020 15:50 by Steph Thomas
Its speculation as it stands and there are other championship clubs in the mix, however Pablo Hernandez is set to leave Leeds United in the January window. Problem is he is thirty five now and his wages are way out of Swansea City's current pay structure.
This season Hernandez has been injured and dropped by his manager Bielsa and lets be honest he looked less than happy when last subbed against Everton. The main problems Pablo faces are his age and salary demands. A player of his age would expect to earn around twelve thousand pounds a week in the championship, halving his current one hundred thousand pounds a month wage at Elland Road.
Leeds United's Pablo Hernandez has been back to leave by former player Danny Mills, with Brentford, Huddersfield Town and Swansea City all being suggested destinations.
Entering his fifth season at Elland Road, Hernandez has proved a hero at the club, scoring nine goals last season and some important ones at that. Now though, in the Premier League, Marcelo Bielsa has been slow to use Hernandez – he's made just four league appearances all season.
Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds defender Danny Mills suggested that Hernandez could soon be on his way out of the club. "Time caught up with him a little bit last season," he said. "There were times when he was out injured for periods and when he came back in it was off the bench"
Some likely destinations for the departing Hernandez
All of Brentford, Huddersfield Town and Swansea City could be viable options for the Spaniard, with a January move likely as well. Hernandez is previously of Swansea City having spent the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons in South Wales. Huddersfield meanwhile is down the road in Yorkshire and Brentford is a viable option given Thomas Frank's style of play, and utilisation of players with Hernandez' kind of creativity. It'll be interesting to see how Bielsa handles this situation in January, and even more so to see where Hernandez might end up.
Bielsa wont put up with open acts of defiance from his players and has had many situations in the past with players who have shown him disrespect. Publicly he will say little, but it is almost certain if Leeds can get him off the books in January they will.
Swansea Independent View
Pablo is too old to be anything other than a stop gap, it surprised us when he got the success he did at Leeds after some seriously poor performances at The Liberty. Of course not forgetting the glorious ones as well, he certainly did light the house up on numerous occasions, but not that many to want him back at The Liberty again. Its a no from us.


text:
Douala: Customs eyes CFA20bn+ in cocoa export taxes in 2023
The Cameroonian Customs Administration (DGD) is expecting the newly-introduced cocoa beans export tax to generate between CFA20 billion and CFA25 billion this year.
"The export of raw cocoa beans is subject to an autonomous exit duty at a rate of 10% of the FOB value. This rate is 2% for cocoa beans exported to industrial free points or similar systems," the 2023 finance law states. This new provision stems from a presidential requirement contained in the letter on the preparation of the 2023 state budget signed on August 23, 2022, by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya. The leader prescribed in particular that the government should implement, as from 2023, "an export taxation policy that takes into account the real level of processing of goods", to "further encourage exports of finished manufactured made-in-Cameroon products."
Reliable sources reported that the taxation of raw beans export in Cameroon follows many complaints from grinders, most of whom now find it difficult to source beans on the local market. This implies that the numerous investments made by the government to revive the sector are still insufficient.
Indeed, despite the arrival on the local beans processing market of two new operators with a grinding capacity of at least 80,000 tons, namely Atlantic Cocoa (48,000 tons expandable to 64,000 tons) and Neo Industry (32,000 tons), the cocoa sector in Cameroon remains dominated by beans exports. Data compiled by the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCB) show that bean exports for the 2021-2022 season (217,107 tons) represent two and a half times the volume processed locally (86,850 tons).
To help narrow this gap, an operator suggested that the government further encourages the rise of local processing factories through the introduction of a quota system.
Source: Business in Cameroon
Southern Cameroons Crisis: Total facility set ablaze by Ambazonia fighters in Mamfe
‹ Quebec police say killing of health-care worker from Cameroon was a homicide › Zangaléwa: Founder and lead singer, dies at 71


Jaime Black stops by the studio. We throw it way back and talk about his intro to radio, working with Q101, to then embarking on his podcasting journey back in 2005, and where we are currently. Take a listen.


KARACHI: Keeping the tradition alive, METRO, the leading international wholesale company, hosted an elegant Bike Auto Show 2019 at its Canal Bank Store Lahore. The one of its kind Bike Auto Show had participation from more than 400 bikers along with their Vintage, Customized, and Exotic bikes, from Harley Davidson, BMW, Kawasaki, to Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha brands.
The star attraction of the event was the Vintage Triumph 350cc model 1958 that was gifted to former President Ayub Khan by the Queen of England. The event also had special appearance by MehwishEkhlaque, the top female professional biker, who has travelled all across Pakistan on her heavy bike.
METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specializes on serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders. Around the world, METRO has some 24 million customers. METRO in addition also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and own businesses with digital solutions and thereby contributes to cultural diversity in retail and hospitality. Sustainability is a key pillar of METRO's business. METRO has been the sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the last four years. The company operates in 36 countries and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide.


The scope for this project was to create an energy efficient, light filled and solar passive home that is comfortable all year round. The result is a spectacular modern home with the latest technology that stays cool in summer without the need for air conditioning and comfortable in the cold Canberra winter. The home also features timber reveals, plywood ceilings and unique custom joinery making this home feel warm and comfortable.
Weathertex cladding which uses some recycled and some non-recycled components, was used on most of the exterior walls.
High levels of insulation (R2.5 bulk wall insulation to internal and external walls and R6 ceiling insulation) to reduce heat transfer between inside and outside and between internal zones of the home.
ProClima Solitex vapour permeable membranes (fully taped at joins and penetrations to all external walls and under roof sheets) to ensure interstitial moisture control and minimise air movement past insulation.
Ventis Sub-Flow system – in cooler months this takes hot air from the roof space (which gets really hot even in winter due to Canberra's sunny days) and pumps it into the air void below the rear, southern, bedroom-end of the slab to provide extra heat under the floor.
The brief we gave 360 was for a solar passive, cost effective and compact family home that would suit our changing needs over the next few decades. We moved in during December and the house stayed cool during the Jan/Feb heatwaves with just ceiling fans and no aircon. We expect it will perform equally well during the long Canberra winter. We chose small kid bedrooms to save cost and reduce their mess footprint. The eldest has her own flat that the others will use as they reach uni age and want independence. There is no garage – just a simple carport that will double as a second outdoor entertaining space. Savings went towards good size living spaces and finishes eg timber reveals, plywood ceilings and joinery. We love the reclaimed timber pergola (a 360 special). The house is really interesting and light filled with 3 north facing courtyards. Dean & crew were a pleasure to work with and we are incredibly happy with the result.


Ariana Grande Nirvana Funny T Shirt Inspired, Cheap Urban Clothing, Urban Clothing For Mens.
Ariana Grande Nirvana Funny T Shirt Inspired perfect gift that you can give to your loved ones. All Hotvero products packed nicely and clean. There is a nice packing slip that has all the information that you might need.


Do you know someone who is in the hospital or at home recovering from a back surgery? Having a major surgery is painful, and the process of healing can take a bit of time. During these times, people can get a little depressed about their situation and down on themselves. Fortunately, you have the opportunity to brighten someone's day with candy baskets.
The best gift you can give someone who has gone through back surgery is the gift of your time. A phone call or visit can really brighten up a person's day and show them that you care for them. It can really help a person to know that others are thinking about them and rooting for a speedy recovery.
Offer the person some help and make sure that they are comfortable. Its little things like this that really shows that you care.
Giving someone a gift, small or large, is a great way to show that you appreciate and care for them. The economy is slow, and budgets are tight, therefore candy baskets for back surgery can make a perfect gift. A gift basket is the perfect balance between cost and value.
Everyone loves candy which is why it is the perfect gift. Have you ever gotten a present that you didn't really like? How did you feel when you received it? When people get back surgery gifts they do not like, they act happy on the outside but feel let down on the inside. When you bring someone candy gifts, there is no doubt that they will love them.
Candy baskets are perfect for cheering someone up after having a back surgery. One of the great things about these candy gifts is that there is a little something in them that everyone will love. Having one of these baskets around reminds people that someone cares every time they see it.
Back surgeries can be tricky and one is never the same as the other. Recovery times can vary from person to person, but generally the surgeries take about 6-8 weeks to recover from. These weeks can seem like years when you are bed bound and not able to do things that you would regularly be able to do.
Your best bet when putting together a candy basket is to buy one that is pre-made. A pre-made basket comes with everything already in it, and will save you a lot of money when compared to buying all the items individually.
Just imagine having to go to the store and buying 40 bags of candy so you can put a couple of pieces in your basket. Buying the pieces individually would end up costing you a fortune. It makes sense to get a candy basket from a company that puts them together for you at a reasonable price.
Get well candy baskets make perfect back surgery gifts to brighten someone's day when they are recovering and recuperating. These sweet treats will assure them that they are loved and that better days are soon to come. A candy gift basket is the perfect way to send your love and well wishes.


Pay TV had a really bad first quarter this year, with cable companies losing an estimated 263,735 subscribers from New Year's Day to the end of March, according to the Leichtman Research Group. Satellite TV providers and phone companies with a TV business gained some subscribers during the same time period, but fewer than in previous first quarters, and one of the culprits seems to be cord cutting.
A bad first quarter is notable for the industry because that's when it is usually the strongest. The industry added an estimated 445,000 subscribers in Q1 of 2012, and 470,000 in Q1 of 2011. But even with additions from satellite and phone companies, this year's first quarter was only up around 194,000 – not enough to make up for previous-quarter losses.
Cable has been bleeding for years, and it's no surprise to see this continue – even though many had expected a stronger showing for Comcast (s CMCSK) and Co. But really concerning is the slowing growth in the satellite TV segment, which is where price-conscious consumers have been fleeing to in previous years.
DirecTV (s DTV) added 184,000 subscribers in Q1 of 2011, and 81,000 in Q1 of 2012. This year, it only gained 21,000 new subscribers in the same time frame. Things didn't look better for DISH, (s DISH) which dropped from 104,000 subscribers in Q1 of 2012 to 36,000 in Q1 of 2013.
That's a sign that people aren't just looking for a cheaper pay TV option anymore, but actually want to get rid of the traditional pay TV bundle altogether.
Been living without cable TV for nearly 2 years now. I am happy I don't have to pay the $80 a month for mostly channels I don't watch. Now I get TV from OTA (free) and watch other programs (mostly all free) via the internet on various websites with my computer.
I just cancelled my pay-tv, got fed up with the garbage programming and escalating costs. I get 73 over the air HD channels and have Netflix. I only wish I switched years earlier.
i went to over air hd antenna and movies and tv shows from internet, had enough of the over priced garbage cable offered, out of channel selection cable had i only watched maybe 10 channels , and that sure the hell was not worth the price they charged, so glad i did this, just wish i did it years ago and saved a bundle.
I keep reading these numbers and find it hard to 1) believe they are precise, and 2) equate to any trend. Personally, I pay attention to two things: 1) How many people I personally know who do not have a premium entertainment provider, and 2) the number of people I know who are considering terminating their relationship with a premium entertainment provider. The answer to both questions is zero.
I am the only person I know who has a Roku. I have never heard another human being use that word in a sentence. I know a lot of people who have Prime and most do not cite the video service as a benefit. I know one family, besides mine, that subscribes to Netflix.
What comes with a premium entertainment provider is good support. When I had Dish and Comcast, if something didn't work, I called an 800 number and a guy came to my house and fixed it. He didn't blame the internet or my router or my neighbors — he just fixed it. As long as most people need that level of support, cable cutters will be few and far between.
AT&T's gain are temporary as they have lured customers with lower prices. After a year their prices jump through the roof, they change channel lineup without customers consent, in summary they loose customers like me. For watching a maximum 100 hours of non air TV, if the cost is about $1 per hour, which contains 50% commercials, so, I pay 50 cents per hour to watch commercials, or $2 per hour for content, and if include my compensation for watching commercials at minimum wage, the cost per hour will be $10 per hour. That's why cord cutting makes sense.
Overpriced. Terrible front ends and horrible service. The provider that let's people have it their way at the right price will win. We're talking telcos, right? I guess it goes for all vertically integrated service providers with unsustainable models in the face of horizontal and digital approaches that cut across demand silos.
Yes I want HONEY BOOBOO, motorbike family quarrels, hee-haw rejects, and the real hookers of whatever City! Please charge me very much money for this art & entertainment, or history coverage.
Blame the coverage of "real life" programming.
Glad to see pay TV growth slowing. Cord cutting will increase as cable TV subscription prices rise. TV has become a wasteland of reality garbage.
This study does not reveal the numbers for what has been labeled "cord shaving" — people downsizing their programming packages.
Five years ago, you might have taken Dish Network's "everything pack" for ~$80 a month. You got your movie channels, and all the cable networks. Then you got Netflix. For $10/month, you got a selection of commercial free tv shows, and some movies. So do you really need that big programming package anymore, or could you scale it back to just the basics? So then you switch to the AT120 plan for $25/mo. You get your sports, news, kid channels, and the usual players. You may even cut back on the number of receivers on your account.
Doesn't AT&T include internet only subscribers in it's U-verse total?
You're taking at face value the idea that 80,000 people out of 94 MILLION is substantial? And this when the same industry added back 194,000 in the very next quarter?
As for Dish and DirecTV they are getting hurt in the new adds arena by bundling, not cord cutting (an ironic term if ever there was one for satellite).
The long-term issue is certainly real: Cord "nevers" are entering their 20s and "just saying no". But the idea that we are seeing short term aggregate cord cutting is >again< proved false by these numbers.
The 80,000 loss is not at all an accurate metric, you're correct on that.
A better metric is Zero TV households. Nielsen (which has a vested interest in reporting a large size of the potential audience) pegs the number at 5 million.
But let's forget Neilsen for a moment and look at the macro trends.
Nobody can explain away with cyclical variation and seasonally adjusted voodoo that in the same period MVPD's lost" 80,000 subscribers, they didn't gain anywhere near 1.2MM new households.
Using only net household additions, and accounting for churn between services (e.g. Comcast vs. DirecTV), what's happening is a net decline in "TV" households (which Neilsen recognizes and plans to deal with).
100% of the TV Zero households with a device connected to the internet can get (legally or otherwise) all of the content (including sports) that they like. The question is only if the MVPD's are able to create content packages that they can deliver via unmanaged internet at a margin that they can tolerate. Direct-to-consumer IP delivered content is a brutal business. Netflix has an operating margin of 2.3% and a net margin of 0.6%. DirecTV has an operating margin of 28% and a net margin of 9.7% and Dish has a 9.5% operating margin with a 3.3% net. Amazon's even thinner, with a 1.7% operating margin and currently at a -0.1% net margin.
But IP delivery of content via sVOD and tVOD is definitely where all the growth is, and the opportunity and risk here is for the MVPD to innovate their way to new customers.
Mark – you are exactly right. It's bizarre that Janko would essentially ignore new telco TV subs from the aggregate TV subscription "cord" number. "Cord cutting" as a concept refers to separation from an MSO TV subscription – a switch to fios from TWC certainly does not fit that bill. It's akin to warning of the death of the delivery industry if FedEx takes share from UPS.
We've been suckered in by a hyperbolic headline without any reasonable support.
Death to Big Cable. Can't come fast enough.
And so it begins… If they can't get customers, they can't pay rebroadcast fees. Without rebroadcast fees, NBC, ABC, et al have less incentive to maintain bundling. The pressure from industry groups to prop up hacks with paid for opinions will get stronger then blow away… Awesome times. Glad it's finally happening. Only about a decade too late.
I know my wife and I have definitely had enough of the overpaying for internet and tv and are going to be reducing how much we pay for each. You buy the high-end internet and you get low-end quality. You buy the tier right underneath it and you feel like you have the same speed you have before but also at half the cost.
And we are also just going to a basic cable subscription and simply using the internet for shows we want to watch but have to pay four times as much for. We DVR everything anyway, so commercials are a non-factor (well except for that Big Bang Theory is only a 15 minute show, nowadays, and most hour long shows are 43 minutes or less). It would probably be cheaper for us to have an internet-ready tv or run a computer with the tv as its monitor and watch shows that way.
The networks and cable companies need to start paying attention to where its customer base is going before they go bankrupt.
I have an idea for cable companies – they should let customers choose which channels they want to watch. Sure, some will end up spending less than they are now, but at least they will still be buying something. And I even have a name for this kind of service – a la carte programming.
The content providers may not like it, but too bad for them. If they don't want to keep working with the cable companies, they can cut a deal with Aereo.
One other thing I would do if I was running a cable company is build in and turn on a wi-fi hot spot in each cable modem. This would create a wi-fi network with a massive footprint. They could offer free wi-fi service to their subscribers (maybe ones who meet a minimum monthly level), and charge non-subscribers for access to the network. Then they could offer a VoIP app for phones that runs on wi-fi (especially on their network), and compete with mobile networks in urban areas. The incremental cost would be minimal, and they could easily charge $10/mo for the service.
The cable operators need to realize that they sell bandwidth, not content. They don't like that idea, but they should embrace it. There is less risk in selling internet access than in trying to bundle entertainment – hardly anyone is any better at that over a sustained period than they are picking stocks. Given that their competition for wired bandwidth is mostly two arrogant companies who don't believe in and don't want to invest in broadband, they can do well.


Loyalton Elementary School, 2:00 PM, April 12th.
Fantasy Festival 31 : the winning plays of B Street Theatre's annual playwriting contest for kids will be performed.
For more than 30 years the mission of the B Street School Tour has been to provide entertainment to children while encouraging in them a love for the theatre and a specific appreciation for the art of playwriting. B Street Theatre performs 12 times per week, 38 weeks per year in schools, hospitals and public places reaching approximately 200,000 children annually. The performances are a great way to introduce children to live theatre by expressing the art of telling stories on stage.


Dr. Amy Lynch-Biniek | M 5:30-8:20 p.m.
ENG 564 is designed to be a seminar in American Modernism that links cultural studies theory with research methods and writing practice. We'll start the semester reading theory in cultural materialism (Marx, Gramsci, Foucault, Williams, New Historicism, and some Eco Criticism). We'll then zoom into the modernist moment by studying American road stories written from the second half of the 19th century thru the middle of the twentieth century. Is there anything more quintessentially modern and American than the road story? We'll look at writing by Walt Whitman, Sinclair Lewis, Emily Post (yes that one), Theodore Dreiser, and a bunch of folks you haven't heard of yet but you'll be glad you read. We'll study maps, films, popular music, legislation, political rhetoric, and basically all the modes of discourse that contributed to the idea to build literally millions of miles of durable paved roads all over the face of our landscape. By and large what we'll do is map the crystallization of one of America's most definitive genres and, not incidentally, trenchant ideological presuppositions. By the end of the semester, you will have participated with our research community in uncovering new research that ought to set you up for possible publication down the road.
Dr. Anne DeLong | T 6:00-8:50 p.m.
This course covers the broad range of poetry that flourished during the period from approximately 1832 to 1900 in England, the era generally known as the Victorian Age. Gypsies, runaway slaves, murderous madmen….these are some of the dynamic figures who populate Victorian poetry, alongside of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. This graduate course in Victorian poetry expands the traditional canon of Tennyson, Arnold, and (Robert) Browning to include women poets, both the well-known (Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot, Christina Rossetti) and the lesser known (e.g. Michael Field—the collective pen name of Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper, who were aunt and niece as well as lesbian lovers. Victorian poetry will be studied in relation to its social, historical, and cultural contexts. For example, women's sentimental poetry of the period is examined in light of the cultural context of various forms of social oppression, including sexism, slavery, and poverty. Similarly, the epic poems, Tennyson's Idylls of the King and R. Browning's The Ring and the Book, while set in faraway milieus, reveal a great deal about Victorian-era politics, religion, and theories of criminality. Students will also read Victorian poetic theory and consider the definitions of poetry and the poet. Students will be required to deliver an oral report, write two papers, and participate in lively and engaging class discussions. The final project, in lieu of a final exam, can be completed as a literary critical research paper or as a teaching unit designed to be delivered to undergraduate or secondary students.


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Voices of U of U Health
Leader Profile: Smitha Warrier Takes Collaborative, Systems Approach to Surgical Operations
Hurricane Katrina brought me to Utah from Louisiana 15 years ago. The move was sudden and unexpected and came with many changes. Though it was a challenging time, two immediate things struck me about Utah: the people and the culture of collaboration.
From the beginning, I was captivated by Utah's beautiful landscape. As time passed, a deeper focus on the environment developed. A pivotal moment occurred while I attended a lecture about the environmental impact of the anesthesia gases used during surgery. I realized I had taken steps in my personal life to reduce my impact on the environment. But there was a disconnect in my professional life. This really opened my eyes.
I began to investigate what our system was doing to address our environmental impacts. I started with my immediate peers, followed by the larger University of Utah Health system, and then the greater university system. I found a group of enthusiastic people who wanted to help and make a positive impact. Throughout this journey, I Iearned the vital power of collaboration.
My initial curiosity led to greater visibility for this work. U of U Health created a sustainability initiative and I was named the Medical Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability.
Smitha Warrier, MD, (center) discussing U of U Health sustainability efforts during a visit with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May 2022.
Moving Into a New Role
In addition to my sustainability role, I am honored to serve as the Chief Surgical Operations Officer for University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics. This role supports the operations and goals of perioperative services for U of U Health. This is a new role that comes with exciting challenges and learning opportunities. Collaboration is essential.
Collaboration requires a growth mindset, compromise, and a willingness prioritize the needs of the team over the individual. It helps us understand our team members better, build trust, and improve communication. This allows us to be more effective by sharing ideas and coming up with new solutions together. I think strong relationships grow into strong teams, which lead to a successful organization.
I look forward to the new people and areas I will collaborate with in this new role.
My Leadership Values
I enjoy thinking about systems. During my medical training, I learned the value of applying a systems approach to solve problems. I'm the person who asks, "How do we fix this? How do we prevent this from happening again? Who do we bring together to figure this out?
I grew up playing team sports, and I think of medicine as the ultimate team sport. Think of all the people who are working together for the singular purpose of helping one person resolve a medical issue. It's incredible!
I think of leadership in a similar way. I'm not going to answer or solve a problem alone. I need to work with a team of people who can share their skills to make our system better.
Respect is very important to me. Respect for the issues we are dealing with and respect for the colleagues who give everything to help. The more exposure I get to the system at large, the more I respect its complexity. I understand better the unique role each team brings. This deepens my appreciation for the contribution we all make to our health care system and our community.
Smitha Warrier, MD, (center) with U of U Health surgical team.
Facing Our Challenges Together
Amidst the ongoing challenges we face as a society and in health care, it's important to remember the positives. One of the most unique aspects about the University of Utah is its people. They are like no other I've worked with before. We have an amazing workforce that is positive, engaged, and ready to get to work to tackle whatever comes our way. Especially during times of crisis, it's encouraging to work with people who are running to the problem instead of running away. This is a great place to be because we understand that we work better together as One U.
Smitha Warrier, MD, FASA
Smitha Warrier is a board-certified anesthesiologist and an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Utah. Warrier serves as Chief Surgical Operations Officer for University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics and as Medical Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability for U of U Health. She received an MD from Louisiana State University where she also completed three years of residency in otolaryngology, followed by a residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesia at the University of Utah.
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Today's Blog Challenge is what I like doing on a rainy day.
There are more rainy days here in Chicago than Denver. I like it though. Except when I get caught in a deluge walking home from the train – then it's not really so magical. BUT – when I'm in doors I really dig the rain.
Enjoying the best espresso with almond milk and flavored stevia.
Browsing my favorite blogs – check out a few.
excuse me sir – do you know that phone probably gave you a tumor?
Watching PBS-BBC shows – damn you Downton!
What do you do on rainy days? It's nice getting to relax on those kinds of days especially if you do not have to go to work or school!
< Previous Blog Challenge Comrades.
What a nice tribe!Your animals are so beautifully ugly!Like them a lot!
I feel the same way thanks!
Oh, I absolutely love your kitties. I we lived in the same city, you would be looking for them every day, 🙂 at my place!
Enjoy the rainy weather, it is so nice, and perfect for knitting.


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In pharmacology, an antitarget (or off-target) is a receptor, enzyme, or other biological target that, when affected by a drug, causes undesirable side-effects. During drug design and development, it is important for pharmaceutical companies to ensure that new drugs do not show significant activity at any of a range of antitargets, most of which are discovered largely by chance.

Among the best-known and most significant antitargets are the hERG channel and the 5-HT2B receptor, both of which cause long-term problems with heart function that can prove fatal (long QT syndrome and cardiac fibrosis, respectively), in a small but unpredictable proportion of users. Both of these targets were discovered as a result of high levels of distinctive side-effects during the marketing of certain medicines, and, while some older drugs with significant hERG activity are still used with caution, most drugs that have been found to be strong 5-HT2B agonists were withdrawn from the market, and any new compound will almost always be discontinued from further development if initial screening shows high affinity for these targets.

Agonism of the 5-HT2A receptor is an antitarget because 5-HT2A receptor agonists are associated with hallucinogenic effects. According to David E. Nichols, "Discussions over the years with many colleagues working in the pharmaceutical industry have informed me that if upon screening a potential new drug is found to have serotonin 5-HT2A agonist activity, it nearly always signals the end to any further development of that molecule." There are some exceptions however, for instance efavirenz and lorcaserin, which can activate the 5-HT2A receptor and cause psychedelic effects at high doses.

The growth of the field of chemoproteomics has offered a variety of strategies to identify off-targets on a proteome wide scale.

See also
Off-target activity

References

Pharmaceutical industry
Medicinal chemistry
Drug discovery

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Search Results for: will power
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Will Power comes to grips with the loss of his family and friends as he comes face to face with Prehistoria and The Cave in an all-out epic air battle!
Vincent White
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William finds out there are more people want a piece of his hide and that there's more to his presence that first he'd imagined.
Vince White
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Freshly awaken from a 30-year slumber in stasis, young William Power finds there are those that want him dead or alive, including a bloodthirsty mercenary that goes by the name "Payday!"
This is the tale of a young teen named WILLIAM POWER and his epic journey that will cast him at odds with everything he knows! See how this modest teen football captain has the universe turned upside-down and his fate sealed to become the legendary WILL POWER!
Firepower #1
An explosion at a top secret energy plant releases the spirit of a Fire Giant which merges with Motocross racing champion Robby Flint resulting in the creation of the fiery superhero Firepower!
Dale Henry Mullins
When motocross racing champion Robby Flint and a Viking Fire Giant get caught up in a magical spell that goes horribly wrong the two become merged creating the superhero Firepower! With the powers and temperament of fire itself. Impulsive, restless and thrill-seeking by nature, Robby blazes a path into far-out action and adventure!


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Guardian Environment Network
Hailed as a miracle biofuel, jatropha falls short of hype
The scrubby jatropha tree has been touted as a wonder biofuel with unlimited potential. But questions are now emerging as to whether widespread jatropha cultivation is really feasible or whether it will simply displace badly needed food crops in the developing world. By Jon R. Luoma of Yale Environment 360, part of Guardian Environment Network
From Yale Environment 360, part of Guardian Environment Network
Tue 5 May 2009 08.15 EDT
The scrubby jatropha tree has been touted as a wonder biofuel with unlimited potential. But questions are now emerging as to whether widespread jatropha cultivation is really feasible or whether it will simply displace badly-needed food crops in the developing world.
by jon r. luoma
The widespread publicity surrounding a seeming wonder-plant called Jatropha curcas began in earnest in the mid-2000s. A good-news story, it went like this: In the mildly toxic, oval-shaped, oily seeds of this hardy, shrubby tree was a near-miraculous source of biofuel. Since jatropha could grow on arid, barren lands, cultivating it would avoid displacing food crops such as corn and soybeans — a major drawback of so-called first generation biofuels. The world's thirst for combustible fuels could be slaked, according to the buzz surrounding jatropha, with energy harvested from wastelands rather than from fertile fields.
Native to Central America and well-adapted to the tropics and subtropics, jatropha seemed a boon for the very places with some of the highest rates of poverty and plenty of hot, dry lands: the global south, from Latin America to Africa to Asia. Not only was the cultivation of jatropha supposed to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere than it released, but the miracle tree could also stabilize and restore degraded soils. That's surely why Scientific American in 2007 called jatropha "green gold in a shrub," a plant that "seems to offer all the benefits of biofuels without the pitfalls."
Fast forward a couple of years. By 2009, governments from China to Brazil, along with several major biofuel companies, had planted — or vowed to plant — millions of acres of jatropha. In India alone, the government has announced plans to subsidize an intensive program to plant jatropha for biofuels on 27 million acres of "wastelands" — an area roughly the size of Switzerland. And the jatropha push is on in other countries such as Myanmar, Malaysia, Malawi, and Brazil.
Despite all this, however, it's not at all clear that jatropha will ever be the green gold it's been cracked up to be. In fact, no one yet seems to know for sure if the kind of large-scale jatropha plantations that would make a real dent in world fuel demand can actually be productive, while also avoiding the problems associated with growing corn, sugar cane, and soybeans for biofuel.
Today, most jatropha grown for biofuels is cultivated on plots of less than 12 acres and is primarily used locally. A global biofuels market for jatropha
is only just beginning to emerge. One of the handful of companies involved in large-scale jatropha production is D1 Oils, a U.K.-based biofuels technology company that says it already has more than a half-million acres under cultivation, much of it in India. A 2008 report by jatropha producers said that 242 cultivation projects existed globally, growing the tree on 2.2 million acres; by comparison, Brazil alone grows sugarcane for ethanol on 7.2 million acres of land.
A key issue surrounding jatropha is the productivity of the tree in the dry, degraded lands on which it is said to thrive. Rob Bailis, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, along with Yale Ph.D. candidate Jennifer Baka, recently launched the first detailed "life cycle" environment assessment of jatropha as a biofuel. Although their study is in its early stages, Bailis notes that it's already clear that, while jatropha can indeed grow on lands with minimal water and poor nutrition, "if you plant trees in a marginal area, and all they do is just not die, it doesn't mean you're going to get a lot of oil from them."
He says evidence suggests that the tree will grow far more productively on higher quality land with more rainfall or irrigation. Indeed, even executives at D1 Oils warn against overestimating jatropha's potential to produce economically viable yields on severely degraded lands.
"If you grow jatropha in marginal conditions, you can expect marginal yields," says Vincent Volckaert, the Africa regional director for D1.
And there's the rub, says Bailis. "If you grow it in better agricultural conditions, all the alarm bells go off as you get into the same food-versus-fuel debate we've seen with [biofuel from] corn."
Although it may still be early in the jatropha story, some of those alarm bells have already sounded.
Consider India's great push to plant jatropha. According to the Indian environmental group, Navdanya, government foresters have drained rice paddies in order to plant jatropha in the poor and mostly tribal state of Chhattisgarh. As early as mid-2007, protests broke out in the mostly desert state of Rajasthan over a government scheme to reclassify village commons lands — widely used for grazing livestock — as "wastelands" targeted for biofuel production, primarily jatropha.
On Mindanao, the second-largest of the Philippine islands, protests erupted in late 2008, with indigenous leaders insisting that jatropha plantations had begun to displace needed crops of rice, corn, bananas, and root vegetables.
A striking symbol of jatropha's pitfalls can be found in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Late in 2005, Myanmar's military dictatorship — newly enamored with what's been called "the biofuel tree " — ordered all of that nation's states and other political divisions to plant about a half-million acres each. In a predominantly agrarian country where child malnutrition is rampant, entire plantations have sprung up where food crops once grew. Under the threat of imprisonment, households have been forced to buy seed and plant jatropha in backyard gardens. Human rights groups report that teachers and their pupils, along with medical and government workers, have all been pressed into service to plant jatropha.
Yet according to scattered stories that have leaked out of a country generally closed to the foreign news media, the same government that infamously bungled its response to a devastating May 2008 typhoon did not have the foresight to build adequate infrastructure to mill the jatropha seeds or process them into biofuel. The seeds — grown at the expense of food crops — were left to simply rot on the ground.
It's not all bad news. In the West African nation of Mali, on the southern edge of the Sahara, jatropha had long been grown as a sort of living fence to keep wildlife from crops, and sometimes as a source of handmade soap. In recent years, often with the help of nonprofit groups like the Denmark-based charity Folkecenter, local jatropha processing mills have appeared in hundreds of villages, providing fuel for lamps, cookstoves, and generators. The biofuel is not only cheaper than conventional oil and diesel, but it is available during rainy seasons, when impassable roads can block conventional fuel delivery. Even the solid "press cake" left over after the oil is squeezed out of the seeds has value as either an organic fertilizer or, if processed to neutralize the natural toxicity, animal feed.
But for jatropha to reach wonder-plant status — to make even a meaningful dent in a world that presently consumes 80 million barrels of oil every day — the tree would have to be grown on a scale far beyond the village level. Jatropha's potential was recently underscored by highly publicized jet test flights using a mix of jatropha and other biofuels. Boeing reported that at altitudes where fuels must last hours at sub-zero temperatures, the jatropha/biofuel mix not only performed well, but actually had a higher freezing point than conventional jet fuel. Jatropha fuel also contains more energy per gallon, meaning less fuel weight has to be lifted off the ground. In March, Boeing officials told a Congressional hearing that they were "very confident" that jet fuels from plants such as jatropha could power their planes in a low-carbon future.
In an early 2008 test, Virgin Airlines flew a jet from London to Amsterdam powered with a dollop — about five percent — of a similar biofuel, this one made from coconut oil. Never mind that the British magazine, New Scientist, calculated that it could take 150,000 coconuts to fully power even that short flight. Virgin CEO Richard Branson suggested that jatropha grown on arid soils could be the ticket for a green-fueled aviation industry, whereupon New Scientist calculated that it would take land twice the size of France to grow enough jatropha to power the world's jet fleet. (Dramatic boosts in yields could improve that equation.)
If jatropha is to be grown on an industrial scale, the plant will need to be tamed and cultivated, and its oil yields vastly enhanced through conventional plant breeding or genetic manipulation. A San Diego start-up company, SG Biofuels, says it has amassed the world's most complete library of jatropha genetic material and, with a cadre of scientists on its staff, believes it is on the way to quadrupling oil yields from 200 gallons per acre to 800 gallons per acre. A comparable boost in yields came after rubber trees were domesticated.
Even if enterprises like SG and D1 Oils can push the genetic envelope enough to make jatropha profitable, will the world actually be able to benefit from growing and processing the plant on a large scale? The jury's still out. Yale's Bailis says his life-cycle study still hasn't established that jatropha biofuel will ever be "carbon positive," meaning that growing the plant absorbs more CO2 from the air than it releases. He says he suspects that it can be, but he also points out that if cultivating the plant means leveling forests or plowing up native vegetation, large volumes of carbon would be released, possibly canceling out any benefits.
Whether jatropha will turn out to be the wonder plant it was originally touted to be will depend a great deal on how and where it is grown — an issue that must be resolved by scientists, businesses, and governments. "Whether it turns out to be a positive or a negative is going to depend a great deal on how it's addressed at the policy level," Bailis says.
The best outcome might be to slow down the jatropha steamroller and let science sort out whether it can be grown on a mass scale in ways that make it preferable to food-based biofuels. If not, it may turn out that the world will still have to wait for a second generation of truly viable biofuels.
• From Yale Environment 360, part of Guardian Environment Network