Dr. Patricia A. Pellikka, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
Since the first intravenously administered echocardiographic contrast agent capable of left ventricular cavity opacification to enhance visualization of the endocardium was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more than 13 years ago, important advances in these agents and in the ultrasound equipment permitting their detection have occurred.
Current agents not only scatter and reflect, but also interact with administered ultrasound through harmonic and multipulse sequencing to increase signal intensity over background tissue noise. Modifications in the agents, along with these unique methods of ultrasound delivery and reception, have resulted in robust and persistent contrast effect. There has been wide clinical acceptance of contrast agents for the application of improving echocardiographic imaging in patients for whom initial transthoracic images are technically suboptimal. Administration of these agents in a busy clinical practice has been shown to be efficient and cost-effective (1).
Accurate visualization of endocardial borders is of crucial importance in stress echocardiography, as this technique involves assessment of global and segmental wall thickening and motion (2). In this test, the endocardial border must be assessed quickly and in multiple planes. Not surprisingly, this has become the area of echocardiography in which contrast agents are most frequently used.
In this issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, Plana et al. (3) report new evidence that contrast agents increased the accuracy of dobutamine stress echocardiography for detection of angiographic coronary artery disease. In this prospective study, 101 patients underwent, in randomized order, 2 dobutamine stress tests performed at least 4 h but no more than 24 h apart, 1 with and 1 without a contrast agent. Harmonic imaging was used for all studies, and ultrasound settings were optimized for endocardial border detection. Echocardiograms were reviewed by a single observer who was blinded to other data. In the 92 patients who underwent coronary angiography, accurate detection of ischemia, represented as new or worsening regional wall motion abnormality, corresponding to angiographic stenosis ≥70% narrowing of the lumen diameter was significantly higher with contrast agents than without. Not surprisingly, the impact of contrast agents on accuracy was greatest in studies in which confidence of interpretation of regional wall motion was low without contrast agents. In this subgroup, accuracy increased from 36% to 68% (p = 0.01).
Plana et al. (3) found that contrast agents increased endocardial visualization at rest and during stress and increased the confidence of interpretation of the studies. This confirms the previous observations of Rainbird et al. (4), in which 300 consecutive patients underwent contrast dobutamine stress echocardiography; images were interpreted with and without the use of intravenous contrast agents. In this study, the percentage of wall segments visualized at rest increased from 96.4 ± 9.6% to 99.7 ± 2.5% (p < 0.01) with the addition of contrast agents and at peak stress from 94.4 ± 13.7% to 99.8 ± 1.5% (p < 0.01). Similarly, the confidence of interpretation was superior with contrast imaging compared with noncontrast imaging both at rest (p < 0.01) and at peak stress (p < 0.01). Although the confidence of interpretation declined in the comparison of rest to peak stress images, this did not occur when contrast agents were administered. Although all image quality subgroups benefited from the use of contrast agents, those with the poorest quality images benefited the most (4).
Why Has It Taken So Long to Demonstrate That Contrast Agents Improve Accuracy of Stress Echocardiography?
First, the effect of contrast agents on accuracy could not be demonstrated without referral of sufficient numbers of patients for coronary angiography. Second, it was also necessary that a sufficient number of noncontrast agent studies be of suboptimal quality; it is in this situation that contrast agents provide the greatest benefit. In the study by Rainbird et al. (4), in which noncontrast image quality was generally good, only 35 patients underwent coronary angiography. In this small subgroup, no benefit of contrast agents on the accuracy of stress echocardiography could be demonstrated. The current study was logistically challenging, as 2 dobutamine stress echocardiograms, with and without a contrast agent, were performed in each patient. Furthermore, 91% of patients underwent coronary angiography. The investigators are to be congratulated on undertaking and completing this ambitious study.
In Which Patients Undergoing Stress Echocardiography Should Contrast Agents for LV Cavity Opacification Be Used?
The American Society of Echocardiography recommends that contrast agents be used when 2 or more endocardial segments cannot be adequately visualized (2). These guidelines are reasonable and appropriate. In the current study, the accuracy for detection of ischemia was significantly higher only for circumflex lesions (p = 0.0009), probably because of technical difficulties in visualizing the lateral wall and the smaller amount of myocardium subtended by this vessel. Importantly, there was no impact attributed to contrast agents in studies interpreted with high confidence. Contrast agents increase the expense of performing a stress echocardiogram and are not necessary in the majority of patients, that is, those in whom assessment of regional wall motion is feasible without contrast agents.
The FDA has recently issued a black box warning about the safety of echocardiography contrast agents. This warning was issued on the basis of post-marketing reports of deaths that were temporally related to contrast agent use in 4 patients with significant underlying progressive cardiovascular disease and approximately 190 other variably characterized nonfatal adverse events, without conclusive evidence of causality. These events occurred over a 6-year period during which approximately 2 million patient doses of contrast agents were administered, for a mortality rate of approximately 1 in 500,000. Indeed, most large echocardiography laboratories have used these agents in hundreds or thousands of patients, especially for stress echocardiography, without any fatalities. Occasional intolerance and rare allergic reactions (estimated rate 1 in 10,000) have been noted. Because stress echocardiography involves the study of patients who are in sufficiently stable condition to withstand stress testing and because monitoring of the electrocardiogram and vital signs is a standard part of the test, contrast agents for endocardial border detection can continue to be safely performed in these patients; that is the practice at the Mayo Clinic. We continue to use a sonographer-driven decision-making algorithm for contrast agent use with screening for safety performed by our trained registered nurses, who are cognizant of the new contraindications in the revised package insert, and continue to obtain verbal consent from the patient before administration.
Current interest in echocardiography contrast technique has focused on myocardial perfusion and combinations of perfusion images with regional wall motion assessment during stress echocardiography, as can be achieved with off-label use of existing contrast agents. Ultrasound settings for appreciating myocardial contrast involve the use of a combination of high and low mechanical index settings. Investigators have shown that inducible perfusion abnormalities seen with myocardial contrast echocardiography may occur before regional wall motion abnormalities and that myocardial perfusion imaging during dobutamine stress echocardiography provides incremental prognostic information in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (5,6). In fact, initial findings have suggested that quantitative assessment of the systolic to diastolic ratio of arteriolar blood volume might be used to detect coronary stenosis without the need for a stress test (7). However, although unique agents are currently undergoing the rigors of FDA evaluation, there is not yet an approved echo contrast agent for myocardial perfusion imaging.
In conclusion, contrast agent use during stress echocardiography has been clearly demonstrated to improve visualization of endocardial border segments and confidence of test interpretation in patients for whom noncontrast images are suboptimal. Plana et al. (3) have confirmed the logical extension of this observation: if you can better see the structures required for interpretation of the study results, test performance will be more accurate. Ultrasound imaging technology now permits simultaneous detection of left ventricular cavity opacification and myocardial perfusion. Further studies in large numbers of patients are needed to establish the incremental role of contrast agents, when combined with perfusion assessments, for evaluating the patient with known or suspected coronary artery disease.
Dr. Mulvagh has received research grant support from Bristol-Myers Squibb and is a consultant for Acusphere, Inc. Roberto Lang, MD, acted as Guest Editor for this paper.
(2007) Stress echocardiography: recommendations for performance, interpretation and application. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 20:1021–1041.
(2005) Detection of coronary stenoses at rest with myocardial contrast echocardiography. Circulation 112:1154–1160.


Placement of experienced accounting professionals in your finance department for a specific period of time.
Existence of backlog accounting work which current finance staff are unable to spend time to resolve, such as huge unidentified suspense, clearing, other debtors and creditors account balances, credit statement or bank reconciliation, backlog accounts; etc.
- backlog credit statement or bank reconciliation as well as full set of accounts.
Relieving your organisation from the effort in recruiting and retaining staff.
You may even have the option to buy over the staff at end of placement period.
3: Preparation of reporting package with specified requirements, if any.
7: Reconciliation of debtors' statements, creditors' statements, inter-company statements etc.
Under the Goods and Services Tax Act, 2014, businesses with taxable supply (i.e. turnover) exceeding RM500,000 in the current month and the preceding 11 months or projected to have taxable supply exceeding RM500,000 in the current month and the next 11 months, are required to be registered as a taxable person with the Royal Malaysian Customs (RMC). The registered person is required to file periodic GST returns and claim GST refund or pay GST accordingly.
6: Payment of GST, if any on your behalf.
Timely and accurate payroll deliveries have a significant impact on employees' morale and performance level. As this critical process may not give your company a competitive advantage, it is the ideal activity to be outsourced as resources needed for a full-fledged payroll function may not justify its benefits.
RSM Outsourcing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd payroll team is fully equipped with the expertise and experience to manage your payroll function. We have the people, standard operating procedures, technology, experience and knowledge to deliver comprehensive, accurate and timely payroll services to our clients.
Our service delivery model is tailored to suit your organisational structure and requirements. No payroll is too big or too small for us. We are ever-ready and confident to step up and deliver.
Instead of incurring cost for your own payroll department, outsourcing allows cost sharing of a routine but vital function with many other businesses. Apart from basic salaries, overtime, bonus and other less apparent staff related expenses, other expenses saved would include recruiting, training, medical benefits, staff amenities etc.
Payroll is one of the most vital processes in any organisation and yet it is carried out by a few selected staff; should there be any anticipated (e.g. maternity leave) or unanticipated (e.g. personal accident, family bereavement) incident that befalls on the few staff, there could be disruption to the payroll processes. Outsourcing your payroll function would remove the impact of such contingencies.
Instead of spending time managing a support function, your staff would be able to focus on value-added activities to contribute to your revenue.
Our payroll professionals represent an external point of your payroll process that facilitates segregation of duty hence strengthening your internal control.


Do you rent or purchase furniture from a "rental place" ? If so, you might want to to rethink that. Recently in Ohio and other states in the US, bed bugs are being found on furniture that was previously rented. Various furniture items, including couches where found to be infested with bed bugs after being purchased and rented from multiple rental stores in Ohio and other states in the US.
While difficult to report this as a trend, it does suggest that consumers need to take extra precaution when purchasing or renting furniture from rental stores. We previously reported on the growing trend of bed bugs being found in used furniture being sold by people and from charitable establishments.
Whenever furniture is in someone else's home or place of business, there is a risk of the furniture being infested with bed bugs. Places like Aaron's Rents and "Rent A Center" have inspection processes in place, there is still a risk and nothing beats doing the inspection yourself. To keep your home from being infested as a result, you need to thorough inspect the furniture before you even load it in your car to bring it home.
Bring the following with you: White latex gloves, a magnifying glass, flashlight, and an inexpensive white sheet.
Spread the white sheet out on a flat surface, and place the furniture on top of it. The white sheet will help you spot any bed bugs or signs of bed-bugs if they fall to the ground.
Use a credit card or your fingers and run them over the furniture's surface. Also using your fingers or the edge of the card through any creases, cracks or grooves in the furniture. Remember, bed bugs like to hid in small tight spaces, so running the card through these areas is critical to performing a thorough inspection. Watch for signs of bed bugs on your gloves or on the white sheet. Signs can include feces (which will be dark red stains), old skin, or bed bugs themselves. Use the magnifying glass to inspect anything remotely questionable.
Use the flashlight to highlight and inspect any hidden or dark areas of the furniture. Again, these are the locations where bed bugs like to hide. They are generally not out in the open where they are easily seen.
If you do find bed bugs, just pass on the furniture, don't even bother treating it. Treating it can be expensive, timely and you may not kill all of the bed bugs. We recommend not even risking it.
Also, don't think you are 100% safe purchasing new furniture either. While your chance of finding bed bugs in new furniture is much lower than on used furniture, there is still a risk. Bed bugs don't discriminate and can be found in factories, warehouses and in stores. All it takes is one employee or customer infected with bed bugs to walk in and sit down on the furniture. As a result, we even recommend doing inspections on new furniture as well as used furniture.


text:
La Font Groga és una font de Sant Gregori (Gironès) inclosa a l'Inventari del Patrimoni Arquitectònic de Catalunya.

Descripció
L'element que conté el brollador té forma oval, construït amb peces de fàbrica, formant un banc al voltant de la font i quedant a un nivell inferior a la resta de l'esplanada.

És de destacar el paratge que envolta l'element format per una arbreda de roures, alzines i pins.

Història
Segons Botet i Sisó i també l'opinió del poble coincideixen en dir que es tracta d'una font ferruginosa, potser una mica més picant que l'aigua que surt de la fons de Can Corominas.

Referències

Patrimoni monumental de Sant Gregori
Fonts del Gironès

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body style="background-color:red">
  <script>
    window.addEventListener('message', function(event) {
      console.log('Received from parent window: ' + JSON.stringify(event.data));
    });
    function sendToPage() {
      window.parent.postMessage({'abc': 123}, '*');
    }
  </script>
  <button onclick="sendToPage()">Send {'abc': 123} to page</button>
</body>
</html>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Patients looking for a new doctor are increasingly relying on online reviews to find the right fit, says a new survey from software ratings and research firm Software Advice.
In fact the survey of 1,438 consumers finds that 84% of patients now use online reviews to evaluate physicians and more than three-quarters (77%) use online reviews as their first step in finding a new doctor.
Whether a physician is a part of a particular health plan network isn't a patient's sole criterion in picking a new care giver. The survey finds that consumers use online ratings and reviews to find the doctor with the best reputation. Nearly half of respondents (47%) say they would go out of network for a doctor who has similar qualifications to an in-network doctor, but has more favorable reviews.


The doctoral program continues a research colloquium this spring for graduate students and post-docs. This series of research discussions aims to offer our young scientists a chance to introduce their projects to their peers about once a year – two years. The idea is to give experience in presenting one's work in an informal atmosphere, as well as to foster discussion and exchange of methodological knowledge between laboratories. Each session consists of two presentations (20 min each, approx. 15 min talk followed by a discussion). Graduate students will get credits of attendance.


Kuching to Bintulu distance is 349 KM.
Kuching to Bintulu travel time is 5 hours and 49 minutes. Kuching Bintulu distance is 349 KM. we are providing various distance for various mode of travel; If there are any other mode of transport between Kuching and Bintulu alike flight, ferry, train , walk and bycycle. You can use our distance tool to get the flight distance, train distance and road distance. Our driving direction from Kuching to Bintulu helps you to plan your travel properly and make your journey more convenient. Kuching to Bintulu road map assist you when you drive by your car and other own vehicle. If you are going from Kuching to Bintulu first time, do not worry, we are assisting for your travel with more travel information. We are trying to provide the the following travel time and distance if it is available between Kuching to Bintulu. Kuching to Bintulu train and train timings, Kuching to Bintulu bus timings.
Kuching to Bintulu road map is most important one for you to accomplosh your travel . Some time it is very difficult to travel to the new place without know the exact route map, so you can use our route map from Kuching to Bintulu . Our website has been using google road map from Kuching to Bintulu which consist of most of the roads and lanes, petrol pump, hotels, tourist places, train route and more.
Kuching to Bintulu driving direction is comming from google map , you can get direction for various travel routes and shortest route. You can select you travel route based on your vehicle, even small lane can be used to travel by bicycle. Some shortest route can be used only for car and small vehicle. Some longest route may be broad one and it may be in good condition to reach Bintulu.


text:
Q: line equation for lane lines i have to find the mid points of each lane in a binary iamge , i wrote a code but that is too long and its give error when ever i change the pic of road . i have to save the mid points of each lane and then by finding slope and intercept i have to draw  lines on that binary image.
 here is the code
    x=imread('C:\users\guest\documents\matlab\1.png');
    [q,r]= size(x);
    n4=zeros(q,r);
    midpoint= zeros (720,2); % Array to store midlle points of road lane.

    % finding mid points of both lanes.
     for n3=540:720
       s=x(n3,:);
       startIndex =1;
       lastIndex =1280;
       pixelsRow =s;
       FirstWhiteStart=0; FirstWhiteEnd=0; SecondWhiteStart=0; SecondWhiteEnd=0;

       for k=1:1280
            if (pixelsRow(k) == 1)&&(FirstWhiteStart == 0)
            FirstWhiteStart =k;
            elseif (pixelsRow(k)==0)&&(FirstWhiteStart>0)&&(FirstWhiteEnd==0)
            FirstWhiteEnd=k-1;
            elseif (pixelsRow(k)== 1)&&(FirstWhiteEnd>0)&&(SecondWhiteStart==0)
            SecondWhiteStart=k;
            elseif (pixelsRow(k)==0)&&(SecondWhiteStart>0)&&(SecondWhiteEnd==0)
            SecondWhiteEnd=k-1;
            end
            end
            m1=(FirstWhiteStart + FirstWhiteEnd)./2;  % first lanes middle point
            m1r = round(m1);
            if (m1r <= 1)

             mp= sub2ind(size(midpoint),n3,1);
             midpoint(mp) = 0;

              elseif (m1r > 1)
              indices = sub2ind(size(n4),n3,m1r);
              n4(indices) = 1;
              if (m1r >=640)
              mp= sub2ind(size(midpoint),n3,2);
              midpoint(mp) =  m1r;
              elseif (m1r <= 640)
              mp= sub2ind(size(midpoint),n3,1);
              midpoint(mp) = m1r;
              end
          end

          m2=(SecondWhiteStart + SecondWhiteEnd+1)./2;  % second lane middle point.
          m2r = round(m2);

           if (m2r <= 1)
            indices = sub2ind(size(n4),n3,m2r);
           n4(indices) = 0;
           mp= sub2ind(size(midpoint),n3,1);
           midpoint(mp) = 0;

            elseif (m2r > 1)
            indices = sub2ind(size(n4),n3,m2r);
            n4(indices) = 1;
            if (m2r >=640)
            mp= sub2ind(size(midpoint),n3,2);
            midpoint(mp) =  m2r;
            elseif (m2r <=640)
            mp= sub2ind(size(midpoint),n3,1);
            midpoint(mp) =  m2r;
            end
              end
              end

           pairpoints = nchoosek([540:720],2);

           var1 = zeros (16290,2);                        % array to store variables a and b of first lane.
           var2 = zeros (16290,2);                        % array to stote variables a and b of second lane.

          % calling middle points previously stored in array,putting in equation.
           for n = 1 : 16290

            x1 = pairpoints(n,1);                           %value of frst row
            x2 = pairpoints(n,2);                           %value of 2nd row
            y1 = midpoint (pairpoints(n,1), 1);             %rows of midpoint matrix are                   specified from pairpoints location martix
            y2 = midpoint (pairpoints(n,2), 1);
            z1 = midpoint (pairpoints(n,1), 2);
            z2 = midpoint (pairpoints(n,2), 2);

            a1 = (y2 - y1) ./ (x2 - x1);
            a2 = (z2 - z1) ./ (x2 - x1);

             b1=(((x2)*(y1)) - (x1)*(y2)) ./ (x2 - x1);
             b2=(((x2)*(z1)) - (x1)*(z2)) ./ (x2 - x1);

                  % variables a and b of first lane.
             line = sub2ind(size(var1),n,1);
             var1(line) = a1;
                line = sub2ind(size(var1),n,2);
                  var1(line) = b1;

              % variables A and b of second lane.
             line = sub2ind(size(var2),n,1);
             var2(line) = a2;
              line = sub2ind(size(var2),n,2);
              var2(line) = b2;

              end

              v11=round(var1);
              v22=round(var2);

              % eleminating zeros from array.
             [i,j] = find(v11);

             a1 = v11(i,1);
             a1= a1(a1~=0);
             b1 = v11(i,2);
             b1= b1(b1~=0);

             a11=median(a1)
             b11=median(b1)

            % eleminating zeros from array.
            [k,l] = find(v22);

             row = i;
             a2 = v22(k,1);
             a2= a2(a2~=0);
             b2 = v22(k,2);
             b2= b2(b2~=0);

              a22=median(a2)
              b22=median(b2)

                %assign variables
             lin=zeros(720,2);

              % implementation of final line equation.
            for x1 = 1:720

            % equation becomes (w = eh + f) as actual was (y = ax + b)
           y1 = (a11 * x1) + b11;
           y2 = (a22 * x1) + b22;

           col = sub2ind( size(lin),x1,1);         % equation for first lane.
           lin(col)= y1;

           col = sub2ind( size(lin),x1,2);         % equation for second lane.
          lin(col)= y2;

            end

          array=lin;

          r= 1:720;
          c= 1:1280;
           x(r,c)= 0;
          imshow(x);
         imwrite(x,'a.png');

          image =imread('C:\users\guest\documents\matlab\a.png');

         for r1 = 1:720
            for  c = 1:2;
                 if array(r1,c) < 0;
                  lin(r1,c) = abs (array(r1,c));
                   image(r1,lin(r1,c))= 0;

                 elseif array(r1,c) > 0;
                    image(r1,lin(r1,c))= 1;

                 end
            end
        end
        imshow(image)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The new XFL debuts this weekend, and here's what you need to know
Frank Schwab
February 7, 2020, 5:01 AM ·4 min read
Tampa Bay Vipers' Martez Ivey (73), left, and defensive tackle Cece Jefferson (95) during a practice in January. (Octavio Jones/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Last year, the Alliance of American Football debuted the weekend after the Super Bowl to great ratings and a lot of excitement. The AAF didn't even finish one season, as financial malpractice sunk the league before the playoffs.
We've seen professional football leagues come and go, including the first edition of the XFL. The XFL is back, and it debuts this weekend.
Here's a primer on what we can expect out of Vince McMahon's second try to build a league to compete with the NFL:
What is the XFL, and when is it on?
There are eight teams for the XFL's inaugural season: Dallas Renegades, D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, Los Angeles Wildcats, New York Guardians, St. Louis BattleHawks, Seattle Dragons and Tampa Bay Vipers.
The games start on Saturday with Seattle at D.C. at 2 p.m. ET on ABC and Los Angeles at Houston at 5 p.m. ET on Fox. On Sunday we get Tampa Bay at New York on Fox (2 p.m. ET) and St. Louis at Dallas on ESPN (5 p.m. ET).
The television agreements are huge for the XFL. Being on major networks boosts the legitimacy of the league immediately. Every XFL regular-season game will be on national television. The XFL will have a 10-week regular season and a two-week postseason that concludes with a championship game on April 26.
This is the second try for the XFL, headed up by WWE CEO Vince McMahon. The first XFL lasted one season, in 2001.
Will anyone be watching the XFL?
Based on history, yes. At least for the first week.
The first XFL did great ratings on its opening weekend. The AAF had such good ratings on its opening weekend, it beat a nice Rockets-Thunder NBA matchup in the same time slot. It's a pretty good bet that people will watch the XFL this weekend, out of curiosity if nothing else.
The challenge will be keeping interest after that first weekend. The AAF seemed like it had a good shot to do so, but at the time we didn't know about the financial ruin behind the scenes. Television ratings and social media excitement this weekend won't say much about the viability of the XFL. Check back in a few weeks to see if people are still watching.
Are there any big names in the XFL?
There are some recognizable names on coaching staffs. Bob Stoops is coaching Dallas. June Jones is Houston's head coach. Former Seahawks quarterback and Redskins coach Jim Zorn is a good fit as Seattle's coach. Former Bears coach Marc Trestman is Tampa Bay's head coach.
There are a few quarterbacks fans will remember. Landry Jones (Dallas), Cardale Jones (D.C.), Josh Johnson (Los Angeles) and Aaron Murray (Tampa Bay) are somewhat recognizable names, mostly from their college days. There are a few other players who fans might know, like punter Marquette King, receiver Sammie Coates and receiver Keenan Reynolds. But there are practically no stars in the league. The XFL resisted making a Johnny Manziel-type splash and are banking on the style of play in the league overcoming the lack of big names.
How will the XFL be different?
The XFL is selling itself as a fan-friendly league. It is embracing fantasy football. It wants to be accessible. It touts on its website that tickets start at $20, making it affordable for families.
The main ingredient is an obvious one: football. The game itself needs to be good for any league to succeed. The XFL promises "less stall, more ball" with fewer play stoppages and a faster tempo than the NFL.
There are some interesting rule changes with the XFL. Kickoffs must go in the air and land between the opponent's 20-yard line and the end zone. A "major touchback" will be called if the ball reaches the end zone, with the receiving team getting the ball at the 35-yard line. There are no extra point kicks; teams can choose to go for 1, 2 or 3 points after touchdowns with one play from the 2, 5 or 10-yard line. Teams can attempt two forward passes, as long as the receiver of the first pass is behind the line of scrimmage. There's an alternating single-play overtime that will consist of five rounds, similar to an NHL shootout.
The XFL will be different in many ways. The question the league has to answer is if it can last.
Photo of the year? LeBron's windmill dunk an instant classic
Charles Barkley rips 76ers: 'The Cleveland Browns of the NBA'
NBA trade deadline: Winners and losers
250-pound Jon Jones is completely jacked and 'ready for anyone'
You've never seen Jon Jones like this before.
Urban planner: Does Meyer's arrival with Jaguars open door for Justin Fields at No. 1?
Trevor Lawrence has to be considered the favorite, even with Meyer's obvious ties to Ohio State.
Shaquille O'Neal Goes Scorched-Earth On James Harden After Trade To Nets
The Hall of Famer gave the NBA star an all-time scolding on TNT.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'focus') UI Screenshot
When I input 6 digit of verification code then it shows

Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'focus')

The verification code not coming from the server. It's just normal javaScript code for frontend UI
let codes = document.querySelectorAll('.code')

codes[0].focus()

codes.forEach(function (code, idx) {
    code.addEventListener('keydown', function (e) {
        if (e.key >= 0 && e.key <= 9) {
            codes[idx].value = ''
            setTimeout(() => codes[idx + 1].focus(), 10)
        } else if (e.key === 'Backspace') {
            setTimeout(() => codes[idx - 1].focus(), 10)
        }
    })
})

What should i use in the javaScript sothat the error will solve

A: It means that either codes[idx + 1] or codes[idx - 1] is an index that doesn't exist and returns undefined. You can add a check before you calling the focus method.
setTimeout(() => {
  if (typeof codes[idx + 1] !== 'undefined') {
    codes[idx + 1].focus()
  }
}, 10)

Or you can use the optional chaining operator ?. to shorten it.
setTimeout(() => codes[idx + 1]?.focus(), 10)


What is the Social Media Graveyard?
The leading cause of premature social media death is lack of content. Like humans need oxygen, social media pages need content. Why would people visit your page if nothing ever changes? Think of your page as a never-ending handbook to your products and services. If you sell can koozies, you need content about can koozies. And I'm not talking "We offer koozies in a bunch of colors!" It's going to take more than that. You'll have to stretch your noggin'. Create a highly detailed tongue-in-cheek report detailing the temperature of a drink in a koozie versus a non-koozied drink, complete with an infographic. Think: Am I making something that a person would send to a friend using social media?
Yes, giving stuff away does make it this easy. We all love free stuff, even free stuff we don't really want. Most peoiple have a bunch of t-shirts they never wear but hang on to because, well, they were free. Announce that when you reach 500 fans/followers/guinea pigs, you will give a free koozie to a randomly selected 20 of them. This also works with stuff you can't really sell for some reason. Now before you think that giving away your misprints is foolish and you write it off, remember all those t-shirts? Exactly.
Now that you've followed the first two steps you have all these people clamoring for more funny graphs and free koozies. But you have no more graphs and can't make enough koozies to keep up with demand. Now what?! Well if the stimulation isn't there anymore, maybe it's time to actually talk to your fans. They have willingly decided to listen to you, so interact with them! Your fans and followers know how to Facebook, and they expect you to be able to as well. Retweet their funny sayings, comment on what they do, ask them questions, and if they ask you a question, answer it! You've reached the pinnacle of social media; don't let your audience slip through your fingers. Or their drinks: get them a koozie, for crying out loud.
If your company's social media site currently has a headstone, or is heading perilously towards it, WrightIMC knows how to save it. We live and breathe interactive marketing and we'd love to talk to you about what your company is trying to accomplish in that field. Give us a call at 866-509-4717 or email us at info@wrightimc.com.


President Trump's immigration policy, which includes a wall on the border of Mexico, is creating a barrier between federal workers and their paychecks due to the government shutdown.
On Wednesday, January 17, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers joined with elected officials, representatives of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), other airport workers and union members at LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal.
City Council president Herb Wesson, councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson and supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas addressed the government shutdown and the negative effects it's having on federal workers not just in Los Angeles but the nation.
"This is not a game," said Harris-Dawson.
"Here in the city of Los Angeles, this shutdown has a real impact. I am very grateful to the workers at AFGE who called together this convening but it goes much further than LAX. We have TSA workers here, we have literally, tens-of-thousands people living in the city of Los Angeles right now that are depending on the federal government to do their jobs so that they can make rent within the next month and the month after that.
"I think what I'd like to do first is to apologize to the over 800,000 government workers that find themselves in the middle of this madness," said Wesson.
"We are truly sorry that you are in a situation that you are in and it's important not just to those in L.A. to see but to those in this nation to see that we stand with you in solidarity. There are individuals that cannot afford to go without their pay—they've got to pay their rent. They've got to feed their children and they've got to put gas in their cars.
"I think that this setting, where we are today, is a perfect setting because individuals are coming in-and-out of this airport. The people that are keeping them safe are not making money and being paid but they are the ones that are making sure when you get on these flights, that you and your children, are going to be able to arrive safely.
In December 2018, Trump threatened a government shut down if Democrats didn't include $5 billion to build the wall. Democrats said it would be ineffective and offered $1.3 billion to continue border-security funding. The president pointed out that $5.7 billion was needed for the wall. On January 4, 2019, President Trump announced he would continue the shutdown until Congress included $5.7 billion for the wall. As of January 12, it is the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Up to 800,000 federal workers are missing paychecks with some reports stating many have refused to go to work.
"I'm here simply to stand in solidarity with working men and women," said Ridley-Thomas.
"The message is clear—Mr. President, do not starve the working men and women in this country, they want to work, it is a matter of public safety and human dignity.
"It is beneath the office of the Presidency to starve working men and women, who simply want to make us safe as we travel to and fro on the airways. It is irresponsible on any standard of measure that we would be in this precarious set of circumstances.
TSA officers are members of the AFGE of which Kendrick Roberson is a representative. He shared information on bills in Congress that could help government workers during the shutdown but questions why it seems no action has been taken on the President's part.
"Congress, both the House and the Senate, have passed bills, bi-partisan bills, to open up this government, yet the bills sit at the President's desk—not getting signed," said Roberson.
As of press time, Congress looks to vote to reopen the government this week. Unless both sides come to a mutually, satisfactory outcome, the shutdown could continue. L.A.'s city council have made it clear that the shutdown needs to end before it adds to an already looming issue in the city of Los Angeles.
"I've got to go back to City Hall where I chair the homelessness and poverty committee," said Harris-Dawson. "The city of L.A. is doing everything we can and the county of Los Angeles is doing everything they can to deal with our homelessness crisis.
"Congress, work this out," said Wesson. "Let our very proud workers continue to do the job that they do so well.
"Not everybody has a support system that allows them to come back from not having pay checks," said Roberson. "You have 420,000 people who have been working every day, yet they have not received a pay check.
"And these people that are working every day, these are the people that are border patrol—they are actually protecting the borders.
"To put it in perspective, the President has stopped paying the people manning the border because he wants a border wall.
TSA workers gathered after the press conference to fill out forms for gift cards and food to help them and their families throughout the shutdown.


Welcome to my online portfolio. Here You can find some of the work I've been doing in the movie industry plus some of my personal work. I'm currently working at Weta Digital as a Senior Shader TD/Look Dev artist.


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SpaceX rocket crash-landed at sea
Adelaide Tuesday January 08, 2019
Morrison has crack at Lib minister over climate divisions "beat up" SpaceX rocket crash-landed at sea Rules were followed in sports grants scandal: PM JoyBird's Japanese Fried Chicken Karaage Private investigator to lead Duluk inquiry
Is Kurz's time almost up at United?
Manton St Tales
Many Reds fans are clamouring for the club to shore up the tenure of coach Marco Kurz for next season. But it looks increasingly likely he will depart – and, writes Paul Marcuccitti, that may be by design.
Paul Marcuccitti @P_M_73
United coach Marco Kurz watches the clock during last month's win over the Newcastle Jets. Photo: Darren Pateman / AAP
Tuesday January 08, 2019 2 Comments
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Welcome to 2019. The year of the Asian Cup (which hasn't started too well for Australia), the Women's World Cup finals, and the beginning of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
By the year's end, the A-League's new Western Melbourne team will have made its debut as part of the competition's next expansion phase.
Which is both good news and bad news for Adelaide United.
Like all clubs, the Reds will benefit from the cash injection the new enterprises will provide the A-League and the increased interest that more opposing teams will provide.
But every expansion makes it that much harder to compete. I've previously written that, despite the club's only championship win coming in 2015-16, it was those first four years in the A-League (from 2005 to 2009) in which United most felt like one of the competition's brightest lights.
There were eight teams back then; in a year and a half there will be 12 and only three of them will be located in a city smaller than Adelaide.
Last year included one of the quietest revolutions that South Australian soccer has seen in recent times with Adelaide United's licence being sold to a consortium led by Piet van der Pol.
Ten months later, the changes at United have been slow and steady. Much focus has been placed on off-field matters with the club rebuilding relationships with its active support group, Adelaide Venue Management (operator of Hindmarsh Stadium), South Australia's business community, the game's governing bodies and – to the extent that it's been possible in a short period of time – the rest of the state's soccer public.
Among the best symbols of the fresh approach have been the introduction of a fans' village at Hindmarsh which supporters can enjoy before Adelaide United matches and the kick on the pitch which gives them access to the stadium's famous turf after them.
You never know who will turn up at @thebrompton! Many thanks to #AUFC Chairman @pvanderpol and Advisory Board Chair @ianrsmith65 for joining us for #NEWvADL this evening.#RedArmyAUFC pic.twitter.com/nMutirQoXP
— Red Army AUFC (@RedArmyAUFC) December 30, 2018
There is plenty to do on all those fronts; indeed, the club has a three-year plan which, at the risk of stating the glaringly obvious, has more than two years to run.
As fans we tend not to look that far ahead. Are we winning? Are we losing? Who should be in the team? Who should we sign?
And, in Adelaide United's case at the moment, is the coach going to stay?
Marco Kurz's contract expires at the end of the season and social media posts suggest that most fans believe that if the club doesn't do more to keep him, he'll go elsewhere.
And those comments generally carry an assumption that United would be poorer without him.
But I'm not sure the club's hierarchy agrees.
Which might surprise some supporters who have warmed to the German coach.
He certainly has a few runs on the board. Last season's fifth-place finish was an improvement on the previous campaign's poor championship defence under Guillermo Amor. Add to that the recent FFA Cup triumph.
Fans also love the type of passion Kurz shows from the sidelines, particularly when he's locking horns with rival coaches.
Nevertheless, there have been doubts about him at Adelaide United since the off-season.
One of them surrounds his training methods and the extent to which they've contributed to the continuing run of soft tissue injuries at the club.
As well as the ones we know, others have been unreported – or at least underreported. Before Michael Jakobsen returned to play his first match after four weeks of "soreness", in a press conference he described his injury as "a small tear". There was no follow-up about what had been torn.
When George Blackwood was named for the first time after his collarbone injury, but subsequently omitted from the match day squad, Kurz (again in a press conference) said that the striker had "light muscular problems" in his calves.
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, the squad's only other striker apart from Baba Diawara, hasn't played for a month because of a quad injury. Coincidentally, Diawara had that same injury about this time last year (which was around when the Reds went into a match against Sydney FC with 11 unavailable players: one ill, three on international duty and seven injured).
Soft tissue injuries happen due to Fatigue and an overload of Training with inadequate recovery @AdelaideUnited .. Mr Kurz old school training methods is why his best players keep breaking down .. it's not a curse ! @raymondverheije
— Huss Skenderovic (@HussSkenderovic) January 10, 2018
There have also been questions about Kurz's tactical approach. After the Reds suffered their first A-League loss of the season to Perth Glory, Manton Street Tales argued that his team selection limited United's attacking options.
Later that week I bumped into one of the club's most senior people at a W-League game and they raised that column. I thought I was about to cop an earful but instead found that they agreed with it.
Saturday's match against Wellington would have done little to change the way Kurz is viewed. Blackwood was the only striker available and Ken Ilsø the only number 10.
But Ilsø was sent to centre forward while Blackwood waited for his chance. Kurz's season-long attachment to deploying two defensive midfielders – even when the Reds are at home against lesser teams – continued.
Ken Ilsø, right, competes against Melbourne City's Bart Schenkeveld last month. Photo: James Elsby / AAP
And Kurz persisted with two deep midfielders when Wellington was reduced to ten men in the 68th minute. By this stage Ilsø had been withdrawn. He and Blackwood – the only players available in their respective positions at the moment – have spent a grand total of 14 minutes on the pitch together this season. (And all along, Craig Goodwin was operating more centrally, not in his bread-and-butter position on the wing.)
Blackwood was finally brought on for Vince Lia in the 84th minute. Despite his short cameo, the young forward showed his ability to be the target the Reds needed and managed a couple of efforts on goal. He did that last season too – in fact, he had a better ratio of goals-per-minutes-played in 2017/18 than Diawara (admittedly, the sample size for the Senagalese striker was small).
But he needs more time on the park. Kurz persisted with Nikola Mileusnic when he was struggling in front of goal; he can do the same for the Australia under-23 forward.
The case of Ilsø, who has been used less than a player occupying a visa spot should be, is also curious. It's amusing seeing some fans take to social media to lament that he's been underused, or that he shouldn't have been signed in the first place, while they're also throwing their weight behind the coach. Pure cognitive dissonance – no one is more responsible for United signing the Dane than Marco Kurz.
Ultimately, like Baba Diawara, Kurz is a legacy of Adelaide United's previous owners.
Even if there were more enthusiasm for him now (and even if the season ends on a surprisingly high note) new leaders with new plans might want to select a coach they see as a better fit anyway.
At best, from the point-of-view of those who would like Kurz to be retained, the club is taking a wait-and-see approach (cognisant that he might decide to leave at the end of the season himself). At worst, the decision not to offer him a new contract has been all-but-made and season 2019-20 can start with a coach of the new owners' choosing. With Diawara likely to depart as well, they'll also have (at least) $400,000 of yearly salary available for other players.
Having been both a club director in Netherlands and a player agent, Adelaide United chairman Piet van der Pol has deep networks in the game. Searching for a new coach is unlikely to faze a chap who had Jan Poortvliet (who once played in a World Cup final) coaching his Chinese team. Throw in the global contacts that others at the club have and it won't be difficult to ready a long list of potential replacements for Kurz.
It is not impossible that Marco Kurz will still be coaching the Reds next season. But with every passing day, it looks increasingly unlikely.
Paul Marcuccitti is InDaily's soccer columnist.
marco kurz
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Spiro Karanikos-Mimis Thursday, January 09
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Consider Bikes and Peds – Streetsblog California
Note: GJEL Accident Attorneys regularly sponsors coverage on Streetsblog San Francisco and Streetsblog California. Unless noted in the story, GJEL Accident Attorneys is not consulted for the content or editorial direction of the sponsored content.
Caltrans has long emphasized safety as an key aspect of its work on the state transportation system. However, it has also long prioritized the safety of car drivers and passengers, giving little attention to other people using the system, including bike riders and walkers.
That could change. The recently created Division of Safety Programs and the department's first-ever Chief Safety Officer, Rachel Carpenter, just released a new guidance document [PDF] that tells land use project developers they must consider the safety of and access for people on foot, on bikes, and in transit, as well as in vehicles.
That's right. Caltrans, which reviews land use projects throughout the state as part of its role in maintaining a safe and efficient transportation system, is telling developers they have to think about everyone using roads to get to their sites, not just drivers.
The Safety Programs division will be hosting a webinar at 2 pm on January 20 for local government agencies, planners, consultants, and developers to review and discuss the guidance. (This webinar is not for Caltrans employees, who will be offered their own training internally–this is to make sure there is plenty of room for Caltrans partners to attend.) Register here.
This does not specifically address Caltrans-led projects, but any project that could affect the efficient functioning of the state highways. While it acknowledges that Caltrans does not have authority to require local agencies to carry out safety analyses for its local roads, the department is "hoping the new guidance signals the need for more proactive safety planning by local agencies," according to Caltrans' communications office. "This is especially critical as about two-thirds of fatal and serious injuries occur off the state highway system."
The document is aimed at creating "a uniform practice to apply to land use development statewide, while allowing some flexibility within the districts to address safety needs that may be specific to [each] geographic area." That means aligning any safety impact analyses with other local safety plans. Caltrans sees this as an opportunity to coordinate with local agencies on safety for all road users.
"We look forward to the new and exciting opportunity this brings to Caltrans and safety," a department spokesman said.
According to the new guidance document, some of the elements that may have to be considered in a safety review include:
Degradation of the walking and bicycling environment and experience
New pedestrian and bicyclist desire lines [where people want to go, as opposed to where they are forced to go by design and infrastructure that inhibits their movement]
Multimodal conflict points, especially at intersections and project access locations
Change in traffic composition, such as an increase in bicyclists or pedestrians, where features such as shoulders or sidewalks may not exist or are inconsistent with facility design (sidewalks, bicyclist and multi-user paths, multimodal roadways, etc.)
Increased vehicular speeds
Transition between free flow and metered flow – but the guidance also makes clear that these development safety reviews should not focus on freeway congestion-related crashes, which is a separate problem
But it also reiterates that "automobile congestion or delay itself does not constitute a significant environmental impact (Public Resources Code, §21099(b)(2)), and traffic safety should not be used as a proxy for road capacity." This is consistent with recent shifts in the California Environmental Quality Act, which Caltrans has embraced.
Also, any proposed mitigation measures should "avoid actions that would lead to induced VMT or would worsen conditions for vulnerable users including pedestrians, bicyclists, and micro-mobility users. It is not the intent of the traffic safety review to recommend increasing capacity on conventional highway segments."
The document also recommends developers "propose pedestrian and bicyclist traffic safety mitigations at intersections where a project will negatively impact these modes of travel," and review site designs to identify missing bicycle and pedestrian access.
This is a major shift in Caltrans' perspective on safety, and requiring developers to consider these issues is a huge change. But it will also be up to local planners and advocacy organizations to make sure these policies are more than just lip service on the part of districts, developers, and consultants.
Next The Correlation Between Rail Opponents and the Insurrection – Streetsblog California


The wine tasting method is a simple process that will help you identify specific characteristics of a wine while tasting it. This video will teach you how to taste using this professional method. Anyone can do it and it's easy to learn how to do. Just grab a glass of wine and follow along with the video below!
The 4-step wine tasting method splits a wine tasting up into 4 parts.
Below are detailed notes on the wine tasting method so you can practice along!
Hue and Intensity: Identify the wine's most prominent color as a point of reference. See the wine color chart for a complete list of hues.
Overall Body: All the traits mentioned above come together to give you a sense of the wine's body, which is essentially a measure of how bold it tastes in your mouth. Ask yourself if the wine is light-, medium-, or full-bodied.
Additional Flavors: Are there any flavors you can identify while tasting the wine that you didn't identify in its smell? Take note!
Is the wine in balance? This is a question referencing the notes you made in the tasting section. Wines that are "in balance" have tastes that are balanced between one-another including acidity, tannin (if it's a red), and alcohol level. While different wines have different intensities, a quality wine will be in balance with itself.
Is the wine complex? If you have a great deal of tasting notes for this wine and can still think of more, you've got a pretty complex wine on your hands.
What is your opinion? Now that you've properly assessed the wine, what do you think of it (overall)? We use a very simple 3-point system for this assessment (ew, meh, yay!) but you can use any kind of rating system that works for you.


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package org.vaadin.addon.calendar.client.ui.schedule;

import com.google.gwt.dom.client.Style.Unit;
import com.google.gwt.event.dom.client.ClickEvent;
import com.google.gwt.event.dom.client.ClickHandler;
import com.google.gwt.user.client.ui.*;
import org.vaadin.addon.calendar.client.DateConstants;
import org.vaadin.addon.calendar.client.ui.VCalendar;

import java.util.Date;

/**
 *
 * @since 7.1
 * @author Vaadin Ltd.
 *
 */
public class DayToolbar extends HorizontalPanel implements ClickHandler {

    private int width = 0;
    public static final int MARGINLEFT = 50;
    public static final int MARGINRIGHT = 15;
    protected Button backLabel;
    protected Button nextLabel;
    private boolean verticalSized;
    private boolean horizontalSized;
    private VCalendar calendar;

    public DayToolbar(VCalendar vcalendar) {
        calendar = vcalendar;

        setStylePrimaryName("v-calendar-header-week");

        backLabel = new Button();
        backLabel.setStylePrimaryName("v-calendar-back");
        backLabel.addClickHandler(this);

        nextLabel = new Button();
        nextLabel.addClickHandler(this);
        nextLabel.setStylePrimaryName("v-calendar-next");

        setBorderWidth(0);
        setSpacing(0);
    }

    public void setWidthPX(int width) {
        this.width = width - MARGINLEFT - MARGINRIGHT;
        // super.setWidth(this.width + "px");
        if (getWidgetCount() == 0) {
            return;
        }
        updateCellWidths();
    }

    public void updateCellWidths() {
        int count = getWidgetCount();
        if (count > 0) {
            setCellWidth(backLabel, MARGINLEFT + "px");
            setCellWidth(nextLabel, MARGINRIGHT + "px");
            setCellHorizontalAlignment(backLabel, ALIGN_RIGHT);
            setCellHorizontalAlignment(nextLabel, ALIGN_LEFT);
            int cellw = width / (count - 2);
            if (cellw > 0) {
                int[] cellWidths = VCalendar.distributeSize(width, count - 2,
                        0);
                for (int i = 1; i < count - 1; i++) {
                    Widget widget = getWidget(i);
                    // if (remain > 0) {
                    // setCellWidth(widget, cellw2 + "px");
                    // remain--;
                    // } else {
                    // setCellWidth(widget, cellw + "px");
                    // }
                    setCellWidth(widget, cellWidths[i - 1] + "px");
                    widget.setWidth(cellWidths[i - 1] + "px");
                }
            }
        }
    }

    public void add(String dayName, final Date date, String localized_date_format, String extraClass) {

        HTML l = new HTML(("<span>" + dayName + "</span> " + localized_date_format).trim());
        l.setStylePrimaryName("v-calendar-header-day");

        if (extraClass != null) {
            l.addStyleDependentName(extraClass);
        }

        if (verticalSized) {
            l.addStyleDependentName("Vsized");
        }
        if (horizontalSized) {
            l.addStyleDependentName("Hsized");
        }

        l.addClickHandler(ce -> {
            if (calendar.getDateClickListener() != null) {
                calendar.getDateClickListener().dateClick(DateConstants.toRPCDate(date));
            }
        });

        add(l);
    }

    public void addBackButton() {
        if (!calendar.isBackwardNavigationEnabled()) {
            nextLabel.getElement().getStyle().setHeight(0, Unit.PX);
        }
        add(backLabel);
    }

    public void addNextButton() {
        if (!calendar.isForwardNavigationEnabled()) {
            backLabel.getElement().getStyle().setHeight(0, Unit.PX);
        }
        add(nextLabel);
    }

    @Override
    public void onClick(ClickEvent event) {
        if (!calendar.isDisabled()) {
            if (event.getSource() == nextLabel) {
                if (calendar.getForwardListener() != null) {
                    calendar.getForwardListener().forward();
                }
            } else if (event.getSource() == backLabel) {
                if (calendar.getBackwardListener() != null) {
                    calendar.getBackwardListener().backward();
                }
            }
        }
    }

    public void setVerticalSized(boolean sized) {
        verticalSized = sized;
        updateDayLabelSizedStyleNames();
    }

    public void setHorizontalSized(boolean sized) {
        horizontalSized = sized;
        updateDayLabelSizedStyleNames();
    }

    private void updateDayLabelSizedStyleNames() {
        for (Widget widget : this) {
            updateWidgetSizedStyleName(widget);
        }
    }

    private void updateWidgetSizedStyleName(Widget w) {
        if (verticalSized) {
            w.addStyleDependentName("Vsized");
        } else {
            w.removeStyleDependentName("VSized");
        }
        if (horizontalSized) {
            w.addStyleDependentName("Hsized");
        } else {
            w.removeStyleDependentName("HSized");
        }
    }
}


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All posts by Madeleine Brekke
Journalist Tasting of American Wines
January 16, 2023 AmCham NewsMadeleine Brekke
Kicking off the new year, AmCham hosted journalists and Vinmonopolet representatives for a tasting of American wines at ARTS Restaurant in Aker Brygge. There, member importers Anora, Engelstad, Haugen-Gruppen, Palmer Group, Robert Prizelius, Treasury Wine Estates, and VCT Norway presented over 40 unique vintages currently on the Norwegian market, including newly launched products. In addition, AmCham proudly presented four wines not yet available in Norway.
Our Master Class on California wine variations – led by Oslo Wine School's General Manager Jane Nisbet Huseby – included:
Marimar Estate Blanc de Noir 2019
Robert Mondavi Winery Fume Blanc 2019
Tyler Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay 2020
Francis Ford Coppola Directors Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2019
Marimar Estate La Masia Pinot Noir 2018
Lieu Dit Cabernet Franc 2021
Black Stallion Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Bonterra The McNab Cab 2019
Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Merlot 2016
Full List of Wines Presented
AmCham and our member wine importers enjoy opportunities to jointly inform on American wines. We look forward to future tastings with journalists, partners and members!
US Wines in Norway
Photo: Traci Milimo
In collaboration with member importers, AmCham works to increase knowledge and accessibility of American wines in Norway. US wine market share has increased considerably in the past years, due in large part to our members' tireless efforts.
Vinmonopolet currently offers close to 25,000 products from 85 countries, including over 700 US reds and 300 whites. In 2022, US reds accounted for 9.4% of Vinmonopolet's total red wine sales, while US white wines comprised close to 2% of such sales (Source: Vinmonopolet).
Past Wine Tastings
AmCham Journalist Wine Tasting: Together at Last!
AmCham Journalist Wine Tasting: Together at Last! After a prolonged pandemic pause, the AmCham wine committee and staff were thrilled to once again host an
AmCham Virtual Tasting – Marimar's Love for Wine
AmCham Virtual Tasting – Marimar's Love for Wine For the second in our virtual wine tasting series, AmCham Norway and member company guests welcomed Marimar
Dream Big California Wine Tasting
Grand Wine tasting Event summary Linkedin Facebook Twitter DREAM BIG! https://amcham.no/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WineTasting-3.mp4 Held in the spacious Oslo Konserthus Glasshuset, AmCham, the US Commercial Service, and California
Rising Leaders Afterwork with PortalOne
January 3, 2023 AmCham News, Rising LeadersPortalOne, Rising LeadersMadeleine Brekke
Rising Leaders Afterwork with PortalOne: The Secret Sauce for Hybrid Gaming
For the last afterwork of 2022 and the program finale, Rising Leaders participants and AmCham members had the opportunity to visit hybrid gaming company and Norwegian unicorn, PortalOne's brand new offices at Aker Brygge. Welcoming them were the two co-founders and brothers, Stig Olav and Bård Anders Kasin as well as Head of Brand and Communications, Ingrid Williams.
The sleek modern office has classic arcade game machines spread throughout and a glass view into the green screen studio where all the magic happens.
Hybrid gaming embeds live shows directly into games on players' phone where they can compete against a celebrity guest in real time or try to beat their friends on the daily scoreboard. Celebrities have so far included Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and their lineup for 2023 includes The Rock, Beyoncé, and Christina Aguilera just to name a few.
Stig Olav notes that society today is very much in a constant, dual attention environment, whether it is watching TV while using our phone or other, so a game with a live show, player chat and gaming simultaneously is also doable. The power of the hybrid gaming model is that the daily shows inside the game and particularly season finales create a massive draw and player return. PortalOne's "secret sauce model" is an internal company secret and has other industry giants banging their heads against the desk. The inner workings of their studio has transformed the way that they can produce a type of content without moving cameras, reducing the need for more than two operators and the price of production significantly, which in turn means production of content that is ultra-scalable.
Rising Leaders gathered for the last 2022 afterwork at PortalOne's new office.
Participants and members speak with character designers and get to see the motion capture suit in action.
Bård Anders explained that PortalOne "is very much advertisement free and will always be, to not interrupt the player experience" however, elements within the game may be given attributes and can be easily adapted to include logo designed skins (outfits for the characters) or theme driven game pieces. The live shows act as a magnet and supercharge the engagement levels meaning that they also can have sponsored prizes.
As a 3rd generation of entrepreneurs and investors the brothers, Stig Olav and Bård Anders have built their industry knowledge through the TV and gaming industry. Bård Anders functions as the CEO of PortalOne, and has previous experience working as a Technical Director at Warner Bros. There, he worked on movie productions like the Matrix Trilogy. He also co-founded The Future Group, which provides mixed reality solutions for media production.
As for Stig Olav, he functions as the CXO and has previously worked as a developer and executive producer of interactive entertainment and mobile games. His background includes 10 years in the television industry, includes leading roles for shows like The Voice and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He describes himself as a "mixed media artist" or MMA; an homage to his passion for sports and the industry.
The unofficial motto at PortalOne is "be brumble" a mix between "brave" and "humble". Stig Olav recounted how someone who previously had worked for him got him his connections in Hollywood, reminding the participants that you never know who will open the next door for you.
As advice to the Rising Leaders, Bård Anders and Stig Olav expressed the importance of finding correct investors that have knowledge within the industry you are in. PortalOne's impressive list of investors include Peter Thiel's Founders Fund; TQ Ventures, the investment fund led by Scooter Braun; Schuster Tanger; and Andrew Marks. Coatue Management's investment was led by Arielle Zuckerberg and the Rogue Capital Partners investment was led by Alice Lloyd George. Sunny Dhillon led the investment from Signia Venture Partners whose LPs include Warner Bros., Disney and Tencent. In addition, a number of angel investors also invested in PortalOne. These include Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch; Mike Morhaime, co-founder of Blizzard and Dreamhaven; Amy Morhaime, co-founder of Dreamhaven; Marc Merrill, co-founder of Riot Games; Xen Lategan, former CTO and executive advisor at various companies such as Hulu, and Eugene Wei, former Head of Video at Oculus and Head of Product at Hulu.
They also advised to be mindful that once you are backed by investors there is still a lot of work to be done and to be prepared for obstacles. The company still operates as if they have less to plan for the long term.
The future looks brighter than the neon sign in their lobby with the future goal of IPO. The same way that Spotify is for music and Netflix is for shows, they want to be the number one portal for hybrid games. AmCham thanks the PortalOne team for their hospitality, and willingness to share their experience and time with us.
Building a Unicorn
PortalOne is a US company run from Norway. In 2021 they established a production studio in Los Angeles and launched a closed beta for American and Canadian users. As of December 2022, the company has 55 employees, 48 of whom are in Oslo and seven in the US. Their goal is to stay small and outsource where they can, noting that "the bigger the company is, the harder it is to do it". Currently, they are responsible for full game design and are working on a fifth game to be released.
PortalOne holds the global exclusive rights to all Atari games for the next seven years, after formally being owned by Steven Spielberg for the blockbuster hit "Player One". The retro-inspired games are based on classic Atari arcade games.
Prizes are given to the top-ranking players, called skill prize, and prizes are also given at random to any player that participated in the daily challenge, called a luck prize – meaning that you don't need to have a good score to win. The top player receives $100 and the top ten receive $10 each. "We don't want hardcore gamers because they have good players, but that segment is smaller." They want the games to be for everyone – regardless of age or gaming ability and currently have players up to age 75. As of December 2022, they have millions of games played in total and around seven thousand test players.
Stig Olav shows participants some of the classic arcade games in the PortalOne office.
Past Rising Leaders Events
For the last afterwork of 2022 and the program finale, Rising Leaders participants and AmCham members had the opportunity to visit hybrid gaming company and Norwegian unicorn, PortalOne's brand new offices at Aker Brygge.
Rising Leaders Afterwork with Airthings: From an Idea to a Global Scale Up
Rising Leaders and AmCham members gathered at Airthings' Oslo headquarters in November. CTO and Co-Founder Erlend Bolle kicked off the meeting with a candid, humorous retelling or the Airthings story, highlighting key moments in their incredible journey from Norway-based startup to international scaleup.
Rising Leaders: External Perspectives with Pablo Barrera Lopez
Rising Leaders participants visited Yara International's headquarters where they were welcomed by Senior Vice President of Food Systems Transformation, Pablo Barrera Lopez.
November 24, 2022 AmCham NewsAirthings, Rising Leaders, SustainabilityMadeleine Brekke
Rising Leaders and AmCham members gathered at Airthings' modern Oslo headquarters.
CTO and Co-Founder Erlend Bolle kicked off the meeting with a candid, humorous retelling of the Airthings story, highlighting key moments in their incredible journey from Norway-based startup to international scaleup.
Founded in 2008, the company's products have made radon detection easy to deploy, as it is accurate and user friendly. The products have changed access to monitoring and analyzing radon and other indoor air pollutants.
Fast forward to today, and the company has established offices in the US, Canada, and Sweden, with over 140 employees from over 30 nations. Over 300K monitors have been sold worldwide.
Creating sustainable hardware products from start to finish - and everything in between
Airthings' Sustainability Manager Erwin Hasselbrinck shared his background from Greenpeace, his passion for the environment and how he approaches his mission of creating a sustainable hardware product from start to finish.
Hasselbrinck continues establishing Airthings' circular principles – embedding UN Sustainable Development Goals into Airthings' core business. The key has been to involve employees across all departments in the search and assessment of solutions to create circular and sustainable business practices and value chains.
With the recent launch of their newest indoor air quality monitor, the Space CO2 Mini, considered the company's most sustainable product to date, they have managed to reduce carbon footprint by 50% compared to their first all-around product in the same category. Loaded with features, Space CO2 Mini is equipped with additional sensors for temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, noise, light, virus risk and occupancy.
Erlend Bolle
Erwin Hasselbrinck
Not only is the hardware more sustainable, the addition of these new technologies and sensors helps facility managers to radically reduce energy consumption and use energy more efficiently while proactively fostering a healthy indoor air climate for occupants, benefiting both the planet and their bottom line.
As buildings use 40% of the world's energy – and 30% of that comes from heating, ventilation, cooling, and lights – being able to make data-driven decisions, regulating according to when people are actually present, and reallocating energy usage when necessary, unlocks significant cost savings.
The presentations were followed by a highly engaging group discussion where participants could ask questions, followed by the opportunity to mingle with representatives from Airthings and AmCham member companies. AmCham thanks the Airthings team for their hospitality, willingness to share their stories and taking the time to answer questions from the group.
About the Rising Leaders Program
Rising Leaders, a joint AmCham-US Embassy initiative, brings together entrepreneurs, young professionals, and student leaders in an innovative program that promotes diversity and connects promising talent. Through the program, participants engage international business leaders, learn about AmCham member companies, explore careers, and gain business and leadership skills.
The 2021-2022 Rising Leaders class – comprised of 18 women and 10 men between the ages of 22 and 35 – bring with them experience from healthcare, classical music, urban planning, organizational psychology, immigration, engineering, communications, technology, teaching, economics, finance, and marketing. All 28 program participants have demonstrated leadership, entrepreneurial, and/or business excellence in their educational pursuits and careers thus far.
For more information about the program, or to learn how your organization can get involved, please contact Madeleine Brekke.
Kongsberg and Lockheed Martin signs contract for Norwegian Air Surveillance Radars
November 17, 2022 Business News, Defense / Securitydefence, Kongsber, Lockheed, safetyMadeleine Brekke
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) and Lockheed Martin signed a contract
for KONGSBERG's support of the delivery of the TPY-4 radar to Norway for the
Norwegian Radar Sensor (NORSE) Project.
Through this ca 900 MNOK contract, KONGSBERG will be a significant partner and
subcontractor to Lockheed Martin for the deliveries to the NORSE project. The
KONGSBERG scope of delivery includes hardware, software and final assembly and
test of the TPY-4 radar systems before installation at the radar sites.
"This contract with Lockheed Martin exemplifies the importance of building
durable and trusted partnerships to serve both national and international
customers. Together we will deliver world class radar technology to the
Norwegian Armed Forces. This contract is not only important for KONGSBERG but
also for our subcontractors in Norway," says President of Kongsberg Defence &
Aerospace, Eirik Lie.
In 2018 Lockheed Martin and KONGSBERG signed a Teaming Agreement for cooperation
on the delivery of TPY-4 radars to international customers.
Kongsberg (OSE-ticker: KOG) is an international, knowledge-based group that
supplies high-tech systems and solutions to customers in the energy, merchant,
navy and defence and aerospace industries. Kongsberg has more than 11,000
employees in 40 countries and a total revenue of NOK 27.5bn in 2021.
AmCham Financial Forum: National Budget Impacts for Business & (Re)negotiating Office Spaces
October 26, 2022 Accounting / Financial, AmCham NewsFinancial ForumMadeleine Brekke
Member and partner leaders gathered at Dalan Advokatfirma's downtown office for our quarterly Financial Forum. This session focused on commercial property agreements, the suggested 2023 Norwegian National Budget impacts for business and a transatlantic economy in flux.
As post-pandemic offices continue to evolve, many AmCham companies are (re)negotiating price, size, and shared costs – while increasingly focusing on ESG impacts.
Benedicte Krogh Grimstad – Partner
Karoline Røvik Zeiner – Partner
Mahmoud Farahmand – (H), Member of Stortinget's Finance & Economic Affairs Committee
Benedicte Krogh Grimstad and Karoline Røvik Zeiner, Partners at Dalan Advokatfirma, led the discussion through market trends within commercial real estate – noting their observations of a change in purpose for office spaces. Grimstad covered market trends as well as shared cost considerations for current energy pricing. According to Grimstad, companies are not downsizing as one would predict with prevailing work-from-home initiatives, but rather creating more flexible working environments with social zones and meeting points for collaboration. "The office is becoming a destination where people want to be."
Karoline Røvik Zeiner when on to expertly detail the rapid emergence of standardized environmental addendums to commercial rental contracts. Obligating both landlords and renters to "contribute to environmentally friendly use and operation of the property," such agreements include environmental standards, maintenance, improvement regimens and investment cost share provisions.
National Budget Impacts for International Business
On October 6th, Norway's minority center-left coalition government presented its proposal for the 2023 National Budget. Mahmoud Farahmand (H), Member of Stortinget's Finance & Economic Affairs Committee, joined to discuss the priorities and reductions set forth and how these will impact the international business community.
"Increased employment tax will hamper Norway's ability to compete in international markets," stated Farahmand. Some international companies are in fact already hesitating to hire locally, as roundtable employment venue selection examples illustrated.
Farahmand also emphasized that the proposed discontinuation of reduced electricity tax rates for Norway-based data centers will severely hamper the country's ability to digitize and compete for strategic cloud infrastructure. Targeted crypto mining regulation, it was agreed, should be finalized in lieu of spoiling Norway's longstanding industry efforts and progress.
AmCham and Hill+Knowlton have summarized the proposed budget with the international focus of AmCham members in mind, available HERE.
About the AmCham Financial Forum
AmCham's collaborative Financial Forum enables cross-industry leaders to openly exchange and learn from their peers – building a better understanding of what it takes to maintain successful international operations in Norway.
Read more about our Financial Forum and please contact Madeleine.brekke@amcham.no for interest in future meetings
AmCham Financial Forum: IPO Frenzy and Transparent Compensation
Leaders gathered at KPMG Norway's downtown offices for AmCham's quarterly Financial Forum. Reflecting on his own observations over the past years' "Norwegian IPO Frenzy," our forum was kicked off by Geir Bjørlo, Partner at Corporate Communications. With 100 listings since 2020, the pace has now slowed to only a handful due to current uncertainty.
AmCham Financial Forum: Bitcoin for Business and the CFO's Role in Resilience
Leaders from AIG, American Express, Amgen, Badenoch + Clark, BI Norwegian Business School, Citi, Gard, Helly Hansen, Interimleder, KPMG, Kvamme Associates, Sparebank1, Raise Gruppen (IC Scandinavia), and Rud Pedersen gathered in person and virtually at AmCham Norway's downtown offices for our quarterly Financial Forum.
Three Questions with Lars Tomasgaard, Managing Director – Nordox
September 14, 2022 AmCham Newsnordox, Three QuestionsMadeleine Brekke
THREE QUESTIONS WITH
Lars Tomasgaard
Managing Director, Nordox
Nordox has a leading position as a global supplier of dicopper oxide (cuprous oxide), with origins dating back to 1886. Please describe how the chemical is utilized in different industries.
The chemical's unique qualities make for varied use. Nordox builds upon its long history, adapting to technological changes and new market requirements.
In the marine industry, dicopper oxide is used as a biocide in antifouling paints. Slightly elevated levels of copper on ships' hulls prevents the build-up of foulants, avoiding increased fuel costs caused by friction from marine growth.
In conventional and organic agriculture, dicopper oxide is used as fungicide for the protection of a wide range of agricultural, horticultural and forestry crops.
Other applications range from fish farming and animal feed production, textile and building materials such as roofing granules, to heavy duty applications in the ceramics and glass industries.
Please tell us about Nordox' US operations, such as types of export use and geographic regions.
The US is Nordox' second largest market after China, with a long history of working with US companies and vendors. Some of these collaborations date back 50 years, in addition to newer relations to entrepreneurs who have had great success in implementing dicopper oxide in their products.
In terms of use areas, we are seeing some innovative ways of utilizing copper, an element that has long been known to have antibacterial and antiviral properties. For instance, we supply cuprous oxide to the US for use in hospital bed linens, face masks, bandages, other medical supplies – and even in socks for military use.
In agriculture, dicopper oxide is ideal for warm and moist areas where bacteria typically thrive, such as in California, from Fresno up to the Canadian border, and in Florida. In California, for instance, where weather can be dry, dew forms at night, as well as rain during winters. For organic wine production, US wineries utilize Nordox products since they are OMRI-certified.
The utilization of fertilizers and related industrial products are key to ensuring agricultural predictability and feeding the world's population. What role do Nordox products play in supporting food production, such as a fertilizer on soils with a copper deficiency?
Dicopper oxide is an important tool to prevent crop loss due to fungicidal infections and copper deficiency. Lower yields mean less food produced per area. Our products protect an area corresponding to three times Norway's arable land.
Bonus question! What is your favorite destination in the United States?
That has to be Portland, Maine! I like the sea and lobster. I have visited once before and would very much like to return. I vividly remember and thoroughly enjoyed the air and atmosphere.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH Lars Tomasgaard Managing Director, Nordox Nordox has a leading position as a global supplier of dicopper oxide (cuprous oxide), with origins dating
Three Questions with Bob Blue, Bonterra
THREE QUESTIONS WITH Bob Blue Founding Winemaker, Bonterra, California Founder, 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel When coming up with a new method for winemaking,
Three Questions with Angeliqua Ramming-Gaden
THREE QUESTIONS WITH Angeliqua Ramming-Gaden Senior Nordic Partner Development Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Having worked in the IT industry for over 20 years, have
AmCham Norway's 22nd Annual Golf Tournament
August 29, 2022 AmCham NewsAmCham Golf Tournament, GolfMadeleine Brekke
Generously sponsored by Oracle and PwC, the AmCham Golf Tournament celebrated its 22nd anniversary at Hauger Golf Club, bringing together 28 teams comprised of 104 players from all sectors of Norway's international business community to network and compete for the coveted Søderstrøm Cup and round trip tickets to the US from Norse Atlantic Airways.
The tournament's format, Texas Scramble and special hole competitions – kept golfers on their toes and ensured everyone had a great day "in the office".
Gathering for the third and final time at Hauger's challenging yet picturesque course, this year's weather could not have been better. Players kept cool in the sun, enjoying refreshing beverages throughout the day, courtesy of Coca-Cola and enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner buffet al fresco.
In a close team competition, PwC came in first place and walked away with the tournament cup, four round trip tickets from Norse Atlantic Airways to any of their US destinations, as well as prizes provided by Anora, Edrington, Helly Hansen, and Mondelez.
Three teams came in just behind with -14. Determined by handicap, KPMG came in second, just ahead of GE Healthcare in third, and Helly Hansen coming in at fourth. The 2nd and 3rd place winners walked away with prizes from Anora, Hauger Golf Club, Grand Hotel Oslo, Oracle, and Shades of Norway.
As in previous years, several individual prizes were also up for grabs. Bayer's Andreas Røskaft, earned the "Closest to the pin" taking home American wines courtesy of AmCham. Panamera's Caroline Martens won the women's longest drive, taking home an Eleni & Chris hair and skincare set from IC Scandinavia. Global Blue's Elia Hoelstad captured the men's prize for longest drive, coming away with a ROAM hair and barber set from IC Scandinavia. Five players competed for the final putt off with Per Arne Evensen (Interim Norge) coming out on top, taking home a gift card from Hotel Bristol, American wines and the Viking Arm tool.
The increasingly popular tournament is held in August each year. For questions about participation, prizes, or sponsorship for the AmCham Golf Tournament, please contact Madeleine Brekke at amcham@amcham.no
The winning team from PwC: Musse Berhane, Snorre Lunde, Karine Bolme, Lil Lootus
2022 Prize Sponsors
May 24, 2022 Accounting / Financial, AmCham NewsFinancial ForumMadeleine Brekke
Oslo Børs is hotter than Nasdaq and London. Oslo Børs holds a unique position internationally and is world-leading within the energy, shipping and seafood sectors, making Norway a preferred country for IPOs – as international stakeholders trust Norway's financial institutions and methods.
Most of the Norwegian IPOs are related to sustainable investments and "energy capital" considerations. More listings are expected to take place post-summer, with the next window occurring in September through October.
"Uplisting" has been a buzzword over the past 12 months, says Bjørlo, referring to the process of listing an existing public stock on a major exchange. For example, transferring the listing venue from Euronext Growth to the main list on Oslo Børs. Uplisting reflects the company's growth ambitions and shareholder base while contributing to increased visibility and access to a larger investor audience.
It has been very common for companies going public to announce targets for their projected earnings in 2025 rather than their actual past performance since a lot of companies still don't have meaningful revenues. This practice is not usual on the NYSE for example.
Bjørlo walked participants through the "IPO toolbox," illustrating how to build a trustworthy and credible company, as well as how to avoid post-listing value destruction. "ESG reporting is where accounting was in the 50's," suggesting there is still much work to be done in making ESG reporting more sophisticated.
Norway continues to be a preferred country for investments in seafood, shipping and energy, with the latter now branching to renewables in addition to "traditional" energy markets.
Geir Bjørlo – Partner
Simona Vasile – Tax & Legal Partner
Image: Corporate Communications
Empowering Talent: Structure, Values, Technology Enabled Processes, and Equitable and Transparent Compensation
Simona Vasile, KPMG Tax & Legal Partner and the Head of Technology & Innovation at KPMG Law, presented trends and methodologies on current pain points of talent retention, gender pay gaps, how the remote workforce is reshaping policy decisions, and compensation benefit strategies while preserving value.
Following the pandemic, many companies still allow their employees to work remotely, however, making sure the employees stay compliant becomes a bigger liability. According to Vasile, "the ability to work remotely looks amazing from the talent perspective but can be an absolute headache for companies." For employees looking to work from another country, this could mean that they need to be paid the local salary and pay taxes in the country they work from. Vasile also notes that there are differences between industries. Tech companies generally allow their employees more remote work than other industries.
Companies have tried to incentivize employees to stay in their positions (and some at their desks, or at least their country) through a variety of perks such as travel, bikes, and meals, but each incentive requires many layers of administration for the company. Many companies therefore opt for monetary bonuses according to Vasile.
Vasile also shared innovative technology insights using automation, AI and data analytics to both better understand employee preferences and customize the employee experience by creating seamless interactions with collaborators and partners. One such tool that KPMG uses is an Employment Methodology Framework to evaluate companies on aspects including employee retention, diversity and gender balance, and employee compensation.
Image: KPMG
The AmCham Financial Forum is a platform that provides member financial leads the opportunity to interact, share best practices, and learn from each other – building a better understanding of what it takes to run a successful international finance department in Norway.
Read more about our Financial Forum and please contact Madeleine.brekke@amcham.no for interest in future meetings.
May 4, 2022 AmCham News, Rising LeadersRising Leaders, YaraMadeleine Brekke
After a detailed overview of Yara's history and mission, Pablo shared his personal career journey and how he landed his first role at Yara. Pablo grew up in Haugesund and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration and a Master of Science in Finance, both from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). After nearly five years of working at Boston Consulting Group, he was eager to influence the direction of a company and wanted to work internationally. Yara fit the bill. During his eight-year tenure at one of the most international companies in the country, he's held diverse roles ranging from strategy and business development to supply chain and even Country Manager of Yara Chile, his parent's homeland.
Currently, Pablo still works at Yara, however he has been seconded to IMAGINE as the Executive Director of the Food Collective. There, food and beverage company CEOs address issues in the food industry to systematically collaborate on challenges across the value chain.
Pablo emphasized the importance of connecting with colleagues outside of one's function and exposing oneself to external perspectives – "otherwise, you become too operational." He considers himself to have a very low threshold for reaching out to others and really enjoys learning and connecting with stakeholders across the value chain, which is a critical aspect of his role at IMAGINE. He encouraged the Rising Leaders to truly understand their organization's strategy and figure out a way to uniquely contribute to it.
AmCham thanks Pablo for his willingness to share his personal experience with the group and Yara for their hospitality.
Pablo Barrera Lopez - Yara International
Past Rising Leader Events
Business Advancements in Focus: Executive AI Training Course
May 4, 2022 AmCham News, TechnologyAIMadeleine Brekke
AmCham staff and members participated in a two-part Executive Training course on Artificial intelligence (AI) provided by Simula Learning during April.
The course was developed for business executives with limited technical experience to familiarize themselves with the terminology and concepts of AI.
Day 1 focused on introducing participants to Artificial Intelligence with basic definitions, including data sources and methods, as well as defining machine learning and a general understanding of neural networks. Participants were then given the opportunity to teach a self-driving robot to avoid falling off a table.
Day 2 focused on use cases of AI, machine learning techniques, privacy and ethics around AI, implementation for respective industries as well as opportunities and limitations for the future of AI. Participants worked in groups to design an AI system for an education use case. Looking at future technology the session covered several fascinating projects in natural language processing, coding, and image generation.
The class was taught by PhD-candidate Hanna Borgli and Associate Professor Håkon Kvale Stensland from Simula.
To see what other executive courses are available through Simula Learning visit: https://www.simulalearning.no/for-bedrifter


text:
10 Things You Need to Know about 15 Minutes of Fame
BY David K. Israel
Ian Burt, Flickr / CC BY 2.0
1. Artist Andy Warhol coined the concept/phrase in 1968.
2. Warhol was actually born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928, to Slovak immigrants in a working class suburb of Pittsburgh.
3. If you ever visit Pittsburgh, be sure to check out the Warhol Museum. The café has pretty good salads.
4. "15 minutes of fame" is a paraphrase. What he actually said was, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."
5. Another famous Warhol quote I've always admired: "I have a social disease. I have to go out every night." (He was a regular at Studio 54 back in its heyday.)
6. In 1986, Warhol hosted an MTV show called Andy Warhol's 15 Minutes featuring celebrities, artists, musicians, and designers.
7. The very next year, in 1987, Warhol died of complications during his recovery from a routine gall bladder surgery. He certainly had more than his 15 minutes worth, tho.
8. The 1999 Sugar Ray album 14:59 plays on the Warhol quote. (Clearly they didn't want to be one-hit wonders.)
9. The Strokes have a song called "15 Minutes." I have a hard time with the song because, if you recall, I have a hard time with lyrics that ignore the subjunctive. Take a listen:
10. In 2005, the BBC ran a celeb quiz show called 29 Minutes of Fame. It was canceled after only six episodes.
Art Pop Culture


Description:The next meeting of the CML Policy Committee Meeting will be held at CML on Friday, December 7 at 10:00 AM. Light refreshments will be available starting at 9:30 AM, and lunch will be provided.
Members, section chairs, and alternates attending in place of members - please indicate your plans to attend in person by responding online. RSVP's are requested no later than Tuesday, December 4. We expect to adjourn no later than 1:30 PM. On-site parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Notes:Meeting Time: 10:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.