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Milton family's light display airs on Monday night's 'Great Christmas Light Fight' episode
The Sowell family in Milton will be on "The Great Christmas Light Fight," Monday night. The show pits four families against each other for a trophy and cash prize.
Milton family's light display airs on Monday night's 'Great Christmas Light Fight' episode The Sowell family in Milton will be on "The Great Christmas Light Fight," Monday night. The show pits four families against each other for a trophy and cash prize. Check out this story on pnj.com: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/12/16/great-christmas-light-fight-episode-features-milton-familys-display/2662605001/
Jake Newby, Pensacola News Journal Published 10:05 a.m. CT Dec. 16, 2019 | Updated 11:42 a.m. CT Dec. 16, 2019
It's time for a national TV audience to learn what many local residents already know — the Sowell Farm North Pole Christmas Light Display is a spectacle unlike anything else in the Panhandle.
Tonight at 7 p.m., ABC's "Great Christmas Light Fight" spotlights the Milton family's massive light display, which includes more than one million lights and takes 15 minutes to drive through from start to finish.
That means you're out of luck if you were planning to actually visit the farm at 7650 Sowell Road tonight to see the display. The family is closing the farm so they can watch the episode, which is more than 17 months in the making.
Read the story: Massive Milton light display a finalist on 'Great Christmas Light Fight' TV show
Watch the video: Take a virtual tour of a Milton Christmas light display garnering national attention
Massive Milton light display a finalist on 'Great Christmas Light Fight'...
Vehicles drive through Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com
Lexton Watson, 5, of Jay, enthusiastically points out attractions to his mother Renee while taking the train ride through the Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com
Cayden Potter, 7, of Milton, is wowed by Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com
Maddox Biegalski, 3, of Navarre, chats with Santa at the Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com
Michelle Sowell, left, gives directions at arriving cars at the Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com
The Watson family and others take a train ride through the Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com
Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com
While Maddox Biegalski, 3, is all smiles, her twin 1-year-old brothers Atticus and Knox are less sure about visiting Santa at the Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com
"...They reached out to us in July and left a message on my machine saying I was a finalist and I just about passed out," Sowell told the News Journal one year ago, in December 2018. "In fact, I had to rewind it several times to believe that's what I was really hearing."
On "The Great Christmas Light Fight," hour-long episodes see four families square off against each other for the Light Fight trophy and a $50,000 cash prize.
Sowell said she initially made contact with the show's producers years ago at a summertime Christmas expo. She stayed in touch with them the past few holiday seasons and finally, in July 2018, received the call she had long coveted.
About 13 months ago, co-host Carter Oosterhouse personally visited the Sowell farm to judge it for the episode that airs tonight. Zebras, camels and even a kangaroo roam the farm year-round, and Sowell said if her light show is awarded the $50,000, she'll add a giraffe to that mix.
"If we win it, we're gonna get a giraffe, that's what my kids want to do," Sowell said last year.
The light display opened to the public on Saturday and will remain open on a nightly basis until Dec. 27. Excluding tonight, of course.
The Watson family and others take a train ride through the Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display in Milton on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. (Photo: Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com)
Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display opens at 5 p.m. and closes at 9 p.m. The charge to ride through it is $10 per vehicle and if you'd like to ride the farm train through the display it is $2 per person.
Santa Claus is on sight each night between 6-8 p.m. for photos, which cost $10 apiece.
Jake Newby can be reached at jnewby@pnj.com or 850-435-8538.
Read or Share this story: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/12/16/great-christmas-light-fight-episode-features-milton-familys-display/2662605001/
Police search for gunmen in Old East Hill neighborhood
Pensacola pedestrian killed while crossing Davis Highway
Man found dead from gunshot wound in West Pensacola
NWS cancels tornado watch for Pensacola area


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By Sumbul Khan | Art | Arts & Culture | Published 12 years ago
The Green Cardamom's recent endeavour, Lines of Control, is part of a three-exhibition series and a set of film screenings held in London, Dubai and Karachi. The curatorial premise of the enterprise is to represent the responses of second- and third-generation Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis to the historical moment which forged separate national identities for them. The curator, Hammad Nasar, clarifies that the objective of the project is not to commemorate but to evaluate, "What it means to be living with our partitioned selves, in terms of 'self', our sense of the 'other' and 'identity'?" If the objective is to contemplate the equation between the individual (national) and the collective (subcontinental) and to question whether the collective is really being denied by 'othering,' it has to be conceded that the equation will yield different results in each of the venues hosting the exhibits. London and Dubai for example, as hosts to large expatriate communities of South Asians, are likely to receive the content in a different light as compared to Karachi, simply because of all the hosting venues, Karachi experiences first-hand, the tensions brewing across the national Line of Control. Ideological affinities in London and Dubai may still be tethered very strongly to the subcontinent but are experientially distanced due to the geographical space between them. Having said that, it is through the particularity of the local lens that I approached the exhibit currently on view at the V.M. Gallery.
Karachi serves as an interesting case in point also because it has witnessed several waves of migration since 1947 and many of its residents still have familial ties in India and Bangladesh. Ahsan Jamal's "For Office Use Only" and Roohi Ahmed's "Between the Lines" speak of this ambivalence of being the same people and yet being cleft along geopolitical boundaries. Jamal uses the passport as a demarcator of divisiveness and calls attention to the arbitrariness with which one face is labelled Indian and another Pakistani. Being pricked and sutured with threadless needles is Ahmed's analogy for the experience of being divided again and again, with every rift across every border.
Sophie Ernst's installation of architectural models of artists' homes being inscribed (through video projection), by plans recalled from the artists' memory, also touches upon the emotional experience of what home means to each individual, whether it is Nalini Malani, an Indian artist or Mariam Suhail, her Pakistani counterpart. Home becomes a complex and loaded concept in this particular show, specially when it is set against the lives of people who watched their homes being razed to the ground and those who relinquished their houses when they crossed borders and chose to make new homes. In Ernst's work there is almost a contrived sense of neutrality, a desire to acknowledge both sides through something that is common to all.
With Bani Abidi's "Security Barriers A-L," the Lines of Control become more localised. Her prints feature security barriers set up in various parts of Karachi, outside foreign consulates and other 'vulnerable' parts of the city. The paradox of a foreign consulate being established to facilitate interaction with another country and yet being cordoned off, to the point of alienating the very people of the country they seek diplomatic ties with, is poignantly put across. There is also the irony of putting up barriers in the name of security and their inability to accomplish secure environments for all concerned. All they achieve ultimately is barricaded spaces, with a strictly regulated flow of people.
Amar Kanwar's "A Season Outside" embarks on a philosophical inquiry of the "celebration of separation" that occurs routinely at the Line of Control at Wagah. Kanwar's free associative leaps in a narrative that begins at Wagah, travels through the hypocrisy of Gandhi's nonviolence, traverses a Sikh shrine where sacred weapons are extolled and culminates at a Tibetan monastery where he learns that "we must not return pain for pain and evil for evil." Kanwar describes this journey as a means to "relieve [himself] of another's memories." Kanwar's video is appealing for many reasons but mostly because, for once, we hear an Indian voice engaging in the kind of self-flagellation over its country's history and heroes that we, as Pakistanis, are constantly expected to do.
Baseline apologia run through most of the contemporary Pakistani accounts of the trek from 1947 onward, and if I didn't know Hammad Nasar any better, I'd suspect that they very subtly lurk at the roots of this exhibition as well. Some of the included pieces are underscored by a very deliberate rhetoric that, in fact, does not help us move beyond the idea of fracture and fragmentation at all. I'm intrigued by the decision to display some works only in London and Dubai and not in Karachi. This may well have been due to logistic constraints but it would be interesting to see how their content could veer the interpretation of the entire show. An exhibition like this was perhaps a necessary first step towards reconfiguring cultural dialogue among the three countries, but again, it would be very interesting to see how an exhibition like this would be received in the urban centres of the other stakeholders such as New Delhi and Dhaka. Perhaps, what really does require reconfiguring is the treatment of Partition(s) as the ultimate watershed in the history of the people of the subcontinent.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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News Dumfries and West
Woman tackled thief
By Newsdesk	11:50 AM, 30 Dec 2015
A COURT has heard how a 60-year-old woman tackled a stranger after finding him in the living room of her home in Dumfries.
The woman had gone into the room at Cresswell Hill, Dumfries and saw the man crouching beside a settee and despite the surprise grabbed at his top.
But in court on Monday, fiscal depute Alison Herald said that he managed to squirm free and left the house pursued by the woman.
As the man made off, the woman's husband who had been out with their dog and was returning home, heard her shouts and they quickly both got into their car and set off after him.
However, the man ran off across gardens and they phoned the police.
William Drennan, of Cresswell Wynd, Dumfries, was later traced by police and appeared before the court from custody.
He admitted being found in the house on December 23 in circumstances from which it might reasonably be inferred he intended to commit a theft.
He also admitted being found in a garden at Westpark Avenue in the town in similar circumstances the previous day and two days earlier stealing a necklace at another house in the town.
Solicitor David Finnie admitted that Drennan had a lengthy record of previous convictions, but these had tailed off in recent years and he had not come to the attention of the police in the past five months following his release from prison.
He was aware of the stupidity of his actions in the run up to Christmas but he had doubled the medication he had been taking and got himself into a state.
Drennan this week was jailed for two months.
Annan and Eskdale, Front
Dental services still suffering
DENTAL services in the region are still struggling to get back to normal following covid.
By by Marc Mclean, local democracy reporter	| DNG24
A COUNCIL Tax hike and service cuts look likely at Dumfries and Galloway Council over the coming months due to a funding shortfall from the Scottish Government.
A PUB and holiday lodge complex near Dumfries is up for sale.
Busy year for advice service


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Santorum Moves Ahead in Michigan
This is the best and most astonishing news yet in the GOP presidential primary season. Our friends who insist that the liberal Massachusetts Governor is "inevitable" and "electable" will get quite a shock when the chameleon candidate is defeated in one of his home states, a state in which his father served as Governor. This demonstrates once again, that Republicans and Americans as a whole want a "choice, not an echo." Nominating an Obama-Lite, yet another in the long string of losing "moderates" - Wilkie, Dewey, Ford, Dole and McCain - is not an answer; it is a proven prescription for defeat.
Our country is in grave crisis and the words of Ronald Reagan are as true as when he uttered them in 1975:
"Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors, which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?"
From Public Policy Polling
Rick Santorum's taken a large lead in Michigan's upcoming Republican primary. He's at 39% to 24% for Mitt Romney, 12% for Ron Paul, and 11% for Newt Gingrich.
Santorum's rise is attributable to two major factors: his own personal popularity (a stellar 67/23 favorability) and GOP voters increasingly souring on Gingrich. Santorum's becoming something closer and closer to a consensus conservative candidate as Gingrich bleeds support.
Santorum's winning an outright majority of the Tea Party vote with 53% to 22% for Romney and 10% for Gingrich. He comes close to one with Evangelicals as well at 48% to 20% for Romney and 12% for Gingrich. And he cracks the 50% line with voters identifying as 'very conservative' at 51% to 20% for Romney and 10% for Gingrich.
Santorum's benefiting from the open nature of Michigan's primary as well. He's only up by 12 points with actual Republican voters, but he has a 40-21 advantage with the Democrats and independents planning to vote that pushes his overall lead up to 15 points. Santorum is winning by a healthy margin in every region of the state except for Oakland County, where Romney has a 40-26 advantage, and the area around Lansing where Paul actually has an advantage at 30% to 27% for both Romney and Santorum.
Republican voters aren't just declining to vote for Gingrich at this point- they don't even like him anymore. Just 38% have a favorable opinion of him to 47% with a negative one. His numbers are inching back closer to what they were before his surge in the polls began in November. His continued presence in the race is a boost to Romney though. 54% of his supporters would go to Santorum if he dropped out, compared to only 21% for Romney and 14% for Paul. Santorum's lead in a Newt-less field would expand to 21 points with him at 48% to 27% for Romney and 13% for Paul. So every day Gingrich stays in is a saving grace for Romney's hopes.
Michigan is perceived as a state where Romney really has a home field advantage, but only 26% of primary voters actually consider him to be a Michigander while 62% do not. Only 39% have a favorable opinion of George Romney with a 46% plurality having no opinion about him. Romney really doesn't have some great reservoir of goodwill in Michigan to fall back on. Only 49% of voters have a favorable opinion of him to 39% with a negative one. That's down a net 28 points from our last poll of Michigan in July when he was at +38 (61/23).
For all that, Santorum probably shouldn't get too comfortable. There is a lot of potential for fluidity in the Michigan race, with only 47% of voters saying they're strongly committed to their candidate while 53% are open to changing their minds in the next two weeks.
Romney's support is a little more firm with 52% of his voters saying they'll definitely end up supporting him compared to 46% who say that for Santorum. This situation is reminiscent of what happened in Florida right after Newt Gingrich's big win in South Carolina- he took the lead then quickly lost it in a big way after coming under attack by Romney. Given how open voters are to changing their minds a repeat of that in Michigan would not be a huge surprise.
Labels: Michigan GOP Presidential Primary 2012, Mitt Romney, Senator Rick Santorum


Dr. Patnaude, MD is a practicing Internist in Worcester, MA. Dr. Patnaude graduated from New York Medical College in 1974 and has been in practice for 45 years. He completed a residency at Worcester City Hospital. He currently practices at Worcester Internal Medicine and is affiliated with St Vincent Hospital. Dr. Patnaude accepts multiple insurance plans including Aetna, Harvard Pilgrim, and Tufts Health Plan. Dr. Patnaude is board certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Patnaude also practices at UMass Memorial Medical Center Adult Primary Care Center in Worcester, MA.


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Готель Полісся  — один з покинутих будинків у місті Прип'яті, (радіоактивно забруднений Чорнобильською катастрофою).

Збудований у середині 1970-их для гостей і відвідувачів ЧАЕС. Сучасний стан — покинуте приміщення, яке поволі руйнується (на 2013 рік). Готель є у грі Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl.

Див. також
 Парк розваг (Прип'ять)

Галерея

Примітки

Готелі України
Прип'ять (місто)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


If you are looking for Land close to town, close to the river, minutes from golf courses and utilities at the road, this is the land for you! Gorgeous pasture with hardwoods throughout. Has a wet weather creek, wire fencing and paved road frontage. Mineral rights do not convey.
One of the last remaining building lots in Pinehood Estates! Beautiful 2.5 acres m/l surveyed, permitted for septic, water meter and house pad in place. Ready for your dream home! Covenants in file along with copy of plats. The SW corner has pond access.


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Difference between revisions of "H*"
From H+Pedia
Davidwwood (talk | contribs)
Latest revision as of 12:31, 1 March 2016 (view source)
Deku-shrub (talk | contribs)
[[File:Th_party_logo.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Transhumanist Party (UK) logo]]
'''H*''' are the characters featured in the logo of [[Transhumanist Party (UK)]]
'''H*''' are the characters featured in the logo of [[Transhumanist Party (UK)]] and [[Transhumanist Party Australia]].
It is considered an alternative synonym for [[transhumanism]], similar to [[H+]] and to a lesser extent [[∞]].
It is considered an alternative synonym for [[transhumanism]], similar to [[H+]].
=== Choice of H* instead of H+ ===
The "+" in "h+" contravenes a rule against ticks or crosses in UK party symbols.
The substitution of '*' for '+' was a step to respect this legal rule.
[[Category:Transhumanism]]
[[Category:Transhumanist iconography]]
Latest revision as of 12:31, 1 March 2016
Transhumanist Party (UK) logo
H* are the characters featured in the logo of Transhumanist Party (UK) and Transhumanist Party Australia.
It is considered an alternative synonym for transhumanism, similar to H+.
Choice of H* instead of H+
The Transhumanist Party (UK) was informed by the Electoral Commission in the UK that
Retrieved from "https://hpluspedia.org/index.php?title=H*&oldid=5852"
Transhumanist iconography


On the Island of Oahu in 1991, Dave Chun created KIALOA Paddles out of a passion for outrigger canoe racing. He wanted to make the best paddles in the world, so he started to create wood paddles on his parents Ianai. It wasnt long before he met Meg, a girl from the mid-West who had found herself in Hawaii. The two were attracted to each other by their differences; Daves island heritage contrasted well with Megs progressive attitude from the mainland. Eventually they moved their company up to Bend, Oregon in 1992. The High Desert seemed like a pretty unlikely spot, but against all odds they were able to create an outrigger club there and progressed to today, where they now make a full line of stand up, outrigger and dragon boat paddles, along with a number of other paddle accessories and products. They still love to paddle; Dave and Meg can often be found together in the water paddling at the Deschutes River just by their shop in Bend. KIALOAs mission, which is to be an environmentally, socially, and financially responsible company that produces the finest quality paddles and cares for their customers, employees and business partners, is still alive today in the trustworthy and innovative way that they do business. KIALOAs business philosophy still retains its Hawaiian roots, claiming Po'okela (excellence), Malama (stewardship) and Laulima (teamwork) as their core values.
Mel Puu embodies the spirit of the waterman. A longtime lifeguard at Makaha, Mel is a force to be reckoned with, whether he's tandem surfing, outrigger surfing, or getting tubed with a stand-up surf paddle in hand. He's also been known to give away surf boards and other contest prizes to competitors he felt were more deserving - it's all about having fun on the water for Mel. We're proud to name our new state-of-the-craft stand up surf paddle after him. A portion of Shaka Puu sales are donated to the cause of choice for Mel and his wife Momi, the Makaha Junior Lifeguard Scholarship Program.
The versatile Shaka Puu excels in all SUP disciplines; surfing, distance racing, and fitness paddling. The Shaka is Chuck Patterson's secret weapon.
Patterns: Black, Blue Tattoo and Yellow Tattoo.
For the past 20 years, Kialoa Stand Up Paddles have been known for their top-of-the-line high performance paddles. KIALOA full carbon paddles are still the very best when one is looking for a paddle of the highest quality . Designed and engineered with the best ratio between toughness and weight, each paddle utilizes a carbon PowerARC blade design with a 10-degree bend, an ovalized tapered carbon shaft and a carbon Ergo-T. With each drag through the water the paddle feels clean, sharp, and saves energy because of it's stiff, strong body and narrow, light design.


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package de.quist.app.maps;

import android.graphics.Point;

import de.quist.app.maps.model.CameraPosition;
import de.quist.app.maps.model.LatLng;
import de.quist.app.maps.model.LatLngBounds;

public interface CameraUpdateFactory {

    CameraUpdate zoomIn();
    CameraUpdate zoomOut();
    CameraUpdate scrollBy(float xPixel, float yPixel);
    CameraUpdate zoomTo(float zoom);
    CameraUpdate zoomBy(float amount);
    CameraUpdate zoomBy(float amount, Point focus);
    CameraUpdate newCameraPosition(CameraPosition cameraPosition);
    CameraUpdate newLatLng(LatLng latLng);
    CameraUpdate newLatLngZoom(LatLng latLng, float zoom);
    CameraUpdate newLatLngBounds(LatLngBounds bounds, int padding);
    CameraUpdate newLatLngBounds(LatLngBounds bounds, int width, int height, int padding);

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Kids Chatter Speech Pathology provides individual therapy sessions with children to achieve goals specifically developed for them. No two therapy programs are alike or delivered in exactly the same way.
We design our therapy programs with your child's strengths and needs in mind so they get the most out of each session. Therapy sessions are typically weekly or fortnightly, depending on your child's needs and your family's time and budget.
We make each therapy session fun, so children enjoy themselves while learning a new skill. Depending on your child's needs and age, this can include activities with toys, games, paper-based activities, iPad apps and more. (If there's a particular toy or activity your child enjoys, let us know and we'll try to incorporate it into our therapy sessions.) Children can bring their own beloved toys, however they often prefer the shiny new ones we provide.
When your child starts therapy, they'll receive a special Kids Chatter Homework Folder they get to keep. At the end of each session your speech pathologist will give your child activities to practise at home, which helps them consolidate what they worked on in the therapy session and progress more quickly.
And don't worry. All the homework instructions will be written down for you and placed in the folder, along with any relevant handouts or exercises to practise at home.


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Crypto Exchange QuadrigaCX Awaits Ruling on $22 Million in Frozen Funds
Canada-based crypto exchange QuadrigaCX is waiting on a verdict in a long-running legal case against the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).
At the heart of the dispute is CA$28 million, or about $21.6 million in U.S. dollars. The case began in January 2018, when the CIBC froze multiple accounts opened by QuadrigaCX's payment processor, claiming that it was unable to determine whether the exchange or individuals who deposited funds to purchase cryptocurrencies owned the money in the accounts, the Globe and Mail reported Tuesday.
QuadrigaCX maintains that it owns the funds in the accounts opened by Costodian, Inc., but the CIBC is unsure. As such, it's asking the Vancouver courts to take ownership of the funds and determine whether the exchange, the payment processor or 388 individuals legally own the funds.
The frozen accounts are harming QuadrigaCX's customers too, the exchange has contended. Because the exchange cannot access the money, some customers face delays when attempting to withdraw their money from the platform.
In response to a request for comment, QuadrigaCX founder and CEO Gerald Cotten told CoinDesk that "to put it briefly, CIBC is currently holding nearly $28 [million Canadian dollars] of ours hostage and has been doing so since January."
"We went to court in June to sort it out, and are just waiting on the judge to issue his ruling at this point," he explained in an email.
Cotten referred further questions to counsel as the case is still ongoing.
However, a Reddit account purporting to represent the exchange said in a comment that "it is truly frightening how much power the banks have," adding that "we find it particularly troubling when they attack crypto companies and then create their own competing crypto projects."
It went on to say:
"After they realized that they faced a potentially massive lawsuit for the damages that they have caused, they went out of their way to discredit crypto, our customers that had sent wires, and anything else they could think of to retroactively justify freeziing [sic] an account while continuing to accept deposits for another month. In court things went pretty well for us. Now we just need to wait for the judge to issue his written judgement, which apparently takes a while in Ontario."
"As soon as the judge rules on this motion, we will be pursuing legal action against CIBC for the massive amount of damages they have caused," the account added.
Representatives for CIBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
CIBC image via JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock
Australian Finance Watchdog to Monitor Bitcoin Exchanges
The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (Austrac), the country's financial intelligence agency, has received the go-ahead to…
Top SEC Accountant Wants Auditor Eyes on Crypto
The U.S Securities and Exchange Commission's top accountant has a message: private practitioners should hone their cryptocurrency skills.…
Bitcoin-to-Cash Service Bit2Me Cancels Fees to Stay Competitive
Bitcoin-to-cash service Bit2Me has cancelled its commission fees in a bid to remain competitive in the Spanish market.…


Riding a motorcycle is a thrilling and an amazing experience. However, it is equally as dangerous. There is more that goes into riding safely than just learning how to maneuver and balance the motorcycle. When it comes to buying motorcycle gear, bear in mind that there is a lot of fancy things the market has to offer; however, it is vital to consider buying things that will keep you as safe and protected as possible, just in case things don't go as planned. There is essential safety gear that you should always wear to ensure your safety. Below are some of the most appropriate motorcycle gear that you should never overlook.
There is a whole lot of reasons why you should never miss a helmet on your head. Yes, it is a requirement by the law, but also it protects your brain from damage. A good helmet should perfectly sit on your head without any side movements. Additionally, see to it that the materials that make the helmet are sturdy and robust enough to withstand any damaging crash or fall. Imagine what would happen to your face if it got dragged for some 20 feet on a rough pavement without a helmet. Thus, if you love your face and you would like to keep it that way, one sure way is making sure you have a helmet on before jumping on your bike. They come in different colors and shapes to fit with changing user preferences.
Most riders often undermine the importance of riding gloves. Gloves come in different materials and designs to fit with different purposes. They protect your hands if you crash and also from anything that may come flying your way on the road. Also, whenever you fall, you are most likely to stretch your hand out to prevent a huge impact or protect other body parts. Therefore, it is wise to look for padded gloves or those made from materials that can protect your palms in case of a fall.
Most riders are aware of the importance of wearing riding pants but still don't see the need to invest in one of these pairs. Whereas jeans or any other thick fabric will come in handy to keep you dry and also keep off dirt and bugs from your legs, at times it pays to wear tougher riding pants. Different pants may suit different circumstances. Therefore be sure to research first or ask at the store before making a purchase. You will find pants that are made specifically for motorcycle riding. For instance, sports riding pants come with an exceptional design that features in-built pads at the hips and spine, along with protective knee caps.
Riding boots offer traction and also protection for your legs, toes, and ankles when you crash. When buying riding boots, there is a lot that you should consider because they come in different styles and designs. Some boots come with laces whereas others don't. If you decide to buy boots with laces, make sure you tie them tightly and tuck the ends inside the top of the boot. You don't want your shoes coming off as you ride, leaving your toes and ankles exposed.
A motorcycle jacket is another basic safety gear you should always have on. It not only complements your outlook, especially the typical black leather jacket but also keeps you warm when the weather is not so friendly. However, most importantly, it protects your skin should you fall and slide on rough pavement. There are many materials to choose from, therefore, look for one that matches with the weather, protects your skin and also complements your look.
Safety is an important aspect and should be given high priority always regardless of where you are riding. Wearing appropriate safety gear protects the most vulnerable parts of your body and may prove to be the difference between death and survival in case you get involved in an accident.


This two-day course provides techniques for checking that your business plans and strategy are financially viable. It describes seven techniques that between them improve the accuracy of any forecast you have to make. It also shows how to budget and how to convert the business plan and the short-term forecasts into a financial statement of expected revenues and costs.


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Q: Fill an empty stack with numbers from other k stacks such that sum of squared distance between adjacent numbers in new stack is minimized There are k stacks already filled with numbers with range[0,5]. I need to fill an empty stack by popping the numbers from other k stacks and pushing them to this stack. I need to do it in such a way that sum of squared distance between all adjacent numbers in this new stack is minimized. Note that size of each of the filled stack is around 100 times smaller than k
Example: lets consider k=3 filled stacks, s1=[1,2], s2=[3,4], s3=[4,5] with their 'top' part at extreme left. Now if I push numbers into some empty stack E=[] from S1, S2, S3 in following order:
pop s1, pop s1, pop s2, pop s2, pop s3, pop s3
I get E=[5,4,4,3,2,1] with sum of squared distance for all adjacent numbers = (5-4)^2 + (4-4)^2 +(4-3)^2 +(3-2)^2 +(2-1)^2 = 1+0+1+1+1 = 4. Hence its cost is 4 which seems minimum if done in this particular order. Therefore the solution is
order(pop s1, pop s1, pop s2, pop s2, pop s3, pop s3)
My Incorrect Approach:
Consider the set of numbers at the top of k stacks. Find the minimum number and push it to new stack. Do it repeatedly until all k stacks become empty. Data Structure used: Priority Queue. Time Complexity: O(S*log(k)) where S is the size of each stack.
I have 2 questions.
1. What do you think is the most efficient way to do it correctly?
2. What do you think is the most efficient way to do it approximately(better than mine approach in terms of correctness)?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When some of the UK banks aggressively raised their unauthorised overdraft charges by approximately 50% back in 2005 (i), who could have known where it would lead? Although the banks won their case in the Supreme Court, the ruling still left open a number of questions around the transparency of charges and fees, ('free banking') as well as switching.
Since then, the UK has suffered the financial crisis and endured an Independent Commission on banking, whose recommendations included a 7-day switching service and greater transparency of fees and charges.
So when we have a more straightforward switching process and tell people once a year how much their bank account has cost them, alongside increased competition – the market will resolve itself, right?
Our own Harris Poll (ii) shows that just 6% either opened a bank account for the first time or switched their account in the last 12 months and just 11% of all account holders say they are likely to switch in the next 12 months. This is off the back of the high profile RBS and NatWest service failures, and new scandals such as LIBOR and money laundering.
The recent decision by the OFT to 'Wait and see' rather that investigate the market for lack of competition may be a 'measured response', but it also feels like a 'missed opportunity'. Some may make comparisons with similar events within the telecoms and energy sectors. However, the key difference between those sectors and retail banking is that with the help of comparison sites costs were much more transparent – will the same be the case with retail banking? Will consumers truly be able to make an informed choice?
Although Metro, M&S and now the Post Office have entered the market, the last three years have been a bit of a hiatus with the fiasco of the 'branch sell offs' and the long awaited arrival of both Tesco and Branson.
It is clear that consumers are also waiting for change. Alongside Nationwide and the Co-operative, our research indicates that Virgin Money will be very strong indeed and Tesco will hold their own, particularly when you consider neither has a product to switch to yet! Initial reactions to the Post Office are also supportive with 14% of all account holders (iii) saying they would consider them.
One thing all of their success indicates is that a swelling number of consumers are looking for something different. So what does 'different' look like?
It is fair to say there is little difference between the majority of bank accounts on offer. Some may argue for the Santander 123 account and clearly it does appear to have had some impact, but ultimately the key differences come down to perceptions of both service and brand. It is on both these counts that the challengers and new entrants will continue to threaten the establishment.
We all know the industry has an image problem, but ultimately it is up to each organisation to demonstrate how they are different and what is unique about them. Consumers today want to deal with financial services organisations that act responsibly, treat customers fairly, are trustworthy, provide excellent service and demonstrate that they really care about customers. Being ethical, relevant to you personally and a good fit clearly also has its benefits.
Developing the framework of an appealing proposition is the easy part, but actually motivating people to switch and change behaviour is much more difficult.
Consumers today have a greater opportunity to engage with their finances more than ever before, the growth in online banking and now mobile is certainly testament to that. However, do consumers really take the time to fully evaluate their banking needs or do consumers simply accept the service levels and benefits they get from their bank without ever challenging or comparing them?
Given how historically low switching has been within the market (just half of us have ever switched), I think there is certainly a strong argument for apathy and the old adage that people don't value what they don't pay for. So how can we get more customers more engaged with their account and potentially encourage more to switch?
When Andrew Bailey, then executive director of the Bank of England, described 'free banking' (free if in credit) as "a dangerous myth" (iv) it certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons. Whilst his terminology may have alarmed some, I do believe if we really wanted to encourage greater levels of engagement and increased levels of competition then ending 'free banking' could prove to be the true 'disruption' the sector needs.
As indicated in our Harris Poll (v), the 'free banking' system stifles competition and arguably innovation. If every bank charged for a bank account, 38% of all account holders agree they would be more likely to switch with a further 25% somewhat agreeing.
The biggest benefit of removing 'free banking' is not the increased levels of 'claimed' switching, it is the fact that almost two-thirds agree that they would pay more attention to service levels and benefits they received from their bank, with a further 25% somewhat agreeing.
Imagine what could be done if people actually had a bank account tailored to their needs and that fitted in with their lifestyle. Imagine the additional support, at both ends of the market, that could be provided.
The current system clearly disadvantages those on low incomes and those who struggle to manage their finances. Whilst it may sound strange to say charging would be a fairer system, it would at least mean that more products and services would be designed around different customer segment needs and concerns rather than the range that we have today.
The criticism the Post Office has faced in the last week for charging for their Basic Bank Account has been grossly unfair. Charging just £5 per month for an account that has no charges for unpaid items should be seen as a bold move and offers reassurance to those most at need. However, getting people to switch into it will be extremely difficult.
Admittedly, removing 'free banking' would cause uproar and politically it is probably too hot for the regulator to handle. Just look at some of the comments made on a report written by Phillip Inman of the Guardian.
Therefore we need to find other ways to improve the transparency of fees and charges. Just laying out what a bank account has cost once a year in my mind does not go far enough.
We must continuously strive to improve the knowledge and understanding of customers, so why only communicate their total costs and fees once a year? Why not quarterly or monthly, i.e. as a reminder why not state the 'average' monthly cost over the last 12 months alongside the total cost?
In the same statement, marketing messages can be developed that recommend more suitable accounts based on an individual's banking habits. At least this way we are providing people with the best information and hopefully educating them to make an informed choice rather than continuing to trade on their lack of understanding.
Phil Brooks is a senior market research director at Harris Interactive and specialises in financial services research. Working across the sector, Phil focuses on programmes that include customer satisfaction, brand audits and product/service developments in the B2B and B2C markets.


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OMNI 1
OMNI™ is a free, over-the-air multilingual/multicultural television system committed to reflecting Canada's diversity by broadcasting an array of ethnocultural programming, serving multiple language communities. With five television stations -- in BC; Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton) and Ontario (OMNI.1 and OMNI.2) – OMNI has a combined reach to 22.7 million people across Canada. From weekly language newscasts to locally produced diversity programs, OMNI also delivers star-studded international series and films, including Bollywood blockbusters, Asian Cinema, as well as Italian and Portuguese telenovelas. OMNI Television is a part of Rogers Broadcasting Limited, a division of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI and NYSE: RCI) which is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. For more information visit www.OMNItv.ca
Station Description Factsheet
Afro-X
Al Rashid: The Story of Canada's First Mosque
Begumpura: The Wives Colony
Best of the IIFAs, The
Bigg Boss Fall
Bollywood Freetime Movie
Bollywood Top Ten Best
Ganesh, Boy Wonder
Judge Joe Brown
Kitty Talk
Ramayan
TO in 2 4


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Univision to Stream Telenovelas and Other Shows Through Hulu
Univision has brokered a deal to have streaming service Hulu provide its popular Spanish-language telenovelas, variety shows and reality programs to viewers online, reports the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog.
Univision will make some of its prime-time shows available on ad-supported Hulu.com a day after the show's initial airing, the story says. For subscribers of Hulu.com's $7.99-per-month service Hulu Plus, a more extensive selection will be available.
"This is the first time we are making this content available online," said Tonia O'Connor, Univision Communications' president of distribution and sales.
NBC Cancels Another New Show
Fox Scores Narrow Demo Win as 'X Factor' Remains Strong; ABC Has the Top Show of the Night
Mellie Sindie Cidelca
August 20, 2016 at 22:54 pm, Reply
Why they don't post all of the telenovelas on hulu.


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The Second Coming of Christ in southern Idaho
A new memoir reflects on an isolated, religious upbringing in a survivalist Mormon family.
Jenny Shank Aug. 6, 2018 From the print edition
Educated: A Memoir
332 pages, hardcover: $28
Random House, 2018.
Tara Westover's astonishing debut memoir, Educated, chronicles how she grew up on a southern Idaho mountain in a survivalist Mormon family, never setting foot in school, but eventually earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of Cambridge. "There's a sense of sovereignty that comes from life on a mountain, a perception of privacy and isolation, even of dominion," Westover writes. Her father, a charismatic and self-reliant but often unhinged man — imagine Pa Ingalls with a few screws loose — exercises that dominion in myriad ways.
Westover's father, whom she calls by the pseudonym Gene, limits his interactions with the government and the medical establishment to an extreme: He doesn't want his kids born in a hospital, issued birth certificates, vaccinated, or educated in schools where they could be "seduced by the Illuminati." He makes a living as a junk dealer, and trains each of his seven kids to perform dangerous work, using metal-cutting machinery with no safety equipment, and hauling sharp and heavy scraps.
Supporters of Randy Weaver demonstrate at Ruby Ridge in 1992. FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi was ordered to stand trial on manslaughter charges in the shooting death of Vicki Weaver.
Jeff T. Green/ap photo
In 1992, when Tara is 5, news of the FBI standoff at Ruby Ridge in northern Idaho spikes Gene's paranoia. He stockpiles weaponry and food and builds a hidden bomb shelter. His preparations intensify as Y2K approaches, an event after which he believes "all would sink into chaos, and this would usher in the Second Coming of Christ." We feel Westover's sense of perplexity and loss when Jan. 1, 2000, dawns and she looks at her father. "The disappointment in his features was so childlike, for a moment I wondered how God could deny him this." A less subtle writer might have caricatured or demonized some of these people, but Westover writes with understanding, love and forgiveness.
Gene encourages Westover's mother to train as a midwife, assisting a woman who "had no license, no certificates," Westover writes. "She was a midwife entirely by the power of her own say-so." Westover's mother eventually becomes a revered midwife and "wise woman," crafting herbal treatments and essential oils for healing — ultimately launching a business that has become a major community employer by the time Westover heads to college.
Because Gene believes that his wife can heal anything, the Westovers never receive treatment, even for serious accidents and ailments, including hard falls, severe burns, gashes and car crashes. One of Tara's brothers, whom she calls by the pseudonym Shawn, suffers so many head injuries that it's tempting to armchair diagnose him with brain trauma; he becomes sadistic and controlling, brutalizing everyone in his orbit, especially women.
Tara's desire to escape Shawn's abuse eventually motivates her to pursue college — aided and encouraged by her brother Tyler, who earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. Brigham Young University accepts homeschooled kids, and Tyler suggests she study for the ACT. Despite learning little beyond how to read and write (the Bible has been her primary textbook), Tara grinds through an ACT prep book and scores high enough to be admitted with a scholarship.
Tara's initial experiences at Brigham Young are a huge culture shock; it's as if she had been raised by wolves and then brought into human society. Tara's roommates are Mormon, but they scandalize her by wearing sweatpants emblazoned with the word "Juicy" on the derriere. She appalls them, in turn, by refusing to wash her hands after using the bathroom, following her father's instructions.
Westover writes about her studies with extreme humility. She's never heard of the Holocaust and is flabbergasted to learn that black people didn't begin to obtain equal rights until a hundred years after the Civil War ended. She's frequently lost in classes and fears failing, yet performs well enough to keep the full scholarship she needs to remain in school. Her professors, struck by the extraordinary quality of her mind, mentor her, eventually boosting her to a scholarship at Cambridge, a fellowship at Harvard University, and a Ph.D.
Westover chooses history as her focus. She writes: "What a person knows about the past is limited, and will always be limited, to what they are told by others." Westover still loves her family and many aspects of their way of life — including the mountain she grew up on, and her singular mother, "that docile woman" who "had a power in her the rest of us couldn't contemplate." As Westover becomes increasingly dedicated to seeking the truth, though, a confrontation with her family about Shawn threatens to prompt her expulsion from it.
Whatever Westover's father may think, his daughter's life has in fact embodied the ideal of individual sovereignty that he modeled. It's just that her pursuit of self-dominion led her on a quest for knowledge, resulting in a broader perspective than the one offered on the beloved Idaho mountain where she was born. This gorgeous, heartbreaking memoir, the product of the thoughtful reflections of a seeking mind, has the ring of a classic.


From day 2 of my trip to Aizu, Fukushima. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I was a guest speaker for "Aizu Engine 007 – Fukushima Never Give Up!" which was an event to give hope and encourage the people of Aizu to overcome the hardships after the nuclear explosion. Many well-known actors, writers, athletes, and artists were invited to share their stories to the people of Aizu. I participated in a talk show with 3 other models – Nozomi Igarashi (former Miss Universe finalist), Akemi Fukumura (runway coach), and Akane Nakajima (model and TV host). With Ms. Nozomi as the host for our event, we discussed many topics related to modeling such as how and why we became models, any interesting episodes we have had to encounter as models, and beauty and health tips we follow. Even though I was on stage talking to the audience, I learned a lot from the other models as the discussion progressed.
After the talk show, each of us went to a different restaurant in the area to eat delicious food and get to know the people of Aizu. I was lucky enough to have dinner at a restaurant called Kiriya, a lovely soba place with a great atmosphere. I took the position of MC and introduced some of the other participants, including former Olympic gymnast Naoki Iketani. I wish I had pictures of the food I ate, but let me tell you, I had some of the best Japanese cuisine there.
After this dinner event, the participants of Aizu Engine gathered at a fancy bar for an after party. I had sparkling sake for the first time – so good!


Opportunities to work while you are a student at Grand View University are plentiful and diverse. For a current list of on campus jobs, you must have a login for our campus intranet, myView. Simply log in to your myView account and follow this path: myView > Campus Life > Career Center > Job Listings > Work Study and On-Campus Employment.
The Student Employment Program at Grand View is designed to assist students seeking part-time employment opportunities on campus. On-campus jobs are available to financial aid recipients accepting either Iowa Work Study or Federal Work Study funds listed on their award letters.
Student eligibility for on-campus employment is determined by the Financial Aid Office. The Student Employment Program assures all eligible students equal access to job opportunities.
In addition to being a financial resource to meet educational expenses, part-time employment on campus can serve as an educational tool to enhance a student's work habits and career opportunities. On campus employment also provides students with a valuable link to faculty and staff.
Any student working on campus is required to fill out the Federal and State W-4 and I-9 Employment Eligibility forms.
The I-9 requires two forms of ID: one photo (your GV ID will work) and either your birth certificate or Social Security card.
The Federal and State tax forms are available at the Student Life Office front desk located in the Student Center.


Thoughts on this one? I already have the Pochette Metis but keep looking at the Palm Springs Mini. I really don't need both, so which one would you pick?
Would love to hear thoughts on this as well, I'm considering the same thing!
Arlene619, echt_lg and Kmazz39 like this.
I have both and agree they are different but worth having both....I can just get my Sarah wallet in ps and can fit a few more things....the PM can pretty much fit the same.....i use both of these bags for running errands but they are too small for me as an every day bag.....I use the ps backpack as over the shoulder , rarely cross body..same for PM.....I would definitely recommend the ps backpack!
Stacy Loh and Kmazz39 like this.
PS wins for me. I find it's very trendy and cute, and holds a lot of things. It is not heavy, and I love the black trims on th monogram. Everytime I wear it, I got lots of compliments and lots and stares. And I love hanging Pom Pom charms on them. The back is padded and super soft, and the style and handcraft is so dainty. I also enjoy wearing it crossbody and as a backpack. Good luck with your design. I have the monogram one, but also think the reverse monogram is really unique and special as well.
Congrats! You'll love it! I take mine to Disneyland and the bag checkers mention that this tiny bag is "deceptively" bigger than it looks, lol.
I'm thinking about selling my pm as well but not sure which selling platform to go with, do you mind sharing where you sold yours? Its such a beautiful bag but since I have a few boy bags I have no need for the pm anymore.
I am considering purchasing the reverse mono backpack mini, that will be my designated Disneyland bag lol. Are you able to fit a regular sized water bottle inside? Are the zippers smooth or stiff? Tia.
Thanks so much, I'll look into selling on ebay.


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No negotiations with criminals
India, Terrorism
India should have a policy of no negotiations with criminals whether they are terrorists, abductors, kidnappers, hijackers, pirates or Maoists. The policy should be followed by central and state governments. The policy should be irrespective of who the hostage is. The hostage may be a minister's daughter, engineer, doctor, collector, truck driver or someone else. It does not matter whether there is one hostage or there are many hostages. When the policy of no negotiations is declared and followed there will be no pressure on any government.
Since December 1989 when Rubiya Sayeed was abducted and five terrorists were released there have been many cases when India has surrendered to criminals and released prisoners or paid ransom. In recent years Maoists have abducted many people and state governments have released prisoners. The abductions continue.
In December 1999 a hijacked plane was allowed to take off from Amritsar and go to Kandahar. Three terrorists were released who caused many deaths later on.
According to a police officer, DGP Dinakaran, 20 crore rupees were paid as ransom to Veerappan when Rajkumar was abducted. He had said chief minister paying ransom is misconduct and not official secret. There was demand to release prisoners and it would have been met had not one retired police officer whose son had died in an encounter with Veerappan gang had gone to court and stopped it. The Government of Karnataka argued in Supreme Court that if the prisoners were not released there would be a law and order problem. The bench headed by S. P. Bharucha did not allow release of prisoners. The government was told if you cannot control you quit.
Many times criminals dictate who should be mediators and these mediators are their associates.
Sometimes TV channels show members of families of hostages crying. Once Vinod Mehta of Outlook said to Vikram Chandra of NDTV showing tears is pornography.
One instance when India did not surrender to terrorists was during 26/11. Whether there was any negotiation for sometime is debatable but there was no surrender and the terrorists were shot dead.
India should undo its mistakes. Criminals beginning with Rubiya Sayeed abduction case who demanded release of prisoners or ransom should be prosecuted. Rubiya Sayeed should be questioned about her abduction. All prisoners released should be asked to surrender within seven days failing which they should be declared fugitives dead or alive. S. M. Krishna who was chief minister of Karnataka must make public how 20 crore rupees were collected.
Tags: Indian Politics, law and order, Law and Order in India, Media and responsibility, Terrorism, TV channels


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Tangoe Achieves ISO 27001 Security Certification
Internationally recognized security standard demonstrates compliance with more than 100 information security controls
PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tangoe®, the global market leader in enterprise technology expense management and managed mobility services, today announced it has successfully completed certification to the ISO 27001 standard, demonstrating Tangoe has invested in the people, processes and technology to protect the organization's data, as assessed by an independent, objective, third-party expert.
ISO 27001:2013 is an international standard for Information Security Management System (ISMS) requirements that demonstrates compliance with more than 100 information security controls. The certification verifies that Tangoe's IT security posture meets or exceeds international best practices and standards for protecting confidential information like customer data, mitigating and responding to cyber threats and managing risk, among other measures.
"Tangoe manages more than $40 billion in spend and more than 10 million devices for our Fortune 500 customers. We have a responsibility to protect their private information with the highest security standards that allows for secure exchange of information - a responsibility we take very seriously," said Mark Troller, Tangoe CIO. "As a world-class technology organization, safeguarding customer data is our utmost priority, which is why the team has worked hard to achieve this IT security certification from an objective third party."
According to the International Standards Organization (ISO), achieving ISO 27001 certification involves:
Assessing potential risks and identifying vulnerable areas;
Implementing an enterprise-wide management system that controls how and where information is stored and used;
Maintaining a process to manage current and future information security policy;
Making employees and third-party contractors aware of the security risks and having a process for incident reporting;
Monitoring system activity and logging user activities;
Keeping IT systems up to date with the latest protection;
Controlling that only authorized users have access to IT systems.
Tangoe protects its systems with a comprehensive assortment of security and privacy best practices, including documented and audited processes and a business continuity plan to ensure secure, uninterrupted services. Tangoe's security implementations span across the physical and digital spectrum to include:
Encryption management
Systems development life cycle
Production monitoring
Incident response management
Business continuity and disaster recovery
About Tangoe
Tangoe helps nearly half of the Fortune 500 work smarter, save money and be confident by managing and paying their enterprise technology expenses and mobility services. Our customers count on us to pay their bills, process their orders, manage their inventory, and find them savings for their global telecom, mobile, and cloud environments. We provide a complete solution through a unified customer experience that offers the best products and capabilities, powered by cutting edge technology and the top people and expertise in the industry. Tangoe's 1,400 technology, product, and service delivery experts, fueled by an innovative automation framework, deliver comprehensive expense management and advanced auditing for telecom, seamless mms program management for mobile, and expert expense management and advanced usage and optimization for cloud. With Tangoe, customers have everything needed to confidently manage assets, roll out new programs, and improve the bottom line. To learn more about Tangoe, visit tangoe.com, or visit Tangoe on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Danielle Beer
Finn Partners for Tangoe
Tangoe@finnpartners.com


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NISENet
The Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net) is a national community of researchers and informal science educators dedicated to fostering public awareness, engagement, and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology.
Advances in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology are revolutionizing medicine, computing, materials science, energy production, and manufacturing. Yet, to the general public, these advances can be invisible or difficult to understand.
The NISE Network was created to engage the public in advances in nanoscale research, to capture the imagination of young people who may subsequently choose careers in nanoscale science or technology, and to foster new partnerships among research institutions and informal science centers.
In 2005, the Museum of Science, Boston, the Exploratorium, and the Science Museum of Minnesota joined together with a dedicated group of partners and advisors to develop the Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network. Funded by the National Science Foundation through a five-year cooperative agreement, the Network supports a variety of activities designed to build the capacity of informal science institutions and research organizations to work together to engage the public in learning about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology.
CEINT Participates in NanoDays 2010
For the second consecutive year, CEINT has partnered with the NISE Network to participate in NanoDays.
REU Contact Information
Glenda Kelly, PhD
Associate Director for Assessment and Outreach
glenda.kelly@duke.edu


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Castell 6H
Brand: A.W. Faber
Top two Castell's in the gallery circa 1907 First Editions. The Single pencil not pictured in the gallery is new to me....it is an old Bavaria with no scales. NOTE: The single Bavarian pencil with no scales circa 1913 is available to purchase here.
About A.W. Faber
The company was originally established in 1761 when a carpenter by the name of Kaspar Faber (1730-1784) opened a small pencil factory in Stein, Germany. The business was called "A.W. Faber" after his son, Anton Wilhelm Faber (1758-1819), who grew the company into a flourishing pencil manufacturer. In 1900, an heiress to the Faber fortune (granddaughter of Lothar Faber) married a count of Castell and the newly united A.W. Faber-Castell soon began producing a high-quality line of "Castell" drawing and copying pencils. The company has its headquarters in Stein to this day, now operating under the name Faber-Castell with 8,000 employees worldwide.
HIT No. 9900 HB
Colleen 2020 3H
Mono Architecture 2H
Professional Drawing 1000 B


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HOME > The Bachelor > The Bachelor 24
John Fleenor/ABC
'The Bachelor' star Peter Weber "very confident" his ending will remain unspoiled: There's "no way" people will find out
The Bachelor star Peter Weber is continuing to brag his season won't be spoiled by online spoilers, insisting there's "no way" people are going to find out his Season 24 ending!
"I'm really excited for this season because I'm very confident that no one is going to be able to spoil it," Peter told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview.
"There's a reason I believe that, and obviously I can't say it, otherwise it gives it away. I'm very confident that Reality Steve and all of these people, they're not going to find out what happens -- there's no way they're going to find out."
RELATED LINK: PETER WEBER'S 'THE BACHELOR' SEASON 24 CAST OF BACHELORETTES ANNOUNCED BY ABC (PHOTOS)
Peter was referring to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone, who has attempted to spoil the outcome of each The Bachelor and The Bachelorette season, often successfully.
"I'm very excited about [the mystery of my ending] because I think that's what this show has wanted for a while and I'm excited that for my season there's a really good chance that happens," Peter continued.
"And I'm excited for everyone to just come along for the journey and not know what happens at the end, and just be able to live it out with me."
Peter therefore hasn't revealed whether he chose a bachelorette as his winner at the Final Rose Ceremony or is engaged, but he has shared that he couldn't be happier right now.
"I can definitely say that I was very true to myself," Peter told The Reporter of his time on the show.
"I followed my heart throughout it all. It wasn't easy, but I'm very happy that I did follow my heart. I can say that. So, no regrets."
When asked whether the ending of his season can't be spoiled because it's still playing out in real-time, Peter dodged the question and said, "You'll have to tune in to find out!"
In addition, Peter admitted during his interview he felt pretty comfortable on-camera filming The Bachelor all season long, except when he had to dump women he cared about.
"I had about two months on The Bachelorette to get comfortable with how everything works and the whole process. But the breaking up -- that was absolutely horrible for me. Every single breakup sucked and I wasn't good at that," Peter shared.
"I kind of knew I would be that way going into it. That was the main thing that was different with being on this side of everything. And also, balancing so many different relationships."
Peter continued, "You try your best to give all your time and attention to that one person when you're with them individually, just to give that relationship the most fair chance. That took some getting used to."
Peter previously boasted he's looking forward to his The Bachelor season being the first unspoiled season in a long time.
While spoilers revealing the identities of Peter's final two bachelorettes emerged last month, the ending -- mainly Peter's winner and whether the pilot got engaged -- has yet to be revealed or reported.
"There's a reason that no one is going to find out the ending, and I'm very, very excited," Peter told People in a recent video interview.
"I can say I am very happy with how everything turned out. And I'm excited for everyone to tune in and have it be the very first unspoiled season in a while. So, it's going to be good!"
Peter suggested the outcome of his The Bachelor season was different from his expectations going into the process. (The Bachelor's 24th season began filming in September and wrapped in November).
"When I decided to be the Bachelor, obviously I envisioned at the end getting down on one knee and getting engaged to someone. That's what I envisioned," Peter shared at the time.
"Navigating the whole journey, I never made that an ultimatum where it had to happen that way and if it didn't, it was going to be a failure for me of an experience. Not at all."
Peter added, "I needed everything to be completely real and not forced. I was always going to be true to myself, no matter what."
The Bachelor viewers should prepare for a dramatic ending to Peter's edition, however, because Carbone reported late last year there will not be "a normal ending" when it airs on ABC.
"In regards to the finale... I can say with about as much certainty as possible that this was not a normal ending this season," Carbone revealed in his December 5 podcast about the upcoming The Bachelor season, which premieres with a special three-hour event on Monday, January 6 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.
"On that Final Rose Ceremony day, it was not down to [two women], he dumped one, chose the other, and they got engaged," Carbone elaborated.
"It is not a normal ending this season... [That] is not to say that he might not be engaged now... That leaves a lot of options out there."
After all, Peter told The Reporter that he took his time on The Bachelor very seriously.
To read complete-season spoilers on Peter's The Bachelor edition -- including his Final 2 bachelorettes and Final Rose Ceremony proposal details, click here.
THE BACHELOR 24
THE BACHELOR SPOILERS
MORE THE BACHELOR 24 NEWS
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'The Bachelor' recap: Peter Weber and Hannah Brown break down in intense reunion after Peter begins dating 30 bachelorettes
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'The Bachelor' alum Peter Weber trolls Kelley Flanagan for attending his ex Madison Prewett's wedding
'The Bachelor' alum Madison Prewett marries Grant Troutt in lavish Dallas wedding
'The Bachelor' couple Peter Weber and Kelley Flanagan go Instagram official again after reconciling
Alayah Benavidez - Alexa Caves - Chris Harrison - Courtney Perry - Deandra Kanu - Hannah Ann Sluss - Jasmine Nguyen - Kelley Flanagan - Kelsey Weier - Kiarra Norman - Lauren Jones - Lexi Buchanan - Madison Prewett - Mykenna Dorn - Natasha Parker - Payton Moran - Peter Weber - Sarah Coffin - Savannah Mullins - Shiann Lewis - Sydney Hightower - Tammy Ly - Victoria Fuller - Victoria Paul


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Western 'Zoom Towns' Take Aim at Short-Term Rentals
Internet-based service firms such as Airbnb, Vacasa and VRBO had been bumping up against short-term rental caps in Oregon towns. So they began aggressively soliciting property owners in unincorporated seaside neighborhoods.
Erika Bolstad, Stateline.org
Shutterstock/Catherine Zibo
(TNS) — Postcards with big promises began showing up in mailboxes in Oregon coastal communities in 2019: "Rent your home short term, use it when you want to, guaranteed $5,000 more monthly income than you're earning with your current property management firm," recalled Monica Kirk, a retiree.
Kirk's neighborhood began to transform almost immediately.
Internet-based service firms such as Airbnb, Vacasa and VRBO had been bumping up against short-term rental caps in nearby towns. So they began aggressively soliciting property owners in quieter, unincorporated seaside neighborhoods like Kirk's, where there were fewer restrictions on rentals. Over the next year, according to a public records request Kirk filed, the number of licensed short-term rentals in unincorporated neighborhoods in Lincoln County, Oregon, grew from 385 to 601.
"During most of the year, not just the season, there were more renters than there were full-time residents," Kirk said.
The new visitors were careless with trash, which drew pests. They drove too fast on lightly maintained roads. They crowded the rentals with more people than were intended for aging, often unpermitted septic systems. Worst of all, taking all those homes out of the potential long-term rental stock made it that much more challenging for working people to afford homes in the county, a tourist community on the central Oregon coast. The area, like all popular vacation destinations, needs affordable housing for the seasonal housekeepers, retail clerks and restaurant workers who keep it humming.
Kirk and her neighbors began gathering signatures for a ballot initiative that, over the next five years, will do away entirely with short-term rentals in unincorporated communities in the county. Its successful passage in November 2021 was one of the few bans to be approved in a wave of efforts aimed at addressing the effects of short-term rentals on affordable housing in the tourism communities of the West.
Even before the pandemic, the destination towns of the West had a shortage of affordable housing. Limited supply, the remote nature of some of the communities, zoning restrictions and even short construction seasons all contributed. But the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated everything, including the rise of so-called Zoom towns. Freed from physical offices, suddenly people could live, work and recreate in the vacation communities of the West, with few needs beyond a high-speed internet connection to do jobs that formerly required their presence in major cities.
It also in recent years became much easier for owners of second homes to list vacancies with internet-based property firms that promise a steady cash flow in places with seasonal, tourism-based economies. When those homes enter the short-term vacation rental pool, they're no longer available to the local workforce.
Brian Chesky, Airbnb's CEO, said recently that about one-fifth of the company's business by room nights is now stays of 30 days or more. People are booking longer stays that combine work and leisure, an area the company sees as full of potential growth. Vacasa, which is based in Portland, Oregon, went public in early December on the promise of its technology to manage properties, and the understanding that vacation rentals for large groups or families are an untapped market. Jamie Cohen, Vacasa's chief financial officer, told Oregon Public Broadcasting that at least a fifth of people staying in vacation rentals did so for the first time during the pandemic.
There are few statewide efforts to address the effects of short-term rentals; some states, such as Idaho, outright prohibit local governments from enacting bans. Individual Idaho resort communities can and do enact health and safety regulations for short-term rentals, as well as collect sales and lodging taxes. And voters in eight separate Colorado mountain towns recently passed various local option sales taxes and lodging taxes on short-term rentals, the proceeds of which are aimed at addressing housing shortages.
Voters in Vail, for example, approved a half-penny sales tax increase to help pay for housing initiatives. Several communities expanded their borrowing capacity to pay for measures that help address labor shortages, driven in part by a lack of affordable housing because so much has been converted to short-term rentals.
Colorado state Sen. Chris Hansen, a Democrat, has proposed legislation that would tax many short-term rentals at the lodging property rate, which hotels pay, for each day the property is rented more than 30 days a year.
His bill emerged in response to developers who began converting ski-town hotels into short-term condominium rentals with individual owners. That meant the new rentals qualified for lower residential property tax rates, instead of the lodging rate. In the ski town of Steamboat Springs, for example, the situation crushed the tax base by wiping $1.5 million out of the local school budget, Hansen said.
"If we don't have a stable property tax base, we then start to create a huge, additional burden on the state budget," Hansen said. "And we have a lot of constraints on our state budget. I think the main focus here is really making sure that we've got adequate revenue for schools, for fire districts, for police force, etc., public safety, that are dependent on property taxes."
Real estate agents, property management companies and many individual property owners oppose the legislation. They would rather see other options used, including restricting short-term rentals to certain zones of communities, said Julia Koster, executive director of the Summit Alliance of Vacation Rental Managers, which represents the owners and managers of about 7,000 short-term rental units in and around ski towns including Breckenridge.
"We're offering suggestions like putting out a sales tax or putting out a lodging tax that helps to pay for these workforce housing pieces. Whatever that looks like, those are all pieces that we need to sort through, but those are all definitely part of the conversation," said Koster. Her own landlord told her the home she and her family live in will become a short-term rental in 2024 so he can afford college tuition for his children.
In general, the vacation rental industry also fights efforts to enact short-term moratoriums or bans. The was the case for the community-led ballot measure in coastal Oregon, said Kirk. Two separate political action committees lined up against it; they were backed mostly by real estate and property management interests that easily outspent the $35,000 locals raised to pass the measure.
Meredith Lodging, a large local vacation property management firm in Oregon, gave $200,000 to Save Lincoln County Jobs, a PAC set up explicitly to fight the measure. The VIA Oregon Coalition, a separate political action committee established to support short-term rental policies, took in $28,500 from the Oregon Realtors and one of its political action committees. Another $10,000 to fight the measure came from Vacasa.
"We are in favor of fair and equitable regulations that preserve our homeowners' ability to operate their vacation rental and earn income they rely on, while also protecting the interests of full-time residents," Sarah Tatone, the head of communications at Vacasa, said in an emailed statement. "It's about finding a balance to regulate short-term rentals fairly, without limiting the potential to spur growth or support local businesses and the economy."
Yet few popular tourist communities in the West have enough affordable options for the staff necessary to run a vacation destination in peak season. In Montana, people who can't afford the rent in some tourist towns have been camping more regularly on public lands in the vicinity, encroaching on grizzly territory. The housing shortage has led directly to more encounters between bears and people, said Bill Avey, a National Forest supervisor in the region.
In Whitefish, a gateway to Montana's Glacier National Park, the lack of affordable workforce housing in 2021 forced nearly all food- or beverage-related businesses to curtail hours or close at least one day a week at the height of the summer tourist season, said Lauren Oscilowski, who owns the Spotted Bear Spirits distillery. Over the past year, about half the people on her 11-person team have been forced to move because their landlords decided to turn their housing into more lucrative short-term rentals.
"There's this national thing where hospitality people aren't returning to hospitality because the wages are too low, or they're sick of dealing with the public or whatever it is," Oscilowski said. "But that's just a piece of it. The bigger piece for us is really housing. Summer servers and hospitality people are making money hand-over-fist in Whitefish. It's a great job to have."
Oscilowski sits on the sustainable tourism management committee of the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau. Montana localities have fewer taxation tools than Colorado or Idaho, so their options are limited, Oscilowski said. She supported a moratorium on new short-term rentals, if only to slow the transition. The city defeated the measure in October after the mayor voted 'no' to break a tie on the city council.
Still, she's heartened that the city is considering some of the recommendations from the sustainable tourism committee. They include requiring all short-term rental listings to have a license number and hiring an outside consultant to help the town with enforcement.
"Anyone who's been in our community for over 10 years has seen the change, and also feels the frustration and hardship of it," Oscilowski said. "It's an undeniable issue."
©2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
PolicyLocal GovernmentUrban Planning


The Bay Port Area Historical Society met March 20, 2019. Those present were Sue Schweitzer, Karen Baur, Pat Sluke, Joyce McGathy, Yolanda Edler.
We are helping sponsor The Blessing of the Fleet May 19th at 1:00 down at the Bay Port Fish Docks with a fish fry to follow at McLeish Park. We will be responsible for the cole slaw, desserts, drink and forks. The Bay Port Fish Company will provide the fish, tents, table, and fryer. The Bay Port State Bank will provide us with paper products.
Pat will check with Clemco about the buttons and will try to have them for Blessing of the Fleet.
July 12th is the hot dog and brat sale at the Bay Port State Bank.
The website is up, to get to it put in bayporthistoricalsociety.com.
July 20th is the class of 64 party, and September 21 is the class of 69 party. Both Elkton and Bay Port museum will be open 12:00- 3:00.
Karen will call about the kiosk.
April 24 is the regional workshop at Sherwood on the hill in Gagetown.
We have new bylaws and we went over them. Pat made a motion to accept them 2nd by Karen motion carried.


Welcome to the PC Gamer Game of the Year Awards 2013. For an explanation of how the awards were decided, a round-up of all the awards and the list of judges, check here .
As gaming genre boundaries continue to break down and old fashioned genre labels lose their relevance, designers are increasingly happy to collide once separate ideas into inventive new ones. None have done that with as much cleverness this year as Card Hunter, which fuses turn-based tactical combat with collectible card games, wraps it up in an endearing D&D homage, and then gives it all away for free.
CHRIS I really want Card Hunter to succeed. It's a free-to-play game with a fair and generous business model that never gets in the way of doing what you want to do, which is negotiate a series of D&D-style dungeons with a party made up of individually customisable CCG decks. It sounds convoluted, but Blue Manchu have managed to marry two complicated genres in a way that makes both more accessible. The collectible card game underneath helps to break down the principles of turn-based strategy into individual, easily-understood elements, and the strategy game helps to present card battling in a context that gamers will immediately comprehend. It's a phenomenal bit of design.
CORY It's also an incredibly charming game. Right from the start, you can see the love Blue Manchu have wrapped up in its art style. This is a game made by tabletop fans, people who grew up sitting around, rolling 20-sided dice and scribbling furiously on graph paper. I love how it expresses its mechanics through cardboard cutout figures, and delight at every D&D in-joke the designers have baked into the various cards and actions. Card Hunter is charming as hell, and I would have easily paid full price to play its campaign. That its developers let you log in for free and only want to charge you for the smallest of details is, frankly, unbelievable. Even if you're not into CCGs, you should give the first few singleplayer missions a try. They're just delightful.
CHRIS I played singleplayer for about a dozen hours before graduating to competitive play, but I'm glad that I did. I love the room it provides for creative plays – the Flying Wizard Telekinetic Dwarf Slingshot is totally a thing, because I invented it. The game's CCG foundations allow for turnarounds and upsets, too – and as frustrating as it can be to be on the receiving end of one, they always make for good stories. Card Hunter is easily the year's second-best wizard 'em up.
PHIL As someone who doesn't like CCGs, I'm grateful to Card Hunter for the way it mitigates random chance. I've yet to move up to its competitive modes, so while being dealt bad cards is frustrating, it's mostly an opportunity for creative tactical problem solving. Even drawing a purely defensive hand isn't disastrous thanks to the pass system. By moving to defensible locations and skipping my turn, I can ensure I get first go when the new, hopefully more powerful cards appear – even using my apparent weakness as the basis for an ambush.
More interesting are the low-level cards that offer seemingly undesirable effects. What at first seems like a near-useless compromise can suddenly make all the difference. If a Warrior's bludgeon can't quite finish a monster, maybe that boobytrapped healing card can briefly turn your Cleric into an offensive unit, killing the enemy before the healing is applied.
That's what I love about Card Hunter: the necessity of invention. Experimental strategies aren't about showing off, or trying to be creative in the face of a more sensible or more effective option. They're the result of an intuitive deck-building system, that is then reduced down to a manageable and interesting set of choices to be made on any given turn.


No monster is as iconic as Godzilla. To celebrate the character's return to the big screen this year, kids can embrace their inner king of monsters with a new collection of themed toys from Jakks Pacific.
Designed for kids ages 3 and up, kids can place Godzilla Electronic Mask, designed for kids ages 3 and up, on their faces and give off the all-important Godzilla roar.
To activate the sound effects, kids open their (and the mask's) mouths. The amount you open your mouth corresponds to the volume of the growl it makes. Kids can open their mouths partially to hear a deeper, quieter, and shorter Godzilla-esque roar. When they open their mouths even wider, they will hear a louder and fuller sound that is accompanied by blue LED lights shining from the back of the mask's mouth.
To wear, the inside has an elastic head strap to stretch around a kid's head, a chin rest, and a silicone, rubber piece to rest and protect your nose inside the mask. Then, it's up to you to become the powerful monster, ahem, king of the monsters.
To amp up the role-play experience, kids can also play with the Godzilla: King of Monsters figures and accessories. With the Monster Battlepacks, kids can collect and imagine Godzilla scenes with the two 3.5-inch included figures in each pack. There are three unique versions of the classic monster that kids can pose, play, and recreate the iconic scenes with the battle packs.
Each Monster Battlepack includes a Godzilla figure, a legendary monster figure (for battling, obviously), and a backdrop accessory, so kids will really feel like they are living out a scene from the epic film.
One of the hallmarks of Godzilla's illustrious career is being a gigantic monster; so why should the figures stop at just being a miniature, collectible size? With Jakks' 24-Inch Figure, this monster figure stands 24 inches tall and 36 inches long, allowing kids to pose this articulated figures for plenty of action and battle sequences. The posable figure brings intricate detail to the moveable monster, where kids can move his various points of articulation in the jaw, neck, hands, legs, feet, and tell to complete their stories.
These toys, designed for kids ages 3 and up, will be available this spring exclusively at Walmart.
Miranda Siwak is the editorial assistant at Adventure Publishing Group, where she writes for the Pop Insider and the Toy Insider, and also contributes to The Toy Book and The Licensing Book. When she's not covering the latest news and trends, she can usually be found reading a good book, searching for her next DIY project, or keeping up with all of her favorite must-watch TV (and likely tweeting out all of her thoughts on it). Follow along with all of her adventures on Twitter and Instagram @MirandaSiwak.
What do you think about Become the King of Monsters with Godzilla Toys?