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Public Policy in a Coronavirus World
What is Direct Primary Care?
Telemedicine the New Face of Primary Care
John C. Goodman – President and CEO
John C. Goodman is one of the nation's leading thinkers on health policy. The Wall Street Journal calls Dr. Goodman "the father of Health Savings Accounts." Modern Healthcare says he is one of four people who have most influenced the changes shaping our health care system.
Dr. Goodman is the author of nine books, including Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis; Leaving Women Behind: Modern Families, Outdated Laws (with Kimberley Strassel); and Patient Power (with Gerald Musgrave), the condensed version of which sold more than 300,000 copies and is credited with playing a pivotal role in the defeat of Hillary Clinton's health reform.
Rachel Logan: Executive Administrator
Rachel brings 20+ years of experience in small business administration, specifically in the industries of healthcare, non-profit and event planning. Originally from Long Beach, CA, Rachel now resides in DFW and has planned and produced hundreds of events in Texas and the surrounding states including weddings, fundraisers, and corporate galas. When she is not out walking her dogs, Rachel is busy raising her 5 kids in the suburbs of Allen, TX.
Colby Logan: IT Director
Colby brings 20+ years of IT and small business startup experience in multiple industries including energy, non-profits, entertainment, and sound & lighting to name a few. After graduating with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Texas A&M, Colby began his career as a software engineer during the dot-com boom in San Francisco, CA and later started his own successful sound and lighting company in Dallas, TX where he now resides. Colby enjoys the outdoors, hunting and fishing, with his kids along with singing and playing guitar with his band.
George Pond: Fundraising Director
George brings more than 25 years of fundraising experience from the nonprofit sector to the NRA. He currently serves as an Advancement Officer for the Central Gulf Division, which serves the states of Texas and Louisiana. Pond resides in Austin, Texas where in addition to hunting, he enjoys golfing, fishing, and boating. He holds a B.A. from the University of Texas.
Michelle Hausz, CPA
Michelle is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Oklahoma University. She has 20 years of accounting and tax experience working with individuals and various business entities helping them achieve their financial goals.
Michelle spent the early part of her career at Arthur Andersen, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and various small regional firms. She was a financial analyst with Weyerhaeuser Realty Investors performing financial modeling and due diligence for underwriting residential real estate investments.
In an effort to allow more time with her family, Michelle formed inHausz Solutions, LLC where she provides accounting support for clients including financial modeling, internal controls review, payroll assistance and tax return review on an independent basis.
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Both myself and the kids get a little bit excited each month when our monthly Degustabox arrives! Its always exciting to see which products are inside each month, there is always a wide range and something for everyone inside the box.
If you have not heard of Degustabox before they are a monthly food and drink subscription box. Each month a box is delivered to your door packed full or food and drink products, some from totally new companies some from existing companies. The box is priced at £12.99 which includes delivery and the contents of the box is always considerably more than the price you pay.
Jack Daniels – Honey BBQ Glaze - This was one of my husbands favourite products in this months box! It has a sweet yet subtly smokey bbq flavour, we used it to make a hunters chicken style dish and it was delicious as the flavour was there but not over powering.
Garofalo – Fusilli - Both James and Evelyn are pasta fiends so this was a great addition to the box. hadn't seen this shape of pasta before but it was great for using with a sauce such as a pasta bake as the twists really held on to the sauce. The pasta itself was really delicious and had a really authentic taste.
Cranes –Cider - These were one of my favourite additions to the box. They had a crisp fruity flavour that made them so refreshing and the perfect drink to enjoy during these hot summer months in the garden. The strawberry flavour present in both of them was strong (But not over powering) and really made the drink delicious.
Kallo – Milk Chocolate & Yoghurt / Milk Choco Corn cakes - Corn cakes make a great addition to picnic baskets and as a snack so it was fab to see not 1 but 2 flavours in this months box.
Brioche Pasquier – Croissants - Brioche Pasquier have made a regular appearance in the Degustabox but it has always been a new product and its been great to try so many different products from a brand. The croissants were very soft and buttery and were the perfect size for James lunch box.
Pomegreat – Pomegranate Juice - When I first tried this I found the flavour a little unusual but the more I tried it the more I really enjoyed it! The taste is sweet but not overly sweet and it is really refreshing! I mixed mine with some lemonade and slices of fresh lemon and it tasted amazing!
Beloved Dates- Date Nectar - As I am currently trying to be healthier it was great to find this in my box this month as it can be used as a healthier alternative to sugar when baking which is something I love to do. We also used this to pour or pancakes that we had over the weekend. It tasted just like syrup and had that sweetness but much better for you.
Pechkeks – Misfortune Cookies - I loved these!! The black cookie gave it a spooky feel and the quirky misfortune quotes inside were so much fun! The cookie itself was sweet and very crunch, these would be a great addition to a Halloween party table!
Get Fruity – fruity bar - I always love finding things like this in the box as they give me great ideas for healthy lunch box snacks for both myself and the kids. That's the great thing about Degustabox is that you get to try things before buying whole packs. The get fruity bars were really nice and packed full of flavour.
The Wonderful Co – Pistachios and Almonds - These came in really handy snack size packs which I thought were great. They contained a portion size of nuts and are great for popping in my handbag or lunch bag for a healthy snack alternative.
If you fancy giving Degustabox a try yourself then use the code BLDEG15 to get £6 off your first box making your first box just £6.99!!
I haven't heard of the degustabox before but it's sounds great! Lots of variety!
The more I hear about Degustabox, the more I want to try it! The Jack Daniels glaze sounds lovely and I'd love to try that cookie!


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Q: Windows preventing reg query on HKLM; returns HKCU instead I'm using ActivePython 2.5 to read the registry for entries that pGina makes. Specifically, the entries concerning which GIDs are allowed on the computer. This information can periodically change for each computer as edited through pGina, so I want my Python script to be able to check these values each time.
Easy enough. The following Windows command will get that information for me:
reg query HKLM\Software\pGina\ldapauth\

...except when I run it with Python, I get this:
>>> import subprocess
>>> command = 'reg query HKLM\Software\pGina\ldapauth'
>>> ldapauth = subprocess.Popen(command, shell=False, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]
ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.

So when I run 'reg query HKLM\Software' through Python, it spits out a list of the keys and values under HK CU\Software, rather than HKLM.
I'm running Python as Administrator (confirmed by using getpass.getuser()) and when I run the same command from a batch script, I get the correct listing under HKLM. However, when I call the batch script from Python, back to the ole' HKCU results.
So, I'm a bit stuck. Does anyone have any insight?
EDIT: As detailed later, I am running Windows 7 64-bit and I have tried the _winreg methods, including the optional 4th "sam" argument in OpenKey.

A: Use winreg. (winreg.OpenKey and winreg.Query*). Way faster, no need to thunk out to running a shell command, and it will even return you tricky registry value types like BINARY as well, all in an OO way.
#import _winreg as winreg # the 'correct' idiom for importing
from _winreg import *

with OpenKey(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,'Software\pGina\ldapauth') as key:
    ... do something with QueryValue(key[,...])

winreg does the job fine, although the interface is pretty quirky, since the underlying Windows interface was. You might well like to write a wrapper for the lookup call, esp. if like me you write a generator to get recursion and enumeration of subkeys, pattern-matching to key-names, restrict search to certain allowable registry values etc. etc.

A: So I still haven't found a solution to the root cause in my case. I can, however, work around it. A script run by SYSTEM upon every login will now export the key(s) in question to a text file which can easily be parsed.

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Sohail Kathuria Divorce With His first Wife Rinky: Relationship With His Fiance Hansika Motwani
ByEva Chaudhary December 8, 2022 December 8, 2022
As soon as the South Indian superstar Hansika Motwani announced her engagement, fans observed several headlines regarding Sohail Kathuria Divorce in various news.
Hansika Motwani is an established south Indiana Actress famed for her successful commercial movies, predominantly appearing in Tamil, Malayalam, Bollywood, and Telugu regional films.
The South Indian Actress began her career as a child Actor in Hindi films, but later she begged lead roles in Telugu regional and Tollywood movies.
Hansika has captivated viewers' attention with successful commercial movies, including Knatri, Mappillai, Kal Oru Kannadi, Theeya velai Seiyyanum Kumaru, Singam II, and Aranmanai in which she has appeared and was appreciated for her skills.
Before her movie career, Hansika was immensely popular among 90s kids for appearing as Karuna/Shona in the Indian television series Shaka Laka Boom Boom.
Sohail Kathuria Relationship With His Fiance Hansika Motwani?
Sohail Kathuriya is an entrepreneur from Haryana who got engaged to Tollywood Superstar Hansika, South Superstar.
In November 2022, Hansika surprised her fans by sharing pictures of her and Sohail, where he was seen proposing marriage at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Sohail Kathuriya got engaged to Tollywood Superstar Hansika, South Superstar.(Source:Insatgam)
In the picture, Hansika wore a white dress and was embraced by Sohail, and in the back of the, one can see several traces of candles and roses crafted in the letter Marry Me, hinting towards marriage.
Before engagement, Sohail and Hnasiak were good friends and later began dating each other. After dating for a few years, the businessman proposed to Hansika at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Her fiance,34 years old was born on March 18, 1990, in Mumbai, Maharastra.
Her fiance, Sohail, an Entrepreneur, is also an owner of a textile Company that has exported garments internationally since 1985.
Following his post-graduation, Hansiak's fiance launched an ethnic wear level Avante TexWorld.
Moreover, Hanskia and her partner founded an event management partnership firm Hansika Motwani Events LLP.
When did Sohail Kathuria Divorce With His First Wife, Rinky?
Sohail was married to his first wife, Rinky Bajaj, in 2016. However, they called off their wedding after some time.
Several pictures from Sohail's first marriages show Hanika attended Sohail's first marriage, where she was seen enjoying one of the rituals wearing a Pink dress. Rinky is a familiar friend of Hansika as well.
Furthermore, a video of the wedding highlights is going viral where the Actress is seen dancing at the sangeet ceremony of Sohael Khaturiya's first wedding.
Sohail has a sister Sakshi Kathuria founded a fashion brand Sakshi Kathuria Label and a homemade food delivery service named Nani and Me.
At 15, Hansika's debutant role as the lead in Puri Jagannadh's Telugu film Desamuduru earned the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut South for her incredible performance.
Also read:Who Is Sohael Kathuria? Hansika Motwani Husband, Religion And Family
Is Sohail Kathuria Married to Hansika Motwani?
Yes,Sohail Kathuria is married to Hansika Motwani.The Tollywood Actress married a businessman on December 4, 2022, at Moundota Fort and Palace in Jaipur.
Despite Hansika converting to Buddhism, her wedding pictures show she had a big fat Hindu wedding.
The Tollywood Actress married a businessman on December 4, 2022, at Moundota Fort and Palace in Jaipur.(Source: Instagram)
Following her marriage, Hansika Motwani shared dreamy pictures from her wedding rituals on her Instagram [email protected], where she has 5.6 million followers.
In the post, the Actress looks beautiful in a red lehenga, while Sohael can be seen in embroidered sherwani. Sharing the photos, the Actress captioned it as "Now and forever 4.12.2022."
The Tollywood superstar participates in philanthropic activities and provides monetary support to educate underprivileged children and women with breast Cancer.
Furthermore, Hansika is the brand Ambassador for Chennai Turns Pink, a breast Cancer awareness program for women.
Also read:Who Is Lizze Broadway Boyfriend Tanner Buchanan? Family And Net Worth
Eva Chaudhary
Aspiring Acturial student
Eva often writes about her entertainment and sports celebrities. She works for Celeb Doko as a freelance writer. She has been working as a content writer for more than two years. She has been covering tech, trending news, and several other niches.
Justine Lupe From Luckiest Girl Alive: Age Birthday Parents Boyfriend And Salary
ByEva Chaudhary September 9, 2022 September 9, 2022
Fans are curious about Justine Lupe Age after her anticipation in Luckiest Girl Alive, an upcoming American mystery thriller film. Justine Lupe is portraying the recurring role in Luckiest Girl Alive, an American mystery thriller film adapted from a screenplay by Jessica Knoll of the same name starring Mila Kunis and Finn Wittrock and produced…
Read More Justine Lupe From Luckiest Girl Alive: Age Birthday Parents Boyfriend And SalaryContinue
Sargun Mehta Kids With Her Husband Davi Dubey, Family And Net Worth
ByManim Bhandari December 19, 2022
Sargun Mehta is yet to have kids even after several years of marriage with her husband, Davi Dubey. The pair are often questioned about the matter, but they may share the good news when prepared! She is an Actress, model, and television host from India. She has acquired three PTC Punjabi Movie Awards and Filmfare…
Read More Sargun Mehta Kids With Her Husband Davi Dubey, Family And Net WorthContinue
Actor | Actress
Is George Lopez Related To Sandra Bullock? Family Tree And Net Worth Difference
ByDeepti Bhatta November 7, 2022
Fans are curious to know about is George Lopez related to Sandra Bullock. Finding friendships in the Hollywood era that may last longer than the duration of producing a movie or TV show together is a rare find. Consider Sandra Bullock and George Lopez as an example. From the outside, it almost appears that Sandra…
Read More Is George Lopez Related To Sandra Bullock? Family Tree And Net Worth DifferenceContinue
Kelsey Asbille Husband: Is She Married To William Moseley? Kids And Net Worth
BySusmita Pandey November 15, 2022 November 15, 2022
Kelsey Asbille, an American Actress, is in a relationship with William Moseley. Kelsey gained notoriety due to her appearance in the Disney XD sitcom "Pair of Kings." She has always loved theater and appeared in a few plays and films during her professional career. Her earliest performing experiences came from community theater plays. She landed…
Read More Kelsey Asbille Husband: Is She Married To William Moseley? Kids And Net WorthContinue
How Old Is Nikki Rae Hallow? Wiki Husband And Net Worth
ByManogya Manandhar October 16, 2022 October 15, 2022
Nikki Rae Hallow is a Canadian actress, writer, improviser, instructor, and stunt artist who is most recently appeared in the Tv series "High School." In addition, Nikki performs as an improviser and cast member with Rapid Fire Theatre, Lodestar Theatre, and many other companies. "And the Oskar Goes To.." (2019), "Extremity" (2018), and "Range Roads"…
Read More How Old Is Nikki Rae Hallow? Wiki Husband And Net WorthContinue
Has Reshma Pasupuleti Done Plastic Surgery: Before And After Photo
BySantosh Budha Chhetri January 9, 2023 January 9, 2023
Reshma Pasupuleti's Plastic Surgery rumor has been circulating online as the fans have noticed the changes in her face. Reshma Pasupuleti is a South Indian Actress who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. In the Tamil film, she made her acting debut. "Naan Mahaan Alla" in 2010 and has since acted in several…
Read More Has Reshma Pasupuleti Done Plastic Surgery: Before And After PhotoContinue

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


College & Local Radio is RAD!
As many of you may already know, I have a passion for radio. When I was a junior in high school, I visited my (now) college campus for the first time, and I was immediately drawn to the student-run radio station, KWVA. I loved the idea of a community of like-minded, music-obsessed students talking about/ playing what they love on the air.
I've been a part of my college radio station for 2 years now, and I will be heading into my last year in the fall. (That's me in the studio on the right!) Since my first visit, the studio has expanded and moved to a shiny new space in the student activities center, located at the heart of campus. While on my summer break from school, I haven't strayed far from the radio biz. I'm interning with the Portland Radio Project, a local radio station in Portland. I've met so many cool DJs, learned about some crazy talented local artists, and made some great connections.
Kirsten believes that local radio stations like PRP provides music fans with the most unique music and best radio-listening experience.
"Without stations like PRP, I believe many talented local musicians would not have the platform to properly showcase their work. I feel lucky to be a part of a growing force in the local music community!" she says.


If Your Story Doesn't Spread, Does A Tree Fall In The Forest?
Jon Steinberg of BuzzFeed was on Jim Cramer's CNBC talk show, "Mad Money" today.
The segment provides an instructive look at modern media, and the audience for bite-sized pieces of news and entertainment.
I do not always like the BuzzFeed product, but I like the bold way Steinberg talks about his media company.
"For us, Facebook and Twitter, that's the new network, that's the new cable system. And we've mastered a way to create and optimize content on social," claims Steinberg.
For revenue, Buzz Feed famously shuns the ad banner in favor of content-driven social advertising. "People only share things that they're proud of, that make them look good. Things they want to stand for. So it's the same thing with the advertising content," he explains.


This week's cats of the week are Tori and Tinley. These little ladies were only 7 weeks old when we picked them up from Chicago PAWS. They needed a couple of weeks out of the shelter to recover from a URI before they could be adopted.
But when they got tired and wanted to sleep they'd retreat to the bathroom. Now neither of our resident cats nor any other foster we've had has ever taken a liking to the sink as you see in the title photo, but I've seen plenty of cats online that loved it. We put a blanket in the sink and these two LOVED it. They slept there almost every night, right on top of each other.
Other places we provided for them to sleep, like this cave, were quickly turned into beds as well. Though maybe they weren't quite sure how to use it properly! Who knows?!? Maybe it is just more comfy this way.
Each day we weighed Tori and Tinley and make sure they were growing. We also ensured they got their URI medication to get back up to 100%. They were both super cute, loved pets and started purring the second you picked them up.
Now Tori loved to chomp down the wet food, but as with most kittens, she made quite the mess of herself while doing it!
They also loved to play with pretty much anything and everything they could get their little paws on, and they loved to gnaw on things too as teething kittens do. Nothing out of sorts for kittens though! They specifically seemed to love the Hexbug Nano Nitro toys even though they aren't specifically made for cats! We had to keep a close eye on them while they played with these ones. They also loved the Petlinks Mystery Motion toy.
We also quickly discovered that if you separated Tori from Tinley then Tinley started to meow up a storm wondering where her pal went. She definitely doesn't like being alone. Given this we had to ensure they didn't get separated for more than a couple of seconds otherwise the high pitched meows echoed through the house no matter what else was going on.
After a couple of weeks hanging at our house they had both put on their expected weight and were getting back to 100%. We took them back to PAWS and they left us with some peace and quiet! Kittens are a ton of fun, but man are they a lot of work. And we only had them a about 15 days.
We thank Chicago PAWS for letting us foster Tori and Tinley for a few weeks, they were a wonderful time!! To submit your cat for Cat of the Week please send at least 5 photos (feel free to send more!) and a description of at least 400 words to Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.


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The Oklahoma City Thunder Made a Huge Mistake
For three consecutive seasons the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted a great player in the first round of the NBA draft. In 2007 they drafted Kevin Durant No. 2 overall, in 2008 they drafted Russell Westbrook No. 4 overall, and in 2009 they drafted James Harden No. 3 overall. [1]
Pretty impressive drafting by Thunder management to hit it big three consecutive years.
The three worked together quiet well with Kevin Durant obviously the best player and future of the franchise. The team even made it to the 2012 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. However the Thunder couldn't keep all three of these great draft picks. With Westbrook and Durant making top dollar the Thunder and Harden couldn't agree on a new contract and Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets.
Bad move by the Thunder.
For whatever the reason Thunder head coach Scott Brooks never fully bought into James Harden. In the 2011-12 NBA season Harden won the sixth man of the year award. Unfortunately that's not the award Harden should be winning because it restricts his playing time. A player as talented as Harden shouldn't be used so sparingly in a 48 minute basketball game.
With the Thunder, Harden only started seven total games in three seasons and averaged 26.7 minutes played per game. Not nearly enough. [2]
With the Rockets Harden is being used more, a lot more. In his first season with the Rockets, Harden averaged 38.3 minutes per game and started 78 games. [2]
Obviously the Thunder couldn't keep Durant, Westbrook, and Harden because it wouldn't work out financially. Durant being the elite scorer that he is leaves him exempt from trade. The Thunder should have traded away their "point guard" Russell Westbrook and got value. It has been said numerous times by many Pro Basketball Hall of Famers including Magic Johnson and Gary Payton that Russell Westbrook isn't a true point guard.
Last season Westbrook took 102 more shots than Kevin Durant.[3] If you keep that one-two combination going it will continue to go nowhere. If the Thunder traded away Westbrook they could have got back value, kept Harden, and found a legit point guard.
James Harden was the force that drove the Thunder to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the 2012 Western Conference after falling down to a 0-2 deficit. Harden is also one of the leading free throw shooters in the NBA. When Harden came into the game for the Thunder, Durant actually got more involved. But all that is gone now, it's all on shoot first point guard Westbrook to spread the ball around and see if Durant can get shots.
The Rockets made a great decision to trade for Harden and to play him large amount of minutes per game. He's a starter not a bench player. Unfortunately the Thunder never rally recognized his full potential.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder draft history. basketball-reference.com
2. James Harden Stats. basketball-reference.com
3. 2012-13 Thunder Stats. basketball-reference.com
Jeremy Lamb: The Key to Oklahoma City Thunder Success in 2013-14?
Oklahoma City Thunder 2013 NBA Draft Needs
Oklahoma City Thunder: MVP Belongs to Kevin Durant This Season
All-time Record Hottest and Coldest Temperatures Ever Recorded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1 Huge Mistake You Make when Trying to Get Six Pack Abs Fast
The Washington Redskins Are Making a Huge Mistake


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Iranian woman just after voting
"Iranian woman just after voting" was added to the Trending Top 100 list on November 08, 2018 from Reddit at rank #14. On November 08, 2018 this post peaked at #14 on Trending Top 100. This post also reached it's highest position at #4 on Trending.com's Top 25 Reddit list on November 08, 2018. Check back to see if "Iranian woman just after voting" from Reddit reappears as a top post on Trending.com.
In Great Seattle Fire, which happened about a hundred years ago, 25 blocks were destroyed. During the renovation, the whole city was lifted 20 feet above the original street level which also allowed to fix sewage issues. Some of the old street facades und
There's a rock in Saudi Arabia split by a perfect slit and it's totally natural
"Human Fly" George Willig scales the exterior of the World Trade Center's South Tower in 1977. Completing the climb in 3.5 hours, he was arrested at the top after signing several autographs, and was fined $1.10 by the city - a penny for each flo
I'm afraid you have Humans. It's treatable but it won't be easy.


That is a good point and I agree it's in beta and they need to work on glitches and bugs but i'm saying for the future for the final recreation.
Even though the game is over 10 years old it doesn't need a graphics update. They are already ironing out all the other glitches and adding new content to keep the game fresh. Graphics are at the bottom of their to-do list. If the ever decide to do it I am not saying the shouldn't I am saying it isn't a priority.
They've already been doing this actually, so far mainly in batches of clothing, tattoos, and the like. Here are a few release notes I quickly found as well as the main blogpost. I'm not sure of the resolution they upgraded to but they do look better in most cases while not being out of place. This game really doesn't need 4k textures or anything like that... If they were to do that I'd rather see an overhauled lighting system.
Added higher resolution ground and volcano rock textures.
Over 70 new HD hat textures have been implemented.
Not every hat is HD, but you should notice a significant improvement in quality for the majority of them.
The green interact circle now has an all-new HD texture.
Wow!! In that case they already fixed it! I was thinking fix like the islands up cause like they still be like 144P xD but thanks for showing me this!
The developers are doing a great job of trying to adapt the game for today on an engine designed for the past decade. They've already done a great job updating the graphics, as Bart pointed out. Aye, they could (and I'm fairly confident they will) be updated further but I also think the nature of the graphics contributes to the nostalgia.
Many of POTCO's graphics are objectively terrible for a game going into 2018. Its textures are beautiful, they're super intricate and it is very obvious very quickly that so much love went into them.
It's the models, the UVs, and poor planning that make the game look bad. Click that link above if you've never opened the phase files before -- you'll be amazed at the level of detail that the textures actually have when they're not stretched to oblivion.
It's an old game, so my standards for it aren't that high. I admire its art style, and it was a very ambitious project for its time. I have all the patience in the world for this team because I couldn't fix it myself.
My gripe is with the many technical problems that have arisen from the lack of communication between the original texture artists and the people who built the islands.
- Textures for specific objects tend to be either 128 x 128 px or 256 x 256 px.
- Character textures and general object/color palettes tend to be 1024 x 1024 px.
- Some textures are grouped into palettes of related textures.
This works very well for smaller objects, like fence posts or chairs, but less so for larger objects, like towers or gates. In some cases, textures must be stretched far more than the texture was designed to, and more often than not, no effort is made to seamlessly tile the textures, or connect faces in a way that looks natural.
When you have small objects right next to these stretched-out, bigger objects, it totally distorts the scale of the world relative to the player. Check it out below.
This is an area within Kingshead where wooden platforms, with properly applied textures, intersect a fort tower with stretched textures. The stone textures are 128 x 256 px sections. This makes the rocks seem massive, especially when a pirate is standing close to them.
Some parts of this wall are noticeably more blurry/faded than others. This is because the original texture is 128 x 256 px. Some of the bricks are the size of a pirate's head. Others could fit 4 or even 5 heads in them.
This is on Kingshead. If you don't see what I mean by the distorted scale, just look at the barrel. This is an easy fix, just tile the planks at a smaller scale. This one actually confuses me because the other piers in the game look fine. This is the only one I know of where the texture is blown up to the whole width of the pier. Someone else must have made it.
If you model in quadrilaterals (4-sided polygons) you can always convert them to triangles and back to quads later if you need to subdivide them further, since they form clean loops. This 3D modeler was probably told they needed the poly count as low as humanly possible. It does the job, but you can't edit this model any further without deleting the whole arch. Imho, there are less obvious places to literally cut corners.
Can someone tell me who thought making trees out of randomly placed flat planes of leaves was a good idea? Maybe it can actually look good, but it doesn't, because they neglected to put thought into the placement of the leaves. Optimally leaves should follow some sort of arch upward, downward, or layer system.
This tells us at least two things. One being that this is the same tree copied, pasted, and resized at least three times, and two, that the mysterious purple leaves that I thought was just me going insane, exist even in the vertex coloring, meaning they were intentional. It still looks bad though. Once you see it (in the textured version), you can't unsee it. Please, someone, fix this.
The loading screens have always been hated for this, but we still have them, so allow me to bring them up again. Everything you see on the loading screen is stretched out, even if you don't change the window size from when it originally opens. The ocean design on the top and bottom stops right around the border of the image in the center. This is one thing I actually wouldn't mind being stretched more, so it at least covered the screen.
This is the same image as above, but with curves adjusted to make the difference between the tones of blue more obvious.
I would love to improve the texture on this skeleton but I would be concerned about it staying faithful to the current style. Of all the enemies that look bad close up, skeletons take the cake.
Lastly, please take a moment to notice how lazily made Beckett's Dock is. There are pieces of wood sticking through each other, floating platforms, and tiling issues galore. I would be happy to fix this myself if it meant it was done right. I can't imagine how half these problems got through the QA stage.
That's it for my nitpicking today. Feel free to discuss these. I hope I've opened some eyes.
One Solution, if you dont like playing it.. go to one of those other mmorpgs you think you "sensitive self" can deal with their graphics. It is a remake of an old game, we dont have to pay for it, so either deal with how they are doing it.. or leave. There are other issues that need to be work on then worrying bout "pleasing" a very small group of players that complain bout the graphics.
go away or deal with it snowflake. your opinion doesnt matter.
If you paraphrased what i said dont make it look like it is a quote..
Not my issue how you take what I or squintz state our opinions and dont sugar coated it for you all. It isnt flaming, as I didnt name call anyone. I stated my OPINION, and I never said his didnt matter.
If I could I'd like this post 100 times. Those purple leaves have always baffled me. I don't understand why they would have had a purple vertex color paintbrush out to accomplish that. POTCO's textures were obviously done by someone very skilled and who put a lot of time into them (its just a shame they were obviously scaled down and compressed in lossy jpg --Thanks Disney). However when it comes to model work... Either there were unskilled interns or just people who didn't care. If you bring the models into a 3d editor you see countless errors and bad practices that show people who had no idea what they were doing. Like you said: shoddy UV work, messy modeling work, seriously cutting corners with poly counts... But it gets worse.
This is english_corner_a for reference. But almost all the models suffer from many of these same issues.
Hierarchy work for the finished models are abysmal it seems that nothing is merged into single objects. Here you can see every single rail rung is an entirely separate object. Not merged or joined in an effort to clean up the final model at all.
At this point I don't even know what to say. This also totally negates polygon count "limit" because they use vertex colors in most of the game for shadows and other shading since those are not implemented in-game in realtime. However, I'm sure this could be done a lot better.
"Once you see it (in the textured version), you can't unsee it. Please, someone, fix this."
All I can see is the purple now, I never saw it before!
It appears the game is running in Panda default mode, a lower rez rendering api, perhaps waiting until the game is working in a stable manner before upgrading to the next tier rendering level. Some thread somewhere with cars and a landscape made with panda in high rez render, made this theory seem feasible.
Thank you. It's good to be loved.
As someone who has worked with 3D animation and modeling programs before this just baffles me. The fact that the objects are not combined is just a basic rule when you finish modeling something. It makes the finished object much easier to work with if said objects are not going to move.
Also I had no idea the textures in this game were actually that good. I'm actually quite surprised, and amazed. The art style on those textures is phenomenal and pretty much exactly what kind of art direction I wish the game could have if it was a more recent production. I think I might save some of those textures just to look at them.


2019 is Liverpool City Region Year of the Environment and WEN are planning a host of activities, events and actions. More information at www.yoe2019lcr.org.ukor contact wen@la21.net to get involved.
The 2018 AGM will be held on Wednesday 21st November at 7.30 p.m., and the venue is The Stork, Price Street, Birkenhead. Refreshments will be provided at conclusion of the evenings business.
Any items which members wish to be included on the agenda and/or nominations for trustees should be sent to Pam Baker (pam@la21.net) at the office no later than 12th November 2018. Download a draft agenda here.
Come and enjoy the sun with us at our garden party.
Best hat competition, refreshments include 'Cooking with spices made simple', plants for sale and raffle. And for the children, come and pick some fruit and enjoy garden games.
Energy Projects Plus is offering local residents a completely FREE service called LEAP (Local Enegry Advice Programme). It can help you to save money and keep your home warm and cosy. Download flyer for more details.
Any membership enquiries should be directed to our membership secretary, Chris Snowdon on chris@la21.net, or to Pam Baker in the office, on 0151 639 2121 or pam@la21.net.
DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS PAYING YOUR FUEL BILLS?
Energy Projects Plus has funding to help those in financial hardship.
Download Energy, Food & Economy, a 12 page pamphlet that gives the facts about why living sustainably in the 21st century has to be the No1 priority for us all.
We can organise events, courses and talks centred around environmental themes. See details of what we can offer and please complete our questionnaire.
Merseycare Transport runs on cooking oil.
Read more and help now by donating your used cooking oil.
WEN needs your help to keep our projects going - see our new funding letter.
WEN has a group on Facebook. If you would like to follow the progress of WEN through news, updates and photos, find details of upcoming events, hold discussions or maybe talk to other people in the area who are interested in environmental issues, then please join our group. If you would like to join the group please search for Wirral Environmental Network on Facebook.
Support local businesses and cut food miles by buying direct from local producers at Wirral's farmers' markets.
Wirral Environmental Network is an environmental education charity (Registration No. 1068306) set up to promote and facilitate ethical and environmentally friendly lifestyles.
The aim of the organisation is to advance the education of the public about the preservation of our world's natural environment, ecological sustainability, natural resource conservation, waste management, recycling, and the principles of Fairtrade within Wirral and the surrounding area.
The Sandon Building, Falkland Road, Wallasey, CH44 8ER.
Tel: 0151 639 2121 fax number 639 4826. ...how to get there The office is halfway along Falkland Road - look for blue railings and an orange roof. Our entrance is at the right-hand side of the building as you look at it. The entrance at the other end belongs to Energy Projects Plus.
We do not have set opening hours, although you will usually find someone in the office most weekday mornings.
Please ring to check, and avoid a wasted journey.
Our number is 0151 639 2121 and you can leave a message if no-one is around to answer immediately.
Alternatively, email info@la21.net or the people listed above if you know who you need to contact.
Sustainability is now a term used internationally to describe an approach to life that many believe to be mankind's only viable chance of avoiding the environmental disasters that now seem to be part of our future.
It is also a chance to reassert the value of social and environmental issues in a world that is becoming more and more materialistic and money orientated. It stresses that environmental issues are bound into social and economical ones, and are not to be considered as separate, or less important.
The Sustainable Life is one in which we meet our daily needs in a way that is within the carrying capacity of the Earths ecosystems, and that could be maintained indefinitely by our children. It is living off nature's interest, rather than her capital. It is to respect our resources, by minimising waste, reducing energy use, recycling materials, and cutting out excessive consumption. We dont need to starve ourselves, but rather change our present care-free attitude to resources and materials.
This website offers practical ideas for sustainable living.
Why live sustainably on Wirral?
- It would bring all the benefits of a clean and natural environment: better quality of life and health. Clean air, water, parks etc.
- Saving resources will save YOU money.
- Improving the environment is an essential part of rebuilding community spirit.
- It is a life that has a future. Our present form of consumerism is unsustainable, neglects both our future and that of our children, and threatens global disaster. Much of Wirral's residential land is below sea level. If Global Warming causes the sea to rise enough, the 21st century could mean drastic changes for our peninsula.
The Sustainability Movement is an international one that is being subscribed to by governments and businesses all over the world. In 1992, 179 world states met at the United Nations' Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro to try to attack the issue of our relationship with our environment. They realised that environmental issues reach deep into economic and social ones: for example, that rising sea levels brought about from Global Warming will mean loss of land, property, huge expenses for flood defence, and great risk to health and lives.
Wirral Environmental Network is here to provide information and education to the public of Wirral about sustainable living.


Woke up in the field in light rain after 3ish hours sleep. I got back on the bike. Lots of things are hurting so progress was slow and tiring!
A couple of American tourists I bumped into the preceding day and had chatted to spotted me and pulled over to say hello again which was nice.
A little later on I was pushing the bike up a super steep slope and a car slowed down as it passed. "Are you doing the Transcontinental?" – it was Paul, who had just completed the race and his parents who were doing a spot of sightseeing. We chatted for a few minutes – it was really great to meet them all.
Then when I reached the top of the slope and was taking a rest for a few mins, up the slope came another TAW racer Jakob. We'd actually shared a flat together at the uni on the first night in Dublin. He has been having knee problems. It was good to catch up.
The rest of the day was fine, just a little slow.
The hill towards the end of the day was great, an enjoyable climb and descent, not too busy.
Checked into a b&b. Didn't need any encouragement to get to sleep.


The head of Pakistan's Taliban attended a funeral shortly before a suspected U.S. missile strike that killed about 55 people.
Baitullah Mehsud, accused of plotting suicide bombings and the assassination of his chief rival, is the target of a looming offensive by Pakistan's military in the South Waziristan tribal area bordering Afghanistan.
Clashes continued Wednesday in the volatile northwest, with a rocket attack at a police checkpoint on the outskirts of Peshawar killing three officers, local police chief Yasin Khan said.
Three rockets were fired at a military base in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, triggering a shootout but no known casualties.
But the focus is on Mehsud, who reportedly has up to 12,000 men under his control, entrenched in the lawless tribal areas. Suspected missile strikes killed several people at a purported Taliban training center early Tuesday, then another barrage rained down on a funeral procession for some of those killed in the first attack.
Intelligence officials had said Tuesday night that Mehsud was at the funeral and that militants lost contact with him for a while. Media reports suggested he had a very close call.
Two intelligence officials that although Mehsud had visited the village where the funeral took place, he left before the drone-fired missiles killed 55 people – reportedly including several senior Taliban leaders – and wounded dozens more.
Dozens of airstrikes have been carried out in the tribal regions over the last year, drawing criticism from Pakistan's leaders that they jeopardize the military operation by firing up an already raging anti-Americanism.


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NASA's New Horizons probe just woke back up
Mike Wehner @MikeWehner
The last we heard of NASA's New Horizons probe was when NASA released a set of photos taken at the farthest point any spacecraft has ever captured an image (3.79 billion miles, in case you were wondering), but things have been quiet for a number of months. That's because the probe had been placed in a hibernation mode to conserve energy as it travels towards the edge of the Solar System.
Now, after roughly six months of doing nothing but occasionally checking in with its handlers here on Earth, New Horizons is awake again, and it's preparing to wow us with some brand new photos.
The probe is currently cruising near the Kuiper Belt, which is the massive ring of various-sized objects that orbits the Sun at an even greater distance than Neptune and near Pluto. Some of the rocky bodies in the Kuiper Belt (called KBOs, or Kuiper Belt Objects) are massive, the largest being Pluto itself, but there are also asteroids and comets of varying sizes. One particularly interesting KBO is called Ultima Thule, and that's NASA's next target for the New Horizons camera.
"Our team is already deep into planning and simulations of our upcoming flyby of Ultima Thule and excited that New Horizons is now back in an active state to ready the bird for flyby operations, which will begin in late August," Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute, Principal Investigator for the mission, said in a statement.
But before NASA can tell the aging probe to begin snapping it needs to go through a hole laundry list of checkups. Scientists will send memory updates to the spacecraft and gather data about how its systems are performing. Once that is complete they will prepare for the first far-off observations of Ultima Thule so they can better navigate towards it in anticipation of an up-close-and-personal visit.
New Horizons might be over a decade old, but it still has a lot of work left to do. The spacecraft is expected to remain up and running through 2020 in order to deliver as much scientific data about Ultima Thule and other Kuiper Belt objects as possible. Is power source will eventually be depleted sometime after 2026.
Image Source: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
Tags: NASA, New Horizons, ultima thule
SpaceX forced to delay plans for first space tourism launch
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Combining GSM and active RFID advanced technologies, BISA developed the powerful browse-based pupil management system which offer teachers, parents and pupils a platform to communicate more efficiently.
With an active RFID card attached to the pupils, the school management system can receive real-time information of the pupils in the school.The information can be delivered to their parents via GSM. The pupils can press the panic button to alarm in case of emergency, which makes it more secure and reliable than any other pupil management systems. optimized.
● Pupils access control without through the machine one by one.
● Pupil real time localization.
● The button on the pupil card for pupil to alarm in case of emergency.
exit the school gate simultaneously.
● Multi-users and full-fleaged examination management: examination details, examination records, teachers' remark, year-term timetable, student particulars, homework for the pupils, teachers and parents to browse and check further.


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Key issue:
Healthy diets and markets
Introduction Sourcing our diets: Agri-food value chainsMarket pathways to improve dietsExamples of markets for nutrition in South AsiaSo what have we learned?
Harnessing the farm-to-market value chain to deliver nutritious foods to those who need it most
Local vegetable market in Khulna, Bangladesh. April 17, 2014.|M. Yousuf Tushar, WorldFish, Flickr, CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Edited by Jessica Meeker
This Key Issues Guide is sponsored by Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA)
LANSA is an international research partnership. We are finding out how agriculture and agri-food systems can be better designed to advance nutrition. We are focused on policies, interventions and strategies that can improve the nutritional status of children in South Asia.
Most of us have something in common. Whether we live in a city or the country, whether we're rich or poor, whether we're farmers or technology consultants, the majority of us buy our food from a shop or market. This means that, at least part of our diets are heavily dependent on what is available to us in these markets and on the price of those foods, among other things.
In South Asia it is increasingly recognised that most low-income households buy some or all of their food in markets. Even farm households frequently buy some of their food and dependence on markets is even greater for those who do not produce their own, such as landless or urban households.
Accessing more nutritious but expensive foods such as fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy can be a challenge for some families, particularly for lower income households who may find it harder to find safe and nutritious products or afford them.
Research under the Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia programme in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan has provided insights into the ways in which nutritious foods can be delivered to the poor, exploring public and private approaches, different delivery systems and policy options. This guide provides an overview of this work with links to further suggested reading.
Continue reading: Sourcing our diets: Agri-food value chains
Maria del Mar Maestre Morales
Mar Maestre is an international development researcher and practitioner with a focus on private sector, market systems and development. She has over 10 years of professional experience, which combine an international development profile with investment banking professional experience. Mar works in the Business and Development Centre at IDS and her research focuses on understanding market pathways (such as informal, formal) towards more sustainable and equitable outcomes.
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Sourcing our diets: Agri-food value chains
Photo: Polyhouse harvested bell peppers in Manoli Village, Sonipat District in Haryana, India | IFPRI -IMAGES, Flickr, CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Among the many initiatives that aim to increase food security, most focus on producing more food, without necessarily considering the nutritious quality of food. We often hear about what happens on the farm where food is grown, but to understand how to improve the food that is available for people to buy in the shops and markets, we also need to consider the steps involved in getting the food to them once it leaves the farm gate. For example, tomatoes that leave a farm may be bought directly by a neighbour who then consumes them. Alternatively the farm may sell its tomatoes to a wholesale fruit and veg supplier, who may then sell them to a manufacturer, who turns them into a tomato sauce, which is sold in jars to a supermarket.
The pathway from farm to the consumer, comprising all the stages and processes necessary to make food available for consumption, is called a value chain. With globalisation food value chains are becoming longer with more actors, from the informal sector to small businesses and multinationals, involved in them and interacting together. This "hidden middle" of the chain is increasing in importance, gaining power over the processing and distribution of products.
So the functioning of the value chain post-farm gate is an important factor in ensuring healthy and nutritious diets. This is especially true for vulnerable populations who are at risk of poor nutrition, because often they live in areas where markets are poorly stocked, and options for nutritious foods are limited, or where the price of food is high, making nutritious food hard to afford for lower income families.
We need to understand more about how the steps in a value chain can contribute towards improving people's nutrition. How do they work and how we can better harness them to help improve nutrition? To answer this we need to start understanding the challenges these complex food value chains present and also the many opportunities to intervene in the food system after the food leaves the farm that can help to improve people's nutrition.
Continue reading: Market pathways to improve diets
Introduction: value chains for nutrition in South Asia: who delivers, how, and to whom?
There is currently much talk of the private sector role in nutrition, and whether the state can better 'shape' the market to deliver nutritional outcomes. This article introduces an issue of the IDS Bulletin which presents research findings in this area developed by the consortium of research partners under the Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) programme.It is the first attempt at nutrition-oriented whole value chain research in South Asia, studying the supply and demand side of the agri-food chain.
Market pathways to improve diets
Photo: | Karachi City of Lights Sind Pakistan | Wasif Malik, Flickr, CC-BY 2.0
Recent research has been exploring how these value chains can be enhanced to deliver nutritious foods to those who most need it and what roles policy makers and private actors play or can play?
The researchers identified three main pathways through which value chains may be improved so that they deliver good quality nutritious food to consumers.
Changes in food demand: increasing access to or consumption of nutritious foods - so that families eat more diverse, more nutritious diets (for example through school meals, food vouchers, or indirectly through behaviour change activities and social marketing)
Changes in food supply: increasing supply of nutritious foods by producing and distributing foods with increased nutritional value, either via bio fortification or industrial fortification, or by improving the efficiency of links in the chain of a particular product (e.g. improving the collection of milk, or its transportation and distribution).
Directly improving the value chain (the interface between supply and demand): through improving infrastructure, removing other distribution barriers or directly subsidized food distribution programmes by the government, donors, or other stakeholders. These approaches often involve both private and public sectors.
Continue reading: Examples of markets for nutrition in South Asia
Markets for Nutrition
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2015
Making safe, nutrient-rich foods more accessible to people on low-incomes is one way to reduce micronutrient undernutrition (the lack of essential nutrients and minerals required by the body for healthy development). Efforts to integrate better agriculture and nutrition are focused on this goal, and many initiatives target low-income farm households.
Assessing food value chain pathways, linkages and impacts for better nutrition of vulnerable groups
Food Policy, 2017
In addition to targeting health and other areas related to undernutrition, a key priority is also the transformation of the agriculture and food sector. While patterns of crop and livestock production are widely expected to affect nutrition and the health of vulnerable groups, the evidence base for a positive impact, albeit growing, is still limited and sometimes inconclusive.This article offers insights into assessing the effectiveness of post farm-gate agri-food value chains at improving the nutrition intake of vulnerable groups.
Examples of markets for nutrition in South Asia
Photo: A typical road-side village market in Koraput Odisha, India | Copyright: LANSA
Interventions targeting the different pathways often work together to increase their impacts, such as changes in food supply combined with food demand, or improvements in the chain. They focus on the interdependent relationship between the consumer and the supplier.
The research focused on understanding the value chains from multiple perspectives as a first step before we can explore how to promote diet diversity or what incentives to use.
The most successful case studied was a public distribution programme in India which delivers food to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children. The programme engages with local cooperatives, private sector actors, state-owned companies and the community and this has been the key to their success. Engaging multiple actors, in particular local ones like the mothers of the children, ensures a transfer of knowledge and awareness, in addition to empowering local citizens. Public distribution models are successful pathways to ensure the target groups consume the food, as part of the common challenges faced are controlled, such as ensuring that the vulnerable population consumes the food – programmes are targeted - and is affordable – they tend to be free or subsidised. The challenge tends to be ensuring that funding does not stop.
In another example, we explored attempts to fortify the wheat value chain with micronutrients in Pakistan, to combat anaemia and vitamin A deficiency with limited success. Mandatory fortification of staple foods such as wheat or corn happens through industrial processes, and are designed to avoid traditional challenges like acceptability (you use a staple food), availability and affordability challenges – as supposedly all products will have the same nutritional quality on the market, regardless of the price. However, in Pakistan, poor families consume a product processed informally in small-scale local mills that cannot comply with regulations, hence the new fortified wheat is only consumed by middle class families. Policy makers did not take them into account when designing the policies.
Continue reading: So what have we learned?
Review of Agri-Food Value Chain Interventions Aimed at Enhancing Consumption of Nutritious Food by the Poor: India
Efforts to give a pro-nutrition focus to agriculture to address the problem of undernutrition in developing countries have predominantly focused on boosting production and/or consumption of nutritious foods by farm households. While this is clearly appropriate in countries where a large proportion of the poor have agriculture as their main source of livelihood, as in South Asia, it is increasingly recognised that a majority of the poor derive some or all of their food through markets.
Review of Agri-Food Value Chain Interventions Aimed at Enhancing Consumption of Nutritious Food by the Poor: Pakistan
How can agriculture play a more effective role in improving nutrition in countries with a high burden of hidden hunger and where an increasing proportion of the poor sources its food from the market? There is a need to understand how linkages between the farm and the consumer can be made to work for nutrition goals.This review paper examines the case of Pakistan, which has a relatively productive agricultural sector but which has experienced high and persistent rates of undernutrition.
Review of Agri-Food Chain Interventions Aimed at Enhancing Consumption of Nutritious Food by the Poor: Bangladesh
Bangladesh is primarily an agrarian nation. Most of the people of the country directly or indirectly depend on agriculture. Rural people are more involved in this sector compared to urban people. Agriculture is the single largest producing sector of the economy. The performance of this sector has an overwhelming impact on major macroeconomic objectives like employment generation, poverty alleviation, human resources development and food security.
Private business-driven value chains and nutrition: insights from India
Despite rapid economic growth, undernutrition rates in South Asia remain among the highest in the world. It is also seen that both rural and urban populations in developing countries are increasingly dependent on markets for food. This makes examining the potential of different agri‑food models to deliver nutritious foods relevant.This article examines the value chains of two fortified foods manufactured by private sector business in India using the conceptual framework in Maestre, Poole and Henson (2017), to understand their potential to reach economically poor households.
Going against the grain of optimism: flour fortification in Pakistan
Food fortification is a popular strategy for addressing 'hidden hunger', and staple foods are seen as promising, if unproven, vehicles for the delivery of essential micronutrients to poor people in developing countries. This article examines wheat flour fortification with iron in Pakistan as a case of technocratic optimism in the face of institutional constraints.An evaluative framework based on the analysis of entire value chains can provide a reality check on technocratic optimism.
Food distribution value chains under the Integrated Child Development Services
Globally, social provisioning of food is recognised as an important means to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition. Government food distribution programmes have potential for impact at scale in this context.
'Milk for milk, water for water': analysing Pakistan's dairy innovation
Interventions in agri-food value chains are thought to potentially make important contributions towards enhancing agriculture's role in nutrition. Some frameworks have begun to identify sets of requirements for pro-nutrition value chains. Pakistan's dairy sector has been the focus of a business-driven innovation which introduced ultra-high temperature (UHT)-treated milk in aseptic packaging.This was expected to relieve existing constraints in production and distribution, raise incomes for producers, and increase the supply of an affordable nutrient-dense food to consumers.
Building dairy value chains in Badakhshan, Afghanistan
Considerable recent research has tried to link agricultural production and the distribution of nutrient-rich foods to consumption, and hence improved health, of nutritionally vulnerable population groups. However, we are still unsure how agri-food value chains can assure positive linkages between agriculture and nutrition. Badakhshan is a remote region of Afghanistan, where high rates of malnutrition prevail among vulnerable population groups.
So what have we learned?
Photo: A stack of cans containing processed baby corn at Pratibha Foods Processing Unit in Sonipat District, Haryana, India. | IFPRI Images, Flickr, CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Ultimately this is one part of the puzzle when it comes to tackling the nutrition problem in South Asia and the world more widely. Through this work we begin to gain more of an understanding of the value chains and the pathways through which we can aim to improve nutrition. It could be assumed from the pathways outlined above that if you increase the production and distribution of naturally nutrient-rich foods that this would lead to higher consumption, or that fortifying a product with micronutrients will lead to increased nutrition gains. However, we have learnt that those assumptions rarely hold true.
There is not one solution or one chain. Multiple actors have a role and we need a combination of strategies. To improve how these value chains deliver nutrient–rich foods – one must meet the needs of businesses (of all types and sizes) and nutrition/diet requirements and this involves trade-offs that are not easily negotiable.
To tackle the burden of malnutrition, strong policies are needed which incentivise healthier products while challenging less healthy ones.
The informal sector and local small businesses tend to be ignored or voiceless when designing policies – however they are key actors when feeding poor people. We need to engage more effectively with them. The solution lies with them and not the big multinationals.
Continue reading: Back to introduction
Business-based strategies for improved nutrition: the case of Grameen Danone Foods
There is increasing interest in the role that businesses can play in promoting the consumption of nutrient-dense foods as part of strategies to reduce the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. To date, however, there has been little in-depth analysis of the extent to which viable business opportunities exist for nutrient-dense foods in the context of markets catering to communities.
Focus on gender, context, and evidence: CARE's lessons learned
This article explores the most effective ways to influence nutrition through value chains, based on CARE's long history in food and nutrition security.


Washington Hospital – Washington Hospital is a full service hospital located in Washington, Pennsylvania. It provides, among other things, emergency services, heart attack treatment, stroke treatment, breast cancer services, radiology mammograms, colonoscopy, and surgical services. The law firm of Berger & Lagnese has successfully prosecuted medical malpractice cases against Washington Hospital.
UPMC Shadyside Hospital – UPMC Shadyside Hospital is a full service hospital in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. It provides all hospital services including surgical services, radiology, and emergency care. The law firm of Berger & Lagnese obtained the largest jury verdict ever in a medical malpractice case in Pittsburgh against UPMC Shadyside Hospital resulting from the death of Michael Rettger for the hospital's failure to diagnose and treat Mr. Rettger's brain abscess.
Clarion Hospital – Clarion Hospital is a full service hospital located in Clarion, Pennsylvania. It provides, among other things, emergency services, heart attack treatment, stroke treatment, breast cancer services, radiology mammograms, colonoscopy, and surgical services. The law firm of Berger & Lagnese has successfully prosecuted medical malpractice cases against Clarion Hospital. We filed a case on behalf of our client who fell at home, was taken to Clarion Hospital, and subsequently was paralzyed below her waist (paraplegia). During the case, we discovered that our client's fall had caused a spinal epidural hematoma (bleeding in her spinal cord) which required immediate surgery. We also discovered that while in the Hospital our client began to lose feeling and movement in her legs, and the Hospital staff was aware but failed to take action. Prior to trial, Clarion Hospital made no offer to settle the case. We obtained a jury verdict of $800,000 against Clarion Hospital.
Indiana Hospital – Indiana Hospital is a full service hospital located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It provides, among other things, emergency services, heart attack treatment, stroke treatment, breast cancer services, radiology mammograms, colonoscopy, and surgical services. The law firm of Berger & Lagnese has successfully prosecuted medical malpractice cases against Indiana Hospital. For example, our law firm obtained the largest jury verdict ever in Indiana, PA.
Armstrong Hospital – Armstrong Hospital, also known as Armstrong County Hospital, is a full service hospital located in Armstrong, Pennsylvania. It provides, among other things, emergency services, heart attack treatment, stroke treatment, breast cancer services, radiology mammograms, colonoscopy, and surgical services. The law firm of Berger & Lagnese has successfully prosecuted medical malpractice cases against Armstrong Hospital.
Canonsburg Hospital – Canonsburg Hospital is a full service hospital located in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. It provides, among other things, emergency services, heart attack treatment, stroke treatment, breast cancer services, radiology, mammograms, colonoscopy, and surgery services.
Highlands Hospital – Highlands Hospital is a full service hospital located in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. It provides, among other things, emergency services, heart attack treatment, stroke treatment, breast cancer services, radiology mammograms, colonoscopy, and surgical services. The law firm of Berger & Lagnese has successfully prosecuted medical malpractice cases against Highlands Hospital.
Jameson Hospital – Jameson Hospital is a full service hospital in New Castle, Pennsylvania. It provides emergency services, heart attack and stroke treatment, breast cancer services, radiology, mammograms, and surgical services. The law firm of Berger & Lagnese has successfully prosecuted medical malpractice cases against Jameson Hospital.
Sharon Hospital – Sharon Hospital is a full service hospital in Sharon, Pennsylvania. It provides emergency services, heart attack and stroke treatment, breast cancer services, radiology, mammograms, and surgical services.
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Posted inTaiwan
Pompeo bids to bind Biden's hands on Taiwan
US Secretary of State lifts age-old restrictions on high-level US diplomatic visits to Taiwan in parting shot aimed at irking China
by Richard Javad Heydarian January 12, 2021 January 15, 2021
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo puts on his mask after speaking to the press at the US State Department in Washington DC on November 24, 2020. Photo: AFP/Saul Loeb/Pool
In one of his final acts as US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has managed to enrage Beijing and delight Taipei. "No more," the outgoing Pompeo declared over the weekend, as he abruptly announced the lifting of age-old restrictions on US high-level diplomatic visits to Taiwan.
"Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions," he said in what was most likely one of his last moves as America's top diplomat amid what some have termed a "golden age" in US-Taiwan relations under Donald Trump's administration.
Likely eying his own presidential bid in 2024, Pompeo called for overhauling bilateral relations since "the US-Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be shackled by self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy."
The unprecedented move will also significantly constrain the incoming Joseph Biden administration's options on cross-strait relations and affect its overall China policy.
Pompeo's announcement predictably provoked outrage in Beijing, with major Chinese state media outlets lambasting the top diplomat for "stoking unwarranted confrontations" and describing his act as "a cowardly act of sabotage" of the incoming Democratic president later this month.
"The Trump administration, in its continuing efforts to burn the house down before leaving office, has crossed a dangerous red line with China days before incoming President Joe Biden takes office," read a commentary on leading Chinese English television channel station CGTN.
Portraying Taiwan as "a vibrant democracy and reliable partner of the United States," Pompeo condemned "complex internal restrictions to regulate our diplomats, service members, and other officials' interactions with their Taiwanese counterparts" as "an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing."
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wan and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a collage photo. Image: Facebook
'Null and void'
He declared all pre-existing "contact guidelines" between senior American executive officials and their Taiwanese counterparts as "null and void."
Officials in Taipei were ecstatic, with Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang telling reporters: "We are expressing our gratitude toward the US for speaking out and supporting Taiwan."
"We also hope to interact actively with each other further, so that Taiwan could have an even bigger space in the international society," the Taiwanese premier added.
Over Twitter, the US-educated Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu personally thanked Pompeo, describing the move as an expression of solidarity between two democracies against an authoritarian China.
"I'm grateful to @SecPompeo & @StateDept for lifting restrictions unnecessarily limiting our engagements these past years," Taiwan's top diplomat said on Twitter.
The US State Department, however, was quick to shut down speculation, especially in China, of an 11th-hour historic visit by the US Secretary of State to Taiwan.
In a commentary, state-mouthpiece Chinese tabloid the Global Times warned of "overwhelming" retribution and "war" if Pompeo pushed ahead with a visit to the self-governing island, which Beijing considers a renegade province that has to be incorporated in the future by all means necessary.
"PLA fighter planes will fly over Taiwan immediately, declaring China's sovereignty over Taiwan island in an unprecedented way," declared the Global Times in one of its latest incendiary commentaries.
"If Taiwan and the United States dare to go ahead with such provocations, it is very likely to trigger a war. We will fundamentally punish the Taiwan authorities who cooperate with Pompeo's performance," it continued.
Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers marching with their bayonettes during a military parade. Photo: AFP/Stephen Shaver
'Act responsibly'
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus quickly shut down the frenzy of speculation in Beijing, declaring over Twitter: "There are no plans to travel to #Taiwan this week but we will continue our consistent support for Taiwan as a successful market economy, vibrant democracy, and force for good in the world."
"The CCP [Chinese Communist Party] must act responsibly and stop believing the lies in their own propaganda. Their nervous panic diplomacy is unwarranted and dangerous," the State Department spokesman shot back, accusing Chinese media of inflaming tensions.
As shocking as it seemed, Pompeo's latest policy statement was far from surprising. In fact, it was consistent with the Trump administration's growing support for Taiwan as a democratic bulwark against China.
Last year alone, the US cleared the sale of up to US$5 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan, including the $280 million Field Information Communications System (FICS), which will dramatically enhance the island nation's ability to coordinate its military activities and forestall electronic warfare from China.
As many as 11 arms sales packages were approved under Trump's watch, including the sale of strategic weapons such as the AGM-84H standoff land attack missile, expanded response (SLAM-ER) missiles and MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
Taiwan even managed to secure a huge $62 billion F-16 fighter jet deal, which China has reportedly identified as a "red line."
Months earlier, the US Navy's Indo-Pacific Command's top intelligence official, Rear Admiral Michael Studeman, made an unannounced visit to Taiwan amid rapidly burgeoning defense ties.
Top officials including recently-resigned Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger played a key role in overseeing the "golden age" in bilateral relations, culminating in the historic visit by US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to Taiwan last year.
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (2nd R) gestures to a US official (L) as US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar (R) and director of the American of Institute in Taiwan Brent Christensen (2nd L) look on during their visit to the Presidential Office in Taipei, August 10, 2020. Photo by Pei Chen/Pool/AFP
More continuity than change
The Trump administration's Taiwan policy builds on a robust bipartisan consensus, which is best reflected in the Taiwan Travel Act of 2018, which expresses "the sense of Congress that the United States Government should encourage visits between officials from the United States and Taiwan at all levels."
This comes on top of the Taiwan Assurance Act, passed in December, which aims "to deepen and expand US-Taiwan relations", regularize arms sales and transfers, and support Taiwan's participation in international bodies.
The act also calls on the US government to, among other things, review existing guidelines on diplomatic exchanges with Taiwan within a 180 days frame. Pompeo effectively rushed the review process to pre-empt and bind the incoming Biden administration's policy on cross-strait relations.
Top Biden advisors such as Kurt Campbell, a former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, recently indicated more continuity than change, since "there is a broad group of people across the political aisle that understand the profound strategic significance and our strategic interests in maintaining a strong relationship with Taiwan."
But Beijing is clearly hoping that Biden will revisit Trump's policies as part of a broader strategic reset. "China is waiting for Biden's inauguration," a source close to China's People's Liberation Army told the South China Morning Post.
Tagged: Archive, China, Joe Biden, Mike Pompeo, Taiwan, United States


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Lifestyle / Moms + Babies / Wedding postponed, cancer takes over their engagement
Wedding postponed, cancer takes over their engagement
Published September 4, 2020, 11:18 PM
by Denice Sy Munez
Their source of strength is their love for each other and the promise of better days
Soon-to-be married couples worldwide had to cancel, postpone, or change their wedding plans because of Covid-19. Ryan and Trisha know this traumatic experience by heart as the lockdown was mandated just days before their big day which was originally set back in March. To make things worse, their rescheduled celebration for August was halted again due to the continued presence of coronavirus. As if this wasn't enough of a hurdle, the couple and their families simultaneously found themselves facing a greater plight: Ryan's battle against cancer. Amid these painful ordeals, Ryan and Trisha share their journey with us and how their relationship has become stronger in their efforts to encourage one another to keep moving forward.
Where were you in the wedding planning when Covid-19 hit?
Ryan: Everything was already set in place. Planning was finished–from the event organizers to the wedding suppliers. Even the banquet hall and airplane tickets for Trisha's parents and relatives (who are from Davao) were already booked for their flight to Manila where our reception would be held. We were in high spirits and super excited for the upcoming month-long honeymoon to Europe. I had already found substitutes to take my place at my work while I am on vacation, so I was really looking forward to that much-awaited bonding time with Trisha.
PRENUP BLISS Little did the couple know that Covid-19 and cancer would change their lives
Your wedding was supposed to happen around the third week of March. How did you feel when you had to cancel it?
R: It was so difficult to say the word "cancel" to our family and friends, because my family is Chinese, we have to kwa di tsi (Fookien phrase which means to check the lunar calendar) for an auspicious wedding date and to make sure no one in our family is chong (Fookien word for incompatible energy in feng shui). The feelings included the stress of reorganizing everything, from venue availability to compatibility of schedules of our godparents and guests, etc. Emotionally, it also took a toll on us, because definitely we are sad that our dream wedding, which was so close in reach, was already canceled altogether.
You had it postponed to August, which unfortunately could not push through again. What's your plan?
R: Due to the pandemic, the feasible next step is to really just reschedule to 2021. Since there really is no certainty as to when this pandemic will end. On the brighter side, we are actually considering a very small and intimate wedding before the year ends.
When did you find out you had cancer?
R: I was experiencing severe pain in my leg for over a long time in May. When I finally decided to have it checked, the doctor said there was a tumor located in my left calf area. After undergoing a series of biopsy and other necessary tests, I was diagnosed with high grade osteosarcoma stage two.
Trisha, how did you feel after learning about Ryan's health condition?
Trisha: I felt sad, devastated, and shocked all at once. We shouldn't be spending our time in the hospital as future newlyweds. If everything had fallen according to schedule, Ryan and I would have been traveling and enjoying each other's company. But I feel that this is part of God's plan, and I believe this is meant for us to emerge stronger together.
THOUGHTFUL GIFTS Ryan receives "Get Well Soon!" presents from his close friends
What's your daily routine like nowadays? (Both families had decided for Trisha to move in with Ryan to help care for her fiancé)
T: Both sides of our families have decided for me to move in with Ryan to take care of him, so we wake up at 8 a.m. every day to have breakfast. Then Ryan gets his daily dose of vitamin D with reasonable sun exposure. We just stay at home when Ryan does not have his chemotherapy sessions. But when he has treatment scheduled, we spend our days in the hospital as Ryan recovers from the chemotherapy. Our daily lives have changed so much since. It has become simpler, and we are happy to be able to spend it alongside each other. At night, we always make sure to pray before sleeping.
It is important to stay positive, but we understand it can be difficult in your situation, plus we are in a pandemic. Where do you look to for inspiration?
T: Our friends and family have been very supportive and have shown deep care for us. Their encouragement helps us to stay positive. Ryan likes good food whenever he is out of the hospital, so we take pleasure in these simple joys. He particularly feels grateful and blessed to be surrounded by loved ones. Even though he is suffering from cancer, he acknowledges that there are many others who are also encountering the same predicament. We have been meditating, appreciating life a lot more, and counting our blessings.
Has anything changed in your relationship? How do you cope together?
T: Nothing much has changed, but we do feel that we are loving each other more, and have grown stronger together. Our faith has grown both individually and as a couple. In a way, we feel that our bond has become sturdier and have confidence that we will not be so easily shaken by the hardships of life because we will fight them together.
What message do you have for each other?
Ryan to Trisha: Thank you for always waking up at night to accompany me to the bathroom. You handle all the "caregiver" duties and make sure that I drink my medicine on time. I am grateful and thankful that you stay by side all the time.
Trisha to Ryan: Always stay happy and strong. This is just an adversity that you will definitely conquer. It is tough and tiring, but I know you are a fighter, and I am always here for you.
Do you have a message for other couples whose wedding celebration had also been delayed?
R & T: Take things one step at a time. We know it can be tiring and tedious to arrange everything again, but do not forget that what's important is to be united in front of God and celebrate your union together with your family.
Any life lessons that you would want to share?
R: Life is unpredictable and we should not take it for granted. Always keep a cool head when deciding on a matter, as it can affect the lives of the people around us. Do not lose hope in the face of adversity, because there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Finally, to always have empathy is something we both want to impart to everyone.
Denice Sy Munez
Andi Eigenmann gives birth to baby number 3
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The Importance of Listening
Morgan Stanley volunteers at Childline, the NSPCC's 24/7 helpline, share the intensity of simply listening to children calling for support beyond their families.
At work, Catriona Shannon and Adam Clevenger are used to being on numerous calls a day—most of which are routine, with some challenging conversations along the way.
You have to learn not to assume how the children are feeling, or to suggest how they ought to be feeling.
But none ever approaches the intensity of even a single call that she and Clevenger field during their shifts at Childline, when they staff the phones as volunteers at the Shoreditch headquarters of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Morgan Stanley's nonprofit partner in the UK.
"When a call comes in from a child, I'm one of the first voices they may hear," says Clevenger, who in his day job at Morgan Stanley is a foreign-exchange and derivatives trader, and as a volunteer has worked the NSPCC's Childline switchboard for the past four years. "I have to make sure I sound warm and kind but also professional. It's important that they feel like they're in a good pair of hands from their first contact with the helpline."
'Listening Is Essential'
Shannon and Clevenger are among hundreds of firm employees who volunteer at the NSPCC in all kinds of roles. Dozens will be at the firm's garden for the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show this spring. This year's garden, Morgan Stanley's fourth, aims to raise funds and awareness for the NSPCC and the critical work it's doing for abused children.
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At the call center, for most of her four hours every Sunday afternoon, Shannon, a Vice President in Morgan Stanley's Institutional Equities Marketing division in London, mostly sits and listens. "With a child, active listening is essential. It's really important just to be quiet and let them speak," she says. "We think empathy is instinctive, but really, it's a skill. You have to learn not to assume how the children are feeling, or to suggest how they ought to be feeling." Taking a deep breath, Shannon adds: "There are no easy fixes, but we focus on equipping each child with the tools to be able to come to decisions themselves. We seek to empower them by helping them see that they have options—and to feel less alone."
The NSPCC's 24/7 Childline is available to anyone in the UK under the age of 19 who is in need. Clevenger knew about it, but he had envisioned a small office with some calls coming in every now and then. He was awed when he first walked into the Childline center to find a room "about half the size of a basketball court" with as many as 60 people fielding nonstop calls around the clock.
'Someone's Got to Be There'
And then there he was on the switchboard himself. "It's so hard for these children to get to a point where they can actually be ready to get something off their chest and call up a stranger, but that's where I come in," says Clevenger. "I have to essentially say, 'You've done the right thing, we can really help, I'm going to put you through to someone you can talk to—' and there you go."
Sometimes, Clevenger's shifts overlap with Shannon's and he ends up switching over a caller in need to her line. "I was really surprised by the range of problems kids call up about," Shannon says. "And, actually, some of the most difficult calls are about bullying. Once there was a time when you could at least leave the bullies behind when you go home. But with social media there's no escape."
Neither feels he or she can leave those Childline experiences at the front door when they get home. At the same time, they both know that what they do is critical. "I know people who say, 'Oh, I just couldn't do that, I just care too much about kids,' " Shannon says. "But the fact is: Someone's got to be there in your life to help and listen, and I'm so glad I get a chance to be someone who can listen to these children."
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