The following findings are taken from the HCBS Lead Agency Review Summary Report for lead agencies reviewed between August 2015 and concluded in 2018. For the time period reflected in this report, August 2015 to September 2016, a total of 37 lead agencies were reviewed. Quantitative and qualitative information was gathered during these reviews, including over 2,800 case files reviewed, 786 surveys received from HCBS providers, and over 350 lead agency case managers and assessors shared their insights with DHS in focus groups.
As the emphasis on the use of person-centered planning practices continues, lead agency assessors and case managers are being challenged to focus not only on ensuring the health and safety of people with disabilities and older Minnesotans, but also on providing opportunities for them to live, learn, work, and enjoy life in the most integrated setting.
Results of the Lead Agency Reviews show that case managers are consistently meeting requirements for visiting people on HCBS waiver programs. The average number of visits made by the case manager and/or assessor in the 18 months prior to the lead agency's site visit was 3.9 visits.
Case managers and assessors in the focus groups consistently reported that they have found it challenging to keep up on the numerous and substantial changes that HCBS programs have undergone in the past few years.
Although the majority of people receive their initial assessment within the mandated timeline, performance is below the CMS quality assurance benchmark of 86%. This illustrates the challenges faced by some lead agencies with their intake, assessment, and/or eligibility determination processes.
Case managers and assessors that are able to communicate and collaborate across work teams are better able to ensure people's needs are being met.
The Lead Agency Review Team found that those with multidisciplinary teams, primarily having both nurses and social workers, were better able to meet the needs of the people they serve. The integration of the two disciplines facilitated a culture of peer learning and problem-solving.
Overall lead agency staff ranked their working relationships with other internal areas as good.
Lead agency staff, primarily supervisors and lead workers, are keeping up to date with changes in expectations for how they manage their allocations and waitlists. Waitlists have been significantly reduced for both the CADI and DD waiver programs.
The mix of urban and rural regions within the state means that provider capacity often varies greatly across lead agencies. This impacts their ability to support people to live as independently as possible and access their communities.
Since SFY2011, the percent of people accessing the DD waiver, who are predominantly under age 65, living in their own home has increased by 6.9%. Although progress has been slow, there is improvement in providing people with meaningful options about where and with whom they want to live.
From 2011 to 2015, the percent of working-age people earning more than $250 per month increased slightly statewide for both the DD and CCB programs. During the on-site review, each of the 37 counties received information on its portion of the Minnesota Olmstead Plan's benchmark to increase competitive employment and earnings for people with disabilities. With the added focus on this topic prompted by the Olmstead Plan, there is an opportunity for real progress in this area.
Staff frequently cited the lack of providers in rural communities as the most motivating factor for using non-MHCP enrolled providers. Of the 37 lead agencies reviewed, 25 (67.6%) utilized nonenrolled Tier 2 providers.
Lead agency staff report an increase in workforce shortages that is, at times, resulting in providers no longer accepting new referrals or delaying the delivery of services.
It is the lead agency's responsibility to monitor the on-going provision of services for efficacy and people's satisfaction. Respondents to the provider survey noted that case managers primarily monitored their provision of services through phone and email updates and face-to-face visits, both planned and unannounced.
Since the first round of Lead Agency Reviews, overall compliance has improved significantly for many items. Appendix A shows the results of the case file review for 27 items of technical compliance for all case files reviewed from August 2015 to September 2016.
CMS's current quality assurance benchmark is 86% compliance. Of the 27 items currently reviewed for general case file technical compliance, only three fall below the 86% compliance benchmark when data for all six HCBS programs is totaled. They are the AC Program Client Disclosure Form, the ICF/DD Related Conditions Checklist, and the inclusion of service details (e.g. frequency, type, cost, and provider) in the support plan.
Lead agencies working with individuals who were members of the Jensen Settlement agreement, individuals with Positive Support Transition Plans, and/or individuals who have recently experienced a transition in their living setting, are also reviewed for relevant technical compliance requirements. Findings from the reviews of this information indicate that although there are many areas of strong compliance, additional technical assistance from DHS would be beneficial.
Respondents to the case manager and assessor survey overwhelmingly reported that the lead agencies they work for direct them to use person-centered planning and tools and provide them with the resources and supports needed to provide person-centered supports and services.
Overall, the Lead Agency Review Team found that when a support plan was drafted using the DHS-6791B CSSP template, it received higher scores both in areas of technical compliance and person-centered planning quality indicators.
The use of multiple methods and sources for data collection by the Lead Agency Review has shown that, in some instances, there are discrepancies in what lead agency staff believe they are doing and what is actually being documented. For example, 81% of case managers responding to the case manager and assessor survey stated that they include information on a person's dreams or wishes for the future in their support plan. However, a review of case files found that only 19% of support plans reviewed included this information.
The review team provides feedback to the lead agencies on areas identified as strengths and areas needing improvement regarding its use of person-centered practices. This educational review is currently scheduled to continue through the end of 2017. For lead agencies with site visits taking place on or after January 1, 2018, the Lead Agency Review will enforce person-centered planning protocols by issuing corrective actions when patterns of non-compliance are identified and requiring incidental remediation for all case files reviewed.
The following findings are taken from the HCBS Lead Agency Review Summary Report for lead agencies reviewed between July 2012 and May 2015. A total of 83 lead agencies (87 counties and two tribes) were reviewed during the second round of the Lead Agency Review. Over the past three years, a large amount of data has been collected through the review of these lead agencies, including the review of 6,446 case files and talking to 1,117 lead agency staff.
Case managers play a significant role in providing quality services and advocacy for waiver participants.
Case managers work across lead agency departments and disciplines to serve participants. By working together with other units, case managers are better able to navigate the system on behalf of waiver participants and ensure participant needs are being met.
Case managers have regular contact with participants and their families, which allows them to maintain strong relationships and monitor the participant's health and safety needs. On average, case managers visited participants 3.9 times in the 18 months prior to the lead agency's waiver review site visit.
A majority of the care plans reviewed contained detailed information addressing the required elements.
Lead agencies have seen improvements in results for completing assessments within required timelines since the first round of reviews. Seventy-six percent (76%) of assessments/screenings across programs were completed within the required timelines.
A majority (82%) of care plans were written using participant-friendly language which could include using the participant's name and avoiding use of acronyms or medical jargon. In addition, 68% of care plans included individualized and meaningful goals.
Three lead agencies case files were found to be 100% compliant with all requirements. Lead agencies have 60 days after their review to submit evidence that they had brought all cases reviewed into full compliance.
The areas where lead agency case files were most frequently found to be compliant include: current DD screening documents (98%), OBRA Level One documentation (98%), and participants' acknowledgement of choice in services (96%).
Certain areas of case file compliance posed challenges for lead agencies; only 71% of case files contained documentation of current right to appeal information and 79% had complete emergency back-up plans.
Case managers are connected to their communities and aware of resources available. Case managers develop close working relationships with providers, which allow them to collaborate to meet the needs of participants.
Most lead agencies (71%) indicated in the Quality Assurance Plan (QA) survey that they always have case managers document provider performance, and that case managers always provide oversight to providers on a systematic basis (69%).
82% of providers surveyed indicated they submit monitoring reports to the lead agency, and 87% indicated that they received the needed assistance when it was requested from the lead agency most or all of the time.
Although waiver programs present the opportunity and flexibility for lead agencies and providers to develop new and creative services, progress in emerging areas has been slow.
Lead agencies are partnering with providers to develop creative housing solutions for participants including incorporating assistive technology so that participants can have more independent living situations. However, the percentage of waiver participants served at home remained level from 2011 to 2013 for AC/EW (75% in 2011 and 2013) and DD participants (35% in 2011 and 2013), but fell slightly for CCB (63% in 2011 and 62% in 2013).
Lead agencies are working to create more meaningful employment opportunities for participants by building relationships with local businesses. However, the percentage of working age adults employed and earning at least $250 per month improved only marginally between 2011 and 2013 for CCB (from 10% to 11%) and DD participants (from 22% to 23%).
In order to improve access and vendor choice for waiver participants, many lead agencies act as the pass through billing agent for non-MHCP enrolled vendors.
Since this change to DHS and lead agency operations is new, the review of the non-enrolled vendor monitoring process is meant to be educational and advisory. DHS is not issuing corrective actions for the requirement at this time. However, if any non-compliance is identified, the lead agency is required to remediate any required documentation.
DHS continues to issue guidance and sample templates via the CBSM to assist lead agencies in documenting that non-enrolled vendors meet all applicable service standards.
Some lead agencies had room in their budgets to enhance services or add more participants to programs.
In the first year, 11 of 24 lead agencies (46%) were given the recommendation to reduce their budget reserve because they had a more than adequate allocation left to manage risks associated with new high cost participants while also providing services to current participants. However, by the third year, only nine out of 30 lead agencies (30%) were issued this recommendation.
Over the course of Round II, several lead agencies have developed alliances with other nearby counties to pool and manage their allocations. This allows them to serve more participants with the waiver programs while better managing risk.


EMPS: Come to Tucson - In the Summer!
For this week's Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #44:Travel Brochures, which I was too distracted to check out on Monday (more on this later), Carly wants photography suitable for a travel brochure, complete with a paragraph of promotional copy. I am sorely tempted to design a whole brochure as a PDF or something, but for tonight I will try for something a bit less ambitious.
The cliche is true - up to a point. 110 degrees at 11% humidity is arguably more comfortable than 94 degrees at 90% humidity. But when the monsoon arrives - Arizona's rainy season - the "dry heat" gives way to amazing cloud formations and dramatic thunderstorms. The high temperature is less extreme, and when the storm hits, the air may cool by as much as twenty degrees in a few minutes.
Air conditioning is almost universally found in Tucson's many hotels and resorts, most of which feature deeply discounted summer rates. Or you can knock twenty to thirty degrees of the summer heat with a drive up Mount Lemmon Highway, to the sky islands of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Postscript: I was going to do a second entry to finish up, really I was, but it's been so miserably hot and humid all week the I couldn't keep the joke going. See, when the monsoon rain really gets going, it's going to be fun, watching the dramatic weather and feeling the temperature drop and photographing the flooding. But so far in this year's this monsoon, which just started, it haven;t rained much, and hasn't flooded at all. It's just hot and humid and miserable.
I took the dogs up Mt. Lemmon Highway this evening, partly to try to find more wildlife to photograph, but mostly to avoid exercising poor, furry Pepper in 106 degree heat. We had a good time, but we didn't see any wildlife other than the flies both dogs were snapping at. Still, we knew there were larger critters in the area - or, at least, that there had been.
We started out from the house around 6:30 PM. "It's a mistake," John warned. "It will be dark by the time you get up there." I assured him that we were only going as far as Molino Basin, about five miles up, and that anyway, it doesn't get dark until 8 PM these days. The car thermometer said 106 degrees as we left the driveway. The dogs rode the whole way up in the front seat beside me, taking advantage of the car A/C.
The first stop for me on Mount Lemmon Highway, traditionally, is Babad Do'Ag Vista, the first real vista point and a major destination for watching and photographing sunsets. The sun was setting, but we didn't stop until Thimble Peak Vista. The dogs got out, briefly, but there was no place for them to walk, particularly, and no wildlife to be seen.
As it happened I did not stop at Molino Basin, because it had a self-serve fee station for use (picnicking or hiking or camping). I didn't want to pay, and I didn't want to cheat. In the end we stopped at Bear Wallow or whatever it's called, a picnic area at Bear Canyon. That was probably something to pay a fee for as well, but I rationalized that we weren't picnicking or camping or hiking, and we weren't there all that long, perhaps 20 minutes. It's at this point on the drive up the Catalinas when the pine forests begin, a major contrast to the desert floor below. The temperature, according to the car, was 85 degrees.
Alert for signs of wildlife, the dogs are on the hunt.
Well, I heard lots of birds in the tall trees, and a little distant scrabbling that could have been a ground squirrel, perhaps something a bit larger. But the only living creatures we saw were the flies the dogs were snapping at. Still, they had a good time sniffing all the interesting smells, and Cayenne insisted that the grass up there made mighty fine eatin'.
A very different wash (dry creek bed).
At the back of that particular picnic area, just before the steep hill, is a wash that looks very different from the ones in town. The rocks are pretty much the same, but it's not broken up with imported sand or slabs of concrete, or half-ruined with illegally dumped trash. The vegetation surrounding it is very different, of course, and you can't see far along it in either direction as it curves its way down the mountain.
Bear Canyon does in fact have the occasional bear sighting, but in 23 years of visits to the Catalinas I've yet to see one. Just as well, really. John would prefer that the dogs not encounter so much as a rock squirrel, in case it turns out to be rabid.
Babad Do'Ag, overlooking the city at dusk.
On the way down the mountain, we stopped at Babad Do'Ag anyway, to catch the end of sunset and the beginning of dusk. It was 8 PM as we left. The dogs did more energetic sniffing, and even I could smell that a wild animal had visited, namely a skunk. There are four species of skunks in Southern AZ, if I recall correctly, but I haven't seen one in years and years. And when I did, nothing bad happened. So there.
Note to self: having the dogs along is not conducive to getting good close-up shots of wild animals.
A curve-billed thrasher. Not a bunny.
But I tried. For this week's Round Robin Photo Challenge, "Wildlife," as suggested by Nancy of Nancy Luvs Pix, I originally intended to go into the mountains, or to Sabino Canyon; but I ran out of time. (I may yet do this later this weekend.) Instead, per John's suggestion, I took the dogs to the wash, and looked for bunnies there.
but as hard to photograph with dogs in tow.
Wait a sec, you may be saying. The wash?
Alamo Wash on Friday evening.
I never heard of this meaning for that word either, until we moved to Tucson in 1986. A wash is a river or creek bed that is dry most of the time, but fills up with water during storms, especially during the monsoon (rainy season). The other name for a wash is arroyo. The one nearest our house, the Alamo Wash, runs north and south through many Tucson neighborhoods, including a stretch between the athletic fields of Palo Verde High School and Terra del Sol Park. That's where I took the camera and the dogs on Friday afternoon. I should have brought fresh batteries for the camera as well.
Also not a bunny. Lizards are ubiquitous here, and nothing to fear.
I first took the dogs for a walk along the alley that edges Alamo Wash two weeks ago, on June 13th. The thrasher photo is from a few days after that. I wanted to find you something besides birds, because I've been photographing lots of birds lately and because I personally prefer mammals. In theory, our neighborhood has coyotes and desert cottontails, a smattering of bird species (mostly doves), lizards and various insects. This is a 50-year-old neighborhood in an established part of the city, so we can't expects bobcats or javalinas, chuckwallas or gila monsters. Still, the wash and the two alleyways that edge it, one on each side, are as close to nature as I'm likely to get without driving to the mountains. So that's where we went, up one alley and down the other. I did take the dogs briefly into the wash itself, but didn't like the footing given my history of sprained and broken ankles.
Look! A bunny! Technically it's a desert cottontail.
Even the desert creatures known to live in and around the Terra del Sol neighborhood are not too likely to turn up late on a Friday afternoon, They're especially unlikely to come in camera range of a woman with two dogs on leashes. At first it looked as though I wasn't going to see anything but doves and a few other birds. Ten minutes in, I actually said, "This isn't a happening thing, puppies. I don't think we're going to see any bunnies today. Oh! There's a bunny!"
The bunny was far away, and ran down the wash and up the other side to the other alley, taking refuge in the same place I saw one go ten days before. But I zoomed the camera where I thought he was, and got the photo you see above.
I've done much better with wildlife photos in the past. John and I got some great pictures of a wide variety of critters in our other house in the 1980s, in a much less domesticated neighborhood near the Tucson Mountains. I've also photographed rabbits and pronghorns in New Mexico, and lots of birds in Reid Park. But I didn't want to settle for Reid or reruns this time, so the photos above will have to do for now. I'll try to top them before the weekend is over. Meanwhile, let's take a look at the other Robins' wildlife photos!
Vicki **Welcome, New Member** - Posted!
I'll catch up with everyone after I've slept some more. See you later!
Michael Jackson's death inspires this week's assignment.
Weekend Assignment #273: The death of Michael Jackson has provoked a huge reaction, much of it from people who grew up listening to his music. Is there a particular musician whose work has particular meaning for you?
Extra Credit: What is your personal reaction, if any, to the death of Michael Jackson?
I vaguely remember the Jackson 5 cartoon show, and listening to Ben on the car radio; so I guess you could say I grew up with the music of Michael Jackson. When I worked for McDonald's in 1979-1980, I remember proposing my opinion that Michael Jackson would benefit psychologically from being made to work anonymously at McDonald's for a month, to get some idea what the real world is like. I still believe that premise, that a celebrity who creates an artificial world around himself to the exclusion of the real world only exacerbates any self-destructive tendencies. John always said that a celebrity who has survived fame and come out psychologically healthy could do a good consulting business helping new celebs avoid the all-too-common pitfalls of drugs, ego, and money issues. A few years later, as an employee of Buzzard's Nest records, I sold a heck of a lot of Thriller LPs and cassettes, and listened to the promo copy daily for a while. I later listened to our promo of the Jacksons LP Victory, but was less than impressed by that one.
Thursday evening I left the constant Michael Jackson coverage behind on tv and headed to Reid Park with the dogs. As we passed the rose garden, I saw more people there than was usual for that time of day. That's when I noticed the four trucks from three local Clear Channel radio stations in the parking lot, soon joined by news trucks from two tv stations.
More people started arriving in the rose garden, and sure enough, the gazebo was soon draped in KRQ banners. A trio of people stood with white party balloons, on which they had written in Sharpie. "I LOVE YOU, MICHEAL" was one of the things written on them. Ah. of course. As we left, someone had just addressed the crowd about having gotten his single parent mom to buy him a tape of BAD. Then they played the song Thriller, which is still stuck in my head. Darn it.
It was a typically diverse Tucson crowd - black, white, Hispanic, kids and baby boomers, man and women. Nobody was crying, or seemed particularly upset. At least one guy in his forties was standing just outside the rose garden with his young family, a vinyl LP under his arm. But the few words I heard as I walked by seemed to be about a trip to a local casino.
I have to wonder what December 8, 1980 would have been like given 2009's technological zeitgeist. I will never forget the death of John Lennon, whose murder provoked a similar reaction but in less high-tech terms. John Lennon and his three chums from Liverpool have been a significant part of my life since 1964, a hundred or a thousand times more so than Michael Jackson. I did a project on the Beatles' music for school in 1973 or so, spent high school collecting their albums, drove across town to get a McCartney LP the day it came out, wrote to Yoko after her husband's death, and eventually saw Paul and Ringo in their respective concerts in Los Angeles in the 1980s. I was a record store owner-manager when John died, and handed out free buttons in commemoration the next day. (I think I've written about this part of it before, so let's move on.) John Lennon's death was as sudden as Jackson's, and more extreme, horrible and unforeseeable in its circumstances. And like Michael Jackson, John Lennon was a complex and interesting person in his public persona.
But that's not strictly relevant to John Lennon's musical impact. I'm not one of those Beatles fans who idolize Lennon and discount the other Beatles' contributions. Paul McCartney was and is at least as talented. They complemented each other musically, and pushed each other to collaborations that were better than anything they each did alone. George was no slouch, and Ringo did his part; each deserves more appreciation than they get. But without John Lennon, I doubt that we'd all know and appreciate his friends to the extent that we do, even today. He was the one who put together the band, and instigated many of the Beatles' musical and technically innovations. 45 years after their breakthrough U.S. tours, what John, Paul, George and Ringo did still matters.
Vacation? What's that? Oh, I could use a few days off, but it ain't gonna happen anytime soon.
We're so swamped right now that getting away for more than a weekend is problematic. And even then it's a weekend combined with something else, like a convention appearance for me or a bowling tournament for Chris.
School is out for the summer now, and families will be looking for ways to keep the kids busy until it starts back up again a week or so before Labor Day. My family is no exception. The summer days in Simi Valley can get very hot and dry, but thanks to low humidity, the nights are usually pretty comfortable. However, my husband doesn't have a high tolerance for the heat, despite having lived in Southern California all of his life, so we tend to seek out air-conditioned indoor activities during the day. We'll be going to the movies a lot, or staying in to watch DVDs. This year, we want to try to make one or two trips to the beach - the nearest one is only about thirty miles away - and to use the neighborhood swimming pool. Simi Valley Town Center is an outdoor mall, so if we have shopping to do on really warm days, we'll probably go to the indoor mall in neighboring Thousand Oaks.
Well, as you can see from my last few posts, we've already taken our summer trip. We went to Walt Disney World to see the parks and sweat as much as possible. It was a good time! That is not the norm, however. This year was our first big vacation since we had kids. (Our son is seven by the way). Jenn and I have done little weekend trips on occasion, but this was the first time we went all out on a family vacation. And, based on the cost, it's a good thing we waited this long. I need to find a place that gives the best price for plasma donations, any recommendations?
That's it for now! I'm rushing off to do a photo shoot for later tonight, but will be making the rounds properly over the next day or so - this time for sure! As always, I'm looking for suggestions for future Weekend Assignments, but at the moment I'm especially looking for participants to write the entries. Thanks!
I've been planning this entry for a week or two, and now I'm going to rush it because I'm waiting for a nurse to call with news that a friend is ready to be picked up from outpatient surgery at a hospital on the other side of town (St. Mary's, fact fans!). After that I'm due at at St. Michael's, and I'm already stressed about getting J. home and still getting to work on time. Plus I have to call that prospective second employer, who didn't call me back last week, but I don't want to tie up the cell phone. So there's that.
There was a dog owner, S., whose dog never really warmed up to me, or anyone other than S., really. I photographed her dog a few times, including for my April Fool's Day entry in which I claimed to have adopted five more dogs and given them all spice-related names. Early in Holy Week, S. and her dog were there as usual, and S. ended our chat with "See you tomorrow," to which I replied, "Probably." I have not seen either the dog or owner since then. I worry that something happened to S. or the dog. My hope is that S.'s schedule changed at work, and everything is fine. But every time I'm at the dog park and she's not there, I worry a little more.
A colorful food vendor truck at the performance center.
Most of the encounters are briefer and more light-hearted. There was the time I walked past a tall man and a short woman, practicing slow dancing next to the duck pond, without music. The man was instructing his partner on a waltz step or somesuch. There was a woman who asked me what all the birds were in a certain tree (Black-crowned Night Herons), and correctly deduced that the speckled one was an immature bird of the same species. There was the tween-age girl who confided that she was carrying tadpoles in a cup.
And there's a little man from Parks & Rec, part of whose job is to politely shoo people out of the rose garden at 7 PM or sunset, whichever is earlier. I didn't give him grief the first time I met him, even though I needed a rose picture for a photo shoot and couldn't go in to take one. Now we always smile and say hi as we pass each other on our respective rounds.
Then there are the kids, inevitably reacting to my two dogs. Some are frightened, and I try to reassure them that they are nice dogs if you're not mean to them. Some exclaim excitedly to their parents, and want to rush over to pet the doggie. If the parent tries to frighten the kid away, I try to balance their instruction with the same reassurance I give the frightened kids, but in either case I don't encourage them to approach the dogs. Cayenne is not all that great with children, who may approach too quickly, hand out in what Cayenne seems to think may be an attack. Pepper is much more relaxed about this, and I must say that the children who are slow and gentle about it seem to be delighted with the result. Even Cayenne will tolerate the occasional child - and she's great with her adult admirers, demanding extensive petting at times.
Another jaunt down a neighborhood alleyway.
Walking around the neighborhood, I don't see many people, and speak to even fewer of them. My most recent contect with our next door neighbors was at a toy show a couple of months ago. I've chatted a little with the lady across the street, who has cancer, and who also has a sweet golden retriever. I've said hello to a few other neighbors as we go by. And the other night I came across a young adult teaching a girl to ride a bicycle, accompanied by several other kids. I had the usual back and forth with the kids, giving the dogs' names and supervising a moment of petting. The young adult (big sister, probably) didn't say a word.
There was also the child in a house the next street over, shouting to his mom as we passed by on the sidewalk. "Mom! There are two really pretty dogs in the front yard!" I heard no reply, and to my slight disappointment, the kid didn;t come out for a closer look.
"Do you hear that, fuzzheads?" I told the dogs. "People think you're pretty."
The dogs, who hasn't seen or smelled anything or interest, continued down the sidewalk without comment.
--from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss.
People sometimes play softball beneath these lights.
I don't have much to say about this short set of photos, except that I took the dogs to Reid Park at dusk one day last week, partly because we were delayed in setting out, and partly as an excuse to experiment with night photography. John's been agitating for dinner before dog park instead of after, which tends to push the interspecies gallivanting toward sunset or later. Most of the time when this happens, we end up exploring the neighborhood to avoid wasting time on the drive. But on June 17th, I drove across town anyway.
The other urban lake, with baseball fields behind it.
I took quite a few other shots, most of which are rather terrible. But these came out pretty well, I think.
For the latest Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot, Carly wants to see stars - literal, stylized, metaphorical or what-have-you. That's not easy for me. My camera isn't really capable of photographing stars, at least not as operated by me. I can't think of any neat star designs in the house, unless you count a sunburst clock that I've photographed a number of times already and that I think we gave away many months ago. And although I've interviewed quite a few actors over the years, I've photographed very few of them, and fewer still count as stars rather than character actors, particularly in the U.S.
Still, the game is to meet the challenge of these photo shoots, however difficult, so I tried. I started by photographing the only star that shows up readily on my digital camera's viewfinder: our own sun. I photographed it from inside the house first (above) and then stepped outside. There I photographed it through the branches of that big tree of the street, but it's not a good or interesting photo so I'll spare you that one.
Several hours later, I took the camera outside, fiddled with the settings (I tried both Auto and Night Portrait) and turned on the timer to avoid camera shake. Then I set it down on the roof of my parked car, the lens pointed straight up. I was sure that all I got was black on black, but with much tone adjustment, brightening and contrast I believe it's showing several actual stars, or possibly planets, or both. The result is not an aesthetically pleasing photo, but I'm impressed that the camera captured anything in the sky at all.
On the other hand, if I brighten it further I get many more "stars." At this point it's hard to avoid the conclusion that they aren't stars at all, but camera noise.
I've done a bunch of photo editing over the past 14 hours, preparatory to launching myself back into daily blogging - I hope! Next time will probably be either one I'm calling "Brief Encounters" or an entirely different essay, working title "Into The Night." I'll be back with one of those - or perhaps something completely unrelated - on Tuesday night, probably after midnight.
Weekend Assignment #272: Here Comes Summer!
I bet you thought I forgot to post the Weekend Assignment, didn't you? Actually I was holding off last night and today, hoping to get last-minute participation in last week's assignment. It didn't happen, so it's time to move on, ready or not! This week, guest professor Carly has a few questions for you, slightly tweaked and expounded on by yours truly.
Weekend Assignment #272: What are your plans for the summer months? Do things get busier for you this time of year, or slow down? Do you go on vacation, or stick close to home?
Extra Credit: Do you do much summer TV viewing? Is there anything in particular you're looking forward to watching?
For me, Summer 2009 looks to be a slight variation on Spring 2009. I am finally working again, but only part time, and other job prospects have not panned out so far. There is no time or money for travel, obviously. It looked for a while as if I were going to get up to Phoenix for one day this past week to learn the Church Windows software, but the seminar was canceled. It will now apparently be offered online instead. That sounds fairly practical, but won't be as much fun!
One thing I am looking forward to is the monsoon. Every year when the rain hits, there are lots of dramatic photographic opportunities. Expect to see photos of clouds, rainbows, torrential downpours, flooded streets and rushing water in rivers and washes that are bone dry the rest of the year. When I got up late this morning it was raining and I got my hopes up, but it dried out on the afternoon. No matter: it's too soon to expect the formal monsoon. But in a couple of weeks, watch out!
This year's hunt for great monsoon photos will be slightly complicated by my ongoing attempts to keep the dogs amused. It will be interesting to see their reactions when we start gallivanting in the rain together.
Meanwhile at home, I'm near the end of my second CPA review online seminar, which basically consists of assigning a set of units to be completed and the online tests passed every three days. I've got about 5 more units due three days ago, and another 5 or 6 due in 24 hours and seven minutes. After I finish "REG" (Regulation) I'll take a few days off and then start on my third section.
As for television, I haven't been watching much other than Keith and Rachel on MSNBC. To be honest, I don't expect that to change for a while - unless, of course, I embark on a Doctor Who or Buffy marathon.
So how's the weather here? Pardon me while I look outside. I'm not kidding. We have a saying here that if you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a few minutes. The summers are generally hot and humid, winter is changeable (90F one day, snow the next) and fall and spring tend to be changeable. While we don't live in tornado alley, we still get our share of bumpy weather. 120,000 people are still without power after a severe storm hit two days ago. Tonight there was more severe weather, but we just missed it.
That's it for now! As always, I'm looking for suggestions for future Weekend Assignments, but at the moment I'm especially looking for participants to write the entries. Thanks!
I'm way behind in my blogging, let alone blog-jogging. I've planned a number of entries that remain unrealized in my head. This is due to the kind of week I've been having, this week and last. I've had unusual obligations at home, several days a week working at church for a few hours each, and more CPA review coursework than I could handle. Let me tell you about it, illustrated with photos from our recent interactions with work crews from Southwest Gas. That's a big piece of the puzzle right there.
It started 10 days ago, with the fire in the alleyway that I told you about last week. After the first of the Southwest Gas employees showed up at our door about 4:30 AM, and (eventually) discovered a gas leak in our back yard, I took this shot of activity still going on in the alley where the fire had been.
All day the next day, there were Southwest Gas people all over Calle Mumble and adjacent streets. That was the day I interviewed three plumbers and a Southwest Gas engineer about replacing the gas line and possibly moving the meter up to the house. We decided on having Southwest Gas do to work, for a number of good reasons I explained in a previous blog entry.
The day after that, I dropped off the contract at Southwest Gas before going in to start training for my new position at St. Michael's. The actual work of installing the gas line and moving the meter was scheduled for Monday the 15th. Over the next several days I took the dogs for a walk in the alley a few times, and photographed the remains of a neighbor's fence where the fire was. (The rest of the wooden fence has since been pulled down.) I also worked a few afternoons, and left two voicemails in response to a missed call from my other prospective employer for a second part time job. On Friday he called back, and set up a second interview for Tuesday the 16th. Meanwhile, John did some serious yard work over the weekend, in the grand tradition of "cleaning up for the maid." And of course I had Round Robin duties, but was too busy to make the rounds of people's entries.
Sunday night I was up until after 4 AM, working on my CPA review assignments, trying to get caught up to where I was "only" three days behind. Monday morning arrived too soon, when the Southwest Gas crew arrived at 6:30 AM. I was awake and busy all day on a few hours of sleep. When I wasn't checking in with the work crew (which was complicated by the fact that I kept ending up talking to a particular guy who spoke very little English), I was dealing with computer problems, going in to work at church, taking the dogs up the street for a little discreet peeing, and getting another call from the prospective second employer, postponing my second interview to some undetermined future date. Oh, and I found out that the software training sessions I'd hoped to attend in Phoenix on Wednesday had been canceled. When I discovered that I left my first paycheck behind at work, I went home, tracked down my proof of citizenship for my I-9, and headed back to church, briefly. I intended to attend a meeting there at 6 PM, but at that hour the gas guys were still at the house and John had just gotten home, so I was bringing him up to date on things.
At 7 PM I was at the dog park, preparing to take photos for the Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot, when my phone rang. Only I didn't know that at first, because it was the "other" ringer, the one the phone uses when Caller ID is blocked. By the time I answered, I had missed the call and had to call voicemail. There was already a message I hadn't listened to yet. It implied that a friend was being evicted, and asked for help finding packing boxes. The second voicemail was from my co-worker at church, rescheduling our next session. I listened to her message three times, trying to memorize the phone number she gave. When I dialed it back, I got the voicemail of the friend who needed boxes, presumably because I'd failed to exit the voicemail system. All this time I was standing over Pepper's dog park mess, unable to clean it up because I was too busy fiddling with the phone!
I did reach my co-worker eventually, and my friend called and she's not evicted, although she will be moving when her lease is up. I went home and edited photos, did CPA review assignments until my brain couldn't possibly manage the task any longer, posted a slap-dash version of the EMPS entry to be expanded on later, and went the heck to bed!
Early Tuesday morning the gas guys were back, but just for a few hours to finish up and clean up. Once they were gone I tried to sleep in, but got a call from Wells Fargo trying to sell us the services of a Personal Advisor, and another call on behalf of a friend I'd promised to meet with for moral support as she printed mailing labels. No, really. She bought me lunch, and I spend the rest of the day at the computer, except for another brief, unnecessary trip to church. I got more CPA review stuff done, but was more behind than ever.
Wednesday, I got semi-adequate sleep, battled the computer some more (I think my Firefox build is messed up), did the deposit at church, ate lunch, bought gas, washed the car, bought dinner, and took the dogs to the dog park at dusk. There will be photos for that in a future entry. And I did a bunch more CPA review assignment stuff, and I'm STILL way behind.
Then I edited these photos, and wrote this entry. And now I'm going to bed.
For Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #42: Playing In The Water, Carly wants to see people interacting with water. I can't top my waterfall shots from Saturday, but I can update them with tonight's visitors to the Barnum Hill waterfall. Here they are.
I have much more to say and probably much more to show, but it's been a very long and difficult day and I'm utterly exhausted. More later, after I've slept!
Okay, it's many hours later, and I've slept. I would have slept in even more, but I had a half-forgotten appointment to meet with a friend late this morning.
The thing I probably haven't made clear about the water than flows in manmade streams from the top of Reid Park's Barnum Hill, down the waterfall and into the two urban lakes (duck ponds) is that all of that water is effluent - treated, "reclaimed" wastewater rather than drinking water. There are all sorts of sensible reasons for using reclaimed water for irrigation and other purposes in our desert city, and after all, it's not like it comes straight from a sewer. Still, it's very definitely not something you'd ever want to swim in, unless you're a bird or a fish, let alone drink from. Even Cayenne, in her mania to chase ducks, discovered a few weeks ago that beneath the water's pretty surface is algae and unpleasant, smelly muck.
But here's the problem. The two urban lakes are stocked with fish for the birds to live on, and despite the signs forbidding it, some humans can't resist fishing for them. The guy pictured above was pulling fish out of the water and flipping them to the herons, which seems like fairly harmless behavior. (I've made a few small edits to the picture to make him harder to identify - I don't want to get him in trouble!) But I've also seen a whole family fishing together, apparently intending to eat what they catch. This strikes me as dangerous. If fish in the Great Lakes and elsewhere became unfit for consumption in the 1970s due to mercury and other contaminants, how safe are these little fish that spend their lives in semi-treated wastewater?
Better to leave the fish to the birds.
And by the way, leave the birds alone, too. There is a rumor that at least one local restaurant was caught trapping Reid Park ducks to serve as food. The story smacks of urban legend, but there does seem to be truth to the idea that people dump ducks they don't want any more to live out their lives at Reid Park. Domesticated ducks probably shouldn't be expected to suddenly fend for themselves in the wild. Better not to get your kid a live duck for Easter in the first place, hmm?
In order to keep things interesting for the dogs and myself, and also to save gas, I've started taking them on walks around the neighborhood on some evenings rather than driving to Reid Park every day. Our previous dogs, Noodle and Tuffy, rarely left Calle Mumble, either on foot or by car; but Cayenne and Pepper are more fortunate. On Saturday evening I led them to parts of the neighborhood I've never even seen before, in about 15 years of living here.
Our street, Calle Mumble (not its real name) is in a neighborhood called Terra Del Sol, which I assume means Land of the Sun. Its street names all refer to stars and planets and such, all in Spanish. Many older neighborhoods in the city are laid out with curved streets and cul-de-sacs or other obstructions to discourage through traffic, and incorporate a school, a park or both. Terra Del Sol is bordered by Palo Verde High Magnet School, and has Wheeler Elementary School in the middle of it. It also has a membership-only neighborhood pool (or "aquatic center") and a little park with a gazebo.
The park is several streets away from Calle Mumble. I've rarely driven past it, and certainly never visited the place until this weekend. It's not remotely comparable to Reid Park or Columbus Park or Udall Park, but it's green and pleasant. Some kids sought and were given permission to pet Pepper, but Cayenne is far more wary around children and hung back with me. They got barked at by a tiny dog and made friends with a large one, so overall it was as much doggie interaction as I could possibly expect from a little neighborhood park.
After that we followed Alamo Wash all the way from the edge of the park to Calle Betelgeuse near the high school. It turned out that the wash (dry creek bed) has a rather nice alley running alongside it, something I never suspected. The last time I photographed Alamo Wash it was full of water, but now it's bone dry.
This is just a few feet from the spot where I photographed Pepper looking out the car window at the deep green water of Alamo Wash a few weeks ago. Even without the water it would be very pretty, had someone not used it as their personal trash heap. Perhaps I'll return with a trash bag in a day or two.
Sunset that evening was subtle and rather odd-looking, but nevertheless lovely. Perhaps you remember my photos of a huge tree in our neighborhood that gets decorated at Christmas, along with the yard it's in. You can see that same tree in the shot above, with another tree in front of it.
I've had computer problems and lots of CPA review course units to deal with over the last few days, and the gas company should be here not many hours from now to install the new gas line and move the meter. I also work tomorrow afternoon at church, and have a neeting at church on the evening. Nevertheless, I hope to make my rounds of your Round Robin entries over the next day or so.
I had a great title lined up for my entry in response to this week's Round Robin topic. The topic itself is "Looking Up," as suggested by Robinella of the blog Robinella's. My variation was brief and elegant and clever, and went with the photos I took earlier this week. Only I can't remember that title. I've been wracking my brains for nine hours now, to no avail. Ah, well! We'll just make do with what we have.
There is a very tall, very dead tree near the rose garden in Reid Park. It is very handy for birdwatching. It's high enough above the ground to attract many species of birds, and bare enough that it utterly fails to conceal them from human eyes. All I have to do is point my camera and look up. I've previously posted photos of a hawk and a couple of vermilion flycatchers in this tree, so let's skip over those for this morning. They're not the only kinds of birds I've seen in it.
"Just like a white-winged dove..." because that's exactly what it is. Tucson has White-winged Doves, Mourning Doves, Inca Doves (which are significantly smaller), and Rock Doves, better known as pigeons. White-winged Doves are especially common around here, and have a very distinctive song - not one worth Stevie Nicks going on about, though.
I've already posted quite a few photos of Reid Park's many Black-Crowned Night Herons, and could easily post quite a few more. There's a particular tree next to one of the duck ponds that almost always has two or more of them perched in it around sunset. The rest of them hang out on the concrete shore, waiting for a chance at some fish. (More on that tomorrow night.) This is the first decent shot I've gotten of one of them up in the air.
Many of the tallest trees in Tucson are palms. They aren't native but are ubiquitous anyway. Grackles seem to like them, but not many other birds turn up in them, as far as I've seen.
The grackles seem to be saying, "Good grief! What now?"
The woman is joyous; the dog is distracted.
That's it for me for now! Let's go see everyone else's upward-looking photos!
Irene **Welcome New Member** - Posted!
Joanna**Welcome New Member** - Posted!
Margaret**Welcome New Member** - Posted!
Vicki**Welcome New Member** - Posted!
Also, I'd like to make a special plea. Carly and I each have another meme, both of them started years ago by John Scalzi for the now-defunct AOL blog By the Way. Mine is the Weekend Assignment, which I was posting on Thursday nights, but it's recently slipped into Friday. Carly's is the Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot. We'd both appreciate it if you'd check them out, especially if you normally only stop by our blogs at Round Robin time. The Weekend Assignment is a writing prompt, not a photo challenge, but I'd really like to see some Robins give it a try anyway. Especially this week. See, this week's Assignment is to introduce us to where you live, without resorting to photography. Can you do it? Will you? I hope so!


text:
Rosendahl Mcleod Rosendahl Mcleod
Аватар Rosendahl_Mcleod
Update Your Wardrobe With Trendy Bollywood Ethnic Wear Online
Simply Stream Online Movies To Your Big Display screen Tv
There are so many leisure sources on-line. Watching A LAMP WHICH SPEAKS IN SOULFUL TUNES like "Dexter" and "The Vampire Diaries" on the web is one of those. The principle goal of watching Television reveals online is to get relaxed and eliminate stress, tensions and so on. you are getting from the outer world. Leisure is important in every ones life.
Entertainment might be music, film, cinema, theater, sports, games and television serials and many others. Leisure can add taste to our life. Leisure gives relaxation and energy to our life. Some people like watching motion pictures, sports, information, wrestling, television shows and comedy reveals. But as a consequence of busy schedule in everybodys life, life is turning into quick and so they cant entertain themselves. https://pixelfilmstudios.com of tv is to entertain. Tv performs an essential position in growing data for children and everybody by showing us educative packages like Discovery channel, Animal planet and History channel.
The television present I will likely be speaking about is Dexter Television show and The Vampire Diaries which are American Dramas. The title of each the story could be very appropriate. First I'm talking about Dexter Television Show which was began on 1 October 2006, broadcast on pay-Television channel Showtime. Dexter Morgan is the principle character within the story and Debra the sister of Dexter and Trinity Killer, LaGuerta and Batista are the supporting character. In Dexter Tv Show Michael C. final cut pro x plugins of Dexter and its first Season was based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter is a serial killer who kills criminals within the code identify of Harry and ensures that Dexter never will get caught.
site with details of this on works for Miami Metro Police Department as an investigator in homicides (Blood-spatter Analyst). You can see all its seasons and episodes on-line. Season four finale on 13, December 2009 was the report breaking, 2.6 million viewers. Michael C. Hall got Golden Globe award for his portrayal of Dexter. Kevin Williamson developed "The Vampire Diaries" which was started on 10 September 2009 and aired on CW Tv Network. Apple To Reveal Beats-powered Streaming Music App In June of story is horror and supernatural, taken from a guide The Vampire Diaries by L J. Smith. When the present started it attracted viewers. The story rotates round Elena associates and fictional town of Mystic Falls.
It is a love triangle story through which Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) who falls in love with a Vampire Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) and his older brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder). On-line Tv shows are good for watching as a result of it doesnt waste our time in watching 5 to 10 minutes ads in-between the Television present. So, take pleasure in all seasons and episodes of Dexter and The Vampire Diaries online.
If you're on a Simple Selection rate plan, the music streaming providers which can be a part of Music Freedom nonetheless do not count towards your information allotment while you're touring in Mexico or Canada. Worldwide availability of streaming services does differ, so be certain to examine together with your streaming service supplier earlier than you go. What is Music Freedom?
T-Mobile is setting music free. Stream as much music as you need in your smartphone from high streaming companies, together with Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Google Music Play-and it won't rely towards your 4G LTE data plan. Information costs do not apply! How does Music Freedom work? It couldn't be easier! You don't have to do anything to get the Music Freedom provide as a Simple Choice customer.
Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Coronary heart Price Monitor
Join it to your router both wireless or wired
Loopy - Gnarls Barkley (pictured)
Why do the Radio app streams cut out or load constantly
Click on "Change" to alter the buffer settings
Click "Download Now" to start downloading YouTube 4K UHD/HD movies
Animating a Clip
Greatest Web for Netflix, Hulu, etc
Stream as much music as you want in your smartphone from top streaming companies, including Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Google Play, and it won't rely toward your 4G LTE data plan. Music Freedom is included in your Simple Selection price plan at no further charge.
Who can get Music Freedom? Current clients with a Simple Selection Plan. Will https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/videos add more streaming providers over time? Any lawful and licensed streaming music service can work with us for inclusion on this provide, which is designed to benefit all of our Simple Alternative customers. If you are a streaming service supplier, click on here, send us an e mail, and we'll get back to you to start the method.
Getting gain of the chance, you search at also this other net web site, is a state of affairs relating to when I compose this publish, you may possibly be helpful to read: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/videos.
I wish to know if my favorite application is eligible to be added. How do you outline "streaming music services"? Code Free Blu Ray Participant Transcends All Boundaries streaming providers present licensed content from varied sources. Sources could include some or all of the next platforms: platforms serving digital rights-management-restricted content from document labels, aggregated live radio platforms, or other commercial platforms providing streaming music content.
Update Your Wardrobe With Trendy Bollywood Ethnic Wear Online
 Simply Stream Online Movies To Your Big Display screen TvThere are so many leisure sources on-line. Watching A LAMP WHICH SPEAKS IN SOULFUL TUNES like “Dexter” and “The Vampire Diaries” on the web is one of those. The principle goal of watching Television reveals online is to get relaxed and eliminate stress, tensions and so on. you are getting from the outer world. Leisure is important in every ones life.Entertainment might be music, film, cinema, theater, sports, games and television serials and many others. Leisure can add taste to our life. Leisure gives relaxation a... Читать далее...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
IthacaSTEM Advocates
Donate to STEM
Events > News >
Code Red Prepares for Active Pre-Season
posted Oct 4, 2013, 6:37 AM by Adam Engst [ updated Oct 19, 2013, 5:09 AM ]
With the school year in full swing, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Ithaca High School Code Red Robotics team resumes their endeavor to assist the community in as many ways as they possibly can. Over the next few months Code Red is going to be volunteering at Loaves and Fishes, Family Reading Partnership's Kids BookFest, and Taughannock Falls State Park.
On Saturday October 5th Code Red will be kicking off the "new year" by volunteering at Taughannock Falls State Park. In the past Code Red has cleared trails, trimmed branches, and helped develop an area with the hopes of a wedding gazebo being built there in the future. Many Code Red members are anxiously awaiting what is in store for them. "Volunteering at Taughannock is an amazing experience," says Noah Davis, a third year member on the team. "Not only are we helping the community, but it is where old and new members first work together and start to develop ties of friendship and camaraderie."
One of Code Red's biggest ambitions over the past few years has been to spread the message of FIRST to elementary school students across the Ithaca City School District through the JR. FIRST Lego League (FLL) program. JR.FLL is the elementary level FIRST competition where students are given a topic to research and then create a lego model. A few weeks later the teams walk into an exposition with many other teams from around the area to display what they've learned. Code Red has worked to promote a JR.FLL program in each district elementary school, a goal achieved last year. Team support included direct mentoring by Code Red team members at some schools and offering assistance to teachers and parents in establishing teams at others.
When winter comes around and all of the events have passed, Code Red will switch gears entirely, and prepare themselves for the high school robotics season that starts on January 4th 2014, an event called "Kickoff". Kickoff is where the team gets together to watch the game reveal video, A video released by FIRST to tell the teams what the challenge for the year will be, and then immediately jump into the strategy of the game. Kickoff also initiates the beginning of the "Build Season". Code Red, and every other FIRST Robotics Team, will then have only 6 weeks to build one 120 pound robot that plays this game. As soon as they iron out their strategy, Code Red will dive right into prototyping aspects of the robot and later assembling their final product.
Code Red Robotics receives generous support from the community and local companies. Sponsors include Kionix, Autodesk, BAE Systems, BorgWarner Morse TEC, CBORD, Cayuga Medical Center, Cornell Computing and Information Science, Tompkins Trust Company, Tetra Tech, Vector Magnetics, AccuFab, Boom, Incodema, Innovative Metal Works, U-Haul of Ithaca, Ithaca City School District, ICSD Board of Education, Ithaca High School, and Purity Ice Cream.
FIRST Code Red Robotics, an Ithaca High School student organization, is an associate of Ithaca STEM Advocates, an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI). IPEI is a not-for-profit organization that believes the education of every ICSD student is enhanced through community connections and support facilitated by IPEI for students and teachers through engagement, collaboration, gifts, and grants. More information about Ithaca STEM Advocates and IPEI can be found at http://www.ithacastem.org and http://www.ipei.org
For further information about FIRST, JR.FIRST Lego League, and Code Red Robotics, please email ikrywe@icsd.k12.ny.us, or go to http://www.usfirst.org
Copyright @ 2013 | Contact Us


text:
(-) Remove Digital filter Digital
(-) Remove Emblematic Network filter Emblematic Network
Région Sud has awarded Keolis public service delegation contracts to operate and maintain two sections of its regional public transport network covering the Alpes-Maritimes coastline and the Grasse inland area in southeast France. The two sections feature a fleet of 120 buses and coaches and include 17 lines: three high-frequency lines, two airport services, and 12 regular services.
On 8 July 2021, the conurbation authority of Agen (CCA), in the department of Lot-et-Garonne in south-western France, renewed its contract with Keolis for the management and operation of the mobility and passenger transport services of the Agen conurbation, Tempo.
This new public service delegation contract will start from 1 October 2021 and run for three years with cumulative revenues of €20 million.
On 29 June 2021, the community council and local Public Transport Authority of the conurbation of Châteauroux in central France renewed its contract with Keolis for the operation and maintenance of its entire public transport network, Horizon.Over the course of the contract, Keolis' goal will be to increase ridership by 18%. Keolis will also support the Châteauroux conurbation in the energy transition of its bus fleet by introducing six hydrogen buses into the network by 2024.
Keolis and Île-de-France Mobilités are testing NaviLens technology in Versailles to facilitate journeys for visually impaired passengers, a first in France
With the aim of making public transport more inclusive and accessible, Keolis is trying out NaviLens technology in Versailles, in the Paris region, until July 2021 with a panel of visually impaired users. This technology is being used for the first time in France along the itineraries that connect the platforms of Versailles-Chantiers station, operated by Transilien (SNCF), to the platforms of the bus station, operated by Keolis Versailles on behalf of Île-de-France Mobilités. "Augmented" QR codes are placed along the itineraries, making it possible to guide the passengers throughout their journeys, identify approaching buses and provide schedules in real time.
Emblematic Network
Keolis to continue as operator of the Bergen light rail network in Norway
Keolis will continue operating the light rail network of Bergen for another eight years and will now also manage the maintenance of the trams. Passenger numbers have doubled on the network since Keolis started the operations in 2010. This new contract award illustrates the strong partnership between Keolis and Bybanen AS – the new transport authority - over the past eight years. The new contract also reaffirms Keolis' position as a world leader in light rail operations
On 29 June 2018, Keolis' Norwegian subsidiary, Keolis Norge, was awarded a contract by Bybanen AS, the local transport authority, to continue operating the Bergen light rail network for another eight years and to also manage the maintenance of the trams . The renewed contract which is subject to a statutory 10-day standstill period will be effective from July 2019.
Press release - Keolis to continue as operator of the Bergen light rail network in Norway (pdf) (60.06 Ko)
Bergen is Norway's second largest city with a population of over 280,000 inhabitants. The project for the tram network was initiated by Skyss SA with the operation of the network awarded to Keolis in 2009. Since its launch in 2010, the Bergen tramway network has undergone rapid expansion. Initially 9.6 km long, linking the city centre to Nesttun, it has been extended twice, once in 2013 to Lagunen and once in 2017 to Flesland airport, and is now 20 km long. The Bergen tram network has 28 trams manufactured by Stadler, capable of carrying up to 280 passengers. The service is currently used by 12 million passengers every year. Service frequency is once every five minutes during peak hours, with an extended service on Friday and Saturday nights.
The tram network has brought economic and employment benefits to the city and the surrounding region. Since the opening of the network, the number of operational employees has increased by 80% with current staff numbers at 140 overall. Improvements to the service have caused passenger satisfaction rates to remain consistently between 95% and 99%.
With the success of the light rail network, Bybanen AS now plans to extend the network to the north and to the west, delivering an additional 10 km by 2022. This extension will also include a new depot and 12 to 14 additional new trams.
Keolis is the world leader in tram operations, operating on 930 km of tracks and 22 networks worldwide.
We are very pleased by the trust that Bybanen AS has placed in us to continue managing the Bergen light rail network. At their side, we have successfully delivered continuous performance while meeting the demands of a growing network. We are looking forward to eight more years of collaboration with Bybanen AS, and we are more committed than ever to providing the residents and visitors of the city of Bergen with a sustainable, comfortable and safe service.
Bernard Tabary, CEO International Keolis


It's no secret that newborns cry a lot during the first few months of life. In fact, healthy infants can cry up to six hours a day, which is a normal part of development. It's also normal for parents or caregivers to feel frustrated when a child is continuously crying and they don't know why.
The best thing you can do if you find yourself frustrated is put your baby in a safe place and take a break. By doing this, you'll be more able to console your child after you take a few minutes for yourself.
Studies have shown that excessive crying is the most common reason someone shakes a baby, and you never want to shake your baby because it can cause serious brain injury.
Your baby may cry more each week, which tends to peak at four weeks to four months of age.
Crying can come and go, and you don't know why.
Your baby may not stop crying no matter what you try.
Your baby may look like he/she is in pain, even though he/she is not.
Crying can last several hours a day, or more.
Your baby may cry more in the late afternoon or evening.
There are several ways you can comfort your baby when they're crying.
Swaddle your baby in a thin blanket to help him feel secure.
Hold your baby as much as you want (you cannot spoil an infant).
Walk/rock your baby to remind him of the motions when he was inside the womb.
Calming sounds such as a vacuum cleaner, humming of a fan or dryer, or white noise machine can remind him of the soothing sounds from the womb.
Do not overfeed because this may make him uncomfortable. Try to wait at least two hours from the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next.
Offer a pacifier if it isn't time for a feeding. If you are breastfeeding your infant, you may want to delay giving him a pacifier until breastfeeding is going well.
There will be times when you cannot stop the crying even after trying these comfort measures, so it's important to have an action plan for when you get frustrated with your baby's crying.
First, respond to cries with "comfort, carry, walk, and talk" to reduce fussing and tend to the baby's needs and not neglect them.
Second, understand it is ok to put the baby down in a safe place, like a crib or playpen, and walk away if the crying is too frustrating. Come back in 10-15 minutes to check on your child. Call a family member or a friend and see if they can look after you infant for a little bit. You need to take care of yourself too!
If you're feeling depressed or have trouble dealing with your emotions let your healthcare provider know. Your doctor can recommend ways to help.
Lastly, be aware of the dangers of shaking an infant and understand that it is never OK to shake a baby. Education and actions will empower you to respond to your child's needs, because no baby has ever died from crying, but too many have died from being shaken!
If you still have concerns about your infant crying call your pediatrician.
Learn more about the period of Purple Crying.


832 acre timber tract located in Currituck County, NC approximately 13 miles from Elizabeth City, NC and an hr South of Norfolk, VA. This is a good investment for growing timber or convert to cropland, the soils are very productive and the tract is well drained with ditches throughout the property, all the interior roads are well built to handle heavy equipment. The tract lays flat with 472 acres of 1980 mixed pine/hardwoods, 211 acres 2002 mixed pine/hardwoods and 61 acres of 2013 planted loblolly pine. There is significant timber on this tract with a strong future for timber investment due to the high quality soils. Access is by Deeded Right of Way through adjoining land which is primarily cropland. Improvements include a small cabin used during hunting season with no electricity or running water. This tract has excellent hunting for deer and black bear with record size bears being harvested every year. This Tract has a Weyerhaeuser mineral rights reservation.


text:
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ms. Tawakkol Karman winning the Nobel Peace Prize
On Thursday, TKF celebrated the 10th Anniversary marking Ms. Tawakkol Karman's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize, with the presence of more than 600 personalities of different nationalities: Yemeni, Arab, Turkish, and foreign figures politicians, and activists. In her speech, Karman recalled stopping the war in Yemen and to resume the faltering political process.
Karman said, "The militias must be disbanded, with the state monopolizing arms, and to launch a rebuilding project to rebuild the remnants of the war in Yemen, in order to activate a clear path to transitional justice and national reconciliation."
Karman added, "Yemen is going through its worst historical stages because of the coup against the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference. Moreover, the attempt to control the state, which none of the Yemenis would have allowed to happen, had it not been for the belief of tyrants and delusional traitors to settle Yemenis."
Regarding the Nobel Prize, she said, "From the first moment (in 2011), I considered it a prize for Yemeni youth, Arab youth, and Arab and Yemeni women and based on this conviction, the full financial value was allocated to the Fund for the Welfare of Families and Martyrs of the Yemeni revolution, and the prize was a right for every revolutionary and free person in the field and for every person who opposes tyranny in the world."
The human rights activist emphasized that she is with real and sustainable peace that guarantees citizens their rights and freedoms, and guarantees them the preservation of their dignity through a state of law, not a state of gangs that are free from any responsibilities, or that they surrender to injustice, oppression, and the authority of the de-facto.
And she continued, "I have decided from the first day of the revolution and before and after the Nobel prize, to be faithful to the sacrifices of the Arab Spring youth, and during the past years, hopes were mixed with pain, moments of sadness and joy, moments of fatigue and suffering. We lived through many disasters and sadness, and I pledged not to compromise before and after the Nobel prize on the values of the Arab Spring, the principles of freedom, democracy, and human rights be traded for any prize, no matter how high it is."
And she added, "The war is at its most intense between the advocates of democracy who don't differentiate between its members and the advocates of tyranny which the countries of counter-revolutions are trying to maintain, stressing that the Arabs have the right to have democratic states that rule by law and are established based on people's choices, and it has become a necessity of life for every Arab."
The concert was performed by Tunisian singer Mehr Hammami, Oud player Mohammed Al-Hajri, and Qanun player Farah Fares, accompanied by the Turkish band 'Selam'. It is noteworthy that Tawakkol Karman is a human rights, journalist, and political activist known by several titles, including 'Mother of the Revolution, 'Iron Woman' and 'Lady of the Arab Spring.' She played a key role in the pro-democracy youth uprising that occurred in Yemen in 2011, in partnership with Ellen John Sirleaf and Lima Gbowee, and in recognition of her leadership role in the peaceful struggle and the fight against tyranny, corruption, and oppression. Karman is the first Arab woman and the second Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.


text:
Q: How to get the values in a session to dataset using a foreach loop? I have a session which includes a data table in it. Now i want to get each number and store it in the database using a foreach loop. I have tried a code. But it shows this error message. "

Cannot convert type 'char' to 'System.Web.UI.WebControls.ListItem'"

How can i do it?
Here is my code
protected void policyDetails()
{
    DataSet ds = new DataSet();
    string cellVal = "";

    foreach (ListItem item in Session["PolicyTable"].ToString())
    {
        cellVal = item.ToString();
        ds = db.insertPolicyDetails(cellVal);
    }
}

This is how create the session
dr = dt.NewRow();
dr["Policy_No"] = txtPolicy.Text.Trim();
dt.Rows.Add(dr);
grdPolicyDetails.DataSource = dt;
grdPolicyDetails.DataBind();
Session["PolicyTable"] = dt;

A: This error is coming because you are iterating over the Session["PolicyTable"] as ListItem. Change this to DataRow. Also if the session variable contains the datatable, you will be iterating over rows which cant be a string. Even if it contains a single column, you should retreive its value as:
DataTable dtSessionTable = (DataTable)Session["PolicyTable"];

foreach (DataRow item in dtSessionTable.Rows)
{
    cellVal = item["Policy_No"].ToString();
    ds = db.insertPolicyDetails(cellVal);
}

A: Error is in this line
cellVal = item.ToString();

This should be either :
cellVal = item.Text;

or
cellVal = item.Value;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


http://labs.google.com/personalized allows you to set a profile showing your interest or lack of in various subjects, then you can min-max the search results generated in terms of their sensitivity to your personalisation preferences.
Rather worryingly, when setting all my business services, internet, retail, technology and other preferences, and then searching for me, I was demoted when I then maxxed the personalisation!
Given that we know Google track which results are clicked on from any page, then this initiative can help them build levels of user-profiled relevance for particular pages of content. And from an optimisation (or optimization) point of view, this will only help relevant pages get to closer to their audiences.
So, when it comes to the next decisions about Google SEO it seems to me that it will be largely business as usual, however, as my own mini-test demonstrated, it may not be traffic as normal. And if you are anaylsing your traffic carefully you will be able to tell if this is a good thing or not.
Incidentally, I use Indextools.com on a number of projects, as a great, entry-level page-tagging web analytics tool, and I have been recommending it to all my clients who are struggling with useful web stats intelligence.


text:
"""
    urlresolver XBMC Addon
    Copyright (C) 2011 t0mm0, JUL1EN094

    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
    (at your option) any later version.

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
    GNU General Public License for more details.

    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
"""

import os
import re
import urllib
import json
from lib import helpers
from urlresolver9 import common
from urlresolver9.resolver import UrlResolver, ResolverError

class AllDebridResolver(UrlResolver):
    name = "AllDebrid"
    domains = ['*']
    profile_path = common.profile_path
    cookie_file = os.path.join(profile_path, '%s.cookies' % name)
    media_url = None

    def __init__(self):
        self.hosts = None
        self.net = common.Net()
        try:
            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(self.cookie_file))
        except OSError:
            pass

    def get_media_url(self, host, media_id):
        common.log_utils.log('in get_media_url %s : %s' % (host, media_id))
        url = 'http://www.alldebrid.com/service.php?link=%s' % (media_id)
        html = self.net.http_GET(url).content
        if html == 'login':
            raise ResolverError('alldebrid: Authentication Error')

        try:
            js_data = json.loads(html)
            if 'error' in js_data and js_data['error']:
                raise ResolverError('alldebrid: %s' % (js_data['error']))

            if 'streaming' in js_data:
                return helpers.pick_source(js_data['streaming'].items())
        except ResolverError:
            raise
        except:
            match = re.search('''<a\s+class=["']link_dl['"]\s+href=["']([^'"]+)''', html)
            if match:
                return match.group(1)

        raise ResolverError('alldebrid: no stream returned')

    def get_url(self, host, media_id):
        return media_id

    def get_host_and_id(self, url):
        return 'www.alldebrid.com', url

    @common.cache.cache_method(cache_limit=8)
    def get_all_hosters(self):
        url = 'http://alldebrid.com/api.php?action=get_host'
        html = self.net.http_GET(url).content
        html = html.replace('"', '')
        return html.split(',')

    def valid_url(self, url, host):
        if self.hosts is None:
            self.hosts = self.get_all_hosters()

        common.log_utils.log_debug('in valid_url %s : %s' % (url, host))
        if url:
            match = re.search('//(.*?)/', url)
            if match:
                host = match.group(1)
            else:
                return False

        if host.startswith('www.'): host = host.replace('www.', '')
        if host and any(host in item for item in self.hosts):
            return True

        return False

    def login(self):
        username = self.get_setting('username')
        password = self.get_setting('password')
        login_data = urllib.urlencode({'action': 'login', 'login_login': username, 'login_password': password})
        url = 'http://alldebrid.com/register/?%s' % (login_data)
        html = self.net.http_GET(url).content
        if '>Control panel<' in html:
            self.net.save_cookies(self.cookie_file)
            self.net.set_cookies(self.cookie_file)
            return True
        else:
            return False

    @classmethod
    def get_settings_xml(cls):
        xml = super(cls, cls).get_settings_xml()
        xml.append('<setting id="%s_login" type="bool" label="login" default="false"/>' % (cls.__name__))
        xml.append('<setting id="%s_username" enable="eq(-1,true)" type="text" label="Username" default=""/>' % (cls.__name__))
        xml.append('<setting id="%s_password" enable="eq(-2,true)" type="text" label="Password" option="hidden" default=""/>' % (cls.__name__))
        return xml

    @classmethod
    def isUniversal(self):
        return True

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Fail to generate .exe using makefile I write a simple C program like this:
#include<stdio.h>

int main(){
    printf("Hello World!\n");
}

And I also write a makefile:
test: main.o
    gcc -o test main.o

main.o:main.c
    gcc -c -o main.o main.c

And they are in the same file:

But here comes an error when I try to use make:

Then I try in this way and it works:

Why can't I generate test.exe using make?Is there anything wrong with the makefile?I'm new and any advice will help^_^


Losing your vision at any age can be both frustrating and frightening. But fortunately for visitors to the San Diego Center for the Blind in Vista, there's someone to help smooth the transition to darkness.
For the past 17 years, sighted volunteer Mary Gagliardo has been the center's warm and welcoming greeter for newcomers, students, patients and volunteers. The 83-year-old Fallbrook retiree is a one-woman dynamo who organizes fundraisers, chairs the volunteer group, answers phones, checks in patients, oversees building renovations and runs the center's low-vision products store.
Gagliardo said volunteering at the center has enriched her life and taught her a lot about human resilience.
Mary Gagliardo, 82, left, long time volunteer here at the Vista office of the San Diego Center for the Blind, chats with client Irving Roston, of Carlsbad, middle, and his vision therapist Kelly Malky, at right.
Founded in 1972, the San Diego Center for the Blind offers rehabilitation services for blind or vision-impaired adults who have lost their sight to accidents or diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma or macular degeneration. Services at the Vista and San Diego locations include vision screening, counseling and classes in independent living skills, orientation and mobility, Braille and keyboarding. The center also sells low-vision products like talking wristwatches, special lights and desktop video magnifiers.
Gagliardo first came to the center in 1997 to volunteer her services as a typing teacher. Right away, she noticed the center's library was filled with clutter and outdated videos, so she offered to clean it up. It wasn't long before she saw many other tasks she could tackle.
Gibbens said one of the best things about Gagliardo is how she can sense a need and fill it.
Raised in Cleveland, Gagliardo spent most of her adult life as a marine colonel's wife. With their four children, Gagliardo and her husband, Joseph, moved 26 times around the country until settling in Fallbrook in 1976. She worked as a beauty school receptionist and coordinated volunteers for Lifeline Community Services in Vista. And after her husband retired, they volunteered together for the Special Olympics. She also volunteers every Monday in the library of the new hospital at Camp Pendleton.
Gagliardo said she took a break from volunteering at the Center for the Blind in the early 2000s to care for her husband, who died in 2002. When she came back, she was eager to throw her time and heart into whatever ways she could be useful at the center.
Mary Gagliardo, 82, long time volunteer here at the Vista office of the San Diego Center for the Blind, speaks about her years here at the center.
Gagliardo staffs the front desk from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, where she checks in clients, sells low-vision products, mans the phone and handles office tasks. She also goes to health fairs with students to promote the center's services. But her biggest job is running the Friends of the Center for the Blind volunteer group.
For the past eight years she has chaired the Friends' biggest fundraiser, the Annual Card Party & Luncheon, which returns at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 22 to the Jim Porter Recreation Center in Vista's Brengle Terrace Park. Gagliardo not only organizes the event, she also cooks up a storm for days ahead to feed guests at the buffet luncheon.
The card party draws from 120 to 150 people and raises about $3,000 each year, which Gagliardo has used to refurbish the floors, bathroom, window blinds and hallways of the center's aging building on Bonair Road. She'd like to use funds raised at the card party this year to have a new concrete entryway poured out front, so low-vision clients have a flatter, easier-to-navigate surface to walk on when they arrive by bus.
Gagliardo said her favorite part of working at the center is getting to know the students and attending their graduation ceremonies, because they continually inspire her with their camaraderie and can-do attitudes.


Ronda Rousey survived Sasha Banks' onslaught at the Royal Rumble. She pinned The Boss, but started another rivalry very soon after.
The Riott Squad have taken no prisoners since being formed as they remain equal opportunity agitators. Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan are booked for the Women's Tag Team Elimination Chamber match on February 17th and now Ruby Riott has a match too.
WWE made it official that Ronda Rousey will defend her RAW Women's Title against Ruby Riott at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
This is likely going to be a speedbump for Rousey on her way down the road to WrestleMania. However, there is always Fastlane in between now and April 7th as well so you never know what can happen in WWE.


Charlie Daniel (Seagrave Park) who were baptised recently.
Please pray for Jim Kelly (Finglas & Clonfert) father of Kieran Kelly (Foxlodge Wood) who died during the week. May he rest in peace.
Meath Branch Alzheimers Society will hold the Alzheimers Café in Pillo Hotel, Ashbourne on Mon June 10th from 2 to 4pm . All those suffering from Dementia, their carers and families welcome.
Human life is sacred and inviolable at every moment of existence, including the initial phase which precedes birth. All human beings, from their mothers' womb, belong to God who searches them and knows them, who forms them and knits them together with his own hands, who gazes on them when they are tiny shapeless embryos and already sees in them the adults of tomorrow whose days are numbered and whose vocation is even now written in the "book of life" (cf. Ps 139: 1, 13-16). There too, when they are still in their mothers' womb-as many passages of the Bible bear witness -they are the personal objects of God's loving and fatherly providence. - Evangelium vitae, 61, Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II, 1995.
The right to life is the most fundamental of all rights because it is the foundation of all other rights.
Assurances that the Abortion Bill will provide very 'limited' access to abortion in response to suicidal ideation are unreliable. The Abortion Bill, in keeping with the X Case judgement, is clear that the risk of suicide need not be "immediate" or "inevitable" to satisfy a judgement "in good faith", that there is a risk to the life of a mother. The Abortion Bill fails to adequately balance the right to life of the mother with that of the baby, something which current law and medical practice does. This [medical practice] has contributed to Ireland continuing to be one of the safest countries to carry an unborn baby through to birth. On the basis of testimony from medical professionals abortion is not an appropriate treatment for suicidal ideation.
"We have to ask the question again: in what other area would a 'treatment' that is not appropriate, that brings clear risks to the health of a mother - and which results in the death of another totally innocent person - be legislated for by our public representatives?"- Archbishop Michael Neary, 2 June 2013.
Archbishop Charles J Brown, 2 June 2013.
"From the moment of conception, every human life is sacred and precious. Everyone who recognises the wonder of human life appreciates that" Bishop John Kirby, 3 June 2013.


Indie Retro News: Katon, the soulless wizard - Can you escape in this free alpha puzzle platformer?
Katon, the soulless wizard - Can you escape in this free alpha puzzle platformer?
Developer Description : Katon is a puzzle platformer game where you must guide a dark wizard to escape from the prison where his brother jailed him. You need his dark powers to achieve his objective, kill his own brother!


The Duke Blue Devils and the Temple Owls take the field in the Independence Bowl in Thursday college football.
The Temple Owls enjoyed another strong season at 8-4 with their only conference loss coming to Central Florida. Temple totaled around 421 yards a game with a top 50 passing attack leading to 35.6 points. The always stingy Owls defense allowed 357 yards and 24.7 points with opponents averaging just 166 passing yards.
Temple quarterback Anthony Russo completed 57.9% of his throws for 2,335 yards with 13 scores and 13 interceptions. Ventrell Bryant and Branden Mack were the receivers of choice with a combined 99 receptions for over 1,200 yards.
The Owls rushing attack revolved around workhorse Ryquell Armstead who carried the ball 210 times for almost 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns. Temple was productive on the ground when Armstead ran the ball but below average otherwise.
The Duke Blue Devils dropped back to back games to end the regular season and finish 7-5. Duke did nothing out of the ordinary offensively at 393 yards and 27 points while allowing 419 yards and 27 points.
Daniel Jones spearheaded the Blue Devils passing game, completing 59% of his throws for 2,251 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven picks. TJ Rahming was the top Duke receiver with 571 yards on 63 receptions with Johnathan Lloyd recording 46 catches for 557 yards.
Deon Jackson paced the Blue Devils on the ground with 806 yards on 151 touches with Brittain Brown being the only other runner of significance with 350 yards on 75 totes.
Under is 4-0 in Temple Owls last 4 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game and under is 5-0 in Temple Owls last 5 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points and under is 5-1 in Temple Owls last 6 games in December. Duke Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 bowl games and Duke Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Bowl games and Duke Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.