Bent wood hat making at the APIA Culture Camp was once again being taught this year by Patty Lekanoff-Gregory. Bent wood hats come in many different configuration from short visors to long billed visors to full-crowned chief's hats. Patty teaches them all.
Hats are bent over forms, this one being for a short visor.
And this one for a large visor or full crowned hat.
Blanks for the hats are cut out on a band saw from poplar stock sawed down to one half inch sheets. The blanks are then carved down in certain places to make them more pliable. Thicker ridges are left in strategic places to make the bent wood take on the proper shape.
Once completed, the blanks are kept wet to maintain their pliability.
When the time comes for bending, the carved blanks are put in boiling water till uniformly hot and then are bent over the bending from. Action at this point is very focused as you can see from the picture. The wood only stays hot and pliable for a short time. If you wait too long and the wood stiffens up, it may crack and hours of work carving go down the drain.
When the bending is complete, the hat is left to dry in its form. When dry, it can be removed from the form and will maintain its shape.
Here Patty and I are showing off the long billed visor she made for me.
My part of the deal was to make Patty a paddle.
Can you insert Lekanoff with my last name.


Instruction tailored to the individual student, learning and teaching outside the limits of time and space—ideas that were once considered science fiction are now educational reality, with the prospect of an intelligent Web 3.0 not far distant. Alongside these innovations exists an emerging set of critical-thinking challenges, as Internet users create content and learners (and teachers) take increased responsibility in their work.
Advances in both cognitive psychology and computing have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a fast pace and affecting academia and professional practice in many ways. Paradigms such as just-in-time learning, constructivism, student-centered learning, and collaborative approaches have emerged and are being supported by technological advancements such as simulations, virtual reality, and multi-agents systems. These developments have created both opportunities and areas of serious concerns.
Learning and Instruction in the Digital Age nimbly balances the technological and pedagogical aspects of these rapid changes, gathering papers from noted researchers on a wealth of topics relating to cognitive approaches to learning and teaching, mental models, online learning, communications, and innovative educational technologies, among them: a) cognition and student-centered Web-based learning, b) the progression of mental models throughout a course of instruction, c) experiencing education with 3D virtual worlds, d) expanding educational boundaries through multi-school collaboration, e) adapting e-learning to different learning styles and f) the student blog as reflective diary.
With its blend of timely ideas and forward thinking, Learning and Instruction in the Digital Age will enrich the work of researchers in educational psychology, educational technology, and cognitive science.
Editors: Spector, J.M., Ifenthaler, D., Isaias, P., Kinshuk and Sampson, D.


text:
The Daily Click ::. Forums ::. Misc Chat ::. Story I wrote a while ago
Knudde (Shab)
7th March, 2004 at 13:29:59 -
Here's a story I wrote that's basically a mini story I wrote about Metroid 2. If you would care to read it through, please do, and post what you think.
"Drek!" Samus cursed under her breath; "I'm not taking that thing on with only 2% armor left." Samus ducked behind a rock and hoped that the Omega form Metroid had not sensed her yet. She was on SR-388 for the sole purpose of destroying all the remaining Metroids. After running in to them on Zebes, the GFED had quickly seen their ability to be used as weapons, they were interested, but then they found out that Metroids spread like a plague. Having previous experience and no contract, Samus was an easy choice for wiping the Metroids out. When she had arrived on the planet, the first Metroid she had seen molted, the resulting Metroid, (which she had designated Alpha), was faster, but easier to kill, she did not need to freeze it before shooting it with missiles. She had blown through the first of the Metroids, quickly laying waste to this mutation. On the other hand, maybe it wasn't a mutation, just the natural growth cycle, she didn't care; she was here to do a job. Sometime later, she ran across an Alpha that just mutated and molted right in front of her. She had named them Beta, and found out quickly they were much harder to kill. The Betas had some kind of electrical field that seriously damaged her Powersuit, they were also armored. Those proved to be challenging for a while, but with practice, she was able to make quick work of those also. Next came the Gamma form, those Metroids scared Samus. They breathed fire, were very heavily armored, and extremely fast. The Gammas also had arms and legs, which seemed to be useless, considering they could fly. Those caused Samus serious problems; her suit had come close to breaching after the battle with her first Gamma. She had just finished destroying one, and had wandered into a cavern looking for some form of energy, when she saw the ugliest Metroid ever. The Omega, similar to Gamma, but much bigger, she also assumed that it had better defenses, speed and armor than it's little brother, sister or whatever.
Samus took a quick glance over her shoulder and saw she was screwed. The Omega was flying right at her. Samus just reacted; she dove to her left as the ugly bastard smashed through the boulder, raining pebbles in the cavern. The beast turned its head just as Samus was regaining her feet. A massive fireball flew from its mouth directly towards her. Samus dove again, just as the fireball struck the wall behind her, flash frying the rock into a shiny glass. The Metroid reoriented itself so that its body was facing Samus, it screamed and charged again. Samus engaged her missile system and let two fly. The first one went high and impacted on the ceiling, again raining rock down to the floor. The second missile impacted right on the monstrosities head. It paused it's charge, screamed and let another fireball loose. Samus ran towards the Metroid, and dove feet first; she could almost feel the heat of the fireball as it passed over her. As she slid under the Metroid, it craned its neck and attempted to bite her; discovering that its neck was too short for such a maneuver. Simultaneously Samus fired three missiles. One hit the Metroids head, and two hit its exposed stomach. After clearing the bottom of the beast, Samus flipped onto her chest, and brought herself to a semi crouching position. As her slide ended, she let loose another three-missile blast. All three impacted upon the Metroids back, and it froze; stunned. Samus took advantage of the situation and shot five more missiles before relocating herself elsewhere in the cavern. All five hit although one was merely crushed by the beast's armor. The Metroid again charged, and swung at Samus with its claws. The suit she was wearing responded accordingly, the "liquid armor" all shifted to the point of impact, just a millisecond before the Metroids claws connected. It was only a glancing blow, but now her armor was down to 1%.
"Screw finesse." said Samus and fired all of her remaining missile in a montage. The effect was devastating for the Metroid, it was visibly blown back and its cranium was assaulted by more than ten missiles. Samus watched as one missile found a soft spot, burrowed in the Metroids head, and detonated. The contents of the beast's head painted the cavern and her suit in a red and clear gel. The headless corpse crashed into the ground, slightly shaking the cavern, and covering the floor in the Metroids internal gel-like fluid. Samus took a careful step forward, but still managed to slip on the gel. She found herself staring at the ceiling and decided to not even try to get up, instead she started using her hands to push off the floor and slide over to a pool of water. After cleansing the suit of any Metroid gel, Samus sat down on a nearby rock and checked her status.
"Armor - 1%"
"Missiles - 0"
"Beam - Plasma"
She stopped it before it could load her individual equipment status; she didn't really care about that at the moment. She needed missiles and armor.
"There has to be a recharge point somewhere around here." she thought, chewing on her lower lip. "The Chozo have them everywhere else on this planet." The Chozo were an ancient race who had many artifacts on a multitude of planets throughout the galaxy. However ancient, their technology was more advanced than anything around today. Her suit just happened to be part of that technology. Samus had speculated about the origins of her suit for a long time, it was obvious that it had massive battle capabilities, but she wasn't sure if it was an actual battle suit. All of the Chozo weapons she had come across were held by a statue that looked like some kind of battle suit. "Or maybe that's what the Chozo look like," she thought. It didn't matter either way, she had to find some energy now, or she was good as dead. She had no idea how many Omega Metroids were left, but she knew that if she ran into one more, her suit would be breached. She also had no missiles left, so she was defenseless. Samus sighed, pulled up her map, and looked for the last recharge station she had used. "Drek, that's almost a kilometer away." She decided that it would probably be better to go back and recharge before she ran into anything that might mistake her for it's next meal.
Samus trekked her way back to the recharge point and hooked her suit into the glowing ball of energy. Slowly her suit recharged itself until her HUD displayed her armor level at 499% and her missiles as 210 shots. Satisfied that everything was working properly, Samus again headed into the cavern where she had encountered the Omega Metroid. Exploring the area, she found a shaft just barely big enough for her to fit through. Samus crunched up as much as she could, and dropped into the blackness of the shaft. She landed, hard, on her back, momentarily dazed, she looked around to find herself in a massive spherical room, however, it was still made of rock.
"This can't be natural," she thought, "It's almost too perfect." That's when she noticed the shriveled eggs. "What the hell? Metroids have eggs? But they're asexual, and reproduce in gamma rays." She quickly dismissed them as non-Metroid eggs; it didn't make any sense. She accounted it to being nervous about running into any more Omegas. She shook her head and started to look around the room, looking for an exit, her view was drawn to some movement in the shadows. Then the all to familiar glow of a Metroid filled the shadows, and then another, and another; until there was a total of nine of the lights. Samus looked on with growing horror, these were regular Metroids, not too dangerous, but there were nine of them. Samus quickly engaged her ice beam as a flight of five Metroids flew towards her. She managed to freeze four of them, and ducked under the fifth one. The Metroid sensed her movement and latched on to her. Samus's power drained rapidly as she planted a trio of bombs. The resulting explosion blew her clear of the Metroid. Samus fired her ice beam blindly, hoping to hit it. After regaining her senses, she looked at the Metroid; it hung there, frozen in mid-air with its four siblings. Samus engaged her missiles and quickly destroyed the five frozen Metroids. It was then she realized that she hadn't seen the other four. Samus looked above her and saw four gelatinous blobs hovering above her. She ducked and rolled to her right, firing as she went. After her roll, she tracked the remaining Metroid with her ice beam. After making sure she would not waste a shot, she fired. The beam hit the Metroid dead center. Again, Samus engaged her missiles and destroyed the four Metroids. Samus was slightly shaken, but proud. "Maybe I haven't lost my touch." That had been one of her concerns since encountering the Gamma Metroids. Samus ran towards the darkness where the Metroids had come from. She carefully picked her way through the pitch-black tunnel until she saw a light. She came out in yet another massive spherical chamber, but this one was not as organic as the last one. The chamber was lined in some kind of metal, and there were assorted metallic parts scattered throughout the room. The floor was covered in a strange, purplish green web like material. Suddenly the ground trembled, then again, the pattern kept repeating itself until Samus realized what it was, footsteps, of something very, very large. A massive roar erupted within the chamber and Samus looked to her left, and froze. She was looking at the biggest Metroid she had ever seen. It was easily ten meters long and about three meters high to the shoulder. Samus now understood the point of the arms and legs on the previous forms, they did have a use, this thing looked too big to even jump, never mind fly. Samus did the first thing that came to her mind; she ran and fired missiles like hell. The head of the massive Metroid seemed to fly from its body and snap at her. Samus barely escaped from the double jaws of the beast. Samus jumped and just before she landed, she understood why the Omega had tried to bite her, it was probably ready to mutate into this monstrosity and started to act accordingly. "That means this thing ha.." She never finished that thought as the Metroids head snapped back and opened, five fireballs flew from the gaping maw. Three struck Samus, taking her armor down to 376%. Samus again started to run, the Metroids head snapped at her and caught Samus in it's jaws. Even through the suit, the pain was excruciating. An involuntary scream erupted from Samus's throat as threads of black pulled at her vision. Muscle spasms in her arm triggered her missile launcher and two flew from the barrel, right down into the Metroids throat. The monster froze, and Samus dropped to the ground like a dead body. Through a hazy view, she saw her armor was at 149%. Samus rose and ran on pure adrenaline, firing missiles all the way. The missiles impacted on the Metroids head. It roared again, and charged at Samus. Samus fired ten missiles at its mouth and was again awarded with a frozen Metroid. She managed to get twenty-three missiles off before the Metroid resumed its charge, carefully keeping its mouth closed. Samus was head butted against the wall by the Metroid. Samus watched her armor level drop again and fired more missiles. The point blank explosions clouded her vision outside her suit for a moment, but the roar told her she had hit. Samus made a quick guess of where the mouth was and fired twelve more missiles, now fighting for her life more than her contract. The Metroid let out what seemed to be an involuntary roar and backed up. Samus fired three more missiles as she fell forward on the ground and was blown back into the wall. The blackness tugging at her finally won, and she slumped against the floor.
Sometime later, Samus awoke with every nerve in her body on fire. Her back arched in a spasm, and then she saw the corpse of her enemy. After the pain dulled to the point of movement, she crawled over to the corpse, nauseous. The stomach of the Metroid was blown wide open, and the whole chamber was covered in a clear reddish gel. Samus stood up and regarded her enemy for a while, realizing that this thing must have known it was a fight for life. For the first time in her life, Samus actually felt sorry for a Metroid. She shook her head, "They may have been a plague, but dammit, they were only going on instinct." Samus walked towards the direction where she had first seen the big Metroid, that's when she saw a lone egg. Samus quickly checked her suits condition, 6% armor, 9 missiles. Samus readied her ice beam, expecting a regular Metroid to emerge from the egg. As she approached, the egg split in half, and a third scale Metroid hovered lazily out. Samus tracked it with her cannon, ready to fire. The Metroid floated lazily towards her, but not in a threatening manner. Samus, still wary, loosened her grip on the trigger as the Metroid simply floated near her. Samus decided that this was probably not the best sign, but a Metroid that small couldn't get a grip on her suit. Samus started to walk away and the Metroid followed her, she quickly turned around and trained her cannon on it. The Metroid didn't seem to mind, it seemed so innocent. Samus turned again, and ran in the other direction. The Metroid just hung there, as if it was shocked. Samus ran until she came across the web material stretched across the tunnel. She tried to fire on it, rip it, and even squeeze through it. "This must be the stuff the armor is made out of." Knowing more attempts would be futile; she turned around and started to walk back the way she came. Out of the darkness, the baby Metroid flew towards the webbing. As if it was nothing, the webbing disappeared. The Metroid hovered near where the webbing once was, as if it wanted Samus to follow it. She quickly decided to, the thought of going back the way she came was not appealing, and for some reason, she trusted this Metroid. Samus followed the Metroid through the cavern.
"At least you have a better attitude than the rest of your family."
Craps, I'm an old man!
imafirinmahlazr
ughh, yea.I'm not trying to bag you or nothin' but.
People do not know how they feel in an expression of an integer.
(I don't ever remember being in a school yard fight when loosing,
only to say."Hey wait! not hit me anymore, I only got
2 percent armor left!! I could get hurt!!!"
See my point.
But then who would be wearing a powersuit with a HUD in a schoolyard?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Life No Longer a Cabaret For Sports Bar
KENOSHA, WI—The cabaret license for MVP Sports Bar has been revoked. The establishment was the site of a shooting last month, during an incident that was characterized as overwhelming due to the amount of people congregated in the area.
Only seven security guards at the bar were on duty when every available Kenosha Police officer-and those from other departments-were called to the 32-hundred block of 60th street in the early morning hours of June 30th.
One person was seriously wounded in the shooting. The loss of the cabaret license means that MVP can no longer host DJs and live music. Police responded to 45 calls at the bar in eight months.


Hungary have drawn Norway in the draw for the qualifying play-offs for the 2016 European Championship in France next summer. The draw was made in Nyon on Sunday and saw Hungary drawn last out of the eight teams. Norway finished third in a qualifying group including Italy, Croatia and Bulgaria with 19 points garnered from six victories and one draw and a goal record of 13 scored, 10 conceded. Hungary's record against Norway reads seven wins, five draws and five defeats with 32 goals scored and 19 shipped. The last meeting was in 2012 when Norway won 2-0 in Budapest.
Hungary will play away in Norway in the first pay-off leg on 12th November before the second leg takes place at the Groupama Aréna in Budapest on 15th November. The other ties in the play-offs are Sweden v Denmark, Republic of Ireland v Bosnia and Slovenia v Ukraine.
Before the draw I had no particular preference in terms of opponent because whoever reaches this stage is, I am sure, an excellent team. It was my wish that we'd start with the away leg so from a team perspective it has been a good draw. I know Norwegian football very well – no one needs to introduce the opposition to us – so we know an excellent team awaits us. They were due to qualify from their group right up until the end and the Italians only overhauled them in the last moments. Now we need to focus on preparing the team well in terms of the opponent's game and playing a tight match away from home so that, with the support of the crowd, we have a chance of creating history and qualifying for the European Championships.
Do you have a favourite soccer team?


An unofficial US territory, this island in the Pacific Ocean, boasts of a tropical climate all year long. It's a place of modernity and tradition, with a strong sense of culture. Immerse yourself in American Samoa and you will be fascinated not only of its breathtaking views but also of its hospitable island and it's people.
Climate: It has a very warm and tropical climate with heavy rainfalls happening between the months of December and April. November to April is also the cyclone season. It is best to visit between the months of May to September because of the moderate southeast trade winds.
Visa/Passport: Australian visitors to American Samoa need a passport valid for six months, a return ticket or onward ticket, and enough funds for their stay. They can stay up to 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days at the Attorney General's Office. A visa is not required.
Airport: Pago Pago International (PPG) airport is located 7 miles away from the city centre. However, the main entry airport of most visitors is the Falelolo International Airport (APW) which is 35 km from Apia.
Getting Around: Catching a local bus is a welcome surprise. It is one of the most affordable options. Taxis are available and cheap. Local flights are available within airports.
Credit Cards: Major credit cards are widely used in American Samoa especially in major hotels, restaurants and stores.
Drinking: The legal drinking age is 21. Local brew can be found almost everywhere with two major breweries in the country. Beer is almost the staple drink in American Samoa. However, alcohol is strictly prohibited for on Sundays except in hotels and restaurants.
Shopping: Most retail outlets are found in main island of Tuitila. Good buys include local American Samoan handicraft. However, US-made products and goods are also widely available.
Tipping: Tipping is not practiced. However, a guest may directly give the tip to the service personnel that have provided exceptional service.


APV, Model APV24-3B, two stage, homogenizer. Rated maximum output capacity of 705 gallons per hour – depending on materials and application. Maximum operating pressure up to 3,000 psi. Equipped with ball valve cylinders and standard style valve seat, manual homogenizing valve actuator assembly with 2½"OD / 1¼"ID Tri-Clamp style charge / discharge ports and pressure gage up to 6,000 psi.


text:
Colin Thubron
By Colin Thubron
'An astonishingly imaginative recreation' Jan Morris, The Times
The Emperor Constantine crosses the Alps at the head of a great army from the Rhineland in AD 312, and marches south to take Rome from the tyrant Maxentius As he lays siege to the city of Verona, Constantine waits for the arrival of his wife, Fausta his enemy's sister -whose cool detachment torments him. Emperor is a superbly imaginative reconstruction of the dramatic weeks leading up to Constantine's triumph in Rome. Written in the form of extracts from his own journal and letters from his empress, her frivolous female companion, his cynical secretary and a Christian bishop who is travelling with the army, the novel records a train of event, which will change the world Constantine is plagued by spiritual doubts, tortured by his wife's coldness, but he defies the omens to win a great victory at Verona and to lead his army South. On the road to Rome, the conqueror becomes the conquered as a blinding vision strike, him from his horse in an astonishing conversion to Christianity.
Emperor summons up the Roman world of two thousand years ago, the everyday life of soldiers on campaign and the intrigues at court. But it is also the many-faceted story of a man's loss of faith in God and in human love, told with uncanny brillianc.e
" Colin Thubron has chosen to present his vividly original concept of Constantine as a mosaic of fragments from letters, written orders, jottings from supposed journals of the emperor and his train and, most revealing of all, extracts from the correspondence of his lovely, tragic, inaccessible wife, Fausta "
" It is a stylish, sensitive exploration of complex people in an era of complexities, and creates vividly the climate of an over-ripe civilisation falling into self-questioning "
Mary Renault
" 'Legionaries and their commanders, frigid empress and frivolous lady-in-waiting, and, above all, the ambitious, domineering, but also self-tormenting and restlessly questioning Constantine - all come vividly to life and persuade the reader that he is their contemporary.' "
Also by Colin Thubron
A Cruel Madness
The Lost Heart Of Asia
Behind The Wall
To The Last City
Turning Back The Sun
Love Emperor? Subscribe to Read More to find out about similar books.


text:
Sanders, Clinton take on Flint water crisis in Democratic debate
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders tangled over trade, guns, the auto industry and the water crisis in Flint, Mich., on Sunday in their seventh Democratic presidential debate.
With Clinton seeking to put away the race for the party's nomination during the next few weeks, Sanders targeted her support for previous trade agreements, which he said "resulted in the shrinking of the American middle class."
The attack in the heart of the industrial Midwest was intended to wrest Tuesday's upcoming primary away from Clinton, who had a 56%-31% lead in a Detroit Free Press-WXYZ poll released late Saturday.
Poll: Clinton has big lead on Sanders in Michigan
Michigan boasts the eighth-largest trove of delegates in the Democratic race.
After Michigan and Mississippi voters cast ballots Tuesday, the race shifts to five big states voting a week later: Florida, Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina and Missouri.
The former secretary of State responded to Sanders' attack on trade instantly, accusing him of opposing the 2001 auto bailout — which Sanders noted was incorporated into the Wall Street bailout that he opposed.
"I voted to save the auto industry. He voted against the money that ended up saving the auto industry," Clinton said. If Sanders' position had succeeded, she said, the auto industry would have collapsed, "taking 4 million jobs with it."
Seventh Democratic debate: Highlights from Flint
Sanders to Clinton: 'Excuse me, I'm talking'
Even as the pair debated at Flint's Whiting Auditorium, voters were caucusing in Maine on Sunday, which Sanders won. Clinton has a lead in delegates of 1,130 to 499, thanks in large part to party superdelegates.
Clinton and Sanders will have only three days to recover from the Michigan debate before their next one in Miami on Wednesday night. But they took time Sunday to look ahead to the general election contest — possibly against Donald Trump.
"I think that Donald Trump's bigotry, his bullying, his bluster, are not going to wear well on the American people," Clinton said.
Sanders said polls show him beating Trump by more than Clinton does. Noting both he and Clinton have talked about investing in mental health, he said, "When you watch these Republican debates, you know why."
The candidates came together in a city struggling for the past two years with lead-polluted water that city, state and federal officials recognized and overlooked.
The two Democrats both visited Flint in recent weeks to call attention to the water crisis, criticize local officials and vow assistance. On Sunday night, Clinton for the first time joined Sanders in calling for Gov. Rick Snyder to resign or face a recall election.
"It is raining lead in Flint, and the state is derelict in not coming forward with the money that is required," Clinton said.
Hillary Clinton joins call for Snyder removal over Flint water crisis
Clinton, Sanders say they're not playing politics with Flint
Sanders said Flint residents should not have to pay for the lead-polluted water, and he said the Centers for Disease Control should test everyone in the city.
It is "beyond belief that children in Flint, Mich., in the United States of America in the year 2016 are being poisoned," he said.
Both Clinton and Sanders said people should be fired for the Flint fiasco, but they stopped short of saying that should include top officials at the Environmental Protection Agency. Rather, Sanders said, he "would fire anyone who knew what was happening and did not act appropriately."
Clinton mentioned the controversy first during a debate in mid-January, portraying it as a case of institutional racism in a poverty-stricken city with a 56% African-American population. She visited in early February and called the crisis immoral.
Sanders visited six days ago but was first to call on Snyder to resign.
The candidates agreed on many domestic issues but differed once again on crime and guns. Clinton criticized Sanders for voting to grant immunity to gun makers in a 2005 vote. "We should very seriously move to repeal that," she said.
Sanders said that suing any gun maker whose weapon ends up in the hands of someone who is mentally ill would effectively shut down gun manufacturing in the nation.
Clinton and Sanders have engaged in a topsy-turvy race. Clinton narrowly won the Iowa caucuses, the Vermont senator took neighboring New Hampshire, and then Clinton began to stretch her lead by capturing Southern states before, during and after last week's Super Tuesday contests.
On Saturday, Sanders won contests in Kansas and Nebraska, while Clinton won Louisiana. She is approaching the halfway point toward the 2,382 delegates needed to win the nomination.
Now the two Democrats are waging an intense battle across the Midwest, with major primaries coming in Ohio and Illinois as well. Sanders seeks support from working-class residents, while Clinton relies on labor unions and minorities.
As such, Sanders spent part of Sunday speaking to a large rally in Warren, Mich., while Clinton met with African-American ministers in Detroit.
Contributing: Heidi M. Przybyla


text:
Q: Which one of these looks stationary? Step 1. To answer "Final Question"
( linked:  "https://stats.stackexchange.com/questions/79246/the-final-question-order-of-differencing-to-achieve-stationary-and-interpreta")
Expecting to find correct order of difference to achieve stationary.

Some Result of test for stationary on monthly times series only.

*

*Dickey fuller

*KPSS test

*Phillips–Perron test
If required i can provide test result for the any order difference.
  > urdfTest(Monthly, lags=1, type = c("nc","c","ct"), doplot = TRUE)

Title:
 Augmented Dickey-Fuller Unit Root Test

Test Results:

  Test regression none

  Call:
  lm(formula = z.diff ~ z.lag.1 - 1 + z.diff.lag)

  Residuals:
      Min      1Q  Median      3Q     Max
  -526683 -135297   24570  176578 1078796

  Coefficients:
             Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|)
  z.lag.1    -0.08703    0.09829  -0.885 0.383219
  z.diff.lag -0.61315    0.15711  -3.903 0.000521 ***
  ---
  Signif. codes:  0 '***' 0.001 '**' 0.01 '*' 0.05 '.' 0.1 ' ' 1

  Residual standard error: 329300 on 29 degrees of freedom
  Multiple R-squared:  0.4195,  Adjusted R-squared:  0.3794
  F-statistic: 10.48 on 2 and 29 DF,  p-value: 0.0003761

  Value of test-statistic is: -0.8854

  Critical values for test statistics:
        1pct  5pct 10pct
  tau1 -2.62 -1.95 -1.61

     > urkpssTest(Monthly,  type = c("mu","tau"), lag = c("short","long","nil"), use.lag = NULL, doplot = TRUE)

    Title:
     KPSS Unit Root Test

    Test Results:

      Test is of type: mu with 3 lags.

      Value of test-statistic is: 0.0986

      Critical value for a significance level of:
                      10pct  5pct 2.5pct  1pct
      critical values 0.347 0.463  0.574 0.739

    > urppTest(Monthly,  type = c("Z-alpha","Z-tau"), model = c("constant","trend"), lags = c("short","long"),use.lag = NULL, doplot = TRUE)

    Title:
     Phillips-Perron Unit Root Test

    Test Results:

      Test regression with intercept

      Residuals:
          Min      1Q  Median      3Q     Max
      -397594 -251734   26252  144863  954417

      Coefficients:
                    Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|)
      (Intercept)  6.169e+05  1.183e+05   5.215 1.27e-05 ***
      y.l1        -8.733e-02  1.857e-01  -0.470    0.641
      ---
      Signif. codes:  0 '***' 0.001 '**' 0.01 '*' 0.05 '.' 0.1 ' ' 1

      Residual standard error: 290200 on 30 degrees of freedom
      Multiple R-squared:  0.007322,    Adjusted R-squared:  -0.02577
      F-statistic: 0.2213 on 1 and 30 DF,  p-value: 0.6415

      Value of test-statistic, type: Z-alpha  is: -39.5851

               aux. Z statistics
      Z-tau-mu            5.2378

A: All three series look stationary; the second & third look over-differenced (the strong negative auto-correlation at the first lag is a tell-tale sign). Recall that the sign of a non-stationary series is strong auto-correlations that take a long time to die out with increasing lag. Plotting residuals is also a good idea—say a quantile–quantile plot & a time series plot of standardized residuals—to check their distribution & spot outliers.
There are no clear signs of auto-correlation in your original time series, suggesting you needn't fit an ARMA model unless you have good reason to. That's not to say there is no auto-correlation, just that if there is it's weak to moderate & its nature can't be determined from such a short series (36 observations?). A white noise model about the mean might be appropriate, perhaps a Gaussian or perhaps a t-distribution with 5–10 degrees of freedom.

A: Non-stationarity is a symptom with possibly many causes. One cause is a shift in the mean at one or more points in time. Another possible cause is a change in parameters at one or more points in time. Another cause is a deterministic change in error variance at one or more points in time. Prof. Spyros Makridakis wrote an article http://www.insead.edu/facultyresearch/research/doc.cfm?did=46900 of the danger of using differencing to render a series stationary. While I don't fully agree with all of his propositions it certainly details the error of assuming differencing as the remedy for non-stationarity.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Rajmund Fodor (Szeged, 21 februari 1976) is een Hongaars waterpolospeler.

Rajmund Fodor nam als waterpoloër driemaal deel aan de Olympische Spelen in 1996, 2000 en 2004. Hij veroverde twee keer een gouden medaille.

In de competitie kwam Fodor uit voor Szegedi Vasutas Sportegyesület, RN Florentia, Domino Honvéd Sportegyesület Boedapest.

Fodor, Rajmund
Fodor, Rajmund

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


One person is dead after a two-vehicle crash on Interstate-275 Friday evening, police say.
A Northern Kentucky woman standing outside her disabled vehicle was struck and killed Friday night, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol.
A Ford Ranger experienced a mechanical issue near on southbound Interstate 275 between the Milford Parkway and Eastgate exits in Union Township, troopers said.
The driver, 67-year-old Billie Finnell, exited her vehicle after stopping in the left lane.
Authorities said Finnell was standing in front of her disabled vehicle when another car rear-ended the Ford Ranger.
The 32-year-old driver of the second vehicle was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
Troopers said alcohol and/or drugs are suspected to be a factor at this time.
The interstate was shut down for more than an hour.
The crash remains under investigation be the Batavia Post of OSHP.


text:
Life @ Schneider Blog
[Podcast] The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful
Carmel Bawa & Emma Gallagher & Rob Insull | July 5, 2021 | 2,961 views
[Podcast] The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful eMail46 9 Tweet
The first thing that sprung to mind when myself Carmel Bawa, Emma Gallagher and Rob Insull discussed the purpose of our podcast was, how to keep it real. Not in a cheesy way at all, but just being our authentic selves really (that's right, no work voices on this podcast) and making sure that every topic was relatable. We wanted people to turn around and say, 'Yes, I've been there'. We knew we would share our own experiences but mostly, the concept was to highlight all the authentic stories from our #SEGreatPeople. And trust me, there's a lot.
So off we went, pitched our idea to our senior leaders. Whether it was sheer luck or just a huge leap of faith, who knows…but they absolutely loved it. It was at that first pitch where the name came about: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful. A Schneider Electric podcast about real people having real conversations.
Episode 1: I am who I am
We recorded this first episode at the end of Pride month and really wanted to celebrate our differences. We're an inclusive bunch here at Schneider and want to be open and unique but most of all make everyone feel welcome. Emma caught up with our amazing colleagues, Ben Arthur and Laura Bintcliffe to highlight some of the key issues around the topic. They'll be talking pronouns, allyship and how we can all be more inclusive.
We also talked about imposter syndrome, transferable skills and top tips on how to nail that interview. You'll hear us chatting away about our own career experiences: the good, the bad and the beautiful. Had to get that in somewhere didn't we?
Ben Arthur, Clay pigeon shooting extraordinaire that regularly volunteers and plays international rugby
Ben manages the global Data Experience Team with employees from UK, Spain and Belgium and has been with the company for four years. He volunteers regularly for Pink Saltire, a LGBT charity and plays the position of hooker for an IGR international rugby team. Ben loves watching and playing rugby and you can most of often find him at a pitch or enjoying his other hobby clay pigeon shooting
"…I think it's really important that you use self-discovery, you understand where you fit, but also you understand, there are other people in other groups to understand from as well."
Laura Bintcliffe, Massive Liverpool FC fan that loves to travel and work out
Laura is a Project Sales Engineer that deliver sales and growth opportunities for electrical wholesalers and manages contractor projects from ideation through to completion. She is a massive Liverpool FC fan, loves to travel, enjoys working out (to compensate for her love of food) and lives in North West of England.
"…ask them, am I offending you by doing this? Because that's how you're ever going to learn, right? You ask questions. It's the only way."
Carmel Bawa, News Editor, Global Marketing
Carmel's love affair with communications started 15 years ago with her first job. Since then, her passion has extended to internal and external communications, and with it some might say, an almost unhealthy obsession with project planning. She is in her fourth year at Schneider and when she's not at her desk, Carmel loves to make jewelry, hang out with her husband and son and dream about their next holiday.
Emma Gallagher, Employer Branding and Graduate Recruitment Lead for UK & Ireland
Emma has been part of the Schneider family for four years and holds 10+ years of experience finding future talent their dream roles and loves watching them grow. She is proud to be an Employer Brand Champion and 100% ally to all. Emma is a huge animal lover especially when it comes to dogs. She has passion for trying new things and is currently learning to ride a dirt bike! She loves travelling and experiencing different cultures.
Rob Insull, Segment Marketing Manager, Residential
Rob joined Schneider Electric almost ten years ago. After a seven-year Internal Communications career, he recently moved into a new role (still with Schneider) as Segment Marketing Manager for Residential. Rob is a 'decent' badminton player, a keen guitarist, and a big Wolves fan.
Where to listen to the podcast?
You can find the first episode of Schneider Electric's podcast The good, the bad and the beautiful in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify. Choose the one you like the most, and remember to subscribe, like and share!
Interested in working for Schneider Electric UK & Ireland? Search for jobs and apply here! www.se.com/careers
Tags: diversity and inclusion, Podcast, pride month, TheGBB Podcast, UK&I People
+ Leave a Response
[Podcast] In diversity there is beauty and there is strength
[Podcast] It's okay to not be okay.
[Podcast] Grow. Don't Mow
[Podcast] Let's talk generations, the planet and baby powder
Carmel Bawa
Emma Gallagher
Rob Insull
Gia Duong


Confirm the accuracy of your building codes. It is imperative that your building conforms to the state, local and federal design requirements.
The items described on your contract are what you are buying. Please be sure to carefully review all contract documents before you sign off. If a contract does not describe an item in specific terms, you should not expect the item to be the best product available. And just as important - is what a contract does not say. Specifically if your contract does not indicate that you are getting framed openings and garage doors - then you are NOT going to get framed openings and garage doors.
Do not sign a contract or agree to purchase a building before you have confirmed that your building will satisfy the requirements of your local building official and YOURSELF. Do not allow a salesman to pressure you into a "panic buy." A "panic buy" is when a customer is pressured into making a purchase to "lock-in" a "so-called" special price. Brokers are notorious for telling customers they could lose an opportunity to get the "deal of a lifetime" if they don't commit to the order right away. Beware of people who urge you to sign a contract before you have made your mind up on exactly what you want.
Understand that making changes after the sale will cost you money. Once the design is completed it will cost money to make changes. If an order is in fabrication - and requires modifications due to customer demands - the entire process has to be stopped, pulled off-line and inventoried. Once the inventory of completed items is confirmed, it's back to the drawing board. You will be responsible for extra time required to re-design the project and all other associated expenses.
Install your building components as specified by the drawings. Seldom do manufacturers use the same design practices and therefore your erection drawings and installation documents are the correct description of the building. Please read and follow the drawing descriptions carefully. An erection manual offers important general guidelines and the proper procedures for erecting a steel building safely. You, your erector and all jobsite crew need to understand and utilize OSHA and all other safety guidelines.


text:
package net.fortuna.ical4j.model.component;

import junit.framework.TestSuite;
import net.fortuna.ical4j.model.ComponentTest;

/**
 * $Id$
 *
 * Created on: 25/11/2008
 *
 * @author fortuna
 */
public class StandardTest extends ComponentTest {

    /**
     * @param component
     */
    public StandardTest(String testMethod, Standard component) {
        super(testMethod, component);
    }

    /**
     * @return
     */
    public static TestSuite suite() {
        TestSuite suite = new TestSuite();

        Standard s = new Standard();
        suite.addTest(new StandardTest("testIsNotCalendarComponent", s));
        suite.addTest(new StandardTest("testValidationException", s));
        return suite;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Fascinating. But I fail to see what it has to do with security.
You don't understand why this is related to Security?
I doubt that cannibalism is any indicator - it could be that ceph's are becoming more common, and more common prey.
I'd suggest that average squid size is a better indicator, but even that could be hampered by a increase in the number of orca, or even a decrease in other orca prey.
When you've a creature that increases in size by a factor of 2000 in a couple of years, population and average size changes are pretty complex.


For decoration tables, towels, dragees or other containers. Wedding, baptism, communion, wedding anniversary .. the item "mini bells metal deco containers dragees, tables 24 pieces" is on sale since Wednesday, June 22, 2016. It is in the category "house \ celebrates, special occasions \ party goods \ others ". The seller is "fantochechat" and is located in / at audeloncourt.


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Watch: Nauru President performs song for PM Jacinda Ardern about baby Neve, New Zealand
Watch: The President sings to Jacinda Ardern. Credits: Newshub
The President of Nauru has sung New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern a song written especially for her during her visit to Nauru.
Ms Ardern is in the country for the Pacific Islands Forum, arriving two days after Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.
Pacific Islands Forum on Nauru causing headaches for the Prime Minister
The song was called 'Jacinda New Star in the Sky', and had a special verse dedicated to Ms Ardern's baby daughter Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford.
"A little baby-star is born," the lyrics said.
"Neve Te Aroha, full of love, her future is bright and secure. With all our plans fulfilled, our golden year 2018.
"A festive and joyus Nauru, we'll never forget Aotearoa our friend."
The lyrics of the song. Photo credit: Newshub.
The President was accompanied by an all-male choir as he sang, and another man played the guitar.
Ms Ardern took a video of the performance and clapped for the men when they had finished the performance. She beamed with a smile throughout, and thanked them when it ended.


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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "National Postal Museum" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Location within Washington, D.C.
Show map of Central Washington, D.C.
National Postal Museum (the United States)
Show map of the United States
July 30, 1993 (1993-07-30)
Postal Square Building
38°53′53″N 77°00′30″W / 38.898°N 77.0083°W / 38.898; -77.0083Coordinates: 38°53′53″N 77°00′30″W / 38.898°N 77.0083°W / 38.898; -77.0083
Elliot Gruber[1]
at Union Station
Amtrak/MARC/VRE at Union Station
postalmuseum.si.edu
The National Postal Museum, located opposite Union Station in Washington, D.C., United States, was established through joint agreement between the United States Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institution and opened in 1993.
The museum is located across the street from Union Station, in the building that served as the main post office of Washington, D.C. for decades, from its construction in 1914 until 1986. The building was designed by the Graham and Burnham architectural firm, which was led by Ernest Graham following the death of Daniel Burnham in 1912.[2]
The headquarters of the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics is based in this building, and there is also space for a data center for the United States Senate.
The museum holds the National Philatelic Collection. It has hosted many interactive displays about the history of the United States Postal Service and of mail service around the world. The museum has a gift shop and a United States Postal Service philatelic sales window, along with exhibits on the Pony Express, the use of railroads with the mail, the preserved remains of Owney (the first unofficial postal mascot), and an exhibit on direct marketing called, "What's in the Mail for You." Visitors may acquire a souvenir envelope with their name printed on it and a coupon for the gift shop. As one of the national Smithsonian museums, admission is free. This museum also houses a library.[3]
In 2005, the museum acquired the childhood stamp collection of the late singer/songwriter John Lennon.[4] From June 2015 until December 2018, the museum displayed the 1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta, the world's most valuable stamp, which sold for nearly $10 million.[5]
In September 2009, the museum received an $8 million gift from investment firm founder William H. Gross to help finance an expansion project. The William H. Gross Stamp Gallery of the museum is named in his honor.[6]
Since 2002, the museum has presented the Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award every two years.
Opening sign for dedication of the National Postal Museum
Mail-carrying stagecoach at National Postal Museum
Air-mail plane anchored from the ceiling at the National Postal Museum
Dead letters exhibit at Postal Museum
Museum poster extolling value of postal delivery
John Lennon's childhood stamp collection
List of philatelic libraries
Owney (dog)
U.S. Postal Museums
Postal Museum
^ "Meet our staff". National Postal Museum. Archived from the original on 2017-07-04. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
^ Weeks, Christopher. (1994) AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C. (3rd Edition), Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-4713-3.
^ "Museum library".
^ John Lennon's First Album. Owen Edwards, Smithsonian.com, September 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
^ "Magenta Stamp", Postal Museum
^ "William H. Gross Stamp Gallery". National Postal Museum. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
National Postal Museum official website
National Postal Museum Library Official website
Smithsonian's National Postal Museum at Google Cultural Institute
Arago: People, Postage & the Post
Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Postal Museum.
American Letter Mail Company
American Postal Workers Union
Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service
Bureau of Transportation
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National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees
National Association of Letter Carriers
National Association of Presort Mailers
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Postal Transportation Service
PostalWatch Incorporated
United States Postal Inspection Service
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Address Management System
Advanced Facer-Canceler System
Coding Accuracy Support System
Delivery Bar Code Sorter
Flats Sequencing System
Locatable Address Conversion System
United States Postal Savings System
Express mail in the United States
National Change Of Address
Permit mail
Permit Reply Mail
Postal notes
Railway Mail Service
Registered mail
Special handling
Air Mail Facility
Boat Railway Post Office
Community post office
Dead letter office
Highway Post Office
J. W. Westcott II
List of United States Post Offices
Network Distribution Center
Railway mail service library
Red Brick Roads
Sectional center facility
Streetcar Railway Post Office
Terminal Railway Post Office
Comstock laws
Post Office Act
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act
Postal Reorganization Act
Postal Service Act
Private Express Statutes
Rural Post Roads Act of 1916
Title 39 of the United States Code
2020 United States Postal Service crisis
United States airmail service
CAR-RT SORT
Catcher pouch
Cimarron Redoubt
Domestic Mail Manual
Facing Identification Mark
Grumman LLV
Information-Based Indicia
The Inspectors
Intelligent Mail barcode
Label 228
List of postal killings
List of U.S. state abbreviations
List of United States airmail stamps
Mail cover
Mail hook
Mail Isolation Control and Tracking
Mail jumping
Mail pouch
Mail sack
Mail satchel
The Mail Story
Nixie
ORM-D
Pony Express mochila
Postage stamps and postal history of the United States
Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique
Postal Clause
Postal voting in the United States
Postal worker
Prohibitory Order
Remote Bar Coding System
Rural Free Delivery
Rural letter carrier
STD-4C
United States post office murals
List of murals
USPS Post Office Box Lobby Recycling program
United States Postal Service creed
African American History and Culture
Udvar–Hazy
Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
Numismatic Collection
Star-Spangled Banner
Heye Center
Arts and Industries
Cooper–Hewitt Design
Freer Gallery of Art
Archives of American Gardens
Hirshhorn
Barcode of Life
Global Volcanism
Renwick Gallery
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
National Zoological Park
Uncle Beazley
Archives of American Art
Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems Program
Marine Station
Museum Conservation Institute
Migratory Bird
Tropical Research
Asian Pacific
Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Folklife Festival
Global Sound
Air & Space/Smithsonian
STEM in 30
Smithsonian Contributions and Studies Series
James Smithson
Wilson Center (The Wilson Quarterly)
Smithsonian Police
Post office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.
Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.
Members of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington
Neoclassical architecture in Washington, D.C.
Philatelic museums in the United States
History museums in Washington, D.C.
Industry museums in Washington, D.C.
Smithsonian Institution museums
Postal history of the United States
Postal museums
1993 establishments in Washington, D.C.


text:
Part II - The Year that Was, the Year that Will Be - the Auction Perspective
- by Bruce E. McKinney
I asked leaders in the auction field for their perspective on the year that was, the year that will be. Here are responses in alphabetical order by Catherine Williamson of Bonhams, Christina Geiger of Christies, Stephan Ludwig of Forum Auctions, Selby Kiffer on behalf of Sotheby's and Nicholas Lowry on behalf of Swann Galleries.
Catherine Williamson - Bonhams
When the original shelter-in-place order was issued in late March, we were terrified, not just of the virus, but of how we would keep our business afloat. We were in the final month of property-getting for our important June sales, and nearly all consignment activities were tabled. Then almost half my staff was furloughed. With a smaller team and less property, the Bonhams Book Department had to figure out how to convert a traditional auction to an online-only format, which we had only done in a limited way to that point.
We were more prepared for the limitations brought on by the pandemic than we thought, however. In February, I was writing a proposal for a client who was already terrified of COVID-19, and worried that the spread of the virus would limit travel and affect our sales (how right she was). In order to address her fears, I did some research and produced a graph showing the percentage of book buyers who participated remotely in our sales to that point (either by absentee, phone, or internet), and the number that emerged was an astonishingly high 85%. Before COVID. When you think about it, it makes sense: antiquarian catalog sales are the original remote purchasing experience, and the book trade was one of the first to embrace the opportunities of the internet. The book community actually was prepared for a global pandemic.
Since we already had a high percentage of buyers who did not need to be in the room to bid at an auction, and since a great percentage of those people enjoyed a strong computer literacy, we just had to transition our auctions to online-only, and make sure buyers were aware of the new format for our June sales. There were a few luddites who resisted the new format, but not very many.
One important innovation at Bonhams was the development of the "live-hybrid" sale, which is an auction that functions traditionally with a live auctioneer, clerk, and phone bidders, but which has only the first two in the auction room while the phone bidders are looped in remotely. The "live-hybrid" format captures the excitement of competition that is the life blood of a traditional auction, in a socially distant manner. We were the first international house to introduce this technology, and it has worked remarkably well for us since the spring.
By the end of 2020, my team was back and we were holding auctions that were not only full of great property, they were selling remarkably well. (One plus for sellers during COVID: many of our buyers are stuck at home in front of a computer, maybe with a little more spending money thanks to limited entertainment spends.) Now that we have our sea legs, we're looking forward to a strong 2021, with several great single-owner sales already in the kitty. Who would have thought?
What's changed for our world? For one, the online-only format is here to stay. Its advantages are now clear to us all. For buyers, the pressure of getting a bid in during the period when the lot opens and closes is greatly reduced when a lot is open for two full weeks. For the auction houses, we appreciate that we can take in property literally up to the last minute before a sale goes live. Amazing!
Other traditional sale timeline windows are shrinking. The long-lead for press coverage and marketing has grown shorter, because so much less of our outreach is through traditional printed venues. An advertisement in a digital publication does not have to be submitted six weeks before the publication date. If you get it in two weeks early, you are a star. And of course, social media has taken on a bigger responsibility for sale promotion, which means the department itself gets to decide which items we promote, and can shape our campaign based on early interest from buyers.
Finally, we probably will not return full-time to the office. I miss my office-mates—the Prints specialist across the way and the Native American specialist who sat next to me. I miss the collaboration that arises when you ask someone from a different specialty area about a puzzling item. But much of what we do can be done from home, which (when my kids are not in class in the next room) will be a quieter and more productive environment.
Finally, I have grown closer to my book department colleagues from our regular zoom meetings (where I actually see the NY and SF teams, instead of just hearing their voices), and from surviving a harrowing year of twists and surprises. For that, and for our continued good health, I am very thankful.
Catherine Williamson, Ph.D.
Director, Fine Books & Manuscripts
Christina Geiger - Christies
A Look Ahead, from Christie's New York Books & Manuscripts
Although 2020 was not without its bright spots, I'm excited to turn the page and start a New Year. Like all auction houses, we had to adapt in 2020 to selling books without gathering to see items and raise paddles in person. With about 250 lots selling in January, 100 of them live and 150 online, 2021 already looks very different from the previous year. Although we offered just one lot by live auction in 2020, it was one for the record books: Shakespeare's First Folio of 1623, accompanied by a letter from Edmond Malone attesting to the genuineness and cleanness of this very copy. It was the first complete First Folio to be sold at auction in almost 20 years and set a world record for a work of printed literature at just shy of $10 million. By contrast, all of our other auctions were held online-only, with only virtual viewings in the spring and virtual and by-appointment viewings in the autumn. The winter and spring sales this year will likely continue as appointment-only, but we are very eager to open our doors more widely at Rockefeller Center as soon as it is safe to do so.
The success of the online platform for various-owner book auctions in 2020 was remarkable and we will continue to use this platform for all currently scheduled various-owner sales in 2021. We are still printing auction catalogues of the same size and quality, but in lower print runs and more selectively; and there is greater emphasis on new tools of digital marketing. However, it was probably not only the marketing and the time on their hands that attracted scores of new clients to bid in online sales. The perception of greater flexibility and transparency is also attractive. These sales were "open books" where the listed starting prices are identical to the reserves. And it was not only modern works for Led Zeppelin or by Virginia Woolf which exceled online, but also rare and early American imprints, Audubon, and even incunabula.
Increased online auctions are not the only adaptation to the pandemic which will endure in the months and years ahead. The global possibilities of digital events have been eye-popping. For the first time we livestreamed an event on a WeChat Mini Program; it featured Shakespeare's First Folio, with the book and specialist in New York and the moderator and panelists in Beijing. We expanded collaborations on events, including with the Battery in San Francisco, the Princeton Club, the New Antiquarians, RBMS, and Atlas Obscura. The webinar "Book Collecting in the Digital Age" featuring Rhiannon Knol and Michael Diaz-Griffith of the Soane Foundation is currently viewable. The long shelf life of our programs is something we appreciate.
Lastly, the pandemic itself was not the only important instigator of long-lasting change in our business. 2021 will be a year to get serious about lessening our environmental impact. I adore a printed auction catalogue and the layout and design process is one of my all-time favorite parts of my job. However, even I recognize that print runs in the thousands don't make environmental or commercial sense. And, while there was some business that was postponed last year because specialists were not flying around to see books and clients, we found creative workarounds for the large majority of both consignment-getting and selling. Less frequent jet travel conserves the environment and saves valuable specialist time; I hope it's here to stay. Another New Year's resolution for the department will be to incorporate more contemporary scholarship into our cataloguing. The large majority of references we cite—particularly for printed Americana and travel books—were written many decades ago and can be rife with prejudice and omissions. Supplementing our reference library with more works by contemporary historians, even if not bibliographies, is a small but important step. It is gratifying to see the central role of history in current discussions of social justice and I believe our business has a part to play. To that end, I'll also take the opportunity to support the outstanding virtual program put together by our friends at the Bibliographical Society of America. The Annual Meeting is on Friday, January 29 with the keynote address on the crucial theme of "Liberation Bibliography." All BSA events are free and open to the public. I hope to "see" you there.
Best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous 2021!
Stephan Ludwig – Forum Auctions
"The past 9 months have been characterized by a once-in-a-generation change to the manner in which the auction market operates. By necessity our industry has had to transform overnight into an 'online only' marketplace and adopt new practices that afford buyers across all verticals the confidence to bid for unseen material and rely on purchased goods being delivered within reasonable timeframes.
Many commentators have of course been predicting the evolution from bricks-and-mortar live auctions to a 'bricks-and-clicks' paradigm for some years, though even the most adventurous were putting timeframes of 5-plus years on the the quantum shift to digital auctioneering becoming the norm as opposed to the exception. It is quite literally unbelievable, and a ringing endorsement of the creativity living within a historically unadventurous industry that such a shift has occurred within the course of less than a year.
Forum Auctions launched in the summer of 2016 with the USP of being e-commerce focussed, aspiring to be at the vanguard of what it's founders considered to be an inevitable path of travel for the industry. Back in 2017 we announced with pride that over the course of our first full year of trading more than 50% of sold lots were transacted exclusively online. Fast forward to 2019, and the predominance of our fortnightly timed online auctions had pushed this statistic to over 80%. However, behind these headline numbers sat the reality that more than 50% in hammer value continued to be generated by our bi-monthly live auctions.
2020 has been an extraordinary year for us; having harnessed the potential behind our online-only sales format we found no resistance from our vendors to push what would hitherto have been live auction material onto the web and sellers were rewarded with higher than ever sell-through rates and realisations. Indeed, over the course of the year, our selling rate has remained above 90% of lots offered and hammer prices have consistently delivered realisations above mid estimate. Most pleasingly, collectors greeted our single owner sales from the Birmingham Assay and Rugby School libraries with unfinished fervour.
As the year draws to a close we are proud to have sold over 10,000 lots realising a premium inclusive £20,000,000, selling more 6-figure lots than ever before. Most importantly we have attracted over 2,500 first time auction clients who together with Forum regulars consistently express their satisfaction at the service and results delivered by our small 18 person company.
Whilst best known for the considerable breadth of our specialists' books knowledge, Forum's team has also carved out a market leading position in the market for British street artist Banksy's numbered editions. Having held the first ever single artist auction for Banksy's material in October 2016 Forum continues to sell over 1 in 4 of the artist's numbered and signed prints offered at auction worldwide. Translated into numbers, in 2020 we sold 113 of the 400-odd works auctioned globally, outselling every other auction house in this sector. (Source artnet)
And what of the changes in market practice.....first and foremost, an enduring impact of the COVID-driven changes to auction practices is the marked improvement in post-sale buyer services. Historically it was not uncommon for the successful bidder having to work harder than the auction house to receive their goods at home. There should be no retrograde slippage away from the e-commerce 'Amazon style' fulfilment practices our clients have learned to enjoy over the course of the year. Secondly, whilst we of course anticipate a return of the live auction I suspect such offerings will become considerably more selective and collectors will no doubt appreciate the 'Fine and Important' preface to auction titles becoming a more apposite adjective!
All things considered, 2020 has been a surprisingly robust year for the performance of most collecting categories with government-generated liquidity and varying incarnations of staff furloughing taking the immediate sting out of the collapse in broader economic activity. We enter 2021 with a measure of apprehension as the inevitable reality of reduced personal spending and heightened economic uncertainty is likely to take the shine off some of those segments that have seen particularly large price rises in 2020. Irrespective of the waxing and waning of global GDP, it is unrealistic to anticipate a continuation of 2020's unique phenomena that afforded the habitually 'cash rich and time poor' more down-time and increased bandwidth to focus on collecting.
I am seeing in the new year with unqualified gratitude for having survived 2020 alongside respectful caution in formulating strategies for steering Forum and our dedicated staff through the coming 12 months in what will be our 5th anniversary year."
I hope you and your family are having an agreeable holiday period.
Stephan Ludwig
Forum Auctions Ltd & BFW 2018 Ltd
Tel: + 44 (0) 7917 603202
www.forumauctions.co.uk
www.bidforwine.co.uk
Selby Kiffer - Sothebys
2020 was an undeniably difficult and challenging year for auction houses, Sotheby's included. But from the perspective of thirty-seven years in Sotheby's Books and Manuscripts Department, it was not the most difficult year we have experienced. (This last observation is not meant in any way to diminish the monumental impact on the world's economies and health wrought by Covid-19 and the response to it.)
Auctions continued and in fact increased in number. Globally our New York, London, and Paris departments held some twenty-five sales, almost all of them occurring post-pandemic. Books and Manuscripts also contributed to a number of interdisciplinary auctions throughout the years, notably "Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, Juan Hamilton: Passage." The 2020 auctions were different in some ways from sales in previous years, but it should be acknowledged that many of these changes—especially the move from auction rooms to online bidding platforms—were accelerated by Covid-19, not initiated by it. First telephone bidding and, later, online bidding had already diminished attendance at many live sales, and exclusively online auctions were the logical next step. At Sotheby's New York we held our first solely online Books and Manuscripts auction in 2018. I freely admit that I was a sceptic at first, but having seen their success and advantages, I am now a proponent. But I also believe there will always be a role for live auctions for particularly significant and distinguished properties, as demonstrated by our commitment to holding a live auction, with full pre-sale exhibition, in April 2021 of the Printed and Manuscript Americana from the Collection of Barbara and Ira Lipman.
I'm less sanguine about another looming auction change that was hastened by Covid-19, which is the deemphasis, if not elimination, of printed catalogues. I believe this is a special point of contention for those who collect and work in the realm of the written and printed word, but I don't believe this adaptation is welcomed by any collecting area. While printed catalogues will continue to be produced for especially noteworthy collections (again, like the Lipman Americana), catalogues for more routine auctions are also valuable reference works and provide a handy medium for commentary and annotation. At the least, auction houses should make their past online catalogues fully available in an easily searchable archive, complete with unsold lots and any post-publication emendations. At best, they will provide online cataloguing in a clean, printable format so that bidders and other clients can continue a useful run of catalogues, should they so desire.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of online auctions is that they can be moved from consignment to sale very quickly. They also allow us to handle as discreet auctions smaller properties that in the past would have been combined with properties from other consignments to reach a total value that would justify holding a live sale. So in mid-November we were able to present as a single-owner sale, "Dada Data: Books and Boîtes by Marcel Duchamp and Others," just twenty-nine lots from the Collection of Carlos Alberto Cruz, which achieved almost half a million dollars. Because of this new flexibility, I believe that the old model of a fixed sale calendar, with major sales always taking place in the same few months, year after year, is a thing of the past. There is also a coming cohort of collectors who never experienced—and so cannot miss—the spectacle of a major evening sale of Books and Manuscripts. They have grown up with smart phones and are already comfortable with the virtual world that was intruded into the books and manuscripts world in 2020. These collectors will eagerly support online auctions and encourage the field to expand into new areas, as we did in September with the first—and highly successful—auction dedicated to Hip Hop at a major international auction house.
On a human level, 2020 brought a lack of personal engagement with colleagues, even in my department, let alone the wider bibliographical world. I haven't seen two booksellers or book collectors in the same room since the first week of March. That I trust will not last too long into 2021. But to end on a positive note, the pandemic showed that many of us could work efficiently and effectively from home—at least part of the time. That is a trend I would like to see continue into the future.
I'm not going to try to predict the new normal. Will the future be any more different than pre-pandemic 2020 was from the time I began at Sotheby's?: Cataloguing on a typewriter; correcting proofs sent by a printer; marking glossy black-and-whites with a grease pencil and sizing wheel; receiving estimate requests and other inquiries in the mail (sometimes with Polaroid photos enclosed!) or on the telephone; paging through twenty volumes of American Book Prices Current to track the value of a book.
Whatever the changes, there will be, I believe, one group of persons wishing to sell books, manuscripts, and associated artifacts, and another group wishing to purchase them—and auction houses eager to help facilitate the exchange. As Carl Van Doren observed, "The future will never be futuristic. It will be like the present, only more so."
Selby Kiffer
Nicholas D. Lowry – Swann Galleries
View From the Podium: Year's End, 2020
Long before December, 2020 had already become a year everyone was looking forward to forgetting. Civilization as we recognize it was put on hold. We entered an enforced hibernation that affected the way we ate, shopped, worked, communicated and socialized. Travel became a luxury of the past, as did school, vacations, dinner parties, and cocktails with friends. Daily life was turned upside down as our lives were endangered by the spreading virus.
Milestones came and went in unremarkable ways. Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, reunions, holidays, celebrations and even, sadly, funerals were delayed, digitized or put on hold. Old familiar habits were surrendered and in their place new habits have already formed. The "new normal" is no longer new—it has become routine. Yet through it all there were so many bright spots that risk being lost in the tedium of Zoom meetings, working from home, quarantining and isolation.
The brightest of which, in my opinion, is how as a team Swann rose to meet new challenges, and then managed to turn one of the grimmest of years into a successful one. We all kept our focus on doing our jobs as best we could under changed circumstances, and we were rewarded with impressive results. Since the shut down in March we have catalogued and held 23 auctions; we launched a new department; records were set across the board in all different areas of expertise; new specialists held premiere auctions in their individual categories. Throughout it all Swann's esprit de corps held up.
2021 holds a lot of exciting news for Swann. We will hold new auctions in previously untapped categories (like our Artists of the WPA sale, slated for February 4), we will be unveiling our new digital imprint—an immersive online reading format designed to combine the best of the old school auction catalogue experience with 21st century design and sensibility. In August, we will be holding our third auction dedicated to LGBTQ+ art and history.
Whatever the New Year brings, I am confident, from seeing our great team in action, that Swann will persevere and continue to bring wonderful material to market and be able to continue serving our collecting community.
The thing about being an auctioneer is that you are always looking out into the crowd in front of you. Podiums don't have rearview mirrors. But looking back, this past year I see so much to be thankful for—our colleagues, our collectors, our city, our community. And I never want to lose sight of that.
With my gratitude and kindest regards for a peaceful, healthy and mindful New Year,
Nicholas D. Lowry
President & Principal Auctioneer
Go to Part III - The Dealer Perspective + Marvin Getman.


The tandem submarine, called Goluboi Kosmos, hails from St. Petersburg and is said to be "easy to operate by any untrained tourist that wants to see the submarine world," reports the Informnauka science news agency.
The device can dive to a depth of 30 metres and stay submerged for up to four hours.
"No preparatory training is needed to operate this apparatus – the system of controls and equipment on the board are very simple," promises Informnauka.
"Design and ergonomics of the apparatus are similar to the interiors of modern small cars,"
As well as use in tourist destinations – some resorts, such as Eilat in Israel, already have small tourist submarines, although they are piloted and have no pedals – Goluboi Kosmos could used for underwater video surveys, submarine archaeology, and technical inspection of underwater constructions, say its inventors.
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Борис Григорьевич Пирожков (17 июля 1917 — 4 сентября 1942) — советский военнослужащий, командир эскадрильи 787-го истребительного авиационного полка 125-й истребительной авиационной дивизии ПВО, старший лейтенант, Герой Советского Союза.

Биография
Родился 17 июля 1917 года в Перми. Член ВКП(б) с 1942 года. Окончил 7 классов и школу ФЗУ. Работал фрезеровщиком на машиностроительном заводе имени В. И. Ленина. Учился планёрной школе, затем в аэроклубе. В РККА с 1937 года. В 1939 году окончил Пермскую военную авиационную школу пилотов. В июне 1940 года младший лейтенант Пирожков прибыл в 124-й истребительный авиационный полк.

Участник Великой Отечественной войны с первого дня.

Участник обороны Москвы. К сентябрю 1942 года Пирожков Б. Г. совершил 242 боевых вылета, в воздушных боях сбил 5 бомбардировщиков противника. Эскадрилья, которой он командовал, сбила 13 самолётов. 4 сентября 1942 года таранил самолёт противника, но сам получил тяжелейшие ранения и от полученных ран в тот же день скончался. Похоронен на Всехсвятском кладбище в Туле.

Звание Героя Советского Союза Борису Григорьевичу Пирожкову присвоено посмертно 14 февраля 1943 года.

Награды
Награждён 2 орденами Ленина.

Память
 В Перми его именем названа улица, на здании школы и аэроклуба, где он учился, установлены мемориальные доски.
 В Туле именем советского лётчика названа улица юго-запада города (Улица Летчика Пирожкова).

Литература
 Абрамов А. С. Двенадцать таранов. Свердловск: СреднеУр. кн.изд., 1970.
 Абрамов А. С. Мужество в наследство. Свердловск: СреднеУральское кн.изд., 1988.
 Андреев С. А. Совершённое ими бессмертно. Книга 1. М.: Высшая школа, 1976.
 Андреев С. А. Совершённое ими бессмертно. Книга 2. М.: Высшая школа, 1986.

 Водопьянов М. В. Небо начинается с земли. М., 1976.
 Герои Прикамья. Пермь. Пушка. 2006.
 Дмитриевский Н. Защитники неба столицы. М.: Воениздат, 1962.

 На грани возможного. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. М.: Лимб, 1993.
 Телегин К. Ф. Не отдали Москвы. 2-е изд., М.: Советская Россия, 1975.

Примечания

Ссылки

Лётчики Великой Отечественной войны
Похороненные на Всехсвятском кладбище (Тула)


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Okmok and ancient Rome
Published: Tuesday, 23 June 2020 09:06
Members of PAGES' VICS working group have found evidence connecting an unexplained period of extreme cold in ancient Rome with a massive eruption of Alaska's Okmok volcano.
Around the time of Julius Caesar's death in 44 BCE, written sources describe a period of unusually cold climate, crop failures, famine, disease, and unrest in the Mediterranean Region – impacts that ultimately contributed to the downfall of the Roman Republic and Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt.
Historians have long suspected a volcano to be the cause, but have been unable to pinpoint where or when such an eruption had occurred, or how severe it was.
In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a research team of international scientists, led by Joe McConnell from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, USA, used an analysis of tephra (volcanic ash) found in Arctic ice cores to link the period of cold in the Mediterranean with the eruption of Alaska's Okmok volcano in 43 BCE.
"To find evidence that a volcano on the other side of the Earth erupted and effectively contributed to the demise of the Romans and the Egyptians and the rise of the Roman Empire is fascinating," McConnell said. "It certainly shows how interconnected the world was even 2000 years ago."
The discovery was initially made last year in DRI's Ice Core Laboratory, when McConnell and Swiss researcher Michael Sigl from the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of Bern, Switzerland, happened upon an unusually well-preserved layer of tephra in an ice-core sample and decided to investigate.
Access the paper and a compilation of additional information, including press releases, images and media mentions, here.
Find out more about the VICS working group here.


text:
185 ABA Journal West Virginia articles.
Lawyer accused of overbilling state is on the lam, but follows prosecutor on Twitter
A West Virginia lawyer accused of billing the state for work never performed didn't show up for his arraignment last summer, but he is following an assistant prosecutor on Twitter.
May 15, 2017 11:51 AM CDT
Lawyer accused of billing over 24 hours in a day suspended; but official said others were worse
West Virginia's top court imposed a two-year suspension on a lawyer who submitted bills for court-appointed work for more than 24 hours a day on two different occasions.
Apr 26, 2017 8:00 AM CDT
Judge is suspended for campaign ad that was 'in every sense, materially false'
A West Virginia judge has been suspended for two years and fined $15,000 for a campaign flier purporting to show his election opponent partying with President Barack Obama.
The Supreme…
Lawyer's 'free legal tips' for clueless defendants are based on experience
West Virginia lawyer L. Scott Briscoe says he's learned a few things during his 19 years of law practice. And he's sharing those lessons on Facebook with a series of…
Oct 3, 2016 7:00 AM CDT
West Virginia law school will offer tuition break for nonresidents—under one condition
After an enrollment decrease, the West Virginia University College of Law is extending its in-state annual tuition of $16,000 to some nonresidents, beginning next fall.
To qualify for this "Loyalty…
Sep 20, 2016 12:15 PM CDT
Lawyer who fired gun in police standoff wants to switch to criminal law
A one-time government lawyer who defeated charges related to a police standoff wants to switch to criminal defense work.
Mark Bramble, accused of firing nearly 50 rounds from his…
May 9, 2016 8:46 AM CDT
Former mining CEO is sentenced to prison in safety case
A former mining executive has been sentenced to a year in prison for a misdemeanor conspiracy to violate federal mine safety regulations.
U.S. District Judge Irene Berger, the daughter of…
Apr 6, 2016 12:09 PM CDT
Legal assistant who deposited $300K in law firm payments to own account takes mail fraud plea
A former legal assistant at a West Virginia law firm who deposited payment checks to her own personal account pleaded guilty to mail fraud Thursday in federal court in Martinsburg.
Law firm raided by FBI overbilled clients, says fired ex-clerk in federal lawsuit
Updated: A former clerk for a West Virginia law firm says in a federal lawsuit that she blew the whistle on alleged overbilling of clients by Martin & Seibert, which…
Feb 1, 2016 3:20 PM CST
Corporate defense lawyer's suit against DuPont exposed decades of pollution and redefined his career
Rob Bilott had a good job at Taft Stettinius & Hollister in Cincinnati. As an associate in the firm's environmental division, he defended large chemical companies from litigation. In 1998,…
Jan 6, 2016 4:00 PM CST
Lawyer accused of revealing confidential informant's name to her client; info was then posted online
A West Virginia lawyer has been ordered to show cause why she should not be held in contempt of court for allegedly giving a client a copy of a packet…
Dec 21, 2015 4:10 PM CST
CEO convicted of misdemeanor in rare safety prosecution after coal mine explosion kills 29
A rare prosecution of a coal mining executive, following a 2010 explosion in West Virginia that killed 29 people, brought a mixed verdict from a federal jury in Charleston on…
Dec 4, 2015 6:20 AM CST
Defendant who didn't get exculpatory DNA results can withdraw guilty plea, state supreme court says
The West Virginia Supreme Court says an inmate can withdraw his 2002 guilty plea to robbery and rape because he didn't receive exculpatory test results.
The Nov. 10 decision…
Nov 12, 2015 12:18 PM CST
Prosecutor suspended for allegedly pulling gun on fake spiders
A West Virginia prosecutor has been suspended indefinitely for allegedly pulling a gun in response to a Halloween office display involving fake spiders.
Logan County assistant prosecuting attorney Chris White,…
Nov 2, 2015 11:50 AM CST
Fast-growing firm is opening 2 new offices; attorney roster has tripled in 15 years
Gordon & Rees is opening two new offices on Nov. 1, in Columbus, Ohio, and Wheeling, West Virginia.
Initially staffed with six partners from the firm's office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,…
Oct 16, 2015 2:20 PM CDT
Mind Your Business submissions
The ABA Journal wants to host and facilitate conversations among lawyers about their profession. We are now accepting thoughtful, non-promotional articles and commentary by unpaid contributors.
Read the Mind Your Business submission guidelines.


PHILADELPHIA (March 29, 2012) – According to an annual survey done by The Scientist, a prominent life sciences magazine, Fox Chase Cancer Center is among the top three best places in the country for postdoctoral researchers to work and was the only top-ranked academic institution in the region.
In past years, Fox Chase has been ranked among the top twenty institutions listed in the survey—coming in at number eight in 2011 and number 17 in 2010.
The survey's results show that these once temporary positions are lasting longer and longer, but postdocs are enjoying more benefits and are happier for it, with fewer postdocs reporting their job satisfaction as "Fair" or "Poor," and more choosing "Excellent" today, than over the 10-year history of The Scientist's Best Places to Work survey.
Increased postdoc satisfaction may also stem from the support they now enjoy within their own institutions and nationwide. When The Scientist first launched its survey in 2003, the National Postdoc Association (NPA) was just being conceived. Now, in addition to the NPA, many institutions boast internal postdoc associations and offices to which these post-graduate researchers can share their feedback.
More than 1,500 postdocs responded to this year's survey. The full survey results and methodology are detailed in the article "Best Places to Work for Postdocs: 2012," which appears in The Scientist's April issue and online at www.the-scientist.com.
For more information about Fox Chase's Postdoctoral Research Program, including a video tour conducted by the Center's postdocs, please visit www.fccc.edu/research/postdoc.


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I have to preface this post with some insight about me. Most who will read this know that I worked as a classified employee in the public school system for over 34 years. During those years no matter what my job title was I always considered everyone my boss; everyone from administrators to teachers to other classified employees to the students and to their parents. It's my nature. I always put myself in the position of doing things that nobody else wanted to do because the job was too mundane or not important enough to spend the time doing. I always felt those kinds of jobs needed to be treated like they were the most important jobs in the system. My intention was to always give an artistry to the mundane or the seemingly not-so-important routine tasks. It was in that way I could honor all those who I admired in the educaton field...that is if someone were to notice. (And if I am totally honest, I also did it for the steady income and the health benefits.) Even though I enjoyed the jobs I did there was never much fanfare and there was always a downside. Some days were very overwhelming or depressing to my soul. Some days were even humiliating, but I'm pretty sure I never showed just how much a bad day took its toll on me. Except to those who cared to notice. Because of this I learned to be like a purple rubber duck. If you don't already know, I'm pretty thin-skinned. A trait some consider to be a character flaw. I always have been and always will be thin-skinned. I see and feel things through a series of vibrations, through my eyes, through my hands, through my skin and in my brain. At least that's the way it seems to me. I valuate this character trait as my secret to being an artist...It's better to let the bad things roll off my back than to develop such a thick-skin that I stop feeling or allowing the vibrations in.
A purple rubber duck sat among the stapler and tape dispenser on my desk at work. It was a gift. A gift from one of my bosses. I think she probably had many rubber ducks in her desk drawer. One for each person she met that took everything to heart. She was good at seeing those things in the people she worked with and in the people she advised. She knew there were people in the world that would never develop thick-skin so other coping skills would be in order. She was one of those school counselors like Michelle Obama just honored. She was an educator in the public school system. A system I truly believe in and value as one of the most important bases of our democratic republic. I only had one other job in the school system after she gave me that duck but it moved along with me and took up residence on a new desk with a new set of interactions and a new set of coworkers.
Fast forward to...yesterday. I thought about that purple rubber duck when I was painting in my studio. At first I thought I had pitched it out with all of the other things I brought home from my desk. But then I realized it was in one of three places from when I last organized my life. I found it in the third place and it is now taking a prominent spot in my studio. Even though I'm retired from my day job, I still need to let things roll.
I thought those days of worry were over but they're not. I've come to realize that no matter what I do in my life, I have thin-skin. It's a fact of my life. There will always be things that bother me. Things that vibrate in a most uncomfortable way. Things that I feel passionate about...things that I didn't realize I feel so passionate about...things that I believe in...things that I didn't realize just how much I believe in them....things that may very well change. Things like the freedoms we value today in our democratic republic. Will they be in place when my granddaughters become adults? Will these freedoms become enhanced and broadened or will my granddaughters experience a more watered down version of today's freedoms or no freedoms at all? Such profound and somewhat disturbing thoughts on a silent snowy day. Thoughts that stir my passion and all the while I painted The Fairy Tree.
I've always been intrigued by shadows. Sitting in front of my kitchen window in the late afternoon sunlight today sent me for my camera. The texture created by my new bamboo shades reminded me of an abstract painting. A sunlit self portrait with no details. Blurred lines and simple color. And for some reason when I was choosing which picture to use for my blog it made me sad...very, very sad.
I am in the mid years of my life. I ruminate about the human experience. All of the flaws and all of the splendor of the human experience. I ruminate over the sadness I have experienced, the joy I've known and the simple day to day ordinary that lies between the sadness and the joy. I think about why it is that I have so little self-confidence. Why I consider myself to be less valuable than those I place upon pedestals. And all the while I know why. I know the answer is in my sadness. The thing that makes me the saddest. Loss.
Every now and then I allow myself to wallow in my own self-pity. Putting it in words to share with others. Not for sympathy. Just to share. Just to say "this is me". And then I stop and I go back to finding the wonder in my day to day living. Being a creative soul. Making things to serve my own peace. Looking for a way to hide the sadness of my shadow.
A customer at my last art fair bought one of my prints and shared her thoughts with me. This is what she said, "I collect mermaids but they have to have the right faces. This one [Seated] reminds me of a Madam." The exchange of conversation between the customer and I was light-hearted and I'm always flattered by their purchase and interested in their spoken perception of my art. But, I had to laugh in my head as I recalled all of the conversations I had in art school with classmates about how an artist has to "prostitute" his or her art to make a living when she mentioned the term "Madam". It's true, we do. It's difficult to give our art up by putting a price on it and selling it. Yet it's always easy to give it away. It's the same with love.
As I worked in my studio today the house was quiet, no music, no television, all alone and my mind was on autopilot with free association memories playing through my head. Suddenly my mind stopped on a memory like a marble on a roulette wheel. As the memory, like the marble, bounced to rest in my head I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks. I felt the constriction of my throat muscle that paralyzes my vocal cords during uncomfortable moments. My thoughts stopped on an embarrassing moment I experienced years ago. I was physically and emotionally reliving the moment as if it had just happened. It only lasted for a moment but it lead me to wonder why I had such an intense reaction to the memory. Then I realized that I have just as intense emotional responses to all of my memories. Sad memories make me cry, happy memories make me smile, funny memories make me laugh out loud; so why shouldn't an embarrassing moment make me blush? Silly me.


The 'President's Circle' is composed of a group of committed business representatives, policymakers and philanthropists who share our values and are key in helping us strengthen the quality of democracy and other issues of global concern such as the challenges of social cohesion, rising violent extremism and environmental sustainability.
We value greatly the qualified advice from the private and public sector on key issues to help us improve our activities and above all guide us to make them sustainable. The President's Circle meets at least once a year on the sides of our General Assembly and Policy Dialogue. The President's Circle may present recommendations at any time to the WLA-Club de Madrid leaders on existing or future projects/initiatives. This provides a unique opportunity to share their views among peers, offer advice to the Club's leadership from their perspective and engage with Members and other relevant personalities who attend our Policy Dialogues each year.
Visibility on and off-line if desired.


text:
Jason Giambi
Giambi was voted MVP in baseball and basketball and was an All-League quarterback in football. At university he focused on baseball and was drafted to the Oakland Athletics in 1992. He debuted in 1995. He performed well and hit 27 homeruns in 1998, 33 in 1999, and 43 in 2000 when he won the American League MVP Award. In 2001 he signed a $120 million deal with the New York Yankees to the chagrin of the Athletics fans.
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Team New York Yankees
Born 8 Jan 1971
Nationality United States
New York Yankees 2001 - present
Oakland Athletics 1995 - 2001
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where does this set up mount? How long are both lines?
Do you have a part number for this trans cooler so I can research it's specs?
only asking because my current one is mounted below the intercooler scoop and I was liiking to piurchase just the pre-crimped lines and trying to figure out if they will be long enough. Do you have the length on eacjh line with the pre crimped ends??
These would work for that, or we can make a set however long you want.