text:
Home Technology Instagram won't have a dedicated app for it's ipad users
Instagram won't have a dedicated app for it's ipad users
March 1, 2022 January 18, 2023
According to Adam Mosseri due to many reasons Instagram won't ever have a dedicated app for ipad.
Instagram does not seem too keen to introduce a dedicated app for the iPad. The news will go down well with iPad users as a separate app for iPad apps has always been in demand. In a Twitter post, Adam Mosseri listed out the reasons why Instagram may never get an app made especially for the iPad OS. Interestingly, WhatsApp, which is also owned by Meta, was spotted working on a dedicated app for iPad OS but the messaging app too seemed to have scrapped the idea.
"It's still just not a big enough group of people to be a priority," Mosseri said on Twitter in reference to the possibility of an iPad app for Instagram. "Hoping to get to it at some point, but right now we're very heads down on other things."
In 2021, Apple reported that of 1.6 billion active devices, more than 1 billion of them were iPhones. With sales that continue to outpace the rest of Apple's hardware lineup and other smartphones, Mosseri apparently has enough reason to discount platforms with install bases measured by mere tens or hundreds of millions and ignore anyone who just wants to flip through photos on their tablet. Mosseri only proves that point further in another tweet, where he mentions Android — which currently has over 3 billion active devices — as the largest platform Instagram serves. If that's the case, Instagram has no problem skipping over anyone on iPad.
"As part of our efforts to make a video as simple as possible to discover and create, we will no longer be supporting our standalone app for IGTV. Instead, we will focus on having all videos on the main Instagram app. We believe that this makes it easier for people to have all of these features and abilities in the main app, and are excited to continue to simplify and improve video in the main Instagram app over the coming months," the company wrote.
Adam Mosseri Instagram Ipad

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
EDS & Academy
McAtee nominated for PL2 August Player of the Month Award
Mon 06 Sep 2021, 15:00
City Elite Development Squad midfielder James McAtee has been shortlisted for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month Award for August.
McAtee an inspiring EDS example, says Barry-Murphy
The 18-year-old has been one of the standout performers for Brian Barry-Murphy's Young Blues, who currently sit top of the table on goal difference.
McAtee is currently Premier League 2's top scorer having found the net six times in just three matches, while he has also laid on one assist from midfield so far this season.
That impressive tally was achieved through successive hat-tricks in our most recent matches against Blackburn and Manchester United respectively, which both ended in 4-2 victories.
Those performances also transferred into our EFL Trophy campaign, where the midfielder was on target once again in our 3-0 win over Scunthorpe United in Group Five.
And McAtee's stellar contributions across 2021-22 thus far have been recognised by his inclusion on an eight-man shortlist for the Player of the Month award.
The shortlist has been selected by the Premier League's Football Development Panel after PL2 club coaches nominated the best performance by an opponent in each of their league matches and is also based on performances in the EFL Cup. The Panel will also decide the winner.
DOWNLOAD THE MAN CITY APP
Shortlist in full
Aaron Ramsey (Aston Villa)
Omari Giraud-Hutchinson (Arsenal)
Evan Ferguson (Brighton)
Harvey Vale (Chelsea)
James McAtee (Man City)
Dylan Stephenson (Newcastle)
Jonathan Tomkinson (Norwich)
Dilan Markanday (Tottenham Hotspur)
News EDS & Academy James McAtee Player of the Month Premier League 2


text:
The Texans Inc. Lamp Factory, a Final Look
In 2005 I had the opportunity to tour the former Texans Incorporated manufacturing plant in Bangs, Texas and, given my interest in the companies history, found it both exciting and decidedly sad. Less than two years earlier my wife and I wandered into Bangs, hoping to find some clues that might reveal the history of the "Kron" TV lamps. Now I was surveying the remnants of their source...I had arrived 20 years too late. Before I go further I must explain a bit of this buildings past. It is on the location of the original Texans Inc. facility built in 1952, rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1971 and repaired after at least one other significant fire. It was sold in 1983 and became Challenger Lamps, sold again to American Quality Ceramics, and was used by that company until April of 2003. At the time of my visit, the contents of the factory consisted of a mixture of items from the three companies, and was just days from complete liquidation. Today the building is owned by the Bangs school district, and used to store buses and maintenance items.
The history of many of the pieces of machinery is hard to determine. An example of this is the row of kiln shown on the left which, while certainly not from the Texans days, could have been installed by either Challenger or, more likely, American Quality Ceramics. These would be dwarfed by the twin 70-foot tunnel kiln that Texans used for the bulk of their production. There was a significant shift in products during the Quality Ceramics days, with much of their attention going to plates and other pieces made for the Bradford Exchange, producers of limited-edition collectibles. I'm of the opinion that Challenger Lamps made minimal changes to the Texans Inc. operation, as lamps were still the major focus of their output. Most likely, the majority of modifications to the plant occurred while Quality Ceramics was at the helm.
But even as much has changed over the years, the ghosts of Texans Incorporated are still present, like the enormous slip tanks that were used to mix and store the liquefied clay. In the dark recesses of the building, they are a brooding testament to the activity that once flourished at the factory. The neglect evident throughout the building only underscores the feeling of loss...loss of jobs, loss of tradition and, to some extent, loss of the very identity of a community. When the lamp factory was built, Bangs changed from a small agricultural town to the embodiment of modern manufacture, an image that it maintained for thirty years. Later generations are often unaware of this legacy, but through the efforts of local historians like David Cole, there's hope that the factory won't be forgotten. The memory of the Texans Inc. lamp factory deserves to live on, its products the artifacts of the boomtown that was once Bangs.
- Mark Stevens
The photos below are in the sequence of a clockwise tour of the building, beginning and ending near the main entrance.
Kiln, probably installed by Quality Ceramics for the manufacture of plates.
Richard Gunter next to a kiln from the Texans Inc. days.
Another angle.
Another look at the vintage kiln.
Against the wall are the spray booths once used for lamp decorating.
Slip tanks.
Various mold cases, many still marked with their old "K" model numbers indicated.
Some of these molds are 40 years old.
Richard spots some of the old lamp models.
Some were discovered to be Richard's designs.
Many areas of the plant showed serious neglect.
Carts for moving products.
Some Quality Ceramics items still present.
This room was added after Texans.
The safe that once stored the gold (suspended in a varnish) used to decorate products.
Home - Manufacturers - Subjects - Newsletter - Collector's Club - Contact


text:
image courtesy Varjo
Varjo Raises $8.2M Investment to Further Develop "Human Eye-resolution" Headsets
Varjo Technologies, a Helsinki-based startup known for its 'human eye-resolution' display intended for VR headets, today announced it's closed an $8.2M Series A funding round that aims to support the upcoming launch of Varjo-branded enterprise VR/AR/XR products.
The Series A was lead by European venture capital fund EQT Ventures Fund, followed by Lifeline Ventures Fund III, The Venture Reality Fund, private investor John Lindfors, Foobar Technologies, Presence Capital Fund I, Bragiel Bros I, and Sisu Game Ventures.
With its eye on producing its own enterprise-facing headsets housing what Varjo calls a 'Bionic' display, the company says a Varjo-branded VR/AR/XR products will begin shipping to professional users in late Q4, 2017.
comparison showing standard VR headset display next to Varjo's 20/20 prototype, image courtesy Varjo
"Varjo is fast growing from a startup to a best-in-class global supplier of VR/AR headsets," said Urho Konttori, CEO and founder of Varjo Technologies. "We are now moving past research into the development stage and are so glad to achieve this in collaboration with EQT Ventures. We clicked the moment we met with them – the team literally started on go-to-market strategy during our first meeting. With EQT Ventures, we not only have a VC, but a true partner in growth."
Varjo Raises $31 Million to Further Develop 'Bionic Display' Headset
Varjo calls their prototype "20|20", saying that it's specifically designed for professional users and with resolutions more than 70 times beyond any currently shipping or announced head-mounted display.
Varjo's prototype hiding inside of an Oculus Rift, image courtesy Ubergizmo
Tech Crunch got a hands-on with an early demo of Varjoi's tech back in June, which packed a pair of high-resolution Sony MicroOLED displays measuring 0.7 inches diagonally, boasting 3,000 pixels per inch (PPI). As a significant jump from Oculus Rift of HTC Vive's 447-461 PPI, the chief complaint with these microdisplays is they typically don't provide an acceptable field of view (FOV) for the purposes of VR, but Varjo says their upcoming VR headset will ultimately deliver an 100 degree FOV, just shy of the Rift or Vive's 110 degree FOV.
The company is so far staying mum on any other specifics surrounding their headset.
Varjo Secures $6.7M Investment, First Batch of "Human Eye-Resolution" VR Prototypes Shipping to Partners Soon
Shut up and take all my money and my soul.
Walter Sharrow
I dunno… from what I've heard the planned Pi 8k is actually more immersive then previous headsets, not just because of the resolution bump but because of it's MUCH wider field of view. I'm keen on clearer visuals, but I think I want wider ones even more.
Alorwin
From what I've heard, it's both less-immersive and just an upscaler taking a 1440p signal. There are no reviews of the final-product, everyone is buying in on the claimed-specs and nothing more.
the Pimax 8kX doesn't scale up, but supports 2x4k natively
They also don't even know if it can run, basically. "We're still testing it" and shit. As it is, the Pimax 5K or the 8kX are the only ones worth money, and given the 8kX will almost certainly require a next-gen graphics card, or twin 1080Ti's($1500)… Eh. 5K or bust. Fuck paying extra for an upscaler and screen-size.
Heliosurge
Actually they have said they do have a mock up if the 8kX & have been doing some testing. Kickstarter Page "No obvious difference between 8k & 8kx" meaning you have to really look for the differences.
The benefit the base 8k will have over the 5k model is higher pixel density & as a result more ppd.
Not true. Tested did a preview of it and said the extra FOV was very immersive. Adam Savage said it made him regret going back to the narrow FOV of the Oculus and VIVE. Here's the video.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuVWs9IZIvk
I already watched all 38 minutes of the Tested review and my take away was that the device leaves MUCH to be desired, except for the FOV… and given the distortion, even the FOV left much to be desired.
Readup on recent Doc-ok on the issue. Within the next week or 2 wait for the next reviews. Recently Luckey Palmer tried one & wants one
The 8k is 1440p per eye upscaled. As an owner of the 4k model the upscaled to 4k is quite nice.
Agreed. 0.7″ display, this is going to have an extremely narrow FoV OR the pixels per degree will just drop big time. Either way, not interesting.
Totally agree we need wider fov for true immersion !
what's the point having perfect resolution if we're still looking thru tunnel vision?
You have to be aware that the wider the FOV, the lower the pixel density at same resolution. Which means that for 200° you have to double resolution to get the same result, and quadruple if you want a clearer image.
Also while the Pi8 seem to work fine as a solution for wider FOV and better resolution (if I believe a friend who tested it at VRDC), there are artefacts due to the wider lenses and screen it has to stretch the light from.
psuedonymous
The core feature that would differentiate their HMD from any other small-panel-in-front-of-a-large-panel HMD is the ability to MOVE that small panel faster than the eye can saccade in order to keep it covering the foveal region. They have not demonstrated this capability, and have not even proposed a mechanism through which they would achieve this.
Well, they're the only one with a working high-density focus mirror, they're only plan I'm aware of is having the mirror move according to eye movement. The "eye saccade" micro-seconds of slack you talk about is certainly an helping element but they're clearly the only one working on it. Not those greasy speculative good-for-no-innovation corporations so start-ups gotta do it.
100 degree FOV?? No thanks. Enough of looking through scuba diving goggle.
20/20 vision is good but I rather higher fov over clarity, so I'm more hype about pimax 200° fov headset.
I will order the next version (with eye-tracked magnetised adjusting mirrors) if it's decently priced (by that I mean ~1000€+ not that ridiculous and unjustified "below 10,000€" I've seen), also I'm very positively surprised that it actually fits an Oculus form-factor.
For people talking about FOV, that is not the point of Varjo at all, but then…duh of course we've reach a point where the limited "scuba diving" FOV is becoming unbearable for most regular VR users (it's been the case for me and my colleagues for 2 years) and guess what…VR manufacturers have no solutions planned to significantly improve this in the next iteration…which if they don't come out in 2018 means VR is dead for this cycle so…
Love the competition, but I feel the industry has got to ditch this standard of 100/110degree FOVs and start going for at least 180.
This is a great contribution but this is just a stepping stone to the ultimate prize, full immersion. With goggle vision, it is still rather convincing. However, I think most of us would agree the true prize is removing any sensation of wearing goggles. I understand the computing power necessary is a challenge, but it is achievable. I ended up with the Gear Vr and the Rift. The Gear came complimentary with my galaxy S8 and ultimately what motivated me to grab the Rift. I sincerely enjoy the Vive however it did not provide enough of a value for me to spend the extra money.
I've made my decision/investment and I look forward to pulling out my wallet in hopefully the next few years to purchase the first full immersive VR headset. Until then, I look forward to seeing what the developers can do with the current hardware.


The Quik app on IOS is exporting a vedio with maximum resolution of 1080p @ 60 fps while my gopro 7 black cam shoots at 4K @ 60 fps and 1080p @ up to 240 fps.
😢 so no need for upgrading the cam while the gopro quik app dosnt export the exact resolutions.
Gopro planning to upgrade the app to handle the cam power soon?
However Quik is designed for Quick editing and short clips that can be shared right away on any social media sites.
For now you may try other software for editing videos.


text:
/*
 *  Opt_Object.h
 *  C-Store - Optimimzation
 *
 *  Created by Nga Tran on 10/28/05.
 *
 *  Questions, ask Nga Tran at nga@brandeis.edu or Tien Hoang at hoangt@brandeis.edu
 *
 *  Base class for optimzed plan
 */

#ifndef _OPT_OBJECT_H_
#define _OPT_OBJECT_H_

#include <string>

using namespace std;

class Opt_Object {
 public:
  // Default constructor
  Opt_Object();

  // Default Destructor
  virtual ~Opt_Object();

  // Clone
  virtual Opt_Object* clone();

  // Clone with new table names, new table alias
  virtual Opt_Object* clone(string sTableName, string sTableAlias);

  // Return a string presentation for this aggregate
  virtual string toString();

  // Return a string presentation for this aggregate
  virtual string toStringNoTableDot();

  // Get table name of this object
  virtual string getTableName();

  // Set table name of this object
  virtual void setTableName(string sTableName);

  // Check if this object is a column
  virtual bool isColumn();

};

#endif // _OPT_OBJECT_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Machine Translation • By Seyma Albarino On 6 Jan 2023
Synthetic Data Can Improve Machine Translation – New Research from IBM, UCSD
New research from IBM and University of California, San DIego (UCSD) suggests that pre-training machine learning models using synthetic data could lead to improved machine translation (MT).
In their December 2022 paper, Synthetic Pre-Training Tasks for Neural Machine Translation, UCSD researchers Zexue He and Julian McAuley, and IBM's Graeme Blackwood, Rameswar Panda, and Rogerio Feris, called synthetic data a potentially "promising stepping stone towards relieving the data burden in NMT as well as building accurate and trustworthy MT systems."
Corpora crawled from the Web, a convenient source of vast amounts of data and a mainstay in machine learning, are linked to issues of copyright infringement and offensive output. (Some of the most egregious examples have been noted in the AI Incident Database).
Using synthetic data can mitigate or eliminate these challenges, while improving the translation quality for low-resource languages.
To pre-train MT models, the team examined two methods, which they refer to as obfuscated data versus synthetic data.
The first technique obfuscates words in natural parallel data: Using German-to-English parallel data as an example, each source (German) word corresponds to its own unique, obfuscated nonsense source word; while each target (English) word also corresponds to a target nonsense token.
The researchers replaced each source and target word with their corresponding nonsense tokens to create nonsense parallel data that retained useful linguistic information, including distributional frequencies, word order, and grammatical structure.
By contrast, the second method, procedural data generation, allowed the researchers to have complete control over certain facets of the data, such as the level of noise.
The team used "permuted binary trees," generating random sentences, splitting the sentences at random points, and repeating the process for the resulting sub-strings. This synthetic parallel data produced reflects some aspects of the reordering process that occur naturally during translation.
Synthetic Data In Action
According to the authors, their evaluation led them to the "surprising conclusion" that the transfer benefits of pre-training still apply even when pre-training on obfuscated or entirely synthetic data.
Combining obfuscated data with even a relatively small proportion of real-world data (e.g., German-to-English translations) was shown to provide "the majority of the benefit of large-scale regular pre-training."
Can obfuscated data replicate the benefits of pre-training on regular parallel data? The researchers thought so, writing that "in the end, […] word identity may not be such an important component in a good pre-trained model, since even with an obfuscation ratio of 75% we still see much of the transfer benefit."
To evaluate synthetic data, the team pre-trained models using two million sentence pairs of synthetic parallel data, and then fine-tuned each pre-trained model with real parallel data for a specific language pair: Myanmar (Burmese) to English; Indonesian to English; and Turkish to English.
While the permuted binary trees were capable of producing "substantial" transfer learning from synthetic pre-training to real-world tasks, the team did not see gains for Turkish to English, which researchers attributed to the much greater volume of fine-tuning data available for the language pair.
"As fine-tuning data size increases, the necessity of transfer learning from pre-training diminishes," they wrote.
For lower resource languages, pre-training on synthetic data can improve translation quality once the model is fine-tuned for a specific language pair, as the model must have learned representations and structures relevant for translation.
The authors concluded, "Our results show that transfer learning from synthetic pre-training has the potential to help to improve translation robustness for under-represented language pairs in multilingual models."
IBM low-resource languages machine translation UC San Diego University of California


text:
DAIRY PRODUCE (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1934.
Amendment of sections 16 and 17 of the Principal Act.
Licensing of vehicles equipped with cream-separating plant.
Conditions of vehicle licences.
Inspection of licensed vehicles.
Application of certain provisions of the Principal Act.
Revocation of vehicle licence.
Extension of licences under section 42 of the Principal Act.
Short title and citation.
Dairy Produce Act, 1924
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 16 AND 17 OF THE DAIRY PRODUCE ACT, 1924 , AND TO EXTEND FURTHER THE DURATION OF CERTAIN LICENCES GRANTED UNDER SECTION 42 OF THE SAID ACT. [6th September, 1934.]
the expression "the Principal Act" means the Dairy Produce Act, 1924 (No. 58 of 1924);
the expression "the Minister" means the Minister for Agriculture.
(2) Every word and expression to which a particular meaning is given by the Principal Act for the purposes of that Act has in this Act the meaning so given.
2. —Where cream is supplied to any premises registered in the register of creameries or the register of cream-separating stations from a mechanically propelled vehicle in respect of which a licence (in this Act referred to as a vehicle licence) granted under this Act is for the time being in force and such cream was separated from milk on such vehicle, the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say:—
(a) in case such premises are registered in the register of creameries, such cream shall be deemed, for the purposes of the following provisions of the Principal Act, namely, paragraph (a) of sub-section (1) of section 16 , and section 17 , to have been supplied to such premises from premises registered in the register of cream-separating stations, and
(b) in case such first-mentioned premises are registered in the register of cream-separating stations, such cream shall be deemed, for the purposes of section 17 of the Principal Act, to have been supplied to such premises from other premises registered in the register of cream-separating stations.
3. —(1) The Minister may, if he so thinks fit, grant to any person a vehicle licence authorising such person to carry on cream-separating business on any mechanically propelled vehicle which, in the opinion of the Minister, is so constructed and equipped as to be suitable for carrying on such business thereon.
(2) In this Act the expression "licensed vehicle" means a mechanically propelled vehicle in respect of which a vehicle licence has been granted and is in force.
(3) There shall be paid to the Minister on every application for a vehicle licence a fee of one pound.
(4) All fees paid under this section shall be collected and taken in such manner as the Minister for Finance may from time to time direct and shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in accordance with the directions of the Minister for Finance.
(5) The Public Offices Fees Act, 1879, shall not apply in respect of any fees payable under this section.
4. —(1) Every vehicle licence shall be granted subject to the following conditions, that is to say:—
(a) that the licensee shall at all times keep the vehicle to which such licence relates and the plant, machinery and appliances therein in a state of cleanliness and good repair;
(b) that the licensee shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the milk or cream and all other ingredients and materials used in connection with the cream-separating business carried on in such vehicle shall be clean and kept free from contamination;
(c) that the licensee shall make such improvements or additions to the plant, machinery, appliances and utensils used in connection with the cream-separating business carried on in such vehicle as the Minister may from time to time require.
(2) If the licensee under a vehicle licence fails, neglects, or refuses to comply with the conditions subject to which such licence was granted, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding five pounds.
5. —(1) Any inspector (subject to the production by him if so required of his authority in writing as such inspector) may at all reasonable times enter any licensed vehicle and inspect such vehicle and also all plant, machinery, appliances and utensils used in connection with the cream-separating business carried on thereon.
(2) If any person obstructs or impedes any inspector in the exercise of any of the powers conferred on him by this section, such person shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to, in the case of a first offence under this section, a fine not exceeding five pounds, or, in the case of a second or any subsequent offence, a fine not exceeding ten pounds.
6. —(1) Regulations made (whether before or after the passing of this Act) under section 32 of the Principal Act shall apply to and in respect of licensed, vehicles in like manner as such regulations apply to and in respect of premises registered in the register of cream-separating stations, and the said section and regulations made thereunder shall be construed and have effect accordingly.
(2) The references contained in sections 39 and 40 of the Principal Act to a cream-separating station shall be construed as including references to a licensed vehicle, and the said sections shall have effect accordingly.
7. —(1) Where the licensee under a vehicle licence is convicted of an offence under any section contained in this Act or under sections 32 , 39 or 40 of the Principal Act, as applied by this present Act, the Minister may revoke such licence.
(2) The Minister may on the application of the licensee under a vehicle licence revoke such licence.
8. —Every licence granted under sub-section (2) of section 42 of the Principal Act and in force, by virtue of section 10 of the Dairy Produce Act, 1931 (No. 29 of 1931), on the 31st day of March, 1934, shall be deemed to have remained in force until the passing of this Act and shall, if the premises to which such licence relates are registered in the register of manufacturing exporters on the passing of this Act, remain in force until the 31st day of March, 1937, but shall continue until that date to be subject to and liable to revocation by the Minister as and when he thinks proper.
9. —This Act may be cited as the Dairy Produce (Amendment) Act, 1934, and the Dairy Produce Acts, 1924 to 1931 and this Act may be cited together as the Dairy Produce Acts, 1924 to 1934.


text:
package controller

import (
	//"fmt"
	//"log"
	. "agenda/entity"
	fileio "agenda/fileio"
	//"regexp"
)

var NULLUSER = NewUser("NULL", "", "", "")

var users Usermap
var currentUser *User = NULLUSER
var meetings Meetingmap

//初始化所有的数据结构
func initialization() {
	users = make(Usermap)
	meetings = make(Meetingmap)
	readFromFile()
	//meetings ....
}

func readFromFile() {
	//read users
	t, _ := fileio.ReadFile("json/user.json")
	//fmt.Println("t: ", t)
	for _, u := range t {
		//fmt.Println("user:", u)
		// 这一句很长很丑陋的代码,里面的interface{}要断言才能使用,这里没有写断言的检查,可能引发panic

		users.AddUser(NewUser(u["Username"].(string), u["Password"].(string), u["Email"].(string), u["Telephone"].(string)))
	}
	//read current user
	d, _ := fileio.ReadFile("json/current.json")
	for _, c := range d {
		currentUser = NewUser(c["Username"].(string), c["Password"].(string), c["Email"].(string), c["Telephone"].(string))
	}

	// read meetings
	m, _ := fileio.ReadFile("json/meeting.json")
	for _, meeting := range m {
		//fmt.Println("meeting:\n", meeting)

		host := meeting["Host"].(string)
		title := meeting["Title"].(string)
		tempParticipants := meeting["Participants"].([]interface{})
		start := meeting["Start"].(string)
		end := meeting["End"].(string)
		var participants []string
		for _, p := range tempParticipants {
			participants = append(participants, p.(string))
		}

		meetings.AddMeeting(NewMeeting(title, start, end, host, participants))
	}
}

func writeToFile() {
	//write users
	var alluser []User
	for _, v := range users {
		alluser = append(alluser, *v)
	}
	fileio.WriteFile("json/user.json", alluser)

	//write currentuser
	var current []User
	if currentUser != nil {
		current = append(current, *currentUser)
	}
	//fmt.Println("###", current, "###")
	if len(current) != 0 {
		fileio.WriteFile("json/current.json", current)
	}

	var allmeeting []Meeting
	for _, m := range meetings {
		allmeeting = append(allmeeting, *m)
		//fmt.Println("meeting: \n", m)
	}
	if len(allmeeting) != 0 {
		fileio.WriteFile("json/meeting.json", allmeeting)
	}
	//write meetings
}

func update() {
	writeToFile()
}


We probably no longer need to tell you that a customer database is worth a lot of money. You already know who your customers are and you could probably determine what their next purchase will be and where you could respond to particular interests, and you know that this is far less expensive than recruiting new customers. It is therefore essential that you make full use of up and cross-selling campaign possibilities.
We get the maximum results from your data silos, organise the marketing database for you, support you in making promising selections and provides you with real-time insight into the online and offline results.


It has been a very technical, anatomy driven week of blogging. Hopefully I will bring it all together next week discussing the concept of shoulders on the back and how all of the muscles of the shoulder girdle work to bring balance to the upper body.
The shoulder blade, or scapula, is one of the two bones that make up the shoulder girdle. As mentioned before the shoulder girdle is designed to hang from the head without touching the rib cage.
The Scapula is meant to be held in place by an assortment of muscles. The upper trapezius connects to the occipital bone and the acromion process of the shoulder blade. The rhomboids major and minor (the subject of the next post) along with levator scapula, form broad attachments from the inner edge of the shoulder blade to the spine. The teres major and minor connect the scapula to the upper arm bone (humerus). The serratus anterior connects the lower ribs to the underside of the scapula adjacent to the attachment of the rhomboids.
The elasticity of each of these muscles allow for the scapula to float on the top of the rib cage. Tightness in any of them will create tightness in the others and will fix the shoulder blade which can reduce the flexibility of head, upper back, and arms. Hopefully everything I write reinforces the need for balance between opposing muscle groups. Dysfunction in any muscle is sure to influence all the muscles around it.
When the arm is raised the scapula follows it towards the outside of the body. If all goes well the movement of the scapula is limited by balance between rhomboids, serratus anterior and teres major. If this is in fact what happens, the scapula retains its vertical pattern and the arm moves by proper adjustments of other important muscles. What is known as a winged scapula indicates weak rhomboids that fail to get involved in the aforementioned dance of the shoulder blade muscles.
When the shoulder girdle is in its optimal position the medial margin (inner edge) of the shoulder blade should be parallel to the spine. When the arm is hanging it swings from the shoulder blade but when we reach up the shoulder blade hangs from the arm.
To repeat an important note from the previous post, because the shoulder girdle is less stable than the pelvis and higher up off the ground it is much more vulnerable to injury and dysfunction. Good posture and proper placement of the pelvis is essential to having a well aligned and correctly functioning shoulder girdle.


text:
SPOILER ALERT: Bernie Sanders Has a Really Weird Idea for 'Avengers'
We'd much rather hear solutions than soundbites, and that's something that Bernie Sanders hasn't quite grasped.
Standing side by side with Hillary Clinton was good for Bernie Sanders.
Sure, she completely robbed him of the 2016 primary with help from her friends in the DNC, but Hillary's exquisite insanity somehow made Sanders look tame. Bernie simply needed to be in the same news cycle as Hillary Clinton in order to maintain his faux-stoic visage, because for every wild idea Sanders proffered to the public, Clinton had some despicable Deep State scam to overshadow it.
Now, with Sanders having spent time as a frontrunner in the 2020 election, (just until Joe Biden officially announced), we have had a lot more exposure to Bernie unhinged. His recent admission that he would like to see voting rights restored for incarcerated felons, including terrorists, was just one such nonsensical tangent.
His latest is even zanier.
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday called on Disney to use profits from its "Avengers: Endgame" record-breaking opening weekend to pay all employees "a middle class wage."
The Vermont senator and presidential candidate linked to a Bloomberg article on the superhero film's opening weekend box office returns, an all-time high of $1.2 billion worldwide.
"What would be truly heroic is if Disney used its profits from Avengers to pay all of its workers a middle class wage, instead of paying its CEO Bob Iger $65.6 million — over 1,400 times as much as the average worker at Disney makes," Sanders tweeted.
Income inequality is undoubtedly going to be one of the foremost issues in the 2020 election, regardless of whether Bernie powers through the primaries, but this isn't exactly the sort of uninformed opinion on the subject that we want to see next November.
In this article:2020 election, avengers, Bernie Sanders, disney, Featured, income inequality
Amid Senate Controversy, AG Barr Will Answer Questions on Capitol Hill Wednesday
President Trump and Dems Agree on Something! Infrastructure Overhaul Incoming!
Joe Biden Rages at Fox News Reporter for 'Stupid' Question


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June 2, 2019 Fly-In Charity Breakfast at Stratford airport was a most enjoyable event
Like many people, I've spent plenty of time around large airplanes and huge airports but for the first time I recently also visited a much smaller airport where I could watch small planes (and a small helicopter) landing and taking off.
The occasion was a Fly-In Charity Breakfast starting on the morning of Sunday, June 2, 2019 at the Stratford, Ontario airport.
Stratford Municipal Airport. Jaan Pill photo
I was impressed with these little "flying machines" (as I heard a very young child, who marvelled at the sight of them, describe them) as they arrived and took off again. I had not realized how small such planes can be. Some carry just one person. The sight of a very small airplane, when I first saw one up really close on this occasion, was most entrancing.
Pilots would land, spend an hour or several at the charity breakfast which was set up in a large hanger, and then take off again travelling back to wherever they had arrived from.
Cree families in Northern Quebec
I liked the concept that people who share similar enthusiasms – in this case for flying in private aircraft – would get together on regular occasions, just for a chance to hang out and socialize (and in this case, also to raise money for the Stratford General Hospital Foundation).
Aerial view of Festival Theatre, Stratford. Source: Card on display on counter at Stratford Municipal Airport.
I was reminded of an account about Indigenous peoples in Northern Quebec, which described an annual meeting I think around the 1960s or thereabouts of Cree families, whose annual hunting journeys covered a great expanse of wilderness.
The families would meet once a year at a particular location; perhaps it was by a specified boulder or rock formation at a particular river or confluence of rivers. I don't remember the details but I found the image evocative: a single place in nature – in what remained of relatively untouched wilderness in Canada at that time – where families of nomadic hunters would meet once a year. If I recall correctly they were in pursuit of caribou. That image has stayed in mind for me. I spent a lot of time in the Canadian wilderness in those years and I could picture such an event and would have some degree of awareness of its tremendous significance and meaning.
The image indicates the source of the above-noted card. Jaan Pill photo
At this post I will mostly dispense with links to specific books or resources. I will include a single link, however, later at this post, to a brief video clip from the official opening of Othello at the 2019 Stratford Festival.
Mainly, I just want to share a few stories briefly without taking the time to track down links to references. Enough to say that an author named Boyce Richardson was likely the person who referred to this once-a-year-meeting.
He wrote a book entitled "Strangers Devour the Land," or else that was the title of the documentary that he also put together, on the same theme. I wrote a review about the film for a Canadian film magazine that was being published at the time, called Cinema Canada. That's how I learned about the book.
Before making his documentary and writing the above-noted book, Richardson had been working as a reporter with the Montreal Star, an English-language Montreal newspaper widely read at the time, when Montreal had two English newspapers. The other paper was the Montreal Gazette, which remains in publication.
In a book by Richardson that I read, or at some other printed source, the author comments that he quit working for the Montreal Star because he realized that the kinds of things he wanted to write about were not going to be published by such a paper. Every publication has to have a sponsor, in other words. In the case of the post you are now reading, I too have a sponsor. This post is indirectly sponsored but the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, to which we owe many thanks.
Annual 1970s get togethers among hippie boaters on Canada's West Coast
My only exposure to relatively small planes has been in British Columbia in the 1970s on a couple of occasions when I flew on a small plane (possibly a flying boat) from Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii. On one occasion I also flew on a small plane to Victoria from Vancouver. In those years I heard, from American war resisters (they had fled to Canada to avoid being drafted during the Vietnam War) that I met about an annual boating get together on the West Coast.
Flying boat at Stratford airport. Jaan Pill photo
Hippies with small boats would travel from everywhere along the coast, once a year, to meet at some remote island, to spend some time together sharing stories and having a good time. I never attended such an event but I found the concept evocative and enjoyable. Although I had given up the smoking of weed by the 1970s, having decided that strategies related to meditation and the like would be a more orderly way to explore and refine one's consciousness, I imagine that such get togethers would have been enlivened by the smoking of a great deal of good weed.
There were good things associated with those days, and less good things also. Among the good things from my perspective was an experience I had on the east coast of Haida Gwaii, walking along the beach north of Queen Charlotte City on a summer day in the early 1970s.
Detail of small plane at Stratford airport. Jaan Pill photo
You could walk literally for kilometre after kilometre along the shore in those days and encounter nary a trace of civilization. All you saw was the shore, the water, and the edge of a rain forest. A message appeared to come through to me, from somewhere way up high (I used to get such insights from time to time, in the hippie days), that commanded me: "Let this image be seared in your memory. Carry it with you forever. This was what the entire globe was like, not that long ago. Remember this moment always."
Which I have done.
The sight of the small helicopter at the Stratford airport fly-in charity event also prompted me to think at once of the Vietnam War, a topic that I've written about at some length in previous posts.
When I was a teacher working with the Peel District School Board, I once attended a presentation at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. The occasion was a professional activities day, as the day was called. Large numbers of teachers were gathered together that day to hear a talk by a researcher who specialized in stress disorders and related topics.
Detail of helicopter at Stratford airport. Jaan Pill photo
The presenter described a case of a Vietnam War veteran who was experiencing PTSD symptoms years after he had returned to the United States. The veteran in question would experience symptoms of PTSD, every time he heard the sound of a particular civilian or police (I forgot which kind) helicopter flying overhead at night. A particular frequency, of the sound emitted by the helicopter, would trigger his symptoms. As I recall, the researcher made arrangements with the local authorities to ensure that these particular helicopter flights were diverted, so that the veteran could get a good night's sleep. At any rate, the story went something along those lines. The details escape me.
Another thing I thought about, when I saw the helicopter at the Stratford airport, was the new (new, at that time) American military doctrine, introduced at the lead-up to the Vietnam War, that helicopters would play the same role as American cavalry had played, during the battles against Indigenous peoples in the American West.
Stratford airport brings visitors to opening nights at Stratford Festival
Visitors from the business world often arrive by corporate aircraft at the Stratford airport on their way to special occasions at the Stratford Festival. It's a short drive from airport to Festival Theatre.
The launch of the Stratford Festival in 1953 was a celebrated event in the history of Canadian theatre. I mention that because I have a tremendous interest in the history of the launch of the festival. So many people worked together to ensure the successful launch of the event.
Money and power can among other things be the source of insights, as Shakespeare has noted. It's what happens with power – all of the delicious events that arise, in particular circumstances, in relation to it – that classic plays such as Othello are concerned with.
I very much enjoy seeing Shakespearean plays performed at the Festival Theatre in Stratford. Live drama performed by first-rate actors, directed by a first-rate director, on a stage specifically designed for Shakespearean performances, is an ideal way to access storytelling.
Opening night for a performance such as Othello, which in the 2019 season is one of the plays featured at the Stratford Festival, is a big event.
In a book of essays published in 1965, Tyrone Guthrie, the first artistic director at Stratford, who played a key role (along with Tom Patterson and many others) in getting the festival launched in 1953, remarked that opening nights offer a great opportunity for the Best People to show off their august presence.
I would say that Guthrie had a sense of irritation, regarding the Best People. Although he had been raised in the British upper middle-class, and educated at an upper-crust boarding school (an experience that decidedly did not inspire him) and later at Oxford, he had a sense of egalitarianism. Perhaps, one could say (or at any rate, I will say), he could sense that what is real has more value than what lacks a genuine spirit of reality.
In his experience, the audiences who really connected with the plays at Stratford and who could really appreciate the performances, in the early days when he was there, were the everyday people who began turning upon on nights after the opening night had come and gone.
Below is a video of a fanfare (which I much enjoyed witnessing) performed on the evening of May 27, 2019 just before the opening performance of Othello. It was absolutely wonderful to feel the energy in the air, as the performance was about to get underway. We much enjoyed a preview performance of Othello on May 7, 2019 at the theatre. It was all, in my estimation, that great theatre should be.
Update regarding PTSD and wartime experiences
At this post I have referred to PTSD experiences of war veterans. A June 8, 2019 BBC article, which discusses the topic in depth, is entitled: "The long echo of WW2 trauma."
But for Prof Siobhan O'Neill of Ulster University, the most obvious way for a parent's trauma to affect a child would be by hindering the development of a strong and secure attachment between parent and child in the early years of the child's life.
"It's pretty well accepted that an impact on the attachment between parent and child will impact on mental health," she says. "A traumatised parent can have difficulty forming a secure attachment with the child, and families that have been affected by violence, that are rife with drug and alcohol abuse – dysfunctional families – this is detrimental, and children may not do as well."
She also finds "plausible" recent research that suggests the effects of trauma could be inherited by means of chemical changes to the surface of genes, altering the way they behave. This field of study is known as epigenetics; the relationship between the genes and the chemical changes to their surface (epigenetic marks) has been compared to the relationship between the hardware and software of a computer.
Additional update: 'Best People' metaphor
A June 16, 2019 Guardian article – which brings to mind the ongoing relevance of Shakespeare's plays – is entitled: "The Best People review: how Trump flooded the swamp."
Committee of Adjustment and Toronto Local Appeal Body
History of Long Branch
Small Arms Society
Poor reading, writing and numeracy skills in adults make up a literacy gap in Canada with consequences for both democracy and the economy: CBC, Jan. 17, 2021
Coffee shop at the southeast corner of Bloor and Bathurst is closed, courtesy of pandemic
The R.M. Ballantyne Ltd. textile plant was built by a thread company, which ran into financial difficulties, and was first occupied by a motor company which built a bus, that startled the horses
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May 30, 2019 message from Heritage Toronto highlights recent Bill 108 Town Hall... Catherine Soplet of Mississauga has shared reflections about Bill 108 hearings...


Make a list of all your projects you have done in school, internships, personal projects, blitzes, workshops…There is no magic number of projects that need to be in your portfolio. The only criteria is the projects have be as strong and they can be. You need to like the projects so you can talk about it in only the positive. Too many projects in your portfolio is more of a negative than a positive -- you have to self edit.
What are your to top 3 projects. Why are they the top 3 projects? What feedback have you revived about the project? What needs to be refined, added, removed, tweeked to make it even better?
1. Name of the Project. Why is it in the top 3. What needs to be done to make it better?
2. Name of the Project. Why is it in the top 3. What needs to be done to make it better?
3. Name of the Project. Why is it in the top 3. What needs to be done to make it better?
The next 3 projects you think should go into your portfolio. What makes them not in the top 3?
4. Name of the Project. What needs to be refined, added, tweeked to make it even stronger?
5. Name of the Project. What needs to be refined, added, tweeked to make it even stronger?
6. Name of the Project. What needs to be refined, added, tweeked to make it even stronger?
Which project has all the research done (you like the idea) or visual language (you like the look) set but just needs to be re-looked at or expanded?
Which project did you love but know it isn't just isn't good enough?
Which one do you want to completely redo?
How will you show process for at least 1 - 2 projects?
How will you show you can work in a team?


Cronut creator Dominique Ansel has set his sights on reinventing the chocolate chip cookie. Here are five ways to upgrade the chocolate chip cookie at home.
Cronut creator Dominique Ansel has set his sights on reinventing the chocolate chip cookie. Visitors to the South by Southwest Interactive conference will get to try his cookie shots: edible cookie shot glasses that are filled with milk. If you're not going to Austin, here are five ways to upgrade the chocolate chip cookie at home.
1. Add Bacon. Bacon gives these easy cookies a hint of smoky flavor and delicious crunch.
2. Make it an animal. These porcupine cookies feature pretzel-stick "quills."
3. Use candy. You don't have to wait for Halloween to enjoy these irresistible cookies, which are made with candy corn.
4. Stuff it. These nutty chocolate-chip cookies are stuffed with silky chocolate ganache.
5. Add umami. Chef Erik Bruner-Yang tops his delicious cookies with a rich, sweet-savory miso buttercream.


Information Architects, a design agency in Tokyo, created this Web Trend Map.
It's not all that useful, but fun to look at. I have a large poster of the London tube on my office wall–as a sort of homage to early environmental information design.
The Web Trend Map is an interesting metaphor based on a subway map. They put some thought into the relationships between entities, even though it's impossible to represent them on a 2-D map. It's also interesting how they integrated weather symbols to show forecasts, something you don't get (and don't need) with subway map. It's a mixed metaphor but works nonetheless.


The Saxophone is probably the most played wind instrument around the world. Because of their popularity and demand, there are now some cheaper saxophones that are ideal for beginners and come highly recommended. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or expert, we have the instruments that will suit your requirements, skill levels and most importantly, budget!


Don't miss cookies, the Polar Express, and penguins.
Penguins on Parade at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.
Nov. 25, 2018, 5:30 a.m.
Somehow it's already December this week, which means we've been doing 2018 for 11 months. How? That's a mystery to me, too.
Anyway, savor this last month of the year by shopping for some holiday gifts, crafting some things, indulging in a few cookies, and nebbing into some beautifully decorated homes. Here's what's on tap.
🎉 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (Downtown): Celebrate 25 Pittsburghers making a difference in local politics at a happy hour for our third Who's Next: Politics class.
🎨 7 p.m. Monday (Strip District): Design a sign with Paint Nite Pittsburgh. You pick the design — suggestion "It's frickin' cold" — and stencil it onto a piece of wood.
🌽 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (Squirrel Hill): Explore what it would take to create "a holistic food ecosystem in Pittsburgh" with this panel of experts at Chatham University. Before you go, learn about the region's food deserts.
🗻 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (Downtown): Hear the story of Hilaree Nelson, the first woman to summit Everest and its neighbor peak Lhotse in a single 24-hour period, in this event by National Geographic at the August Wilson Center.
🙏 7 p.m. Thursday (Oakland): Relax and rejuvenate with a yoga class at Carnegie Museum of Art.
🍵 7 p.m. Friday (Garfield): Learn how to brew kombucha at this workshop with Red Star Kombucha.
❤ All day Saturday (Squirrel Hill): Knitted and crocheted squares for the Tree of Life blanket donation are due today and can be mailed to Yarns by Design (622 Allegheny River Blvd.; Oakmont, PA 15139) or dropped off at the store.
🍪 10 a.m. Saturday (Lawrenceville): Eat cookies while shopping in Lawrenceville at the annual Joy of Cookies tour. Expect 47 cookie stops (!!!) and 14 take-a-breaks at this daylong event.
🚂 10 a.m. Saturday (North Shore): Get into the holiday spirit with Polar Express in 3D at Carnegie Science Center's Rangos Giant Cinema.
🐧 11:30 a.m. Saturday (Highland Park): Watch as adorable penguins waddle through the zoo at Penguins on Parade.
🍻 7 p.m. Saturday (Lawrencville): Wear your PJs, indulge in an all-you-can-eat breakfast-for-dinner feast, and drink some beer at Cinderlands Beer Co.'s first anniversary party.
🛍 10 a.m. Sunday (Homestead): Find gifts from more than 100 local artists at the I Made It! Market, Pittsburgh's "nomadic indie craft marketplace." Shop till you drop (or until the event ends at 5 p.m.).
🏡 Noon Sunday (Oakmont): See six houses on this second annual Oakmont Christmas Home Tour, including a new home in the Edgewater development and historic homes.
🍸 4 p.m. Dec. 2 (Downtown): Stop by Miracle on Liberty for a drink. All sales today, the first day of Hanukkah, will be donated to Tree of Life.
🥘 6 p.m. Sunday (Downtown): Dine for a good cause. More than 20 of the city's top chefs are coming together for Chefs Stand Against Hate. All proceeds go to the synagogue and "those who need it most," per the event listing.


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Your empowering TOEFL resource
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Marianella L
R:23, L:25, S:24, W:23
JULY 2020 – TEACHING CERTIFICATE.
Marianella is an aspiring teacher from Venezuela who needed to take the TOEFL to work towards her certification.
It is her dream to be able to teach at the elementary school level, and then work her way up to high school!
Marianella's TOEFL journey started about 4 years ago. She prepared for her first attempt by herself, but unfortunately she wasn't able to pass. Then, as with a lot of TOEFL students, life took her in a different direction for the next few years…
It wasn't until May of 2020 that she started searching for a TOEFL solution. She came across Magoosh during her search and began using their material. Her test was scheduled for the end of the month, so she had about 4 weeks to prepare.
But as the date got closer and closer, she started to feel worried. She didn't feel like she was ready. Magoosh's resources were helping, but it was hard to know exactly what and how to improve without a live class format. She needed someone to tell her exactly what she needed to work on.
Marianella's test day was fast approaching, and she was scared. School was going to start again soon and she was running out of time to pass the TOEFL. She knew she wasn't going to be able to pass if something didn't change…
And as luck would have it, something did! She found out that her test was being rescheduled for the middle of July!
Thankfully, she could breathe easily again. And more importantly, she had time to look for a TOEFL solution!
At the beginning of June, Marianella found her solution through a friend. Her friend was a part of a TOEFL Facebook group where she had seen several people recommend NoteFull. So, she suggested that she try us out.
She searched through our website and decided to sign up for our June Gold Course as well as Speaking Small Group Tutoring.
Going through the classes, Marianella quickly realized that this is what she was missing. She needed individual attention to identify and improve her unique weaknesses. Joseph's positive attitude and encouragement was also a huge plus for her.
NoteFull's methods were very helpful to her, but Marianella is the type of person who needs positive reinforcement to keep pushing. The support from Joseph as a native English speaker greatly boosted her confidence and made her feel like she really could do it!
By the time July 15th rolled around, she knew she was ready…
On Their Way
When she got her results back, she earned a total score of 95 with at least a 23 in each section. Amazing!
Marianella still has a few more tests to take to complete her teacher certification, but after defeating the TOEFL she feels like she's ready for anything!
Her advice to her fellow TOEFL students is to use NoteFull's self-study courses and Small Group Tutoring. However, she says to be sure to go over the self-study material for about a month first to learn NoteFull's strategies. That way when Joseph and the team reference them during the tutoring classes you'll be ready for it.
We applaud your hard work Marianella, and we wish you the best of luck in your teaching career!
Reading: 23, Listening: 25, Speaking: 24, Writing: 23
We've helped countless students get their dream TOEFL scores, just like Marianella. And we WILL help you get yours. Have faith, and never give up, because we'll never give up on you!
You can check out what Marianella used to succeed on the TOEFL below:
August GOLD Course for ALL Sections – Our August GOLD Course is the updated version of the June GOLD Course that Marianella took. Click to learn more and see how you can reach your dream scores this summer!
TOEFL Speaking Small Group Tutoring – Small group tutoring is our most powerful resource, so be sure to click the link to see what it can do for you!
Your success IS coming too!
Review these success stories often to keep you inspired. Study the advice each success story gives for specific guidance. Register for the NoteFull courses you need to get your dream TOEFL score. And, stay in touch with us every step of the way.
We're here to help and will support you UNTIL you pass. We want to be one of the FIRST to congratulate you when you earn your dream TOEFL score. And, when that happens, we can't wait to invite you to be our next success story so YOU can inspire 100s of others just like Marianella.
To learn how NoteFull can help you: click here for our getting started with NoteFull guide.
To reach out to us for more personal guidance: click here to email us through our contact us page.
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The Secretary of State posted a Scam Notice dated March 28, 2014 warning business entities of an email message sent by keithbrian2014@gmail.com. The email message is a scam. Recipients should not reply to the email or open any links or attachments and may forward to SOSInfo_Services@mt.gov for investigation.


In the off chance that you are looking to do something productive with your free time this summer, give your resume a makeover!
HerCampus interviewed Alison Ordonez, Associate Director of Internships & Career Fairs at the CDC, to give you exclusive tips on how to make your resume pop.
Set yourself apart from rest of candidates for the position. Do this by thinking about what makes you a better fit than everyone else applying. There are so many people graduating from great schools with great GPA's. What makes your extraordinary? Relate these things to the job you're applying to. Consider inside and outside of the classroom, including cool classes, projects, trips, civic engagement, clubs, and anything that gives you that added value to the company.
Tailor your document the company the specific position you're applying to. Research the company's values and mission statement to see how you align with them. How can you highlight that?
Consider everything you've done, even that summer job working in a restaurant. Mention the transferable skills such as time management and client service that can help you beyond the restaurant.
Don't have one standard resume and one standard cover letter. Read the job description, required skills, and any other information the company provides you. Then highlight matches between what the company is looking for and your skills and experiences.
Don't follow samples. All of those handouts from the CDC, pristine Word templates, and online examples are no-goes. It's perfectly fine and recommended that you find inspiration for aesthetics online and in templates, but don't copy them exactly. And don't just copy your roommate's either! The key is to put your own style twist on it through changing the layout while following consistent rules (1 page, easy to read font, etc.).
Put your most important information on the top half. Think about it like the information above the fold in a newspaper. It should catch attention especially since the average time took reading one resume is only 6 seconds. You may have to reorder your information for each position you're applying to since the most relevant experiences for the particular job should be at the top.
Know the industry. Industry dictates style, for example, if you're applying for a marketing or advertising job, you may want to consider the design of your resume more heavily. Take this opportunity to show off your creativity but do not distract from the beef of your resume. Make it different, but keep it tasteful (no pink fonts or pictures). As for something like engineering, this industry is probably less flexible. An employer in this field is most likely looking for something detailed, clean and crisp.
PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. Be consistent with everything. If you use periods, keep using them! Pay extreme attention to detail. "It speaks volumes," Alison said.
Beyond resumes, there are other ways to stand out. Follow up with not only a thank you email, but send a handwritten note card! It may seem silly, but this little gesture will go further than you think. Going the extra mile will pay off.


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8 recalls have been issued for the 2000 Ford Taurus by the NHTSA. Read the complete details: what they cover and the recommended solutions.
2004 Ford Taurus what is the best way to remove the engine?
Engine Mechanical problem 2004 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic i would like to know what is the best way to remove the engine on a 04 taurus.


text:
Q: How to add custom CSS for displaying on mobile screens in WordPress? I'm using BeTheme, a premium Wordpress theme. I edited the CSS and added this,
.the_content_wrapper{
  font-size:27px;
  line-height:1.6em;
  padding-left:270px;
  padding-right:270px;
  position:relative;
  font-family:Oxford1;
}

This works fine while viewing on Desktops, but while I checked using Inspect Elememt for display in iPhones and other phones, I couldn't read at all. It was fully blank due to the Padding. When I changed the padding to 0, the site became responsive again.
How do I go about correcting it?
I tried installing Custom CSS for Mobiles and Jetpack, but the code I found doesn't work. I do not know what div or classes to use.
Can you all help me? How do I display in the mobile as so it seems responsive.
Thankyou!

A: You need to use media queries like this:
@media (max-width:1024px){
    .the_content_wrapper{
        font-size:27px;
        line-height:1.6em;
        padding-left:0px;
        padding-right:0px;
        position:relative;
        font-family:Oxford1;
    }
}

@media (min-width:1025px){
    .the_content_wrapper{
        font-size:27px;
        line-height:1.6em;
        padding-left:270px;
        padding-right:270px;
        position:relative;
        font-family:Oxford1;
    }
}

N.B. Edit the width accordingly

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home » WhatIfTheyWereMuslim
What If They Were Muslim?: Zionists and Islamophobes Try to Quash Academic Freedom
WhatIfTheyWereMuslim 6 February 2013 WhatIfTheyWereMuslim No Comment Email This Post
by Mooneye & Garibaldi
A planned Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) forum at Brooklyn College on February, 7th has brought together an angry assortment of Zionists and Islamophobes, including influential New York lawmakers who are threatening to slash the funding of Brooklyn College for hosting and co-sponsoring the event–describing it as "anti-Semitic."
Amongst those threatening Brooklyn College are: NY State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who called for the racial profiling of Arabs and South Asians in 2009 because they fit the "terrorist" description. Alan Dershowitz, a well known apologist for Israeli war crimes has a track record of advocating for the suppression of Israel critics, and has made such absurd claims as the assassination of Bobby Kennedy by Sirhan Sirhan was,
"[I]n some ways the beginning of Islamic terrorism in America. It was the first shot. A lot of us didn't recognize it at the time."
Also advocating the suppression of the event is the Anti-Defamation League, an organization with a"very mixed" and troubling record on Islamophobia and which too often paints critics of Israel and Zionism as "anti-Semites."
Glenn Greenwald who has covered the controversy in two extensive pieces over the past week in theGuardian described the efforts by Dershowitz and NY lawmakers this way,
Plainly, this entire controversy has only one "principle" and one purpose: to threaten, intimidate and bully professors, school administrators and academic institutions out of any involvement in criticisms of Israel.
Democracy Now which invited opponents to the BDS event, including the NY lawmakers (they all rejected the invitation) had a revealing report on the controversy, including interviews with one of tomorrow's speakers, Omar Barghouti, as well as Glenn Greenwald:
In a break with the past, when such pressure would likely have led to the administration of such a college caving-in to the demands of Dershowitz and his allies, Brooklyn College has stood its ground,
The college administration has so far stood their ground. Brooklyn College spokespeople have said that the Political Science Department's sponsorship of the event does not mean that it is endorsing the event, and that the college administrationis "not going to tell members of our faculty what they can and cannot choose to support."
In another unique development Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a self-described "big supporter of Israel" has come out strongly in support of academic freedom,
"If you want to go to a university where the government decides what kind of subjects are fit for discussion, I suggest you apply to a school in North Korea," he said in a news conference at City Hall.
This may be a turning point in the public debate over the limits of criticizing Zionism and the state of Israel. In the past reflexive accusations of "anti-Semitism" drowned nuanced discussion on Zionism, Israel and Palestinian rights, now we are witnessing a hopeful sign of more balanced public discussion.
This also bodes well for those who are truly concerned about fighting anti-Semitism since it rescues it from the clutches of those who trivialize real anti-Semitism by conflating it with criticism of Zionism and Israel.
One can only imagine the Islamophobic repercussions that would have ensued if a lobby of Muslim organizations and lawmakers attempted a parallel attack on academic freedom. Hackles ofIslamization and Islamic incompatibility with freedom would be endless.
Judith Miller & Omar Barghouti–BDS Movement for Palestinian Rights. Thursday, February 7, 2013, 6:30 EST. Brooklyn College E 27th St and Campus Road Brooklyn, NY 11210 Student Center Building PENTHOUSE
Update I: Our description of Dov Hikind's extremism was not complete. Max Blumenthal has more on Hikind, including the fact that he was a member of the JDL and suspected of involvement in terrorism, (h/t: Dmitri)
Hikind gained his earliest experience in the early 1970s in local New York politics as an acolyte of Meir Kahane, the fanatical rabbi-turned-Israeli Member of Knesset who called for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and establishment of a theocratic state of "Judea" in the West Bank. "I'm proud of every single moment, let me make that very clear. Rabbi Kahane had a great influence on me," Hikind declared in 2008. Under Kahane's guidance, Hikind became active in the Jewish Defense League (JDL), a nationwide extremist network that attacked Arab-American and Soviet targets while rallying vigilante squads to "protect" working-class Jews living in African-American and Puerto Rican neighborhoods.
–Dershowitz fights academic freedom at Brooklyn College
–Alan Dershowitz to Brooklyn College: Academic Freedom For Me But Not For Thee
Posted on 6 February 2013 in WhatIfTheyWereMuslim | No Comments
Tags: Academic Freedom, ADL, Alan Dershowitz, Anti-Defamation League, Boycott, Brooklyn College, Democracy Now, Divestment and Sanctions, Dov Hikind, Freedom of Speech, Glenn Greenwald, Islamophobia, Karen Gould, Michael Bloomberg, What if they were Muslim, Zionism


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<?php

namespace Application\Migrations;

use Doctrine\DBAL\Migrations\AbstractMigration;
use Doctrine\DBAL\Schema\Schema;

/**
 * Auto-generated Migration: Please modify to your needs!
 */
class Version20170117190457 extends AbstractMigration
{
    /**
     * @param Schema $schema
     */
    public function up(Schema $schema)
    {
        // this up() migration is auto-generated, please modify it to your needs
        $this->abortIf($this->connection->getDatabasePlatform()->getName() != 'mysql', 'Migration can only be executed safely on \'mysql\'.');

        $this->addSql('ALTER TABLE product CHANGE image_name image_name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL, CHANGE updated_at updated_at DATETIME NOT NULL');
    }

    /**
     * @param Schema $schema
     */
    public function down(Schema $schema)
    {
        // this down() migration is auto-generated, please modify it to your needs
        $this->abortIf($this->connection->getDatabasePlatform()->getName() != 'mysql', 'Migration can only be executed safely on \'mysql\'.');

        $this->addSql('ALTER TABLE product CHANGE image_name image_name VARCHAR(255) DEFAULT NULL COLLATE utf8_general_ci, CHANGE updated_at updated_at DATETIME DEFAULT NULL');
    }
}


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Tag Archives: claudia graves
Richland College Honors Current and Former Students in Wall of Honor Ceremony
Five current and former Richland College students were honored during Richland College's 2015 Wall of Honor ceremony on March 26 for their outstanding academic achievements, perseverance through adversity and contributions to the community.
This year's Wall of Honor recipients were Linda Dao, a former student who overcame adversity as a child in Vietnam and came to Richland College with virtually no English; Claudia Graves, a former student who entered and won a beauty pageant in her native Peru for a chance at a better education in the U.S.; Bill Holston, a Richland College graduate and lawyer who did pro bono work to assist those in need and is now the executive director of the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas; Quentin Rhoads-Herrera, a current student and military veteran who now volunteers his time to help others; and Audrey Self, a former student who has not let a near life-ending automobile accident get in her way of success in college and in life.
Each year, nominations are gathered from members of the college community, and from these nominations a committee chooses approximately five people who exemplify Richland College's mission of teaching, learning and community building to receive the distinction. Photos and biographies of this year's Wall of Honor recipients will be displayed in Crockett Hall until next spring, when the next honorees will be selected.
A theme that emerged this year with the recipients was a feeling that Richland College is a place where dreams and goals can be realized with hard work and perseverance.
"When I first started going to college, I didn't have very high expectations," said Rhoads-Herrera. "But when I made my first A, which happened to be my first class ever, I started to realize I could do this. Currently I have a 4.0 GPA, which is a huge success for me, and I am a member of Phi Theta Kappa, which really made me feel proud as it was the first time I was recognized for my education."
Dao talked about how Richland College has always felt like home for her, not just because she both studied and worked on campus, but because the college's library was a haven for her to relax. Holston recognized Richland College for being a jumping-off point for his 30-year law career and now his human rights work. Self came to Richland as a dual credit student, and her success earned her a full-ride scholarship to Southern Methodist University.
Graves summed the feeling up well. "Richland taught me that my dreams were possible," she said.
This entry was posted in Award/Honors and tagged audrey self, bill holston, claudia graves, Dallas County Community College District, DCCCD, human rights initiative of north texas, linda dao, quentin rhoads-hererra, Richland College, wall of honor on March 30, 2015 by Katie.


Christmas Seasons Greetings sugar plaque cake topper, a simple and effective way to decorate your Christmas Cakes. The plaque has a white scalloped backgroud and is decorated with green and red leaves and berries and gold bells.
the sugar plaque measures 128mm x 87mm.


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'A lot of us feel like orphans': LGBTQ Christians find refuge at Halifax faith group
The Halifax chapter of Generous Space Ministries is a safe space for LGBTQ Christians, and allies, who've felt rejected by mainstream churches.
'It's very important that people who feel forgotten know they're not,' says facilitator Marie Raynard
Emma Smith · CBC News · Posted: Apr 19, 2019 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: April 19, 2019
Marie Raynard is the facilitator of the Halifax chapter of Generous Space Ministries, a national organization that 'connects LGBTQ+ people with vibrant faith communities.' (Emma Smith/CBC)
Close your eyes and it almost feels like you're sitting in a pew on a Sunday morning.
But there's no pulpit or preacher in this west-end Halifax apartment, just a small group of friends harmonizing to worship songs.
The people who gathered on a recent Monday night are members of the Halifax chapter of Generous Space Ministries, a refuge for LGBTQ Christians, "recovering Christians" and allies who've felt rejected by mainstream churches.
For the past three years, the group has met twice a month to sing songs — some with revamped lyrics that are more inclusive — share readings and talk about growing up in the Christian world.
Some members still attend traditional churches. But many don't feel welcome there.
"A lot of us feel like orphans from a community of faith," said Marie Raynard, the group's co-facilitator. "I feel like it's very important that people who feel forgotten know they're not, know that they have someone who sees them."
A Halifax chapter of the group Generous Space is creating an alternative place for queer Christians to gather outside of the churches where they may not feel welcome. 3:14
Raynard grew up going to a conservative Brethren church where homosexuality was regularly denounced from the pulpit. There were less overt rebukes, too.
"There was how everybody lived together, and what I saw modelled for me was just one way of living, and that it was the only way, really," said Raynard, who identifies as both queer and Christian.
The group allows her to feel close to the parts of her faith that still bring her joy.
"I spent a good deal of time assuming that God hated me and, therefore, I hated myself and realized that was unhelpful and probably not correct either," she said.
Keanan Byggdin said the years he felt trapped between two identities left their mark.
'Queer people have always been in the church, they've always been a part of Christianity and I think it's important to recognize that,' said Keanan Byggdin. (Emma Smith/CBC)
"There's a lot of shame," he said. "There's a lot of sadness. Depression is something that I have struggled a lot with."
He remembers years ago learning from a friend that someone from the congregation had come out as gay, but vowed to remain celibate.
"I remember arguing with her intensely about how it wasn't OK for him to have even said that he was gay … and here I am, this little queer kid, just basically parroting back the views that I had heard," said Byggdin.
For Marissa Wiebe, Generous Space has become a support system of sorts for her to work through her anger at mainstream churches.
She grew up in a Mennonite area of Manitoba, and attended a mix of Baptist, Protestant and Evangelical churches. These days, she calls herself a "recovering Christian."
"Most people have come from a similar western Christian tradition, so it's nice to relate to people and have conversations about, you know, as children what were you exposed to in the Christian world and it's nice to know that I'm not alone in that," she said.
Singing in a group is something that a lot of people miss if they don't go to church anymore, said Raynard. (Emma Smith/CBC)
Generous Space Ministries was founded in 1985 as a very different organization. Back then, it was actively anti-gay.
Over time, the organization shed its old name and ties, and began trying to create a space safe for LGBTQ believers and their families.
Now, that's its entire purpose. The Generous Space website says it's a place for people "craving spaces where they could unapologetically be both Christian and LGBTQ+."
There are chapters across the country, including a growing number in Atlantic Canada.
Churches confront their pasts
Confronting a history of intolerance is something that many mainstream churches have had to do.
While today more and more Halifax congregations call themselves affirming, and march in the Pride parade, distrust still exists, said Hubert Den Draak, minister at St. John's United Church.
"I would first apologize to them because real hurt has been done for the wrong reasons," he said.
In 2007, St. John's became one of the first affirming congregations in the city, and Den Draak said nearly 40 per cent of the congregation now identifies as LGBTQ.
Hubert Den Draak is the minister at St. John's United. (Emma Smith/CBC)
Betsy Hogan, minister at St. Matthew's United Church on Barrington Street, said a church has to do more than say it's accepting of everyone.
"To be affirming is to be intentional, to be explicit, to be public about recognizing the full humanity and the full inclusion of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirited, inquiring," she said.
But she knows building back trust with LGBTQ believers who've been burned by Christianity is not easy.
"Real healing does take time, and shifting what is, after all, thousands of years of destructive theology does take time," Hogan said.
Family and tradition are so much a part of faith that identifying as both queer and Christian can sometimes feel like walking a tightrope, said Raynard.
Shifting ... thousands of years of destructive theology does take time. - Betsy Hogan, Minister at St. Matthew's United Church
"Some people probably in the queer community would say, 'Oh, you can't be Christian if you're queer.' Or 'Why would you do that to yourself?'" she said.
But Raynard tried leaving Christianity behind for good, and couldn't.
"I think parts of my Christian background that remain with me are still harmful to me, but there's also this idea of loving God and loving your neighbour at least as much as you do yourself, and I don't think I've found anything truer than that," she said.
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Ridgely Telephone Exchange Museum
Railroad Avenue, Ridgely
The 1937 Telephone Exchange marked the transition from an operator-based system to the modern dial telephone system. The building, erected in 1937, was discovered in 2005 on a country road in the village of Ninetown, where it was moved in the 1950s and used as a church. Following the donation of the building to the Town of Ridgely by the late Mrs. Irene Harris, the Telephone Exchange returned to Ridgely in 2006. The new purpose of the building is to tell the unique history of Ridgely.
CAROLINE COUNTY OFFICE OF TOURISM
9194 Legion Road, Suite #1
410-479-0655 | info@visitcaroline.org
© 2022 Caroline County Office of Tourism.


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Home Sections Educators Lead Sustainability Charge with Early Adoption of Wind Power
Educators Lead Sustainability Charge with Early Adoption of Wind Power
Baker Renewable Energy teams with schools and colleges in North Carolina and Virginia to include wind energy education and workforce training.
Elizabeth Montenyohl
As the United States depletes its fossil fuel reserves, it is beginning to look for alternative energy sources, and wind power is a viable option. According to the United States Department of Energy, the U.S. has enough aggregate wind resources to generate electricity for every home and business in the nation.
When many Americans think of wind power, images of turbines dotting the California coastline or across open spaces in Texas and Iowa immediately come to mind. Thanks to the efforts of educators in the Southeast, however, this region is becoming a leader in promoting the long-term benefits of wind energy and implementing it where viable resources exist. With the support of their communities, academic institutions at all levels across the Southeast are developing a collaborative environment in which shared expertise and resources create a workforce of experts who are passionate about sustainable energy and its long-term benefits.
NC Solar Center Offers Thought Leadership, Supports Valuable Sustainability Research
North Carolina has valuable onshore wind resources, both in the mountains and at the coast. The Department of Energy's potential scenario for reaching 20% of the U.S. electricity needs with wind by 2030 includes North Carolina as one of only eight states with more than 10GW of wind energy capacity installed. The reality of this scenario happening in North Carolina will be based on land-use decisions and policies for wind development over the next 20 years. Figure 1
That being said, North Carolina is preparing for the future by placing an emphasis on developing its renewable industry resources in the form of its workforce. The NC Solar Center in Raleigh has been an excellent resource for renewable energy education since it opened on North Carolina State University's campus in 1988. The center's original focus was solar energy, but it has since become a thought leader for clean energy in North Carolina. The Solar Center provides research in four main areas: clean transportation, green building, clean power and efficiency, and renewable energy.
"Our mission is quite broad… we certainly have a technology bent, in that we're trying to push these new technologies into the marketplace… but if we can't make the economics work on these technologies and have a sustainable economy as a result, we're never going to get there. The Center is set up to bring together the pieces of the puzzle that you need to get to both of those issues in a comprehensive way," said Steve Kalland, executive director of the NC Solar Center.
In July 2010, the NC Solar Center announced the completion of its SkyStream 3.7 wind turbine, installed as part of the Wind for Schools program. The program, hosted by Wind Powering America, is a nationwide initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Program. Wind for Schools projects are supported in 11 states and more than 95 systems have been installed at host schools. Goals of the Wind for Schools project include introducing teachers and students to wind energy, equipping college juniors and seniors with an education in wind energy applications, and engaging American communities in wind energy applications, benefits and challenges.
Baker Renewable Energy, a leading provider of renewable energy and clean building strategies for commercial, residential and institutional customers, installed the turbine on the center's property. The Solar Center's turbine has a rated capacity of 2.4 kW, and it is used for a variety of educational purposes, ranging from K-12 education to workforce development to continuing education for experienced professionals.
"We believe this wind turbine will be an important demonstration tool, aiding in the real-world training of installation and service 'best practices' in a safe and controlled environment," said Jason A. Epstein, executive vice president of Baker Renewable Energy.
The Solar Center is a strong advocate for the implementation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education within schools. Data collected from the renewable technologies at the Solar Center is incorporated into lesson plans that utilize STEM concepts. This affords students the opportunity to develop skills learned in the classroom through real-world experiences.
It is also playing an active part in the development of the region's workforce by offering the Renewable Energy Technologies Diploma Series. This is a non-degree professional development program that provides participants with an in-depth understanding of several renewable energy technologies, as well as residential green building principles and strategies.
Another course the Center offers is a Certificate in Renewable Energy Management. The goal of this program is to provide a sound foundation around how existing renewable energy technologies work. It educates participants on the technology, policies and financial options available so they can make informed decisions as managers and businesspersons in the renewable energy industry.
"One of the beauties of the renewable energy industry is that it really helps to drive job creation at a lot of different levels," Kalland said.
Virginia University Emerges as a Leader in Renewable Energy Education
Virginia is also looking to grow its green workforce and it has an excellent resource in James Madison University, located in Harrisonburg, Va. JMU recently installed a 7.5kW Bergey wind turbine on a 120-foot-tall tower as part of its Small Wind Training and Testing Facility, an educational initiative launched by the Virginia Center for Wind Energy (VCWE). The system is capable of producing 10,000-12,000kWh of energy a year when operating at average annual wind speeds of 5 m/s, which is enough to power an average-sized house for a year.
"Schools are becoming thought leaders in wind energy education. JMU's initiative to install a turbine on its campus is an example of the kind of momentum needed to push the developing renewable energy industry forward," said John Matthews, president of Baker Renewable Energy. "This is definitely a great way to train people and get them excited. By combining wind initiatives with homeruns like solar PV and solar thermal, JMU will quickly become one of the desired schools to go to for advanced renewable energy education in the region."
The turbine project was funded by a grant from the state of Virginia, donations and a partnership with JMU's Facilities Management. This center is geared toward both students and companies in the state that may want to break into the wind industry.
VCWE conducts teaching, training, research and development on siting, safety, installation and operations, with the goal of cultivating a community educated in wind energy. This particular initiative will allow the organization to provide educational outreach about wind power development initiatives in Virginia to JMU students, area entrepreneurs and local K-12 schools. Professors can use the facility as a teaching tool geared toward student entrepreneurs who may be interested in wind power-oriented business. Such a curriculum, and the advancement of the wind industry in general, will help bring economic development, high environmental quality, and reliable and affordable energy to the Commonwealth.
"Our goal is to cultivate a community that is educated in wind energy; therefore, we need to inform decision-makers, members of the public and local students about wind power development initiatives in Virginia," said Dr. Jonathan Miles, professor in the College of Integrated Science and Technology, and coordinator of the International Masters Program and director of the Virginia Center for Wind Energy at JMU.
Because of its expertise, Baker Renewable Energy was brought in to install the wind turbine. A small solar array will also provide clean power to JMU's College of Integrated Science and Technology library. Sensitive instruments on the tower will measure wind flow to provide VCWE with data on area wind patterns.
"We are very proud to have been a part of the project team here at JMU," Epstein said. "In addition to providing continuous, clean energy and reducing utility costs, the turbine will also offer a hands-on educational opportunity for students who are interested in the renewable energy field, further supporting the industry in Virginia."
Renewable Education Not Just for Universities Anymore
Jenny Christman, instructional technology resource teacher and veteran science teacher of 27 years, has proven to the Virginia community that renewable energy education isn't just suitable at the university level. For years, she had been searching for a way to educate students at Northumberland Middle and High School, in Heathsville, Va., about wind power. Christman had previously applied for grants to install a wind turbine, but had experienced little success.
When the school moved into a new facility in 2009, Clint Stables, the school's superintendent, joined Christman in the push to bring sustainable energy onto the school's campus and into the classrooms.
"We weren't planning to power the whole school. The purpose behind this was educational. We wanted to be able to create real data that our students could incorporate into their math, science and computer classes," Christman said.
As Christman continued to look for other grant opportunities, she came across the Wind for Schools program. In November of 2009, the school applied for a $20,000 stimulus grant from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) to fund the turbine project. The Virginia DMME grant funding originated from the national American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was passed in 2009 to save and create jobs, and stimulate the economy.
Once funding for the project was approved, construction quickly began and by December 2010 the foundation had been poured. Baker Renewable Energy was enlisted to construct a 2.4kW SkyStream 3.7 wind turbine on the school's property.
By February 2011, the turbine was completed, making Northumberland the first Virginia school to have a wind turbine installed on its campus under the Wind for Schools program. The turbine will be used to strengthen Northumberland's STEM initiative.
"Nothing is isolated. Instruction can't be isolated anymore, especially in the science, technology, math and computer areas, because they aren't separated anymore," Christman said. "They have to be integrated, and they have to be taught together. This seems like a really good opportunity for us to be able to jump into our first STEM initiative with both feet."
Grassroots Effort Supports Turbine Installation at Virginia Middle School
In December 2011, after nearly two years of hard work, Henley Middle School, located in Crozet, Va., finally put the finishing touches on its Renewable Energy Resource Center, complete with a small wind turbine, a solar photovoltaic system and a solar hot water system. The school held a variety of fundraisers, including bake sales, golf tournaments and silent art auctions, to raise a significant portion of the funds needed for its renewable energy system. A number of local organizations contributed the rest.
In addition to the money the Henley community raised, the school received an additional $35,000 from Albemarle County Public Schools and a grant of $211,000 from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to cover the remaining costs.
Leaders at Henley Middle School see the Renewable Energy Resource Center as an important opportunity to expand its curriculum on environmental studies. Data generated by the systems is being used as part of a new renewable energy lesson plan for students. Henley also hopes the Renewable Energy Resource Center will raise students' awareness of careers within the renewable industry.
"The state's grant talks about creating jobs in the renewable energy field and increasing the knowledge base of all Virginia citizens about solar and wind power technologies, " said Dr. Patrick McLaughlin, principal of Henley Middle School. "It's our hope that this center will build greater interest and excitement among students for research and career paths in this field and will eventually help our residents realize the environmental and economic benefits of more efficient energy use. "
A 2.4kW SkyStream 3.7 wind turbine was installed on Henley's campus as part of the Wind for Schools program with help from JMU seniors. Baker Renewable Energy was also on site to offer professional assistance. Data from the Renewable Energy Resource Center is collected through one dashboard and accessible to both the school and the public online.
Fulfilling a National Need for Wind Energy Education and Development
The use of wind power in the United States has expanded quickly over the last few years. To date, fourteen states have installed more than 1,000 MW of wind capacity, and a total of 36 states have now installed at least some utility-scale wind power.
Millions of clean energy jobs are expected to open up for American workers in the coming decade. The growing wind industry in the United States will require many trained, qualified workers to manufacture, construct, operate and maintain wind energy facilities as they come online. For this reason, it is imperative to educate today's students on sustainable energy alternatives to develop greater interest in career paths within these industries.
Academic institutions throughout the Southeast are becoming increasingly sensitive to this need and are working to equip today's students with a strong foundation of sustainable energy knowledge. They recognize that this information is vital for today's youth to become informed and participatory citizens of society.
"Every part of our daily lives revolves around energy, yet we take it for granted," Epstein said. "Therefore, we must provide our students with the opportunity to achieve a deeper understanding of the complex issues surrounding our energy resources by incorporating them into the academic curriculum."
The Southeastern United States has the potential to become a significant player in the wind industry. The region's offshore wind resource is compelling, and because of ongoing shifts in population, its electricity markets are some of largest and fastest growing on the East Coast. Because of the commitment of the academic institutions highlighted above, the Southeast has the ability to contribute to the wind industry, as much as wind resources allow, thereby boosting the region's economy and sustainable workforce for years to come.
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