Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana amended contracts effective Jan. 1, 2017, mandating dentists to take action regarding the Medicare Part D enrollment requirement and complete training in order to participate in Delta's network.
The federal regulations require dentists to take action by either enrolling or opting out of the Medicare program in order for their patients to be eligible for their Part D drug coverage. However, according to Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, dentists who chose the opt-out option in these states will no longer be eligible to remain Delta network providers. Any dentist who opts out after June 20 will be impacted by this Delta policy.
Those who have opted out before will be allowed to stay in the network but are expected to terminate their opt-out status when the renewal opportunity arises, up to two years later. Note that these dentists cannot be paid for services rendered to Medicare Advantage patients.
Karen Burgess, executive director of the Michigan Dental Association, said the dental society has been receiving a deluge of calls from members since the letter was mailed looking for advice on what they should do.
"This is going to have to be something that each dentist decides for him or herself," Ms. Burgess said. "If you want to continue as a Delta provider, your choices have narrowed. That's a lot of patients and a lot of care that you're not going to be able to provide anymore if you opt out of Medicare."
Any dentist who opts out after June 20 will be impacted by this Delta policy. Those who have opted out will be allowed to stay in the network but are expected to terminate their opt-out status when the renewal opportunity arises, up to two years later. Delta Dental is the largest provider in Michigan.
"Delta Dental is very proud to administer a number of government-sponsored programs and currently serves more than 1 million children and adults whose plans are overseen in whole or in part by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These plans include the Healthy Kids Dental program in Michigan and Medicare Advantage. In the coming months, it is expected that enrollment in Medicare Advantage, as well as other government sponsored programs, will continue to grow. Dentists participating in Delta Dental's networks may have patients in their practices who will be transitioning to Medicare Advantage plans in the near future," according to a statement from Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. "As part of its administration of those government-sponsored programs, Delta Dental recently issued a routine amendment to its provider agreements in order to ensure ongoing compliance with applicable state and federal laws. These amendments will help to increase access to care for patients who participate in these programs and allow dentists to continue to treat those patients in their current practice who are transitioning to Medicare Advantage plans in the near future."
David Irwin, director of corporate communications for Delta Dental Plans Association, said this is not a national requirement for Delta network dentists. DDPA supports federal bill H.R. 4062, which calls for removing the mandate that Part D prescribing health care providers be enrolled in Medicare in order for their patients' prescriptions to continue to be covered by Medicare Part D plans.
Enrollment can be done either by using the 855i form (for those dentists billing for Medicare Services) or by using the 855o form (for those dentists ordering, referring or prescribing drugs). Opting out may be accomplished by submitting an affidavit to the local Medicare Contractors. Both enrolling using either form or opting out are valid options to allow patients to receive part D drug coverage. However if dentists opt out of Medicare, they cannot receive payment from Medicare Advantage plans (Part C Medicare) that typically cover services like cleanings and X rays.
The contract amendment mailed to all dentists by Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana has a number of other clauses unrelated to the federal regulations, prompting the ADA to encourage dentists to review their third-party payer contracts closely.
"As always it is important for every dentist who participates in a plan to be aware of what they are agreeing to", said Dr. Dave Preble, vice president of the ADA Practice Institute. "The Delta contract amendments apply to all of its network dentists and impose significant record keeping, audit and patient consent clauses."
The ADA has information on contractual clauses available at ADA.org and the Practice Institute also posted a webinar on contracting.


Law enforcement officials in Riverdale on Tuesday were investigating the reported kidnapping of a 57-year-old homemaker by a man who said he was an FBI agent.
Authorities said Loraine Anderson was abducted from her home Monday by a well-dressed man who brandished a handgun and told the woman and two family members that he was with the FBI.
Since the incident, which occurred Monday night, authorities said four separate ransom demands, each for $3 million, were telephoned to the woman`s home. The family lives in a modest one-story brick bungalow in a quiet residential neighborhood.
The bizarre case came to light Monday, when a family friend telephoned the house and heard the receiver fall to the floor, followed by muffled shouts for help.
The friend then called Riverdale police, asking officers to investigate. At the house, officers found Anderson`s son, Steven, and daughter, Brenda, both in their 20s, handcuffed with their hands behind their backs.
The man was let into the house, where he pulled a gun, handcuffed the family and demanded a large sum of money. The man searched the house. When he found no money, he took money from the women`s purses and the man`s wallet.
The kidnapper then took the handcuffed mother out of the house and disappeared.
Another son, Rodney, has a pending drug case in federal court, investigators said. Police are investigating if the drug case has any connection to Loraine Anderson`s abduction.
While police were still at the home Monday night, the first of four ransom calls was received. Other calls were received Tuesday morning and afternoon. Each time the caller warned that Anderson would be harmed unless a ransom was paid.
Anderson`s husband died earlier this summer. Investigators theorize the kidnapper may have assumed the woman received a large insurance settlement from her husband`s death.
The investigation was being led by Riverdale Police Chief Michael O`Connell.


text:
Americans to Get Relief From Surprise Medical Bills as Ban on Charges Takes Effect in 2022
By Zoe Strozewski On 9/30/21 at 5:51 PM EDT
U.S. Healthcare reform Health Insurance Department of Health and Human Services Hospitals
Americans are set to see some relief from "surprise" medical bills after a new ban from the Biden administration takes effect in 2022, the Associated Press reported. The new consumer protections will prevent patients from getting hit with huge bills from an out-of-network provider after suffering a medical crisis that forced them to go to the nearest emergency room.
"We're hoping to give folks a sigh of relief, who have been blindsided by billing," said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Once the ban goes into effect on January 1, patients will also be barred from seeing hefty charges if an out-of-network doctor or surgeon aids in a procedure while being treated at a hospital inside their network, according to the AP.
Meanwhile, the new system will have hospitals, doctors and insurers engage in a 30-day negotiation process to solve disagreements on payments and fees, while an independent arbitrator will step in to help if they can't reach an agreement.
The ban on "surprise" medical bills many patients face will go into effect on January 1, 2022. Above, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra testifies at a hearing on September 30, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Shawn Thew/Pool via AP
There's also a new way for uninsured people and certain patients who pay their own way to get an estimate of charges following an emergency procedure.
Surprise medical bills have been a common problem for people with health insurance, all the more irritating because most patients might have thought they were protected. Charges running from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars came from doctors and hospitals outside the network of patients' health insurance plans. It's estimated that about 1 in 5 emergency visits and 1 in 6 inpatient admissions triggered a surprise bill.
Although many states already have curbs on surprise billing, federal action was needed to protect patients covered by large employer plans, which are regulated at the national level. A 2020 law signed by then-President Donald Trump laid out a bipartisan strategy for resolving the issue, and the Biden administration filled in critical details.
The idea was to take patients and their families out of the financial equation by limiting what they can be billed for out-of-network services to a fee that's based on in-network charges. That amount gets counted toward their in-network annual deductible.
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Tennessee Police Officer Saves Unconscious Driver From Burning Car
The new protections are aimed at:
— Protecting patients from surprise bills arising from emergency medical care. Protections apply if the patient is seen at an out-of-network facility, or if they are treated by an out-of-network clinician at an in-network hospital. In either case, the patient can only be billed based on their plan's in-network rate.
— Protecting patients admitted to an in-network hospital for a planned procedure when an out-of-network clinician gets involved and submits a bill.
— Requiring out-of-network service providers to give patients 72-hour notice of their estimated charges. Patients would have to agree to receive out-of-network care for the hospital or doctor to then bill them.
Before the ban on surprise billing, patients usually had to take the initiative themselves to work out unexpected charges. In many cases, the hospital or doctor would go back and forth with the insurance company until they reached an agreement. But there was no guarantee that would happen, and patients were at risk of being placed into collection proceedings in situations they had no control over.
The new ban will prevent patients from getting hit with huge bills from an out-of-network provider after suffering a medical crisis that forced them to go to the nearest ER. The above photo shows the emergency entrance of the Bellville Medical Center, in Bellville, Texas, on September 1, 2021. Francois Picard/AFP via Getty Images

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Report: Browns placing TE David Njoku on COVID list
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku will be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Njoku, 25, has played in all 12 games (nine starts) and has 27 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns.
His vaccination status and availability for Sunday's AFC North clash between the host Browns (6-6) and Baltimore Ravens (8-4) are unclear.
A first-round pick by Cleveland in 2017, Njoku has 139 receptions for 1,686 yards and 14 touchdowns in 61 career games (34 starts).


text:
Elegran
333 W 14TH ST, NEW YORK, NY, 10014
Meridian Design Associates
SAXA Inc
Building Description
At the confluence of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District stands The Prime, a slender limestone-and-glass condominium at 333 West 14th Street. With nine residences, The Prime, whose name is derived from the top cut of beef, an homage to the building's Meatpacking District location, is a small and inviting place to live in two of Manhattan's most vibrant and ever-changing neighborhoods. Chelsea's signature attraction, The High Line, is only two blocks away, as is a myriad of boutiques, restaurants, and designer stores, all right near the recently redeveloped Hudson River Waterfront, with its piers that are now parks and one of New York City's longest bike paths. Six subway lines are within two blocks of The Prime, making it accessible from all parts of New York City. Each condo for sale at The Prime fills an entire floor with an open floor plan and contemporary design. Floor-to-ceiling windows draw in large amounts of natural light and provide breathtaking views from 333 West 14th Street of the area's historic warehouses, the Hudson River, and ultra-modern buildings nearby, and the fact that every Prime residence has a balcony only improves on those views. Top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances blend effortlessly with warm wood grains and sleek, white cabinetry to create exciting kitchens, while luxurious bathrooms are lined with marble and finished with custom Boffi components. The Prime's "prime" features don't end with decor; its amenities are just as sumptuous. Full-time doorman service and a private fitness center are available, and each resident has access to a personalized concierge. From The Prime's roof terrace, residents can see not only Manhattan's Midtown and Downtown skylines, but also the Hudson and East Rivers and the surrounding area. An impeccable location, customized neo-modern design, and a full suite of amenities; what more could any resident ask for that The Prime doesn't have?
Nearby Transportation
8th Ave & 14th St (1 min walk)
Subway data provided by NYC Open Data.
Stretching from 14th Street to 34th Street west of Sixth Avenue, Chelsea is the epicenter of the Manhattan arts scene, home to over 200 galleries. The Chelsea Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places, where early 19th century residential and industrial architecture...
Explore Chelsea
© 2010-2021 Elegran Real Estate
5 Bryant Park, New York, NY 10018 • (212) 729-5712
This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. © 2021 REBNY Listing Service, Inc. All rights reserved. RLS IDX Data display by Elegran LLC. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non- commercial use and that it may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Elegran LLC may or may not be the exclusive listing agent of the properties being displayed on Elegran.com. All data displayed on Elegran.com is presented for informational purposes only and should be independently confirmed by all customers. All Information is compiled from both public and private sources including, but not limited to the RLS, MLS and ACRIS; each of which is assumed to be reliable. All information displayed is subject to errors and omissions regarding apartment specifications and final sale prices, and further, any unit listed may have had its listing withdrawn without notice subsequent to such information being compiled. No representation is made as to the accuracy of any description (ie: listing, close sale data, and/or building description) of any building or individual unit. All measurements and square footage are approximate and all information herein should be confirmed by customer and/or their attorney. Elegran LLC, its members, affiliates, and contributors adhere to New Your City, New York State, and United States Fair Housing Laws.
Studio 1 Bedroom 2 Bedrooms 3 Bedrooms 4 Bedrooms Select Bathroom 1 Bathroom 2 Bathrooms 3 Bathrooms 4 Bathrooms
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text:
Our latest read on AICD members' views on the state of the economy shows that directors have grown more pessimistic about the outlook, with almost half of all respondents reporting that the current health of the Australian economy is either weak or very weak, and more than half of respondents making the same judgment when considering the next 12 months. Directors are particularly concerned by the level of global economic policy uncertainty but are also worried by the slow pace of Australian productivity growth.
Mark Thirlwell MAICD
Chief Economist, Australian Institute of Company Directors
The Director Sentiment Index (DSI) for H2:2019 reports the views of 1,489 AICD members who were polled between 12 September and 26 September 2019. To provide some context for the results, as the survey commenced, monetary policy was in temporary pause mode after the RBA had delivered two consecutive 25bp rate cuts in June and July, with the central bank opting to leave rates unchanged at its 3 September meeting. Markets, however, were confidently predicting a third rate cut before year-end (duly delivered at the October meeting).
The Q2 national accounts data had depicted Australia's annual pace of economic growth slowing to just 1.4 per cent, its weakest result since the September quarter of 2009. And overseas, the United States and China had each imposed additional tariffs on the other's exports before restarting trade negotiations, while in the UK Boris Johnson had just become the first British Prime Minister to lose his first parliamentary vote in more than a century as the House of Commons voted to head off a no-deal Brexit.
Directors get economic jitters
Against that backdrop, our latest read on AICD members' views on the economy shows that directors are increasingly concerned by both the domestic and international economic outlook. The overall DSI has moved further into negative sentiment territory, falling from minus 16.9 in the first half of the year to minus 21.2 in the second, which is the weakest reading since the second half of 2016. And respondents' views on the expected rate of inflation, the level of the RBA's cash rate, the pace of wage growth and the unemployment rate are all more pessimistic than was the case in the first half of the year.
All of which suggests that directors aren't yet ready to buy into the RBA's recent call that the economy has passed a 'gentle turning point' and should strengthen from here, but rather see a risk of further deterioration ahead.
Directors view the main economic challenge facing Australian business as the high level of global economic uncertainty, with the share of respondents nominating this factor up sharply to 37 per cent in the H2 DSI from 27 per cent in H1. Other critical economic challenges facing Australian businesses identified by directors include low productivity growth (23 per cent), China's outlook (21 per cent), climate change (21 per cent) and the drag from excessive regulation or 'red tape' (20 per cent).
Top 3 fixes
The top three measures directors think could help lift Australia's national productivity performance are a reduced focus on short-termism (chosen by 39 per cent of respondents), more infrastructure spending (33 per cent) and a greater focus on fostering innovation (30 per cent).
In terms of government policy, survey respondents nominate the energy policy - climate change nexus as their key priorities for the federal government in both the short term and the long term, closely followed by infrastructure. Indeed, despite the increase in public investment in recent years, more than 70 per cent of respondents judge that the current level of infrastructure spending is still too low, with 42 per cent saying it is a little low and 32 per cent judging it is far too low. The top three priorities for infrastructure investment identified by directors are water supply (nominated by 53 per cent of respondents and up markedly from 40 per cent in the first half of 2019), renewable energy sources and regional infrastructure.
Taxes seen as too high
According to the DSI, directors retain their interest in further tax reform. Although the government's three-stage tax reform package was approved by Federal Parliament back in July, 71 per cent of respondents still think that the current level of personal taxation is too high (with 46 per cent judging it to be somewhat high and 25 per cent opting for far too high). In addition, 54 per cent of respondents reckon that corporate tax levels are too high (44 percent saying somewhat high and 10 per cent saying far too high). When asked about the relative priorities for reform, directors' top three choices are personal income tax (56 per cent), state-based taxes such as payroll tax (50 per cent) and company tax (46 per cent).
With the Treasurer announcing on 19 September that the federal budget had effectively returned to balance in 2018-19 for the first time since 2007-08 (technically, the underlying cash balance was just in deficit, but only to the tune of $690 million, which is equivalent to zero per cent of GDP), the federal budget and government debt are now ranked relatively low in terms of directors' priorities. That suggests that additional fiscal support for the economy – in the form of increased infrastructure investment and lower personal tax rates – could potentially offer an attractive policy package that could both support growth and improve productivity performance.
New investment allowance
This latest DSI also provides some support for the proposal for a new investment allowance to stimulate private business investment. Some 29 per cent of respondents said that providing investment incentives would encourage their business to increase investment levels over the coming year, about the same share as those who thought increased public infrastructure investment would encourage private capital expenditure and slightly ahead of the share of respondents nominating lower company tax rates (25 per cent). That said, more important factors identified by respondents were the overall economic outlook, the level of economic policy certainty, and an enhanced focus on long-term returns.
Finally, directors' continue to be dismayed by the quality of the public policy debate here in Australia, with 45 per cent assessing it as poor and 33 per cent as very poor.
Director Sentiment Index


New York City Wall st at 0 Gravity is an original drawing realized by Grover Mouton in 1980. It's a pencil and pastel artwork representing an urban perspective on a squared paper. Very good conditions.
Grover Mouton studied drawing while in Rome at the American Academy, having been awarded the Rome Prize (1972-3). He has served as Tulane University's Adjunct Associate Professor of Architecture for 25 years and is the founder and director of the Tulane Regional Urban Design Center (TRUDC), housed within the School of Architecture. Architect and artist, he utilizes hand drawings to illustrate urban design proposals. Mouton's drawings were initially created as part of the design process in a series of projects throughout China and the United States. Acting as a catalyst to explore design concepts, Mouton's works on paper demonstrate a humanized scale in understanding larger urban design and architectural concepts. His work explores urban density, walkability and scale in the built environment while expressing a real sense of place.


Be Recognized for Excellence by being submitted for, or nominating others for over 35 national awards like Soldier of the Year, Unit of the Year.
Applying for Scholarship Foundation awards – 65% of applicants receive funding!
Have your voice heard before senior leadership & government through AAAA's membership in The Military Coalition (TMC) which has over 4.5M members the AAAA sponsored Army Aviation Caucus of 44 Congressmen Supporting your brother and sister Soldiers and their Families through AAAA activities.


Kootenay Lake and especially the Crawford Bay alluvial fan (Birds of Crawford Bay Wetlands) is a valuable link in a chain of wetlands extending from the Arctic Ocean to California including the globally recognized Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area which is second only to the coast as a flyway route for numbers of migrating waterfowl. It provides migratory and permanent habitat for at least 92 bird species, including many ducks and geese, Sora, Bittern and Warbling Vireo and increasing numbers of Trumpeter Swans, blue or red-listed species such as the Great blue Heron, Western Screech Owl, Bald Eagle and more. The increasingly rare stands of Black Cottonwoods (Populus balsamifera ssp. Trichocarpa) serve as viable habitat for breeding Western Screech Owls (Megascops kennicottii),which have been sighted in the area of concern (Breeding Bird atlas). There are acres of skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) throughout these riparian zones which support waking black and grizzly bears in the early spring for forage. It is also breeding grounds for the Western Toad, Western Painted Turtle and White Sturgeon.


The pair say that the key to success is looking after each other than in every way possible: 'My trick is to make Katari laugh. Being funny is my way of beingness romantic.' says Karam.'We have not spent any long span apart in over 50 years. We go everywhere together – up until a few years ago we went to India all time period with the clan and for all family weddings we variety sure we get to stay together,' he said. Their union has lasted nearly fin years hourlong than that of the current Guinness World Record holders and the couple are in the process of getting confirmation from the company that they aim be named as the new record holders.'Relationships are about understanding one additional and listening to concerns and problems, so my advice to men and women is to rivet to their partners, show interest in what they are saying and help them swamped any worries or problems they are going through,' he said.
My wife has been under a great deal of stress at the office. We often talk about the need for some adult time and away from it all. This ago spring a SMS and then phone call by her missy changed it all.
Normally I didn't pain much with make-up but I had made an effort today. Nothing drastic, just a subtle lightness of the eye and some lip-gloss. My caliginous hair framed my small facing and for a moment I worried that it made me spirit too childish, but I quickly scrap that idea.


text:
Q: unpacking serial data "01 04 04 3f 9f 97 00 a9 8e" I got lt-1400(water level transmitter), output(RS485), I send this(b'\x01\x04\x00\x02\x00\x02\xd0\x0b\x00\x00\x00') to USB to TTL max485 and I resiveing tis kind of data (b'\x01\x04\x04\x3f\x9f\xae\x80\xba\x7e').how can I translate it.
receiving and sending data I am using python script||||||||
`
import serial
import time          # import the module
while True:
    ComPort = serial.Serial('COM11') # open COM3
    ComPort.baudrate = 9600 # set Baud rate to 9600
    ComPort.bytesize = 8    # Number of data bits = 8
    ComPort.parity   = 'N'  # No parity
    ComPort.stopbits = 1    # Number of Stop bits = 1
    data = bytearray(b'\x01\x04\x00\x02\x00\x02\xd0\x0b\x00\x00\x00')
    No = ComPort.write(data)
    print (ComPort.isOpen())
    #print(data)                      # print the data
    dataIn = ComPort.read(8)        # Wait and read data
    print(dataIn)
    ComPort.close()                          # print the received data
    #time.sleep(2)
ComPort.close()         # Close the Com port `

||||||||||||||||||||||
translating data python script|||||||
`
import struct
data = bytearray(b'\x01\x04\x04\x3f\x9f\xae\x80\xba\x7e')
number = struct.unpack('hhl', data)
number=str(number)
print(number)
#print(num2)
`

however, I have everything still I don't get the necessary data please help me If you can I would be happy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
/* -*- Mode: C++; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*- */
/* ***** BEGIN LICENSE BLOCK *****
 * Version: MPL 1.1/GPL 2.0/LGPL 2.1
 *
 * The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version
 * 1.1 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
 * the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
 * http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/
 *
 * Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License
 * for the specific language governing rights and limitations under the
 * License.
 *
 * The Original Code is mozilla.org code.
 *
 * The Initial Developer of the Original Code is
 * Netscape Communications Corporation.
 * Portions created by the Initial Developer are Copyright (C) 1998
 * the Initial Developer. All Rights Reserved.
 *
 * Contributor(s):
 *
 * Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of
 * either the GNU General Public License Version 2 or later (the "GPL"), or
 * the GNU Lesser General Public License Version 2.1 or later (the "LGPL"),
 * in which case the provisions of the GPL or the LGPL are applicable instead
 * of those above. If you wish to allow use of your version of this file only
 * under the terms of either the GPL or the LGPL, and not to allow others to
 * use your version of this file under the terms of the MPL, indicate your
 * decision by deleting the provisions above and replace them with the notice
 * and other provisions required by the GPL or the LGPL. If you do not delete
 * the provisions above, a recipient may use your version of this file under
 * the terms of any one of the MPL, the GPL or the LGPL.
 *
 * ***** END LICENSE BLOCK ***** */

#include "xp.h"
#include <windowsx.h>

#include "windowsxx.h"

#include "resource.h"
#include "logger.h"

static void onApply(HWND hWnd)
{
  Logger * logger = (Logger *)GetWindowLong(hWnd, DWL_USER);
  if(!logger)
    return;

  logger->bSPALID = (BST_CHECKED == IsDlgButtonChecked(hWnd, IDC_CHECK_SPALID));
  logger->bSaveSettings = TRUE;
}

static void onNotify(HWND hWnd, int idCtrl, LPNMHDR lpNMHdr)
{
  switch(lpNMHdr->code)
  {
    case PSN_RESET:
      break;
    case PSN_APPLY:
      onApply(hWnd);
      break;
  }
}

static BOOL onInitDialog(HWND hWnd, HWND hWndFocus, LPARAM lParam)
{
  Logger * logger = NULL;

  if(lParam)
  {
    logger = (Logger *)(((PROPSHEETPAGE *)lParam)->lParam);
    SetWindowLong(hWnd, DWL_USER, (long)logger);
  }

  if(logger)
  {
    CheckDlgButton(hWnd, IDC_CHECK_SPALID, logger->bSPALID ? BST_CHECKED : BST_UNCHECKED);
  }

  return TRUE;
}

BOOL CALLBACK AdvancedPageProc(HWND hWnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
  switch(msg)
  {
    case WM_INITDIALOG:
      return (BOOL)HANDLE_WM_INITDIALOG(hWnd, wParam, lParam, onInitDialog);
    case WM_NOTIFY:
      HANDLE_WM_NOTIFY(hWnd, wParam, lParam, onNotify);
      break;

    default:
      return FALSE;
  }
  return TRUE;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
These Classic SAABs Are Five Of The Coolest Classic Cars For Sale Today
Author: George East
© Liberium Photography
If you wait until next week, you'll discover that back in August this year, I fell madly in love with the classic 1992 SAAB 900 Turbo above. The car, in my mind at least, I christened Ulrika and we had a very nice day out on the B-roads of Britain's Peak District.
I'll keep things brief, because everything about the seemingly strange world in which the SAAB People at the firm's base in Trollhättan operated will be covered in next week's first of two long reads.
But I will say this: whilst it's easy to sometimes laugh at SAAB for its 'Born From Jets' marketing slogan, the fact that SAAB's supposed "quirks" or "weird way of doing things" actually made sense once you found out why they mounted the 900s engine transversely, or shoved 250bhp through the front wheels of the 9-5 HOT models.
All classic SAAB cars were ergonomically designed to keep things as simple as possible for the driver under the philosophy of "SAAB: Born From Jets"
© COLOR CULTURE
There is also the matter of the electric window rockers and ignition switch placed on down by the ignition tunnel on SAABs from the 900 to the first-gen 9-5 and 9-3. It is not, contrary to popular belief, just a case of SAAB doing SAAB things or being quirky for quirky's sake. p>
Whilst the Dyler team and I put the finishing touches to the classic 900 Turbo feature - which, by the way, also features some stunning imagery by Liberium Photography - we've combined This Week In Cars with what we hope is a clear explanation of why we love SAABs, and why we feel they should still be very much a part of the automotive world, classic or otherwise.
Thank you for bearing with us, and if you have owned or still own a SAAB, then we'd love to hear about your experience of having one. To drop us a message, get in touch with us on Facebook, Instagram, or send me an email directly by clicking here.
We hope you enjoyed the read, and we'll also send you our weekly newsletter on Sunday as usual!
1967 SAAB 96 Monte Carlo 850
The SAAB 96 was an evolution of the massively aerodynamic SAAB 92, which boasted an insanely low drag coefficient that would still impress today
© Imparts Cars & Spares
Now just over 60 years old, the SAAB 96 is one of the OG classic SAAB models well and truly on the map of car enthusiasts who like things to be well… a bit different. The 96 was an evolution of the SAAB 92 , the first car made by the aircraft manufacturer-turned-car maker. The 92 was a masterpiece in aerodynamics. The little car with its transverse mounted, oil thirsty, two-stroke engine was stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, and it boasted an impressive drag coefficient of 0.30. That's impressive for today's terms, but when it came out in 1949, those were unbelievably advanced numbers from the SAAB People in Trollhättan. By the time the 92 had morphed into the 96 by 1960, it had become a fine rally car, and the Monte Carlo 850 was made to celebrate Erik Carlsson's Rally Monte Carlo victories in 1962 and 1963. The 850cc two-stroke motor underwent a power boost from 39bhp to 57bhp, but remember this was dropped into a car that weighed just 873kg. To show off its rallying credentials and separate it from more pedestrian 96s, SAAB also gave the Monte Carlo special 'Monte Carlo' badging, sports seats in the front, a wood-trimmed steering wheel and dual chrome strips on the side.
EUR 44,500
LINK TO CAR AND DEALER:
Imparts Cars & Spares
1971 SAAB Sonett V4 III
Lightweight, pretty, and powered by an unusual V4 motor, the SAAB Sonett III was one of Trollhättan's biggest success stories in the United States
When it comes to saving the best until last, that's exactly what SAAB did with the final edition of its Sonett coupé - the pretty little Sonett III. The SAAB Sonett had been around since the mid-1950s, but it's the third-generation car which came out in 1970 is the one most sought after by Swedish classic car enthusiasts. Trollhättan brought in Sergio Coggiola to design its Sonett and bring some Italian flair to its trademark logical Swedish cool. The Sonett's fibreglass shell was placed over the chassis from the already much-loved SAAB 95 and 96 and weighed just 880kg. SAAB moved away from the oil-loving, two-stroke motor fitted to the Sonett III predecessor - the Sonett II - and bolted in a lightweight, fuel-sipping V4 motor lifted from a Ford Taunus. The result was a cooler running engine, capable of propelling SAAB's kink-tailed coupé to a top speed of 105mph. Most importantly though, the Sonett III did not need oil added to its fuel mix. Quirky engine and pop-up headlights aside, the best thing about the Sonett is the name. Sonett isn't a misspelling of "sonnet", it comes from the Swedish for "så nätt" which means "so neat" or "so pretty". SAAB anglicised the name, because the Sonett III was aimed at the US market, and lap it up US buyers did! Out of the 8,531 Sonetts IIIs made, 90% of them were exported stateside
1987 SAAB 900 Supercharged Pro Street
This classic SAAB 900 has been fitted with a 5.0L supercharged V8, which alters its personality from low-key sports coupé to muscle car-slaying Swedish sports car
© Streetside Classics Charlotte
Classic SAAB 900 enthusiasts look away now, because this one is bound to split opinion. Throughout its 67-year history, SAAB was noted for giving the automotive world plenty of 'firsts' - arguably, the most famous of all, is the addition of a turbocharger to regular cars. Yet despite bringing the turbo to the masses, Trollhättan never went down the route of supercharging. Clearly then, the owner of this 1987 900 Classic felt like rejecting tradition and added a supercharger to the small block, 5.0L Ford V8 they shoehorned under the bonnet of what many consider to be the best car in SAAB's history. Alongside the big American motor, this car has undergone a series of further modifications inside and out; there's the lairy two-tone paint job, and the interior is a lurid mix of purple and yellow racing seats. Further modifications include toggle switches, a roll bar, and a dash-mounted shift light. This may not be one for the purists, but it's certainly unique.
Streetside Classics Charlotte
1992 SAAB 900 Turbo
Described as being "built to a target and not down to a cost", the classic SAAB 900 is considered by classic SAAB enthusiasts to be the company's finest build in its 68-year history
© Witmer & Odijk
Ah, the SAAB 900. A car loved by everyone for its timeless styling, and the fact that it remains the purest example of Trollhättan building the best possible car it could. According to motoring journalist and SAAB historian, Lance Cole, the pre-GM 900 was SAAB "creating the best car they could [it was]; built to a target and not down to a cost." When it launched in 1979, the 900 boasted a low drag coefficient of 0.36 for the hatch, and 0.37 for the coupe. When the car received a facelift in 1987, its new sweepback front and smooth, curved, integrated bumper mouldings reduced the Cd figure down to 0.35. The classic SAAB 900 Turbo like you see here is rapidly being snapped up by car enthusiasts globally, and prices are rising. If you can get your hands on one, then expect a car that boasts a unique, thoughtful character, and a driving experience like nothing else thanks to its transverse-mounted engine which came in full-pressure turbo or half-pressure turbo guise. In the late 1980s, Autosport magazine described the SAAB 900 as "just about the best motor car being made anywhere [in the world]. In the world of modern classic cars, the classic SAAB 900 is unrivalled in terms of quality and personality.
Witmer & Odijk
2001 SAAB 9-5
SAAB's era of GM ownership is the most contentious in the company's history, but it's widely accepted that the 9-5 was one of the period's highlights thanks to SAAB's clear influence over its development and its range of rapid turbocharged engines
© Het Klassiekerhuis
When General Motors took over SAAB in 1989, the cars that followed are amongst the most divisive in the brand's history. SAABists will argue that GM strangled the Swedish car company to death by cost cutting and in the process, removing the quirky personality that had won it so many fans across the world during years prior. Meanwhile, GM apologists will contend that Trollhättan was inflexible in its working methods and engage fully with its US-based owners. However, what both sides mostly agree on, is that the 9-5 was the best car to come from the GM/SAAB venture. Despite being based on the chassis that underpinned the unremarkable Opel/Vauxhall Vectra, the 9-5 was "definitely 80% SAAB, and 20% GM". In short, SAAB did what SAAB does best by creating a rival to the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class in a way that really wasn't like either of the more staid, mainstream German cars. Whilst the last-gen 9-5 is considered the 'best' of the bunch, it doesn't necessarily feel like a proper SAAB should. In today's market, the first facelifted cars from 2001 - 2005 are considered the pick of the crop for enthusiasts. Turbocharged manual HOT models are currently the most sought after thanks to their straight-four motor which sends the best part of 250bhp through the front wheels.
Het Klassiekerhuis
These cars were also listed in this week's edition of the Dyler newsletter, which you can register for by clicking this link. We'd love to hear from you, so please tell us via email, Facebook, or Instagram what cars you'd like to see us feature in next week's edition of This Week in Cars
Find your dream car among our Car Categories!
Saab Sonett
SAAB 900 Classic
This Week in Cars: Five Classic Cars From Sweden Including the SAAB 900 Turbo and a Bertone-Designed Volvo
Sixten Sason – The First Saab Designer, Turned a Drop into a Car
These Seven Reasons Are Why The Classic SAAB 900 Should Be All The Classic Car You Ever Want or Need
Saab 900 – A Different Type of an Exotic Car
Classic and Modern Cars for Sale
Ferrari 575M Maranello, 2004, Petrol, 25,800 km, 379 kw (515 hp), Semi-automatic
2004 Ferrari 575M Maranello
Mercedes-Benz G 300 Steyr/Puch GDN 6, 1982, Diesel, 70,570 km, 65 kw (88 hp), Manual
1982 Mercedes-Benz G 300 Steyr/Puch GDN 6
Fiat 124 Spider Sport, 1971, 69,216 km, 57 kw (78 hp), Manual
1971 Fiat 124 Spider Sport
Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, 2021, Petrol, 5,705 km, Semi-automatic
2021 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera


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Register as election worker
What do you actually do on Sundays? Do you sleep in, have a good breakfast and then, depending on the weather, go out into the countryside or stay at home? At least on election Sundays you can also do something completely different. You can actively participate in the elections as an election worker and thus make an important contribution to our democracy!
Competent Department
Statistisches Landesamt Bremen - Wahlhelfer
On election day, poll workers are employed as members of the election committees or as assistants in conducting the election either in the polling station or in the counting of the absentee ballot. Their tasks include, for example:
Checking the eligibility to vote on the basis of the electoral roll
Issuing the ballot papers
Release of the ballot box for the insertion of the ballot paper
Assistance with the determination of the election result
Election assistants must exercise their office impartially (e.g. they are not allowed to wear any sign indicating their own political conviction) and are obliged to secrecy about the matters which have become known to them during their official activity.
For the exercise of this honorary office an expense allowance is paid. This amounts to 60-70€ for the federal election, depending on the position in the election committee.
And what is with Corona?
The health of the election worker:inside and voter:inside has naturally highest priority.
During the election there is a hygiene concept for the polling stations as well as for the central counting of the postal votes. Among other things, this provides for the already known measures such as distance, mask obligation and regular hand disinfection, but also a one-way rule in the polling station, spit shields and disposable pens should minimize the risk of infection. In addition, care was taken to select polling stations that are large enough to ensure the necessary distance.
Election workers must themselves be eligible to vote in the election in question. For the Bundestag election, this means that you have reached the age of 18, are a German citizen and have been resident in Germany for at least three months.
To become active as an election worker, you do not need any previous experience. Depending on the position within the election committee, training is offered to prepare the election workers for their work.
The activity as an election worker is voluntary and obligatory. It may be rejected only for important reasons.
What is recognized as an important reason, decides in principle the election authority. The existence of an important reason must be proven.
Note: On the basis of a law or collective agreement, there may be a right to time off work or special leave for an activity as an election worker.


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Manchester United given Willian encouragement by Chelsea boss Antonio Conte
Man Utd have been heavily linked with a move for Chelsea winger Willian and Antonio Conte has been irked by a question about his role.
Willian may have to get used to life on the bench at Chelsea amid speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United, according to boss Antonio Conte.
The 29-year-old has made just 31 starts for the champions since Conte took charge at Stamford Bridge and has found regular opportunities hard to come by.
Willian has repeatedly been linked with a move to United and still enjoys a close relationship with former manager Jose Mourinho.
The pair shared a warm embrace ahead of United's clash with Chelsea earlier this month and, tellingly, the Brazilian was one of the few positives from Mourinho's wretched final months in charge at SW6.
When asked why Willian was not starting more games, a startled Conte pointed to the fact that all of his forwards have been in an out of the team at some point this season.
"Why are you asking me about Willian and not [Eden] Hazard at the start of the season, or Pedro the same?" he queried at his pre-match press conference.
Manchester United news and transfer rumours LIVE Ashley Young latest and Watford reaction
"They have the same situation and every game I must make a decision. I repeat a player must be happy to stay at Chelsea, to play for Chelsea, to play for our fans.
"They must be happy if they start the game or start on the bench and then come on, but I think I have clever players to understand and accept this situation.
"I repeat Hazard at the start of the season he accept this situation to stay on the bench before finding the right form, the same with Pedro, the same with Willian.
Manchester United give Nemanja Matic injury update
"When you are in a great team you have to accept this, at the same time you must be happy to stay in a great team."
In terms of other outgoings at Stamford Bridge, David Luiz, who has also been linked with a reunion with Mourinho at Old Trafford, is on Real Madrid's January transfer radar, according to the Daily Telegraph.


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Butterfly Artwork Athena Camps Girl Powered Athena Text Horizontal Center Athena Text Horizontal Right Athena Lockup Horizontal Right Athena Lockup Vertical Center Athena Lockup Vertical Center Athena Lockup Vertical Right
Mini Camps: K-2
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Middle School Camps: 5-8
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"I loved the end of camp affirmations they gave each girl. More companies and camps could benefit from this human interaction with others!"
Parent of a Junior Camper
Jennifer Parent of a Junior Camper
"The two camps my daughter attended this summer were amazing for her confidence and self-esteem. This was the only camp that she had no hesitation walking through the door. A few times she asked if she could stay longer to play with her new friends! Teaching kindness to young girls is so important and your amazing coaches helped foster such a safe and welcoming environment. We are so thankful we found this camp and can't wait for next summer."
Parent of a Mini Camper
Kelly Parent of a Mini Camper
Everything is intentional at Athena Camps. Organizers of the summer day camps, held at Loyola School through August, designed the program to build confidence in young girls, ages 5-11, through sports, art and affirming group discussions. The camps' activities fulfill three purposes – let the girls be themselves, connect with each other and learn from strong female role models, according to Aby Ryan, Athena Camps CEO and founder. "When I started Athena Camps, I wanted to address character building and all the issues girls face growing up – cliques, bullying, losing their voice," Ryan said. "I wanted the girls to feel special and unique and also connected to each other, and give them a place where they just feel free to express who they are." Celebrating girl power The one-week sessions focus on two sports and art projects centered on an overarching theme, such as "Dream Big," "Inner Beauty" or "Celebrating Friendship." Campers, separated by age, rotate through three stations throughout the day, one for each sport and the final for arts and crafts. Sports activities are noncompetitive, instead focusing on technical training and games. The arts and crafts, from dream catchers to friendship bracelets, underscore the weekly theme. Coaches and directors facilitate discussions aimed at empowering the girls. "We have girl-power games and inspirational discussions, and try to let them just get their bodies moving," Ryan said. "We're intentional about all the lessons." The setting of Athena Camps is perhaps as important as the activities. The camps, set up on the grass and blacktop and in a classroom at Loyola, are quiet, the quarters close so that the girls "feed off each other's positive energy" and feel safe without the pressure of observation, Ryan said. The arts and crafts are held in a room covered with the girls' drawings – a relaxation corner on the edge of the room boasts beanbags and girl-centered books that offer a respite from collage making and painting. A team of coaches and a director oversee every activity. Ryan said she hires young women in college, usually student athletes, an attempt to tap into their "energy." "These coaches are all college girls, with some experience of being on a team and new life experiences," she said. "They can relate to the girls while also teaching them by just being themselves." A model for growth The coaches, setting and activities have created a formula for Athena Camps, which is now held at three locations in the Bay Area. Since its inception in 2011, the program has grown from serving 300 girls to more than 500 in locations in Willow Glen, San Jose and now Los Altos. While Ryan was surprised by the growth, she said she still has big goals. "I'd like to replicate the experience in more places in the Bay Area, but keep the magic and the quality of the camp," she said. So far, feedback from both parents and girls has been positive. Girls at a recent camp said their experiences were "awesome." Three stepped forward to show their "affirmation" bracelets – jewelry that Ryan and her team award to a group of girls each day for standout behavior. Each bracelet has a message – "Dream Big," "Never Give Up," "Dare to Dream." Ryan said the giving of the bracelets – the recognition that they had done something positive – is by far the girls' favorite part of the day. By the end of each week, every girl will receive a bracelet. It's a gift Ryan gives away, but she said she gets another in return. "It's a gift to feel I'm a channel to give away all the gifts I was given," she said. "I can't believe I get to do this." To register and for more information, visit www.athenacamps.com. Link to Los Altos Town Crier article http://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/schools/45103-j46643
Los Altos Town Crier News
Chris & Lexi spent two weeks at Athena Camps in Willow Glen this summer. It was such an amazingly powerful experience that I had to share with other St. Mary's parents of girls. I got to watch the girls getting excited about sports and also to hear their positive stories and improvement in how they interacted with each other in conflict resolution. They brought home incredible crafts that were focused on building their self-esteem. The coaches are all college women who are into teaching and sports. They were some of the most high-caliber young women I've met. The first day of camp, I was a bit nervous as our girls have not been into doing sports. When I picked them up, I asked how it was. Chris said, "Mom, we didn't like it. We LOVED it!" That feeling stayed there the whole time and when I got to go to their special Friday closing event, I was crying along with many of the other moms. It was just so special.
Katie Parent
"Athena Camps is the best camp I have ever been to. I love it so much that I have come every year for 4 years. I recommend it to everyone."
Camper, 10
Jordan Camper, 10
"This camp was a great platform to discuss social media and peer pressure as she embarks on attending middle school this fall. Since the camp she has also shown an increased interest in doing exercises and feeling good about herself!"
Parent of a Middle School Camper
Melissa Parent of a Middle School Camper
"Thank you for offering such a wonderful environment for our girls! I'm proud of her participation there and I look forward to next time. You are inspiring!!!"
Holly Parent of a Mini Camper
"The idea is to empower the girls without running away from their femininity." This quote was taken from the article published in the July 26th San Jose Mercury News. You can view the entire article at the link below. http://www.mercurynews.com/sal-pizarro/ci_28535481/pizarro-girl-power-reigns-at-athena-camps
Sal Pizarro
Column Writer
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Athena Camps
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Făclia, cunoscut între 1990 și 2007 drept Adevărul de Cluj, este un ziar din Cluj-Napoca, România. Este succesorul revistei Partidului Comunist Român, Lupta Ardealului.

Note

Legături externe
 Site web oficial

Ziare locale din România
Presa din Cluj-Napoca

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Deck of cards, empty can of pop/beer, lots of beer and people. Best played with 4-6 players. What you do: Place the empty can in the middle of the table and spread the cards out on the table face down. The game begins with whoever wants to start and then goes to their left(clockwise). Red or Black, which is it? (determined before you flip over the card) If correct, give out # value to anyone you want, split it up if you want to. If your wrong, you must drink the # value. From 2 to 10 the drink value is the # on the card(ie. A 2 of clubs is two drinks, 10 of clubs is 10 drinks). We play with face cards(J,Q,K, & A) being 1, but you can make them what you want. During your turn, you must also place the card you turned over on the can with at least two corners of the card not touching any other card, the cards start to hang over the table from the cand and eventually make it look like a mushroom, finese is a key here, because a rough drop or a shaky hand can cause the cards to fall. When/if this happens the person who knocked it off must finish what ever is left in their beer, or, count up all the cards that fell off, and that total is what they have to drink, I have played this game 4 times and its fallen 3 times.


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Who Is the DJ at the 2021 Emmys? Reggie Watts Is TV Gold
Comedian, actor, and musician Reggie Watts is known for his ambitious projects, tenacity, and ability to keep audiences laughing.
After rising to fame in 2005, fusing comedy with beatboxing musical compositions while having his work featured on Vimeo and CollegeHumor, Reggie now has a full-time position making music and comedy on late-night television.
Who is the DJ of the 2021 Emmy Awards? Reggie Watts is the DJ for another well-known television show.
Although Reggie has been making music since the early 2000s, he rose to further prominence in 2012, starring opposite Scott Aukerman in the sketch show Comedy Bang! Bang! is based on a podcast of the same name. He's also collaborated with fellow famous comedians Sarah Silverman and Michael Cera to create a YouTube channel known as Jash.
In December 2014, it was announced that Reggie would serve as the bandleader and announcer for The Late Late Show with James Corden, although it was confirmed he would remain with Comedy Bang! Bang! through 2015. Since 2015, Reggie has been on the Late Late Show and has described his role as "… a mix of Paul Shaffer and Andy Richter" to Vulture.
Source: Terence Patrick / CBS
While it isn't public knowledge how one is selected to DJ the 73rd Emmy Awards, it's clear his chemistry with host Cedric the Entertainer has paid off by the delivery of his commercial break segues and explanation of the CDC guidelines for the evening. Reggie's trademark style in tandem with Cedric's quick wit has created a one-of-a-kind talent act.
See also Hayley Williams Responds to Josh Farro's Homophobic Post, and We're Applauding
If you're interested in seeing more of Reggie's comedy stylings, which are often completely improvised and filled with quirky transitions from subject to subject, then be sure to check out his 2016 comedy special on Netflix. The special is called Reggie Watts: Spatial and is available for streaming now. Reggie has also announced his intention to perform a solo comedy tour during the 2021 holiday season, so keep an eye out for tickets.
When Is 'Big Brother 23' Finale? Plus, Winner Prediction
What Did Conan O'Brien Do at the Emmy Awards? His Antics Created Chaos


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Disrupting the Dining Experience?
Scientists and entrepreneurs are racing to develop tech to trick and transfix our taste buds—and overcome what may be the unhackable sense.
By Sophie Haigney
May 22, 20197:30 AM
Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Getty Images Plus.
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You sit down at a table and put on a virtual reality headset. On the plate in front of you is a hydrocolloid called agar-agar—a low-calorie thickening agent made from seaweed—that has been 3D-printed in the shape of a sushi roll. And what you see, through the lens of the headset, is a sushi roll. You pick it up and aromatic diffusers activate, releasing the scent of ginger and wasabi and soy sauce. You put it in your mouth and, lo and behold: You taste sushi.
Or at least, that's the idea. This technology is just one set of a myriad of gizmos and gadgets that a company called Project Nourished has been developing to provide its customers with what it bills as "gastronomical virtual reality experiences."
Like other experiments in digitally or otherwise simulating or enhancing taste, Project Nourished's innovations are mainly based on some somewhat counterintuitive scientific principles that show that much of what we think we taste, we don't actually taste. Instead, our full experience of taste is deeply linked to our other senses: smell, vision, touch, and even hearing. Influence those other senses—with, say, familiar aromas, shapes and colors, textures, or a noise like a satisfying crunch—and you can trick how you perceive taste. "Think about birthday cake, and how we crave that experience," said Jinsoo An, the founder of Project Nourished. "It's an experience that's edible, with the cake and everything that goes into it, but there's also the singing, the candles, the decoration, all of which are layered on top this very rudimentary food. It's really also about the experience."
An is excited about the a whole range of possible outcomes from this kind of virtual reality and food. He said he imagines that the technology could help feed people more sustainably by allowing for substitution and simulation of one food for another—think, tasting a beef burger without eating one made from cows, or getting the satisfaction of a sublime seafood dish without contributing to overfishing—or similarly help with weight loss and control of overeating. Perhaps above all, he also hopes it will create the weird pleasure of a totally new way of dining.
Project Nourish's experiences aren't yet available for trial. An said that the company plans to open-source all the technology in the near future so that anyone can use its model to create their own dining experience. But when they do debut, they won't be alone.
Other forms of augmented reality and virtual reality tech has started to trickle into restaurants in the form of "experiences" that range from mostly gimmick to totally uncanny. For example, at a new Tokyo virtual reality restaurant, visitors are guided through a multicourse meal meant to illustrate chapters in "the journey of life"—complete with a live narrator, light show, soundtrack, gusts of wind, and, for one course, VR headsets that bring fashionably dressed farm animals to the table to dine alongside you. (A reporter that dined there described it "magical.") On the other end of the spectrum, last spring in London, restaurateur Jamie Atherton launched an augmented reality cocktail bar. It, less magically, requires imbibers to download an app that allows them to see works of art and other visuals associated with their drinks.
Yet at the heart of this next-generation array of attempts to disrupt the dining experience, there seems to be the same question that's fascinated scientists, cooks, and entrepreneurs over the ages: Can new technologies remake the human experience of taste? And in doing so, remake ourselves?
The fantasy of eating one thing and tasting another is by no means new. One could look to the Bible: In the Gospel of John, Jesus turns water to wine. The miracle reflects a human fascination with the transmutation of substances—how marvelous would it be to have one thing, and then turn it into another? Or what if you ate or drank nothing, but still experienced it as something?
This latter idea was picked up by Italian futurists F.T. Marinetti and Fillia in their 1930 Manifesto of Futurist Cooking. Among other absurd and unpopular suggestions like banning pasta—a meal they tied to sluggishness, pessimism, nostalgia, and lack of purpose—they advanced the idea that some food should only be experienced with the eyes and nose. As part of this, the pair proposed dining experiences that involved the rapid presentation of a series of dishes, some to be eaten and some to simply smell or appeal to the eye and imagination. They also proposed that traditional kitchen equipment, including knives and forks, be banished, and instead replaced by the equipment of modernity, like ozonizers, ultraviolet lamps, dialyzers, and chemical analyzers. By presenting the population with these imaginative food combinations, they wrote, they aimed to advance the "noble and universally expedient aim of changing radically the eating habits of our race, strengthening it, dynamizing it, and spiritualizing it" by ridding the population of the inefficient food of "quantity, banality, repetition, and expense." (You may not be surprised to learn that Marinetti was also developing his ties to Mussolini at the time.) Fortunately for all, traditional Italian food survived.
Miracles and proto-fascism aside, today's virtual reality experiments draw on some of the same basic desires that have animated human thought about transforming food. The goal—very broadly defined—is not turn water into wine; it's to trick our brains into thinking that agar-agar tastes like sushi.
There's reason to think we may be getting closer. Scientists at Cornell University published a study last July that supported hypotheses virtual reality can be used to enhance taste. In it, participants were given identical samples of blue cheese in the two virtual environments: one a barn full of cows, the other a botanical garden. Those who were in the barn setting rated the blue cheese as more pungent, likely due to the audiovisual cues spilling over into other senses, said Robin Dando, the food scientist at Cornell who spearheaded the study. Dando said he saw the study as a "proof of concept," confirming existing research with the aid of new technology.
Of course, it's still a far cry from water into wine. Or from the even more elusive taste, but without calories. "I don't think we can really talk about that yet," Dando said. "But I think that what we can probably start thinking about is using modulations of taste to cut down on salt and sugar and fat in foods."
The goal—very broadly defined—is not turn water into wine; it's to trick our brains into thinking that agar-agar tastes like sushi.
Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist at Oxford who heads its Crossmodal Research Laboratory, suggested that we might think of much of what's on the horizon for our taste buds as a pursuit of "digital seasoning." Beyond VR and AR, this might include the possibility of electrically stimulating our taste buds—a technique that's existed since the 1950s or 1960s that basically involves using a silver electrode at the tip of your tongue to send signals that stimulate the areas that receive salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami tastes. It only works in some people. And, thus far, it's been easier to produce salty and sour than it has been to produce sweet. But the technology has already been incorporated into commercial prototypes, like an electro-fork that will zap your tongue into thinking you're tasting salt.
But, Spence says, this method brings us back to the main issue with taste. "The problem arises that most of what we think we taste, we actually smell, so even the perfect electric taste wouldn't give [smell] to us," Spence said.
This brings us to the real biggest roadblock to remaking our tastes through technology: smell. Smell remains a kind of unhackable sense—strangely primitive, deeply complex, and hard to mimic even with our most cutting-edge tech.
The electrical current route, for one, hasn't been very promising. In a study published in 2016, researchers attempted to activate smell by applying electrical currents in the nose to activate subjects' olfactory receptor neurons. Of the 50 people that participated, not a single one perceived an odor. This likely has to do in part with how smells combine. "It's more of pointillist sense," Spence (who was not involved in this study) said. "A nice wine might trigger hundreds of sense receptors and we don't really know those receptors combine."
A more promising option may lie in aromatics—the approach Project Nourished is taking to the tricky business of smell. Rather than trying to fake it, the company is using chemically engineered scents diffused during the meal.
Still, there are hurdles. "What is most challenging is the latency that occurs when the scent is initially triggered," An said. "For example, when you bake a bread in an oven, when should it reach your olfactory receptors in your nose? In reality, a scent doesn't simply appear and disappear." It wafts, plumes, pools, eddies, pierces, pricks, tingles, scatters. In mixed reality, An said, the system needs to be able to activate and deactivate various scents. And that has some practical limitations. "It's not like color printing, where you've got the same three colors and they can make all the others," Spence said. You need every individual scent on its own. The diffusers also require refilling, which can make it expensive and impractical.
These limitations were part of what led to the downfall of DigiScents, a company that during the height of the dot-com bubble raised $20 million to create what one of the founders called "a printing press for scents"—a way to digitally transmit every existing smell. A lack of consumer interest, combined with the absurd cost of digitizing scents, led it to shutter in 2001, just two years after the prototype was launched.
Smell might prove once again to be a sticking point of sorts for these new technologies. Many, though, remain optimistic that it's possible to unlock the secrets of taste. Or, at least make eating more interesting.
Katsunori Okajima, a professor and researcher at Yokohama National University in Japan who focuses on virtual reality and sensory and brain sciences, said that tricking the brain is within the grasp of our scientific capabilities. He has developed and tested an augmented reality platform that performs simple visual tricks—adding cream to coffee visually, or making salmon look like tuna. The visuals were fairly successful at fooling people's brains, perhaps in part because of their simplicity. Salmon into tuna isn't water into wine. Okajima hopes to make a tablet version of his AR conjurings available for commercial use later this year.
"It's like an illusion," Okajima said. "Illusion is not mystery, but a science."
Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Food Virtual Reality


Alex de Minaur has capped another career-defining day, with the young Australian winning through to the final of the Next Gen ATP Tour Finals.
The 19-year-old faced his toughest assignment yet in Milan, coming up against Spaniard Jaume Munar in what would prove to be a semi final for the ages.
Riding the waves of strong wins over Liam Caruana, Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz, de Minaur needed another strong performance to back up up his impressive run - and he didn't disappoint, although he was pushed to five sets by Munar.
Munar, ranked No. 76, trains at Rafael Nadal's academy, and took to fight to the Aussie.
OUR AUSSIE: Who is Alex de Minaur?
The Spaniard took the first set in a tiebreaker, 4-3 (7-5). However, de Minaur cruised through the next two sets - both scores reading 4-1 - and had a chance to wrap up the match in the fourth.
However, Munar again sprang into life and forced the match to a deciding set, winning another tiebreak, 4-3 (7-4).
De Minaur, though, showed guile beyond his years to seal the fifth set set 4-2 to book a place in the final.
Earlier in the day, de Minaur was crowned the ATP World Tour's Newcomer of the Year - and it was easy to see why.
In 2018, the teenager has risen from 201st to 31st in the world rankings, and has all but guaranteed a seeding for January's Australian Open.
It was a breakout year to remember - de Minaur became the first 19-year-old to reach consecutive ATP semis since Rafael Nadal in 2005.
Those results - a semi in Brisbane, and a final in Sydney - justified what was to come, with de Minaur reaching the third round at both Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as the final of the Citi Open in Washington.
The youngest player at the Next Gen tournament, de Minaur has already taken his 2018 season earnings past $AUD1.4 million with his clean sweep of the round-robin stage in Milan.
However, should he defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday morning (AEDT) in the final - thus finishing the tournament unbeaten - the Aussie will enjoy a $563,000 payday.


text:
Q: Solving the limit of $\lim_{x\to 1-n} (\exp(2 \pi i x)-1)\Gamma(x)$ I am reading the book Introduction to Cyclotomic Fields. I found the following limit on page number 33. I have no idea how to obtain the following limit.
$$\lim_{x\to 1-n} (e^{(2 \pi i x)}-1)\Gamma(x)=\frac{(2\pi i)(-1)^{(n-1)}}{(n-1)!}.$$
Do we need to use L'Hospital's rule for this?
Is there any connection with the residue of Gamma function at negative values?
The residue at $z=k$ is given by
$\operatorname{Re}s_{z=k} \Gamma(z)=\frac{(-1)^{k}}{k!}.$
Please help me to understand this.

A: Start:
Note that if $f(x)=e^{2\pi i x}$ then $f(1-n)=1$ when $n$ is an integer, and you can write your limit is $$\lim_{x\to 1-n} \frac{f(x)-f(1-n)}{x-(1-n)} \cdot (x-(1-n)) \Gamma(x)=f'(1-n) \cdot \lim_{n\to 1-n}(x-(1-n))\Gamma(x)$$
But $f'(1-n)=2\pi i$, so you need to show:
$$\lim_{x\to 1-n} (x-(1-n))\Gamma(x)=\frac{(-1)^{n-1}}{(n-1)!}$$
This follows from your residue result (corrected to be at $z=-k$,) if you can show that the pole at $z=1-n$ is of degree $1.$


text:
Senators-Bruins postgame thoughts: Scrappy opponent makes for tough win
Dan Cagen
A few thoughts on the Bruins' 2-1 overtime win over the Senators on Thursday:
TOUGH OUT: The Senators came into the game with the reputations as a difficult team to play against despite their myriad injuries to core players.
That played itself out at TD Garden. The Bruins racked up 46 shots on Robin Lehner, but few were of the high-quality variety. The Senators limited the Bruins to perimeter looks, even on the power play.
There's not a lot of high-end talent in that Ottawa lineup, but there's plenty of grit.
"Exactly what I anticipated before the game," former Senator Chris Kelly said. "They played a good solid hockey game throughout the course of the night. They don't give you much. The shots might be a little deceiving but they don't give you many scoring chances and they wait for their opportunities and play a good system."
Although its five-game winning streak was snapped, the Senators have points in six straight games and stayed within a point of the Bruins for a top-four seed, although the Bruins have played four fewer games.
STILL NO POWER: The Bruins went 0 for 3 on the power play, extending their woes once again.
After a 3-for-4 stretch over the recent road trip that had more to do with good fortune than execution, the Bruins have gone 0 for 7 over the last two games. They're 7 for 54 over the season, a paltry 13.0 percent.
At home, it's particularly abysmal: 0 for 26.
On Thursday, the worst one was the second power play after Sergei Gonchar's hook on David Krejci. With the puck at the left point, Chris Bourque put a shot off a Senator, then had an interference on Jakob Silfverberg to end the power play.
"I think they did a good job of same thing 5-on-5, keeping us to the outside, finding the loose pucks before us," Patrice Bergeron said. "We've got to do a better job jumping on them."
HAMILTON BACK UP THERE: Dougie Hamilton's 15:01 of time on ice was his highest since the Feb. 15 game at Buffalo.
Hamilton played a solid game, picking up the assist on Nathan Horton's goal in the second period and making few mistakes.
Hamilton has a good understanding of when to step up in the offensive zone, as he did on the give-and-go with Horton. In the defensive zone, he's still figuring out the positioning, but offensively it's been smooth.
ETC.: Tuukka Rask continued his stellar play, making 30 saves for his fifth straight win. It's the third straight game Rask has made at least 30 saves; he hadn't had to do so before then. … The Bruins killed a 4-on-3 in overtime for the second time this season. They also did in the shootout win over Winnipeg on Jan. 21. … The 46 shots on goal by the Bruins were a season high.
Follow on Twitter @DanCagen


Using all the parts of the vegetables will ensure that there is nothing to be thrown. Try to use the whole vegetable, from stalks to the roots. For example, with vegetables like watermelon, you can make pickles out of the rind. As for veggies which are a little past their prime, you can make great broths out of it.
Sometimes you just forget about those vegetables you stash, and are dismayed to find them wilted. Well, instead of tossing them into the trash can, you can make amazing soups and broths. Mix a few fresh vegetables and spices too, and enjoy. Lime, lemon and orange peels can be used to season most things. Stale bread can be used to make French toast.
There are a lot of recipes available on the net which use the parts of veggies that you've been throwing out till now. You can go though these to make tasty and healthy dishes, while reducing waste at the same time.
Don't throw away leftovers. You can revamp your leftovers into interesting new fishes and none the wiser! Leftover vegetables can be used to make vegetable fried rice, or you can use them in spaghetti, etc. You can do the same with leftover chicken and meats. Add some mashed potatoes to leftover vegetables and meats and use them as filling for sandwiches. Give you creativity full reign and make interesting dishes with leftovers.
You can make organic fertilizer for your plants right at home. Instead of throwing peels into the trash, you can compost them instead. Vegetable and fruit peels, egg shells, coffee and tea grounds, paper bags, tea bags – you can use almost all kitchen waste to start a compost bin. You can set up a compost bin under your sink or balcony or garage if you don't have a garden, and if you do have a yard or garden, you can start set it up there. It's quite easy to set up a compost bin and you can find all the knowhow on the net.
Instead of using paper tissues and napkins, use cloth for your needs. Cloth napkins are a one-time buy and you'll be surprised by how much you save by making this one change. Paper napkins have to be discarded after one use but cloth napkins can be used over and over again.
And they can go into the laundry with your other towels, so you don't have to worry that you would be adding another laundry load. You can cloth napkins for the entire family for $5-$10, so that each person can have his or her own towel. Using cloth towels helps in reducing the waste from your kitchen as well as helping to conserve trees.
Invest in some food grade reusable containers. You can store the sauces and broths which you make in large quantities and freeze them in these reusable containers. Leftovers too can be frozen, those which you want to use later on in the week. Freezer bags are also quite handy and can be used a few times, washing after every use. Vegetables and fruits which you bought, but have not been able to use can also be frozen. Can and freeze everything, even tomatoes for example,that can go bad.
Making a decision to consciously reduce kitchen waste is the first step. After you make the necessary changes, you can be sure to see a difference in your grocery bill, as well as feeling good about reducing your carbon footprint and appreciating the resources in your life.


Home Forum New Posts FAQ Calendar Community Groups Albums Member List Thanks / Like Statistics Hottest Threads / Posts Forum Actions Mark Forums Read Quick Links Today's Posts View Site Leaders I fear That I have been sold a rogue printer destined for some other part of the world as the original cartriges had ... Powered by vBulletin Version 4.2.2 Copyright © 2016 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. If this does not clear the error, there may be dust or dirt clogging the carriage sensor itself.
After I took out the old print head to get a part number and reinserted it until new part arrives, I did a print head alignment to make sure everything was What do I do? Anyone have any suggestions on what to do about it? take the printhead to your kitchen/bathroom sink and run hot water into the printhead where the cartridges would go.
How do I get vocal aspect of Skype on my Windows7 desktop? It said that once ink has been replaced, lift the copier lid slightly to reset. by unknown on Sep 12, 2007 at 11:48am Add comment Please sign in to comment The obvious thing to check is for damage to the usb port on the printer. You will have to buy one and a mp730 cost approx. $60.00 plus.
Wer kann mir verraten wie ich meinem Drucker die deutsche Sprache wieder beibringen kann . Hit the "3" button- this will bring up Eprom Clear6. Prev123456789Next » Not finding what you are looking for? Did you mean?
Prev123Next » Not finding what you are looking for? resume button will not work, menu button will not work??? Plug in the power cord and turn the power On. Any idea how to stop this?
It did run through the process fine. by unknown on Oct 5, 2006 at 8:03pm Add comment Please sign in to comment 0 this website is gay...can youll possibly help it? For example, the MP730 can't collate copy jobs. QY6-0042-000 Should cost you $59.87 if in US.
by Anonymous on Dec 18, 2008 at 8:06am Add comment Please sign in to comment 0 Guys,I need help - my printer will print in black & white but not in I have changed the head and all new ink. - Anonymous 0 Replace all the Ink Absorbers. My cartridges was jammed on the left side and made an awful sound. (made your ears hurt). Canon Printers & Copiers 334 cannot print print test page test page print test print error View Less » 484 people viewed this question Ask a Question Usually answered in minutes!


On Tuesday afternoon Caro Cruz and her boyfriend, Sean Ace O'Connor, were hit by a drunk driver.
Sean lost his Life and Caro is in a hospital near Tennessee. She is currently in stable condition, but faces a road to recovery.
Caro is such a beautiful and amazing soul. My heart breaks for her right now, both due to the physical and psychological pain she is experiencing.
Please help us support her recovery, as she would do for each and all of us. Let's show her she has an army of warriors behind her who love her intensely.
This last trip was better and it felt shorter, she was able to come out the car few times during the trip with less pain or effort.
IT FEELS GOOD TO BE HERE !!
Caro is now on the next step of her healing process.
We know this is due also to the love and prayers sent to her during this times , it has been really a work of many .
Good Morning We are still here in Chattanooga Tennessee. Feeling blessed and grateful , happy every one is safe back at home in Florida .
My sister is doing better, with help and a walker she is able to take small steps, we consider this to be a huge improvement, she has been eating better and it is on a regular floor of the hospital alert, taking less medications this "Woman is a Warrior". She can't wait to be back home and take a more natural approach to her healing, for now thankful and smiling every time she can.
She misses her boyfriend a lot and is grieving him deeply. We give her our support and let her go through this as we understand and can only imagine what she going through.
Now she is ready to be release any minute from the hospital. We are going to drive her to Georgia where we are going to stay until we can return home.
Thanks for all the help, donations, phone calls , messages, cards, words, prayers, visits..for all your Love.
Caro Cruz had her 2nd surgery to continue skin grafts on her leg. It may be many more surgeries of this sort. Her 1st surgery rebuilt her ankle w some pins and she will be relearning to walk w some rehab up here until she can return to miami. She is making good progress each day and its going to be many months of therapy. It is normal that after such trauma, both mental and emotional, healing is a deep process. Please keep her in your prayers as she navigates this process. Her mind will take some time to fully return to the present and be able to understand whats going on.She had 7 broken ribs and a punctured lung which is still draining.
All the members of the family sends Love to all of you our beloved community and friends for the immense love & support you have given us.


Join us for an in-depth look at Mexico's local and international tax system. Tequila shots not included.
Learn all about Mexico's domestic and international tax system, what's trending in the sector, and some of the main advantages of setting up a business in the country.


text:
Crambus leachellus, or Leach's grass-veneer, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Johann Leopold Theodor Friedrich Zincken in 1818. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Ontario and Maryland to Florida, west to California and Oregon. The habitat consists of grasslands and meadows.

The wingspan is 25–27 mm. The forewings are brown with a silvery-white discal stripe and a row of five dark spots in the subterminal line. The hindwings are smoky white. Adults are on wing from May to September in two to four generations per year.

The larvae feed on grasses. They hide in the grass or upper layer of the soil within a silken tunnel during the day and feed mainly at night. The species overwinters in the larval stage. Pupation takes place in the grass.

References

Crambini
Moths described in 1818
Moths of North America


text:
Q: Delete table data in MySQL when click button dosen't work The data isn't being deleted from a table when user clicks on a button.
I have 2 buttons one of them to delete the data in mysql tabel which called data when I pressed the button. The data still in the table although other queries do work fine.
Here is my code:
<?php
$arr=array();
if(isset($_POST['add']))
{
 $x=$_POST['x']."
";
 $y=$_POST['y']."
";
 $con = mysql_connect("localhost","root","");
if(!$con)
{
    die('could not connect').mysql_errno();
}
else
{
 mysql_select_db("kmean",$con);
 $sql="INSERT INTO data (x, y)
VALUES
 ('$x','$y')";
if (!mysql_query($sql,$con))
  {
  die('Error: ' . mysql_error());
  }

$result = mysql_query("SELECT x,y FROM data");

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
  {
  //echo $row['x'] . " " . $row['y']."
";

 array_push($arr,array($row['x'],$row['y']));
  //print_r($r);
  echo "
";
  }

  if(isset($_POST['delete']))
  {
    mysql_select_db("kmean", $con);

    mysql_query("DELETE FROM data ");

  }

}
//print_r($arr)."
";
mysql_close($con);

A: Put } before if(isset($_POST['delete'])) and remove } before //print_r($arr)."
";
Actually, your code is missing one more }, so its possible that you'll need to put }} before that "if" line.
And try to format code better next time, please :)
UPDATE:
<?php
$arr=array();
if(isset($_POST['add']))
{
    $x=$_POST['x']."
";
    $y=$_POST['y']."
";
    $con = mysql_connect("localhost","root","");
    if(!$con)
    {
        die('could not connect').mysql_errno();
    }
    else
    {
        mysql_select_db("kmean",$con);
        $sql="INSERT INTO data (x, y) VALUES ('$x','$y')";
        if (!mysql_query($sql,$con))
        {
          die('Error: ' . mysql_error());
        }

        $result = mysql_query("SELECT x,y FROM data");

        while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
        {
            //echo $row['x'] . " " . $row['y']."
";

            array_push($arr,array($row['x'],$row['y']));
            //print_r($r);
            echo "
";
        }

    }
    //print_r($arr)."
";
    mysql_close($con);
}

if(isset($_POST['delete']))
{
    mysql_select_db("kmean", $con);

    mysql_query("DELETE FROM data ");
}

A: Try this code:

  $arr=array();

  if (isset($_POST['add'])) {

    $x=$_POST['x']."
";
    $y=$_POST['y']."
";

    $con = mysql_connect("localhost","root","");

    if(!$con) die('could not connect').mysql_errno();
    else {
      mysql_select_db("kmean",$con);

      $sql="INSERT INTO data (x, y)
            VALUES
            ('$x','$y')";

      if (!mysql_query($sql,$con)) die('Error: ' . mysql_error());

      $result = mysql_query("SELECT x,y FROM data");

      while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {

        array_push($arr,array($row['x'],$row['y']));
        echo "
";

      }

      if (isset($_POST['delete'])) {
        mysql_query("DELETE FROM data ");
      }
  }

  mysql_close($con);


text:
Q: firebase authentication in flutter ERROR_INVALID_ACTION_CODE for email link authentication I had an email link authentication setup for my flutter app and it was working perfectly in sending an email and registering users.
I just changed my public-facing project name in the firebase console and now users are getting  the error
ERROR_INVALID_ACTION_CODE. Platform exception action code in the link is malformed, expired, or has already been used.
Nothing fancy here. this particular piece of code was working flawlessly.
            AuthResult result =
                await auth.signInWithEmailAndLink(email: email, link: link);
} catch (error) {
print(error)
}

A: I think it was something with the project settings and refresh. It started to work today again.


Frankie Rios Web Designs will create a quality website at an affordable price for any client. Whether you own an international company and expect millions of viewers, or you just want to create a blog to connect with family and friends around the world, professional quality and satisfaction is always guaranteed.
Frankie Rios Web Designs focuses on customization as a key concept when designing websites. Our job is to make your vision come true whether that means using colors, logos, and images that you already have, or to help you create them to be used not only on your website, but even on business cards, documents, and merchandise.


text:
Yes, Tom Brady's Friendship With Donald Trump Matters
Tom Brady needs to get a clue.
By Dave ZirinTwitter
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 22, 2017. (AP / Tom DiPace)
Tom Brady, the breathlessly confident, all-world New England Patriots quarterback was speaking in an unfamiliar tone on WEEI Radio last Monday. He was whining. Fresh off another stellar AFC Championship performance and headed to his record seventh Super Bowl, the great Brady was flummoxed by the idea that some in the media have been pressing him over his very public friendship with Donald Trump. He said:
"Why does that make such a big deal? I don't understand that…. I don't wanna get into it, but, just—if you know someone, it doesn't mean that you agree with everything that they say or do. Right? There's things I don't believe [in], absolutely. I don't believe in, you know, there's a lot of things. Not to denounce anything, it's just that there's different things that I feel like, you know… I don't agree with everything. That's fine, right?"
Tom Brady does not understand. If the insistence of his wife, Gisele Bundchen, that she would never vote for Trump has not gotten through to him, if the hashtag #notmyfootballteam—in reference to the close ties among Patriots owner Bob Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, Brady, and Trump—confuses him, then maybe we should try to make it plain.
Ready to Fight Back? Sign Up For Take Action Now
Why is this mutual man-crush an issue? First and foremost, Trump used his friendship with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the final days before the election, publicly touting their "endorsements." He even read a letter from Belichick at a closing-night campaign rally in New Hampshire. Whether or not Donald Trump had permission to do these things—I have it on good authority that he did not—doesn't change the fact that Brady and Belichick were not bystanders to this election but actors within it.
That has not changed. At a pre-inauguration dinner, after thanking his family, Trump turned to Bob Kraft and said, "Your friend Tom just called, he feels good. He called to congratulate us, he feels good." On Monday, there was Trump flack Kellyanne Conway on Fox & Friends saying, "President Trump is just so grateful that friends like Tom Brady are loyal and can ignore the shrapnel." She also thanked Kraft, someone who also knows something about getting played by Vladimir Putin.
Trump uses these relationships as a tool of legitimization. Other celebrities Trump has spent a lifetime stalking have turned their backs on him. Prominent athletes and coaches are treating him like a punchline. But Trump still has Tom Brady in his back pocket, and he will use that in the days ahead.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady owes his fame and fortune to the NFL, a $13 billion-a-year business built on a foundation of black labor. Seventy percent of the league is African American. On the Patriots, that number is 67 percent. That reality coexists with the stubborn fact that Donald Trump is a racist. This is not an opinion or "alternative fact." This is reality. When you promote a Muslim ban, refer to Mexicans as "rapists," were sued for housing discrimination, call for a group of black teenagers to be imprisoned for rape even after they are exonerated by DNA evidence, and Nazis celebrate your election, there is no question that you're a racist. But Tom Brady doesn't seem to care.
Maybe he could speak to teammates Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty, who raised their fists during the anthem this year as a statement for racial justice. Maybe he could speak to his white teammate Chris Long, who said in September, "I play in a league that's 70 percent black and my peers, guys I come to work with, guys I respect who are very socially aware and are intellectual guys, if they identify something that they think is worth putting their reputations on the line, creating controversy, I'm going to listen to those guys." Maybe Tom Brady could do some listening as well.
Then there is the fact that, according to a study, women make up 45 percent of the NFL fan base. Maybe Tom missed it while sleeping in his hyperbaric chamber in his newly produced high-tech pajamas with "bioceramic particles woven in to reflect back to the body infrared waves" (just $99.99!), but on Saturday millions of women across the country rose up against this president. In the Patriots' hometown of Boston, they had their third mass demonstration of thousands against Trump in the last seven days. One of the great motivators of this resistance is Trump's commitment to roll back women's reproductive rights and his reputation as a sexual predator.
If Tom Brady wants to count this guy as a friend, that's his business. If Tom Brady thinks that he is exempt from criticism for doing so, he is wrong. The most successful quarterback in the NFL is being willingly used as a way to deodorize an agenda animated by division and hatred. If Tom Brady doesn't think that matters to people, then he needs to get a clue.
Dave ZirinTwitterDave Zirin is the sports editor of The Nation and the author of Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down.


text:
Crashing the System: Pace of New Home-School Applications in NC More Than Doubles | Beaufort County Now | Sarah Redden has always been curious about home schooling. The Kernersville mom of two kept the possibility in the back of her mind, but when it came time for her daughter to enter kindergarten a few years ago, Redden enrolled her in the public system. | beaufort observer, crashing the system, home-school applications, home-schooling, september 3, 2020
Crashing the System: Pace of New Home-School Applications in NC More Than Doubles
Published: Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 @ 4:00 pm
Jennifer Bringle, writing at the carolinapublicpress reports:
Sarah Redden has always been curious about home schooling. The Kernersville mom of two kept the possibility in the back of her mind, but when it came time for her daughter to enter kindergarten a few years ago, Redden enrolled her in the public system.
However, after a chaotic end to her child's second grade year in the spring, and with her son — who has special needs — about to enter kindergarten, Redden made the choice to educate her children at home.
"COVID made the decision for us," she said. "The idea of my son being in front of a screen the number of hours they do now, there's no way he'd be able to do that. And it's going to cause him to be frustrated, and I don't want his school experience to start that way."
Read the full article HERE on Carolina Public Press.
NCDHHS Launches New Public Campaign, Urging North Carolinians to "Get Behind the Mask" Editorials, Beaufort Observer, Op-Ed & Politics Gov. Roy Cooper Announces "Phase 2.5" To Take Effect Sept. 4


text:
Q: Translations calculated using matrices You have used matrices to calculate the results of certain rotations and reflections. Which ones? Are translations calculated using matrices?
I know of the different types of reflections, like across the x-axis, y-axis, origin, and y=x, but I haven't heard of using matrices to calculate translations… does someone mind explaining to me? Thank you in advance!

A: No, translations can't be computed via the same matrix-multiplication process.
The reason is that matrix multiplication will always map the vector $\vec0$ to itself, whereas a translation doesn't (except when the translation vector is $\vec0$ itself).
For all $a,b,c,d,\qquad$
$$\pmatrix{a & b \\c & d\\}\pmatrix{0 \\0 \\}=\pmatrix{0 \\0 \\}$$
But $$\pmatrix{0 \\0 \\}+\vec v=\vec v$$

A: If you want to describe a translation in say $\mathbb{R}^2$ you may use a $3\times3$ matrix as follows:
For a translation by a vector $\vec{x}=(a,b)$ , $T_{\vec{x}}=\begin{pmatrix}
1 & 0 & a \\
0 & 1 & b \\
0 & 0 & 1
\end{pmatrix}$
So $T_{\vec{x}}\cdot (\alpha,\beta,1)^t=(a+\alpha,b+\beta,1)$ which is like $(\alpha,\beta)+\vec{x}=(a+\alpha,b+\beta)$


The ESL Thomas Kwok Award winner was David Xiaochen Xue. This is a very special award started by an Old Ridleian, Thomas Kwok '10 who was an English as a Second Language student. Thomas competed in the public speaking competition when he was a student and thought there should be a special category for ESL students who had the courage to compete.
Over 70 VEX Robotics teams met in Toronto to battle it out in the first tournament of the season. For the Ridley team, our first matches were shaky. Ray Gao's team (1509) of himself, Nina Haag and Daniel Marcos settled in quickly though and performed at their best after their first match, finishing with a 5-1 record.
Our other team (1509E) with driver James Gross, programmer Jonah Rubin and a revolving set of builders and helpers that included Ryan Schmidt, Heather Curtis, Padraic Odesse, Ava O'Toole, Antonio Aspite and Andy Li, had our normal level of bad luck. After missing a win by 2 points (42-40), having a rough call by a judge and a disconnecting controller, their record in the round robin left them seeded 27th out of 70 with a 3-3 record and an unlikely chance to be picked in an alliance for the quarter finals. However, their luck turned. One of the best teams at the contest chose them as a partner because of 1509E's strong ability to complement the scoring the other machine could already do well. Together they scored some of the highest scores registered in the world to date and won the tournament.
In addition to the head-to-head competition, Ray Gao participated in the one minute driver's skills challenge. His score of 39 is currently tied for 15th in the world!! There have been thousands of attempts by teams worldwide at this challenge to date and Ray's score is now one of the best around.


AARP wants neighborhoods to be accessible to people of all ages. Two Mountain State communities just got a boost in that effort, winning AARP Community Challenge grants to improve public spaces.
Hamlin's Lincoln County Friends of the Arts received funding to create artistic crosswalks in areas served by regional bus services.
A second grant went to the city of Morgantown, which installed benches throughout the historic district, so people can sit, relax and socialize.
AARP awarded 129 grants totaling $1.3 million in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as part of AARP's Livable Communities initiative.
To learn more about how AARP is working to make communities across West Virginia more livable for all residents, go to aarp.org/wv.


Stay in the heart of Manly Harbour Village, a beautiful bayside suburb of Brisbane. All amenities are a very short walk away. This fully self-contained accommodation is the entire upstairs level of an old Queensland home. Up to 4 guests can sleep comfortably in the queen & double bedrooms. Dogs, cats and birds are all welcome inside. Downstairs has its own secure private backyard and laundry. WiFi is available. Tariff $140-$180pn (Linen provided).