Maintaining a successful website is no easy task. Aside from writing compelling content, distributing it on prolific channels and boosting its potential outreach, your site needs to deliver the best user experience, as fast as possible, so that you can both attract new visitors and keep the current ones coming back for more. There are a lot of technical issues that need to be taken into consideration, but there is one that stands out every time, that infamously succeeds in pushing away your visitors: slow load times.
There are a lot of factors which can impact your load times and a lot of optimizations you can implement to prevent that from happening. You can choose from a wide array of options: opt for a fast theme, install a caching plugin (we've developed our own caching mechanism to help you out), install clean plugins and keep them updated, optimize your database, delete old posts revisions and the list can go on and on. However, the first thing you need to take into consideration is optimizing your images. Images are greatly surpassing in size the plain text, but as the old saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words", hence the visual-first trend across the web that needs a supporting solution.
Image optimization implies reducing the file size of your images as much as possible, without sacrificing quality, so that your page load times remains low. There are a lot of image optimization plugins out there, so we have chosen a few ones that do a great job at optimizing images and that are 100% compatible with our platform.
Automatically process new images on upload. After installing and enabling the plugin, every JPG, PNG, and GIF you upload will be automatically optimized, using the default compression method.
Optimizes thumbnails. Image thumbnails created by WordPress during the uploading process, you can deselect thumbnails from compression.
Saves a backup of every image you upload. Automatically storing the original copy of the image makes it easy to restore anytime you need it.
The tests were made using the plugins default settings and free plans.
ShortPixel not only scores well when it comes to compression, but it also has a nice interface. ShortPixel is entirely compatible with our platform, and their on point support team has helped us in solving any issues.
As the name implies, it's easy to install—simply search it in the WordPress plugins, install it and activate it. Like most of plugins, it requires an API key. If you want to set up the ShortPixel plugin, you'll be prompted to enter an API key during the activation process, which is provided for free by signing up with your email to their subscription list and doesn't require any additional information.
ShortPixel comes with an intuitive, easy to use interface.
Each optimization option comes with a short description to help you in the process of choosing the best settings to optimize your images. By default, lossy compression is enabled, along with thumbnails optimization, image backups and the removal of EXIF tags. There is also a default image resize feature that will resize the images for you.
To bulk optimize your images, you can use the bulk optimization tool either directly from the ShortPixel Settings ( the "Save and Go to Bulk Process" button ) or from the Media library -> Bulk ShortPixel.
Total images to be optimized. Shortpixel is the only one from our list that offers the possibility to bulk restore the images from the media library.
Individual images can be compressed by opening your Media Library in the List View format, where each file will appear with an individual Optimize Now button alongside it.
For each compressed image you can see the compression method used (lossy, lossless or glossy) and how much it was reduced. You can also compare the optimized image with the original one, you can re-optimize it with another image compression method or you can easily restore the original image.
You can also bulk optimize selected images by simply selecting the images you want to optimize or reoptimize from the Media Library, and then select the action you want to perform from the Bulk actions drop-down.
Shortpixel also offers statistics regarding average compression files and saved disk space, as well as details regarding your Shortpixel plan: number of images processed this month, remaining images in your plan, the total number of processed files, your backup folder size (which can be emptied if you wish so).
Optimizes PDFs and generates free WebP versions of the images. Besides compressing images that reside in the media library, the plugin also compresses images from galleries, like NextGEN or those added via FTP.
The glossy JPEG compression feature is sure to delight photographers.
Your free quota & paid quota are treated separately. This way you always have 100 free image compressions. Yay!
Support for Working with Cloudflare.
This plugin is updated on a regular basis & has 90K+ active installs with a 4.5-star rating.
The free account allows you to reduce the sizes of 100 images and thumbnails per month. If you need more image optimization credits, you can purchase monthly and one-time plans according to your needs, as well as earn extra credits from referring new users to the service.
If you exhaust your free image credits, ShortPixel will stop optimizing. You can either wait for the next month's quota when your plan will renew, or change your plan.
ShortPixel comes with 100 free credits/month and additional credits can be bought with as little as $4.99 for 5,000 image credits. They offer monthly pricing plans, one-time plans and also the possibility of dedicated servers. The monthly plans start with as little as $4.99 for 5,000 images and the one-time plans with $9.99 for 10,000 images. The latter is a great choice if you wish to bulk optimize the images you have in your database. With each purchase, the one-time plans will add up to your quota.
Imagify offers you a well designed and easy to use interface, while also taking good care of your images.
It's really easy to install, just simply search it in the WordPress plugins, install and activate it. A message showing you the steps for configuring your account pops up immediately in the plugins section.
In the Settings section -> Imagify you can simply request an API key by providing your email address. You will receive an email containing both your API key and Imagify account credential shortly.
You need to enter your API key where specified, and your account is now all set up.
Imagify comes with a nice interface, allowing you to configure the settings for each optimization level: normal, aggressive or ultra. The normal level uses a lossless compression, whereas the aggressive and ultra ones use the lossy compression. Each option is accompanied by a short description to help you decide if you need the setting or not. The general settings allow you to set auto-optimize images on load, backup original images and keep EXIf data.
The optimization settings allow you to set a maximum pixel's width and select the thumbnail dimensions to be optimized, as well as select custom folders for optimization.
You can easily spot your account type, which in this case is the free one. One great feature offered by Imagify is calculating what kind of plan you need, correlating with the total number of original images that have been optimized.
You can use the Bulk Optimization to optimize all the images on your site from Media -> Bulk optimization. The images will be optimized using the last compression method you saved from the Imagify settings page, which is by default the aggressive one, which offers the best compression while also keeping an unnoticeable photo quality.
You can also optimize images individually from the Media Library. After an image is optimized, you can see details about the level of optimization, overall saving, the old and new file sizes, as well as the number of optimized thumbnails. You also have the possibility to reoptimize each image using another level of compression or restore the original image.
Imagify offers only the basic features presented at the begging of the article, grouped in three levels of optimization: normal (lossless), aggressive (lossy) and ultra (lossy). These settings are more than enough for basic optimization needs.
This plugin is updated on a regular basis & has 100K+ active installs with a 4.5-star rating.
The free account allows you to optimize for free 25MB of images (about 250 images) every month and you will receive a 25MB bonus upon registration. Also, on the free account, you cannot optimize images greater than 2 MB. With a free account, once your quota is reached, you cannot optimize new images before renewal. With a paid account, you will be charged according to additional GB pricing of your subscription.
Imagify offers free accounts, where you can optimize for free 25MB of images every month and you will receive a 25MB bonus upon registration. It includes monthly plans starting at $4.99 for 1GB of data per month, which they approximate covers for 10 000 images. Imagify also offers one time plans, starting at $5.99 for 500MB of data (approx. 5000 images).
For security reasons, the Ewww Image Optimizer is banned on our platform, since it requires the exec function, which is blocked by us. We recommend using the EWWW Image Optimizer Cloud, which offers a cloud optimization feature, instead of the optimization process taking place within your own servers.
To install EWWW Image Optimizer Cloud, search it in the WordPress plugins section, install and activate it. Like most other plugins, it requires an API key. Here it gets a little trickier since the Cloud version of EWWW Image Optimizer does not offer a free account possibility. They charge based on how many images you're processing per month (thumbnails included), with a small fee for the chosen plan. By subscribing to the Meteor Monthly plan, the fee you have to pay is $0.99 and you get 500 free credits upon registration, this means you can optimize for $0.99 500 images or thumbnails, afterward you will be charged with $0.003/ image.
Upon registration, you will receive an email with your API key, that you need to enter it in the Settings section of the plugin.
Ewww Image Optimizer Cloud offers more complex settings, which results in a more intricated interface. This can seem overwhelming to a user who merely needs basic image optimizations, but you can use the default settings for basic optimization needs. The lossless method is enabled by default, so be aware of changing it to the lossy one if you need better optimization. Also, the default settings do not include any resing option regarding larger images.
To bulk optimize your images, go to Media -> Bulk Optimize.
On the right corner are displayed the image credits you have left. If you surpass your credits, you will be charged with $0.003 / image. You can visualize the optimized images or scan for unoptimized images, which will tell you how many images will be optimized, and you can start optimizing them.
You can stop the process, resume it or reset it at any time during the optimization. You can also optimize your images individually from the Media Library. For this purpose, you have an "Optimize now" button for each image that has not been optimized and the possibility to restore the original image for each optimized image. Keep in mind that EWWW Image Optimizer Cloud only keeps the original images for 30 days, so after this period, you won't be able to restore your images anymore.
You can also reoptimize your images, if for example you change your optimization settings, or visualize details of the optimized images and thumbnails.
With ExactDN support, images will be automatically resized to fit the page and device size. ExactDN also enables automatic WebP and Retina images when needed.
The default Ewww Image Optimizer Cloud setting for PNG images is set to a lossless compression. This is the reason the PNG images was reduced by only 4.1%. Changing the PNG compression to lossy, the png image is reduced with 59.1%, which is a far better compression.
This plugin is updated on a regular basis & has 6K+ active installs with a 4-star rating.
Ewww Image Optimizer Cloud does not provide a free account, you need to sign up for a plan to test it.
Ewww Image Optimizer Cloud charges per image you optimize, thumbnails included. They have a start fee, that for the monthly plan, for example, is $0.99, and $0.003 for every image you compress. Upon registration, you receive 500 free credits (images to compress).
Do you feel confused about all the features and settings presented above? Optimole is a "hassle free" image optimization plugin, which handles resizing, compressing and serving your images via CDN on the fly, as soon as you activate it and without further configuration.
Optimole is easy to install—simply search it in the WordPress plugins, install and activate it. It required an API key which you will get as soon as you register your email address.
Then introduce the API key and you are all set, their "moles" will automatically start taking care of your images.
Optimole looks like a truly install-and-forget-about-it plugin. After installing it and configuring your API key, it automatically starts taking care of your images. Just sit back and focus on publishing, while their "moles" do all the magic behind.
How does Optimole work? Most image optimization plugins optimize and replace the images in the Media Library, while keeping backups of the original images for a certain amount of time. Optimole brings a totally different approach: it uses the Amazon's Cloudfront CDN to optimize and serve your images. Simply put, the images you upload remain in the media library at their original size, but when a user accesses an image, it will be optimized and served through their CDN. This means that if you just upload an image and not use it anywhere on your site, it won't be processed nor used by the service.
With Optimole, images are optimized and served via CDN on the fly, as soon as a user accesses them. The images are processed for best results with both lossless and lossy optimization and are automatically resized for any device, so their sizes depend on many factors. For these tests, the images have been inserted in a blog post and their size has been checked in a desktop browser. Also, these "Reduced by" percentages are calculated per image, whereas the percentages calculated by the other plugins also include image thumbnails.
Optimole is a newcomer in the image optimization world, but has already 3K+ active installs and it is regularly maintained.
The free plan allows you to optimize 1GB of images per month and 10GB of viewing bandwidth. Il also serves the images from the default CDN, from 7 locations around the world, while on the paid plans they have Amazon Cloudfront CDN, with more than 130 locations around the globe.
Optimole includes most of the features the other plugins have and more, but the image compression is handled automatically and there is little room for customized settings.
Besides the free plan which includes 1GB of images per month, Optimole has 2 monthly paid plans: Premium – 9.99€ and 10 GB of images per month and Enterprise – from 100€ and 750 GB of images per month.
From the quality point of view, all plugins do a great job and you cannot tell the difference between the original and the optimized versions.
In terms of compression, ShortPixel does a great job, reducing the images with more than 80%, thumbnails included. Imagify and Ewww Image Optimizer Cloud do a good job too, reducing the images with 60-70%. Optimole comes with a new approach – serving images through Amazon's CDN, which results in images reduced by more than 80%.
Shortpixel and Imagify keep backups until you delete them, Ewww Image Optimizer Cloud only keeps backups for 30 days. Optimole does not replace the images in your database.
Rather than charging by the number of images like ShortPixel and Ewww Image Optimizer Cloud, Imagify and Optimole charge by the aggregate file size of all the files you optimize.
The first three plugins offer the same features for both free and paid plans, they only differ in the number of images you can optimize. Optimole adds up special features in their paid plans, such as Cloudfront CDN served from 130+ locations instead of their default CDN, custom CNAME and priority support.


The Belia Mualaf As-Syahadah of the Islamic Dakwah Centre, with the cooperation of Nadi Quranic Learning Centre, launched the Tamhid Class for new converts last night with the aim to improve their Al-Quran reading. The Tamhid class was launched by Awang Abdul Aziz bin Haji Abdul Kahar, Acting Assistant Director at the Islamic Da'wah Centre. Over 50 new converts take part in the class. According to Dayang Sukmawati Dewi binti Masduki, the Managing Director of Neuro Nadi International Brunei, participants will undertake the basic class, followed by tajwid and talaqi' classes where they will be guided by teachers from Nadi Quranic Learning Centre.


text:
1=3 Give Back Program By Debbie Eisele
BANDED provides initiative to help feed children in need
BANDED is a maker with a mission to give-back to a variety of causes. In a recent interview with Amanda McKenzie, sales and merchandising associate for BANDED, this is what Gift Shop discovered.
All photos courtesy of BANDED.
What is your mission?
BANDED's mission is to create great product while serving a greater purpose.
How do your products serve the mission?
BANDED's 1=3 giveback program supports our food ministry partner, Food for the Poor, serving Latin America and the Caribbean. For every one product sold, we provide a full day's worth of meals for a child in need. One (1) BANDED product = 3 meals served. It's that simple. Launched in 2013 with a patented no-slip headband and a burning desire to make an impact, BANDED has provided more than 12 million meals for children in need. We are more than a headband.
What are the plans for the future?
As a woman-owned, -led, -designed and -operated company, we are always looking for opportunities to support and lift-up other women. In addition to our current sustainability practices, BANDED is working toward 100% recycled/recyclable product packaging. We are constantly striving to be good stewards of the earth and looking for ways that we can do so as a company.
While we are proud of our original product, we have grown to be so much more. Our range of high-quality, giftable fashion accessories has expanded to meet the needs of the woman, baby, and capsule collections for the BANDED girl and man.
How can retailers get involved?
For more information, visit www.banded2gether.com. Or, you can reach out to Amanda McKenzie at amanda.mckenzie@banded2gether.com for information on who we are, what we're about, and how to order.
Debbie Eisele
Debbie Eisele is the managing editor for Gift Shop Plus, which now includes museums&MORE, and Stationery Trends. Eisele is also the managing editor for a variety of specialty publications including: The Guide, Holiday Shop and Celebrations & Occasions.
Las Vegas Market, Houseware Design Awards big hit this winter
Paging Gift Books
Pawducts with Purpose
Adam Glassman serves as Gift for Life 2021 honorary chair

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
G.I.Joel. Executive Officer Campaign
Alice Taylor
G.I.Joel Campaign
I was the social media director for a fellow Loughborough University student's successful executive officer campaign. At Loughborough University, the student's executive officers are past students that have ran for their respective positions, and then been voted for by Loughborough students. In order to be voted for, those running typically run a campaign that is based on a pun of their name. In this case Joel Brocklehurst decided to choose the theme of the Real American Hero, G.I.Joe, which we changed to G.I.Joel. Over 10 days, the students running for the executive officer positions dress up according to their campaign's theme and try and get their name heard around the university so as to befriend those voting.
The final poster for G.I.Joel's campaign
Each campaign had an official poster, which was posted around the university throughout the campaigning week. As stated by the official poster guidelines, I had to include a blank 5cm x 5cm box somewhere on the document, so that the campaign's official logo could be added to it once we had sent off the final poster file.
A screenshot from the official campaign page, featuring a cover photo made for specifically for the campaign's cover photo.
A selection of personalised profile photos.
Those who supported Joel in his campaign were encouraged to publicly demonstrate that. We thus made everyone who had said they supported the campaign, a personalised profile photo. I made this on Photoshop so that I could easily paste the profile photo of each respective person, beneath the border.
A mockup of the t-shirt, that I sent off to be made by a production company.
Each campaign had their own t-shirt. We decided that we wanted to use the logo of the campaign on a khaki top, as it was simple but effective.
People campaigning in the tops designed.
All of the photos taken on nights out each candidate's respective campaign watermark on them. We decided that a tank linked well to the theme of the campaign, and would work well as a background to the campaign's logo in images. Making the watermark semi-transparent allowed for it to not hinder the aesthetics of the photos too much, and therefore keep the chances of those photographed sharing the images quite high.
At the end of the week I put together a short video, that featured clips from night out campaigning, to general interviews, using iMovie. Though this didn't need to be done, I felt it was a nice way to showcase the effort the campaign team and candidate had gone to throughout the campaigning week.
Surf society animation
by: Alice Taylor
HFL Refreshers T-Shirts
'The Prince and the Ogress' eBook
Harry French Freshers T-Shirts 2017
1st Year - Borderline Arts leaflet
Published: April 2nd 2018
Loughborough, United Kingdom


You asked. We listened. Introducing our JO SILICONE FREE HYBRID; a water-based personal lubricant made with coconut oil. The delicate coconut aroma and rich creamy texture makes this product a must have for solo, couple and/or silicone toy play.


text:
Q: I am getting Uncaught Error: Maximum update depth exceeded when I tried to pass one custom intermediate function for validate prop of redux form field My component where I am passing validate prop    ->>>>
<div className="label-input-container activity-reason-dropdown">
                <Dropdown
                    dataAutomationId="identification-activity-reason"
                    name="identificationActivityReason"
                    label={<Translate id={isFromParameter ? 'updateParameter.updateReason' : 'commonComponentsLabels.activityReason'} />}
                    values={options}
                    disablePortal
                    disableClearable
                    mandatory
                    **validate={(value: any) => {
                        val(value);
                    }}**
                    customDropdownClass="activity-dropdown-heigh-issue"
                    placeholder="Select Reason"
                />
            </div>

validator intermediate function ->>>>
const val = (value: any) => requiredActivityReason(value, customProp);

actual validating function ->>>>
export const requiredActivityReason = (inputValue: any, customProp: any) => ((inputValue || typeof inputValue === 'number') ? undefined : 'Please select activity reason');

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This is a placeholder page for Amber Ullius, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Amber Ullius.
You are visiting the placeholder page for Amber Ullius. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Amber Ullius. We created this page automatically in hopes Amber Ullius would find it. If you are not Amber Ullius, but are an alumni of Campbellsport High School, register on this site for free now.


text:
Q: How to implement loading indicator with Redux in an app with multiple containers without code repetition? Managed to eliminate the repeating loading indicator state logic from the reducers of multiple container components by implementing a root reducer that handles the loading flags with a naming convention of the actions.
After a bit of refactoring the following piece of code is still repeating through my container components render method:

const mapStateToProps = (state) => ({
  isLoading: loadingSelector(state)
});

if (this.props.isLoading) {
  return <LoadingIndicator />;
}
return <ActualComponent />

It bothers me to have that kind of code repetition but I couldn't find a way to do it in a centralised manner.
Is there a better pattern to do this or it is normal to have that sort of code repetition in the containers?

A: 1: dispatch(showLoading(data)) & store = { isLoading: undefined }
2: If it's a component like Card, default state should be loading
Any other case?


Ayya Santacārī Bhikkhunī, a Buddhist nun in the Theravadan tradition has come to live in Christies Beach, south of Adelaide in South Australia.
Ayya Santacārī hosts meditation, Dhamma talks and Dhamma discussions in the lovely peaceful shrine room and garden space throughout the week. For those who have already learned to meditate, sitting practice times are also offered. You can see the schedule here.
See the pictures of Samaneri Pasanna's ordination here.
Ajahn Metino will be visiting us in March this year. Please Join us for the opportunity to hear the Dhamma shared with us in English by the Venerable Thai monk Ajahn Dr Vimokkha Mendhino, the abbot of the Thai Forest Monastery Pipphalivanaram.
Call Ayya on 0401 080 953 if you would like to offer Dana to Ajahn.
Dakkhina Dhammatthala is a Vihara of the Buddhist Society of South Australia.
Looking for a name for the vihara, I contacted my Samaneri preceptor, Ayya Tathālokā Bhikkhunī and she kindly provided this name: Dakkhiṇa Dhammatthala: Southern Oasis of Dhamma.
one is freed from evil, devoid of distress, refreshed with the nourishment of rapture in the Dhamma.


Fueled by neon lights and around-the-clock energy, New York is a city in constant flux that truly embraces the "New" in its name.
In the Spring of 2016, the esteemed Metropolitan Museum of Art opened The Met Breuer, a new space to feature modern and contemporary art. The Met Breuer takes an international approach, filling architect Marcel Breuer's Madison Avenue landmark building with 20th and 21st century works by artists from around the globe. Open until July 22, Like Life: Sculpture, Color, and the Body (1300-Now) explores the enduring investigation of realism in sculptural art from the past seven hundred years. The exhibit is complemented by (C)arbon, a performance series by Andrea Miller, The Met's 2017-2018 Artist in Residence. The performances, which feature the dancers of Gallim, Miller's dance company, place the spotlight on the human body through dance, film and soundscape.
The landmark Queens Museum, founded in 1972 and housed in the New York City Building, built for the 1939 World's Fair, doubled in size in 2013 when it completed an expansion project. The new space was designed to promote openness and flexibility, providing spacious areas for not only permanent collections, but also temporary exhibitions. More than 6,000 of the objects in the permanent collection of about 10,000 items are related to the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. Work by conceptual artist Mel Chin is currently on exhibition in Mel Chin: All Over the Place through August 12. The exhibit spans multiple sites around the city, including Times Square and the Broadway-Lafayette subway station.
The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, managed by the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation, was awarded Museum status in 2011. The SoHo gallery is primarily dedicated to visual work created by LGBTQ artists or focused on LGBTQ themes. The Museum boasts over 30,000 objects of LGBTQ art in its collections and serves as a cultural hub for queer communities. Through August 5, the gallery will exhibit OUT FOR THE CAMERA: The Self-Portraits of Leonard Fink. Though much of American gay photographer Leonard Fink's work documents the West Village bar culture and Pride marches, the exhibit focuses on Fink's investigation self-image through his self portraits.
For more on what to do in New York, visit our Destinations page.


Peter Shmock began developing the Life Athlete in 1975—though he didn't realize it then. In his attempt to make his first Olympic Track and Field team, he was working harder than ever, but failing to achieve his goals. Something was off. The harder he worked, the worse his results.
Peter came to realize that what he had been taught was simply wrong. Not only wrong, but counterintuitive to what he—and a lot of other top competitors and famous coaches—had always believed. The way of the Life Athlete grew from self-discovery, trial and error, and wise words from great athlete and mentors with whom Peter has worked over the years.
In the four decades since, Peter has continued to develop and improve the Life Athlete: a better way to stay fit, have more energy, and perform better in day-to-day life.


text:
The 5 Most Reliable Livestock Guardian Dogs
By Christy Caplan | November 9, 2018
Livestock Guardian Dogs, or LGDs, are invaluable to anyone with a homestead that includes poultry, sheep or goats and needs protection from predators. Most folks have a preference or an opinion on the best LGDs to protect their flock (this "flock" could include animals and small humans), but all five of these breeds are solid choices.
These breeds all have incredible stories and their heritage goes all the way back to early civilization (like Biblical times) in some cases! As you can imagine, socialization experiences for all five livestock guardian dogs are really important during their youth.
1. Anatolian Shepherd
Anatolia is the peninsula that constitutes the Asian portion of Turkey.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) explains,
"It was at this crossroads of early civilization that sheep and goat herders developed a livestock guardian known as the Coban Kopegi ("shepherd's dog"), forerunner of today's Anatolia." American ranchers began importing Anatolians in the postwar 1950s, but the breed really took hold in this country in the 1970s.
These fast and agile dogs with superior hearing are more than a match for predators.
The Anatolian Shepherd dog was developed to be independent and forceful, responsible for guarding its master's flocks without human assistance or direction. They weigh between 90 and 150 pounds so this breed needs a strong pack leader! The general appearance of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a tall, rugged and powerful livestock guardian dog with a dense double coat, and a broad strong head.
2. Great Pyrenees
The Great Pyrenees was once known as the royal dog of France and, with his stunning white coat and imposing presence, is considered to be one of the most beautiful breeds.
In France, the Great Pyrenees is nicknamed Patou, a word meaning shepherd.
This livestock guard dog weights between 85 and 115 pounds. Thanks to his long, thick double coat, he thrives in colder environments. They will bark at anything that seems to be a threat. And this could be a suspicious looking friend!
3. Komondor
For many centuries the Komondor (Koms) has been the king of Hungarian flock dogs. Koms guard sheep at pasture and are known to run off wolves.
The AKC explains that the working Komondor lives during the greater part of the year in the open, and his coat of heavy white cords serves to help him blend in with his flock and to protect him from extreme weather.
His main role is predator protection.
A big male can weigh over 100 pounds. The beautiful corded coat requires special care. They are agile and light-footed!
4. Tibetan Mastiff
Known as the livestock guardian dog supreme, they are aloof and territorial with strangers.
Our staff found this interesting fact in research: The Tibetan Mastiff is so ancient, and Tibet has always been so isolated, that it's impossible to say how or when they came to be! They were the mighty guardians of the Himalayas.
They weigh well over 100 pounds. They are protective and loyal but they do not display aggressive behavior as some may believe. Other breeds in the Mastiff family include the Pyrenean Mastiff and the Spanish Mastiff.
They are known for being tall with a heavy coat and a bushy tail that curves over his back.
5. Kuvasz
This 100-115 pound dog is loyal, fearless and sweet.
The livestock guardian dog came to Hungary in the Middle Ages, but it's thought their lineage goes back to ancient Turkey and Tibet. These nimble footed protectors make wonderful companion dogs too.
This guardian dog breed is not only for livestock protection but they're self-thinkers.
The Kuvasz can tend to become overweight so you must watch the amount of dog food that is given each day. They are very willing to do anything for treats!
Do you have a fave LGD from the above list? Did we miss any of the most popular LGD's? Please let us know in the comments below!
WATCH NOW: Great Danes Are Big Dogs


text:
This is a list of notable Acehnese people.

Academics
 Dina Astita, tsunami survivor
 Teuku Jacob, paleoanthropologist

Athletes
 Ismed Sofyan, football athlete
 Jalwandi, football
 Teuku Ichsan

Businesspeople
 Surya Paloh, owner of Metro TV

Entertainment
 P. Ramlee, Malaysian film director
 Qory Sandioriva, Puteri Indonesia 2010, Miss Universe Indonesia 2010, film actress, model
 Teuku Wisnu, soap opera actor

Islamic scholars
 Hamzah Fansuri
 Nuruddin ar-Raniri

Sultanates
 Alauddin al Qahhar, a sultan of Aceh Sultanate
 Ali Mughayat Syah, a sultan of Aceh Sultanate
 Iskandar Muda, a sultan of Aceh Sultanate
 Iskandar Thani, a sultan of Aceh Sultanate
 Ratu Zainatuddin of Aceh, a sultana of Aceh Sultanate
 Salahuddin of Aceh, a sultan of Aceh Sultanate
 Ratu Safiatuddin Taj ul-Alam, a sultana of Aceh Sultanate

Military
 Daud Bereueh, military Governor of Aceh
 Hasan di Tiro, founder of the Free Aceh Movement

National heroes
 Cut Nyak Dhien
 Cut Nyak Meutia
 Teuku Umar
 Teuku Muhammad Hasan

Politicians
 Abdoe'lxarim M. S. (1901–60) former Communist Party notable and Boven-Digoel internee
 Azwar Abubakar, former governor of Aceh, former Minister for Administrative Reform
 Hasballah M. Saad, former Minister of Law and Human Rights
 Irwandi Yusuf, former governor of Aceh (2007–2012)
 Jusman Syafii Djamal, former Minister of Transportation
 Muhammad Nazar, former vice governor of Aceh (2007–2012)
 Mustafa Abubakar, former acting governor of Aceh (2006), former state minister of state enterprises
 Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, current Malaysian Minister of the Federal Territories and former minister of Tourism (2006–2008)
 Zaini Abdullah, current governor of Aceh

See also
 Acehnese people
 List of Batak people
 List of Bugis people
 List of Chinese Indonesians
 List of Javanese people
 List of Minangkabaus
 List of Moluccan people
 List of Sundanese people

Acehnese
Acehnese

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
opinion | Climate progress depends on competition between the US and China
If you're in the market for an electric car today, chances are you're buying a Tesla.
Fast forward a few years, and this may no longer be true. Traditional automakers like General Motors and Toyota — as well as a slew of Chinese companies like BYD, Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto — are making their own electric models available to American consumers.
With more than 500 manufacturers in the fast-growing electric car market, cross-border competition is only getting tougher. While Tesla's market share of all-electric vehicles in the US was 79 percent in 2020, it could drop to 56 percent by the end of the year. Meanwhile, several Chinese companies are expected to announce major expansion plans to build more electric vehicle factories. It took Tesla 12 years to produce 100,000 vehicles. Nio and Xpeng reached that milestone in half the time.
But what could become a headache for Tesla CEO Elon Musk is good news for international climate goals as well as Sino-US diplomacy. Despite the recent fanfare on climate cooperation that emerged from the Glasgow talks last month, it is: contest – and not collaboration – between US and Chinese companies that will be the real driver of reduced greenhouse gas emissions around the world.
At the COP26 conference in November, the United States and China, the world's two largest polluters, issued a joint statement pledging to tackle the climate crisis bilaterally. The countries listed a number of areas in which they plan to work together, including green design, decarbonization and electrification of parts of the economy and the societal benefits of the clean energy transition. When Presidents Biden and Xi met virtually in November on the heels of the Glasgow conference, they reaffirmed their intention to work together on climate change.
Policy experts were quick to applaud these commitments to increased cooperation, especially when significant ideological differences still hamper the US-China relationship over human rights, the legal status of Hong Kong and Taiwan and the protection of intellectual property. In general, the US and China have a hard time finding common ground.
So the climate seems like a rare opportunity to work together towards common goals. However, this emphasis on cooperation falls short.
Crucially, the two countries have agreed on certain climate goals, including trying to keep the global average temperature increase at 1.5 degrees Celsius and reduce methane emissions. However, most of the actual transition – including building renewable energy plants, selling electric vehicles and insulating buildings – will be done by private companies. and companies compete with another.
Collaboration is therefore not the key to reducing emissions to zero. And indeed, cooperation without competition has its limits. For example, the bilateral Clean Energy Research Center under the Obama administration has generated a lot of good research and good ideas. But without greater private sector involvement, much of this progress — including work on carbon capture and storage — remained in the lab, underfunded to drive demonstration projects and private sector competition.
The best analogy to illustrate an efficient network of competing firms operating under international agreements and ultimately arriving at an outcome beneficial to all could be the World Trade Organization. There the member states work together in the sense that they draw up global trade rules. Companies then compete in various sectors, from electric vehicles to telecommunications, for market share around the world.
Undoubtedly, one of the WTO's greatest challenges has been the friction between the United States and China over the interpretation of trade rules. Nevertheless, the pledges coming out of Glasgow could serve as a blueprint for a set of standards that both countries would feel pressured to follow. The private sector would then compete to sell the best green energy options at the best price.
Opinion Conversation
The climate and the world are changing. What challenges will the future bring and how should we respond to them?
There is evidence of this competitive advancement in the electric vehicle market. Cross-border competition between manufacturers such as Tesla and BYD offers consumers more choice and drives prices down over time.
And the electric vehicle market is bigger than just cars. China has been leading the way in popularizing electric bicycles with leading start-ups such as Bafang and Xiaomi. In response, a growing number of American and European companies have jumped into this space, sparking a steady stream of improvements such as lightweight, off-road and folding bike designs. The market also includes battery manufacturing and charging station design — two sub-industries where companies like GM and Tesla are now trying to bring production back to the United States.
US participation in the global EV market is encouraging. Unfortunately, it is the exception rather than the rule. While the United States has led the way in developing renewable technologies, it has not been consistent in providing the tax and other financial incentives necessary to support its steady growth in the market. As a result, China, South Korea and many European countries have caught up in some renewable technologies as US progress has slowed.
President Biden's Build Back Better plan is trying to change this. It provides for clean energy demand creation through both regulatory requirements and procurement decisions. While aspects of the president's climate regulations await the Senate vote, some key pieces of the infrastructure bill signed in November — including financial support for more electric vehicle charging stations, electrical grid upgrades and rail improvements — are now law. This puts US companies committed to green technology in a better position to compete with their Chinese rivals. Consistent, long-term support for projects in the United States is key to building U.S. industrial capacity in other renewable energy markets, such as wind and solar.
Competition does not mean balancing on the edge of conflict. The key to this process will be that the United States respect its rivals, including China. It is also important to give credit where credit is due. China has greatly reduced both coal use and air pollution over the past decade. The reforestation efforts are even more impressive: China's forest cover has grown to more than 23 percent today, from just 8.6 percent in 1949.
Of course there is so much more to do. But things are looking good and responsible competition is our best hope for global climate progress.
Deborah Seligsohn is an assistant professor in the political science department at Villanova University, a senior associate in Chinese business and economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and a Woodrow Wilson Center China Fellow.
The Times is committed to publication a diversity of letters to the editor. We'd love to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are a few tips. And here's our email: [email protected].
Follow The New York Times Opinion section at: facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.
US-China accelerated travel program to start in early 2022: source
China calls on Canada to ignore Huawei risks 'invented' by US


Walnut Creek, California (EastBayDaily) — Diablo Publications today announced the launch of Diablo magazine's The Wedding Book. The new publication will make its debut with a winter edition in mid-December and will publish once every season thereafter. Editorial features will include: venues, fashion, flowers, food, cakes, invites, and the hottest trends from top vendors. Packed with wedding inspirations and aspirations, vendors, and styled shoots, the magazine will be tailored to brides and grooms planning their wedding in the San Francisco East Bay and beyond.
The magazine promises to provide everyone involved with planning a wedding a rich set of tools and contacts to bring a dream wedding to life. Whether seeking an intimate outdoor venue or a sophisticated ballroom event, The Wedding Book will be a great resource to make the special day come true.
With the success of prior wedding sections in Diablo magazine, Diablo Publications recognized the need for a dedicated publication for its readers and advertisers. Through Diablo's research, it has been determined that couples who live in or travel to the San Francisco East Bay spend between $29,159 and $48,598 on average for their wedding (The Wedding Report, 2014).
About Diablo Publications For 35 years, Diablo Publications has been creating award-winning publications, including Diablo magazine, Napa Sonoma magazine, the Diablo City Book Series, Diablo Arts, and the Tri-Valley California Visitors Guide. Covering travel, theater, lifestyle, and home design, Diablo Publications celebrates the people, places, and pleasures of the East Bay and North Bay. Diablo Publications' custom content division, Diablo Custom Publishing (DCP), provides complete print and online marketing communications and customer publishing services for corporate clients nationwide. For more information, visit diablomag.com or dcpubs.com.
Save America Gathering Enlists Army of Volunteers for Upcoming October 20, 2012 Event.


Prommo by Animagic is an animation and motion graphics studio. We are a physical and digital space for collaboration between world class creative talent and cuing edge technology. Together with our clients we create memorable animated stories and experiences that will impact people´s values, feelings and heart.
powerful combination for communicating ideas in a creative way.
At Prommo / Animagic Studios we love we do. We believe in the power of stories and animation to connect with people, to share ideas and messages effectively and to help them achieving their goals and dreams.
As a way to share this power and passion with more people, we are happy to introduce Prommo.
Prommo is an inexpensive animation service targeted to small business, startups, organizations and individuals with visual content needs to communicate with their audiences in an effective and professional way. Prommo will be a great tool to help you grow your business, organization or idea in a creative and beautiful way without going over your budget.
I help prisoners and ex-prisoners create survival skills plans that connect them with community resources and employment opportunities.


text:
shochu.pro
Where shochu creators and consumers meet.
Get "The Shochu Handbook!"
You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Unkai Distillery Continue "Soba Soda" Cocktail Push
Unkai Distillery Continue "Soba Soda" Cocktail Push
March 29, 2016 by Christopher Pellegrini Leave a Comment
Unkai employees have been handing these treats out to passersby in downtown Tokyo.
Unkai Distillery, pioneer of honkaku soba (buckwheat) shochu, are marching on with their drive to get drinkers in Japan to mix their own cocktails using Unkai Soba Shochu and soda water.
Last year we had small plastic boxes pushed into our hands near Tokyo's Shimbashi Station. Inside each transparent container were one 160 ml can of Canada Dry Club Soda and a squat 100 ml PET bottle of Unkai Soba.
The small folded card featuring actor Yo Yoshida has instructions for mixing this simple cocktail calling for a 1:1 shochu to soda mix–that's 5:5 for those of you who are familiar with mixing in Japan. At that ratio, using a Collins glass, there might just be enough soba shochu provided for two drinks with some soda to spare.
The most recent issue of Shuhan News brings us a slightly updated version of the campaign minus the ampersand
An ad in the Shuhan News from March 21st.
and asking something similar to "Why not try it?" Also included in the ad is a signature Unkai Collins glass with green orbs which might remind one of fields of buckwheat or the bubbles in the drink.
Unkai's "Soba Soda" push coincides with sustained growth in the chuhai and wider RTD market. 2015 saw an increase of 9% in the canned cocktail segment, and Unkai is likely attempting to get in on the action with their current marketing efforts.
About Christopher Pellegrini
Christopher Pellegrini, author of The Shochu Handbook, happened upon shochu more than a decade ago, and his curiosity was piqued by the dearth of published information about it. Many years of distillery visits, palate refining, and test taking later, he became one of the few Certified Shochu Sommelier (SSI) to be born outside of Japan. He now spends his time conducting shochu and awamori tastings, writing for various food and drink publications, and consulting restaurants, bars, and distributors on how to bring these drinks into the fold.
A native of Vermont, Christopher was an accomplished pole vaulter and spent several years working for Otter Creek Brewing where he eventually inhabited the night brewing shift. Little did he know that his experience making good beer would lead him to a career in another high quality drink thousands of miles away. After a year in Spain and two in South Korea, Christopher moved to Tokyo, Japan in 2002, where a distinct lack of craft beer sent him straight into shochu's open arms.
He has since found a home talking about Japanese food and drinks for an international audience. He is the host of Japan Booze Blind and Ishokudogen, two web series that cater to Japan's culinary fans around the world. Christopher holds an MA in language education from University College London's Institute of Education, and is the English translator of the survival Japanese textbook Konnichiwa, Nihongo! He has also been published in print and online outlets such as Koe and Global Insider.
Shochu.pro Newsletter
© Copyright 2016 shochu.pro · All Rights Reserved ·


text:
The restaurant industry faces disruption in the current model with a new concept — ghost kitchens
The restaurant industry is facing a restructured model with the rise of ghost kitchens. A few spirited and ambitious restaurateurs are all-in on the concept.
| 12:00 p.m. August 19, 2021
Forget what you know about restaurants. No longer are the days of sitting down at a restaurant. That model has been left behind. That was so 2019.
Industry. Restaurants
Trend. Ghost kitchens
Key. More restaurants have been given a chance to thrive through the new ghost kitchen concept, which provides flexibility and lower overhead costs.
Enter the new era of kitchens. It goes by a lot of different names, which vary slightly in meaning. One common theme? These are not typical brick and mortar restaurants. Enter virtual, ghost, shared, dark and cloud kitchens. That's the new thing.
"This is a concept that began before the pandemic but really developed during," says Geoff Luebkemann, senior vice president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, the hospitality industry's leading state-based lobbying group.
This new concept of kitchens is more focused on food prep in a commercially-licensed area — with no seating or customers. "You can put it anywhere," Luebkemann says. "The customer-facing presence is all online."
From a business model perspective, to some, this trend makes perfect sense. For example, the one thing veteran hospitality entrepreneur Gordon Lippe, owner of Your Culinary Place in Sarasota, hears constantly in the industry is industry officials wanting to get rid of front-of-house operations.
"It's always been about the food," he says. "So, let's make it about the food."
The term 'ghost kitchen' gets Lippe riled up with well-known people like TV chef Guy Fieri using their brand to occupy a kitchen. When these well-known chefs associate the term 'ghost kitchen' with their brand, it defeats the purpose of a ghost kitchen. "It's about making all of these things available to clients who wouldn't normally have this opportunity," he says. He calls his operation a chef incubator.
Courtesy. Geoff Luebkemann, senior VP of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, believes ghost kitchens will be part of the future in the restaurant industry.
Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen, with 11 locations/kitchens in Florida, including spots in Naples, Tampa and Sarasota, near The Mall at University Town Center, isn't the only big name stepping into the trend. Chuck Norris inspired the Cluck Norris Ass Kickin' Chicken ghost kitchen, which operates out of the Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern, also in the UTC area, outside Lakewood Ranch.
Tampa-based Bloomin' Brands, parent of Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill, also recently introduced an off-premise business concept. The company's delivery-only venture, Tender Shack, started in Tampa before expanding nationwide, including a location in Sarasota.
As of early 2021, Tender Shack's delivery-only menu was available, through DoorDash, in more than 700 markets. Even grocery giant The Kroger Co. is getting into the virtual/ghost kitchen sector, with several concepts it recently introduced in the Midwest.
To Lippe, the spotlight on the niche smells right. Throughout his experience in catering and the restaurant industry, Lippe says people are constantly using others' space. "It's always been that someone just lets you use their space," he says. "It just kind of grew from there."
Lippe currently operates four kitchens in the Gulf Gate neighborhood in south Sarasota County: three are shared kitchens and one is considered a ghost kitchen. Essentially, his shared kitchen spaces are for prep only. With the ghost kitchen, businesses can have customers come in to pick up their order.
Lippe has had a long career in the restaurant industry, including being the owner and chef of Gordon's Gourmet from 2003-2010 in Sarasota. Now he wants to help others find their footing in the industry. "It's me taking my 25 years of experience in the industry and giving that back to the people," he says.
The trend really blossomed during the pandemic because the restaurants could continue to operate. "It filled an off-premise need during COVID-19," Luebkemann says.
That's also when Anthony Petralia, owner of Tralia in Sarasota, got his start.
"All restaurants changed their business model for a while during COVID-19," he says. When the pandemic hit, Petralia was furloughed from his job as kitchen manager at Gulf Gate Food + Beer for three to four weeks. That gave him the time to pursue this opportunity. "I could never find the time to put it in motion," he says. "It's something I've wanted to do for a long time."
Finally with enough time, he was able to get the paperwork together and start pushing the concept on social media. Tralia celebrated its first year anniversary July 17.
Petralia began his journey looking for commissary kitchens in Orlando before finding Lippe in Sarasota. "This is the only commissary kitchen you could rent by the hour," he says.
Wemple. Anthony Petralia was able to start his lifelong dream after being furloughed. His pizza place, Tralia, took shape using the flexibility of a ghost kitchen.
He only opens the restaurant once a week because he stays busy as a full-time culinary director at both Gulf Gate Food + Beer and Seabar, both in Sarasota. Tralia is open on Sundays, so this kind of rental model made the most sense. "It helped us grow," he says.
When Tralia first started out, Petralia was taking a lot of online orders. But once people started getting out more, he noticed the takeout model began to drop off.
That's when he partnered with 99 bottles Taproom and Bottle Shop in downtown Sarasota. He's been partnering with the taproom for four to five months now and still uses the kitchen in Gulf Gate to prep.
While visiting the taproom one day, Petralia noticed a flyer that read "Kitchen Takeover." Essentially the business hosts restaurants in its kitchen to sell food to the taproom's patrons. On the nights a restaurant takes over 99 Bottles' kitchen, its menu is the only food available at the venue. Tralia is there almost every other Sunday.
Petralia's end goal is to become a brick and mortar restaurant. He says that's about six months to a year away. "As we get closer to a brick and mortar, we'll definitely want to do more days in the future," he says. "The end all, be all is a brick and mortar."
But for now, being open only one day a week has its advantages. Petralia says it creates scarcity and demand with customers. Typically, he serves between 50 and 75 customers a week, and up to 100 on a busy day.
Petralia pays for around 60 hours a month to use the ghost kitchen. He also rents a two-door standup cooler, a metro rack for dry storage and a one-door stand-up freezer from Lippe. His monthly rent is around $10 an hour.
Lippe got his start with owning ghost and shared kitchens after his catering business ended a decade ago. He still had the kitchen space and when his friend pointed out he should rent it out, a lightbulb went off.
'So, let's make it about the food.' Gordon Lippe, Your Culinary Place.
Now, he has a business model with a 20-year plan in place. In five years, he hopes to reach five to seven locations in Florida and the Southeast. In 10 years, he wants seven to 10 locations with two franchises. In 15 years, he's shooting for 150 locations. In 20, he hopes to ring the New York Stock Exchange bell with an IPO.
Lippe is on his way to achieving those dream-big goals with the growth he's seen from clientele alone. In July 2020 he had seven clients. By December it was 18. In May or June he crossed the 50 threshold. His kitchen spaces support a community of food trucks and caterers. "I have 53 businesses that call me home," he says.
Lippe is more interested in seeing his clients become successful than anything else. Sometimes that means turning people away.
"I guarantee I tell more people, 'no, you're not ready,'" he says. "I'm not interested in people only doing three months. I want them to be here for three years. My success is based on my clients' success."
Instead, he provides support and advice until they are ready to cross that threshold. "I want them to succeed," he says. "This is a passionate business. It's not easy."
The four kitchen spaces he operates measure around 1,000 square feet each. Altogether, he leases about 4,200 square feet of space. In September he's opening up another kitchen attached to an event space also in Gulf Gate. The kitchen will be mostly used for a sandwich shop and catering business.
Lippe's prices range depending on if someone needs the kitchen during prime hours or baker's hours. The baker's hours are cheaper, as those are thought of as being overnight. The rate varies between $15 and $25 per hour.
Individuals can also rent storage by the month, including refrigerated, walk-in cooler, freezer and dry storage. While he has set prices, he does sit down with each client to discuss what they're looking for and customize each plan. "Use me as much or as little as you want," he says.
Wemple. Gordon Lippe operates four kitchen spaces in Sarasota with the goal of helping restaurateurs realize their dreams.
To determine his pricing model, he looked over what others were charging and analyzed his costs. The hourly costs are competitive nationally, he says, but his equipment prices are pretty cheap.
Reviews are in
The first thing you'll hear when it comes to the pros and cons of the ghost kitchen model is the overhead costs are small compared to owning your own restaurant or kitchen. Additionally, individuals can scale their businesses by cutting or increasing the number of hours they're using these kitchens.
The flexibility a ghost kitchen offers fosters creativity to flow through restaurant owners. They can set up shop anywhere, as evidenced by Petralia's partnership with 99 Bottles. But these owners can also spend time mixing up their menu.
While Tralia offers classic pizzas like pepperoni and margherita, the restaurant takes some chances, too."We're doing new things and keeping the menu fresh so people keep coming in," Petralia says. This is what led to the restaurant's "funghi" pizza, which Petralia says was a hit. The pizza featured roasted oyster mushrooms, garlic cream and a black truffle burrata.
One possible challenge is space constraints. While Petralia hasn't experienced that, he could see it becoming a problem with more clients and less coherent scheduling.
The community that's built around these kitchens, meanwhile, is an aspect that impresses Lippe. In a traditional restaurant sense, many are competitors. But in the ghost kitchen concept, anyone and everyone is finding their niche. From chefs with years of experience to home bakers.
"You see these businesses helping each other," Lippe says. "Everyone is willing to help each other. It's been fun to see that."
Restaurant firm keeps two pillars at forefront: Always evolve and get more efficient
Restaurant chews on ways to survive, make it through summer
Anthony Petralia, 35
Food for thought: Restaurant industry leaders ponder their future
Hatch a plan: Chicken chain aims high as it enters hot market
Restaurants turn to automation to fill positions — and increase productivity
Second time around proves successful for restaurateur


Andres Sarda briefs. Lace and tulle, invisible. Goes with anything. Suits any figure, creating an elegant, sophisticated look.
Elastic Leavers lace of the highest quality on the front. Solid tulle rear.. An extravagant, easy to wear combination.


text:
Projects /
The impact on cities...
Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak
Ashish Shenoy
University of California - Davis
Maira Reimao
Consultant, Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice
The impact on cities of a large-scale rural migration programme in Bangladesh
Seasonal hunger is perhaps the biggest challenge to the reduction of global poverty that has remained largely under the radar. About three hundred million of the world's rural population live above the poverty line but still suffer from seasonal income insecurity, which occurs between planting and harvest when the demand for agricultural labour falls and the price of food rises.
During this two- to three-month lean season, families typically miss meals daily. Our current research builds upon a previous randomised control trial (RCT) supported by IGC, through which poor households in Northern Bangladesh were offered small travel subsidies (valued at U$9-15) to temporarily migrate for employment opportunities elsewhere in the country. Its results showed that these subsidies had not only direct positive impacts for those who used them but also benefited others within the same village. Around 60% of households offered an incentive sent a migrant to work in a nearby area, up from around one third of households not offered the incentive. Households that received the incentive had higher earnings in the lean season and took in 550-700 more calories per person per day, equivalent to an extra meal in a period when meals are regularly skipped. And this pattern raised incomes even among those who did not migrate from the same villages, by lowering the number of people competing for the scarce jobs available during the lean season. Moreover, multiple years after incentives stopped being disbursed, members of households that had received the incentive continued to seasonally migrate at higher rates.
After the initial success of this intervention, Evidence Action, an NGO committed to testing and scaling up evidence-based solutions, has been implementing the programme at gradually larger scales in Bangladesh. This year, the programme is expected to disburse about 40,000 travel subsidies (in contrast to a sample of 1,900 households in the original RCT). The move from an RCT to a scaled up program, however, requires careful analysis, as there are important effects that may only arise at scale. In this iteration of our research, we focus on the following questions: Do rural migrants compete with the existing urban poor for work or do they complement local, low-skilled labor? And might an increased influx of migrants have non-economic effects, such as a social and political backlash among urban residents?
For this year's study, we have worked with the program implementation team at Evidence Action to ensure that the design gives us the opportunity to measure impacts at destination areas. In particular, we set up the targeting as an RCT, and have chosen treatment villages that are near each other, creating clusters of treated and untreated areas, essentially varying the influx of migrants to certain cities/neighborhoods in cities and not others. With this design, we will measure the effect in destination areas through surveys of urban residents searching for day labour opportunities; and, given that rickshaw-pulling and construction work are the two main job lines among migrants, surveys of rickshaw garage owners, other rickshaw pullers, and construction-site managers.
No Lean Season 2017 summary of results
9 Jan 2019 | Gharad Bryan, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, Karim Naguib, Maira Reimao, Ashish Shenoy
People who were interested in this project were also interested in
Encouraging seasonal migration to mitigate the consequences of a seasonal famine in rural Bangladesh
Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, Shyamal Chowdhury, Gharad Bryan, Jashim Uddin
Case Study: State
No lean season: Migration to escape seasonal famine
Satellites, self-reports, and submersion: Exposure to floods in Bangladesh (Working Paper)
Raymond Guiteras, Amir Jina, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak


M&C Saatchi has created the first ever artificially intelligent poster campaign in the world, which evolves unique ads based on how people react to it.
The pioneering project has been undertaken in partnership with Posterscope and Clear Channel UK.
The artificially intelligent ads will run at bus shelters on Oxford Street and Clapham Common until 24th July and 10th – 21st August respectively.


text:
About the CBSA
The CBSA carries out its responsibilities with a workforce of approximately 14,000 employees, including over 6,500 uniformed CBSA officers who provide services at approximately 1,200 points across Canada and at 39 international locations.
The CBSA manages 117 land-border crossings and operates at 13 international airports.
Of these land-border crossings, 61 operate on a 24/7 basis, as well as 10 of the international airports.
Officers carry out marine operations at major ports, the largest being Halifax, Montréal and Vancouver, and at numerous marinas and reporting stations.
Officers also perform operations at 27 rail sites.
The CBSA investigates, detects, and apprehends violators of the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act
The CBSA conducts lengthy and complex investigations of suspected war criminals, national security cases, and organized crime groups
The CBSA represents the interests of the CBSA and CIC at Minister's Delegate, Immigration Division (ID), Immigration Appeal Division (IAD), Refugee Protection Division (RPD), and Federal Court proceedings
The CBSA processes and examines international mail at three mail processing centres.
The CBSA administers more than 90 acts, regulations and international agreements, many on behalf of other federal departments and agencies, the provinces and the territories.
The Agency's legislative, regulatory and partnership responsibilities include the following:
administering legislation that governs the admissibility of people and goods, plants and animals into and out of Canada;
detaining those people who may pose a threat to Canada;
removing people who are inadmissible to Canada, including those involved in terrorism, organized crime, war crimes or crimes against humanity;
interdicting illegal goods entering or leaving the country;
protecting food safety, plant and animal health, and Canada's resource base;
promoting Canadian business and economic benefits by administering trade legislation and trade agreements to meet Canada's international obligations;
enforcing trade remedies that help protect Canadian industry from the injurious effects of dumped and subsidized imported goods;
administering a fair and impartial redress mechanism;
promoting Canadian interests in various international forums and with international organizations; and
collecting applicable duties and taxes on imported goods.


text:
Q: JDOMParseException: Error on line -1: Premature end of file I'm getting that exception when reading an InputStream with JDOM's SAXBuilder's build method:
InputStream bais = p_sendXML.getXml().getInputStream();
File myFile = new File(System.getProperty("java.io.tmpdir"), PREFIX+p_sendXML.getSessionId()+".xml");
IOUtils.copy(bais, new FileOutputStream(myFile));
LOGGER.debug("File save in: "+myFile.getAbsolutePath());
SAXBuilder builder = new SAXBuilder();
Document xmlDoc = builder.build(bais);

The File is correctly created and the XML inside is valid, so I shouldn't get this exception. There is a new line at the end of the XML file, if you are wondering.

A: You have 'exhausted' the bais when you did IOUtils.copy(bais, new FileOutputStream(myFile));. You have copied the contents of the bais to the file, and now the bais is 'empty'. You will need to either:

*

*take a copy of the bais somehow before writing it to disk

*Parse it directly by JDOM and use JDOM to write the XML to disk (XMLOutputter)

*get JDOM to parse the file (not the bais).


There are a multitude of options available for where and how to build your site, from Squarespace to Wordpress to a custom design and build. Before you get too invested in the details, first investigate the pros and cons of each of these options before committing to one. They all have their use cases but what works for someone else may not work for your business. It is essential to think this through before you go any further in the process, as you cannot simply transfer the site from one platform or system to another.
Define a few different font sizes, colours and styles and apply them consistently so a user can instantly differentiate between headings, body text, links and buttons. Simpler is definitely better - avoid using too many different fonts and ensure the ones that you do use are easy to read on screen. Ensure adequate contrast between any text and the background behind it. You should be using design elements to define a hierarchy, not to simply decorate the page.
Responsiveness is a non-negotiable feature for websites today. Considering people are going to be looking at your site on many different devices with a range of screen sizes, you need to ensure they all have an equally good experience and don't abandon your site in frustration. Ensure your mobile site lets the user easily navigate to what they're likely to be looking for on the go.
For example, this restaurant website has a special menu bar that appears only on mobile with shortcuts to call the place, view directions on a map or check opening hours.
Not only is the user likely to give up and leave the page if it doesn't load quickly, you will also be punished in search engine rankings. There are plenty of online tools to test your site speed and identify what you need to do to improve it. One key thing to remember is that all images should be optimised before upload - you don't need to upload a 3MB image when you intend to display it at only 100 pixels wide!
It is highly recommended that you install an analytics tool on your website to track users and their behaviour. This data is extremely valuable for multiple reasons - it can help you track popular content on your website and generate more of it; assist you in identifying where users are dropping off the site so you can improve those areas; and it enables you to measure the success of any marketing efforts that are driving traffic to the site.
Are you thinking of redesigning your website, but unsure where to begin? Get in touch now.


Some horns bring the history of music to your everyday playing.
The horn of the legends.
This fourth flute (in F) was built at the workshop of Jean-Francois Martin (1794-1876).
The history of Trumpet was played on a Martin.


It may seem that too much is said about online payment security; still the problem is a crucial one and is being globally ventilated. How to be sure my payment is secure? The question is burning for all the links of the chain: payment service providers, applications developers, merchants, and cardholders.
Today, there is a unified approach to security standards. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a list of unified standards and requirements for the industry. However, only 20% of the major industry-related companies are PCI DSS compliant. This is stimulated by mid-tier merchants' and service providers' ignorance of the certificate though they are the most vulnerable objects of attacks. According to WordPress' report, many payment industry players feel the standard is not clear or is not being applied prudently to encourage complete adoption.
Anyhow, PCI DSS must be the most comprehensive solution - and positively the best at this stage. Visa together with world's major payment systems strongly encourages payment service providers, merchants and payment applications developers to pass the PCI DSS compliance certification in order to be able to guarantee high-level security to both their customers and partners.
Understanding the importance of security matter, TechnoPark Corp., an outsourcing software development company, has released mobile payment processing system which meets all the standards provided by PCI DSS. The system enables users to pay for goods and services using only their mobile phones, and provides a number of additional functions like statistics, notifications, etc. Laboratory testing assured the product's compliance, so it is about to be sent to Visa for certification.
PCI Data security standard was developed by Visa and MasterCard and accepted by other major players. It provides 12 basic standards aiming to stamp out debit and credit card fraud, by introducing strict security standards for handling and keeping cardholder data. The six general principles of PCI DSS include the following: build and maintain a secure network, protect cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management program, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test networks, maintain an information security policy.
In the article devoted to data security standards Joan Herbig, President and CEO of Cambia Security, a security policy enforcement provider, writes for CSO Magazine: "Embracing the PCI standard may sound like a big task, and you may wonder if it's even necessary for your business. However, before you fill up your dance card with other priorities, consider this: As of now, there is no known case of a PCI-compliant network being compromised."
For software developers Visa/MasterCard provides the PCI DSS Compliance Payment Application Certificate. Only 50 payment applications have been validated by today. On the intense and constantly growing market it sounds shocking. 50 is a tiny piece of all available products.
Moreover, the up-to-date list includes only 1 payment application for cellular phones - the most fast-growing industry's tenderfoot (A survey from Visa USA, reported in Bank Systems & Technology, shows that 61% of the respondents ages 25 to 34 were interested in making purchases via their cellphones). Still the adoption of PCI Data security standard may dramatically intensify anti-fraud efforts.
Thus, the major payment systems recommend choosing PCI DSS compliant services and products. It must be a cue for US and European companies as well as worldwide outsourcing software development firms striving to offer high-quality products. In light of this, the introduction of TechnoPark Corp.'s MPPS software and its compliance validation, scheduled for September 2006, is a piece of important shift towards the consolidation of high standards of payment card industry.


text:
Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion
//Powerhouse Animation Studios worked with Disney Interactive and Dreamrift to create stereoscopic 3D artwork for the cinemas in the Nintendo 3DS game, Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion. It was fun to work on a new way to tell a new story with characters that we had worked with on the two other console titles in the Epic Mickey franchise.
Power of Illusion takes place directly after the events of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (according to the game manual). The evil witch, Mizrabel, and her Castle of Illusion, have been accidentally transported to the Wasteland by the wizard Yen Sid. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit contacts Mickey Mouse to tell him the castle has mysteriously arrived in Wasteland and that Minnie Mouse has been spotted inside of it. Mickey then sets off to save Minnie and the "Illusions" of other Disney characters trapped in the castle.
Client: Disney Interactive Studios, Junction Point
After Effects Cinematics Disney Flash Nintendo 3DS
After Effects, Cinematics, PC Gaming, Photoshop, PlayStation 4, Video Games, Xbox One


Donald Looper is a tax lawyer whose practice focuses on project finance, project development, and structuring partnership, corporate, and international transactions. Don's skills for structuring and managing international business transactions have resulted in his being selected by clients to manage international projects negotiated in 36 foreign countries and across the United States. U.S. clients utilize his tax and project management skills to navigate treaty issues and manage acquisitions in foreign countries, including supervision of local lawyers and accountants, tax reporting, and contracting.
Private equity funded management team in 2016 to pursue midstream projects in Mexico.
Negotiated foreign and domestic project finance transactions, including crude loading terminal in North Dakota, soy bean large vessels flagged in Panama. .
Mergers and corporate divisions, including CPC Mexico pipe manufacturing.
IR Digital - Donald Looper of Looper Goodwine P.C.
IR Digital - Donald R.Looper of Looper Goodwine P.C.


During the lifetime of MarBEF the idea arose of establishing a specialised Master's programme, the Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (EMBC).
The course involves six European universities (Ghent University (Belgium), which coordinates the whole programme; University of Bremen (Germany); University of the Algarve (Portugal); University Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 006 (France); University of Oviedo (Spain), and University of Klaipèda (Lithuania)). In addition to these six universities which already have close relations with MarBEF, it was decided to also include the other MarBEF institutes, where possible, in the programme. In this way, research and education can go hand in hand. MarBEF institutes can, for example, offer thesis subjects, offer summer schools and take part in specialised courses. European Union funding has also facilitated the participation of students from outside the Europe Union.
Students must take courses from each of these 3 modules and develop a study curriculum which best fits their interests. A key feature of the Master's programme is that the students are obliged to be mobile, i.e., all students have to move between universities during their two-year Master's programme. After a first year in either Ghent, Bremen or Algarve, they move to Paris, Oviedo or Klaipeda. In between, they have to take some extra summer school courses, and for their last semester (dedicated to thesis work), they can move again to one of the six universities or to a MarBEF institute. In this way, students learn how networking in a European context really works, and they are able to gather experiences in different European countries.
Students being introduced to new techniques during the Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation course.
This page was last modified on 6 October 2009, at 10:39.


Juniper Blue Tint, Double-rolled, 3 mm, Color Sample, 2x2 in.
Rhubarb Shift Tint, Double-rolled, 3 mm, Color Sample, 2x2 in.
Gray Blue Tint, Double-rolled, 3 mm, Color Sample, 2x2 in.
Olive Smoke Tint, Double-rolled, 3 mm, Color Sample, 2x2 in.
Olivine Tint, Double-rolled, 3 mm, Color Sample, 2x2 in.
Clear, Sunflower Yellow Opal 2-Color Mix, Double-rolled, 3 mm, Color Sample, 2x2 in.
Clear, Red Opal 2-Color Mix, Double-rolled, 3 mm, Color Sample, 2x2 in.
Clear, Spring Green Opal 2-Color Mix, Double-rolled, 3 mm, Color Sample, 2x2 in.


Develop an experimental design for testing a hypothesis.
Gather, organize, and transform data from an experiment into a table, graph, or diagram.
Analyze data from a table, graph, or diagram.
Analyze and interpret the results of an experiment.


A fine, soft, beautiful cotton lawn with a non-directional print, the new Lisa Comfort fabric range is perfect for dressmaking.
Made from 100% cotton and measuring 138cm wide.
These fabrics are designed to work beautifully alongside the Sew Over It pattern collection.
The fabric can be washed up to a 30°C cycle with mild detergent.
Hang to dry, then iron on a medium-hot setting.


Rick Thornton, who had been an editor and a vice president at the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, was named vice president of news for BH Media Group.
The newspaper industry has been phenomenally successful in adopting and adapting and embracing new technologies and becoming multi-media organizations, Bob Provost executive-in-residence/consultant with The Marketing Provost, told attendees at the SNPA-Inland Annual Meeting.
But, he says the industry hasn't created the perception of success. Instead, he said our public image "has been shaped by default – not by design. And, that's criminal. Negative news such as circulation declines, layoffs or buyouts, will reach the public eye and awareness without any effort on your part. However, no one else is going to get out in the market and promote your award-winning news coverage, our success as a public watchdog, our efficacy for local advertisers, and our relevance to younger adults."
He emphasized: "Please do not let your image be shaped by your competitors and your critics."
Dave Eldridge, a 35-year newspaper executive, has been appointed publisher of the Corbin Times-Tribune and The London Sentinel-Echo in south-central Kentucky.
Eldridge currently serves as publisher of the Richmond Register in Richmond, Ky. He will continue in that role with his expanded regional responsibilities at the Corbin and London properties.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch launches the "click and easy way" to find a new ride!


You'll be able to count on Star White Kitchen Cabinets to deliver the most effective products and services regarding White Kitchen Cabinets in Alpha, MN. Our workforce of skilled contractors can provide the expert services you will need with the most sophisticated solutions in the industry. Our supplies are always of the very best quality and we can save you costs. Call us today at 844-329-5869 and we will be happy to examine your alternatives, respond to your concerns, and arrange a consultation to commence organizing your task.
Being economical is a crucial part of any process. At the same time, you require the best and highest quality of work for White Kitchen Cabinets in Alpha, MN. Our efforts to save a little money will never eliminate the excellent quality of our work. We use the very best supplies and practices to make sure that your work will hold up against the years, and conserve your funds in ways that will not impact the superior quality of any project. As an example, we are alert to steer clear of expensive mistakes, complete the job quickly to conserve working hours, and ensure that you will enjoy the most effective deals on supplies and work. Save time and funds through getting in touch with Star White Kitchen Cabinets now. You're able to connect with our company at 844-329-5869 to get started.
White Kitchen Cabinets are available in Alpha, MN.
When you're thinking of White Kitchen Cabinets in Alpha, MN, you have to be informed to make the best decisions. You should not go into it without knowing it properly, and it is best to understand what to expect. We will take the unexpected surprises out of the picture by giving accurate and complete advice. Start out by contacting 844-329-5869 to go over your task. We'll talk about your concerns and questions once you contact us and get you organized with a scheduled visit. We will work closely with you all through the whole project, and our team will appear on time and organized.
Lots of good reasons can be found to pick Star White Kitchen Cabinets when it comes to White Kitchen Cabinets in Alpha, MN. Our equipment are of the very best quality, our cash saving practices are practical and efficient, and our customer service ratings cannot be beat. We've got the skills that you need to fulfill all of your ambitions. Contact 844-329-5869 to reach Star White Kitchen Cabinets and go over all of your needs when it comes to White Kitchen Cabinets in Alpha.


text:
The Harvard Crimson
Police Apprehend Armed Man and Woman in Central Square
107 Faculty Called for Review of Tenure Procedures in Letter to Dean Gay
Citing Toxic Culture and Administrator Departures, Harvard School of Public Health Faculty Repeatedly Weighed Voting No Confidence in Dean
Elizabeth Wurtzel '89, Who Collected Friends 'Like Beads on a String,' Dies at 52
The Photos That Captured the 2010s
Without a Contract, Harvard Graduate Student Union to End Strike Jan. 1
Ten Stories That Shaped the 2010s
Jones Resigns as GSAS Dean; Wilcox Named Acting Dean
By Steven Reed, September 22, 1972
R. Victor Jones, McKay Professor of Applied Physics, resigned Wednesday as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences after a year of graduate school controversy concerning financial and to teaching fellows.
The University has named Edward T. Wilcox currently director of the Program of General Education, as acting dean of the GSAS until a permanent dean is appointed.
Jones's resignation came as a surprise after only a seat of his five year appointment as dean. During that year Jones had become embroiled in a controversy with the newly formed Graduate Student and Teaching Fellow Union over abolition of a special tuition abolition program for teaching fellows.
Asked Saturday if his involvement in the tuition abatement issue was the principal factor in his decision to leave the Administration and return to teaching Jones said. "I think my reasons are obvious to anyone." He said that the financial and controversy "certainly did not make it any easier" for him to function effectively.
"It is exceedingly important to Harvard that there be a healthy Graduate School of Arts and Sciences with good student morale something we obviously don't have now Jones said.
The graduate students' union steering committee has not yet met to take an official position on Jones's resignation Mary Jo Henry a steering committee member, said yesterday that the committee would probably wait until Wilcox had formulated his policy on the tuition question before commenting officially.
Henry said however that most committee members who knew of the change assumed that Jones's policies would continue. "It's too had that policies aren't going to change instead of the dean," she added. Wilcox declined to on his position on the issue.
Dean Dunlop said Sunday that he had first heard of Jones's decision in a letter during the summer and that he had tried to persuade Jones to stay on in the post. "After Labor Day his decision was still the same, so we decided to go forward with it." Dunlop said.
In resigning the post, Jones also vacated the position of associate dean of the Faculty for Undergraduate Education. The Faculty Council decided not to replace Jones immediately as associate dean of the Faculty because Dunlop said it wanted to reevaluate the administrative organization of the graduate school. "It will not necessarily be true now that the two posts of dean of the GSAS and associate dean of the Faculty will be held by one man 'Dunlop said.
He suggested that the situation in the College where Dean Whitlock is senior administrator and Robert J. Kiely, professor of English is the newly, appointed associate dean of Undergraduate Education, might provide a model for the graduate school. "It might be better to divide the job between a dean who would deal primarily with policy matters and an associate dean concerned primarily with the Faculty," Dunlop said.
Wilcox, who is also director of the Freshman Seminar Program, is the first dean of the GSAS who has not held a Ph.D degree. Dunlop said that Wilcox will serve at least through the Fall term and possibly into the Spring until a permanent dean is named.
"What attracted me to Wilcox, besides his personal qualification which we all know about," Dunlop said, "was that his position as chairman of the Gen Ed program allowed him to deal widely with all the departments, department chairman, and many members of the Faculty."
"Also, in Gen Ed, he had a larger number of teaching fellows than say other department working with him," Dunlop added. "He has the advantage, in dealing with this group, of knowing their situation well, and of knowing many of the people involved."
Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.
Read more in News
CHILDREN AND POLITICS
Here's How the Harvard Admissions Process Really Works
Harvard Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig Sues the New York Times for Defamation
The Office of Career Services
The Harvard Guide To Your Job Search
The comprehensive resource for navigating the job search, composing strong resumes and cover letters, performing at interviews, using Harvard's Campus Interview Program, and profiles from alumni in different industries.
Successful Harvard Application Essays — 2019 Edition
10 Successful Harvard Application Essays | 2019
With the top applicants from every high school applying to the best schools in the country, it's important to have an edge in your college application. In our 2019 edition, check out ten of our newest Harvard application essays and profiles from students who made it in. {sponsor prefix="sponsored by" link="https://eliteprep.com/" name="Sponsor Logo" image=1331555}
The Crimson Brand Studio
Successful MBA Application Essays
With an increasingly competitive MBA admissions process, it's important to understand what makes an applicant stand out. Admissions consultants share their clients' accepted MBA application essays and analyze what makes them work. {sponsor prefix="Sponsored by" link="https://www.ivyadvisors.com/" name="Ivy Advisors" image= 1339073}
The Beacon Fellowship
Real Consulting with MBB Alumni
Management consulting looms large in the minds of undergraduates from top universities wanting to break into the world of business. But beyond the well-circulated stereotypes, do students really know what management consulting is all about? The Beacon Fellowship, a global consulting program led by alumni of McKinsey, Bain, and BCG, is clearing the air about the consulting industry by providing motivated undergraduates with the opportunity to work on real projects led by the industry's top professionals.
Must-See Red Bull Events in Boston
Check out some Red Bull-sponsored events happening near you this year! Come and grab some Red Bull.
The University Daily, Est. 1873
Journalism Programs
Copyright © 2020 The Harvard Crimson, Inc.


text:
__author__ = 'jitrixis'

from ARP import *
from ICMP import *
from IP import *

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package com.thoughtworks.go.server.newsecurity.filters;

import com.thoughtworks.go.server.newsecurity.utils.SessionUtils;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
import org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter;

import javax.servlet.FilterChain;
import javax.servlet.ServletException;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
import java.io.IOException;

@Component
public class ThreadLocalUserFilter extends OncePerRequestFilter {
    private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ThreadLocalUserFilter.class);

    @Override
    protected void doFilterInternal(HttpServletRequest request,
                                    HttpServletResponse response,
                                    FilterChain filterChain) throws ServletException, IOException {
        try {
            SessionUtils.setCurrentUser(SessionUtils.getAuthenticationToken(request).getUser());
            LOGGER.debug("Set loggedin user {} to thread local for request {}.", SessionUtils.getCurrentUser().getUsername(), request.getRequestURI());
            filterChain.doFilter(request, response);
        } finally {
            SessionUtils.unsetCurrentUser();
            LOGGER.debug("Unset loggedin user from thread local for request {}.", request.getRequestURI());
        }
    }
}


Skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from acute and chronic diseases such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes, strokes and COPD. Areas of interest include urgent care, occupational health and primary care settings.
06/2010 – Certification of completion from LSUHSC School of Medicine in New Orleans for Internship at University Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program in Lafayette, Louisiana.
2008 – Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Certification of completion of the United States standard requirements for the practice of Medicine under supervision.


Kesar Vermicelli Kheer Recipe - BFT .. for the love of Food.
The Vermicelli Kheer is favourite dessert all over India. Served in different variation like Payasam, Sheer Korma, etc. Try my recipe of the vermicelli kheer flavoured with Kashmiri Saffron and cooked in full cream milk. Simply lip-smackingly delicious.
Condensed Milk – 2 to 3 tbsp.
Sugar – 4 to 5 tbsp.
Green Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp.
Step 1: Crush the saffron in a mortar and pestle and keep aside.
Step 2: Heat a tbsp. of ghee in a pan and lightly toast the vermicelli on low heat for a minute or two (since it is already pre-roasted).
Step 3: In another heavy bottomed vessel keep the milk to boil. Once it starts boiling, simmer for 10 minutes and then add the condensed milk and the sugar and the crushed saffron.
Step 4: Add the vermicelli to the vessel with the milk and cook further on a medium heat for 10 more minutes till it is cooked. Stir at regular intervals to avoid the vermicelli sticking to the base of the pan. Take off the heat and garnish with the sliced almonds and the cardamom powder. Serve hot or chilled.