Whoever sent this should have gone to Specsavers!
Optical Express have complained to Nominet (again) claiming that Sasha Rodoy's OERML site is an "advertorial" for Optimax, its registration paid for by Russell Ambrose. Did they not notice the Optimax threads on the OERML Forum?!
Optical Express are presumably taking advantage of the legally enforceable 'gagging order' included in Sasha Rodoy's personal injury settlement with Optimax, a copy of which OE claimed to have in anonymous posts on a now closed forum.
Sasha may be unable to speak out, but I can tell you categorically that OE's claims about OERML are not only nonsensical, they are downright LIES!
I have in my possession copies of at least four recorded meetings between Ms Rodoy and Russell Ambrose where he is clearly heard in each one trying to broker a deal for Sasha to accept £200,000 from David Moulsdale to take down the OERML site. He tells her it is damaging Optimax as much as it is Optical Express.
Sasha may not be able to speak out publicly against Optimax, but I can! So let me assure anyone who might think otherwise, I know Sasha Rodoy personally and can tell you she has as much contempt for Russell Ambrose as she does for David Moulsdale - if not more!
"Advertorial for Optimax" - I think not! I will submit my own evidence to Nominet to discredit OE's claim.
Unlucky for Sasha when surgeon Dr Wilbert Hoe damaged her eyes in February 2011, but certainly lucky for the rest of us, because otherwise this industry would continue unregulated with free rein to damage the lives of 1,000s more trusting individuals!
NB: Dr Wilbert Kok-Chwan Hoe retired in 2012 & is about to be sued by another Optimax patient he operated on only one month after Sasha! How many more we wonder?
My whole life was damaged after I decided to have laser eye surgery at Optimax.
Russell Ambrose, owner of Optimax and Ultralase, claims that laser eye surgery DID NOT cause MGD, or STARBURSTS and GHOSTING - none of which I suffered before laser eye surgery!
I am also left with yellow blobs forming around my eyes which I have to regularly prick with a pin.
Two previous Optimax Medical Directors, Dr Malcolm Samuel and Professor Jan Venter (now @ Optical Express) were guilty of serious negligence. Both of their damaged patients were paid off.
Mark received approx 45k after surgeon Dr Malcolm Samuel programmed the wrong laser setting, and Myra a mere 200k after being left blinded for a year thanks to Professor Jan Venter, not knowing if she would ever regain her sight!
Optimax's recently appointed Medical Director, Dr Amir Hamid, is also in the midst of a negligence claim! If Optimax's MDs can't get it right, who can you trust?
My world has been turned upside down & my career destroyed thanks to Russell Ambrose and Optimax - also responsible for damaging My Beautiful Eyes campaigner Sasha Rodoy's eyes!
Dr Wilbert Hoe, the surgeon responsible, retired last year and escaped being sued - after Russell paid Sasha off, with a gagging order - or thought he did! But now another patient with similar problems caused by Dr Hoe is preparing legal proceedings!
My issue is with OE but it's good to see Optimax fairly getting the same beating as OE!
Russell Ambrose: Myra Pridham, that poor poor lady, and you probably already know a lot about Myra Pridham.
Russell Ambrose: I don't know that to be an exact number. And she got no closure on it, I spoke to her. Sasha asked me to give her a ring, she wanted me to speak to her - no closure at all!
She said, "Well I am still no better off than I was seven years ago and the money doesn't mean anything to me, and I am still hurt and disappointed and angry..."
And so Sasha said it would mean a lot, I mean, I forgotten about her already!
So, just seven years as I say... I wasn't actually sued in that case (HE WAS) the blame is always on the doctor, and Optimax was basically out of it... And I got a letter about six months before the case saying Myra Pridham has raised her ugly head (nervous laugh) - well the case has raised her ugly head not Myra!
Russell Ambrose: "Careful"? Are you recording?
Russell Ambrose: I don't mind if you're recording!
Sasha Rodoy: You know I'm not!
Russell Ambrose: MORE guarded - right!
There is a forum dedicated to Optimax patients.
This site also includes regular updates regarding what is happening on the other side of the fence.


text:
Home/Bollywood/Ajith Kumar Net Worth 2021- Salary, Income & Earnings
Ajith Kumar Net Worth 2021- Salary, Income & Earnings
networth57April 26, 2021
Ajith Kumar, known for his dynamic performances in films like 'Singh in King,' has emerged as one of the major stars of Bollywood. He plays the role of a rebellious character in the film, while appearing in some smaller but memorable films like 'Chak De! India' and 'Chak De! India II.' The actor's films have earned him both critical acclaim and box office success.
Ajith Kumar Net Worth is INR 350 crores
Jim Sarbh Net Worth 2021- Salary, Income & Earnings
Govinda Net Worth 2021- Salary, Income & Earnings
Aanjjan Srivastav Net Worth 2021- Salary, Earnings & Income
The question as to how much is Ajith Kumar's salary? This question has preoccupied many Indian hearts and minds ever since he stepped into the limelight. There are two sides to every question. The first is how much does a Bollywood actor make in his career? And the second is how much does Ajith Kumar earn compared to other leading actors in Bollywood?
Generally speaking, Bollywood movies are known to be expensive and so, when Ajit Kumar makes a film, he needs to make an impact on the audience by offering something that will make up for the hefty cost of producing the film. This is not always easy, as most Bollywood movies are expensive enough to earn Ajith Kumar a decent profit. However, there are several movies that Ajith Kumar has acted in that have made him a good amount of money.
Some of these movies include 'A Mumbai High School Teacher' with Suraj Badhja and Naveen Kaushik's son Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Gana' and 'Iruvar'. All these films have helped Ajith Kumar garners some good earnings. Apart from this, there are also some lesser known films in the Bollywood catalog that have made Ajith Kumar quite popular among the viewers. These are the movies that have made their mark in Bollywood by becoming hits among the audiences.
Another factor that determines Ajith's net worth is his acting skills. This is something that everyone knows about Ajit and how much impact he has on the audience when he is on screen. His acting abilities have made him a favorite among the viewers and this has also helped him in securing his place in the pantheon of Bollywood actors. Many people overlook Ajit because of his relatively lesser known films. But in the glare of the public, Ajit has carved out a niche for himself as one of the best and most eligible Bollywood actors.
If Ajith Kumar is to continue his good start in Bollywood, then we can expect some more good box office earnings from him. It is very likely that his name will feature in the credits of more movies in the coming years and this would only further enhance his image in the minds of the viewers. It is possible that Ajit will be able to establish himself as an actor who commands the highest pay checks. Only time will tell but one thing is for sure, It's popularity in Bollywood will continue long after his exit from the silver screen.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
import scala.quoted.*

case class Box[T](v: T)

inline def mcr(expr: => Boolean): Unit = ${mcrProxy('expr)}

def mcrProxy(expr: Expr[Boolean])(using Quotes): Expr[Unit] = {
  val res = mcrImpl[Boolean]('{ (esx: Seq[Box[Boolean]]) => () }, expr)
  // println(s"Out: ${res.show}")
  res
}

def mcrImpl[T](func: Expr[Seq[Box[T]] => Unit], expr: Expr[T])(using Quotes, Type[T]): Expr[Unit] = {
  import quotes.reflect.*
  val arg = Varargs(Seq('{(Box($expr))}))
  Expr.betaReduce('{$func($arg)})
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
4ever è il quarto album del gruppo musicale nu metal russo Slot. Il disco è stato realizzato il 19 settembre del 2009 e pubblicato dalla M2. Dall'album sono stati estratti due singoli: Alfa-Ромео + Beta-Джульетта (Alfa Romeo + Betta Joliette) e АнгелОК (My Angel). Per il brano АнгелОК è stato anche prodotto un video.
Nell'edizione speciale dell'album è presente un bonus CD con alcuni inediti e remix.

Tracce
 АнгелOK (My Angel) - 03:27
 Flash Mob - 03:57
 Небо (Sky) - 03:42
 4Еловек-Паук (4Elovek-Spider) - 03:30
 Вампир (Vampire) - 03:50
 Зеркала (Mirrors) - 03:34
 Эмаль (Enamel) - 03:28
 Альфа Ромео + Бета Джульетта (Alfa Romeo + Juliet Beta) - 03.50
 Ля-Ля (La-La) - 03.03
 Рот В Рот (Time to Go) - 03.15
 Конец Света — Нет Интернета (End of the World — No Internet) - 03.23
 Кукла Вуду (Voodoo Doll) - 04.08
 Мир (World) - 04.00

Note

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
\section{Introduction}

	Major disruptions must be adequately mitigated in a tokamak
        for a viable fusion power reactor, with the current approach
        for ITER's Disruption Mitigation System (DMS) based on
        injecting large quantities of high-atomic-number impurities
        such as argon or
        neon~\cite{lehnen2018,lehnenjournalofnuclearmaterials2015}.
        This can serve the dual purpose of thermal quench mitigation
        by spreading the plasma power load over the reactor first wall
        through radiative cooling of the bulk
        plasma~\cite{whytejournalofnuclearmaterials2003,granetznucl.fusion2006,hollmannnucl.fusion2013},
        and current quench mitigation via enhanced runaway electron
        current dissipation due to increased collision
        rates~\cite{granetznucl.fusion2006,paz-soldanphysicsofplasmas2014,boozerphys.plasmas2015}.
        The resulting plasma mixture of hydrogenic fuel, helium ash,
        and high-Z impurities, at a total atomic number density of
        $10^{20-21}$~m$^{-3},$ leads to a radiatively cooled bulk
        electron population, along with a minority runaway electron
        component at a number density of $10^{16-17}$~m$^{-3},$ which
        is sufficient to carry a plasma current of a few to 10
        mega-amperes (MA) in ITER discharges. This is a most unusual
        plasma that emphasizes a variety of radiative processes for
        plasma power loss, some combination of which point to the
        surprising role of minority relativistic runaway electrons.
        Although the presentation here focuses on the conditions of a
        disrupting tokamak plasma, the issues uncovered apply to a
        range of plasma applications in which a minority population of
        relativistic electrons co-exists with a cold thermal bulk that
        contains high-atomic-number ion species.  Some non-fusion
        examples include atmospheric
        lightning~\cite{gurevichphysicslettersa1992}, planetary
        radiation belts~\cite{fletcherspacescirev2011}, and any
        synchrotron emitting astrophysical plasma that is also metal
        rich~\cite{israelian-etal-book-2012}.

	In a mitigated tokamak disruption discharge where $n_{\rm
          Ar}=n_{\rm D}=10^{20}$~m$^{-3},$ line radiation by argon
        would dominate the plasma radiative power loss, which is
        around a few GW/m$^{3}$ over the electron temperature range of
        10~eV to 1~keV. For an ITER plasma of 300~m$^3$ in volume and
        $300$~MJ in thermal energy, this loss mechanism alone would
        ensure a thermal collapse (electron temperature, $T_e$, from a
        few keV to below 10~eV) over $1$~ms or less.  Once the
        electron thermal temperature reaches a few eV, radiative loss
        in a thermal plasma of comparable argon and deuterium number
        density becomes negligibly inefficient.  The minority runaway
        electron population, despite the tiny number density of
        $10^{16-17}$~m$^{-3}$ required to carry a few to 10 MA of
        current in ITER, would dominate the radiative loss.  The
        underlying cause for runaway electrons aiding efficient
        radiative power loss is fundamentally due to a quantum
        electrodynamics (QED) effect dating back to M{\o}ller, Breit,
        and Bethe.

	At electron energies significantly above the threshold energy,
        the excitation and ionization integrated cross-section (ICS)
        would normally decrease with
        increasing impacting electron energy. However, this trend
        reverses when the impacting electron reaches relativistic
        energies, usually at a threshold around one MeV.  This is a
        lowest-order QED correction associated with the M{\o}ller or
        generalized Breit
        interaction~\cite{llovetjournalofphysicalandchemicalreferencedata2014,fontesj.phys.b:at.mol.opt.phys.2015,scofieldphys.rev.a1978,bostockphys.rev.a2013,fontesepjh2014}. Much
        of these physical effects are captured by the Bethe formula
        for electron stopping \textcolor{black}{~\cite{bethez.physik1932, inokutirev.mod.phys.1971,qedlifshitz,
          breizmannucl.fusion2019}
        \begin{align}
          -\frac{d{E}}{d x} = \sum_\alpha \frac{2 \pi e^4 n_{e\alpha}}{m_e v^2}
          \left[ \log \left( \frac{m_e^2 c^4 (\gamma^2 - 1)(\gamma - 1)}{
              2\left\langle I_{\alpha} \right\rangle^2} \right) \right . \notag
            \\ - \left . \left( \frac{2}{\gamma} - \frac{1}{\gamma^2}\right)
            \log 2 + \frac{1}{\gamma^2} + \frac{(\gamma - 1 )^2}{8\gamma^2}
            \right], \label{eq:bethe-stopping}
        \end{align}
        }where $c$ is the speed of light, $\epsilon_0$ the vacuum permittivity,
	$\beta=v/c,$ and $e$ and $m_e$ the electron charge and rest mass
	respectively. For each ion species in a specific charge state, which is
	denoted by subscript $\alpha$, there is a unique mean excitation
	energy $\left\langle I_{\alpha} \right\rangle$ and bound electron
	density $n_{e\alpha}.$ In fact, the standard treatment in runaway
	modeling is to incorporate the runaway slowing down due to excitation
	and ionization via a friction in the Fokker-Planck collision operator
	using the Bethe
	formula~\cite{hesslowj.plasmaphys.2018,hesslowphys.rev.lett.2017}.
	The effect of ion charge state distribution (CSD) on runaway and thermal
	bulk plasma evolution is through a collisional-radiative (CR) model that
	deals with only the background Maxwellian population at given
	temperature.

	In a dilute plasma such as those in tokamak disruption, the
	aforementioned decoupled treatment of background thermal electrons and
	runaways~\cite{hesslowj.plasmaphys.2018,hesslowphys.rev.lett.2017} has
	a straightforward prediction for the radiative power loss as the bulk
	electrons are cooled to below a few eV.  Namely, the
	background electron density drops precipitously due to cold thermal
	electron recombination with ions. Along with a mean charge number
	$\left< Z\right>$ approaching zero, the radiative power loss by
	thermal electrons can decrease by 5 orders of magnitude between
	$T_e=5$~eV to $T_e=1$~eV.  Meanwhile, as $\left\langle Z\right\rangle
	\rightarrow 0$ with $T_e\rightarrow 0,$ the simultaneous increase in
	bound electron density $n_{e\alpha}$ and decrease in mean excitation
	potential $\left\langle I_{\alpha} \right\rangle$ leads to enhanced
	radiative loss by runaways, according to the Bethe formula.

	Unlike in a solid, inelastic collisions between runaways and
        high-atomic-number impurities in a dilute plasma can directly
        alter the charge state of the plasma ions. The change in ion
        CSD, in turn, modifies both the radiative power loss by
        thermal electrons and the runaways. The former is through
        modified line emissions as the dominant bound-bound
        transitions have explicit charge state dependence, while the
        latter, using the Bethe stopping power formula, is by way of
        modified bound electron density $n_{e\alpha}$ and mean
        excitation potential $\left\langle I_{\alpha} \right\rangle$.
        This Letter provides CR modeling taking into account both the
        thermal bulk and the runaways with enhanced excitation and ionization
        scattering processes, which allows us to not only
        elucidate the new qualitative trends enabled by the coupling
        between the minority runaways and bulk thermal population
        through high-atomic-number ions, but also quantify the
        discrepancies between a full CR treatment and a decoupled
        treatment of thermal bulk and minority runaways, which has
        been the state of the art in runaway modeling.
        \textcolor{black}{Supplementary material~\cite{garland-etal-prl-supplementary-2019},
          contrasts the inclusion of both excitation and ionization collision
          with a recent analysis in the
          context of impurity transport that models the ionization
          balance using the Bethe stopping power formula for the
          runaway ionization rate~\cite{hollmannnucl.fusion2019}.}

	Our CR model is a fork (called FLYCHKLite) of the FLYCHK
        model/code, which is widely used in dense plasma
        applications~\cite{chunghighenergydensityphysics2005}, for its
        demonstrated applicability of the super-configuration model to
        sufficiently replicate the required physics in a
        computationally efficient
        manner~\cite{chunghighenergydensityphysics2013,pironhighenergydensityphysics2017}.
        The Los Alamos suite of atomic physics codes
        \cite{fontesj.phys.b:at.mol.opt.phys.2015} have been employed
        to calibrate and verify the model, especially the contribution
        from $\Delta n=0$ transitions in line emissions.  The
        robustness of our physics findings~\textcolor{black}{\cite{garland-etal-prl-Auger-comment-2019}} is further assessed via an
        uncertainty quantification analysis on the relativistic ICS
        for both excitation and ionization.

	{\em Relativistic inelastic scattering:} To account for the collisional
	processes of an arbitrary electron energy distribution function
	(EEDF), we need the ICS for electron
	impact excitation and ionization, in both the non-relativistic and
	relativistic energy regimes.  Our approach is to employ
	non-relativistic analytic fits used in FLYCHK, augmented by the
	addition of an analytic relativistic correction following a
	M{\o}ller-Bethe-like functional form
	\cite{bretagnej.phys.d:appl.phys.1986,scofieldphys.rev.a1978,fontesepjh2014}. For
	electron-impact excitation, the analytic form of van Regemorter
	\cite{vanregemorterastrophys.j.1962} is used for the non-relativistic
	regime,
	\begin{eqnarray}\label{collexc}
		\sigma_{i\rightarrow j}^{\text{NR}} = \frac{8\pi^2a_0^2}{\sqrt3} \left
		( \frac{Ry}{\Delta E_{ij}} \right)^2 \frac{f_{ij}g(U)}{U} ,
	\end{eqnarray}
	where $U=E/\Delta E_{ij}$ is the scaled incoming electron energy,
	$Ry$ is the Rydberg energy, $f_{ij}$ is the collision oscillator
	strength and $a_0$ is the Bohr radius. The Gaunt factor is
	\begin{eqnarray} \label{gauntf}
		g(U) = A\log U + B + C(U+a)^{-1} + D(U+a)^{-2},
	\end{eqnarray}
	where coefficients are found via empirical fits of \eqref{gauntf} to averaged
	hydrogenic ICS computed by Chung {\textit{et al. }}
	\cite{chunghighenergydensityphysics2007} via plane-wave Born calculations
	augmented by near-threshold scaling of Kim \cite{kimphys.rev.a2001}.

	Using \eqref{collexc} as a basis, a M{\o}ller-Bethe-like relativistic
	correction \cite{bretagnej.phys.d:appl.phys.1986,
		bethez.physik1932,mollerann.phys.1932} is applied so the total ICS
	is
	\begin{eqnarray}\label{exc_TOT}
		\sigma_{i\rightarrow j}^{\text{TOT}} = (1-S(E))\sigma_{i\rightarrow
			j}^{\text{NR}} + S(E)\sigma_{i\rightarrow j}^{\text{R}},
	\end{eqnarray}
	where
	\begin{eqnarray}\label{exc_R}
		\sigma_{i\rightarrow j}^{\text{R}} = \frac{8\pi a_0^2
			Ry^2}{m_ec^2\beta^2}\frac{f_{ij}}{\Delta E_{ij}} \left[ \log \left(
		\frac{\beta^2}{1-\beta^2}\frac{m_ec^2}{2\Delta E_{ij}} \right) -
		\beta^2 \right] ,
	\end{eqnarray}

	and the sigmoid smoothing function is defined as
	\begin{eqnarray}\label{sigmoid_ion}
		S(E) =  {\left[1+\exp(10^{-5}(10^5 - E))\right]}^{-1},
	\end{eqnarray}
	with $E$ in units of eV. The form of \eqref{sigmoid_ion} is chosen to
	adequately describe known relativistic ICS for inelastic processes.

	For electron impact ionization, the non-relativistic ICS is
	modeled by the semi-empirical expression of Burgess and Chidichimo
	\cite{burgessmon.not.r.astron.soc.1983}
	\begin{eqnarray} \label{burgession}
		\sigma_{(Z,i) \rightarrow (Z+1,j)}^{\text{NR}}= \pi a_0^2 C \xi \left(
		\frac{Ry}{\Delta I_Z^i}\right)^2 \frac{1}{U} \log(U) W(U),
	\end{eqnarray}
	where $\Delta I_Z^i$ is the ionization threshold energy for the level $i$ of
	charge state $Z$, $U=E/\Delta I_Z^i$, $\xi$ is the number of electrons in the
	shell being ionized, $C$ is an arbitrary constant nominally around 2
	\cite{burgessmon.not.r.astron.soc.1983}, and
	\begin{eqnarray} \label{burgessW}
		W(U) = (\log (U))^{\frac{\beta^*}{U}}, \\
		\beta^* = 0.25\sqrt{\frac{100Q_n + 91}{4Q_n + 3}} - 1.25,
	\end{eqnarray}
	where $Q_n$ is the screened charge \cite{chunghighenergydensityphysics2005}.

	Again using the same form as \eqref{exc_TOT} for the total
        ionization ICS, we add a relativistic correction
        \cite{scofieldphys.rev.a1978,bethe1933} on top of
        \eqref{burgession} following the form
	\begin{align}
		\sigma_{(Z,i) \rightarrow (Z+1,j)}^{\text{R}} = & \pi a_0^2 C \xi  \left(\frac{Ry}{\Delta I_Z^i} \right) \nonumber \\
		& \left[  \log\left( \frac{\beta^2}{1-\beta^2} \frac{m_ec^2}{2\Delta I_Z^i} \right)  - \beta^2  \right].\label{ionizgeneral}
	\end{align}
	Figs.~\ref{fig:ar-exc} and~\ref{fig:ar-ion} compare the
        proposed fits with calculated ICS for excitation and
        ionization in the literature. We note agreement within a
        factor of two of recent R-matrix theories at the peak of the
        cross section, and that unlike those reported in
        Ref.~\cite{wangj.phys.bat.mol.opt.phys.2018}, normally such
        calculations are not extended into the relativistic regime of
        relevance here.	\textcolor{black}{The plasma physics impact established in this paper
        certainly points to the importance and urgency of such
        systematic first-principle cross section calculations.}
	\begin{figure}
		\centering
		\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{ar-exc}
		\caption{ICS for excitation of Cl-like Ar$^+$ $n=3 \rightarrow n=4$ transition.
			Comparison of our proposed approximate ICS is made against the non-relativistic
			results of Chung \textit{et al.} \cite{chunghighenergydensityphysics2007}, van
			Regemorter \cite{vanregemorterastrophys.j.1962} and the relativistic result of
			Bretagne \textit{et al.} \cite{bretagnej.phys.d:appl.phys.1986}.}
		\label{fig:ar-exc}
	\end{figure}
	\begin{figure}
		\centering
		\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{ar-ionization}
		\caption{ICS for lumped-average L-shell ionization of Ar. Comparison of our
			proposed approximate ICS is made against the non-relativistic result of Burgess
			and Chidichimo \cite{burgessmon.not.r.astron.soc.1983}, and the relativistic
			results of Scofield \cite{scofieldphys.rev.a1978} and Wang \textit{et al}.
			\cite{wangj.phys.bat.mol.opt.phys.2018}.}
		\label{fig:ar-ion}
	\end{figure}

        {\em Simulation problem setup:} To demonstrate the impact of
        using ICS that describe enhanced scattering observed at
        relativistic energies we perform a comparison between CR model
        results computed with and without relativistic ICS effects
        applied to conditions representative of a tokamak disruption
        mitigation scenario. Without losing generality, the electron
        distribution model is defined as a bulk Maxwellian at given
        temperature $T_e$ and a Gaussian runaway tail that has a mean
        energy $\left<E_0\right>$ and full width at half maximum
        spread of $\Delta E_{\rm FWHM},$ at runaway number density
        $n_{\rm RE}.$ The ion population is fixed with $(n_{\rm D},
        n_{\rm Ar}).$ The thermal bulk then has an electron density
        ($n_e$) from the quasi-neutral condition $ n_e = \left\langle
        Z\right\rangle_{\rm Ar} n_{\rm Ar} + \left\langle
        Z\right\rangle_{\rm D} n_{\rm D} - n_{\rm RE}.$ As $T_e$
        varies from 10~keV to 1~eV, $n_e$ can vary greatly as a
        function of $\left\langle Z\right\rangle$, but $n_{\rm RE}$ is
        a fixed number that only depends on how much current the runaways
        need to carry. For example, to carry $10$~MA of runaway current in ITER,
        $n_{\rm RE}\approx 10^{17}$m$^{-3}.$ Our scan over $T_e$ is
        performed with fixed $\left<E_0\right>= 10 \ \text{MeV},
        \Delta E_{\rm FWHM}= 5 \ \text{MeV}, n_{\rm RE}= 10^{17}
        \ \text{m}^{-3},$ and $n_{\rm D}=n_{\rm Ar}=10^{20}
        \ \text{m}^{-3}.$ The CR model iteratively solves for
        $\left\langle Z\right\rangle$ and $n_e$ when everything else
        is fixed.

	{\em Runaway enhanced ionization at low $T_e$:} With the
        addition of a relativistic tail, and the inclusion of enhanced
        inelastic scattering by this relativistic electron tail, a
        clear increase in $\left\langle Z\right\rangle$ and broadening
        of the CSD is observed for the argon discharge at low $T_e$,
        exemplified by Fig. \ref{fig:ar-Z_states} for $T_e=2$ eV.
        Here, we see the addition of relativistic electrons sampling
        {\em non-enhanced} ICS increases $\left\langle Z\right\rangle$
        slightly, and then the addition of {\em enhanced relativistic}
        ICS to the model further increases $\left\langle
        Z\right\rangle$ and promotes CSD broadening. This is a direct
        result of the relativistic tail of the EEDF being able to
        sample an increasing ICS at higher energies. A wider spread of
        charge states shown in Fig.  \ref{fig:ar-Z_states} will also
        lead to very different radiative cooling pathways, discussed
        in the next section. \textcolor{black}{Contrasting the yellow
          line with blue and green lines in
          Fig.~\ref{fig:ar-Z_states}, one can also see that the complex
          excitation-ionization pathways enabled by QED enhancement of
          the cross sections can deplete the Ar$^+$ population.  }

	\begin{figure}
		\centering
		\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{charge_dist_cold2}
		\caption{Argon ion CSD
			at $T_e = 2$ eV with a relativistic Gaussian tail supporting
			a 10 MA current compared to a thermal discharge. The impact of
			including relativistic ICS effects ($\blacktriangle$) compared to using ICS
			without the M{\o}ller/generalized Breit interaction ($\blacksquare$) or simply assuming
			a thermal plasma ($\bullet$) is apparent.}
		\label{fig:ar-Z_states}
	\end{figure}
	Considering $\left\langle Z\right\rangle$ variation with $T_e$ Fig.
	\ref{fig:ar-Z-bar} demonstrates a clear increase in $\left\langle
	Z\right\rangle$ at $T_e < 50$ eV, when compared to a Maxwellian EEDF
	typically used in decoupled CR modeling. For benchmarking purposes the result
	for a thermal plasma computed with the LANL CR modeling code, ATOMIC
	\cite{fontesj.phys.b:at.mol.opt.phys.2015}, is included in Fig.
	\ref{fig:ar-Z-bar}, and agrees with the present thermal model.
	\begin{figure}
		\centering
		\includegraphics[width=0.85\linewidth]{Z_bar}
		\caption{Average argon charge state, $\left\langle
			Z\right\rangle$, over thermal $T_e$ demonstrating
			enhancement produced by relativistic electrons sampling
			enhanced relativistic ICS. $\left\langle
			Z\right\rangle$ for a thermal plasma computed by LANL ATOMIC
			code \cite{fontesj.phys.b:at.mol.opt.phys.2015} shown for
			benchmarking purposes. Average
			charge state of deuterium (\textellipsis) shown for reference,
			indicating a fully stripped ion for nearly all plasma
			temperatures considered.}
		\label{fig:ar-Z-bar}
	\end{figure}

        {\em Runaway-induced ion charge state effects:} The
        runaway-induced ionization at low $T_e,$ which is expected for
        the current quench phase, can impact disruption physics and
        its modeling in a number of ways.  These are generally known
        as ion charge state effects, and here we give a few most
        prominent examples.  The first is the enhanced pitch angle
        scattering of runaways due to the partial screening effect,
        which has a direct dependence on the ion charge state
        distribution, according to Hesslow \textit{et
          al.}~\cite{hesslowphys.rev.lett.2017,hesslowplasmaphys.control.fusion2018}.
        The physical importance is that enhanced pitch angle
        scattering would limit the energy of the O-point of the
        runaway vortex, which is responsible for a lower runaway
        energy but broader pitch
        distribution~\cite{mcdevittplasmaphys.control.fusion2018,guoplasmaphys.control.fusion2017}.
        The runaway-induced ionization would then modulate the pitch
        angle scattering rate due to partial screening, impacting both
        the avalanche threshold and runaway energy distribution, as
        well as the spatial transport of the
        runaways~\cite{McDevitt_2019}.

	The second example is the slowing down of the runaways by inelastic
	collisions with high-atomic-number impurities. The runaway-induced ion
	charge state effect can be seen from the ICS for both excitation and
	ionization, Eqs.~(\ref{exc_R}) and (\ref{ionizgeneral}).  Both ICS tend to
	decrease with higher ion charge number since the excitation energy
	$\Delta E_{ij}$ and ionization threshold energy $\Delta I_Z^i$ are
	generally higher with more electrons stripped from the atom.  In the
	case of ionization ICS, the bound electron density $n_{e\alpha}$ would
	also decrease linearly with higher ion charge number.  The impact of
	decreasing ICS with higher charge state
	is demonstrated by contrasting the Bethe stopping power.
	In Fig.~\ref{fig:ar-stopping}, we
	contrast the Bethe stopping power using (i) a CSD
	from the CR prediction of a background Maxwellian alone,
	and (ii) CSD from the CR prediction that
	includes the runaway contribution. There is significant over-estimate
	of the Bethe stopping power if the runaway-induced ionization is not
	taken into account at low $T_e$, which is crucial in a post-thermal-quench plasma.

        \begin{figure}
		\centering
		\includegraphics[width=0.85\linewidth]{stopping}
		\caption{Inelastic collision stopping power experienced by
			relativistic runaway electrons colliding with argon
			ions. Values computed with the Bethe stopping power formula
			Eq.~(\ref{eq:bethe-stopping}) demonstrate the impact of coupling a runaway-enhanced
			CSD ($\bullet$) compared to using a thermal plasma CSD ($\blacksquare$). }
		\label{fig:ar-stopping}
	\end{figure}

        The third example is more conventional, and it concerns the effect of
	Coulomb collisions on thermal bulk electrons. This comes from the
	strong $Z_{\rm eff}$ dependence for thermal plasma conductivity, and
	the collisional damping of both the externally
	injected~\cite{guophys.plasmas2018} and
	self-induced~\cite{liuphys.rev.lett.2018} fast waves, by thermal
	electrons. The runaway-induced ionization, in the plasma regime of a
	mitigated tokamak disruption, can dramatically increase $Z_{\rm eff},$
	and hence increase dissipation of the remnant Ohmic current and the
	fast waves. The latter is particularly unfortunate since resonant
	wave-particle interaction offers a valuable tool for controlling the
	runaway energy~\cite{guophys.plasmas2018}.

	{\em Runaway-induced radiative power loss (RPL) effects:} While it is
	expected that radiative power loss, shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:ar-RPL}, would be
	dominated by collisional excitation and ionization by runaways at low $T_e$ ($T_e<4$~eV), by virtue
	of a higher charge state,
	there is also a subtler runaway effect when RPL
	rates by thermal electrons and runaways are comparable.  This can be
	seen in Fig. \ref{fig:ar-RPL}, in the range of $5\leq T_e \leq 100$
	eV, where the RPL of the combined thermal plus runaway plasma is
	up to 40\% lower than that of the pure thermal plasma.
	The reduced RPL of the runaway enhanced discharges
	is found to be a result of the relativistic ICS
	enhancement diffusing and decreasing both the relative population of ion charge states and
	excited levels, resulting in a smaller RPL in this temperature range.
	\begin{figure}
		\centering
		\includegraphics[width=0.85\linewidth]{R_tot}
		\caption{RPL of argon over thermal
			$T_e$ demonstrating enhanced RPL produced by relativistic electrons
			sampling relativistic inelastic ICS. RPL of thermal plasma computed with
			LANL ATOMIC code \cite{fontesj.phys.b:at.mol.opt.phys.2015} is shown for benchmarking purposes.  }
		\label{fig:ar-RPL}
	\end{figure}
	At higher temperatures, all RPL results effectively converge above
	approximately 100 eV, which is also seen in the result of the average
	charge state. Convergence occurs once the thermal population begins to
	dominate the ionization balance of the discharge, negating the
	excitation and ionization channels introduced by the relativistically
	enhanced scattering.

	{\em Uncertainty quantification:} To validate the qualitative
	trends observed in this study, we employed UQ software
	Dakota \cite{Dakota} to perform an epistemic global interval estimation
	uncertainty analysis with
	relativistic electron ICS. In this UQ analysis, prefactors,
	$0.5\leq C_E,C_I \leq 2$, were applied to the relativistic excitation and
	ionization ICS formulas \eqref{exc_R} and
	\eqref{ionizgeneral} to describe uncertainty in the approximate formulas
	used in this work. For $\left\langle
	Z\right\rangle$ and RPL appearing in Figs.  \ref{fig:ar-Z-bar} and
	\ref{fig:ar-RPL}, uncertainty bounds are shown. The confidence intervals computed
	via 500 model evaluations with Latin hypercube sampling
	over the range of ICS uncertainty supports our
	observation that there is a definitive enhancement in both
	$\left\langle Z\right\rangle$ and total RPL of argon ions considered
	as a direct result of relativistic electrons sampling relativistically
	enhanced ICS.

	{\em Conclusion:} A minority relativistic electron component, at a
	number density three orders of magnitude smaller than the
	low-temperature thermal bulk, can dominate the CSD
	in the presence of high-atomic-number impurities, due to
	the relativistic enhancement of the collisional excitation and
	ionization ICS. The resulting charge state effects can
	impact (1) radiative power loss rate and related Bethe stopping power
	on the runaways, and (2) collisional dissipation of Ohmic current and
	externally-injected and self-excited plasma waves. These physics
	findings suggest the necessity of a coupled CR model that
	takes into account both the bulk electron population and the minority
	relativistic electron component, if high-atomic-number impurities are
	present.

	This work was jointly supported by the U.S. Department of
        Energy through the Magnetic Fusion Theory Program and the
        Tokamak Disruption Simulation (TDS) SciDAC project at both Los
        Alamos National Laboratory (Contract No. 89233218CNA000001)
        and Sandia National Laboratory (Contract No. DE-NA-0003525).
        Additional support is provided by Laboratory Directed Research
        and Development program of Los Alamos National Laboratory
        under project number 20200356ER.  T.~Elder was also supported
        by the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
        program.

	\bibliographystyle{apsrev4-1}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Pansy's are a wonderful flower for springtime. They will bloom in the house for several weeks. Keep looking after them until it is time to put them out into the garden. They will bloom again once you get them outside. They are great to add into planters or containers or just plant in with your perennial plants for some extra colour throughout the season.
Pansy's are annual, meaning they last one season. Sometimes they will reseed themselves and then you'll have some new ones that pop up in following years.
Pansy's are cold hardy to -8 degrees Celsius. They need to be hardened-off first (put out during the day and bring in at night) for 4-7 days.


Featuring four days of dedicated pro audio presentations and events overseen by co-chairs Ben Kok, Mariana Lopez and Enda Bates, the Dublin Convention will include such highlights as a Keynote Speech on "Inclusive Sonic Interactions" by Stefania Serafin, professor in sonic interaction design at Aalborg University; hundreds of Technical Program presentations covering all things audio; and three days of the Professional Audio Showcase sessions and audio hardware and software displays and demonstrations.
The papers deadline has passed, but you can still submit an Engineering Brief by January 7. See the Call for Contributions for more information.
The AES Inside Track features expert industry curators highlighting a topic of choice, with editorial insight as well as links to related research topics, videos, and more. It's available exclusively through the AES Member Portal and is a member benefit, free to all AES members.
This month's curator is Francis Rumsey, who introduces some key resources on the topic of listening tests. As Francis explains, "Listening tests allow us to find out how humans judge the results of an audio engineering process or product. In general we audio engineers are more interested in finding out something about the thing that's being evaluated than we are about the human perceptual process, although we may be interested in that too. It makes us a bit different to hearing psychologists."
This month's Spotlight video interview, also hosted by Francis Rumsey, features Natalie Agus of Singapore University of Technology and Design, talking about her October JAES paper on binaural room modeling.
The Nominations Committee is soliciting names of voting AES Members to be considered for inclusion in our 2019 ballot for election to the Board of Governors, starting January 2020. The open positions are three Governors-at-Large, plus Regional Vice Presidents for Central Region USA/Canada, Central Region Europe, Southern Europe/Middle East/Africa, Latin American Region, and Asia-Pacific Region. (VPs must be resident in the region they represent.) Two candidates for each position will be selected by the Nominations Committee to appear on the ballot.
The Nominations Committee web page has further details regarding eligibility. You will need another voting Member to nominate you if you want to stand yourself. Alternatively, you can nominate another Member provided you have their permission to do so. These positions form a crucial element in the governance of our Society and have never been more important than now, in this rapidly evolving industry. They also help to establish potential candidates for future leadership roles such as President-Elect, and Treasurer and Secretary.
The AES website has recently been updated to reinstate the Publications drop-down menu, with easy links to the most commonly needed headings. Further improvements to Publications navigation will follow soon.
Did you know that you can find links to Proceedings of AES Conventions and International Conferences on our website? These list the editors (papers chairs) and event chairs, as well as a DOI and ISBN for each event proceedings, along with links to all the papers from each event. You will find information for the recent 144th and 145th Conventions, along with all of the past year's conferences. On the E-Library home page, you will find quick links to 145th Convention papers and e-briefs, with the option to bulk download by topic areas, as well as the top 10 papers from New York and Milan conventions.
AES@NAMM events train attendees in a variety of professional audio engineering disciplines. Over 200 sessions offer up-to-the-minute information and career-enhancing inspiration through tutorial sessions, workshops and hands-on training organized into topical Academies. Register now for your AES@NAMM Access Pass!
This three-day conference will explore the unique space where interactive technologies and immersive audio meet and aims to exploit the synergies between these fields.
The 2019 AES International Conference on Audio Forensics is dedicated to promoting advances in the field through discussion and dissemination of research related to forensic applications of signal processing, speech and acoustic analyses, authentication, and development of methodologies and best practices. A special focus will be made on the techniques and technologies used in the practice of audio forensics.
Papers are being accepted from December through to February 1. See the Call for Contributions for more details.
The second AES International Conference on Headphone Technology will gather scientists, developers and practitioners who are involved in theory, technical design, application or evaluation of headphone technology. The conference will be an interdisciplinary gathering encouraging fruitful discussions across the headphone, hearing aid and audio delivery industries.
Papers are being accepted from December through to February 11. See the Call for Contributions for more details.


How to Recover Deleted Call Logs from Huawei Mate 20?
Video entertainment, Photography, mobile navigation... With the increasingly rich and powerful functions of smartphones, users on the one hand put forward higher requirements for the mobile phone's endurance, on the other hand, they are increasingly impatient about charging: is there no way to make my mobile phone charge quickly? The newly released Huawei Mate20 series mobile phones have once again upgraded SuperCharge fast charging technology. Compared with the previous generation of products, fast charging power has also achieved a great leap from 22.5W to 40W, supporting 10V/4A charging output.
During the whole charging process, Huawei Mate 20 Pro will adopt three different charging modes according to the different charging states of mobile phones: "constant current pre-charging mode", "constant current regulation mode" and "constant voltage charging mode". Once the voltage is monitored to exceed the preset value during charging, the protection mechanism will be activated immediately. Besides, Huawei Mate 20 Pro also has anti-overload protection mechanism, which covers port temperature, over-voltage overcurrent, reverse overcurrent and other components and links, guaranteeing the charging safety.
There is no doubt that Huawei Mate20, which inherits the excellent "power" DNA of Mate series, has set a new benchmark for the industry in terms of fast charging speed and safety. A great deal of users could easily solve the charging problem which bothered them a long time. Nevertheless, convincing that there are still a lot of users encountering the data integrity problem, which also frustrated them. They sometimes delete or lose their data due to their carelessness and always have no idea about that. I truely believe that Android Data Recovery could give you a hand. With the powerful functions like recovering and backuping whatever data types you like (Contacts, Whatsapp Messages, Audios, Call Logs and so on), this cost-effective software seldom lets us down. Supported by any Android Devices like Huawei, Samsung, OPPO, ZTE and so forth, you can do it anytime and anywhere as long as you have a computer and USB interface.
Notice: The following paragharps are based on how to recover Call Logs from Huawei Mate 20.
Initially, you have to log in the official website or click in the link above relying on the versions you use to download the Android Data Recovery. Then install and run it to continue.
Step 2. Connect and enpower USB debugging on your Huawei Mate 20.
After you run it, you should connect your Huawei Mate 20 to your own PC via the USB interface, then enpower the USB debugging from the Settings. For details, please refer to the figure given. Then your device will be detected automactically.
If detected smoothly, you will see all the file types exhibited right before your eyes. Then choose the options selectively under your necessity. For instance, if you intend to recover deleted Call Logs, please select "Call Logs" under the "Contacts & Messages". Then the software will begin to scan.
Step 4. Pick up and start the recover process.
You now will catch sight of all the concrete projects, then you have to check them up carefully, pick up the ones you want to recover, press "Recover" to go on.


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Wal-Mart's Stealth Social Strategy: Pretend This Isn't About Customers
Jan 18, 2012 6:14pm
Retail chains have been using Facebook and other social media to deal with customers for years, but now someone is trying to use it to acquire new suppliers—and, astonishingly, it's Wal-Mart. On Wednesday (Jan. 18), the retail giant launched a contest to let would-be suppliers pitch their products with YouTube videos, which customers can vote on to choose their favorite products. The winners get a chance to have Wal-Mart sell their wares online or in-store.
But what's really clever is how the contest uses social media as stealth customer engagement—an area where Wal-Mart hasn't been exactly brilliant in the past.
Wal-Mart is calling its "Get on the Shelf" contest an American Idol-like competition, but it's decidedly less glossy than that. The product videos already online (Wal-Mart wisely rounded up several dozen early entrants to seed the contest) trend heavily toward gadgets and food items, with video quality ranging from late-night TV commercials to strictly homemade. Wal-Mart didn't even use its own Vudu video service to host the videos—they're all on YouTube, which isn't officially connected to the contest. As a result, it really does have a grungy, social-media feel.
Wal-Mart says the three items that get the most votes by April 24 could become products on walmart.com, with the top vote-getter having a shot at being in stores, along with support for marketing and ramping up production. (The "could" is because real or virtual shelf space depends on cutting a deal with the retailer and becoming an approved vendor; according to fine print in the contest rules, if there's no deal then Wal-Mart can buy its way out of the prize by paying $12,500 to the big winner or $10,000 to either runner-up.)
It's an interesting stunt for finding new suppliers. And with Wal-Mart perpetually accused of driving small retailers out of business, it's a nice PR move to show that Wal-Mart is friendly to at least some small U.S. businesses.
But the really clever move here is in customer engagement. Even customers who really like Wal-Mart aren't likely to believe Bentonville wants to hear from them about what should go in the stores. Letting them vote on new Wal-Mart products? Very sharp (and relatively cheap) use of social to build customer loyalty. Doing that while pretending all along that this is not about customers? Nice stealthy touch.


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Share this Story: Wheat rises, near 9-year top on supply woes; soybeans firm
Wheat rises, near 9-year top on supply woes; soybeans firm
Naveen Thukral
Nov 16, 2021 • November 16, 2021 • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
SINGAPORE — Chicago wheat futures bounced back on Wednesday, rising for the seventh out of last eight sessions, as shrinking surplus in key Northern Hemisphere suppliers kept prices near a nine-year high.
Soybeans gained ground on the back of strong Chinese demand for U.S. supplies after a call between leaders of the two nations.
Wheat rises, near 9-year top on supply woes; soybeans firm Back to video
"We are getting into tight supply situation, especially for higher quality wheat," a Singapore-based trader at an international trading company said.
The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) rose 0.4% to $8.23-1/2 a bushel by 0406 GMT. The market hit a December 2012 high of $8.29-1/2 a bushel earlier in the week.
Soybeans were up 0.3% at $12.54-1/2 a bushel and corn firmed 0.3% to $5.72-3/4 a bushel.
The wheat market is being driven higher by declining supplies in the Northern Hemisphere.
Condition ratings for the U.S. winter wheat crop improved, despite most analysts' expectations for no change. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday rated 46% of the 2022 winter wheat crop in good-to-excellent condition, up from 45% a week earlier.
The agency said private exporters reported the sale of 270,000 tonnes of corn to Mexico, the second day in a row a sale was announced to the top buyer of U.S. supplies of the grain.
French soft wheat shipments outside the European Union last month reached their highest for an October since the 2014/15 season as shipments to China ramped up following a slow September, Refinitiv data showed.
A video call on Monday between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has spurred hopes that renewed dialog could bolster Chinese buying of U.S. soybeans.
Exporters also reported the sale of 161,000 tonnes of soybeans to unknown destinations, the third trading day in a row that a so-called flash sale of soybeans was announced.
Commodity funds were net sellers of CBOT wheat, corn, soybean and soymeal futures contracts on Tuesday, traders said. (Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Rashmi Aich)


The Adventures and Misadventures of Mrs.Panda: Who hearts Salpicao?
I'm overwhelmed with the messages of love from my dear readers! Thank you guys! :) even if I don't blog that often anymore, you guys are always in my heart. Speaking of heart, who hearts Salpicao?!
We were supposed to go our last Friday for a mini celebration when we decided to stay home and have nice dinner instead, I wanted to surprise Mr. Panda but I was so sleepy the whole afternoon. I woke up at 6pm and dragged my feet to the kitchen. Unfortunately, we don't have that much stock in our fridge. Grocery shopping was due that weekend. We have chicken, pork and beef. But we already had steak the day before, so I took out the pork and chicken. And went to the pantry, the oyster sauce was staring back at me. lol! Ok, salpicao na ito. Haha.


The Dutch government's own commissioned research has documented that in more than one thousand cases a year, doctors actively cause or hasten death without the patient's request.
Hendlin, Herbert, M.D. Seduced By Death: Doctors, Patients and the Dutch Cure.
New York: W.W. Norton, ©1997, p. 23.
There have been a number of alarming reports coming out recently on the topic of euthanasia and online searches are reflecting these reports. A recent Google search using the keyword assisted suicide returned 8.6 million results, while a second search using the term euthanasia returned 26.7 million results. The results on Google trends were similar. It may mean nothing, or that G-d is trying to tell us something. Like, maybe we had better stop this!
Death is not dignified. It is the culmination of a life that at best is very well lived and at its worst had a purpose in G-d's grand design. Yet, it seems there is no end to the limits on this campaign to enforce assisted suicide.
In a 2015 Weekly Standard article, Wesley J. Smith warned that the practice of so-called mercy killing would lead to a point where physically healthy people would be killed upon request. He writes: "Imagine the hypothetical Sally, with diabetes (or HIV, heart disease, neuropathy, early-stage cancer, you name it) that can be fully controlled by medication. She decides she wants to die...and claims that available treatments are "not acceptable" to her. Presto chango, her theretofore treatable illness is suddenly an irremediable condition."
Mr. Smith goes on to say that doctors might be forced to participate, and that the Supreme Court created a new right to "Dutch-style active euthanasia." He further states that the previous year Quebec had legalized euthanasia and "requires all doctors asked for death by a legally qualified patient to give the lethal jab or refer to a doctor who will."
Forcing doctors to kill patients by violating the Hippocratic Oath and legalizing euthanasia by judicial fiat is exactly what happened in the United States with abortion on demand.
In an updated article published on August 2 2018, Wesley Smith writes: "Canadian doctors and nurse practitioners have reported that they have killed almost (3,714) patients since euthanasia was legalized in Quebec in December 2015."
Moreover, cases publicized on the web involving assisted suicide prove that the practice is being abused. In the Netherlands a 29-year-old woman who was depressed but was not physically ill or disabled, killed herself after drinking down a drug that was prescribed for her. Rather than treat this distraught woman, doctors endorsed her actions and belief that it is ok to die when you convince yourself that life is not worth living. Is this a message we want to send to young people?
Also from the Netherlands, a "doctor" committed euthanasia on a 74-year old woman and had the woman forcibly held down by her family while he administered the lethal injection that killed her. This poor woman had made out a living will that she wanted the right to choose her own end, and yet the Dutch medical complaints board said her will was contradictory. Originally, as The Telegraph reported back in 2017, the doctor was cleared of all charges! Now, he is simply being reprimanded. This woman was murdered likely in a state of shock and fright with no control of her life, at the mercy of people who wanted her dead. How is this happening? The doctor who administered the injection should lose his medical license and be jailed.
"In 2017, the number of cases rose 13% from the year before. The number of euthanasia cases has nearly doubled over the last four years, from 232 to 444. According to Belgian law, people who undergo euthanasia must either be terminally ill or in "unbearable pain," which, again, is subjective."
Read further in Ms. Fiano-Chesser's article and learn about the atrocities committed by one "doctor" Wim Distelmans, who will "kill anyone for any reason." He even organized a tour of Auschwitz because he found the concentration camp "inspiring." He sounds like a Nazi doctor. This is medicine in Belgium!
Another recent news story reminiscent of the Terri Schiavo case emerged in Texas when a 39-year old man named Jonathan Michel collapsed from a brain hemorrhage. As LifeSiteNews.com reported, the man's parents were engaged in a temporary battle with his estranged wife who wanted to end Jonathan's life support. Thankfully, the wife allowed his parents to continue Jonathan's life support because he showed improvement and the doctors agreed. But what if Jonathan did not show immediate progress? Why should it be up to an estranged wife whether he gets to live or die? How dignified is that?
Whether it is abortion, euthanasia, or any other pro-life issue, progressives never let on with their true intentions. There is no endpoint. The objective is not to enact assisted suicide for terminally ill patients but only to devise propaganda to sell the lie. Assisted suicide and mercy killing are strategies formulated as an excuse to kill people who are inconvenient and cost too much money to keep alive. Living wills don't protect people anymore. We need mercy, not killing.
In 1986, Bonnie Chernin attended her first pro-life convention where she met author Ann Saltenberger and received a copy of her outstanding book, "Every Woman Has the Right to Know the Dangers of Legal Abortion." This book inspired Bonnie to become actively involved in the pro-life movement.
In the early 1990s, Bonnie volunteered at the office of Manhattan Right to Life, and began writing letters and op-ed pieces for local newspapers on the topic of abortion.
In March of 2000, Bonnie founded Jews For Life, the first Jewish pro-life website on the Internet reflecting the traditional Jewish pro-life perspective on abortion. Jews For Life was an active and vital presence online for many years.
In 2018, Bonnie launched The Jewish Life League. Bonnie passionately believes that life, both born and unborn, is sacred and that the "pro-choice" position of mainstream Jewish organizations is antithetical to the traditional teachings of the Jewish faith.
Bonnie is an accomplished classical pianist and prolific writer. She is a Certified Professional Coach assisting women in achieving their life and career goals.
Bonnie's website is JewishLifeLeague.org. To read more of Bonnie's articles, see her site's blog.
Is Santa Claus harmful for kids?


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Home » Europe » Prince William in adorable confession about George, Charlotte and Louis – 'What they want'
Prince William in adorable confession about George, Charlotte and Louis – 'What they want'
Prince William 'modeling himself' on the Queen says experts
Prince William recently responded candidly to a few questions from young patients of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. One festive query was focused on what the Duke of Cambridge wants for Christmas.
But the Duke confessed he hasn't had "much of time" yet to consider what he wants for himself because he has been focusing his attention on his three children's presents.
Appearing Radio Marsden, William said: "That's a brilliant question, but I've not had much time to think about it because I've been thinking about my children and what they want for Christmas."
However, the Duke did have a Christmas wish to share with his young interviewer.
He said: "But if I had to choose right now, then I would say I want my favourite team which is Aston Villa to win their football match on Boxing Day."
During his radio appearance, William also shared how his Christmas has changed since he became a father.
Asked if there was one aspect of Christmas he couldn't live without, the Duke of Cambridge mentioned food.
However, he also added: "But I think generally for me bringing the family together at Christmas time is always lovely because we're quite spread out doing our things a lot of the time during the year, and so we get very few moments to come together."
He continued: "And when I see my children meet up with my cousins' children, and they all have a wonderful time playing together, it's very special.
"So I look forward to that a lot and obviously Christmas is a new dynamic when you have children, suddenly it's a whole different ball game when you have the noise and excitement, so I'm enjoying the new version of Christmas in my life."
During his appearance on Radio Marsden, William was also interviewed by Barry Alston.
Voicing once again his admiration for frontline workers, during his chat the Duke celebrated the passion and commitment of hospital staff.
Radio Marsden is the volunteer-run hospital radio station broadcasting to the Royal Marsden Hospitals in London 24 hours a day.
Royal Marsden is particularly close to the Duke's heart, who has been its president since 2007.
The position had been previously held by his late mother, Princess Diana.
The Duke last visited in person one of the Royal Marsden hospitals in October 2020, when he marked the construction for the Trust's Oak Cancer Centre in Sutton.
William discussed Christmas presents and celebrations as a royal source revealed the Queen had scrapped plans to hold her pre-Christmas lunch next week at Windsor Castle amid a steep rise of Covid infections.
A senior palace source said on Thursday: "The pre-Christmas family lunch will not be going ahead.
"The decision is a precautionary one as it is felt to put too many people's Christmas arrangements at risk if it went ahead.
"While there is regret that it is cancelled, there is a belief it is the right thing to do for all concerned."
The last time the Queen held her annual pre-Christmas lunch was in 2019 at Buckingham Palace.
This lunch is usually open to extended family, even members who don't normally make it to Sandringham.
While this party has been cancelled, the monarch is still hoping to be able to host her close family at Sandringham this year.
However, she is expected to take advice in the coming days as to whether it will be safe to do leave her home in Windsor and have guests in Norfolk.
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text:
Optimal and Robust Disclosure of Public Information
Takashi Ui
A policymaker discloses public information to interacting agents who also acquire costly private information. More precise public information reduces the precision and cost of acquired private information. Considering this effect, what disclosure rule should the policymaker adopt? We address this question under two alternative assumptions using a linear-quadratic-Gaussian game with arbitrary quadratic material welfare and convex information costs. First, the policymaker knows the cost of private information and adopts an optimal disclosure rule to maximize the expected welfare. Second, the policymaker is uncertain about the cost and adopts a robust disclosure rule to maximize the worst-case welfare. Depending on the elasticity of marginal cost, an optimal rule is qualitatively the same as in the case of either a linear information cost or exogenous private information. The worst-case welfare is strictly increasing if and only if full disclosure is optimal under some information costs, which provides a new rationale for central bank transparency.
Consider a policymaker (such as a central bank) who discloses public information to interacting agents (such as firms and consumers) who also acquire costly private information. The policymaker's concern is social welfare, including the agents' cost of information acquisition. When the policymaker provides more precise public information, the agents have less incentive to acquire private information, reducing its precision and cost. This effect of public information is referred to as the crowding-out effect (Colombo et al., 2014). Less private information can be harmful to welfare, but less information cost is beneficial; that is, the welfare implication of the crowding-out effect is unclear. Then, what disclosure rule should the policymaker adopt?
Robust Voting under Uncertainty
Satoshi NakadaShmuel NitzanTakashi Ui
This paper proposes normative criteria for voting rules under uncertainty about individual preferences to characterize a weighted majority rule (WMR). The criteria stress the significance of responsiveness, i.e., the probability that the social outcome coincides with the realized individual preferences. A voting rule is said to be robust if, for any probability distribution of preferences, the responsiveness of at least one individual is greater than one-half. This condition is equivalent to the seemingly stronger condition requiring that, for any probability distribution of preferences and any deterministic voting rule, the responsiveness of at least one individual is greater than that under the deterministic voting rule. Our main result establishes that a voting rule is robust if and only if it is a WMR without ties. This characterization of a WMR avoiding the worst possible outcomes provides a new complement to the well-known characterization of a WMR achieving the optimal outcomes, i.e., efficiency in the set of all random voting rules.
Consider the choice of a voting rule on a succession of two alternatives (such as "yes" or "no") by a group of individuals. When a voting rule is chosen, the alternatives to come in the future are unknown, and the individuals are uncertain about their future preferences. An individual votes sincerely being concerned with the probability that the outcome agrees with his or her preference, which is referred to as responsiveness (Rae, 1969). More specifically, an individual prefers a voting rule with higher responsiveness because he or she can expect that a favorable alternative is more likely to be chosen. For example, if an individual has a von NeumannMorgenstern (VNM) utility function such that the utility from the passage of a favorable issue is one and that of an unfavorable issue is zero, then the expected utility equals the responsiveness.
Imprecise Information and Second-Order Beliefs
Norio TakeokaTakashi Ui
A decision problem under uncertainty is often given with a piece of objective but imprecise information about the states of the world such as in the Ellsberg urn. By incorporating such information into the smooth ambiguity model of Seo (2009), we characterize a class of smooth ambiguity representations whose second-order beliefs are consistent with the objective information. As a corollary, we provide an axiomatization for the second-order expected utility, which has been studied by Nau (2001), Neilson (2009), Grant, Polak, and Strzalecki (2009), Strzalecki (2011), and Ghirardato and Pennesi (2019). In our model, attitude toward uncertainty can be disentangled from a perception about uncertainty and connected with attitude toward reduction of compound lotteries.
Choice under uncertainty is an important aspect of decision making. Since Ellsberg's seminal work, it is admitted that a decision maker's behavior may be inconsistent with a probabilistic belief (or a subjective probability measure) about the states of the world. Such a situation is called ambiguity and has been studied by several models of decision making, such as the Choquet expected utility (Schmeidler [31]), the maxmin expected utility (Gilboa and Schmeidler [12]), and the smooth ambiguity model (Klibanoff, Marinacci, and Mukerji [22] and Seo [33]).
Going Cashless: Evidence from Japan's Point Reward Program
Toshiaki ShojiToshitaka SekineTsutomu Watanabe
In October 2019, the Japanese government started a unique program that offered points (discounts) for cashless payments. Using credit card transaction data, we compare credit card usage at restaurants that participated in this program and those that did not. Our main findings are as follows. First, the number of card users was 9- 12 percent higher in participating than in non-participating restaurants. Second, the positive impact of the program on the number of card users persisted even after the program ended in June 2020, indicating that the program had a lasting effect to promote cashless payments. Third, the impact of the program was significantly larger at restaurants that started accepting credit cards more recently, since the share of cash users at those restaurants was larger just before the program started. Finally, two-thirds of the difference between participating and non-participating restaurants disappeared during the first surge of COVID-19 in April 2020, suggesting that customers switched from cash to cashless payments to reduce the risk of infection both at participating and non-participating restaurants, but the extent to which customers switched was larger at non-participating restaurants with a larger share of cash users just before the pandemic.
The share of payments using cashless methods is much lower in Japan than many other countries. BIS statistics, for example, show that total payments via cashless means such as credit cards, debit cards, and e-money in Japan amounted to 74 trillion yen or 24 percent of household final consumption expenditure in 2018. This percentage is considerably lower than the 40 percent or more in other developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. The social cost of relying on cash payments is substantial. For instance, using data for several European countries, Schmiedel et al. (2012) show that the unit cost of cash payments is higher than that of debit card payments. In addition, Rogoff (2015) argues that cash makes transactions anonymous, which potentially facilitates underground or illegal activities and leads to law-enforcement costs.
Online Consumption During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Japan
Tsutomu WatanabeYuki Omori
The spread of COVID-19 infections has led to substantial changes in consumption patterns. While demand for services that involve face-to-face contact has decreased sharply, online consumption of goods and services, such as through e-commerce, is increasing. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether online consumption will continue to increase even after COVID-19 subsides. Online consumption requires upfront costs, which have been regarded as one of the factors inhibiting the diffusion of online consumption. However, if many consumers made such upfront investments due to the pandemic, they would have no reason to return to offline consumption after the pandemic has ended. We examine whether this was actually the case using credit card transaction data. Our main findings are as follows. First, the main group responsible for the increase in online consumption are consumers who were already familiar with it before the pandemic. These consumers increased the share of online spending in their overall spending. Second, some consumers that had never used the internet for purchases before started to do so due to COVID-19. However, the fraction of consumers making this switch was not very different from the trend before the crisis. Third, by age group, the switch to online consumption was more pronounced among youngsters than seniors. These findings suggest that it is not the case that during the pandemic a large number of consumers made the upfront investment necessary to switch to online consumption, so a certain portion of the increase in online consumption is likely to fall away again once COVID-19 subsides.
People's consumption patterns have changed substantially as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 infections. One such change is a reduction in the consumption of services that involve face-to-face contact. For instance, "JCB Consumption NOW" data, credit card transaction data provided jointly by JCB Co., Ltd., and Nowcast Inc., show that, since February this year, spending on eating out, entertainment, travel, and lodging have shown substantial decreases. Even in the case of goods consumption, there has been a tendency to avoid face-to-face contact such as at convenience stores and supermarkets. For example, with regard to supermarket shopping, the amount of spending per consumer has increased, but the number of shoppers has decreased, indicating that consumers purchase more than usual at supermarkets but try to minimize the risk of infection by reducing the number of visits. Another important change is the increase in the consumption of services and goods that do not involve face-to-face contact. The credit card transaction data indicate that with regard to services consumption, spending on movies and theaters has decreased substantially, while spending on streaming media services has increased. As for the consumption of goods, so-called e-commerce, i.e., purchases via the internet, has shown substantial increases.
The Demand for Money at the Zero Interest Rate Bound
Tomoyoshi YabuTsutomu Watanabe
This paper estimates a money demand function using US data from 1980 onward, including the recent near-zero interest rate period. We show that the substantial increase in the money-income ratio during the period of near-zero interest rates is captured well by the log-log specification, but not by the semi-log specification. Our result is the opposite of the result obtained by Ireland (2009), who found that the semi-log specification performs better. This mainly stems from the difference in the sample period employed: ours contains 24 quarters with interest rates below 1 percent, while Ireland's (2009) sample period contains only three quarters.
In regression analyses of money demand functions, there is no consensus on whether the nominal interest rate as an independent variable should be used in linear or log form. For example, Meltzer (1963), Hoffman and Rasche (1991), and Lucas (2000) employ a log-log specification (i.e., regressing real money balances (or real money balances relative to nominal GDP) in log on nominal interest rates in log), while Cagan (1956), Lucas (1988), Stock and Watson (1993), and Ball (2001) employ a semi-log specification (i.e., nominal interest rates are not in log).
Household Inventory, Temporary Sales, and Price Indices
Kota WatanabeKozo UedaTsutomu Watanabe
Large-scale household inventory buildups occurred in Japan five times over the last decade, including those triggered by the Tohoku earthquake in 2011, the spread of COVID-19 infections in 2020, and the consumption tax hikes in 2014 and 2019. Each of these episodes was accompanied by considerable swings in GDP, suggesting that fluctuations in household inventories are one of the sources of macroeconomic fluctuations in Japan. In this paper, we focus on changes in household inventories associated with temporary sales and propose a methodology to estimate changes in household inventories at the product level using retail scanner data. We construct a simple model on household stockpiling and derive equations for the relationships between the quantity consumed and the quantity purchased and between consumption and purchase prices. We then use these relationships to make inferences about quantities consumed, consumption prices, and inventories. Next, we test the validity of this methodology by calculating price indices and check whether the intertemporal substitution bias we find in the price indices is consistent with theoretical predictions. We empirically show that there exists a large bias in the Laspeyres, Paasche, and Törnqvist price indices, which is smaller at lower frequencies but non-trivial even at a quarterly frequency and that intertemporal substitution bias disappears for a particular type of price index if we switch from purchase-based data to consumption-based data.
In the first week of March 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 infections hit Japan, supermarket sales went up more than 20% over the previous year. This was due to hoarding by consumers stemming from an increase in uncertainty regarding the spread of the virus. Similar hoarding occurred during the third wave, which struck Japan in October 2020. Such hoarding has occurred not only during the COVID-19 pandemic but also after the Tohoku earthquake in March 2011 and the subsequent nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima, when residents of Tokyo and other areas that were spared serious damage went on a buying spree for food and other necessities. Consumer hoarding also occurred due to policy shocks: when the consumption tax rate was raised in April 2014 and in October 2019, people hoarded large amounts of goods just before the tax rate was raised, and a prolonged consumption slump occurred thereafter. Each of these episodes was accompanied by considerable swings in GDP, suggesting that fluctuations in household inventories are one of the sources of macroeconomic fluctuations in Japan.


text:
Rotaract Club in Action
by Bailey Basham, Messenger Staff Writer
Last year, the Rotaract Club of Sewanee had a goal of raising $20,000 for the American Cancer Society. After working for months to prepare for the event, the group was able to donate more than $37,000. Planning is currently underway for the second annual Relay for Life, which is scheduled for Oct. 26 on Hardee-McGee Field at Harris Stadium, Sewanee.
The Relay for Life honors those who have passed from or are battling cancer, cancer survivors and their caregivers. Though the club prioritizes planning for the relay, they are busy year-round working to raise money and awareness for other causes as well.
Last year, the club partnered with the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club to support the work of the Hunger Walk. This raised more than $25,000 for the Community Action Committee (CAC) in Sewanee and the Morton Memorial UMC Food Ministry in Monteagle.
Jenna Land, who serves as the community service chair for the Rotaract Club, works to bridge the gap between the Sewanee community and those on campus. One of the projects she found to be a success is Treats for Troops.
Caroline Sweetin, president of the Rotaract club, said in the past, the club has raised money for Global Health Charities, which works to prevent deaths that occur in mothers and newborns who do not have access to hospitals, healthcare resources and clean supplies.
"I think it's really important for younger generations to know the effects that cancer has on our families and friends and our communities. In a community as tightly-knit as Sewanee, it seems that it has a farther reach. They're placing the emphasis now on research and preventative measures just so we have that knowledge and we know how deadly of a disease this is," Sweetin said. "For us, being able to rally the community around work for the Relay for Life is huge."
This year's relay goal is $50,000. This event will take place from 4 p.m.–8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Hardee-McGee Field at Harris Stadium. For more information on how to donate, form a team or get involved, go to www.relayforlife.org/sewaneetn or email amasoek0@sewanee.edu.


GREENVILLE, South Carolina (AP) — Jonah Burrell first contributed to Pete Buttigieg's campaign after watching the first prominent openly gay presidential candidate on television. When Burrell later saw him in person in a cramped upstate South Carolina auditorium, he knew he had to do it again.
The board that makes endorsements — made up of 100 "bundlers," or people who commit to raising $5,000 annually for candidates — has been "champing at the bit" to endorse him, she said. Once they do, the group will appeal to its donor network to directly support Buttigieg's campaign and promote his events.
Parker said while there's "huge excitement" among the gay community, the man known to many as "Mayor Pete" is catching on with all kinds of people she meets while traveling the country.
Buttigieg often campaigns alongside his husband, Chasten. He talks about how important their marriage is, sometimes taking aim at Vice President Mike Pence, who as Indiana governor signed a "religious freedom" bill decried as anti-gay.


No talks so far with Parker; should the team even bother?
One other tidbit that came out of GM Kevin Colbert's talk on Thursday is that the team has done nothing so far in terms of chatting with those that represent running back Willie Parker. This comes as no shock since there is little doubt after not getting the ball much after the early part of last season that Parker wants out.
Parker is just 29, but has never really been the same back after breaking his leg in the 2nd to last game of the 2007 season in St.Louis. He has shown moments of being a top notch back in the league, but has had too many "dead leg" moments and many feel that his best days are behind him.
What do you think? Are the Steelers doing the right thing by letting Parker simply walk away, or should they at least make some type of effort to keep him around?
2 Comments on "No talks so far with Parker; should the team even bother?"
Don't bother signing Willie. Go after Le'Ron McClain. We NEED a big Bruising, punishing Rusher and he fits the bill.


text:
The Inshore Waters
Sue Brooks | 26th May 2014
The Gugh, courtesy of Gibson-Kyne, St. Mary's
Words by Sue Brooks
There are warnings of gales in all areas except Trafalgar.
I leave the radio speaking softly to itself in the kitchen and negotiate the stairs in the semi-darkness. It is 6:10am. From the spare bedroom window I should be able to see across the Roads to the main island.
Rain hammers against the glass, driving through a grey mist. Beyond the land there is the darker grey of the sea, foam-streaked in white from long lines of breaking waves, each one adding to the plume of spray over Crow Rock Beacon. Perhaps the boat won't come today. I send up a prayer that it won't and go to wake up the children.
If it doesn't, the next shopping boat will be the following Thursday. We need new shoes, toothpaste, library books. All these are important, but they can wait, I tell myself. Caught, as ever, on that tiny island, population 51, between pride and terror. The other island women will go. Some will take their children. In an hour or so they will be watching, dressed in their oilskins, for the first sign of bursts of spray taking a wide berth around the Beacon. Spray which is not in the sea's rhythm, but the mechanical rhythm of a diesel engine sending a wooden hull crashing deep into the waves and emerging. Their husbands will drive them to the quay in an old van or the cab of a tractor and they will gather in the stone shelter and talk while they wait.
MV Fervent was built in 1944 for the Royal Navy as a motor launch, and bought by the Steamship Company in 1961. She was renamed Gugh after one of the smaller islands in the archipelago. She carries freight and passengers between the islands, but the emphasis is on freight. Passengers are expected to squeeze into any available space, and in bad weather they must be below deck in the saloon. This means climbing down a steep metal ladder from the wheelhouse into a small room next to the engine where 10 or 12 people can sit on benches with their backs to the wooden planking of the hull. Clinker or carvel? I used to know the virtues and disadvantages of both – one overlapping, the other abutting – and I seem to remember the wall I leaned against in the Gugh, being smooth. Carvel built from wood as solid and impermeable as railway sleepers. A comforting thought in a storm.
It's 9:45am. In the small wheelhouse the skipper stands on the wooden box, peering through green water sluicing over the window. Always immaculate, even in heavy weather gear. A man of few words and bad moods. Tommy the mate, beside him, barely able to reach the sill of the window. He is small and bandy-legged as if he has spent his life at sea. Tommy's oilskins are torn and seem at least one size too big, but he's smiling and friendly. It isn't necessary to be compatible. The work is what counts, and having a good boat. The Gugh is that sort of boat, I am certain.
We sit in the saloon, the engine labouring alongside. Conversation is impossible. The 6 inch portholes, one each side, are mostly below water, and always there is the sound of the wind screaming and waves pounding the hull inches away from our heads. At some point when the skipper judges it to be right, the Gugh has to turn through 180 degrees, broadside for dangerous minutes to Atlantic seas, in order to run for the shelter of the quay. After what seems like hours, I wait for that moment to arrive. The engine will be at full throttle. The boat will lurch violently to port. I will need to brace my feet against the metal runners on the floor, and hold the children tight. The moment comes, and passes. The engine steadies to a more regular beat. Soon it will be over.
And it was. One shopping trip among many taken in the winter months in the years we lived there. No one spoke and no one was sick. The journey took one and a half hours instead of the usual forty minutes. Tommy threw over the heavy fenders as we came alongside the quay. He stood on the granite steps while the boat rose and fell several feet in the swell. Each passenger, each shopping bag, pushchair and child was handed across. See you later. 3:30. We won't go without you. Perhaps the wind will have abated by then, even just a little.
The Shipping Forecast was the prelude to every attempt to leave the island. And now the Shipping Forecast issued on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at 0500 hours on Thursday January 24th 1969. The area forecasts for the next 24 hours Viking. N. Utsire. S. Utsire. Forties……..I screened out as the voice continued: not caught by the poetry at all. It became urgent and important at Plymouth. Plymouth. Biscay. Finisterre. Sole. West veering Northwest 6 to 8, occasionally Severe Gale 9 in Sole later. Moderate or good. Sole was the centre of our area, or we were the centre of Sole. I had no idea how or where it existed, as a rock or a line drawn on an Admiralty chart, only that if gales were imminent in Sole, we would not be going anywhere. A bad weather relationship you could say. Casual, but surprisingly enduring and forever linked to those pre-mains electricity, pre-telephone days when the radio was our only contact with the outside world.
Years later, when we had left the islands, all gone our separate ways, the relationship took on a new aspect. A spell of insomnia reunited me with the 0520 voice. A different voice which often changed, male or female, sometimes relaxed (in fair conditions) sometimes speeded up (in strong winds), always calm and controlled, as I remembered it to be, the Captain on the bridge prepared if necessary, to go down with his ship. Captain MacWhirr in "Typhoon," saying regretfully I wouldn't like to lose her. I began to pay attention. I photocopied a page from a library book and pinned it to the kitchen wall. As the voice intoned, I followed the course on the map. The Sea Areas I had known in the past were areas 14 – 19, the outer south western reaches of the archipelago. Not just the mysterious Sole, dominant weather lord of the islands, but a much larger archipelago, The British Isles, with 31 Sea Areas. Cromarty. Tyne. Forth. Dogger. Fisher. German Bight……..Lundy. Fastnet. Irish Sea. Shannon. Rockall….Bailey. Fair isle. Faeroes. Now I heard the poetry and the music. Now I was falling under the spell.
I flew to America for the first time. I saw the white surf of the Atlantic breaking over the rocks off the west coast of Ireland. I was homesick and conjured up the map on the kitchen wall. Viking. N. Utsire. S. Utsire.Forties. Cromarty. Off by heart. I had the Sea Areas off by heart, all 31 of them. On the return I watched for the white surf as eagerly as a long absent lover, and had to wipe away the tears.
I paid more careful attention. I learned to understand the meteorological code where soon means weather expected within 6 – 12 hours of the start time of the forecast, and occasional means weather appearing for less than half the forecast period. The number of words in the forecast can never exceed 370, and the time allocated at 0520 and 0048 is 11 minutes exactly. Within these parameters, the voice must maintain a measured tone and pace. I felt I was gaining intimacy. No longer in the outer reaches, I was exploring the beauty of the whole configuration.
I saw there was an inner structure, like a play with three Acts. The Shipping Forecast starts in the Sea Areas, which can be just that – areas of sea such as Sole for example, now revealed to be south of Ireland and west of the north coast of France, or they can touch other land masses, such as North and South Utsire off the coast of Norway. Act 2 is the Reports from Coastal Stations, which can be on land, but equally moored offshore. They have none of the cadences or romance of the Sea Areas. Tiree Automatic, Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic, Greenwich Light Vessel Automatic, Leuchars, do not make the heart sing or inspire lines such as Carol Ann Duffy's
Darkness outside. Inside the radio's prayer
Rockall. Malin. Dogger. Finisterre.
And there is a third Act, easily overlooked. The Forecast has thrown its net wide over the Sea Areas, and now draws it closer, passing the Coastal Stations and reaching The Inshore Waters. The words resonate like a psalm. The Inshore Waters. And now the inshore waters forecast issued by the Met Office on Tuesday February 22 2014 at 0500 for the following 24 hours. The general situation – an area of low pressure to the northwest of the United Kingdom will continue moving southeastwards, filling slowly. These waters extend from the coast up to 12 miles off shore and are intended to provide information, in the language of the Meteorological Office, for "wind-powered vessels and small coastal craft". This was the archipelago as I had never imagined it before. I added a new map to the kitchen wall and committed it to heart. Cape Wrath to Rattray Head. Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed. Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby. Whitby to Gibraltar Point. Gibraltar Point to North Foreland………Mull of Galloway to the Mull of Kintyre. Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point. Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath. A necklace for the beloved from headland to estuary to peninsula to sea loch The desire grew for even greater intimacy. I would visit The Inshore Waters, I would count the beads of the necklace. It is a tribute in progress.
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The Gugh, courtesy of Gibson-Kyne, St. Mary's Words by Sue Brooks There are warnings of gales in all areas except...


Bee Hive Cello is a collaboration with Dr Martin Bencsik (Nottingham Trent University), Wolfgang Buttress and Langar Hall Hotel (langarhall.com). A swarm of bees was encouraged to settle in a reclaimed cello to make it their home. The cello was strung and tuned to the key of C. The vibrational noises are being collected and recorded to create a musical soundscape and will contribute to a musical performance later in the year.


Must have a 'hands-on' approach as we are a fast-paced growingcompany. In some instances, this is not a role with pre-defined instructions on how to do things. We are seeking a candidate to help build-out a finance function alongside the VP of Finance. We are seeking someone who is not afraid to roll up their sleeves and help 'figure it out'.


The Crackle Paint Cling Stamp Set is my product of the week.
Are made of premium rubber.
Have deeply etched images so you get a superior stamped impression each time.
Are precut so you don't have to trim.
Are repositionable; temporarily mount them on clear blocks for stamping, then remove them for storage.
Save space—you need only one set of blocks for all your clear-mount stamps (blocks sold separately – suggested block: F).
Come packaged in cases with images on the spine for easy storage and quick reference.
Welcome back to my card classes for 2019!
This month we made four cute cards using the super cute Animal Expeditions Suite. I used the happy birthday greeting form the new Amazing Life stamp set, I thought this worked really well with the images.
These cards are suitable for girls and boys of any age.
We stamped the rhino and coloured the bird using Stampin' Blends, then cut it out with the matching Thinlits 'Animal Friends' die.
The cobbled path was run through the big shot using the embossing plates! I love these as the double the use of my dies! I can now cut or emboss.
My demonstration video showing how to use the awesome Stamparatus tool and Snow is Glistening stamp set from Stampin' Up!
The stamp set contains 14 photopolymer stamps – become enchanted with the unique details of this set.
go into the draw for the amazing Christmas Traditions Punch Box valued at $78!